For painters and artists, travel is an ideal opportunity to hone their craft and capture memories simultaneously, and for visitors, the Hawaiian landscape makes a lovely subject for painting or sketching. Hawaiian Graphics, the premier arts and crafts store in Honolulu, offers some tips below for successful sketching or painting on your next vacation. Hawaiian Graphics caters to visiting or local artists as well as architects, drafters, and designers, and sells the finest art supplies and drawing supplies in Oahu.

When painting or sketching on vacation, remember the important tips below:        

• Prepare For the Weather: The weather can be unpredictable, check the weather report before setting out, so you can prepare for it.  Carry an umbrella and large plastic bags to protect your work in case of sudden showers.  Be ready for wind: In some areas, sudden, powerful wind gusts can snatch your work from the easel or out of your hands. To avoid this, clip your painting to the easel, if especially windy fasten weights to your easel or use a rubber band to bind your sketchbook page in place.  Too much sunshine can glare and reduce visibility, in this case bring sunglasses or umbrella to provide some shade.
• Choose the right supplies: Choose the supplies you need with care, avoid bulky or large size tubes of paint, opt for smaller paint or pencil sets and limit the size of paper pads or canvases.  Pick the minimum number of colors you need and be prepared to mix your colors or work with a limited palette. Due to airline travel restrictions and slow drying times, avoid oil paints and use water-based paints like watercolors or acrylics.  Waterbrushes, water color blocks, canvas pads, and travel sets are ideal solutions to eliminate excess supplies to avoid lugging heavy supplies with you.
• Prepare For Transport: Ink, watercolors and acrylics dry well, but pastel or charcoal sketches can smear. If you don’t want to use a fixative spray, bring a sturdy portfolio or cardboard backing and plastic sheets or bags that fit in your luggage to protect your finished work during your trip home.

Hawaiian Graphics, Honolulu's top arts and crafts store has knowledgeable staffers who can help traveling artists choose the right supplies for their next trip.  They carry the finest products and brands at prices that won't break your travel budget. Visit their website, or call (808) 973-7171 to talk to a friendly expert about your vacation art supply needs.