Helen your childhood dream rings funny bells, loud and quiet at the same time! I can still summon this big/small feeling from dreams I had when I was little. It was like a sensation of the biggest thing, bigger than planets and simultaneously the tiniest, invisible speck. Or the smoooothest, purest, surface and the most packed, noisiest scribble. Oh weird!
Thank you for all the great tips Helen! I’m so thankful you pointed out the hot chocolate. I’m from colombia and miss it so much over here! Might add those toast socks to my list, they look just like what an illustrators socks should be!
Brilliant list. I hate getting stuff for the sake of stuff too. Big fat yes from me on the fluffy socks, the ones I got for Christmas last year are already worn out from wearing them constantly in the cold weather 🧦Also yes to the hot chocolate and the coloured pencils, which I would never use because I don’t know how and don’t have time to learn but want to soooooo badly!!! Also yes to Procreate Dreams!!! I will be needing that in my life today. Can’t wait till Christmas 🤩 I have also asked for an Oody... which makes me feel slightly silly, but I bought one for my children last year and wish I’d got myself one. They look sooooo cosy!
I am loving pairing the pencils with the Caran D’ache crayons, two slightly different textures that sit together beautifully. Oh an Oody! That beats a dressing gown any day. I need to see photos.
Some great choices there. Have you ever used FRISK surfaces or tools? I use them often and they are high quality as the leading brands. They stock newsprint and have a new range of fine-liners and other pens too. I mainly use their black alcohol ink and yupo papers as I work with alcohol inks a fair bit.
Yes to everything on this list! Except, I want the hot chocolate with the chocolate figurines in it from the brand Barú. A friend gave me a tin for one of my birthdays. Let me say, it didn’t last very long. 😁
I hope you can get them, they are the best I have ever found. Although I don't have a huge experience of them because of the school memories. Which ones do you use Sarah?
I like prisma colour including a colourless one I found which blends other colours together (it’s like a magic pencil!) and also faber castell are good .
Ooooh la la! Super wish list! Just wait till you test drive those Caran D'Ache beauties! What fun you will have! Love the socks! I wear SmartWool or Darn Tough here in Canada, until they walk their way on their own to the washing machine (I invest yearly in an extra pair so I can wash the others more frequently). An absolute must. Your choices look splendid! A box of Blackwing pencils (who knew a pencil is not just a pencil), arrived on my doorstep the other day. Can't wait to crack them open. My grandson eyes them and then demurely asks if he might have one, just as if a box of chocolates stood before him. Same thing, in my thinking. Hope Santa is good to you! You deserve it.
Oh yes a queue of socks, a new one each year to add to the system. That’s perfect. I love that your grandson respects the Blackwings, my daughter is the same. They hold special magic don't they?
Wow I love your childhood dream about being a line drawn on the universe - talk about existential!! I remember from childhood a book about three marker-pen men who left lines everywhere they went, sometimes dotted and sometimes plain. They wore bowler hats and pin stripe trousers and I have never ever been able to find it again...
I wonder what the book was. Surely we can trace that somehow! I always remembered the first book I read to myself, but had no idea what it was. All I remembered was that an owl cried into a teapot. Then a couple of years ago I came across a picture of the owl on Instagram and realised it was Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel! A classic!
A wonderful list, but where are the CRISPS?
Oh shit! Christmas is ruined!
There's still time - ASDA doesn't close until 4pm on Christmas Eve.
Helen your childhood dream rings funny bells, loud and quiet at the same time! I can still summon this big/small feeling from dreams I had when I was little. It was like a sensation of the biggest thing, bigger than planets and simultaneously the tiniest, invisible speck. Or the smoooothest, purest, surface and the most packed, noisiest scribble. Oh weird!
Yeeees! You understand. That’s exactly it! Thank you Anna, I love that you experienced that too.
Thank you for all the great tips Helen! I’m so thankful you pointed out the hot chocolate. I’m from colombia and miss it so much over here! Might add those toast socks to my list, they look just like what an illustrators socks should be!
Those socks look like they were drawn by an illustrator don't they? Hope you like the dark hot chocolate!
Ooo how about a top smelling candle to build on the 'illustrators get cold' theme. The ambience added by a nice smelling naked flame definitely makes me work at least 10% better, maybe 20% !! I'm currently loving Earl of East's Smoke and Musk candle: https://www.earlofeast.com/products/earl-of-east-soy-wax-mid-size-candle-smoke-and-musk-170ml
Oh I wish Substack was scratch and sniff! Yes a candle can really cheer up the studio on these dark winter day.
Now that would be good! 👃
Brilliant list. I hate getting stuff for the sake of stuff too. Big fat yes from me on the fluffy socks, the ones I got for Christmas last year are already worn out from wearing them constantly in the cold weather 🧦Also yes to the hot chocolate and the coloured pencils, which I would never use because I don’t know how and don’t have time to learn but want to soooooo badly!!! Also yes to Procreate Dreams!!! I will be needing that in my life today. Can’t wait till Christmas 🤩 I have also asked for an Oody... which makes me feel slightly silly, but I bought one for my children last year and wish I’d got myself one. They look sooooo cosy!
I am loving pairing the pencils with the Caran D’ache crayons, two slightly different textures that sit together beautifully. Oh an Oody! That beats a dressing gown any day. I need to see photos.
I love my oodie!
Ooh this is a great list. Pencils, hot choc and socks. Seriously, what more could you need?! I hope you’ve been good this year and you get everything!
Well, if Santa doesn’t come up trumps, Ron and Betty Frampton will get me them. (Ron and Betty might be me)
😁
Some great choices there. Have you ever used FRISK surfaces or tools? I use them often and they are high quality as the leading brands. They stock newsprint and have a new range of fine-liners and other pens too. I mainly use their black alcohol ink and yupo papers as I work with alcohol inks a fair bit.
I just looked them up, this is a great tip! Thank you. I love Substack for this sharing inside info!
A Line on the Universe. That is profound. Picture book, please!
It is pretty mind blowing, aren't our childhood brains incredible?
I also have a long list of artist books that I have shared with my husband, for in case anyone asks him for gift ideas for me 😁
Yes to everything on this list! Except, I want the hot chocolate with the chocolate figurines in it from the brand Barú. A friend gave me a tin for one of my birthdays. Let me say, it didn’t last very long. 😁
Figurines in it? Now I need to know what this is!
It has like little chocolate stars etc in the powder. It’s a Belgian brand I think.
I love coloured pencils ! I use them a lot . I’ve not seen the ones you’ve mentioned , will look out for them in Canada , I hope they’re available!
I hope you can get them, they are the best I have ever found. Although I don't have a huge experience of them because of the school memories. Which ones do you use Sarah?
I know those bad school pencils :(
I like prisma colour including a colourless one I found which blends other colours together (it’s like a magic pencil!) and also faber castell are good .
Ooooh la la! Super wish list! Just wait till you test drive those Caran D'Ache beauties! What fun you will have! Love the socks! I wear SmartWool or Darn Tough here in Canada, until they walk their way on their own to the washing machine (I invest yearly in an extra pair so I can wash the others more frequently). An absolute must. Your choices look splendid! A box of Blackwing pencils (who knew a pencil is not just a pencil), arrived on my doorstep the other day. Can't wait to crack them open. My grandson eyes them and then demurely asks if he might have one, just as if a box of chocolates stood before him. Same thing, in my thinking. Hope Santa is good to you! You deserve it.
Oh yes a queue of socks, a new one each year to add to the system. That’s perfect. I love that your grandson respects the Blackwings, my daughter is the same. They hold special magic don't they?
Picture books! I have a long list of beautifully illustrated books that I want...would love one (or a few) under the tree!
Oh of course! Ha! I missed the most important things! PICTURE BOOKS!
I love this list!! Unfortunately I don’t have one myself as I am terrible at wishing for myself. But this is inspirational.
A very Merry Christmas to you Helen
My partner Gerry is hopeless at wishing for himself too, very annoying for me, it’s so hard to buy him anything. Merry Yuletides to you Sidsel!
Love it! I ordered hot water bottles (the more the better), French Raclette cheese and portfolio reviews :D
Oh of course, cheese. Every celebration is made better with cheese!
Wow I love your childhood dream about being a line drawn on the universe - talk about existential!! I remember from childhood a book about three marker-pen men who left lines everywhere they went, sometimes dotted and sometimes plain. They wore bowler hats and pin stripe trousers and I have never ever been able to find it again...
I wonder what the book was. Surely we can trace that somehow! I always remembered the first book I read to myself, but had no idea what it was. All I remembered was that an owl cried into a teapot. Then a couple of years ago I came across a picture of the owl on Instagram and realised it was Owl at Home by Arnold Lobel! A classic!
Ah what a joyful moment! EVERYTHING by Arnold Lobel is solid gold...