My Home Drawing Kits

For years now, I’ve been all about encouraging people to draw for the sheer enjoyment of doing so. I’ve taught thousands to draw over the internet and in person and enjoy great feedback about how I have helped people to get over their drawing barriers. But never have I been able to help them physically get the right tools, until now.

I just couldn’t get my head around the right way to do it, the only true thing I knew was that I wanted them to be as personal as possible.

My drawing parcels had to come directly from my studio, be hand-wrapped by me or one of my studio assistants (my teenagers) contain the most basic but perfect drawing tools and, be absolutely authentically Sam style, it all seemed very out of reach as a project.

And then I read this beautiful book and personal story

Breadsong: How Baking Changed Our Lives. A Book by Al Tait and Kitty Tait

What an incredible read it is, in fact so far, it’s going down as my own book of the year.

Breadsong is the real-life story of a young teenage girl (Kitty) struggling with mental health issues that kept her locked in her own struggle. Her family became lost in how they might help her.

One day, her father (Al) made some bread with her at home and Kitty’s life changed. Finding purpose in making bread, Kitty and Al, now have their own bakery in their hometown of Watlington (UK) and run a programme called ‘Breaducation’ which takes bread-making sessions into schools, prisons and the wider-world.

Theirs is an incredibly inspiring story.

Book devoured, it was time to get my arse into gear and make my own kits. I know that drawing is good for the mental health of humans and the barrier of not knowing where to start is something I can absolutely help with. Get on with it Barnes.

Drawing a Sunflower in my studio one morning to get me going for the day, I began to think about what I would want in a drawing kit. I took my sunflower and spent the day thinking about all that I would need.

Compiling the items into one package, including a photograph for work from, a photocopy of a finished drawing for reference, the actual drawing tools of a 2b pencil, eraser and pencil sharpener, six sheets of A4 cartridge paper and finally, a handwritten list of ideas, I pretty much had my first kit.

Wrapping all my items into one package studio style which essentially means how I wrap gifts for my own loved ones - with splashes of paint, words of love and more, I had my first kit ready to leave.

Wow, I thought, I’m here.

The next stage became about sharing my idea with others I know and trust, talking and asking questions is a must.

I made five more kits and sent them out to friends who also have their own businesses (a pilot run is important)

Gathering precious feedback and ideas about how I might improve my kits helped sand down any potential issues.

Geared up my Kitty and Al Tait (the Bakers above), I was ready.

Wording of my kits proved tricky. I kept falling over my words, but the rule of keeping it simple (KISS: Keep It Simple Stupid) won the day, and with the help of a wonderfully supportive friend whose wordsmithery skills are way better than mine, we came up with HOME DRAWING KITS BY SAM.

So there we are. The story of my drawing kits so far.

I sold seven kits last week, taking them with enormous pride to my local post office to set them forth.

I’ll be gathering feedback all the way.

Much love, Sam x

(I hope you enjoy my Morning Drawing films that I make to inspire you into drawing, there are more over little films over on my Instagram page)