Just Go Sketching Companion Plus Case for Plein Air Sketching - Unboxing and First Impressions

Thanks for tuning in to watch my urban sketching, ink and watercolour tutorial! Don't forget to check out my channel where I have hundreds of different urban sketch tutorials, as well as other watercolour and ink sketching guides for everyone from beginners to more advanced!
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When I reach my goal I'll upgrade my sketching tutorials with a new camera and use my old camera to give an extra view point in my videos! Perhaps my face, perhaps my watercolour palette, or some close ups of my process!
Today I am unboxing and trying out for the first time my new en plein air sketching bag from 'Justgosketching'.
I bought this item for £53, though the price has I believe risen slightly since.
The size of mine is 8 x 5.8 inches, and it includes a sketching board/companion and a bag to fit all your supplies in.
You can find the exact item linked from my website - sketchloose.co.uk/supplies
I was looking for a new hyper minimalist sketching set up to carrying around with me for a month of hiking - this seemed to fit the bill. So lets see how it goes!
I bought this bag because I thought it looked great, and I have not received any financial compensation or special treatment for it. As far as I'm aware the owner has no idea that I have an art KZbin.
Watch this video to find out what I think!
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00:00 Introduction
00:45 Opening the box
02:34 Sketching Companion / Board
04:00 How does it work?
07:04 Trying a different sketchbook
07:46 The sketching bag
09:42 What fits inside?
10:35 What doesn't fit?
11:21 Magic bungee
12:44 Summary
#urbansketch #howtosketch #tobyurbansketch

[@gorway7]

The loops and straps at the back are "Molle" attachments. These are standard military type attachment points and you can get a whole variety of add on pouches to fit these. Or alternatively you could probably use the molle attachment points to fit this sketching bag to a backpack that has molle loops.

[@TobySketchLoose]

Ahhh thanks 🙏

[@stephenchung]

Is that a chest tactical pouch?? That’s a lot of molle loops

[@nicola.p]

I have this set. I love it. I used the straps off the back and connected them together to make a shoulder strap for it.

[@TobySketchLoose]

Ah that's clever! Good thinking 🧐

[@toni2503]

I am loving your videos! Thank you so much. You are helping me so much and at a time in my life that I need a distraction from poor health and some scary medical stuff. God bless you.

[@TobySketchLoose]

I'm sorry to hear you're unwell, but glad I can do a little something to help!

[@kimallen8521]

I absolutely love mine! Brilliant for out and about

[@TobySketchLoose]

Brill thanks!

[@SharonCullenArt]

I think those little things are to stick on the bottom of items that would allow it to magnetize to your surface. I do that with my collapsible silicone water cups

[@TobySketchLoose]

Thanks 🙏

[@ZitronenDuft]

That board is really cleverly designed😮 And it can be easily rebuild with almost no money. I'll definitely test that :D

[@TobySketchLoose]

Have fun 😊

[@pekingduck15]

I also purchased this from Ian and its been awesome. The small metal ones are for you to stick / attach to plastic palettes so you can magnetize it to the board. I also wondered what it was and asked Ian :)

[@phillipstroll7385]

Cracks me up that people are so gullible as to purchase this crap. The greatest fun we in the art community used to have besides actually gathering together to paint, was to see what interesting and inventive things each artist came up with to best suit their own individual needs. We always knew whom was the actual artists and whom just pretended to be artists by the great they carried. 60-70 years ago the only thing artists could get away with buying without having taking the piss out on them was paint, brushes (most artists I knew (including myself) made their own brushes and a French easel. We even ripped one another if we purchased prestretched canvases. It's so nice to see in a generation where married adults still live at home with their parents, people can't afford eggs or gas, have no interest in preserving freedom for themselves or their children and are willing to give it all up in exchange to be spoke to like a toddler, they can still find money to spend on these awesome art supplies they can use at their desks while pretending to be outside. I absolutely love it!!!!!

[@racechick2033]

​​@@phillipstroll7385 I don't know anyone that goes plein air sketching and painting in groups. My friend bought this and she uses it several times a week and loves it. To be fair I think it's up to individuals to decide what they spend their money on. Ps. It's not crap it's a very well thought out and useful piece of kit.

[@sallybally9731]

​@@phillipstroll7385 someone needs a cuddle 🤗❤

[@phillipstroll7385]

@@sallybally9731then go get one. Stop burdening strangers with your nonsense.

[@sallybally9731]

@@phillipstroll7385 ❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@jessicastewart9676]

I love mine and he’s such an amazing seller! I had concerns about the magnet placement as a lefty and he offered to put them on the opposite side for me!

[@TobySketchLoose]

Great to hear!

[@TerryMcGearyScotland]

That’s service for you!👏👏

[@pamelajarvis7728]

Hi Nice video! They do now sell the bags with/ without straps. Brilliant shop! 👍

[@TobySketchLoose]

Good to know!

[@barbaraa.8889]

We never can own too many bags for our sketching adventures😇This entire set looks amazing! I shorten brush handles with an old pencil sharpener - works great...

[@reimaida6679]

I admit to sawing off a brush handle end or two.

[@TobySketchLoose]

That's a great idea!

[@LesleyinStudio13]

I bought one last week and received it this morning. The sketching companion (board) is great and does seem to work in almost any sized sketchbook up to A4 as you said. Very pleased with it’s packability! I have managed to fit an A5 landscape Seawhite watercolour book into the zipped part, and haven’t really had to abandon any of my sketching tools. Really looking forward to getting outside and working with it, I think it’s going to be perfect for the job 😊. I shall look forward to hearing what you think about it after a sketching trip using it.

[@TobySketchLoose]

Thanks for sharing!

[@FaithAnnNB]

I love my sketching companion, makes it so much nicer to have everything held in place that I need. I didn’t get the bag, but got the A5 and A6 size companions. The little metal stickers are perfect to add to the bottom of a plastic palette so you can use it with the magnets (I added them to the bottom of a portable painter micro).

[@FaithAnnNB]

I actually wonder if the strap was forgotten in your order? When I looked at the listing, any that I saw indicated “case + strap” included in the price.

[@TobySketchLoose]

Ahhh thanks for the info!

[@leanneshawler]

Just got mine! And as I don’t have travel brushes Kim expecting those to arrive this week so I can take it out with more than just a water brush. Kim hoping to attach a seat pad to the back, and I think the sketchbook I bought (separately) is actually too thick as it doesn’t lay all that flat. I look forward to your second impressions! I’m hoping the bungee cord will keep everything in easy reach if I’m standing.

[@TobySketchLoose]

It has indeed been great to use!! Still need to film my follow up despite owning it for months now

[@parisdblack1711]

Hi Toby, I received my order last week and I really like it. The first little envelope you opened is adhesive magnets in case you are using a plastic palette. Ian also includes some adhesive magnets for additional half size pans.

[@TobySketchLoose]

Thanks for the info!

[@TerryMcGearyScotland]

I had been wondering too how my plastic palette would work.

[@parisdblack1711]

@@TerryMcGearyScotland I use mine also just to hold my sketchbook when I am drawing, but I am working in watercolours. Ian makes his own watercolours. I would like to purchase a set.

[@TerryMcGearyScotland]

@@parisdblack1711 It’s good to have an adequate carrying solution. Thanks, I’ll need to look up his site.

[@puppydood]

Hope it’s good, I’d already ordered one. Due any day now!!

[@TobySketchLoose]

Hope you like it!

[@awatercolourist]

I’ll have to watch this later.

[@TobySketchLoose]

Hiya!

[@MariaDeesy]

I love mine! My friend and I bought them for our hiking adventures. I have the same size board and bag. Very convenient. Both our bags came with a shoulder strap. I would reach out to him about the strap.

[@TobySketchLoose]

Thanks Maria! I may well do that!

[@ErinneKennedy]

the minute I saw the metal discs (and you said with self adhesive) I knew it was to magnetize plastic palette with

[@TobySketchLoose]

Ahhh genius

[@TerryMcGearyScotland]

Interesting! A friend recently gave me a not dissimilar bag to carry my camera gubbins up hills on my front with straps to go over my shoulders and clipping around the back. I suspect it’s a fishing bag really but ,like yours, is packed with storage solutions. I’m now wondering if it can be used for art stuff too!🤔

[@TobySketchLoose]

Sounds promising!

[@Art-What..]

Hi Toby.. great review, I would think those straps on the back are for another SketchBook? Got to go, bye'eeee 🚴🏾‍♀️🚴🏼‍♂️🚴🏼🚴🏾‍♀️🚴🏼🚴🏽‍♀️🚴🏼‍♂️🚴🏾‍♀️🚴🏼🚴🏽‍♀️🚴🏼‍♂️🚴🏾‍♀️🚴🏼

[@TobySketchLoose]

Good call!

[@shirleyhiggins3395]

Its gone up a lot 😱, now over £70 so I will have to stick with my sellotape covered foam board one with magnets stuck on, or get my other half to make me one 😁

[@TobySketchLoose]

That is quite a price increase, I guess a sign of the times!

[@deetee-uk]

Did you go for the largest size. The 8x5.8 ins is only £54...I just ordered one from Etsy

[@puppydood]

Hope you’ll do an update review when you’ve had a chance to use it more.😊

[@TobySketchLoose]

I do keep meaning to!!

[@TheLiznz]

I just received mine today and it’s everything I hoped for. Does anyone have any ideas what to use the straps on the back of the case for? I’m thinking of putting a separate brush case in there, but keen to hear what others use it for

[@TobySketchLoose]

I used it to attach it to the back of my rucksack 🎒 I'm sure there are better ideas out there

[@LightshamanaDhyana]

You can also put a larger sketchbook there. Bamboo brush holder, extra waterbottle, etc.

[@sd8544]

@TobyUrbansketch thanks for sharing . The fraternity and the supporting businesses seems to be growing fast in Europe. How many months you get to do Plein Air Sketching ?

[@racechick2033]

12 months a year in Cornwall. 😊

[@TobySketchLoose]

Most of the time you can achieve something!

[@sharonmaxwell1]

Great video .I am wanting this bag , but unsure which size it is .There are different sizes on the Etsy site of bag and board .What size is this one ?

[@TobySketchLoose]

That is a good question, and I can't actually remember! It fits an A5 sketchbook I think is how I ended up sizing it...

[@ep8029]

I thought the self adhesive metal pads are to stick on (e.g.) plastic paint set boxes so they'll attract and stick to the magnets on the board. You don't need them if you have a metal paint set box.

[@TobySketchLoose]

Yes I believe you are right

[@suhart414]

Hi. Do you have the link to Ian's website?

[@TobySketchLoose]

If you Google him, I bought in Etsy 🙏

[@suhart414]

@@TobySketchLoose Thanks. Loving your channel :-)

[@thestourvalleysynthesizerc6543]

While this seems nice, I am struggling a bit to see the difference between this and the tonnes of widely available molle pouches (different sizes just like the justgosketching ones) that can be found anything from £7 to £20 with internal and external loops, various attachment points etc. straps or not and so on from Amazon, Army surplus stores and pretty much anywhere. Couple one of those bags/pouches with a nice quality watercolour sketch book, get some board and stick-on magnets (home bargains, B&M, DIY stores etc.) and you have the same thing. From their website the cheapest bag/board/sketchbook combo was £75 (free postage), whereas assembling it yourself would be a fraction of that price meaning you could probably have two sizes of bag (for versatility) and still come in under the justgosketching price. All I can see that you'd lose would be being able to choose the elastic ribbon colour. It's not even original really as once I started looking it seems that lots of people already use this type of bag for urban sketching. don't get me wrong, it looks really nice and has great gift potential due to the nice packaging and little gifts (unless that was just for you as a reviewer?), but I personally think it make much more sense and has more potential for customisation to an artist's own needs to get your own molle pouch/bag and other bits and have £s to spare on creating another sized kit or just to be more affordable. Is this now your go-to kit Toby or have you made your own?

[@TobySketchLoose]

Thanks for the info. This wasn't specialised for me, I bought it via Etsy not as a reviewer. I'm sure you're right that one could make one themselves. This is very often the case that you are paying a little more for something with slightly better workmanship and to not have to spend the time craafting your own solution. I think your ideas are of course fantastic and a great resource for alternatives. I use this when on holiday or hiking, but I don't use it day to day.

[@ChericeByler]

Thanks! Went to your site, supplies, then PALETTES, CASES AND ACCESSORIES but didn’t see it listed. Am I looking in the wrong place?

[@TobySketchLoose]

I'll need to check! I might need to update my site

[@deetee-uk]

Toby how are you getting on with this?

[@TobySketchLoose]

It's useful, I essentially use it to go on holiday with :)

[@awatercolourist]

First!

[@phillipstroll7385]

Cool, what did you win?

[@awatercolourist]

@@phillipstroll7385 A very large box full to the brim with air 😁

[@TobySketchLoose]

Thanks hehe

[@mgeiser6951]

Whilst this is an excellent bag (I purchased mine from the same chap), I was very annoyed to find the exact same bag on Amazon for about £14! So I bought another bag from Amazon (the smaller size 7 x 7) for £9 and it is indeed identical. So I’m not quite sure how the seller claims these are handmade and charges £30 - I feel done!

[@TobySketchLoose]

Thanks for the info! Bit of a shame 😕

[@ronsutton2053]

My earlier comment appears to have been deletes!!

[@TobySketchLoose]

More likely that your comment was picked up by the language filters for some reason,I have KZbin's settings on the highest level so lots of benign things get picked up... I've only ever deleted a handful of comments that were frankly racist, sexist or discriminatory.

[@user-rf8uz5rf8c]

No thank you. This looks to be awkward at best, and clumsy to use.

[@TobySketchLoose]

You certainly don't have to buy it 😂 I strongly disagree that it's awkward at best, I find it very easy to use. That doesnt mean you would, but at best, it's very very useful .