I described my first scribing experience and the reaction that I have got in a separate post Sketchnoting. How to start? Now I would like to focus on what materials do you need. What is the minimum set you will require? Of course, you can start using just a simple pen, but there are a couple of tricks that easily bring your scribing to a new level without too much additional effort.
Markers for scribing
My own basic set:
- Black thin liner for the main text
- Black marker for thicker lines for titles. It is more convenient if it has a square tip. If you write with it and do not turn it around the width of the line will change and the line will have a touch of calligraphy.
- Grey marker for shadowing. This is a magic marker. Once you use it in your sketchnote and add shadows, your page will become alive. I love to use a marker with a brush, but this is not important.
- Color markers for emphasize: I have just two and you can choose your favorite colors. This is the case where less is more.
- Beige marker for coloring faces. Probably, this is a luxury addition, but little humans look different after this marker is used.
Paper and where to sketch
If you are scribing for yourself, it is more likely that you are doing it in your lap and not on a large flip-chart in front of a big audience. In the beginning, you can just use a simple notebook without lines. Important is that your paper does allow marker lines to penetrate to the page underneath. In order for your scribing to look more professional, you can use A4 page of a more density than normal (160 g/m2). This way your page will look better when you make a photo. It is more white.
And the last step is taking all your materials out there and trying.