What are some of your favorite drawing tools (pens, pencils, markers, drawing tablet, all of the above)?

I think it all really depends on what I’m doing. I’m in love with my brushpen, but it’s totally balls for penciling roughs. Balls. But really, I’d have to say my red Col-Erase pencils, my Pentel Brush pen, and my Pentel RSVP ballpoint are my daily heroes.

If you have a wide collection, how do you decide on which to use on a particular drawing, project, or day?

I sit at my desk and ask myself this question while staring at the array of pens and pencils and brushes and god knows what else. I painted with a feather once. Not like the end they make quills from, but the fluffy part. I guess what I end up doing is really thinking about what kind of line I want to achieve, and which one of these damn things is going to give me that. Sometimes I trace over drawings a few times with different pens to see what I like best for that particular project. Mostly I get really frustrated and just use a ballpoint.

How do you like your color? Watercolor? Acrylics? Oil? Colored pencils? Markers?

I use acrylics pretty much exclusively right now. Although I’m considering getting back on the gouache horse that I fell off after art school. Such bright, creamy, vibrant colours. I’m also feeling a lot of nostalgia for crayons and pencil crayons. I feel a hefty need to play with them again.

If you do use paints, inks, pencils, or markers for coloring, are there any in particular that are your favorites? Do you prefer travel sets of paints to a full set?

Anything cheap. I buy SO many paints in crazy different colours that if they weren’t cheap, I’d be bankrupt. Or ten grand in debt to a loan shark in order to feed my colour addiction. For acrylic I usually end up buying the Liquitex Basics, and I use Golden mediums with them.

Is there any particular type of notebook or drawing pad you prefer? Or does any scrap of decent-sized paper work in a pinch?

As long as the paper is smooth as butter and completely toothless. I hate HATE textured paper. With a fiery passion. yuck. I also prefer that sketchbooks be hardbound, I don’t like spiral ones because the pages slip around and rub against each other and everything ends up all smudged.

If you paint, is there any particular type of canvas you prefer? Do you like to paint on wood or any other materials?

Canvas is balls. I hate the regular texture to it. I prefer to work on paper for my illustration work, and wood or masonite boards for fine art. Or as I just did the other day, I spread light acrylic modeling paste all over the canvas, like icing a cake, and when it dries it has this look of old plaster. A great texture to work on.

Do you ever do any kind of post-processing (like adding color in Photoshop or similar tool) to your drawings?

I do go the digital route sometimes. Usually when I’m in a hurry, or I want something really smooth and uniform. In which case I usually colour my linework in Photoshop, and then drop in flat colours. I’m no good at digital painting though.

Have you ever tried a new pen (or paper, etc) from reading about it, or seeing the results in another artist’s work?

Yes, actually. I was hearing all this buzz on the interwebs about the Pentel brush pen, and I was looking for a good brush pen anyways. I hate the felt tip kind, the tip gets all fuzzy and gross after 1 drawing, and there isn’t as much control over the line weight. If you can’t tell already, I’m really anal about my drawings, but I also like a little bit of messiness. Sadly I’m incapable of actually letting myself be messy. I found the Pentel pocket brush gives me the perfect amount of control vs. chaos. Plus it fits in my purse so I take it everywhere!

If you work both digitally and non-digitally, which do you find yourself doing more? Is there a reason you would prefer one of the other? Is it because of the tools available in either space?

Lately I’ve found myself slowly moving closer and closer to working digitally, which I have always steered clear from up until now. I LOVE the physical act of painting, of getting it all over my fingers and in my hair and on the sleeves of my favourite sweater that I forgot I was wearing again. But I’m also an illustrator, and there is often a big time issue, I can work faster digitally, mostly because when working digitally I simplify myself a lot. Even more so than that, I’m a starving artist with a terrible, old and shitty scanner and lately it’s just not worth fighting with it, or paying someone to scan it for me.

I asked about post-processing on a computer, but do you think the computer is a helpful tool for making art? Whether it’s looking for inspiration online, or using it to build a weblog to promote yourself and your art, do you think a computer is necessary, helpful, or a distraction (or all of the above)?

I have a huge internet presence, probably too much so. I have two blogs, a website, way too many email addresses, and I’m on Twitter 24-7. My entire fan base (tiny as it is) is online, so without the computer and internet, I’d be even poorer (hard to imagine). I also have a catalogue of work I find inspiring in a folder on my computer. Anytime someone on one of the many blogs I follow does something mind boggling, I drag it into the folder and look at it for hours.

Sadly it is also SUPER distracting, and I’m starting to learn that I have to shut everything off and buckle down, or I can waste entire days playing around on the internet making dick jokes on twitter and chatting, and trolling through other people’s awesome work that they can do because they are not addicted to the internet.

Thanks Britt!

You can find Britt Wilson online on her portfolio website brittwilson.com, her weblog Britt, a Wilson, on Twitter (@Britterson), Flickr (batamarang), and on a weblog she shares with Vicki Nerino: Uterus Parade.

What are some of your favorite drawing tools (pens, pencils, markers, drawing tablet, all of the above)?

Well, It’s hard to say. I used to work mainly with a black marker and then scan it and work on the computer. But lately I’m using more and more black pencil and sometimes acrylics. I still use a lot the computer, which I think is a great tool. I always draw by hand.

I only have been an illustrator for 3 years so I consider I’m still learning and experimenting. I don’t know yet whether this is going to be like that always. I’ll tell you again in a couple of years.

If you have a wide collection, how do you decide on which to use on a particular drawing, project, or day?

I’m quite extremist. And normally I like to go from something to its opposite, so if I do a computer drawing, I tend to be doing something with acrylic. But of course It depends on the project. Newspaper illustration normally is more simple and more graphic.

If you prefer pens, is there any particular brand, color, or type of ink you like best?

I like black, and few colours within an illustration.

How do you like your color? Watercolor? Acrylics? Oil? Colored pencils? Markers?

Either acrylic or computer. I love a simple black pencil.

If you do use paints, inks, pencils, or markers for coloring, are there any in particular that are your favorites? Do you prefer travel sets of paints to a full set?

I prefer a full set, although I don’t tend to use many colours.

Is there any particular type of notebook or drawing pad you prefer? Or does any scrap of decent-sized paper work in a pinch?

I like Muji notebooks. Any of them.

If you paint, is there any particular type of canvas you prefer? Do you like to paint on wood or any other materials?

I like canvas. Although I’ve just started.

Do you ever do any kind of post-processing (like adding color in Photoshop or similar tool) to your drawings?

With illustrations almost always. With paintings on canvas I leave them as they are.

Have you ever tried a new pen (or paper, etc) from reading about it, or seeing the results in another artist’s work?

Not really. Maybe the way it’s used.

Do you have anything you use out of the ordinary for making your art?

Not that I can recall.

If you create purely-digital art, what are the software programs you use? Is one used more than another?

I always use Photoshop. I think Illustrator is a great program but I’ve never used it for that yet.

If you work both digitally and non-digitally, which do you find yourself doing more? Is there a reason you would prefer one of the other? Is it because of the tools available in either space?

Digital normally. It allows you to change quicker and test whether It works before changing the layout, and if there are any changes from the client, It’s easier to change them.

I asked about post-processing on a computer, but do you think the computer is a helpful tool for making art? Whether it’s looking for inspiration online, or using it to build a weblog to promote yourself and your art, do you think a computer is necessary, helpful, or a distraction (or all of the above)?

I think it’s totally necessary. The main point is to use it as a tool and not the final objective. That’s what I think. That’s why I always draw by hand. I like that the computer has this human touch that is so personal and make your work more unique. To look for inspiration and reference is great too. Before making an illustration I need to have a lot of references, and now this is really simple with Google. If you need to see how a van looks like you can do it like that and It saves you a lot of time. Also to promote your work is very helpul. Most people I work with I’ve never seen. I only know them in the digital world.

Thanks Luciano!

You can find Luciano Lozano online at his website/weblog ilustrista.com and on Flickr.

What are some of your favorite drawing tools (pens, pencils, markers, drawing tablet, all of the above)?

for the past few months i’ve been particularly addicted to krink markers, but i also use deco paint markers, sharpie xtra fine and 2b-6b pencils

If you have a wide collection, how do you decide on which to use on a particular drawing, project, or day?

it all depends on what already is on the painting and what the painting is doing. sometimes i need a big black krink marker to help wipe out many layers or sometimes i just need a sharpie or pencil to accent.

If you prefer pens, is there any particular brand, color, or type of ink you like best?

deco paint pens, sharpie pens and i use bombay inks to make drips/lines

How do you like your color? Watercolor? Acrylics? Oil? Colored pencils? Markers?

strong and opaque! that’s why i love krink and deco. i dream of krink in fluorescent colors. but also use golden acrylics.

If you do use paints, inks, pencils, or markers for coloring, are there any in particular that are your favorites? Do you prefer travel sets of paints to a full set?

i prefer golden paints in tubes, but my work is loosing up a lot and i’m beginning to buy golden paints in bottles.

Is there any particular type of notebook or drawing pad you prefer? Or does any scrap of decent-sized paper work in a pinch?

scrap paper usually does the trick, but if need to practice or work out my scribbles/script i have a large newsprint pad and a medium sized drawing pad.

If you paint, is there any particular type of canvas you prefer? Do you like to paint on wood or any other materials?

i like pre-stretched and primed canvas. dick blick has a good one - blick premier gallery with a 1.5” profile. i have a small studio space and these come in a great variety of small and medium sizes. but i also paint a lot on paper, i like lanaquarelle 300lb, 22”x30” cold press and recently began working on hot press which i’m lovin!

Do you ever do any kind of post-processing (like adding color in Photoshop or similar tool) to your drawings?

nope

Have you ever tried a new pen (or paper, etc) from reading about it, or seeing the results in another artist’s work?

yes, krink! but the first way i heard about this was thru ric santon at Parts Gallery in toronto. he let me know about them and i realized, “that’s what the graff writers are using!” i’ve seen KR’s stuff all over the city and other tags w/all their beautiful drips and always wanted to know what the hell they were using. god bless KR! - he brought back that old school look.

Do you have anything you use out of the ordinary for making your art?

nope. i also use circle and oval stencils

I asked about post-processing on a computer, but do you think the computer is a helpful tool for making art? Whether it’s looking for inspiration online, or using it to build a weblog to promote yourself and your art, do you think a computer is necessary, helpful, or a distraction (or all of the above)?

absolutely it’s helpful tool for making art. i don’t use the computer to create, but i like what i’ve seen other artists do like david d’andrade. i do like how you can undo something on the computer - wish i could do that when i paint! it is absolutely necessary to promote. i have a blog that’s specifically to share my inspiration and new work. i use facebook to connect w/artists i admire, collectors and fans. thru facebook i’ve found many artists that i might not have noticed b4. plus artists share events and new and progressing work on fb and i love that. i’m currently charting the progress of a painting on fb and a collaboration w/ rob bondgren. i believe that artists, especially those w/out gallery representation need to be proactive in sharing and promoting their work. it’s crucial for artists to harness the power of the internet and have some sort of online presence.

Thanks Jennifer!

You can find Jennifer Sánchez online at her portfolio website miss-sanchez.com, her weblog, and on Facebook. Some prints of her work are available at 20x200 and originals are available at The Beholder.

What are some of your favorite drawing tools (pens, pencils, markers, drawing tablet, all of the above)?

When I began working as illustrator I always used Van Gogh watercolors, but now I prefer to use acrylics and pencils and I use a drawing tablet for the final details or to fill big surfaces.

I use 2B and HB pencils to sketch and sometimes I try to colour with watercolors or coloured pencils.

If you have a wide collection, how do you decide on which to use on a particular drawing, project, or day?

I don’t have a very wide collection, so it’s not a difficult decision. If I use a product and I like it then I don’t need to look for another.

I start sketching with a graphite pencil and after that I try different tools.

If you prefer pens, is there any particular brand, color, or type of ink you like best?

I don’t use pens very often but I like to ink using my Rotring 0.5.

How do you like your color? Watercolor? Acrylics? Oil? Colored pencils? Markers?

I started using watercolors but now I use acrylics and colored pencils. It depends on the project.

Lately I love to sketch with a red Col-Erase and colour with Da Vinci gouache.

If you do use paints, inks, pencils, or markers for coloring, are there any in particular that are your favorites? Do you prefer travel sets of paints to a full set?

I have a Winsor & Newton watercolor travel set. I use it to paint my sketches. At the moment I am really enjoying using a set of colored pencils by Lyra.

Is there any particular type of notebook or drawing pad you prefer? Or does any scrap of decent-sized paper work in a pinch?

With the years I’ve become more and more neurotic about the notebooks. I need one where I write and do my sketches. I was overwhelmed having scraps of paper everywhere with notes and sketches. But I don’t have a preferred brand. The most important thing for me is that the paper is smooth. I think that for writing, the best brand is Clairefontaine. I’ve never tried a Moleskine, maybe I should!

If you paint, is there any particular type of canvas you prefer? Do you like to paint on wood or any other materials?

I like to paint on wood and on canvas. But I don’t have any preferences. Most of my work is on paper. When I buy paper it has to be minimum 180 grs and smooth.

Do you ever do any kind of post-processing (like adding color in Photoshop or similar tool) to your drawings?

Well, I try to avoid digital post processing but sometimes I make some changes using it. It helps very much.

Have you ever tried a new pen (or paper, etc) from reading about it, or seeing the results in another artist’s work?

Yes, I read about the Rapidograph in Danny Gregory’s blog Everyday Matters. I tried it but I’m not comfortable with it. But he does wonderful drawings with it.

Do you have anything you use out of the ordinary for making your art?

No, I don’t think so. I use paper when I do collages. Toothbrushes to add color and sometimes I make my own stamp to create a pattern in an illustration. And I use fabrics, too.

If you work both digitally and non-digitally, which do you find yourself doing more? Is there a reason you would prefer one of the other? Is it because of the tools available in either space?

I’m always doodling in my notebooks and they’re sometimes a very useful resource when nothing comes to my mind. I start sketching with pencils and I try to maintain this type of line. For other work I try to use not line at all, so I work with the computer a little more. But I work mostly non-digitally. I find that it’s more fun and it’s very relaxing.

I asked about post-processing on a computer, but do you think the computer is a helpful tool for making art? Whether it’s looking for inspiration online, or using it to build a weblog to promote yourself and your art, do you think a computer is necessary, helpful, or a distraction (or all of the above)?

The computer is a great tool. It saves a lot time and effort to try colors on the computer. It’s very helpful for me.

The computer and being online it’s a very fast and useful way to be in contact with other artists, to get to know and to see things in places where I wouldn’t be able to go.

Working alone at home it’s become a very important tool to promote my work and to share ideas with other artists.

Thanks Natascha!

You can find Natascha Rosenberg online at her portfolio website natascharosenberg.com and on her weblog: Natascha’s Blog.

What are some of your favorite drawing tools (pens, pencils, markers, drawing tablet, all of the above)?

I have to admit, being a girl first and nerd second, I spend all of my money on art supplies, video games and shoes. I love my Wacom tablet… one day it will be a Cintiq. Dr. P.H. Martin Concentrated Watercolors are great and last a lifetime. Any old mechanical pencil will do, Prismacolor Pencils (always True Blue and Crimson Red). Any and all paper, the stranger the size and texture, the better. Gray Tombow markers, Copic Markers, Winsor & Newton sable brushes (the Rolls Royce of brushes), acrylic gesso, extra fine sand paper, and Guitar Hero for when I can’t think of anything to do with all those art supplies.

If you have a wide collection, how do you decide on which to use on a particular drawing, project, or day?

I honestly can’t! I go crazy when I walk into an art store, buying everything I see, and then I put it all away in my closet never to be seen again! HAhaha! I usually open it up whenever I feel inspired, get overwhelmed, close the door and walk away. My little sketchbook from my bag and my laptop are usually where all my ideas end up.

If there is a project that can’t be done digitally, like painting a vinyl or a canvas, I usually pull out my P.H. Martin watercolors and some acrylic paint. The two blend well and are incredibly vibrant!

If you prefer pens, is there any particular brand, color, or type of ink you like best?

I like warm gray Tombow markers, gel pens and Pigma Microns. Also, dried up Sharpie markers are fun to play with, especially when you take out the felt from the inside and ball it up to use as an underpainting.

My friend, Stephane Kardos taught me that. Merci!

How do you like your color? Watercolor? Acrylics? Oil? Colored pencils? Markers?

I usually color everything digitally because it’s 100% forgiving. Plus you can quickly reference textures and photo elements with ease and apply those bad boys to your painting directly.

I think using Photoshop automatically makes you a p*ssy. HAHah! You don’t chose to be, you just become one unwillingly!

I like to think that Photoshop is like a kind, nurturing mother who feeds you three well balanced, delicious meals a day… reads you a bed time story and then tucks you in at night until you realize that you’re thirty years old, have a flabby backside and you haven’t seen the sun in 6 years! So then one day you leave home, finding that the world is a terrifying place and you’re a hot mess!

Traditional media is the reality that’s harsh and unforgiving and it’s tough going to that from something so predictable and forgiving.

Not for me man, I’m sticking with Photoshop…. and maybe acrylics and watercolors if I’m feeling craaazy!

I really admire artists like Travis Louie, who can achieve what us digital artists can with just their hands and a canvas.

If you do use paints, inks, pencils, or markers for coloring, are there any in particular that are your favorites? Do you prefer travel sets of paints to a full set?

I love cheapy mini watercolor sets. The color’s usually aren’t too saturated which is great for subtle sketching and quick tonal gestures under any ink or pencil drawings. It’s really fun and not too permanent.

Sakura Koi watercolor sketch boxes are my personal favorite. It’s refillable so you can swap out the little color cakes for any color you choose, which is great because pre-determined watercolor sets usually have a lot of “blah” colors.

And did I mention it comes with a refillable water brush! Sha! Awesome!!

Also Escoda travel brushes are great for field paintings and are gorgeous.

Is there any particular type of notebook or drawing pad you prefer? Or does any scrap of decent-sized paper work in a pinch?

I like sketchbooks.

As artists, I think we’re a little disorganized by nature, so we have to be extra attentive to our collective selves to keep us from tripping over stacks of papers and spending hours looking for something in a cluttered office. I don’t mind the size or the type, as long as it’s recognizable and in some way bound together.

On that note, I love Kunst & Papier sketchbooks. They have a great variety of sizes and won’t fall apart if they get wet or when you’ve schlepped them around with you for a while!

If you paint, is there any particular type of canvas you prefer? Do you like to paint on wood or any other materials?

I love series paintings so if I can find a canvas or material that’s an interesting shape with a couple different variations to match, then that’s what I’ll get!

Like any artist who wanders the aisles, wood piles, junkyards, etc. You look for that canvas that inspires you.

Do you ever do any kind of post-processing (like adding color in Photoshop or similar tool) to your drawings?

Always! Photoshop is the artist’s crutch but I love it.

Have you ever tried a new pen (or paper, etc) from reading about it, or seeing the results in another artist’s work?

Of course! I often look at Cartoonbrew, Conceptart.org, CGsociety.org, and blogs like animationbackgrounds.blogspot.com, and characterdesign.blogspot.com for inspiration.

Blogs are great for getting the artist’s perspective on the project rather than just looking at a finished piece with a limited description.

Do you have anything you use out of the ordinary for making your art?

Well sometimes I use a chain saw and human blood but that’s only on special occasions. ….That was a bad joke, I’m totally kidding!! BAAH!

Well, honestly, I sometimes use my hands, cotton, beaver whiskers, sharpened sticks, whatever is lying around that you think might make for a nice effect. Being an artist is being an inventor and an engineer…. and in some cases a MacGyver too.

If you create purely-digital art, what are the software programs you use? Is one used more than another?

Well I wouldn’t say “purely” but I use a lot of different software. It all depends on the project. As an artist, it’s good to learn as many different tools as you can so you have a bigger tool box, so to speak, when a particular projects presents itself.

For me, I rely predominantly on Illustrator, ArtRage, Sketchbook Pro, Maya, Zbrush and AfterEffects.

These days, I’ve been doing a lot of digital painting so Photoshop and ArtRage are my apps of choice! ArtRage is the MOST fun and only something like $25! Also, Alias’ Sketchbook Pro is great for sketching and cartooning. They have a free trial on their site too so go check it out!

If you work both digitally and non-digitally, which do you find yourself doing more? Is there a reason you would prefer one of the other? Is it because of the tools available in either space?

I usually always start a project with a sketch in my sketchbook or on marker paper. Siiigh… nothing is more exciting than getting a new book of marker paper and tearing out the first page for scannage! Am I right!?? Ooh life’s simple pleasures….

Sooo, I usually start a project using just a regular mechanical pencil and some paper. Then I’ll scan it in or take a digital photo and paint on top of it in Photoshop. I’d say I rely 70% traditional, 30% digital.

I prefer sketching out my ideas before I scan them into the computer because it keeps me focused on the idea rather than the techniques and the color. Too many options can become distracting and before you know it, you have a beautifully rendered, boring idea. Kind of ironic how eliminating your options can make you more creative.

I asked about post-processing on a computer, but do you think the computer is a helpful tool for making art? Whether it’’s looking for inspiration online, or using it to build a weblog to promote yourself and your art, do you think a computer is necessary, helpful, or a distraction (or all of the above)?

It can be all of the above! I can’t tell you how many hours I’ve spent researching something for unspeakable amounts of time when I should have started the project long before. But that’s what’s so incredible! The internet is an endless recourse. I’m going to sound like a huge dork right now, but technology has brought so many ideas to life, so many questions to resolution and so many seemingly unattainable dreams to reality. I’ve met people via Facebook and LinkedIn that are freaking giants in the art world and they’ve taught me so much! Social networks and blogs have bridged generational, occupational and experiential gaps like nothing has ever done before! And online tutorials are teaching people things that us chumps paid, oooh, only about 100K for! Hahah (this is where I break into Kip’s “Technology” song from Napoleon Dynamite). Anyway, I like learning new tools and with the internet and software today, the skies the limit!

Some good sites for meeting other artists are: LinkedIn, Facebook, CGSociety, ZbrushCentral, Etsy, Artist’s Blogs, Artist’s Websites, and Google.

If you play your cards right and try not to freak anyone out (which I’ve done myself too many times to count hahaha) you can directly email your idols using these sites! Just tell them that you’re an artist looking for some feedback, blah blah blah, whatever! More often than not, you won’t hear back, but sometimes you will and that’s what makes it all worth while! One day when we’re all rich and famous artists, someone will randomly write us for guidance and we’ll be happy to help!

Thanks Whitney!

You can find Whitney Pollett online at her portfolio website whitneypollett.com, and on her weblog whitneypollett.blogspot.com.

What are some of your favorite drawing tools (pens, pencils, markers, drawing tablet, all of the above)?

Mechanical pencils and watercolor are my main weapon, and and occasionally Prismacolor markers and Micron .005 pens make special appearances. Mechanical pencils are sort of a guilty pleasure, I put a huge priority on line quality and mechanical pencils give me the consistency I need — if I’m using a Faber-Castell graphite pencil, I can sharpen it to a nub in one sitting. I get a little overzealous with my sharpening.

If you have a wide collection, how do you decide on which to use on a particular drawing, project, or day?

Not so much a wide collection, but a collection to say the least. I’ve done a lot of trial and error and never seem to throw anything away — so my materials are well worn, and for the most part, pretty shabby. I still use this crappy plastic watercolor set from high school, some of my brushes and charcoal may be older than that.

As for particular projects, I rarely have a final image in mind, so what I need for tools changes as I work.

If you prefer pens, is there any particular brand, color, or type of ink you like best?

I’ve used Micron pens for years, although recently I’ve only been using one — the .005 red. Although the red color is a tiny bit too orange, the width of it makes every line delicate and precise, and also unforgiving. I am a glutton for punishment, I guess.

How do you like your color? Watercolor? Acrylics? Oil? Colored pencils? Markers?

Watercolor has the lower-end range that I really need, it has the capability to deliver a very subtle and muted palette. I use Acryla gouache as a highlighter, which gives me the opacity and saturation that watercolors can lack. I approach oil color in a similar way, transparent colors like burnt sienna is dark and saturated when applied thickly, but when thinned with turpenoid, the color is vibrant and makes for great layering.

If you do use paints, inks, pencils, or markers for coloring, are there any in particular that are your favorites? Do you prefer travel sets of paints to a full set?

I’m in love with Holbein Acryla gouache, which functions more like acrylic than gouache, but their color selection is wonderful — I have a very specific palette of them, about 10, any more than that would give me too many options. I have this terrible Angora watercolor set which has 32 cakes of color, half of which are totally offensive and unusable — and I’ve used it for a year or so. I have some tubes of traditional colors that help me along the way. Everything’s a travel set with watercolor, I just throw everything into a totebag. Oil painting, not so travel-friendly.

Is there any particular type of notebook or drawing pad you prefer? Or does any scrap of decent-sized paper work in a pinch?

Moleskines. Moleskines forever. The tone and weight of the paper are perfect, and they put up with the ridiculous abuse I put them through. But otherwise, anything flat will do, legal pads especially.

If you paint, is there any particular type of canvas you prefer? Do you like to paint on wood or any other materials?

Buying pre-stretched canvas can be an easy option, but building and stretching your own is so much more satisfying! I also enjoy a nice panel of raw birch to scrawl on.

Do you ever do any kind of post-processing (like adding color in Photoshop or similar tool) to your drawings?

I used to use Photoshop to color linework, many moons ago — but presently everything I’m doing is purely by hand. More and more I’ve been thinking about delving more into digital work, I like the idea of flexibility, but there’s also something very significant about having something physical and absolute.

Do you have anything you use out of the ordinary for making your art?

Other than a large collection of bones found in the desert as source material, not really.

I asked about post-processing on a computer, but do you think the computer is a helpful tool for making art? Whether it’s looking for inspiration online, or using it to build a weblog to promote yourself and your art, do you think a computer is necessary, helpful, or a distraction (or all of the above)?

The computer, and the internet, are dangerous and amazingly helpful at the same time. I think it’s safe to say that the internet has influenced my artwork a lot, for the fellow artists and the infinite resources — I think artists my age owe a lot to it — and the visibility it provides. Aside from that, I’m terribly distractible and can’t imagine a world without Netflix instant play, or Google image search. I’ll take D, “all of the above”.

Thanks Stephanie!

Stephanie Brown can be found online at her portfolio website blueskycomplex.com, her weblog, Flickr (runsmiles), and on Twitter (@feralcatbox).

What are some of your favorite drawing tools (pens, pencils, markers, drawing tablet, all of the above)?

I most enjoy working with pencils and permanent ink pens.

If you have a wide collection, how do you decide on which to use on a particular drawing, project, or day?

Often I start making sketches in pencil, but I use pens with lightfast ink on all my final drawings to make my artwork more archival.

If you prefer pens, is there any particular brand, color, or type of ink you like best?

My favorite pens are from the Faber-Castell PITT artist pens series, especially the pens with black waterproof India ink.

How do you like your color? Watercolor? Acrylics? Oil? Colored pencils? Markers?

I use a combination of water-based painting techniques - watercolor, gouache, and acrylics.

If you do use paints, inks, pencils, or markers for coloring, are there any in particular that are your favorites? Do you prefer travel sets of paints to a full set?

I like Lascaux acrylics and Winsor & Newton watercolors. I use top quality paints to make sure my artwork will last for a lifetime.

Travel sets are fun, and I do usually take some art materials with me when I travel.

Is there any particular type of notebook or drawing pad you prefer? Or does any scrap of decent-sized paper work in a pinch?

My favorite papers to work on are thick handmade papers that are made in France. I love the deckled edge and the textured quality of the paper. It makes the completed works seem almost like “objects.”

If you paint, is there any particular type of canvas you prefer? Do you like to paint on wood or any other materials?

I do sometimes work on canvas or panel, and I like working on wood very much. Sometimes I carve bits out of the wooden panels to give my images a more dimensional quality.

Do you ever do any kind of post-processing (like adding color in Photoshop or similar tool) to your drawings?

No.

Have you ever tried a new pen (or paper, etc) from reading about it, or seeing the results in another artist’s work?

I think I am usually more inspired by the imagery in the work, than the actual materials. However, I especially like looking at artwork from other mixed media artists.

Do you have anything you use out of the ordinary for making your art?

In my collage work, I use papers that I collect from all around the world. I love Japanese, Indian, Asian, and Italian papers; there are many multi-cultural, handmade papers that I find beautiful.

If you work both digitally and non-digitally, which do you find yourself doing more? Is there a reason you would prefer one of the other? Is it because of the tools available in either space?

I prefer to work non-digitally as much as possible. I just like getting my hands dirty, I suppose!

I asked about post-processing on a computer, but do you think the computer is a helpful tool for making art? Whether it’s looking for inspiration online, or using it to build a weblog to promote yourself and your art, do you think a computer is necessary, helpful, or a distraction (or all of the above)?

Although I don’t use the computer to make my actual artwork, I have found the Internet to be an incredible tool to use in promoting my artwork and making contacts. Through the Internet, I have found an online network of artist and designer friends who are wonderfully helpful, friendly, and like-minded. I don’t know what I did before I met them.

Last year, I bought an iMac and a new digital camera, and I am really happy with both. The quality of the photographs I can make of my work has improved dramatically, and I am now able to print and sell high quality digital reproductions of my artwork in my online shop.

Thanks Stephanie!

You can find Stephanie Levy online on her weblog stephanielevy.blogspot.com, on Flickr (stephanielevy), Twitter (@stephanielevy), and her work can be purchase online in her Etsy shop. Stephanie also runs the wonderful Artists Who Blog.

What are your favorite drawing tools (pens, pencils, markers, drawing tablet, all of the above)?

My favorite tools are pencils, ballpoint pens and the Pentel brush pens with permanent ink in them, which I purchased while I was living in Japan, god, eight years ago. The Pentel permanent ink is so nice and heavily pigmented that it is really permanent. I made our address sign for the placard at our apartment door with it, and it sat in the full blaze of the Japanese summer sun for two years without a sign of fading.

If you have a wide collection, how do you decide on which to use on a particular drawing, project, or day?

The project is usually going to dictate the medium. If the deadline is tight you need something that’s going to be dry and finished fast, especially when working with paints. For the drawing tools, it depends on what kind of mood you’re going to evoke. If I need a more uniform line weight, I’ll reach for the ball points, if I need verve, power and snap, I’m going to go with the brush pen. If I need some subtlety and variation in tone, it’ll be the pencil.

If you prefer pens, is there any particular brand, color, or type of ink you like best?

For pens, I usually use Papermate pens. The ink comes out of them pretty readily and heavily, and I can get a wide variation out of the line/tone quality. If the ink comes out meagerly or is too liquid, you lose that play and option in the linework. You don’t need those SKG-whatevers that James Jean uses, you just need a ball point where the ink comes out easily but not too liquid. Then you can get all of that lovely “dry-pen” look that he gets.

How do you like your color? Watercolor? Acrylics? Oil? Colored pencils? Markers? All of the above?

I work a lot in oils, which are a very forgiving medium. Watercolors are also a favorite, but to work opaquely over them, I use gouache, which is some of the most unforgiving stuff out there. Mainly because the amount of color and value shift from the wet to dry paint varies widely from color to color, and when you’ve got a mix of them going on, well, you’re never perfectly sure what you’re going to end up with. But I use them anyway, and I’m getting better at predicting how they’ll curveball on me.

Do you prefer travel sets or do you need a full set of colors? If you have a different set of tools for working in your studio (or office, or home, or on the couch) and out in public (at the park, or a coffee shop), what are the differences?

I have a very portable kit that I take with me for sketching. It consists of a cloth fold-over wallet that holds several pens and pencils of different uses, and then a tin that contains a water brush pen and a small watercolor pan set. With those items I can make notations of almost anything I need to out in the field. The only difference between field work water colors and studio watercolors is that in the studio I have a wider selection of tubed gouache paints. In the field, I just mix the watercolors with Chinese White, which is just white gouache.

For plein air oil painting, I use the standard french easel and my full palette, which is a modified version of Richard Schmid’s palette. From left to right on my palette, I lay out: Ultramarine Blue, Cobalt Blue Deep, Viridian, Transparent French Red Ochre, Pyrrolo Ruby (looks like Alizarin but permanent), Cad Red Light, Yellow Ochre, Cad Yellow Deep, Cadmium Primrose (a greenish yellow) and Titanium White. (I’ll use Flake or Zinc white for special effects some times, but Titanium is the workhorse.)

Is there any particular type of notebook or drawing pad you prefer? Or does any scrap of decent-sized paper work in a pinch?

I always have a Moleskine with me, mainly because it’s small and takes pen and pencil well. I don’t use the sketchbook version, just the plain (I get more paper that way!) For bigger sketchbooks, my wife makes them for me out of selections of nicer paper that I buy in sheets and she binds together with covers and coptic binding, which allows the pages to lie nice and flat.

If you paint, is there any particular type of canvas you prefer? Do you like to paint on wood or other material?

I prefer to make my own canvases, because the mass-produced ones are just generally crap: the weave of the fabric is skewed or wavy or the primer is acrylic, which is like sandpaper and can kill nice oil brushes. (I have a nice bristle bright that I used to scrub in some shadows on a 18x24” canvas and when I was done, at least two-thirds of the length was worn away.)

I do increasingly use panels, since they don’t have the give of canvas and I can be assured that when I push the brush into the panel with some force it’s not going to bend and make me miss the mark I was trying to hit. Real Gesso makes excellent panels with traditional panel gesso or oil-primed linen surfaces.

Do you ever do any kind of post-processing (like adding color in Photoshop or similar tool) to your art?

Other than correcting the photos of the artwork to match as closely as possible, not usually. Sometimes I will do some compositing to meet a deadline or accommodate some changes that an Art Director wants.

Have you ever tried a new pen (or paper, etc) from reading about it, or seeing the results in another artist’s work?

Sure! I think most artists do. I’ve tried out Rives BFK after seeing James Jean use it, but the loose nap got on my nerves. My favorite paper for ink and watercolor work these days is Annigoni paper. There’s a light tan version that has a great unifying effect on any colors that go over it and it absorbs ink in a way that makes the ink look like it’s part of the paper instead of sitting on top.

Do you have anything you use out of the ordinary for making your art?

I have some weird brushes, like Epiphanes varnishing brushes and a weird assortment of calligraphy brushes I often use for oil painting, but that’s about as “out there” as I get.

When creating your digital art, what are the software programs you use? Is one used more than another?

I use Photoshop with a Wacom tablet.

If you work both digitally and non-digitally, which do you find yourself doing more? Is there a reason you would prefer one of the other? Is it because of the tools available in either space?

I work digitally on certain projects like storyboards. That way they’re done quickly and are easily editable and I can make quick changes and crank out a set of 10-15 in a day.

I asked about post-processing on a computer, but do you think the computer is a helpful tool for making art? Whether it’s looking for inspiration online, or using it to build a weblog to promote yourself and your art, do you think a computer is necessary, helpful, or a distraction (or all of the above)?

Computers are a great and useful tool, as long as you know what they do well and what they don’t. Promotion by computer is a necessity these days. I can’t imagine getting the word out about my art without it.

Thanks Kurt!

You can find Kurt Ankeny online at his portfolio website and weblog kurtankeny.com and on Twitter (@kurtankeny). You can find out more about the classes he teaches at ankenystudio.com.

What are some of your favorite drawing tools (pens, pencils, markers, drawing tablet, all of the above)?

I really adore calligraphy pens, the felt tipped, waterproof archival kind… they are superb for correspondence, making my titles and handwriting a little more fancy. There’s something magic to those Zig brand pens, that give my lines an extra edge. Also totally addicted to gel pens, their flow and ability to blend or bleed a bit into watercolors depending on what I’m doing is satisfying. As for pencils, I love all kinds, but they have to be totally sharpened at all times since I draw so lightly and like details. I use a metal sharpener that makes a killer point.

If you have a wide collection, how do you decide on which to use on a particular drawing, project, or day?

I’m a bit spread out as far as mediums go - since I always have to be creating, I never run out of projects to do and rotate between them all to keep the momentum alive. If the light is right (sun is now coming to Seattle) I’ll pick one of my many loaded film cameras and go shoot some frames; if I have new music to paint to, I’ll be at my desk bursting out the watercolors… My jewelry line is always in the forefront, I work on something for it everyday - whether it be shipping orders, dropping off pieces at boutiques, sketching and researching new ideas or getting out all my chain and laying out what’s next.

If you prefer pens, is there any particular brand, color, or type of ink you like best?

Uni-Ball Signo 207 Gel Pens. Black!

How do you like your color? Watercolor? Acrylics? Oil? Colored pencils? Markers?

Yes please.. all of the above. Especially watercolor. Before my first son was born, I primarily worked in oils. But I soon turned to water-based paints when I found out I was expecting him to cut down on the fumes and chemicals I haven’t looked back since - and he’s seven! I love my set of Prismacolor pencils, I’ve used them for years. And anything from cheap craft paint to pricey real deal tubes can yield all different results depending on the purpose I need them for.

If you do use paints, inks, pencils, or markers for coloring, are there any in particular that are your favorites? Do you prefer travel sets of paints to a full set?

I adore my flat, folding palette. Even if I’m at my desk, I work from it, and it’s the same one that I’ve traveled to South America and Europe with. It’s simple, clean and reliable and I have all my colors right there for me when I need them. When I’m ready to work on another project and need to clear my desk space or take it with me, they are easily whisked away or tossed in my bag. It holds 28 of my most used colors, and has lots of room for mixing, so I always have an extra tube of white with me. There’s also this amazing Niji waterbrush my Mom discovered and sent me a few years ago, it’s brilliant for travel!

Is there any particular type of notebook or drawing pad you prefer? Or does any scrap of decent-sized paper work in a pinch?

Like pencils, I’m not picky to any one type, everything changes depending on the project or mood. Right now I’m using this small square sketchbook, the Co-Mo Sketch 6 x 6 with heavy weight paper that takes wet media because the size is so easy to take with me. Oddly enough though, most of my best ideas and sketches come from tiny scraps of papers that I find while I’m not around my materials or have anything with me and I make do with the back of something I find… napkins, flyers, anything. Then I take it back to my desk and expand from there. You never know when inspiration will strike! I think it’s important to stay flexible and adaptable, able to work with anything.

If you paint, is there any particular type of canvas you prefer? Do you like to paint on wood or any other materials?

All surfaces excite me. I’ve painted on glass, discarded wood, prepped canvas, linen, cardboard, fabric…

Do you ever do any kind of post-processing (like adding color in Photoshop or similar tool) to your drawings?

I have experimented with working pieces that way, and I really enjoyed it! But I’ve found that lately, the most digital my work gets is when it’s scanned. I guess like to get my hands messy and into the materials.

Have you ever tried a new pen (or paper, etc) from reading about it, or seeing the results in another artist’s work?

Alexander Calder’s use of industrial metals in his jewelry has always given me more bravery. And reassured my belief that artists shouldn’t be turned off to anything that isn’t precious or seen as what only the professionals use. I think finding and giving meaning to vision is what the artist is all about, no matter what the material.

Do you have anything you use out of the ordinary for making your art?

Oh yes. Many times my jewelry is created from something offbeat and unconventional, not typically meant for jewelry. Travel really fuels my interest and ideas for wearable art. I’ve used enamel address numbers found at street antique markets, miniature train set figures, old charms that are typically hung on candles or alters to offer to saints in Mexican cathedrals… I like that challenge that jewelry designing proposes: there is always something new.

I asked about post-processing on a computer, but do you think the computer is a helpful tool for making art? Whether it’s looking for inspiration online, or using it to build a weblog to promote yourself and your art, do you think a computer is necessary, helpful, or a distraction (or all of the above)?

I really appreciate any way that art comes into form, whatever the method of expression, I believe everything serves the artist as a vehicle to arrive at their unique voice. Sometimes you hear about certain artists who eliminate certain modes of expression, like the photographer who sneers at digital cameras or the painter who finds acrylics to be too synthetic… I agree that we all have preferences, but I wonder why turn off those opportunities? The same is true for the internet… it’s a wonderful tool to magnify and connect in what we do. Blogs revolutionized the art world, and its audience, there’s no questioning that! It’s awesome.

Thanks Jenny!

Jenny Vorwaller can be found online at her weblog true nature, and her portfolio site jvorwaller.carbonmade.com. Prints of her photos and artwork can be found at HER Studio, and her jewelry at Natural Historie.

What are your favorite drawing tools (pens, pencils, markers, drawing tablet, all of the above)?

Charcoal has to be one of my favourites; not always practical because it’s quite messy, so I would use it in the studio or on a day out sketching where getting dirty didn’t matter - not on a day out with family :>)

I also like mechanical pencils with an eraser on the end - really simple and accessible, biro on occassion, Conte pencils. charcoal pencils. coloured pencils, Caran d’Ache Neocolor II with water, but only very occasionally ink,

I like painterly drawing media rather than the graphic lines of an ink drawing for the way I work (though I love them in other peoples work). I do like those double ended Tombo pens with water soluble ink (mid grey is a favourite) as you can get lovely washes - again it’s the painterly feel that attracts me. I really don’t like the scratchy feel of most dip pen nibs. I like bamboo pens and twigs because of the changes in line as the ink dries and the slight unpredictability but am more inclined to use them with watercolour.

If you have a wide collection, how do you decide on which to use on a particular drawing, project, or day?

It will depend on the subject matter and what will give me the vocabulary of marks that I need. Also on whether I’m out ‘seriously’ sketching with lots of choices with me or on a trip with family or friends where I can only carry a little, can only draw quickly in order not to hold everyone up and need to keep clean! I’m inclined to use fingers to smudge or drip paint or ink onto clothes or dip sleeves in paint so that is an important factor!

A current long term project on local waterways has work in charcoal, watercolour, coloured pencils, mixed media. linoprints. pencil, Caran d’Ache neocolor II, Inktense - I don’t think I’ve done any oil sketches yet which is unusual as that is usually my first choice at the coast.

How do you like your color? Watercolor? Acrylics? Oil? Colored pencils? Markers? All of the above?

Oil first usually, also watercolour, often with oil pastel or coloured pencil. coloured pencil. pastel - acrylic in the studio but not plein air and markers not for colour but occasionally as drawing tools. Studio work in acrylics is usually finished in oils as the oils work so well glazed or scumbled or scratched through, over underlying acrylic marks put in very very loosely. Most of my work is mixed media as I pick up whatever will give me the marks I want and so a combination of materials is often involved.

If you do use paints, inks, pencils or markers for coloring, are there any in particular that are your favorites? Do you prefer travel sets or do you need a full set of colors?

As a colourist painter I like to have a lot of blues, yellows and reds to choose from and a range of other colours. I mainly mix colours, not using them straight from the tube or pan and though a painting will only use a limited range of them. I want the specific blue or whatever to achieve the results I want to catch the light, mood and colour of the day.

I don’t use sets but have a collection, bought individually over time, of colours that I like to use.

I use Winsor & Newton and Daler-Rowney Artists watercolours but also have a box of White Knights that I’m fond of. Oils are a mix of brands, mainly artists colours but not all. I also like the quick drying Griffin Alkyds. In pastels I like Unison - luscious and velvety and they don’t break into tiny shards like some soft pastels.

If you have a different set of tools for working in your studio (or office, or home, or on the couch) and out in public (at the park, or a coffee shop), what are the differences?

I answered this one earlier really - it depends on the subject, the situation - do I need to stay clean and tidy without smudges or paint on clothes or face, how long have I got to work? am I with friends with all day to paint and so getting paint splattered doesn’t matter and I have all the time I need? then the bag of materials gets heavy as I can’t resist all the stuff I may need - and if I don’t take it will be certain to want!

Is there any particular type of notebook or drawing pad you prefer? Or does any scrap of decent-sized paper work in a pinch?

A wide variety. I like heavy weight cartridge paper as you can use it with any medium, watercolour paper - Arches, Fabriano hot pressed, not Bockingford very much, hand made paper, moleskine for pencils, large A3 sketchbooks in a landscape format that open out to about 3 feet across. I’ve also made my own books recently but I’m no expert at this like Nina. In a pinch - anything.

If you paint, is there any particular type of canvas you prefer? Do you like to paint on wood or other material?

I like deep sided canvasses as I never frame them, I prefer the look of them as they are without imprisoning the work. Plein air I do oil sketches on Cryla primed paper and frame as if for watercolours. I also sketch straight into sketch books of cartridge paper without any priming as I like the way the oil paint behaves - not archivally friendly but ok in a sketch book. Occasionally I’ve painted on hardboard (masonite) and like the firm surface but don’t like the fact that it has to be framed.

Do you ever do any kind of post-processing (like adding color in Photoshop or similar tool) to your art?

I do use Photoshop to create images that exist in their own right and play with ideas - it’s a great tool. You can see examples on my blog and website.

Have you ever tried a new pen (or paper, etc) from reading about it, or seeing the results in another artist’s work?

Yes, I had been using coloured pencils in mixed media work but wanted some better quality ones and had great advice from Katherine and others. They advised Polychromos for the way I work and they were right - I love them.

Do you have anything you use out of the ordinary for making your art?

The way I mix media probably. I like the variety of marks possible by combining for instance watercolour, oil pastel as a resist and coloured pencil to subtly enhance or overlay colour. Again on my blog you’ll see lots of mixed media pieces - recently lino prints, printed non-traditionally with oil paints and then worked into with oil pastel and coloured pencils.

If you create collages, where do you get the materials and objects you use in your pieces?

I prefer to paint the papers myself if it is going to be a finished piece and then cut and tear them - recently I learned to marble to create some different papers for beach sketches - so far these are just in sketchbooks. I will also use hand made papers and elements that won’t fade or tarnish.

When creating your digital art, what are the software programs you use? Is one used more than another?

Photoshop mostly and occasionally Corel Photopaint to manipulate and change elements fed in.

If you work both digitally and non-digitally, which do you find yourself doing more? Is there a reason you would prefer one of the other? Is it because of the tools available in either space?

I prefer the hands on of ‘real’ materials and the happy accidents and ‘language’ of marks. I don’t paint digitally but manipulate elements to create something very very different from the starting point.

I asked about post-processing on a computer, but do you think the computer is a helpful tool for making art? Whether it’s looking for inspiration online, or using it to build a weblog to promote yourself and your art, do you think a computer is necessary, helpful, or a distraction (or all of the above)?

Very helpful for playing around with ideas, creating work that exists in its own right - and very distracting, eating up time if I’m not careful Very useful for research, for talking to fellow bloggers, critique, exchanging ideas, selling a little and learning a lot. So for me an essential.

Thanks Vivien!

Vivien Blackburn’s website is vivienblackburn.com, her sketches can be seen at sitekreator.com/viviensketches, and she also has a shop on Etsy. She has also started a group weblog called Watermarks, which “is a small community of artists who make art from water.”