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

My favorite thing to draw with is col-erase pencils - red. But generally, I love grab-bag art supplies. I have boxes and cases of old markers, colored pencils, watercolor pencils, graphite pencils, charcoal pencils, pens that I’ve scavenged over the years. If I’m in an experimental mood I like switching mediums. It can help get you out of a rut too.

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

It depends on my purpose- though I rarely finish drawings traditionally anymore. Mostly I just doodle- my choices of drawing utensil are dictated by my whims.

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

Haven’t found one that I’ve stuck with yet. I usually get what’s on sale.

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

I need to learn watercolor… Now I just play around with markers and colored pencils - Prismacolor.

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 don’t usually get sketchbooks larger than 8.5 x 11 inches, or less than 65 pound weight paper. Beyond that, again, it’s whatever’s on sale. My favorite sketchbook is the one I made myself out of animation bond packaging cardboard. I call it my Crapbook- its a really low-tech, low-pressure kind of sketchbook. I never feel like I’m ruining a perfectly good blank sheet of paper by drawing in it.

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

I use Photoshop - nothing fancy, just to add a little color to my sketches.

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

I’ve wanted to get a Moleskine for a long time, but I can’t bring myself to buy one. They’re so expensive! Have you noticed yet that I’m cheap? ;o)

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 draw traditionally, and finish digitally if I finish at all. I just can’t get the freedom of traditional drawing on paper with a tablet, and as for finishing digitally, its just easier to experiment with color that way.

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)?

A computer is a terrific tool! For all the reasons you stated and more. The only problem arises is when it becomes more of a crutch than a tool. Thats why I need to kick my own butt and work traditionally again.

Thanks Joanna!

You can find Joanna Davidovich online at her portfolio website cupojo.net and her weblog Cup O’ Jo.

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)?

Faber-Castell HB and 2B pencils, kneaded erasers, gum erasers, Prismacolor Verithin non-photo blue pencils, Speedball india ink, Hunt 101 and 102 quill nibs, Isabey Kolinsky sable brushes (sizes 0-6), Stonehenge vellum finish drawing paper, Wacom 3 tablet and pen (9x12”), Mac 0S 10.4, Photoshop CS4.

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

I use whatever I need to get the job done; I’m not particular about any of the supplies, but what i have are my preferences.

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

Digital.

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 carry around one of several sketchbooks. One is from NY Central Art Supply, and another I like was a gift from a friend while who visited Paris.

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

I don’t paint much but when I do I guess I prefer panel.

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

Yes.

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

Sure, but not in a long time. Now I’ll usually ask an artist what they use and I’ll try it out. For example, I used to only use Hunt 101 nibs, but I was talking to American comic art legend Scott Williams about inking and he uses a 102, so I started using that to see what it was like. I still prefer the 101, but sometimes the 102 is better.

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

Sometimes I’ll use construction paper or charcoal as fun textures to scan in.

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

Photoshop CS4.

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 because I like the end result and because it’s very fast. Also it allows me to focus on drawing, which is my favorite thing.

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 as essential as a pencil or a pen for commercial artists working today. The degree to which they are used in artmaking is up to the artist, but basic knowledge is a prerequisite.

Thanks Frank!

Frank Stockton can be found online at his portfolio website frankstockton.com. Some of his original art can be purchase at his Etsy store, and some of his prints are available at Gallery Nucleus.

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

At the moment, I am in love with graphite pencils, specifically a 4B woodless and even mechanical. I will also always have a soft spot for charcoal, especially vine and my trusty 6B General’s charcoal pencil.

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

The tool I use really depends on my ultimate desired effect. If it is going to ba full vaue study, I will use different tools than a more contour-driven composition. Time would also be a factor.

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

I like my color stuffed into an oil paint tube. I have experimented with the others and I just prefer working with oils. I like the versatility, drying time and surface effects. Acrylic and watercolor are my go to tools for flat color projects, but anything that is modeled, I have to go with full body oils.

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?

At the beginning of my career, my paints were chosen by economic considerations-the cheapest available. But has time has passed, I do realize the value of investing in your tools. I do not use one uniform brand, but I do like Holbein and Gamblin.

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 will draw on anything, but if I have the option, I like to draw on Bristol board (smooth).

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

I love to do portrait work on Linen, but I have also had really good experiences painting on panel, mostly Masonite. I like to buy a large sheet and then cut it done to a variety of sizes. then I brace it, gesso and go.

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

I have tried it before and usually come away with an even greater appreciation of that artists’ use of the material because my attempts were primitive at best.

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

Lately, I have been experimenting with collage elements within my drawings. I like using mylar as a drawing surface so I can play with layers of transparecny. Mostly I use patterned paper or hand drawn repetitions for the additional collage elements.

Thanks Jessica!

You can find Jessica Burke online at her portfolio website jessicab-artist.com, her weblog, and the weblog for her students.

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.”

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

Let’s see… I have a lot of tools that I use for different things— I love brushes and ink for drawing, along with pencil (either Col-erase or mechanical). When I screenprint, I prepare drawings with ink and carve out Rubylith for separations with an X-acto knife. I also really like using sumi ink, acrylic gouache, and random pens and charcoal for doodling. For coloring my illustrations, my drawing tablet and Photoshop are pretty key.

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

I have a lot of tools (a lot of which I don’t use right now), but I’ve grown used to a small set of them and it depends really on what I’m working on— I’m used to drawing my illustrations on bristol board using ink and Kolinsky sable brushes— I use handmade designer’s brushes from Rosemary & Co. After I ink in black, I add in white details with either a dip pen (G nib) or a brush or an Ackerman pump pen. I’ll also sometimes use a light-box to ink other color separations, textures, etc to layer in on Photoshop when I color later. If I’m working on a screenprint, I carve out separations largely with Rubylith and an X-Acto knife— it’s more time consuming than perhaps doing it digitally but I like the old-school method and working in reverse like relief printing.

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

I use a few different inks but largely the brand I favor is Dr. Ph Martin’s — the brands I am mentioning here are theirs. For drawing screenprinting separations, I use Black Star HI-Carb ink. For white ink I use Pen-White, and for drawing on bristol I use Bombay black ink.

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

I like color either in screenprinting-using custom mixed inks with pure pigments-or using 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 use Acryla gouache — I just started learning a few months ago and have been really getting into it lately. I have a mixed set of 18 or so paints— it’s enough to get a wide range of color but not too many that it’d overwhelm me.

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 have a lot of random sketchbooks-though I couldn’t tell you their brands offhand-I usually just aim for as smooth paper as I can find as possible. As long as it doesn’t bleed I’m fine! I doodle on random paper here and there too— or on margins in my bristol board too…

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

Yup, I use Photoshop all the time to color my illustrations-I scan the lineart and color on lower layers, knocking out certain outlines and coloring the rest so it’s not heavily outlined.

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

All the time! Sometimes it works out well and sometimes it doesn’t. The Ackerman pump pen is a new acquisition that I picked up after seeing Michael Cho mentioning it on Twitter. Most of my supplies are picked up from word of mouth.

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

I think the Rubylith isn’t that ordinary anymore just because it’s rather archaic. I sometimes will make marks using twigs and q-tips and sponges and toothbrushes and anything I can make texture with.

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 use them both about 50-50— I’d probably go nuts if I worked totally digitally, but due to time constraints I know I’ll probably have to use digital just so I can make quick edits and get things done. I like mixing both— I often get comments that people don’t know how much is digital and how much is analog, so it’s always a good challenge to push both.

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)?

Necessary hardly, but it’s definitely useful. I’d be kind of lost without a computer now, but it’s invaluable having the internet to research and promote and make connections with my peers, and making art is greatly aided by having a computer and drawing tablet (for me, anyway). It can be really distracting though, what with all the stuff out there— but it’s just a matter of self-control.

Thanks Meg!

Meg Hunt’s personal/professional website is at meghunt.com, and her weblog is located at www.meghunt.com/blog/. She can also be found on Twitter (@meghunt) and Flickr (crossedfingers).

Meg is also currently running a offer where she’ll paint you an original (an animal of your choice) if you suggest/pass along her name to an industry contact. More details on the offer can be found on her weblog.