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)?

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)?

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)?

Good old F and H pencils are what I’ve been using lately. Col-erase pencils are fun as well. For sketching I quite like brush pens that you can cut up and cheap ballpoint pens that leak and do funny things are great.

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

Depends how I’m feeling. Some mediums are more forgiving that others and things either lends themselves to good drawing days or not.

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

I found these really cheap, almost poorly made black dollar store pens made by a brand called Menji. They’re not really good writing pens per say but great to sketch with. I find pens that do sometimes unexpected things are more satisfying to sketch with and things turn out to be a bit spontaneous.

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

I really like watercolour and gouache, though I don’t consider myself very proficient with either medium. Coupled with pencil crayons and Photoshop, the mix is interesting to work my colour with. I have a love/hate relationship with Acrylics. Sometimes they do what I want and other times they drive me up the wall as I’m not the fastest worker. I’d really like to get back into oil painting like my early art school days.

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?

Paints, I generally stick to Winsor & Newton and Golden, but I haven’t branched out much. I’m ashamed to say I bought a pocket watercolour set recently, but have yet to put it to any good use yet.

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 sketch mostly in my Moleskine sketchbook, but any heavyweight drawing paper is good. Bond paper is okay too.

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 heavyweight paper (140-300 lbs watercolour paper block is nice) or cheap scraps of masonite.

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

I use Photoshop quite often in terms of applying colours or tweaking, but not exclusively. Lots of the foundation work is done in gray scale with traditional media, with colour applied afterward.

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

Sometimes. Much more satisfying to experiment and muck about on your own.

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

Nope, can’t say that I do.

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 it’s been half and half, but I find myself pushing towards traditional methods more and more. With no undo key, it keeps you on your toes and at the end of the day feels more fulfilling to 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 don’t think it’s necessary at all really. Walk into an art museum and look at a masterwork on the wall and that’ll say enough. If anything it’s been bad and good. Bad in the sense that it can be a crutch, where you can come to rely too much on simple tricks, smoke and mirrors and what not. Things can look mechanical or devoid of any personal human touch. Really depends on the industry you work in too. They’re indispensable when it comes to things like concept art where you can quickly make edits and pump out variations of pieces in relatively short time.

I’d have to say they sometimes help take the edge off my short comings as an artist, but I find them convenient at the same time. In saying that though, I make more of an effort these days to use the computer as a post processing tool because I really prefer putting real media to whatever canvas I choose. That’s fundamental.

Thanks Ed!

Ed Kwong can be found online at his portfolio website edkwong.com and on his weblog.

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

When I am sketching, I usually like to use Col-erase blue pencils on zerox paper or 6B pencils. I like to ink with this strange little Japanese pen that I cannot read the writing on, but it is blue on the outside with a small spongeish tip. I like to paint with watercolors using a large flat brush and a cat’s tongue brush for the lines and details (which are hard to find, it seems). I also use Photoshop with my Cintiq for piecing things together and trying out value roughs. I also paint full concepts on it for my video game concept work.

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

Well, it is usually all the same. Comics are with the pencils and brush pens, while the watercolors are for the paintings. Almost always. I sometimes watercolor my comics when I have time. When I am sketching, I usually have to feel out what makes me most relaxed to help me think of ideas. I am superstitious like that somehow.

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

I really have no idea what kind of pen this is that I am using, but I have been using it for many years. I can’t refill the ink cartridges so I have to keep buying new ones. Expensive and wasteful. I am sorry, the earth.

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

I like watercolors the most because of the texture and airyness. I also have a hard time with committing to things, so I can work light and keep bringing up the value contrast with layers. I can also wipe stuff out if I want. Watercolors are really forgiving. But the texture is what I really dig about them.

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 Winsor & Newton out of tubes. I look for colors that feel good in a spectrum. The basics.

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

Any scrap works good, but I find that copy paper is the most relaxing when I am trying to come up with ideas. I sometimes sketch in little Moleskine books and various spiral bound books and toned paper, but the copy paper is less permanent. I have stacks of doodles on copy paper.

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 rough watercolor paper, so I can get lots of texture!

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

I try not to do this, but when I am concepting, I do quite a lot.

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

Definitely. I have seen numerous artists get great muted colors and textures on paper and tried experimenting after seeing such things. Marcel Dzama gets great muted colors with his work. One of his shows that I saw, really inspired me to explore the watercolor chilled out route.

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

I’ve been using the same little 50’s coffee saucer with the little ring of designs for the past few years. I use it as a palette to mix my paints.

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

I use Photoshop primarily. I have accumulated a bunch of amazing brushes that fellow artists have made, that helps the process a whole lot. The Cintiq has changed my life for sure. I may rely on it too much. When I am away from my home studio, I struggle with a mere 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 prefer non-digital because I like the roughness and imperfect looks. You can get some great texture in Photoshop, but basic drawing and painting materials still feel and look the best 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 definitely have rules for myself for keeping away from the computer, especially in the mornings. Email and the internet can be very very distracting. But on the other hand it is incredibly helpful to me. Even for my painting process, I use it to piece together all of my doodles and mess with sizes and compositions. I definitely rely on it quite a bit. as far as promoting with weblogs and things, I think it is an amazing tool. I love that part of it. it is very exciting to share your art with people around the world and discover inspiration from others. The quick feedback with comments is very satisfying. It used to be that you slave away on your paintings and comics and wait for the public to see it after it is published, but with the internet, you can get quick fixes of gratification by posting your comics and paintings yourself. I think this has helped my motivation to create tremendously.

Thanks Scott!

Scott C. can be found all over the web! You can start with his weblog at scott-c.blogspot.com, then Flickr (scottlava), and Twitter (@scottlava), his online comic at Doublefine (the first compendium of which will be released by publisher Nerdcore in Spring 2009), and his art is available for purchase at Gallery 1988, Gallery Nucleus, and at a Paper Tiger.

What are your favorite drawing tools (pens, pencils, markers, drawing tablet)?

I like mechanical pencils so I don’t have to sharpen them. I like to use coloured Col-Erase pencils for roughs, too, so I don’t have to do any erasing before scanning.

For inking I prefer dip-pens, and my favourite nibs are the Hunt 108 and the Nikko G-Nib. I’ve played with brushes, but never really took them over nibs, but I do like the Pentel pocket brush pen for sketching.

Tablet-wise I use a Wacom Cintiq.

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

I generally use whichever is right for a given project. Generally, most of what I do involves pen-and-ink drawings and Photoshop, so I don’t vary too much.

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

See above.

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

Almost all my colour work is done digitally. I can’t visualize colours well enough to do them right the first time, and I’m too impatient to do colour studies beforehand, so I like working digitally and being able to alter colours on the fly. I work with dozens of layers and masks which gives me the freedom to experiment in changing the hue and saturation of my 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?

Anything will do in a pinch, and there’s a certain freedom that comes with using cheap paper since I’m less afraid to make mistakes, and oftentimes the mistakes are what make something great. Expensive sketchbooks can be intimidating, but I do like to use the cheapish generic black hardcover sketchbooks. Their quality seems to vary, and I’ve found it difficult to find ones with paper that can take ink without bleeding. But when I do, they’re the perfect book for me — I like the size, and they’re generally durable enough to toss in a backpack and go.

I like Moleskine notebooks, but I find them too precious for everyday sketching. But I do use the squared graph-paper Moleskines for planning-out and thumbnailing comics since it’s quick and easy to throw down grids of various dimensions.

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

Practically all of my colour work is done in Photoshop, so it’s not post-processing so much as it is, well, processing. Using the computer is a standard element of my workflow, and many of my illustrations are created from start to finish on the computer without ever having touched a pencil or piece of paper.

But, I do use Photoshop to clean up and edit pen-and-ink drawings. It’s often quicker and more accurate to fix things on the computer than to pull out the white ink to paint corrections.

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

On occasion, but generally I just like to scour an art store for things I’ve never used before and try them out. Recently I’ve been aching to try out these Ackerman refillable brush and dip-pens on the recommendation of Michael Cho. Twitter is a great place to network with other artists to talk shop, which is where I first read about these pens.

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

I don’t have anything particularly unusual, but my favourite art tool is my drafting table from the 1960s that I’ve had since I was a teenager.

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

I use Photoshop primarily, but Illustrator is indispensable as well for creating geometric shapes and technical drawings. Illustrator is also far more forgiving when playing around with type. Photoshop’s type tools are still rather limiting; I prefer being able to pull words and letters apart, convert them to objects, and be able to have fine control over everything.

I have also been playing around with Manga Studio, which I’m discovering has a unique approach to its drawing tools. It’s the first digital drawing program I’ve used where the pen tool feels like and behaves like a dip-pen or a brush. It’s still a bit sterile compared to using the real thing, but it seems to have been created with the cartoonist in mind.

Do you approach making art on the computer differently than you do with pen, inks, paper, and paint?

Absolutely. Working digitally allows me to better think in terms of shapes and colours. Working with flat colours on various layers makes the process of building an image a lot more like two-dimensional sculpting sometimes because I can add or take away mass from the shapes I’m working with. Drawing with traditional tools makes it too easy for me to rely on linework to define everything, and forget about the geometry and design of an image.

Since 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? Or perhaps because the client work you do?

I find I do most personal work with traditional tools, because it’s a far more intimate experience, and I am not worried about meeting deadlines. With client work, any way for me to economize my time I will, and working on the Cintiq really cuts down on time spent drawing, erasing, inking, scanning, printing, etc.

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)?

Obviously I find the computer to be a helpful tool for making art, but its greatest uses are just what you mention — accessing an endless vault of inspiration and reference material, and being able to market myself and keep in contact with clients.

It can also be a distraction. The Internet is an incredible timesuck, which is dangerous when working on the computer, so I find it helpful to disconnect from the Internet every day for a few hours to concentrate on doing work.

Thanks John!

John Martz can be found online at his portfolio and his weblog robotjohnny.com. John is also quite active on Twitter (@robotjohnny) and Flickr (robotjohnny).

And if you’re not familiar with John’s fantastic comic/cartoon artist and illustrator resource Drawn!, then it’s time you update your bookmarks and feed reader!

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.