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

I always have a 9” x 12” sketchbook going but have not drawn too much recently which bums me out. In that I work with Sakura Micron pens and Sharpies.

I also always try to have a softbound small Moleskine in my pocket and a black ballpoint pen so I can sketch on the go.

The watercolor Moleskine and a Waterbrush are a lot of fun.

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

Just depends on the mood I am in. Whether I want color or not, whether I feel like painting or drawing.

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

Sakura Microns are great since they are waterproof and come in so many sizes and colors.

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

Acrylic is my main medium. I used to use Liquitex Concentrated in bottles exclusively since they had so many opaque colors but more recently been using Golden fluid acrylics as well.

Daler Rowney FW Acrylic Artists Ink is pretty awesome. You can get so many “watercolor” effects but once it dries stays put.

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

Paper bag is generally what I paint on. I like the tooth, the folds and the way opaque acrylics “pop” off the surface. I have started branching out with Arches watercolor paper and Okiwara paper for the acrylic ink and wash effects.

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

No. I scan all my paintings or have them photographed. The only Photoshop action is sometimes tiling together multiple scans of larger pieces.

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

The water brush I got from seeing a friend use it and how handy it seemed (water filled handle allows for water to slowly flow out of brush tip). Great for traveling.

The acrylic ink I picked up on a tip from Robert Hardgrave.

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

Besides the bag, not really. My original bag paintings all had the drawings inked in with a bamboo pen, but now everything is pretty standard.

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)?

Not necessarily a necessity, but the computer has certainly made the process faster for me. I am able to adjust images’ contrast so that they work better for my limited palette style. I also like the fact that I can scan my images and that is about the cheapest, easiest and almost best method of documenting for me. Websites I think are pretty critical for an artists exposure. Sites like Flickr help as well. It sure does become a distraction having a computer in the studio. Hearing the email incoming or just thinking about checking the weather or other online nonsense.

Thanks Chris!

You can find Chris Crites online at his portfolio website bagpainter.com and on Flickr.

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

I only use a nib pen and watercolors to create my illustrations. My nib is a Waverly nib from Edinburgh. The back of the tin has a phrase that I’ve never understood. ‘They come as a Boon and a Blessing to men, The Pickwick, the Owl, and the Waverly Pen.” Maybe your readers will know. It’s the only nib I use, and found them in an art store in college 20 years ago. I’ve never seen them since, but the tin has over 100, so I’m set. I use whatever paper is available for sketching and figuring out layout for a book. Newsprint, copier, and trace usually.

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

Just the pencil and nib pen for inking.

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

I usually waver between Higgins Black Ink and FW Ink.

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

I use Winsor & Newton Watercolors, usually out of the tube. I have many colors but usually use only a few.

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?

The watercolors I use most are: New Gamboge, Rose Dore, Cadmium Scarlet, Burnt Sienna, Light Red, Manganese Blue, Cobalt Turquoise, and Payne’s Grey. These are tubes that are squeezed into a John Pike Palette that I bought in college.

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 of paper works for rough sketches. I use ink so some paper bleeds, but I’m usually more interested in capturing a pose or scene than how perfect it is on paper.

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

Watercolor paper is used for my final art. It is usually hot press, although I have been enjoying using bristol board with watercolor. Winsor & Newton is my usual paper.

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?

Sorry, but I am hopeless. I have been using watercolor since I was about 10, and dip pens since college (20 years ago) and don’t really like to change.

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

Nothing I can think of. I have, as I said before, never come across the Waverly Nib since college, and I have been in lots of art stores. So that may be out of the ordinary, I don’t know.

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

No digital art. I use my Mac for scanning art and putting together picture book proposals.

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 see the computer for making art as a tool, like a pencil, or pastels. Some use it, some don’t. I know almost all the artists I know have a computer, even if it’s for building their site, or scanning art. But there are a few who still do paste-up and it works fine for them.

Thanks Frank!

You can find Frank Dormer online at his website/portfolio frankwdormer.com, and his weblog. You can find more information about the books Frank illustrated on his site, and on Amazon.com.