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

I enjoy both traditional and digital processes and try to practice both. For my professional work though, I often go digitally. I’m more comfortable with, and it’s faster for me. I can come back on any step of my process, and I love the technical possibilities that digital provides. I use a Wacom tablet and Photoshop CS4. I start from zero in Photoshop, so my digital work is 100% digital. But I also love drawing with good old pens and pencils. Recently my favorite pencil is a Conté Pierre Noire, I love it because it makes really deep blacks. My friend Victoria Maderna also gave me a wonderful little pencil: Schwarz Black soft, by Faber Castell. It’s soft and oily, but not greasy. Sometimes I draw with pens as well. For the colors, I’m an addict of watercolors.

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

I do not prefer pen rather than other medium, but sometimes I feel like drawing with them. My favorites are Pilots, I have several of that brand. I try to use different sizes in the same drawing, but depends, sometimes I start doodling with a ball pen and I end up filling a full page. Another one that I find very useful, is this Japanese ink pen, with a brush: Pentel GFKP. The brush is really good, allowing to vary the line density, and easier to carry on than an ink bottle.

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

As I said, my favorites are watercolors. These are awesome and also frustrating to use, but I love it. I have two boxes of Winsor & Newton watercolors, had them for ages, and they still feel kind of magic. Plus you can take them anywhere, they fit in any pocket! It happens that I use color pencils as well, or acrylics, but I’m not that good with paint. I never trieds oils, and I feel quite ashamed about that haha! In the near future I would like to practice more painting though.

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’m quite difficult about paper. For exemple, I don’t like Moleskine paper much, because it’s yellow and you can’t really add water on it. They are good for pens though. I often prefer watercolor paper, or Canson. About sketchbooks, a friend of mine who is an artist too, Jens Claessens, always buy these A4 and A5 books for me, in a little art store of his town. They don’t have any particular brand I guess, they are only huge books with an hard cover, black or blue, with nothing on it, and the paper is perfect for me. That said, depending of the context, I draw on anything, like on a paper napkin, wood, stones, or the walls of my bedroom…

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

I don’t recall this happened, except maybe in school, trying out my schoolmates’s tools. I like being inspired by others but I try not to “copy” other artists process too much. I would be afraid of losing my own personality by trying the tricks of other artists. That said, most of the mediums I use are pretty common. I think it’s how an artist uses a tool that makes it unique, more than the tool itself.

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

I only use Photoshop. I used to mess around a little bit in Illustrator and Painter few years ago, but not seriously. I’m a bit of a noob!

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 for my commission work (for press, graphic novels, illustrations for clients), because it’s easier. I love the freedom that digital process provides me. For quite a long time I didn’t had a scanner, so I learned to draw everything digitally, without traditional sketching. It was more a constraint at the beginning, but in the end it made things easier. I developed my style this way and I can work quite fast now. For my own pleasure I still draw traditionally though, but less than digitally. I sell original artworks on Etsy. I do some when I have time to produce stuff just for fun. No pressure. It seems more difficult for me to work traditionally for a client. I’m not confident enough with it, less practice.

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)?

Definitely all of the above! It would be crazy to say that it’s not helpful. Not especially for creating art, there is tons of full traditional artists that don’t really need a computer as a tool of creation. But for creating a network, contacts in the industry, for job seeking, to have a website, to communicate with clients, to find reference, for inspiration, etc. Computers and the internet are obviously a huge resource.

Like mostly everything else, it also can be a huge distraction and a tool of procrastination. It’s up to people to use it in a clever way. I’m still trying to figure it out!

Thanks Aurélie!

Aurélie Neyret can be found online at her weblog Clo! and on Twitter (@ZeuClo). Prints of her work can be found at INPRNT and some originals are available on Etsy.

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

I prefer using Faber-Castell indian ink artist pens/markers for most of my work because they just have incredible quality, great colors, and last a super long time. I have recently purchased a few Pantone Universe markers, which are extremely permanent, and have fine line and brush tips. Yet, they are overly potent, and kind of difficult to hold due to their square shape. Micron pens and Pilot pens are another favorite of mine for tiny details (lines, triangles, etc.), as well as white gel pens. When it comes to using graphite, I tend to use lead/graphite sticks housed within a metal holder for more control. I also frequently use powdered graphite to cover larger areas, create smudges, and build upon the page.

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

Everything (including my media/tool choices) usually just evolves in itself. I suppose it just depends on what I am creating and what kind of effect is occurring at the time.

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

I use a lot of Faber-Castell watercolors, in addition to Acryla gouache paints. Recently, I began working on a larger oil painting, which is very strange due to the change in media and size.

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 work in 9.5” x 7” Moleskine sketchbooks/notebooks, as well as various scraps of paper. I’m currently working on a bookmaking project to create another sketchbook for myself. I like that it has a more DIY/hand-made feel, especially since I can make use of all the random paper just lying around.

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

No way! I am very passionate about working on everything with my very own two hands. I try not to dwell and over-analyze/work on anything too deeply, and feel like that would probably happen if I began relying on a computer to “edit” my work.

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

A friend of mine told me about those Pantone Universe markers, and although they have a huge array of colors…I’m just not too thrilled about them. Other than that, I haven’t really experimented with any new brand/company of art supplies.

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 really depends on what kind of art work one creates. Corporate graphic designers tend to strictly rely on computers to make logos, etc., but I love designers that have more of a DIY/hand-made aesthetic (such as Martin Venezky). Tumblr is a great tool that I regularly use for displaying work and discovering inspiring imagery. I keep up with various art/design blogs (such as designformankind.com and booooooom.com while drinking my morning coffee, too.

Thanks Rebecca!

You can find Rebecca Volynsky online at her personal art weblog, and she has some work for sale in her Etsy shop.