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)?

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)?

Pencil is my primary medium. Most often I use a .9mm mechanical pencil with a 6H lead to sketch a few guide lines, then finish with an HB lead or, for a bigger drawing, a toddler’s fat pencil, like Lyra Ferby or My First Ticonderoga. I use a lot of pressure when I draw, so a thick lead that doesn’t break easily is important. And my favorite Rapidograph is essential for any ink drawings or comics.

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

A .35mm (size 0) Rapidograph, the one with the gray collar, is my constant companion, and I’ve been known to really lose my shit if I misplace that pen when I need it. (You’ll know it’s mine because it has a strip of black bookbinding tape wrapped around the barrel, and the inside of the cap is stained brown.) I also use a red .6mm Rapidograph for larger drawings, and I have a few others that I only use once in a while, if I need them. All my ink illustrations and comics are done with these pens. (For comics I rarely pencil first, which is probably obvious if you’ve read my comics.)

I like to use brown ink with a few drops of black, because drawing in brown makes me feel like a monk.

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

Most of my drawings include areas of opaque color laid up against the pencil lines, and I’m always looking for coloring tools that provide the right amount of control as well as opacity. Prismacolor colored pencils are excellent. I also use china markers for lots of my reds and whites. (The red area on my Mercury cover is china marker.) I like pencil-style coloring tools because of the scratchy marks they make. Often the only real color hue my drawings comes from the background, which is a colored card stock, and the drawing itself is executed in black and white pencils.

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?

Since I prefer a very limited palette (usually only one or two colors plus graphite), a travel or starter kit of paints or colored pencils is useless to me. I buy individual Prismacolors in White, Cream, and Sky Blue Light, and about 90% of my drawings are executed with those colors alone.

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

Bookbinding is a hobby of mine and I generally make my own notebooks and sketchbooks. Most card stocks are fine as long as they take both ink and pencil well, without bleeding or too much smudging (though I like a little pencil smudging). I have seperate sketchbooks for comics, with the panels already in place, and these are a great innovation because they keep me on task, and prevent story fragments from being lost amid fifty sketches of my boyfriend’s monkey feet. For a finished pencil drawing, I prefer soft cotton rag papers—Stonehenge, or Magnani Pescia if I can afford it, which I usually can’t.

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

I use Photoshop to make my scanned drawings look more like the originals. The pale blues, for example, tend to scan pretty grayish, so I’ll increase the contrast on the image to brighten them and make sure they read as blue online. I sometimes add color for illustration projects, if I’m delivering them digitally—my Brett Dennen poster originally had a white background, but it looked too stark on the scan so I added a pale yellow tint to the entire image—but I would never do that for self-generated work. The original drawing is the finished piece.

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

Yes, but for the most part that hasn’t worked out for me. I love other people’s charcoal line drawings, for example, but my own never satisfy me. The one exception is the Rapidograph pen, which I always insisted I didn’t need, until my boyfriend started using one and I got envious.

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

Two slim hardcover books: “The Life and Times of Saint Francis of Assisi,” a children’s biography with full-color photos of his relics, and “Les Bidochon: Ragots Intimes,” a pretty dark French comic book about lower-class married life. Both of them provide a lightweight, portable drawing surface, safe storage for unfinished work, inspiration, or distraction, as needed. I don’t have a desk, but I always keep one of these books with 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 do a lot of my drawings from photos that I take myself or find online, so the computer is an important part of my work in that respect. The internet can be a distraction, but it’s so useful for research, and to keep in touch with other artists and with people who want to support your work, that any artist who doesn’t use it is handicapped.

Thanks Julia!

Julia Gfrörer can be found online on her website thorazos.net and on Flickr (thorazos).

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

My favorites are mechanical pencils and Prismacolor markers.

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

My decision on what media to focus on in a project is usually determined by the previous piece. If the last illustration was constructed mostly from cut paper, then I might focus more on the use of pen or embroidery for the next. I try not to fall into a formula for making pieces.

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

For drawing materials I prefer Prismacolor markers, usually .03-.005, and mechanical pencils. Sometimes I’ll use Prismacolor colored pencils or markers for color.

For papers and fabrics, I respond more to the texture and color. I spend a great deal of time sifting through papers, and just try to find samples that draw me in. I like the juxtaposition of different patterns and textures. I also incorporate a lot of my own handmade paper.

For all stitching I use DMC embroidery floss.

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

For color work I feel best using cut paper, thread, fabric, or a combination of the three. If I can cut it up and sew through it, it’s usually fair game.

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 don’t really ever use wet media, and pencils and pens are always a staple that I carry with me everywhere. I’ve found that threads and papers aren’t necessarily the easiest to travel with, so most of my art making is done from home, with access to a wide range of materials.

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 find I have a hard time drawing on a surface if the material is too flimsy or has no tooth to it. For quick sketches, any piece of paper will do, but if Im sitting down to draw I prefer to use something more substantial. Recently I have gotten into book making, and right now am working out of several sketchbooks I have made from heavy printmaking paper.

I have several Moleskines, but find I have a hard time working in them.

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

I have used Photoshop in the past to create digital collage images. I would scan in found textures and pieces I had sewn and combine them together digitally. These days I am much more interested in the results I get working with the materials traditionally.

I still use Photoshop, although it’s for my preliminary work. I do sketches by hand, then color them digitally by collaging the papers and other materials I will be using on top. I find this to be a fast way to get my point across to others and also to work out issues before I start the actual piece.

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

My friend Allison Bamcat always seems to have an endless supply of pens, markers and pencils that I haven’t tried before. I pick up new markers or pens after seeing her work with them.

Right now I’m trying to find a comfortable pen/pencil that isn’t black or gray. I love the look of drawings in sepia.

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

I make all of my art from cut paper, needlework and fabric, which are not things I regularly see in illustration. I enjoy paper, texture, drawn elements, and embroidery, and am trying to create a way to combine them all into “super illustrations.”

In my personal work, I’ve been working a lot with mola making. Mola is a craft indigenous to the San Blas Islands in Panama, and is basically a reverse appliqué method for quilting, where you cut through several layers of fabric and create a shape with the revealed layer.

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

When I work digitally, I use Photoshop.

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 find myself getting further and further away from the digital world. I enjoy the sensation of touching different materials, and responding to patterns and textures reacting to one another. The monotonous movements and time spent stitching hundreds of stitches by hand is something I find very therapeutic. The overall feel I get from work done traditionally is not something I can recreate in Photoshop.

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 the computer is a valid vehicle for making art. I have seen artists create beautiful imagery in Photoshop, Illustrator, and Painter. That being said, there’s plenty of terrible digital artwork out there, and for me, nothing beats having a physical object in front of me as a final product.

I’ve found the computer to be a useful tool, both in promoting and getting your artwork out to audiences you might not otherwise reach, and finding inspiration.

Thanks Alycia!

You can find Alycia Garcia online at her website/weblog alyciagarciaillustration.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 some of your favorite drawing tools?

I have not reached a point yet where I can swear by my drawing tools. I like the ones I use now but I’m always trying to discover new ones that may work better. Right now I use Micron Pigma pens for my line drawings and add color with gouache paints using a Niji waterbrush.

How do you decide on which to use on a particular drawing, project, or day?

I decide based on the type of drawing or illustration I’m creating. For my urban sketching I draw directly with the Microns. For illustrations I tend to start with a 4H pencil, which I really like because of the hard nature of the graphite. In both cases I use waterbrushes to add color.

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

I prefer gouache for its opacity and because it works better on the waxy pages of the Moleskine sketchbooks. I also use watercolors for illustrations and color pencils occasionally.

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?

My travel set is pretty minimal so I can have it with me at all times. It consists of a small Winsor & Newton watercolor box, even though the paints inside are gouache (from tubes, also W&N brand.) I also like Prismacolor pencils but they are not handy to carry around.

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

For my sketching I use the Moleskine sketchbooks. I always have the pocket size one in my jacket or coat and the regular size in my bag. I do like the panoramic format too and use it every once in a while if it fits the subject.

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

With my illustrations for the newspaper I do sometimes add color in Photoshop. It’s just faster, but I prefer coloring with the waterbrushes if I have time.

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 bought a Lamy Safari fountain pen after reading that so many people love to use it. The ink that came with it wasn’t waterproof and I stopped using, but I have refilled recently with Noodler’s Ink and I’m testing it again.

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

I sometimes spread the paint on my sketches with my fingers, if that counts.

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

I also use Adobe Illustrator to draw with my graphic pen and Wacom drawing tablet and then color the shapes in Photoshop.

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 toolsavailable in either space?

I definitely prefer to work non-digitally, but the computer allows you to be fast for some type of jobs. I like to color the drawings I do for my kids in Photoshop for example. My 3 year old daughter is already learning how to draw in the computer with the graphic tablet.

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 find computers really useful when preparing an illustration. I may sketch some pieces of an illustration on paper, scan them in and assemble them in Photoshop, sizing them they way I want, then I can go back to the drawing board with a better idea of how I want to draw the final art, which will be all done manually.

Thanks Gabi!

Gabi Campanario is a very busy artist! In addition to posting regularly to his weblog, Seattle Sketcher, he also started up and runs the wonderful Urban Sketchers group weblog—a necessary addition to your daily blog readings. You can also find him on Twitter (@seattlesketcher), Flickr (baconvelocity), and Facebook. Gabi’s professional portfolio can be found at gabrielcampanario.com.