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

for the past few months i’ve been particularly addicted to krink markers, but i also use deco paint markers, sharpie xtra fine and 2b-6b pencils

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

it all depends on what already is on the painting and what the painting is doing. sometimes i need a big black krink marker to help wipe out many layers or sometimes i just need a sharpie or pencil to accent.

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

deco paint pens, sharpie pens and i use bombay inks to make drips/lines

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

strong and opaque! that’s why i love krink and deco. i dream of krink in fluorescent colors. but also use golden acrylics.

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 prefer golden paints in tubes, but my work is loosing up a lot and i’m beginning to buy golden paints in bottles.

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

scrap paper usually does the trick, but if need to practice or work out my scribbles/script i have a large newsprint pad and a medium sized drawing pad.

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 pre-stretched and primed canvas. dick blick has a good one - blick premier gallery with a 1.5” profile. i have a small studio space and these come in a great variety of small and medium sizes. but i also paint a lot on paper, i like lanaquarelle 300lb, 22”x30” cold press and recently began working on hot press which i’m lovin!

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

nope

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

yes, krink! but the first way i heard about this was thru ric santon at Parts Gallery in toronto. he let me know about them and i realized, “that’s what the graff writers are using!” i’ve seen KR’s stuff all over the city and other tags w/all their beautiful drips and always wanted to know what the hell they were using. god bless KR! - he brought back that old school look.

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

nope. i also use circle and oval stencils

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)?

absolutely it’s helpful tool for making art. i don’t use the computer to create, but i like what i’ve seen other artists do like david d’andrade. i do like how you can undo something on the computer - wish i could do that when i paint! it is absolutely necessary to promote. i have a blog that’s specifically to share my inspiration and new work. i use facebook to connect w/artists i admire, collectors and fans. thru facebook i’ve found many artists that i might not have noticed b4. plus artists share events and new and progressing work on fb and i love that. i’m currently charting the progress of a painting on fb and a collaboration w/ rob bondgren. i believe that artists, especially those w/out gallery representation need to be proactive in sharing and promoting their work. it’s crucial for artists to harness the power of the internet and have some sort of online presence.

Thanks Jennifer!

You can find Jennifer Sánchez online at her portfolio website miss-sanchez.com, her weblog, and on Facebook. Some prints of her work are available at 20x200 and originals are available at The Beholder.

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)? If you have a wide collection, how do you decide on which to use on a particular drawing, project, or day? If you prefer pens, is there any particular brand, color, or type of ink you like best?

I don’t have a huge collection and I’m not hugely experimental with my technique. For pencilling I always use BicMatic disposable propelling pencils. For inking I always use Uniball Eye Micro rollerballs and Pentel Micro Correct whiteout. I use a Wacom for computer work. In my sketchbooks I also use Pilot G-tec C-4 rollerballs. Lying around my desk I have lots of Sharpies and Tombow brushpens for doodling

The Uniball is my favourite tool. I like the flat, unvarying line it gives, and the ink is lovely and black too. In a way I want the line (and, in a way all elements of technique) in my work to be quite unexpressive, just being there, not really being noticed.

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

I might add a bit of marker colour to doodles with a pen but generally all my colour is done in Photoshop.

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 use a Maruman F2 art spiral sketchbooks, they’re Japanese and are a good size for my work (19 x 25cm landscape) and have a good, slightly toothy paper.

My finished artwork is done on Daler-Rowney 96gsm drawing paper.

And I doodle on copier paper and post its.

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

Yes. I do all my colour and cleaning up of artwork with Photoshop. I also usually do a pencil drawing, scan it in, fiddle with the scale and composition and then print it out and trace off that on my lightbox, to make another pencil or the finished ink. I’m really into composition and I find the computer really helps me work on this. I’m a bit colour-blind so I’ve always had some difficulties with this, but the computer lets me endlessly change things till they’re right, plus I can check the CMYK values and be sure I haven’t made something pink instead of green for example.

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

I tried using blue pencils after seeing some Chris Ware originals in an exhibition, but they didn’t work for me at all.

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

Not really. I have a nice big lightbox which i use a lot.

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 don’t really enjoy being sat at my computer but it is so useful for editing and repositioning and colouring. I use it for everything I do to some extent. But I much prefer to start with doodles in a sketchbook or drawings on a paper, I don’t seem to be able to come up with ideas in front of the computer.

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’s certainly a distraction, I spend way too much time looking at stuff on the internet. But as I said before it has some amazing functions. I think sometimes that the computer can rush me into making finished art before the idea is completely ready. I try to stay away from it when I’m trying to think. I try and leave the studio and just take my sketchbook when I can.

Thanks Tom!

You can find Tom Gauld online at his portfolio website cabanonpress.com, on Flickr (tomgauld), and some of his books can be purchased at Buenaventura Press.

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)?

Pens, markers, never pencils. Sometimes permanent markers.

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

Bic and Papermate. Always black. Sharpie pens, fine, and in black.

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

Markers and Acrylic. Mostly Acrylic. Enamel house paint at times, that indoor / outdoor paint you find at Home Depot. It drips soooo well.

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 always use Basics acrylic paint in the tube and jar and I only buy primary colors. I think learning to mix and handle your paint is key. Premixed colors don’t have the life and warmth at times. Factory black esp.

When I buy the Home Depot house paint I try to get the pints and not the gallons too much. It’s hard to lift and paint that way. You can hold the pint in your hand and it gives you more freedom.

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

When I want to draw I have to take what I can get, anything around, but if I have a preference I like white cardstock sheets. And a small journal, really small with white paper and black cover are always best. There are sooo many brands now, I am not really religious about the brand.

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

I paint on MDF board, precut at Home Depot 1/4 inch and 4 ft. tall, 2 ft. wide. Some people have told me it will deteriorate and not last my life time. I tried wood but not too keen on it. I really love MDF.

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

Sometimes I scan and it comes out faint or maybe just the scanner is cheap so I usually increase the contrast so people can see the drawing better. But that is just for the image of it. The original piece is never altered and reprinted.

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

Yeah I have tried to use different pens, more expensive ones, and it never works. The only thing I think worth spending money on for me is paper. You know the paper when you feel it under your pen, it does make a difference.

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 a helpful distraction. They are the new television in some ways. I would have never known so many artists and seen so many different types of work if it were not for a computer but at the same time I could have been painting instead of sitting in front of a screen. I think everything just has to have a balance.

Thanks Stephanie!

You can follow Stephanie Toppin’s work on Flickr (stoppin) and on Artadia.

To kick things off, I have asked the Aberystwyth, Wales artist Michael Nobbs to allow us a peek into his artistic toolbox.

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

I tend to get obsessed with a particular way or working for a while. At the moment I’m using a mixture of (very old) Wacom tablet and a Lamy Safari pen with a medium nib. My finished drawings are currently a combination of inkjet and ink.

Not so long ago I was constantly using a Rotring Art Pen and a Moleskine sketchbook.

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

The advantage of obsession is that I don’t have to make day-to-day decisions. I just pick up what I was using yesterday and carry on. Eventually I get excited about a different way of working and move on to something new. (I do have a LARGE collection of pens so it’s a good thing I’m not indecisive about what I’m working with, otherwise I’d never draw anything).

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

At the moment it’s a Lamy Safari with Lamy cartridges. I do have a converter for it and do sometimes fill it with (waterproof) Rotring drawing ink. I want to get hold of some Noodler’s Ink to try.

How do you like your color? Watercolour? Acrylics? Oil?

I’ve used all of the above in the past. These days I love adding colour digitally with Photoshop.

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 do have a bit of a thing for Moleskines. At the moment though a lot of my work is on thick matte inkjet paper. I have a big pile in my studio. I buy in bulk.

I do always have a Moleskine in my bag, it’s probably a bit like a comfort blanket. I tend not to be able to go out without one.

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

Lots at the moment; both post and pre-processing.

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

Yep, someone just needs to whisper the name of a pen and I want it. I found out about Rotring Art Pens from the wonderful Keri Smith and the Lamy Safari from the hugely talented Swedish artist Nina Johansson. I really want to get hold of some Sharpies to try after discovering New York artist Jason Polan.

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)?

My MacBook (I’m a bit of an Apple geek) is definitely a central part of my practice. I’m very interested in recording and archiving my rather mundane life and the internet (especially blogging) is a great resource for that. I engage a lot with other artists online, Twitter is fantastic for that, and am always looking for inspiration. I mentioned Jason Polan before. I discovered his work when someone told me about him on Twitter and he has made me think a lot about my own drawing practice. It is so exciting when things like that happen, and the internet makes those kind of connections and discoveries so much more possible.

I feel very lucky to be living and working at the technological stage we are at now. I can design and publish a book for very little expense and then potentially get it see around the world. I can put a webpage together to promote a project, I can edit my own films. There are so many possibilities.

Michael Nobbs can be found online at his main website at michaelnobbs.com, and on his weblog at blog.michaelnobbs.com. Make sure and view his recent set of drawings up on Flickr called looking for the joy, and take a peek at his published illustrated journal called “The Beany”. And if you’re not following Michael on Twitter (@michaelnobbs), you’re missing out on a fantastic source of art links and inspiration.

Thanks Michael!