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

My favorite drawing tools are pencils, ballpoint pens and brush pens. I love switching them around when I work on illustration work.

I love trying something new and making mistakes. I think this progress is essential for artists to grow.

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

I guess it really depends on what kind on project I am working on. I would have to pick materials that I can work faster if a short time is given for the project. I would probably pick something that I can take my time working with if I have extra time for the project.

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

I mainly use the pencils from Lyra (Germany) from 8B-4H. These pencils are very smooth and are very comfortable to work with.

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

I use Acrylics the most. It’s because it dries faster. I would love to start using oils when I get a chance though.

I have recently started using Colored pencils as well. They’re fun to mix with 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 have been using Ceramcoat paints which are very cheap like one tube for a dollar. I love them because they are really chalky and I love how they look when they’ve dried. It makes an odd texture and it’s great material to give some texture to a piece.

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 the Moleskine. I used to use another kind of sketchbook but I guess they have stopped producing them. I have been looking for a good sketchbook but it’s really hard to find one.

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

I normally paint on Stonehenge paper and wood. I work with a lot of layers of paints, as I mentioned, so I like the material to have a harder surface so that it dries faster and I can work efficiently.

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

I often take a photo of my sketch before starting painting to check what colors would work the best. It’s hard to start painting without visualizing how it’s going to be done, so I normally try to use Photoshop to check when I paint.

When I work on illustration, I normally combine both traditional and digital, so I would say 50% of an image is done by traditional and the other is done digitally.

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

I have tried so many materials because I love to try out something new. I forget the name of the ballpoint pen Joe Morse (illustrator) uses.

He was teaching a life drawing class one day and I had a chance to see his sketchbook. I was so amazed how fine his line work was.

And I bought the same pen and tried it out. Then I figured it’s not because of the pen, Joe Morse has such an amazing control of pens. He is so amazing.

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

I often make textures out of Acrylics and scan them in.

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

Definitely Photoshop. I am not really good at other software programs to be honest.

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?

It’s hard to decide actually. I think both of them are very different from each other. I love painting because every decision you make is crucial, so it’s very adventurous. I love digital because it allows me to undo things and try many things, so it’s very adventurous as well.

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’s a helpful tool for making art. Especially when I need to reference something, it’s very accessible and time saving.

It’s a distraction sometimes though. It makes me procrastinate.

Thanks Yuta!

You can find Yuta Onoda online at his portfolio website yutaonoda.com, his weblog, and he is beginning to sell prints of his work at inPRNT.

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

The pencil is by far my favorite. I think the ones I use the most are Prismacolor “Turquoise” (they aren’t actually turquoise) and I like them a lot, but I’m really not too picky.

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

I usually start with a medium hard pencil like an HB or H so it makes a lighter line but isn’t so hard that it won’t erase or make an actual dent in the paper. Then I move onto very sharp darker pencils to define lines better and do detail.

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

I don’t use a lot of pens for finished drawings anymore. Sometimes I use Microns, 005 mm. in black ink.

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

I use watercolor, I’m tentative using color and afraid of messing up so I like having the option of doing progressively darker washes.

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 actually do have a small traveler set of Winsor & Newton watercolors that I love. It’s so handy and has all the right colors; usually I only use browns and yellows, and hints of blue and red, and they’re all in that set. I also have some small tubes, also Winsor & Newton, of colors that I use more of, like Van Dyck Brown and Raw Umber.

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 ideas and sketching I use a spiral bound hardcover notebook, I think the one I have is made by Strathmore. I also have a lot of scraps of Stonehenge paper around which I useful since I do all my finished drawings on Stonehenge (in “Natural” or Warm White color). It’s a cotton rag paper that I found out about through printmaking, it’s smooth and soft and takes color really well.

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

I only use Photoshop for some cosmetic things after I scan them, adjusting the levels and adjusting the colors so it look like the original drawing.

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 tried Gouache several times because some people can make it look so wonderful, but that’s been an utter failure for me, I just can’t get it to work for me

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

I don’t know if it’s out of the ordinary but one of my favorites is a colorless blending marker made by Chartpak. I used some collage in my work and those pens have a chemical in them that will transfer photocopies to paper.

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, I would be lost without it, I use it for blogging and promoting, and most important selling my work.

Thanks Julianna!

You can find Julianna Swaney online at her portfolio website Oh My Cavalier!, on her drawing weblog, and she has some original art, prints, and jewelry available for sale on her Etsy shop.

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

Faber-Castell HB and 2B pencils, kneaded erasers, gum erasers, Prismacolor Verithin non-photo blue pencils, Speedball india ink, Hunt 101 and 102 quill nibs, Isabey Kolinsky sable brushes (sizes 0-6), Stonehenge vellum finish drawing paper, Wacom 3 tablet and pen (9x12”), Mac 0S 10.4, Photoshop CS4.

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

I use whatever I need to get the job done; I’m not particular about any of the supplies, but what i have are my preferences.

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

Digital.

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 always carry around one of several sketchbooks. One is from NY Central Art Supply, and another I like was a gift from a friend while who visited Paris.

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

I don’t paint much but when I do I guess I prefer panel.

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

Yes.

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

Sure, but not in a long time. Now I’ll usually ask an artist what they use and I’ll try it out. For example, I used to only use Hunt 101 nibs, but I was talking to American comic art legend Scott Williams about inking and he uses a 102, so I started using that to see what it was like. I still prefer the 101, but sometimes the 102 is better.

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

Sometimes I’ll use construction paper or charcoal as fun textures to scan in.

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

Photoshop CS4.

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 because I like the end result and because it’s very fast. Also it allows me to focus on drawing, which is my favorite thing.

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 as essential as a pencil or a pen for commercial artists working today. The degree to which they are used in artmaking is up to the artist, but basic knowledge is a prerequisite.

Thanks Frank!

Frank Stockton can be found online at his portfolio website frankstockton.com. Some of his original art can be purchase at his Etsy store, and some of his prints are available at Gallery Nucleus.

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).