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’m definitely an old fashioned type of fella when it comes to drawing. My favorite of the past couple years is brush and ink. I have yet to find anything that gives me equal helpings of control and spontaneity. I love the Silver Ultra mini brushes - they keep a fine point and last a while if they’re kept clean. The only thing lacking with the old brush and ink is it inability to travel well. For portability I, like so many, like the .005 Micron in various colors. I love to be able to mingle some different colors in a drawing, especially if I’m working outside or on the subway. I’m also a fan of the Micron Brush Pens. I’ve also become a fan of the COPIC sketch markers. They’re a little pricey, but they’re dual tipped with a fat, flat end and a pretty sharp brush end. I also buy cheap calligraphy markers, mostly in black. I’ve been picking up Elegant Writer pens and using them to death for quick sketches. Again, the variable line is nice and you can do really fast fills. The line decays through the stroke, but that can give things a nice character and give you something more than a flat saturated black - something almost more photographic, especially in small sketches.

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

For a drawing day at the Natural History Museum, or the subway, I like to make purposefully random selections. A handful from the maker bin, and then try to go make it work. Illustration can get formulaic by design, so a strange assortment of pencils and pens can be really helpful to get out of a drawing rut.

For an illustration, I’ll generally rough in pencil, and then move right to ink, or gouache of late, to lay out the line structure.

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

As far as ink, I’m still trying to find the perfect ink. Since I use a lot and can correct in photoshop after the fact, I will use the old standard, Higgins waterproof black. I find it’s pretty wishy-washy. For more gallery type drawing I have been using Speedball’s Super Black India Ink. It gets better coverage and cavernous deep blacks. Although it professes to be non clogging, I find just the opposite. It can get a little chunky, and even syrupy if left open even a little too long. It also has a slight but noticeable bleed. I have experimented with Bombay inks as well, but find they have an iridescence I’m not too fond of.

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

I was an acrylic painter for a longtime, and love the saturation. Maybe it’s because I’m getting older I’ve moved to watercolor and gouache paint gouache. Gouache can give you that really nice saturated color without the chunkiness of acrylics, along with a really nice matte finish. Since a lot of my work is reduced pallette work, it’s nice to do a full tone of watercolor on the bottom with a little mask to leave some of the white of the paper showing, and then draw with gouache on top.

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?

For watercolors and gouache, I definitely like the Winsor & Newton stuff, and for watercolor I do use a Winsor & Newton 14 color travel set as my default setup. It does have some drawbacks - the cools in travel sets always seem to be a little weak. I pull out the cobalt and substitute cerulean (I love the plastic-y, processed look of cerulean). I will also premix some gouache in the water dish that I’ll use as my major line color. I also have a Daler Rowney 12 set that Ive been pretty happy with too, and is a little smaller.

Is there any particular type of notebook or drawing pad you prefer? Or does any scrap of decent-sized paper work in a pinch? / If you paint, is there any particular type of canvas you prefer? Do you like to paint on wood or any other materials?

In general, I think paper is the most underrated supply people buy. Unfortunately, sketchbook are always notoriously filled with weak paper: 60lb paper is just sort of weak for my purposes. That does lower the price point and make it more expendable, which I suppose is the point, but I find sketchbooks a little frustrating to buy. I generally use the Daler Rowney bound sketchbooks. My favorite, which I’ve had a hard time finding of late, is the Canson Balloon Field Sketch book. It’s wire bound from the top which I definitely prefer. Dealing with the gutters in the bound sketchbook can be frustrating when you just need that extra half inch to make it work. I also like a Il Torchio notebook my cousin brought back for me from Florence. It has a really nice tooth and holds up really well for 50lb paper. My other little fettishy sketchbooks are a 3” by 5” R. Baldwin 150 gms cartridge paper book from England, and a 4”x 5” Daler Rowney Fabriano colored paper sampler book.

As far as painting, if I’m working on canvas or board, it gets the same treatment. I use the NY Central Acrylic Gesso - about 5 layers - and sand it down to as glassy smooth a surface as I can get.

I’ve come to prefer painting on paper, and haven’t found anything I like better that Arches 300lb, hot press for gouache and acrylic and cold press for watercolor. I also like their 140lb cold press for mixed media work and watercolors with very controlled but small bleeds. I will also use Strathmore smooth Bristol, but mostly for work line work that then gets re-colored in photoshop. Rives BFK is a close runner up, probably my drawing favorite for straight ink and pencil.

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

I often do, especially for quick turnaround illustration assignments. I still draw everything by hand but will work with black and two or three arbitrary colors (generally a hot and a cool) to flesh out the design, and then assign them new colors in Photoshop.

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

I saw a Marcel Dzama show at the Richard Heller Gallery a few years ago, and it really made me realize the power of working on paper. I had been making acrylic paintings that were really emulating silkscreen and woodcut prints, and realized that they should be on paper to really get that matte finish I was looking for. Acrylic suddenly felt way too plastic.

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

I generally use the edge of an old credit card to apply gesso, a trick I picked up from Tom LaPadula, one of my teachers at Pratt. It saves a lot of time with sanding down a canvas or board.

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?

After a few years of creating art that was about half digital, I’m really trying to move back towards more traditional media. Mostly because I am working in better spaces and have constructed a light table and have the space to really avoid putting things into the computer until it’s sitting on the scan bed.

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)?

The computer is an amazing resource. I was very anti-computer as a young idealistic artist/idiot, and have come around big time. I use to feel that digitally produced work was a rather hack-y type method, but I’ve long since seen the light. What people are doing now with digital collage and painting and drawing is really incredible. I keep finding out people who I thought were traditional illustrators are working totally digitally.

As far as work as an illustrator goes, it’s a double-edged sword. In this economic downturn, magazines and newspaper are having a rough go. As more and more go online, it’s more common than not that the illustrators they used to hire don’t come with them, or if they do, the illustrator works for smaller fees. Conversely, having a website which you can construct and update yourself for free, a blog you can post on for free, and emails which you can send for free - it’s pretty convenient. It does have a democratizing effect of allowing new people to get wide coverage, and allowing me to look at work from all over the world. That being said, it can be a bit of a distraction. It’s easy to find yourself lost in a multimedia labyrinth only to emerge a hour later and none the wiser…

Thanks Andrew!

You can find Andrew DeGraff online at his portfolio website andrewdegraff.com, his own weblog DEGRAFFLOG, and on the group weblog welcome friend or foe.

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

I most enjoy working with pencils and permanent ink pens.

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

Often I start making sketches in pencil, but I use pens with lightfast ink on all my final drawings to make my artwork more archival.

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

My favorite pens are from the Faber-Castell PITT artist pens series, especially the pens with black waterproof India ink.

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

I use a combination of water-based painting techniques - watercolor, gouache, and 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 like Lascaux acrylics and Winsor & Newton watercolors. I use top quality paints to make sure my artwork will last for a lifetime.

Travel sets are fun, and I do usually take some art materials with me when I 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?

My favorite papers to work on are thick handmade papers that are made in France. I love the deckled edge and the textured quality of the paper. It makes the completed works seem almost like “objects.”

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

I do sometimes work on canvas or panel, and I like working on wood very much. Sometimes I carve bits out of the wooden panels to give my images a more dimensional quality.

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?

I think I am usually more inspired by the imagery in the work, than the actual materials. However, I especially like looking at artwork from other mixed media artists.

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

In my collage work, I use papers that I collect from all around the world. I love Japanese, Indian, Asian, and Italian papers; there are many multi-cultural, handmade papers that I find beautiful.

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 prefer to work non-digitally as much as possible. I just like getting my hands dirty, I suppose!

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)?

Although I don’t use the computer to make my actual artwork, I have found the Internet to be an incredible tool to use in promoting my artwork and making contacts. Through the Internet, I have found an online network of artist and designer friends who are wonderfully helpful, friendly, and like-minded. I don’t know what I did before I met them.

Last year, I bought an iMac and a new digital camera, and I am really happy with both. The quality of the photographs I can make of my work has improved dramatically, and I am now able to print and sell high quality digital reproductions of my artwork in my online shop.

Thanks Stephanie!

You can find Stephanie Levy online on her weblog stephanielevy.blogspot.com, on Flickr (stephanielevy), Twitter (@stephanielevy), and her work can be purchase online in her Etsy shop. Stephanie also runs the wonderful Artists Who Blog.

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)?

I like to start sketching with a simple 6B pencil or a blue pencil, sometimes I use markers, sometimes I sketch directly on Photoshop with a tablet (I have one of those Wacom Bamboo).

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

It depends on the project and on my mood! But I like to try different tools a lot.

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

I use those Sakura Micron pens a lot, and sometimes I use Tombow’s brush pens, they have a lot of colors. Sometimes I use white ink Uni-ball Signo Gel Pens to do some details as well.

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

It depends! I’ve been trying acrylics diluted on water on canvas lately… it looks like watercolors. Talens gouaches are fun to use too!

On my sketchbook I use a lot of markers and sometimes colored pencils too.

But mostly I color with Photoshop.

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 a Winsor & Newton travel set for watercolors that I almost haven’t used yet! I need to practice some watercolors! As for inks, simple India ink and a nice Rembrandt number 2 brush.

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 have a lot of sketchbooks, with lots of types of paper! For a simple experimental sketch, anything works. For watercolors or any watery paint its better to use Fabriano papers.

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

Yes. I do it a lot! I mostly use Photoshop to adjust levels, colors and to put pieces together when I’m not directly drawing or coloring with it already.

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’m always looking for tips on what kind of material it’s best to use! And I love to try new materials or medias.

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

Hmmm, lately I’ve been sewing up some details on canvas… just an experiment! :D

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

Mostly Photoshop, sometimes Painter and sometimes I like to sketch a little bit on ArtRage or Open Canvas.

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 do more digital work. Mostly because it’s more practical for the kinds of jobs I do. But I like to balance it and try to do non-digital work whenever I can.

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 nowadays it’s more than helpful for me, it’s a necessity! But you need to be careful not to be too distracted with that bunch of information you have in front of you.

Thanks Amanda!

You can find Amanda Grazini online at her weblog amandagrazini.blogspot.com and on Flickr (amandagrazini). Amanda also has some work available for purchase in her Etsy Shop.

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

Good old F and H pencils are what I’ve been using lately. Col-erase pencils are fun as well. For sketching I quite like brush pens that you can cut up and cheap ballpoint pens that leak and do funny things are great.

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

Depends how I’m feeling. Some mediums are more forgiving that others and things either lends themselves to good drawing days or not.

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

I found these really cheap, almost poorly made black dollar store pens made by a brand called Menji. They’re not really good writing pens per say but great to sketch with. I find pens that do sometimes unexpected things are more satisfying to sketch with and things turn out to be a bit spontaneous.

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

I really like watercolour and gouache, though I don’t consider myself very proficient with either medium. Coupled with pencil crayons and Photoshop, the mix is interesting to work my colour with. I have a love/hate relationship with Acrylics. Sometimes they do what I want and other times they drive me up the wall as I’m not the fastest worker. I’d really like to get back into oil painting like my early art school days.

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?

Paints, I generally stick to Winsor & Newton and Golden, but I haven’t branched out much. I’m ashamed to say I bought a pocket watercolour set recently, but have yet to put it to any good use yet.

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 sketch mostly in my Moleskine sketchbook, but any heavyweight drawing paper is good. Bond paper is okay too.

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 to paint on heavyweight paper (140-300 lbs watercolour paper block is nice) or cheap scraps of masonite.

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

I use Photoshop quite often in terms of applying colours or tweaking, but not exclusively. Lots of the foundation work is done in gray scale with traditional media, with colour applied afterward.

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

Sometimes. Much more satisfying to experiment and muck about on your own.

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

Nope, can’t say that I do.

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?

Lately it’s been half and half, but I find myself pushing towards traditional methods more and more. With no undo key, it keeps you on your toes and at the end of the day feels more fulfilling to 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 don’t think it’s necessary at all really. Walk into an art museum and look at a masterwork on the wall and that’ll say enough. If anything it’s been bad and good. Bad in the sense that it can be a crutch, where you can come to rely too much on simple tricks, smoke and mirrors and what not. Things can look mechanical or devoid of any personal human touch. Really depends on the industry you work in too. They’re indispensable when it comes to things like concept art where you can quickly make edits and pump out variations of pieces in relatively short time.

I’d have to say they sometimes help take the edge off my short comings as an artist, but I find them convenient at the same time. In saying that though, I make more of an effort these days to use the computer as a post processing tool because I really prefer putting real media to whatever canvas I choose. That’s fundamental.

Thanks Ed!

Ed Kwong can be found online at his portfolio website edkwong.com and on his weblog.

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

My favourite drawing tools are Faber Castell PITT Artist pens, Pilot Super Grip pencils, Pentel brush pens and my Montblanc fountain pen.

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

I carry my drawing tools in a small Muji Pencil box. It means I can only carry 4 pens at a time, I like the fact that I have relatively few choices and don’t really have to decide what pen to use at any time. Saying that I have tried lots of different type of pens from Rotring, Edding, Staedtler to Pigma Microns but for the moment I like drawing with brown ink as it throws the line back a bit and makes it a bit less dominant than a black line. I carry the Pentel brush pen and fountain pen as sometimes its good to have a looser approach and using a fountain pen or brush stops you be too precise and tight.

The other kit I carry around with me is another Muji Pencil box (large) in it are 2 pencils 2b and 4b, a pencil sharpener, a rubber (or for Americans an eraser) and 2 Pentel water brush pens a medium and a large. The box is padded with tissue to stop them rattling about.

All thats left is a small Winsor & Newton travel watercolour kit. I’m in the middle of trying to simplify the colours I use, but I like to replace some of the pans with colours I prefer such as Permanent Sap Green, Neural Grey, Permanent Mauve and Cerulean Blue. Typing this out I realise that maybe its colours suited to the Scotland’s landscape and light?

It’s all really basic. If I just want to draw on the way to work I take the small Muji box. If I want to paint I take the larger one with the watercolour set - no thinking involved at all! :)

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

Apart from Faber-Castell PITT artist pens I like to use Noodler’s Bulletproof ink in my fountain pen. It’s a total lifesaver as you can work over the top of it with watercolour.

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

I use watercolour pretty much all the time in Moleskine sketchbooks. They react pretty strangely to watercolour almost repelling the paint so you have to work in washes almost scrubbing the paint into the page. From what is kind of a negative thing, I’ve got into painting this way and enjoy the results. So, now I’m trying to do watercolour on proper paper and finding it really difficult.

You recently posted a weblog entry with the kit you carry around. If and when you work at home, or in an office, do you use the same types of tools, or do you have a larger set of colors, pens, brushes, etc.?

Yes, I have a larger variety of brushes and pens to choose from. I also use Dr. Ph Martin inks as well they really add a vibrancy to watercolours. So if you want the reds and greens to really pop out of the page its amazing fun to try these out.

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

Sorry, I’m a sucker for Moleskine sketchbooks, its a little bit embarrassing how ubiquitous they are. The fact that they are expensive is quite a good thing as you’re not likely to leave them lying about, but because it takes me about a month or two to fill one they turn out to be okay value. Also I like the fact they fold flat so I draw over the two pages, its seems quite a small thing but its a rare quality in sketchbooks. Finally the proportion for the moleskine large sketch book just, well feels right.

I sound like a total fanboy!

I carry around sketchbooks around pretty much all the time, but aye if there’s a scrap of paper around I’ll use it.

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

Oh, occasionally. The Moleskine paper is quite yellow. So what I generally do in Photoshop is take a colour sample of the paper colour add a new layer and fill that layer with the colour then turn this layer off. The layer with the drawing I use auto tone, colour and levels to accentuate the tone and colours, but it takes the yellow tone away. I then turn that yellow layer back on and choose “multiply” and reduce the transparency to what looks right.

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’ve tried some new Kuretake brush pens which I read about on Meg Hunt’s site which have an amazing dark fluent line. I think they’re for Japanese calligraphy. I just wish they weren’t water soluble.

Also I’ve experimented with trying dip pens after an article by Kevin Cornell who recommended Hunt’s Speedball #102 nibs.

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

When I’m traveling abroad drawing I carry around a Fuji Pivi printer which does small polaroid type photos. Instead of carrying glue to stick all those handy exotic receipts, tickets and bags of sugar you can buy pre blobs of glue on bits of paper. I put these handy things in the back of my Moleskine.

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)?

Yes, all of the above! I’ve avoided doing digital colouring deliberately. I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing using watercolour but its something I really want to stick with as I’m really enjoying the process.

Building a web presence and finding like minds has been incredible! At the same time I need to get away from the computer and make things.

From your CV/folio it looks like you do more web design and layout. Do you, in a way, consider that art? I certainly do, even though I’m not very good at it. I’m more on the programming side. If so, what are your common tools for web design and graphic/art layout?

I don’t know if web design is art? I use Photoshop for layouts and Illustrator for more design logo work.

For so long though its been part of who I am as a designer who likes to sketch. I’m at a crossroads at the moment as I’ve left the BBC and I’m looking to try and spend more time doing illustration. It’s a big step for me but at the moment it feels like the right thing to do.

Thanks Wil!

Wil Freeborn can be found online at his weblog, on Flickr (ghostschool), and on Twitter (@ghostschool). Wil also participated in the 6th Moleskine Exchange.

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

I like to draw directly in pen when sketching since it forces me to loosen up and lighten up and let things get as goofy as they often do. Or, if I want to be more accurate, drawing in ink helps me to remember to go slow and look closely at my subject.

Pencil: I’m rather fond of my Papermate Titanium .5mm mechanical pencil with built in eraser. I have a variety of drawing, drafting and mechanical pencils but I’m not too attached to any of them.

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

The Pigma Micron .01 black ink pen is my favorite. I like the fact that ink is permanent and waterproof and doesn’t bleed or dissolve when adding watercolor the way some other “permanent” or “waterproof” inks do. I’ve tried many others, from fountain pens to dip pens to markers, but I always come back to my Pigma Micron.

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

If I’m sketching from life, I choose my Pigma Micron. If I’m sketching from my imagination I usually use a pencil since I’m not sure where I’m going and kind of sculpt the drawing from scribbles as I go.

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

Watercolor had been my primary medium for 30 years. Then a couple years ago I tried (unsuccessfully) switching to acrylic. I just couldn’t get acrylics to do what I wanted (though I will likely give them another try at some point). Then I moved on to oils and I’ve been studying oil painting since, while not giving up watercolor. I’m finding that some subjects look better to me in different media. For example, when I want to capture detail or delicate flowers, watercolor is my medium of choice; landscape, especially plein air, seems to call for oil painting.

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 several different watercolor sets and two oil-painting setups. When I use gouache or watercolor in the studio I have two large Robert E. Wood palettes that live on a Boby tabouret beside my large drafting table. One is filled with gouache, the other with watercolor. My watercolors are a variety of artist colors mostly from Winsor & Newton and Daniel Smith, with a couple of Holbein and Schmicke colors thrown in.

When I go out to sketch in ink and wash, I carry a Winsor & Newton Artists’ Watercolor Field Box Set (over the years I’ve replaced all the original pan paint with colors I prefer from tubes).

If I want to use gouache in the field I carry an old small, Schmincke metal folding palette (my first watercolor set) that holds 12 half pans which I’ve filled with mostly M. Graham and Schmincke gouache from tubes.

I have a sturdy zipper bag I got at Utrecht that’s about 8x10 into which I can easily fit my entire sketching kit in (including sketchbook). The items I include in my sketching kit are:

• Micron Pigma .01 pen (my favorite sketching pen)
• Kuretake waterbrushes
• Kleenex purse pack of tissues
• Sketchbook
• optional extras:
  • 2 oz plastic squirt bottle (optional, easier than using waterbrushes to moisten paint and good for sprizting the paper if needed)
  • 2 oz plastic bottle with extra water
  • pencil
  • kneaded eraser

If I’m doing an actual plein air painting in watercolor rather than a sketch, I have a larger, Holbein palette. Then I use a watercolor block instead of a sketchbook and carry real brushes in a canvas brush holder, still quite portable.

For oil painting in the studio I have an old Stanrite Aluminum #700 easel and for field work I use my Soltek Pro (needed the Pro’s extra height because I’m tall). I’m currently using mostly Winsor & Newton oils and a few Gamblin but selecting my oil colors is still a work in progress.

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

Lately I’ve been using mostly Moleskine watercolor sketchbooks and Strathmore Medium Drawing spiral bound sketchbooks. In the past I was fond of the inexpensive Aquabee Super Deluxe spiral bound. I’ve tried many others that I didn’t like for one reason or another. I recently purchased a Fabriano Venezzia bound sketchbook and am looking forward to using it next. Of course I’ll draw on just about anything if no sketchbook is at hand. One of my favorite sketches was done on the back of a bag of Trader Joe’s Biscottis while waiting in the checkout line.

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

Yes! I’ve tried stretched canvas and practically every kind of painting panel there is and I LOVE Ampersand’s Gessobord. I use their 1/8” flat panels because they’re the least expensive, while still being “archival, museum quality.”

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

I went through a phase of drawing in ink or directly on the computer using a Wacom tablet and then coloring them in Painter for creating illustrations, but didn’t love spending so much time at the computer so have moved away from that for now.

I do post-processing in Photoshop when I prepare photos or scans of my artwork for my blog. Despite my care in lighting, monitor calibrating, etc., I almost always have to make some adjustments to the digital photos. I also do the same for photos I want to use for reference material.

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

Oh yes! I’m easily seduced by glowing descriptions by other artists of their new discoveries.

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

Nope.

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

I was using Painter rather than Photoshop as it had more artist-friendly tools but it crashed way too often.

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 prefer spending less time at the computer since I have a part-time day job that requires me to be at the computer the whole time, as does blogging, and too much computer time = too many physical aches and pains.

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)?

Yes, to all of the above.

Thanks Jana!

Jana Bouc can be found online at her website/porfolio janabouc.com, her journal and sketch weblog, and on Flickr (janabouc).

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.

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

I love pens and pencils, I haven’t played with markers too much lately but those are nice too. But mostly pens and pencils are my favorite drawing tools. lately I really like this mechanical pencil I have.

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

I guess it depends on a lot of things, from what’s laying around to what kind of surface I’m going to be drawing on.

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

I can say that I love most Japanese pens. There are these really nice ones called HI-TEC I think. they come in all tip sizes and I would always have a few different ones. I’m out of them now though, I need to find a good place to get them around here. I like the brush pens too with the stiff tips. another pen I like to use sometimes is the ball point, they are kind of like pencils in a way.

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

Mostly oil, gouache, and watercolor.

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 mostly use a limited palette, I try to paint with like 4 colors tops. I guess I have my favorite colors, lately it’s been white, ultramarine blue, cad yellow, and burnt sienna. Sometimes I will need a stronger red with that one though. I have a tiny little Winsor & Newton watercolor kit that I carry around, I’ve had it since like 1998, I refill it as needed. It’s awesome. For gouache, I use an old CD cover for a palette and just a few tubes of paint. I haven’t painted outside with oils in a long time.

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 love Moleskines like the rest of the world. I’m grateful to whoever decided to bring those back from the old days. Sometimes I put too much pressure on myself to make an awesome drawing in those things, which can be good or bad, so I have a crappy sketchbook I bought at Walgreens too.

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 Masonite a lot, with a nice coat of gesso for an oil painting. For gouache I like the Moleskine paper actually, the kind in the ‘sketchbooks’. And watercolor paper for watercolors, I’ve been meaning to get some good watercolor paper.

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

Sometimes if a scan is weird I will have to tweak it to be more like the original painting before I post it on my weblog.

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

Probably. Whenever I see some great piece of art I get excited about it and want to know how they do it, and look at the tools I think that person used. but I usually realize that it doesn’t matter what kind of pen, or brush, or prepared canvas, or painting medium, or wacom tablet I use. but I have discovered things that work for me this way.

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

I don’t think so, just the usual stuff.

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

I use Photoshop CS2 for my work at Doublefine productions. And the web comics I make there are all Photoshop all the time.

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?

Well lately I’ve been finding myself doing more digital work for my job, but I’m also starting to use Photoshop for my gallery paintings too, just in the preliminary stages though, composition, color, value. It’s a really fast and fun way to plan a painting. I do like drawing and painting in my sketchbook though too.

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 very helpful tool for me personally. The internet is amazing for reference. They are small and clean and you can do pretty much everything on them. Weblogs are great for people who know nothing about how to make a website, such as myself. I’ve also learned about many amazing artists I probably would have never heard of if it wasn’t for blogs. I don’t think a computer is necessary for making Art at all, but for me they are helpful and yes, a distraction.

Thanks Nathan!

Nathan Stapley can be found online at his weblog nathanstapley.blogspot.com, his portfolio is at nathanstapley.com and he has a online comic at Doublefine. Some of Nathan’s prints and original art are available at Gallery 1988.