Blog
Tools of the trade
I frequently get asked about the products I use. The majority of the products I work with, I’ve been using for YEARS. Here’s a run down:
Micron pens by Sakura
I LOVE these pens. I’ve tried a few other brands in the past but always find myself going back to my beloved Microns. They glide across the paper with no glitching or splattering and come in a great variety of point sizes.
Berol mechanical drawing pencil
All drawings start with a sketch. I typically go through MANY MANY MANY sketches before I get to “the one.” I prefer a mechanical pencil which has refill leads. I’ve also had it forever and don’t see many Berol mechanicals anymore but there are some other similar makes available. Remember to get the leads and the leadpointer (lead sharpener)!
Staedtler eraser
As they say: Staedtler has improved the eraser formula, guaranteeing even better results on a wide variety of surfaces – for practically residue-free erasing – precise and clean.
+ Premium quality for first-class erasing performance.
+ Practically residue-free erasing
+ Phthalate and latex free
+ Easy to remove eraser waste thanks to minimal crumbling
+ Best erasing performance with little wear
+ Abolutely age-resistant
Berol Prismacolor colored pencils
The love of my life. My Premier Prismacolors have been a constant companion. I bought my first set during college for an Illustration class, around 1994/95ish and won’t ever consider a change. In fact, that first set is still being used today. I love that I can buy individual replacement pencils for the ones I use most. They Key Features listed on the Prismacolor website:
+ Artists’ quality colored pencils for every level of expertise
+ High quality pigments for a rich color saturation
+ Soft, thick cores create a smooth color laydown for superior blending and shading
+ Thick leads resist breakage
+ Available in 132 brilliant colors sold individually or in sets of 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 120 & 132
Berol Prismacolor sharpener
I recently found this gem at Hobby Lobby. After years of struggling with various sharpeners that would eat up my colored pencils, FINALLY, one made JUST for them. It looks funny but I haven’t yet had a broken, wasted pencil tip. (Knock on wood)
Leather colored pencil case
I stumbled across this not long ago in Hobby Lobby and it’s AMAZING. I have always kept my pencils in their original box, where I would patiently rummage through the jumbled tangle of the various sized sticks. Not no mo! I am completely at ease and organized and fancy and my pencils have never been showcased better. Here’s one that I found at Dick Blick online.
Paper
This is one area that I would like to branch out of. I’ve always purchased the Earth Tones cardstock from PaperDirect.com. I like the smoothness and thickness but would like to find other options in larger sizes/colors etc. I’ve scoured multiple art mega stores and am having trouble finding the perfect paper that does not bleed my ink and comes in sizes larger than 8.5×11. If you know where I can get some please lemme know. I’ll be forever grateful.
Mounting materials
When I finish a custom piece, I mount it on solid black mat board for a professional presentation. I like to use rubber cement to hold the art in place. Mainly because it’s easy to remove in case the owner wants to change the mat color and do some framing. Plus I can use a rubber cement eraser to remove extra blobs that get on the piece or the black mat. It’s really fun to erase! I then wrap the piece in acetate for protection.