This piece will be brought to you by coffee in a can, by Starbucks, the number 7, and orzo pasta with alfredo sauce.
In other news, I decided to track down some information about the supplies I use, and just give everyone a head's up about what I work with.
When I first started out, it was to draw characters for my games. So I began drawing about the same time I started gaming. My supplies were easy:
and
That's it, folks. A kid who really wants to draw will not need an arsenal of drawing supplies. It takes motivation, and I was very motivated to put an image to the characters in my head that I was rolling dice for. I started off with profile images of faces. And OH DAMN, did they suck. I'm glad they don't still exist, because I would be mortified.
Nowadays, I have a whole desk crammed with stuff. Brushes, pencils, paper, canvases. Some things I'm cheap about (acrylic paint) and some I'm not (coloured pencils). I buy the bulk of my supplies from Blick's Art Supplies, and use their website, which is easy to use, and their deliveries are always top notch. I've even ordered frameless frames from them, and they were in amazing condition, packed with care. My paper from them, always beautiful.
To start off my "these are my supplies" segment, let me talk a little about pencils. I know, I know, what a boring subject. Really? Pencils?
But what can I say, it excites me. To get a good graphite pencil, for me anyway, it has to meet some basic needs:
1 - Fluid, unhindered motion of the graphite onto the page. Ever had a pencil where it feels like something is stuck on the paper, stopping the pencil from moving? Add a little force, and it moves like a small earthquake, leaving a gouging dark mark in it's wake. Other who work with graphite know EXACTLY what I'm talking about. The lead should be smooth, consistent, and buttery almost in it's application to the paper. The only resistance I want is in the paper itself, when I am working with textures.
2 - Ease of sharpening. How many times have you sharpened a pencil and the lead breaks? Or maybe you sharpen it, and the wood comes off in clumps? This can have to do with a dull sharpener, or a cheap one, but also it can be the pencil itself. I used to ADORE the pulp pencils when I worked with the standard yellow number 2. Smoothly sharpened, and not broken. Oh yeah. I've since learned that the high pressure pulp pencil isn't the best for graphite quality. So if it sharpens decently, that's fine with me.
3 - Can I drop it? This is important for me. When I'm knee deep in a piece, and I decide to take it everywhere with me with the tenacity of a mother taking her ill tempered four year old into EVERY Walmart to find a specific cheap romance novel, I want to know that I can accidentally drop my pencil and not be ruined for the day. I've tried woodless graphite, and while the graphite itself is AMAZING quality, the fact that they break when I so much as look at them cross eyed is enough to make me pass.
4 - Is it decently priced. Nuff said here. I'm not selling my car to buy this thing. Sorry.
For my recommendations, I like the Prismacolor Turquoise graphite the best, I suspect. Originally Berol Turquoise, produced by Sanford, these are made now by the Prismacolor name (coincidentally, also owned by the same people who make Rubbermaid, Graco, and Papermate products). I have some originals (or vintage) displaying the Berol name, and also some newer Prismacolor. They're both exceptional for the job. I rarely have issue with the graphite quality, or the wood. Other names I use from time to time are Staedtler Mars Lumograph and Derwent Graphic. Staedtler is produced in Germany, and Derwent in the UK. Both are decently priced, however.
The brand I do NOT use is General. While I'm sad to say that it's a choice that takes business from the "Made in the USA" market, I can't abide supporting a product that I feel is inferior. And that's what General pencils are for me. Now, everyone has preference, but for me, the above standards that I need in pencils are consistently not met by General. I especially have issues with the pencils falling apart while being sharpened, even with a new sharpener. The wood quality and graphite is not worth it to me when I end up just throwing it away, and reaching for one of my other pencils after minutes of frustrated sharpening.
So that's my "review" for this post. I will have work in progress photos up (with my awful camera) once I get started on this newest piece!
-Me
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