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Post by Jesse on Oct 6, 2017 11:57:12 GMT -5
I noticed there were a couple threads for digital artwork both hardware and software but not one for traditional art supplies and I'm curious what art supplies people would recommend. Originally I thought to make this thread to ask a question about pen and ink but feel it could easily be expanded to all traditional medium basically everything that's not digital.
What pen nibs and brushes would people recommend most for comic inking? I'm mostly familiar with technical pens I had both a Koh-i-Noor and Staedtler pens in highschool and as an Undergrad. Sadly I have neither now but get by by using Pigma Micron and Brush pens which are nice felt tip pens but I don't like them as much.
I'm also wondering what type of alcohol markers people would recommend? I've mostly used Prismacolor since highschool because of the duel fine and broad tips. I'm curious as how to repair a fine tip that's gone dry while the broad tip still works fine. I tried soaking the tip in rubbing alcohol but that hasn't worked at all. I have gotten more life out of a Prismacolor marker before by cutting one open and adding more rubbing alcohol to the pigment sponge inside then duct-taping it back together. But I feel that's a bit drastic and only needed for the most dire situations with a deadline looming and not something I want to do to a marker while the broad tip still works just fine. Anyone have any suggestions?
And of course any other thoughts and recommendations are welcome. Like what water color, gouache or airbrush paints people would recommend? or does anyone work in pastels or oil paints? What books on tradition medium have you found helpful and would recommend?
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Oct 6, 2017 13:21:22 GMT -5
I still love my Staedtler and Koh-i-noor technical pens, but over the last decade they have tended to clog a lot. I don't know if it is the paper or the ink that is to blame.
My favourite pen nib is the Speedball C-6. I tried the Hunt 102 after reading how Dave Sim liked it, but it makes an entirely too fine a line (I draw on 14 x 17 bristol, which is then reduced almost fifty percent... a Hunt 102 line then becomes extremely thin or disappears).
Brushes tend to die quickly with India ink, so I don't buy the very high end ones. Can't say I ever found a favourite brand, but they're 000-sized.
Ink is where I encounter the most problems. I want black ink, but several inks are diluted and more of a light-black hue -especially inks meant for technical pens. I use either Speedball ink or a local one sold by the art shop I frequent.
That's a great subject, Jesse! I'm always curious to learn what other people use. (I'm very surprised when I find out that artistic gods of mine use sharpies!!!)
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Post by Jesse on Jan 4, 2018 14:37:36 GMT -5
Recently I've been playing around with a 12 pack set of Studio 71 markers. The pigments are very vibrant and I find them pretty comparable to Prismacolor markers. In fact I've gotten some positive results just blending them together on scrap paper. The Studio 71 markers actually cost less than half as much as the Prismacolor markers. Both are dual tipped although the fine tips differ slightly. With the Studio 71 markers the fine tips are closer to the Micron Brush pens but with less elasticity. I was still able to get some pretty thin lines though when messing around with line weight.  |
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Post by Jesse on Jan 9, 2018 17:36:11 GMT -5
I've also been playing around with a set of Faber-Castell PITT Artist Pens and a 11x14 Bristol board notebook and redrawn some things I was previously unhappy with. I find the Faber-Castell pens very comparable to the Pigma Micron and Brush pens and was happy with the results. Some of the Faber-Castel pens aren't as thin as the similar 4-piece Copic pen; with the sizes being S = 0.3mm, F = 0.5mm and M = 0.7mm. I would imagine they do come in thinner sizes like the Copic and Micron pens but I couldn't find them myself. Although they seem to be comparable price wise with the similar Copic pen set, at least they were when I checked after the holiday season.  Just to compare the brush tips of the Studio 71 markers on the right, the Faber-Castel brush pen in the middle and the Micron Brush pen on the right. The newer brush pens tend to feel stiffer while the Micron has more elasticity. I'm not sure if that has to do with the Micron being a much older pen (you can see how it's frayed with age) or if that is just how they are all made now.  |
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Post by Roquefort Raider on Feb 6, 2018 6:40:44 GMT -5
On the advice of a friend who does wonders with ink, I got a sable Windsor and Newton #1 brush. I was expecting it to make a very heavy line, but lo and behold... It can trace a very thine line indeed, and is amazingly easy to use.
Why did I use #000s all those years? This is the real thing!
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Post by Jesse on Jun 25, 2018 10:15:54 GMT -5
Recently got some new art supplies including a Strathmore 14 x 17 Sketchbook, a Le Pen blue felt tip pen and a 005 Pigma Micron pen which is about 0.20 of a millimeter. Very thin. Really cool stuff I've been having a little fun with.  |
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Post by Deleted on Jun 25, 2018 17:16:00 GMT -5
Jesse -- Strathmore 14 x 17 Sketchbook is the best paper for sketching and drawing, hands down.
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Post by Jesse on Jul 6, 2018 13:55:56 GMT -5
This week's art supply store haul went pretty well. I picked up another 005 Pigma Micron pen because I liked the first one so much, seven Studio 71 dual-tip markers of various shades, a couple of Prismacolor Premier colored pencils which are super soft, some Princeton Series brushes sizes 5/0, 18/0 and 20/0, a Robert Simmons Simply Simmons 5/0 brush, a Reminisce white gel pen, a Permapaque white marker and a 9 x 12 Canson black paper sketchbook.  |
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Post by Jesse on Aug 4, 2018 14:54:28 GMT -5
I received a gift of some free art supplies and immediately made a custom card as a thank you. The card is made with a silver Yoobi gel pen on black cardstock. The gift contained a set of 14 Zebra Sarasa retractable 0.7mm gel pens of assorted colors; a set of 48 Reaeon Fineliner color 0.4mm felt tip pens; and a set of 20 Sargent Art washable brush tip markers. The fineliner color pens are really vibrant and come in some great colors. I really look forward to using them as they should fit in really well with my Pigma Micron and Faber-Castell pens. The Sargent brush pens a little on the pale side but I'm sure I'll find a use for them along side my Prismacolor and Studio 71 markers.  |
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Post by beccabear67 on Aug 18, 2018 21:51:07 GMT -5
I love Pigma Micron pens, I used to refill the felt reservoirs even, and when broken-in they became nicely flexible unlike technical pens or Koh-I-Noor. I used to have a nice Windsor & Newton sable '00' but I let it sit and deteriorate sadly. I was thinking I might try a Japanese Pentel brush pen sometime if I get back into things. I'd still want a decent small brush for artistic opaque white work (and knocking on a ruler for star spatter, which I never really got successful at), and a crude one for any mistakes/changes. You should have some kind of brush for filling large black in anyway. I have nothing against markers though, Alex Toth was a magician with Sharpie type ones.
What I would most want would be a dedicated flatbed scanner that could take 11x17" surfaces. As it is I would have to use and eighteen year old one on an eighteen year old PC in three, or if I'm really lucky, two parts joined together virtually. Has anyone ever heard of such a scanner? Or at least that didn't cost four figures? Or perhaps a lighted stand for a digital camera is what is used now?
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Post by Jesse on Aug 19, 2018 12:38:18 GMT -5
What I would most want would be a dedicated flatbed scanner that could take 11x17" surfaces. As it is I would have to use and eighteen year old one on an eighteen year old PC in three, or if I'm really lucky, two parts joined together virtually. Has anyone ever heard of such a scanner? Or at least that didn't cost four figures? Or perhaps a lighted stand for a digital camera is what is used now? There's a thread for Scanner Questions that you might find helpful. if you haven't checked it out already. |
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Post by Jesse on Aug 28, 2018 20:45:34 GMT -5
Sold a commission today and rewarded myself with a trip to the art supply store! The 19" x 24" Canson XL Bristol Pad is the largest I've ever owned I can't wait to draw on it. Also pictured two replacement 005 (.20mm) and 03 (.35mm) Pigma Micron pens, two Studio 71 markers in Denim and Pastel Blue, a 5.5" X 8" Studio 71 Hardbound Sketchbook as well as a set of 50 Darice Cooe'dination's A2 Size White Cards and Envelopes for custom gift cards.  |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 29, 2018 13:31:11 GMT -5
The 19" x 24" Canson XL Bristol Pad is the largest I've ever owned I can't wait to draw on it.Excellent for Landscape Pictures ... excellent choice Jesse and looking good ... you'll be happy with it.
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Post by Jesse on Sept 13, 2018 13:10:15 GMT -5
Got an amazing gift today! A Metal Tin set of 72 Derwent Inktense color pencils. They're used but in really good condition in fact only a handful of them were ever actually used.   |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 13, 2018 19:34:04 GMT -5
Cool Jesse!  |
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