Yes, you thought I'd chose not to answer this thread. Just
VERY delayed; here's my 2c worth.
>Firstly, if you're learning, paper of choice is never a
>waste.
I tend to draw on whatever I feel comfortable with.
Doodling on the corner of a newpaper on the train doesn't
count as real drawing though, IMHO. I frequently 'recycle'
old copy paper. That way I don't feel bad if I don't
like the pic, to just 'toss it aside' (don't throw it out,
you may want to refer to it later!), since I am only
drawing on the back of an otherwise 'wasted' printout.
Vellum and plastics are ace to draw on with inks (I like to
doodle in ball point pen), but obviously cost of
'scribbling' should be taken into account.
> Tool wise the spread I use really depends on what I'm
> doing - for most of my line work I use either Faber
>Castel Mechanical drawing/drafting pencils, or the older
>Staedler Mars mechanical drafting ones.
Tokes recommends the 'run of the mill' 0.5mm in HB compound
for general sketching. Many people I have found agree with
this largely due to they are readily available and work
quite well. I like (though probably not the best for
results) the thicker, old clutch pencils that use the same
gauge lead as a wooden pencil. You can shave their tips to
get different effects, the lead is very cheap if sourced
from old pencils (when they are too short to draw with,
split them open and load the lead into the mech-
pencil!) and due to their broader lead, are easy to get a
big variation of line thickness. You can also load them
with hard or soft lead, depending on what you are drawing.
For starting out, whatever feels comfortable for
you and encourages you to draw, is a good choice. I
frequently use wood pencils for the same reason as I use
recycled paper. I don't mind about the cost too much,
therefore don't stress and just get down to the business of
drawing! Tokes says normal wood pencils are fine, just keep
them sensibly (not very!) sharp and you can do very well.
He uses a 6H for construction lines.
>Speedball nibs (rarely), or the Copic .too inking system.
>I also use a light table to dupe my images so the ink
>lines are much cleaner on the final.
A light box is good value. If you can't get one (Tokes
sells the for about $150 new), then for beginners (I used
to do this!) use a small amount of good masking tape and
you can tape your image and 'clean sheet' to a window.
The light coming through the window (obviously during the
day!) is bright enough to work, though wouldn't recommend
inking in this position. Good quality tape peels off
easily and won't mark the window or mark the paper too much
(it usually marks a little, so only tape the corners).
I can't give much opinion on inking - I use a good quality,
ball point pen (like a speedball type pen) that doesn't
smudge easily to help avoid smudges later if you do have to
put an eraser on it for some reason. Tokes uses
Indian Ink and brushes, but he's also pro.
> For color work it really depends on what I'm trying
> to get - pastels and soft pencils for a softer look,
>copic markers for that nice solid look, or a
>mix of copic and pencil to get subtile shadings and the
>like. The color pencils I use are Faber Castel, which,
>along with Copic, makes for the staple of my supplies,
>for the most part.
As suggested by JMH, he works similarly; felt tips for
punch, pencil for blends. I tend to use ball points with
ink for my highlights and pencil for the rest, but my
colours are iffy, so don't take my opinion as gospel.
Currently using cheapo pencils that have been in the draw
since I was in technical school all those years ago (I'll
just keep these in here in case I need them one day....)
and don't mind using them 'while I learn'. Again, if you
can go forward without 'worrying' about it, then it is good
value. Obviously, in time, I'll get to the point where I
find the materials a limit and spend the cash and upgrade
to a decent set. Till then...
> My advice is to experiment a bit - buy some decent
>mechanical drafting pencils, buy some wood sketch
>pencils...
My tip would be try whatever is lying around - I happen to
like doodling (can't really call it sketching) with
ballpoint pens. 'Borrow' a friend's drawing stuff (ie, try
it while over at their place or something) and
get a feel for different mediums. What ever makes you want
to use it more is likely to be a good place to start or
work with.
>First of all, what kind of art are you most interested
>in? If you're interested in the comic side of things,
>tools are far different than say a color pin-up.
For colouring, I'd agree (to a point), but for the inital
layout, structure sketches and design, the similarities are
many. Tokes teaches basic toon style before moving on to
detailed toons and then branching into realism
determined by what you are drawing. Doing a
photo-realistic comic strip just isn't practical!
> For inking I like Micron pens. But I have a tendency to
>work tiny and they go down to 005 which is tiiiiiny. But
>they go pretty big, too.
I use a 'fine ball point' (yes, I love my ball point pens).
Tokes recommends a bullet-point felt-tip medium marker for
beginners (so you can vary from fine to
thick by varying the pen angle. Haven't tried this yet,
but the idea sounds right.
>lot of artists use the brush pens. All of them said it
>took some practice but once they were proficient, they
>pretty much won't use anything else.
Seems to agree with Tokes as well. He says the brush and
Indian ink is the best colour and longest lasting, but is
not always required, so he tends to use a bullet point
marker to save time and mess / cleanup.
>Drawing tables are nice and as you're getting into
>drafting...
I use a writing slope / drafting board that I made MANY
years ago in trade school. One of those things that was
used in school then stowed in a cupboard for many years
till I realised what it is good for!
>Study anatomy. Play with different styles. Look at other
>artist's work and see which ones you enjoy the most.
Tokes agrees with this and suggests you base your early
work's structures on another artist's pics (preferably one
you like) so you have simpler lines to work with and you
can see where you are going. This is NOT tracing
and helps you to learn your anatomy and where things fit.
Lets you work out the details while the main structures
have been figured out by 'someone who knows what they are
doing'.
>And the most important thing...practice practice practice.
Practice and persistence. You've got to keep at it; like
any skill. Says he who has done little of late...
>I missed the art you posted. I'd love to see some of it ]>
and if you don't mind, possibly give you some >constructive
suggestions.
Feedback on posted art is most welcome. It helps the
artist and promotes a sense of community. It also gives
the viewers a chance to tell the artist what aspects they
like; a sure way to encourage more pics showing what you
like to see. :-)
Scrapper, Black Dragon, and you thought I'd forgot about
these posts. :-)
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Received on Mon Nov 22 2004 - 21:36:53 CST