Yo, pencil n' pen jockies...

The conversation on Mark's thread got me wondering - what kind of drawing habits (whether daily, weekly, or whenever-you-get-around-to-it) do some of the artistically inclined folks around here have?

I'm thinking stuff like how often do you sketch, what kind of sketchbook do you use (or do you use sheets of bristol or something similar instead), what tools, how often do you do 'completed' pieces, stuff like that there.

I tend to have two sketchbooks on the go at any given time - I like being able to consult one and do refinements of ideas in the other, or sometimes use one for only 'fantasy' ideas, the other for still life and other more 'realistic' images.

I do pay a bit extra for these - I pick up the Robert Bateman cover series, 8 1/2x11" 50 sheet books, on 110lb acid free white paper, coilbound along the side. I strongly dislike having sketchbooks with anything less than around 80lb paper, usually because I'll do a lot of inking in them as well as pencilling. A nice smooth surface is preferable as well.

For finished pieces, I tend to use Strathmore Bristol, smooth finish, square bound along the top, either the 11x14" or 14x17" (for comic book pages) 20 sheet books. I still have a bunch of vellum finish sheets around here, but I tend to stay away from those now - I'm never happy with how my pictures turn out on that surface.

Sketching-wise, I used to do at least one sketch a day, back when I was working at Digital Chameleon (I'd sketch in the lunchroom on breaks and stuff). Since I switched to freelance, I probably only get to do two or three a week.

I'll sketch mostly with a mechanical pencil, HB most often. I like the convenience of not carrying around sharpeners, especially as I mostly prefer to sketch in public (coffee shops, parks, stuff like that). Sometimes I'll use Faber-Castell Ecco Pigment pens, usually the 0.5 nib, to do some freehand sketching, depending on my mood.

I've recently gotten into doing more freehand ink sketching with a brush and ink. I mostly use a 5/0 gold sable liner brush with either Koh-I-Noor Drawing Ink (the stuff that can also be put into technical pens) or Higgins Engrossing Waterproof Black Ink, depending basically on which bottle is closer. They do cost more (almost three times as much as some of the cheaper brands), but are so worth it (especially if you are doing much commission work) as they don't grey out very easily, and create nice, solid black spaces.

For finished pieces (comic book pages, commissions, that sorta thing), pencil-wise I'll use Staedler or Derwent sketching pencils, doing the layout in 2H then taking it all the way up to 4B, 5B, sometimes 9B, being extremely careful how I handle the paper. Quite often, I'll do the initial layout at home, then go to a coffee shop nearby to do the more intense, exhaustive work. See, I spend so much time at home colouring that I like to do as much other artwork around other people as possible, even if I don't actually talk to anyone.

For finished inks, again I'll use brushes and inks already mentioned (using the Faber-Castells only for straight lines like background buildings and such). I have a Speedball pen with a lettering nib for some of the inking, as well as a Crowquill for very fine detail. I'm definitely finding, however, that I'm relying on a brush more and more - the more confident you get with it, the faster the inking goes and the more natural the lines look.

Between commissions for full artwork (not just colouring other peoples' work) and doing stuff for myself, I will do between one and five 'finished' pieces in a month.

That's about all I can think of. And, yes, with those kind of drawing habits, I do have a lot of full sketchbooks around. Right now, I have a dozen (not including the two that are currently on-the-go), and I like to give away completed ones to friends and family for various presents - that always seems to go over really well (even though many of the images in those books are just thumbnails and not completed - at least a quarter of each book will be more-or-less 'completed' illustrations).

And, yes, I know I draw more than most artists do. I definitely found out about that working at Digital - during the seven years there, I think I only encountered two or three other artists who drew even semi-regularily, and everybody else was scared of sketching in front of other people. Me, I love it and try to encourage it in other artists.

I don't sketch/draw nearly as much as I need to. Kids have a lot to do with that, but I have a fairly large, black hardcover sketchbook I use to sketch in.

When I do draw, it's usually real stuff that around me. Everyday stuff around the house or outside. I'm not brave enough to draw people I see around, so I don't do that much.

I've been reading a book about Leonardo DaVinci, and after I've finished my commitments to the IWP we've been working on across the street, I'm going to set up some drapery and just work on my shading, rendering, etc. That's what I feel I need the most work on - really just get back to the basics. Maybe some still life stuff as well.

In the summer, I was doing an average of one sketch a day, which is usually a case of doing about 3 in a day, then taking 2 days off. During the school year, I tend to do about 3 or 4 in a day, and then try to get to more in a week or so.

I like the Acadamie Sketchbook/Sketchdiaries. I use Acid free, Lignin Free(what does that mean?), archival quality, heavyweight paper.

With 70 sheets in a sketchbook, I am now on my 3rd book. Of course, I don't have 70 drawings per book, because some were so bad I had to throw them away.

But, I keep learning. I've had good advice from IMWAN board members, and some of the JBF sketchers have offered some good advice I've taken to heart.

Just gotta keep working on it. It's fun, and mostly, it keeps me out of trouble.

Ian:

I always have a sketchbook with me...ALWAYS. I have several different size/types of MOLESKIN sketchbooks--which Jim Lee turned me onto--and they work great, as the soft cover ones fit nicely into my pocket.

For sketching I use pencils and markers, on sketchbook paper.

I do a lot of "phone" doodling at work (I find I actually concentrate better on the conversation when I'm doodling). Those are on whatever paper happens to be lying around my desk and are usually in pencils and Sharpie.

Finished art is on 2 or 3 ply bristol board...I have a variety of finishes, all though BLUELINE PRO is pretty good and I use it a lot.

I"m attempting a 22 by 28 commission for a friend which will be done on poster board in PITT pens/brush.

MPH

I'm supposed to be drawing one page a week.

Right now, I am at 0 sketches per month, but that's usually May for me. It will improve again in June.

I should add that I draw all the time. I"m always sketching or doodling away at something. Every artist has 10,000 BAD drawing in them, and I'm trying my best to get rid of'em, so's I kin git to da good stuff!

MPH

I've always been a doodler, and like Matthew said above I have 10,000 bad drawings to about 2 really good ones.
I have sketchbooks, and pads, but I almost never use them in the way I should. I always tear out a sheet of paper and draw on it. I liketo have thewhole sheet flat and movable. Dunno why.
A few years back, I worked a job that had me on the phone all day, and I doodled to keep may sanity. I used any paper I could find, forms, reciepts, old faxes, etc. Them I finally started taking in "real "paper. Ive got stacks of sheets with all my good stuff tucked away. I have some sheets with small sketches all over the front and back of them
I use mechanical pencils mostly, tho I use whatever is onhand when the urge strikes; pens;regular pencils, crayons, etc.
I don't sketch as much as I used to tho, lately Ive been doing stuff on th ecomputer (coloring, photoshop stuff, etc. I tried inking with photoshop, but was really not happy with the results.
I had some slow time recently and practiced hand inking on some xeroxed comic pages. Printed them out in non repro blue, and went to town with some ink pens a friend gave me (Sakura Pigma Microns). That worked out pretty good.

I wish I had a scanner, I'd love to share some of this stuff.........even if its just to give everybody something to laugh at!

The Master of All Internet Images doesn't have a scanner?!?!?!?

Amazin' innit ?!?!?

Now that we've got a lot more artists on the board (or, at least a lot more folks willing to show their work), I'd like to bring back this thread and get some discussion going about materials and drawing habits.

The major change for me lately is that I'm using a lot of 9"x12" smooth-finish Bristol pads lately, due to all the small sketches I do for Cons and such. So, I tend to carry one of those and another 'rough' sketchbook around in a backpack, along with a bunch of Marvel Handbooks or Who's Who books for reference (as well as a few comp copies of different books I've worked on - I find I like to give 'em to some folks who come by and chat while I'm working).

I'm mostly digital, but when I do use a traditional sketchbook, I usually go with 9x12 bristol pad.

Vlad

I often sketch on 81/2 x11 copy paper with any #2 pencil, if I like the pose or scene I save it in a folder. If I like it, I'll sketch in more details loose and messy then I blow it up to 11 x 17, if it is a comic type scene, at the local Staples. If it is a single figure, I leave it 81/2 x 11. Then I put it on a lightbox and sketch the scene on to Strathmore vellum bristol paper. I fit will stay in pencil I try to trace it lightly and re-draw the scene so it doesn't look traced. Being a penciller first I like the tooth of the paper. The I switch to F pencils or 2.5 Dixon Ticonderoga pencils which are the same but A LOT cheaper. All this is fluid and can change. When I ink, I use FW acrylic india ink, a Raphael 8424 #2 or 3 sable brush, a 107 hawkquill nib for details and the PITT or Micron pens for ruled lines.

I doodle constantly. My meeting notes have faces all over the margins, so does my desk calendar/blotter.

I tend to draw specifically for projects. This used to not be the case, but since I jumped onto the internet and joined a local cartoonist society, I have more projects than I could handle.

I have a sketchbook, but I tend to do that in spurts. After reading Mike Manley's Draw! Magazine article on sketching in public, I went on a kick where I spent my lunch hours sketching folks in diners and bookstores. Unfortunately, my work schedule no longer allows for many free lunch hours.

I should spend more time planning out my art, but I tend to be pretty impatient. I'm amazed at the results when I take the time to find reference material, do preliminary sketches, etc... but usually I knock out a quick pencil outline and get to inking.

I have various pads of bristol, but I tend to do a lot of work on the bristol card stock 8.5x11 pages that I get from Office Depot. It's cheap and easy to work with. Also, I can print out panels on my printer, directly onto the page.

I use Alvin Penstix (have for 22 years), but need to move on to a new brand. If your page sits in sunlight for any period of time, the Alvin ink will almost disappear from the paper.

I wish that I had the time to use brushes and crowquills, but those days are long gone. My drawing time is very precious, and taking time to clean-up is almost out of the question.

If you're having trouble staying on that drawing horse, I suggest that you hook up with a few local cartoonists, even if it's only to meet at a bar or restaurant once a month to sketch and bullshit. Because I'm a member of a cartoonist society, I'm constantly working on a workshop, or a coloring book for a local event, or mini-comics to sell at a book festival, or pages for an anthology, or something.

Here's my comicspace page (also a great place to hook up with like minded artists): http://www.comicspace.com/bienvenu