Lez talk Materials…
G’day, Puppies!
Ever since “The Enbuttoning” video was posted yesterday, I have been receiving a buncha questions about what materials I use. I figured I should do a post about it, to fill yous guys in and answer these questions in a blanket manner. Most artists are quite secretive about their materials, like a magician’s code to not reveal how the illusion is created. But honestly, I would have liked someone to make recommendations to me when I was wee-er about to shed a touch of light on the neat materials out there. So here you go, chillin’s. For all you questioning, and quandary-ridden munchkins out there… a few of my favorite materials!
- Firstly, we gots the Liquitex acrylic inks. I also use quite a bit of Liquitex acrylic paints (the kinds in the little pots, because it tends to be a bit thinner). I love dis shit, lemmie tell you. Not only is there color selection über vibrant and rich, but the ink itself has an opacity that most other inks do not. Fuck, I want to drink these colors right outta the bottle. The white is especially opaque, making it perfect for highlights, as it sits atop your paper in solid glory. When I use em’, I use em’ like watercolors. They are perfect to use straight out of the bottle for really intense color, or watered down for a nice wash. I can’t recommend these more highly.
- Seriously peepsies, I feel Windsor Newton can do no wrong, and their gorgeous non-opaque inks are simply glorious. They come in these brilliant mini-sample sets that have 8 beautiful colors, or so in em’. They are a bit pricey, but well worth the cost. As long as you take good care of em’ they’ll last you an age. These are great, clear inks that can either be used by dippin’ your quill right into em’, or also using them with a brush in a watercolory fashion. For all these inks (including the ones above), I do recommend using a heavier weight paper, as the moisture will chew right through the thin stuff.
- What can I say… I’m a suckuh for gold. My mother has called me “magpie” all my life, because of my attraction to shiny bits n’ bobs (she also called me “old sock”, but that’s beside the point), and this shit caters to my need for a toucha bling. Honestly, it reminds me of lovely old books with their beautiful gilded edges. Windsor Newton makes an amazing gold ink that can either be completely opaque, or just provide a light glimmery wash on things.
- I’m an old schooler at heart, and if you have the patience, and a steady hand, dip pens could really work for you. They are not user-friendly for the most part, and are very easy to lose your temper at… but when you’re done cursing, and threatening to break them over your knee, there’s a good chance you’ll come back and apologize to them. I will always love my dippy pens.
- In case you were wondering what I usually tote about with me, here are the general contents of my pencil case. Blue and red animation pencils are great for sketches you are going to ink up. If you are terrified of erasing, you can scan your image, and just drop the blue/red from it. I also like having these to give my doodles touches of color… heh. I used Microns for years, and yuhknow what? I fucking hate them. I will use em’ if there is absolutely nothing else available, but if you can find them Copic Multiliners totally kick Micron’s pen-ass!! They tend not to come up as easily when you are erasing, and if you apply ink or watery paint over them, they don’t smear as much. Overall, a far superior pen fo’ sho. I carry both a Rapidomatic and a GraphGear clicky pencil. I am VERY anal-retentive and tend to work teensy, and these pencils come in 0.3, which is really fucking fine. Honestly, in my experience I have found no difference between these two pencils, other than the fact that the GraphGear is more expensive, and feels a bit better in your hand. The good ole Rapidomatic will save you like $40, and works just as fine, however. The white china pencil, and charcoal pencils I carry with me are great for highlights. “What is the difference?” you may ask. Well, one is oil-based, and the other is charcoal. Basically, one smears the other doesn’t. The charcoal pencil is great for smudging, and I personally like the results better. It looks great on a colored, or dark-toned paper.
I hope that answered some questions, and the rest of your weren’t bored to tears!
Here’s a picture of my ferret. He goes by the names “Dr. Pooperton”, “Chubbs”, “Stinky”, and “Stinky McPooperton”.
PS: I know the layout is doing weird things… I’m workin’ on dat… ehh.
Posted: March 18th, 2009 under Random Spew, Recommendationssss....
Comments: 10
