lookingland

i haven't made the major decisions about the project, but i sat down and looked at the heap that is my desk and decided on which tools i use the most frequently (and which are the most useful).

i get hung up on things like paper, which i love, but fret about too much (it's a long story of which i will spare you), so picking tools that are simple and disposable is critical. most artists i know get away with a gel pen and typing paper (now called printer paper, i guess). because i like to paint, i need a few more frills.

the lot:

i didn't give it a letter, but the surface on which all these tools are set is a lightboard (about 9 1/2 x 12). i use this board for placement and to help with backgrounds. it is impossible for me to gauge size by eyeballing anything. with the lightboard, i can lay images over one another and get the kind of consistency i want.

A. india ink. i like ink ~ it's fluid and good for black fills. i'm very messy with it, so i don't know how much i will use outside of filling pens.

B. index cards (gee, these are flimsy. they don't make 'em like they used to). the great thing about index cards is that they are the ultimate disposable writing surface. they're small, cheap, and you don't even have to draw straight lines when using them. the Bowery experiment i have been futzing with these past weeks has been done on index cards and it's amazing how much erasing and water they can handle. you can break them down with too much fussing, but for being so flimsy, they are surprisingly durable!

C. a french curve. because i'm as bad at curves as i am at straight lines. i forgot to include a ruler in this picture, which is very sad.

D. a calligraphy pen. i love this cheap broken pen. i may not use it, but here it is.

E. i have three rapidograph pens they have fine points from very very fine to so fine it's almost not there. when drawing on index cards, this is the best way to get teensy tiny details. unfortunately, i'm not very steady with these pens, but it's something i want to learn, so here's the opportunity.

F. sharpies. they smell good and are great for edging (coloring the edges of the paper, which gives them clean lines without having to actually draw lines).

G. who can function in this world without micron pens? i use an 01 generally, but have other widths as well. these are good for outlines and quick sketching. i also use them to redraw lines that get faded under paint.

H. ah the joys of Mars plastic. these erasers are a bit crumbly when you're hard on them (and i am), but they erase clean.

I. mechanical pencil is the only thing i can draw with. i use a .05. i'm considering using pencil only for guidelines on whatever this project becomes. the pencil is a huge crippling crutch for me.

J. this is a lettering template ~ because again, the problem with straight lines. i use this little handmade doo-hickey so i know where to place the words on the paper. the lightboard comes in handy with this tool.

K, L. paint and brushes. i generally use a good quality gouache, though some of the colors i have are cheaper plain watercolors. i don't skimp with the staple colors in which i tend to do washes: antique ochre, indigo, sepia, lamp black, white, burnt sienna, and cadmium red. it is a proven fact at this point in my life that i cannot paint with green or purple (at all). the two brushes here are the two i always use (one very thin, one wide), though i have others.

i'm going to paw through my outlines today and see what, if anything, jumps out at me. stay tuned!

: D