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What drawing tool do you prefer?

By Ontaious | Thursday, October 20, 2005 at 3:08pm

Over the course of my college career I've tried several types of drawing tools to get a feel for what I work best with. I'm talking everything from an HB (I used to be hard-core (no pun intended) about using hard leaded pencils and mechanical pencils). Then I moved to much softer pencils and Color-rase pencils for animation and fell in love with the flow I could get out of them.

But time and time again I find myself constantly drawn back to one tool. A regular black ink pen. Something about how smooth it rolls across the paper really works well for me. Go figure. A medium I can't erase in, ends up being my prefered.

So I question you all, do you prefer any medium/drawing tool thats a bit odd? Or if you just want to throw in your two cents about what you enjoy, go ahead!

Animated Ape's picture

The more I use it the more I love Alias Sketchbook Pro on my Tablet PC. Really nice. For regular sketchbooks, I actually really like sketching with a blue fine tip Sharpe. Forces me to think more when I sketch and not noodle my drawings.

Aloha,
the Ape

...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."

Bandita's picture
Submitted by Bandita on

Hmm, don't know. I personally don't like Alias Sketchbook... too few functions. I prefer the good old Photoshop.
Col-Erase Pencils are great!! Couldn't live without them...

The more I use it the more I love Alias Sketchbook Pro on my Tablet PC. Really nice. For regular sketchbooks, I actually really like sketching with a blue fine tip Sharpe. Forces me to think more when I sketch and not noodle my drawings.

Aloha,
the Ape

MonkeyGirl's picture
Submitted by MonkeyGirl on

I have a charcoal addiction. When I'm drawing for myself, and I like to execute my drawings on brown butcher paper. Thats all for me though. When I draw for other people I use graphite mechanical pencil, because everyone wants clean lines.

Don't do nothing because you can't do everything.

wontobe's picture
Submitted by wontobe on

I am too new at this so I really do not have a perference. Currently I use a mechanical pencil on paper and I have a wacom for the computer.

Cartoon Network "Sunday Paint"

phacker's picture
Submitted by phacker on

Everyone knows my tool of choice is Flash, and an older version MX or 5, not the latest versions. And I work with the pencil tool to start out. And I work with the mouse. I've tried the tablets, but with my arthritis, hey I can work with the mouse for hours, where with the stylus, it's only a matter of minutes.

Back when I could hold a pencil or pen, I too perferred to work with a ball point, it just flowed so well. So you couldn't erase, you could always grab a new piece of paper.

PS: I always do crossword puzzles in pen too!

Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.

acetate assassin's picture

Cole-erase pencils!!!XD

even though I can't find a place that sells them anymore. Do they sell em' at staples?

http://ben-reynolds.com
Animation and Design

spacemonkey's picture
Submitted by spacemonkey on

Natraj HB or 2B pencil does the trick ocassionally. but i still prefer a digital pencil. I have this obsessive compulsive disorder for Ctrl-Z ( Edit/undo) when ever Im doing my work. wish that existed in life some times.

wontobe's picture
Submitted by wontobe on

spacemonkey, did you knock that out just now are is that just something you made a while back. Nicely done.

acetate assassin: I love eraseable pens, I had no idea that did it for color pencils. I did some searching and found this.

http://www.dickblick.com/zz205/12/
Order online or call (800)-828-4548
Sanford Col-Erase, the erasable colored pencil, is great for colored layouts and design „ it makes it so easy to erase a color or a whole color scheme.

12-Color Set „ Includes the colors, Vermilion, Brown, Terra Cotta, Tuscan Red, Blue, Carmine Red, Green, Yellow, Black, Purple, Light Blue, and Light Green.
24-Color Set „ Includes all of the pencils in the 12-color set, plus White, Flesh, Pink, Violet, Light Gray, Indigo Blue, Grass Green, Lavender, Canary Yellow, Orange, Rose, and Scarlet Red.

And now for the picture:

phacker's picture
Submitted by phacker on

You gotta love crtlz, I think sometimes I try to use it with my remote control on my tv...it never works though. Here's something I just did yesterday for a client in Ireland. He wanted a mascot to represent himself on his website.

I was working with just some brief descriptions of him (He wouldn't send me a photo.), but I guess I captured the essence, because he likes it.

Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.

spacemonkey's picture

spacemonkey, did you knock that out just now are is that just something you made a while back. Nicely done.

Hay Thanks Wontobe, here i am sitting in my lab , working my butt over maya advanced modeling , and I have still no clue why I signed up for it! I just love the simplicity of 2D. thats why the thought ... (which I could apply it now and then)

wontobe's picture
Submitted by wontobe on

Phacker, nice job with your work too. I am having the hardest time making the face look right. From a photo, I can to an ok job but pulling the image out of my head is an whole other story.