Andrea's Drawing Tools -az

 

The tools that I use are the foundation of my drawings. The following are some of my favorites.

I usually start drawing with a pencil first. I like mechanical pencils because the point is always fine. I sometimes use regular pencils preferably with some wild color or pattern on the outside.

For shading and softening, I use stumps and tortillions for precision. When they get dull I use a sanding pad to ‘sharpen’ them up and use them for larger areas.  I recently discovering that using an old t-shirt is pretty effective for softening larger areas.

I have a bowl of erasers. I use rubber and plastic erasers when I am not picky about the surface or control. Kneaded is used when I don’t want to rip the paper and when I want a part of the drawing to be erased as the shape of the eraser can be molded. I also use the Tombow Mono Zero refillable eraser (not shown). It comes in both round and rectangle shapes. I use the round one as much as I use a pencil.  It is excellent for erasing very small area and the eraser has lasted much longer than I expected.

Relatively inexpensive and easily accessible is the Pentel Precise pen. It lasts a long time and comes in two sizes and comes in various colors, although I only use black. It is not a true art pen so the line it creates is not always crisp.

For clean lines, I turn to the Pitt Pen which is great for detailing, acid free and also lasts a long time.  It comes in various sizes, shapes, and shades. They are more expensive but worth it.

Sharpie markers are great when you want line and coverage. I prefer the the ultra-fine in black and colors for illustration but they do seep through certain papers.

Gel pens are great for line making, too. The line is usually crisp and the ink flows nicely. I have had more luck with the Sakura brand for working on most surfaces. I use black and white mostly. I use colored ones when I need a subtle burst of color or metallic somewhere.

My favorite scissors are a cast off from my great aunt's estate. She was a registered nurse so I am assuming they are medical of some sort.

While some of these tools are fancy, the fact remains if you gave me a pencil, paper, and eraser I could remain entertained for hours.