Not on duty. These last few days had been raining a lot lately (No hailstones today, thank God, apparently there were hailstones yesterday). Spending my time reading and writing. I thought I'll just talk a little bit on what art mediums I use.
I'm pretty much pathetic when it comes to digital art. I could never figure it out, but I do know how to use basic Canva app for basic book covers and most recently, simple illustrations (I rather draw, but I have no clue on how to insert illustrations into a book, and I don't have a scanner because my printer has gone to heaven a long time ago - And according to my friends, most people use their phone scanner, which I do not have, I have to pay 40 Pounds to get the app O.O). Reason why I started doing it is because my main cover artist is extremely busy juggling several jobs. Usually what I do is create the cover and send it off to him for approval. Canva is pretty fun to use, and best of all, it's free. The only time you need to pay is if you want to use premium designs.
I'm pretty much traditional, meaning I use pencils and papers. I always liked using them because it's therapeutic, a good way to unwind after a long day of work. I know some people buy colouring books because there's just something calming about filling in black and white pages with an explosion of colours. Me, I don't really colour much, I actually prefer black and white sketches, mainly because I'm not so great in colouring. You know like how some people can do gradient colouring beautifully? I can never do it, except for nail gradient art.
I used a lot of pencils, mainly 2B and 6B, occasionally I'll also use mechanical pencils/ shakers. When I first started off, I used mechanical pencils/ shakers and 2B a lot, then my cover artist, who studies Digital Art but also does beautiful sketches, was the one who gave me pointers to improve on my drawings. He told me that I need to get 6B pencils because the lead is thicker and darker and enhances the drawing. 2B is usually used for rough sketches and mechanical pencil/shakers leads are used to highlight or touch up (something along the line like that) Since then I always make sure to have at least one 6B pencil with me at all times. He also told me to never ever use a pencil sharpener because when the lead is too sharp, it tends to break, giving you weird lines while drawing. Since then I have always carried a penknife in my art kit. Don't forget your eraser. Favourite brands for pencils are Staedtler and Faber-Castell, although I still have some old Stabilo 2Bs from my school days for exams period. For eraser I go with my trusty Stabilo Exam Grade. For mechanical pencils/ shakers you can opt for any brand, I still have my old Pilot shakers.
In the event of colouring, I tend to dabble around, because it depends on what I'm doing. If I'm doing cosplay props, I go for acrylic paint because I just have to paint vigorously, or Sharpie depending on what prop I'm making. One time I tried using oil pastels but it's not really my thing. Last time I ever touched crayons was back in primary school, although I still have some lying around somewhere in my drawers. Currently, my favourite tools for colouring are colour pencils (You can never go wrong with them, Sharpies (if I'm planning on doing something bold or for book signings) and the newest addition, waterbrush pens. I first stumbled on waterbrush pens in Kinokuniya, which cost around RM 150 for a set. At that time I didn't have the money, but kept it somewhere in the back of my head that I should start saving up to get some. Then I found some at an annual book fair, which cost around RM 300 because it is a professional artist set made for professional artists. At that time I shook my head because I'm a hobbyist, I don't need fancy tools for colouring. Then the pandemic hits. No more book fairs, no more going to bookshops because they are considered non-essential items. Come early this year near Chinese New Year, I was scouting around for jewelry wires when I stumbled upon this:
At that time, there was a sale, and I can see there's plenty of good reviews, so I thought okay, let's try it. The casing it came in was a little spoiled (I'm not blaming anyone, the seller had took extra care to put in thick padding, bubble wrap, waterproof wrapping and seal it all around with cellophane, things happens when you are buying things online and from overseas), but the brushes were in good condition (Which is the most important thing), so I store them in a case, although I'm looking for those cheap canvas roll bag because the case I'm using takes up too much space, and it makes my artist bag looks fat. It's great for people like me, because I used to use watercolours, and unfortunately, I'm lazy when it comes to mixing colours, not to mention I have to carry a palette, cloth and plastic cup, so in a way, you could say those watercolour brush pens are suitable for people like me. For colour pencils, I go for the 48 colour Staedtler Luna set (The plain or water soluble ones are fine, but do be careful if you are using the water soluble ones because it can make your colour look weird when water touches it, especially during an accident). Previously I used the 48 colour Faber-Castell set, but I don't really like how the colours turn out.
Another tool which I don't mention, because I do not like bringing it up, are Chinese calligraphy brushes and ink. The only time I ever use it, mind you, is if I'm doing Chinese calligraphy. I got rid of the whole lot because at that time, I don't take care of the brushes well, and if you have used calligraphy ink, it has a very strong smell. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it smells really bad when you don't use it after a while. I wouldn't mind getting back into it, but not till I figure out how to store the calligraphy brushes and ink bottles safely. Oh, and I'm a lefty (Or (tangan) kidal (Sinistrality if you want to go fancy), as the locals call us). To write Chinese calligraphy, I have to go from right to left to avoid my hands stained in ink, which takes forever to get rid off on your skin. If it gets under your fingernails, look out.
Regarding papers, there's no preference. For my serious artist friends, they go for acid-free papers because it doesn't yellow easily and it's long lasting. I use art blocks and sketch books, although I have friends who are talented in drawing on anything, like a paper napkin (Coffee Bean or Starbucks napkins are the best for drawing) or use ballpoint pens (Which I absolutely despise, because once you make a mistake, you can't erase it, but it can produce great art pieces if you are an expert in using it)
Anyway, Happy Father's Day. Stay safe and get yourself vaccinated.
*Obviously I can't show you the full collection because there's too many, so I just grab a handful of them and spread them out. Excuse the poor lighting because my bulb burnt out, and there was a thunderstorm outside.
**Most of the tools I have are quite old, as evidenced by the pictures shown because I have them since from young. I don't usually colour a lot as you can see, so they still look in tiptop condition.
***Today's case: 5,293 (Sacre bleu!!!)
