Materials

I don't have any sketches to post today, nor do I really have a whole lot to talk about. So today I'm going to talk about the materials I use for my traditional art and why I use/recommend them!

Firstly, now that I've moved to Pennsylvania I get all my art supplies from Blick Art Materials in Allentown, PA. They are cheap and they have a lot of everything. It's fantastic. If you don't have a retail store near you, I recommend their online store. Their prices are often cheaper than their retail stores and a lot cheaper than their catalog. You have to pay for shipping, though. So if you have a retail store near you, I suggest you check it out! If not, go online! Their supplies are ENDLESS. And their prices are great! :]

Just so you know, I'm rather picky when it comes to my supplies.

Paper:
+ My sketchbooks have to be spiral bound. Lately I've been using Strathmore Sketch premium recycled sketchbooks. I've also tried their Drawing sketchbooks. Both of them are good for pencil/other dry media.
+ I also use Strathmore Bristol vellum. It's fantastic for marker/colored pencil. The marker doesn't bleed through to the other side and the paper itself is thicker so it stays straight. When I did a set of 5 commissions for Devin's Mom, I mangafied her niece and nephews and all the pictures went in frames. I used Bristol for the strength and smoothness.
+ Another paper that Devin turned me on to is Aquabee Manga Paper. It's specifically for manga artists and it's recommended with Copic markers. I have to say it's the best paper I've ever markered on. The color was ridiculously smooth and it didn't bleed over the inking lines. This picture here was done on said paper. What really impressed me about this paper, though, is that it left hardly any residue from the initial sketch after inking. When I erased the pencil lines you literally couldn't tell there were pencil lines ever there. I highly recommend this paper if you use Copic markers, or any markers in general.
+ I have also used regular printer paper, ect. the aforementioned supplies are what I prefer.

Pencils/Pens/Erasers:
+ I only use mechanical pencils. I've tried using different grades of pencils for sketching/drawing/shading/ect. but I just can't do it. I haven't tried in quite awhile...so it might be something I'll have to try again. Just to see how I feel about it now. I use either Bic #2 0.5mm or Bic #2 .07mm mechanical pencils.

+ For inking I use Sakura Micron pens. For me, they are the best. Then again, they're all I've used other than Sharpie. I would like to try Prismacolor and Copic liners just to see how they handle. I've tried Faber Castell once or twice and I'm not a huge fan. The Micron sizes I usually use range from .05 to .3. I also have .5, .8, and a brush pen. All which have never let me down when I've used them :]. The different sizes are good for different things. .05 is great for insanely tiny details. I find that just a .05 line won't scan in very well. .1 is also good for a lot of detail, as is .2. I enjoy .3 a lot because it's perfect for me. The line is thick enough to scan in well and it's not thick enough to look super chunky. .5 is okay, but a little thick. It's hard to distinguish line weight. .8 is very, very thick. Unless you want an extremely chunky line, I recommend something smaller. The brush tip is interesting. It's thick, but because of it, line weight is transferred with every stroke. Anya was inked with a Micron brush pen. Depending on what YOU want from the pen will decipher what thickness you use. MAKE SURE YOU LET YOUR INK DRY BEFORE ERASING YOUR SKETCHLINES. THE INK WILL SMEAR IF STILL WET.
+ Gellyroll white gel pens are what I use for finer details in the eyes and some highlights. I definitely recommend having one of these around! I've tried other white gel pens and none of them seem to work as well as the Gellyroll brand for me.
+ I've also tried a Sakura Permapaque opaque pigment marker as seen in the Anya picture again. I liked it and I thought it was a good investment, I just need to practice with it a bit more. I believe it's a good tool to have!
+ I've tried a ton of erasers. Depending on what you want from the eraser will help you choose which one to use for what project. For charcoal and pastel, I recommend having a kneaded eraser around. What I use for my artwork is a Staedtler Mars plastic eraser. They are wonderful for getting rid of sketchlines after inking. I've also tried clicky erasers which were pretty good as well. Staedtler is cheap and good quality. I bought one for each student on the first day of class when I taught a How To Draw Anime/Manga class.

Colored Pencils:
+ Ever since I had to use Prismacolor Premier pencils in my high school senior art class I haven't used anything else. Prismacolor is a wonderful company which offers a good quality product. Their prices might seem a little high, but it's worth it once you've tried the pencil. Premier's have a softer lead which makes blending smooth and easy along with a gorgeous, brilliant color. I will recommend these pencils to anyone and everyone.
+ Prismacolor also offers Verithin pencils. I've tried them too. The color definitely isn't as brilliant or smooth. The lead is harder so they look more like a Crayola pencil. Not my cup of tea.
+ Please, please, please invest in a colorless blender! The lead is soft like the Premier which makes it smooth. The possibilities are literally endless with this tool depending on how much pressure you use and where you use it (the harder you press continuously, the glossier the area gets). This drawing here you can see the difference between the characters, who have had the blending treatment, and the border, which has not. See what a polished look the blender gives? It's amazing! I also bought one of these for each of my students when I taught my How To Draw Anime/Manga II class (coloring).

Markers:
+ Prismacolor markers were the first kind of marker I tried artistically (besides Crayola). It took a lot of getting used to, but they did the job. And they did it well. Prisma's WILL bleed if you don't control them correctly. If the paper is too saturated, watch out. Each marker is double ended with a broad and a fine side. The fine side is easy to get caught up using. Unfortunately, the alcohol based ink dries really fast, so there is a possibility for unhappy layer lines. I recommend practicing with the broad side and learn how to maneuver it so it can get in the hard to reach places. Trust me. It's possible :]. It just takes practice. I love Prismacolor markers. They're bold, they dry fast (which can sometimes be a disadvantage when coloring large areas), and they come in all sorts of colors. Again, the price is sort of high, but the quality is pretty good. One of the only downsides is the fine and broad tip do not eliminate the same amount of ink...so there is a possibility with a slight saturation difference in color. It's just something you have to get used to and play around with in order to use it to your advantage! I would gladly recommend this product to anyone.
+ Blick Markers. I just recently tried a few out! They're good! Nice and smooth with a few of the same issues as the Prisma. They're not as expensive, but just as good. They don't have as much as a color variety but it's definitely the same quality.
+ Copics. Ahh, Copics. My marker of choice. Like Prismacolor, they are an alcohol based marker. Unlike the Prismacolor, though, they dry less quickly there are no unhappy layer lines if used correctly. Most Copics are also double edged. You can get them ovular, with a broad side and a brush tip side, or square, with a broad side and a fine side. There are also very large one sided markers that are available for large areas. Also unlike Prismacolor and other alcohol based markers, each end of the marker eliminates the same amount of ink so there is absolutely no saturation difference between ends. Some people say the shape of the marker is awkward and hard to get used to. I luckily didn't have that problem :]. The colors are brilliant and even. And there are a variety of colors available! Each color will always, always be the same. Where as some Prismacolor markers will slightly change their color over time. Copics are also refillable! So you don't have to buy a brand new marker in order to keep artworking! The major downside to this product is it's price. Copics are ridiculously expensive. You get a fantastic product though. If you are serious about your work and are willing to spend a pretty penny I definitely recommend this product! It's so worth it if you know you'll use them!
+ All of these markers have a bit of an odor. It's something you get used to fairly fast.

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These are the products that I use the most and have the most knowledge about. These are my opinions that I've gathered based on my experiences with these products. I encourage you to try different products to feel out what's good for you!!!

I hope this helped and feel free to drop a line if you have any questions/comments! I have it set up so anyone can leave a comment~try to add your name, though, so I know who I'm talking to! :]

Until next time,
~Mandy

P.S.: Whoa. that was a whole lot longer than I expected it to be! O_O