Right lads let's try something new: an art supply thread.

>>3071623
>tfw own a ton of tools but only know how to use a pencil
Feels bad man

Looking for a decent cheap light table, any recommendations?

I recommend Zebra brush pens. Very fun to draw with

>>3071780
Not a light table, but I got a flat light panel on Amazon for like $50-55. There are tons of them and tons of "brands," but they're all basically the same fucking thing and the same price. I got an A3, but you could get an A4 for ~$30 if you didn't want a large one. Light is bright enough that I can transfer pencil sketches onto watercolor paper.

Just searched and prices have dropped, so just search A3 or A4 light box and you'll see them.

>>3071623
art supply topic is quite a regular one here, lurk more
I personally only used Faber-Castle's mechanical pencils because I'm a lasy contrarian faggot

>>3071780
Lachri is doing a giveaway so I guess $0 is cheap. Here's the link famalam

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_ZOn_gtCm8

>>3071843
i'll try this thanks.

>>3071773
>another artist who can't use his heart
:(

>>3071623
Where do I get copics for the best price? Do I just have to be lucky on ebay or do I need to locate some guy with a collection and rob them on gunpoint?

>like the quality of Strathmore sketchbook's paper
>always hate how it feels to hold them
Don't these fuckers sell sketchbooks that aren't spiral or hard cover?

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>>3072182
you sure?

>>3071780
grab a piece of acrylic or even glass
place a light bulb/ LED strip under it
BAM! light table
you can make one under $5 if you are crafty enough

>>3071623
is there a recommended sketchbook yall use?
i have strathmore but its sort of too rough and my pens are getting all messed up

>>3072186
O shit, thanks anon

>>3072193
Is there a reason you'd need anything else than any standard blocks you can buy from paper supply stores?
Genuinely asking.

It's been really fun using one of those modified Jinhao fountain pens with a G Nib. Have been using it for about three months with Platinum Carbon ink, but I feel that I'll have to swap to a new one once the tip of the nib becomes unusable. Although some sections of the nib are already corroded, I'm impressed at how long it lasted overall. Granted, its one of those titanium ones from Zebra, so I wouldn't know how the lifespan would be altered for the standard nibs or with different inks altogether.

>>3072193
Bee Super Deluxe is my current favourite. I really like the paper texture and weight, so I can fuck around with quick ink washes onto sketches. They also have loose sheets and rolls of this paper too; I'm tempted to buy some and just use that as refill paper for that Staples ARC shit one day.

>>3071819
If you hunt around, you can find photographers selling them to make room in their garage - a light table was a must for anyone shooting slides. I've seen table sized ones going for free on Craigslist.

My solution years ago was an old 10 gallon fish tank I wasn't using, and put an easel light inside it. Worked fine.

And, when I need a light table quickly now, and it's daylight, I just put the paper up on my sliding glass door.

>>3072193
Check out Stillman and Birn:
http://www.dickblick.com/products/stillman-and-birn-archival-sketchbooks/.

They're expensive, but worth it.

>>3072201
eh i just like books
if i had a better desk and stuff i could do with loose paper but its pretty cramped
>>3072304
>>3072443
thanks anons ill give these a look

>>3072180
Dickblick has them reasonably cheap. Also it's pretty easy to find dickblick coupons.

>>3072455
Thanks a lot, they're really cheaper by a lot

>>3072304

I'm using the same pen, with a noodlees flex Nib and noodlees ink. Works quite well imo, thougH it doesn't hold much ink.

>>3071843
any particular lead thickness you prefer?
would 5mm be optimal for sketching or something else?

>>3073295
For small details, 0.3
For all around sketching, 0.5
For big stuff, 0.7
>5mm lead kek.
>I know it's a typo but...
>Just imagine the comically large mech. pencil with half-cenitmeter chisel of graphite sticking out the end.

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>>3073361
>mfw plebs still don't know about the 5mm masterrace
ngmi

Any paint marker recommendations? I was originally going to go for Posca, but they seem kinda hard to find and I'd like ones I could go to an actual retailer and purchase. Don't question it, I just wanna know. Also, I'm mostly looking for acrylic-based, but oil-based is fine too!

>>3073434
Although other companies have their own blanks to use with acrylic-based ink, Montana's refillable markers are alright. Nibs go from 0.7mm (0.5mm nibs have to be purchased separately) up to 50mm. They have pre-filled ones with their own ink brand, but I'm not a fan of those myself. Not sure if they can be easily found in craft stores, but places like Dick Blick should hopefully have that shit in stock

>>3073361
They make solid graphite pencils:
https://www.amazon.com/Pentalic-Woodless-Graphite-Pencil-Tube/dp/B0027AAMCC
They're actually pretty handy, for shading large areas, and figure drawing, and last forever. I have a couple in my pencil box I've had for years - and whats cool is you can shape teh tip however you want, with a knife - like a chisel tip, or point, or whatever. They're coated in a shellac or something, so your hand isnt covered in graphite when you use it. I wrap a loop of masking tape around it, because they can be a little slippery at times.

Recommendations for beginner watercolours? I'm not sure if I should use tube or tin ones. And since I'm a beginner with them, would the brush quality really matter?

All I've got are small leftover blobs of shoddy paint in a container from school.

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why does it seem like every store has stopped selling those super cheap < $1 blank page notebooks? i can't find them anywhere locally or online. i wanted to buy like fifty of them.

>>3074171
Because there's no profit in them. They were loss-leaders, to get you in the store, to buy the over-priced stuff with the pads.

any good alternatives to copics?
i don't wanna spend that much

>>3074147

If you aren't sure that you want to use watercolors (you're testing the medium before committing), then I'd get a small set of pans. Something like "Winsor & Newton Cotman Water Colour Sketchers Pocket Box" which has 12 colors for ~$12. I got a larger Sakura Koi set when starting out and the overabundance of colors made it overwhelming. The paints are also somewhat poor quality.

Alternatively, if you know for sure that you want to stick with watercolor, it'd be worth researching pigments and palettes, then investing in tubes. If you go that route, this site is your best friend ( http://handprint.com/HP/WCL/water.html ). The main thing is that you want paints with only one pigment - not a blend. Sites like dickblick.com will list pigments if you click on paint details, so you can check before buying. M. Graham Artists' Watercolors are mostly single pigments, so 8 of my 9 tubes are that brand.

Building my own palette helped me understand colors better, and I think I have more control over my mixing now. I went for a Secondary palette with a few extra earth tones (raw sienna, burnt sienna, yellow ochre). I could list the paints if you wanted, but researching on your own would probably be good for you.

As for brushes, cheap synthetics will get you going. You don't NEED anything better. If you work small, then a set of Pentel Arts Aquash Water Brush would probably be all you need. A couple cheap rounds and a 1/4" and/or 1/2" flat would be good additions (water brushes are bad at lifting paints, you need a normal brush for that).

Finally, the biggest thing is paper. You need to be using 140 pound watercolor paper. 100% cotton is best, but wood pulp will work while you're getting used to the medium. Bee Paper 6x9 140# 100% cotton (50 sheets for ~$16) or Strathmore 500 Ready Cut Watercolor 5x7 (25 sheets for ~$7) are fairly cheap 100% cotton options. They're smaller sheets, but working small to start is probably good.

Sorry, I went overboard with my reply.

>>3074147
just get a pan, you can move up to fancy stuff later. be warned whenever you ask about watercolors there's sure to be at least one guy who will write you a novel about all the brands of things you should buy. it's not bad advice usually but unnecessary.

>>3074392
lol, someone already did it i see, should have refreshed before posting :p
(actually is really good advice though, do what that guy said)

>>3074386
>Building my own palette helped me understand colors better, and I think I have more control over my mixing now. I went for a Secondary palette with a few extra earth tones (raw sienna, burnt sienna, yellow ochre). I could list the paints if you wanted, but researching on your own would probably be good for you.

You can also start with a handful of colors, for most applications - the tin sets is a good starting point, because they make the choice for you with primaries and secondaries.

My standard palette is:
Payne's Grey
Yellow Ochre
Alizarin Crimson
These three are the building blocks of watercolor portraits.
Then:
Sap Green
Forest Green
Raw Sienna
Burnt Sienna
Cadmium Yellow light
Cadmium Red Medium
Cerulean Blue
Ultramarine
Lamp Black.
I've never really needed more than this.

>>3074386
Thanks for the tips!

Picked up watercolor the other day, the paper is buckling(?) like mad, 100 lbs watercolor paper is not enough I take it?

>>3074229
Blick studio. Numbering system is a bit weird and they don'y carry official refills (copic refills fit in irrc) but they're very cheap for comparable performance.

>>3074464
Even 140lb paper can buckle and warp with enough water, but it's definitely better. If you really want to use that 100lb paper, you need to tape down all sides and maybe even stretch it beforehand.

>>3074482
I don't think I used that much water, will have to look into taping and stretching the paper, if that doesn't work I will pick up some 140lbs paper, cheers mate.

>>3074496
also if you just dampen the paper before you paint on it then it doesn't warp, taping it and waiting for it to dry isn't necessary unless you want that specific dry brush look

>>3074503
So mist the watercolors and dampen the paper is some habits I should get into ? Any other habits to keep? I got two cups of water to keep the water fresh but wonder if there is anything more I should be doing.

what's the best paper for copics? I got copic paper and "perfect colouring paper" but both seem really shitty and the colors get gross and bleed through after 2 layers already

>>3074515
You might want to invest in a hair dryer, for speeding up the drying process. Lowest heat setting, and never get it closer than a foot away, or the paper will singe.

>>3074554
Bristol. It won't bleed or leak through.

>>3074503
Stretching the paper has nothing to do with the "dry brush look". Stretching the paper is for stability and not buckling when putting large washes down.

>>3074496
Even the heavier papers need to be stretched, if you're doing large washes. I've done landscapes on 156lbs, where it buckled, so I just stretch paper now, because I like how tight it is on the board.
Blick sells hardwood panels for this pretty cheaply:
http://www.dickblick.com/products/hardboard-panels/
The hard part is finding the right tape. I was taught to use water-activated craft tape, but nobody carries it anymore, so I have to order it from Blick.
I soak my paper overnight in bottled water (too much crap in our water here), then just lay it on a board I've had for years, squeegee it flat, and then use craft tape on all 4 edges. It's usually dry and drum tight the next day. I usually have some drying, while working on another - I have a blank sheet dried and ready to go on the shelf right now, I'm in between paintings.

>>3074706
I will have to look for stuff at the local store, the cons of living outside US, art supplies are not as accessible and cost a whole lot more.

I will have to work on my technique as well, maybe I just use too big brushes that soak the paper an unnecessary amount.

Thanks for the help by the way. :)

>>3072189
Plexiglass works better than glass, plus you don't run the risk of breaking the glass by moving it around. Went down to a local glass store and asked if they had any scrap pieces of plexiglass they could spare, and I was given one for free.

What are some good brands of pencils? I mostly use Derwent, and sometimes Cretacolor or Koh-I-Noor

>>3074171
Buy 500 pages of a4 paper or a5 if you want something smaller.

so like which pencils and stuff do i get? proko told me to get a mechanical staedtler pencil but that thing's like 12 bux

>>3076688
Buy what you want. Just because Proko tells you to get it, doesn't mean it's right for you.

Hand holding is a bad habit in art, and you're starting way too early. Exploring media is essential as part of growing as an artist, get getting confidence, so you can make informed decisions, like what media is best for you.

And, unless you're like 12, raising 12 buck to buy art supplies should be easy. Go wash some cars, or cut some lawns for fuck's sake. I was buying all of my supplies by doing odd jobs around the neighborhood when I was in high school.

I've been doing some research into fountain pens for inking, and a good channel to check out for this is The Goulet Pen Company where they've got a fountain pen 101. at the very least, I recommend watching their videos on different types of pens, the 7 common mistakes with fountain pens, and the 101 maintenance
also helps they've got ink reviews that I'm eventually going to check out

as for what I'm going to use, it's probably going to be the platinum preppy. it's basically baby's first fountain pen. you can get it for like $5 on amazon and it can be converted from cartridge to an eye dropper fill system that holds a ton of ink

>>3072304
from what I've heard, it's not really good to use that for a fountain pen because if it dries it easily clogs up the system

iirc, the best ink for fountain pens are like water and dye based

>>3072304
same anon as >>3078461 and I forgot to mention something about the g nib
I've read about combining it with a fountain pen and it's not that great of a combo for a few reasons

the ink's not made to flow fast enough for a g nib, so it won't keep up with flexing and will railroad fairly easily. it might just be easier to find a nib made for fountain pens that's similar to the zebra g nib, but have yet to find one personally

>>3073361
>Ron Cobb
wow, just wow

>>3078476
>>3078461
If you've been getting your information just from Goulet Pens, their perspective leans more towards writing than illustration. Parka Blogs is probably a more appropriate place to research on fountain pens for artwork - either check the actual site or his YouTube, both work fine enough. There are several artists that have swatches of pigmented "fountain pen safe" inks or inks they've tested for lightfast and water resistance properties (deAtramentis document inks, certain Noodler's Inks, other pigmented inks from Platinum and Sailor, etc). Can't recall the artist names off the top of my head for all of them, unfortunately, and I'm being lazy as fuck now 2bh
Oh yeah, for Noodler's Inks: if you have plans to use bulletproof inks on non-cellulose paper, like 100% cotton watercolour paper, be aware that it will smear pretty badly.

For Platinum Carbon black ink: The issue lies more with not using the pen for long periods of time in anything slimmer than Japanese medium fountain pen nibs. The exception to this is the two specific fountain pens Platinum makes specific to that ink, one of which has an extra-fine nib. I've had that ink sit in a few pens for over a month without use: (Lamy Safari [M & B nibs], Platinum Desk pen for carbon ink [EF], Pilot Metropolitan [M], Platinum Preppy [F & M]). The Preppy fine nib was the one that suffered the most with possible clogging issues, and even a thorough cleaning didn't help there. Everything else did great.
Not saying to put this in a damn Namiki or one of those 14k gold nib pens, but the risk isn't so great with lower cost fountain pens. Pens with western/large nibs like ones on Lamy or #6 nibs (default on some Jinhao pens) Dedicating a pen like the ones mentioned above to one ink and making sure to use it at least every week helps with getting things flowing. Still, give the pen a good rinsing out once in a while.

continued in next post

>>3078968
>Oh yeah, for Noodler's Inks: if you have plans to use bulletproof inks on non-cellulose paper, like 100% cotton watercolour paper, be aware that it will smear pretty badly.
I don't think it would on Bee's normal paper
I found a review where the guy draws on it using that ink and it looks pretty good
https://youtu.be/GuvPEOFdU-Y
the big problem with it is that it takes a long time to dry

>>3078968
As for the G Nib mod: If it isn't set right, yes, the pen will railroad constantly. Its a pain in the damn ass to get it properly heat set (and making sure the oil coating the nib is removed), but once you've done it, it's pretty damn great. Unfortunately from what I've seen from using both Platinum Carbon & Noodler's Bulletproof black inks, flow going to be an issue no matter what. One will have to "prime" the pen by screwing around with the converter before they start. Going back to the cleaning issue, giving these pens a good flush helps, but be mindful of readjusting the nib & feed afterwards.

As mentioned earlier, swapping the nib out in order to replace it has to be done eventually due to corrosion. On Amazon USA, you can find 10-packs of regular chrome G Nibs for under $9 USD, while the titanium ones are about double the price. Add in a pen that will take a #6 nib (Jinhaos are the cheapest, look for X750, X450, or 159 off the top of my head), which, depending on shipping/Prime eligibility, can be around $6-$10.
Noodler's Ahab and Nib Creaper really aren't as good as they seem to be for flex, but at the price and being able to modify it further to your heart's content, hey, can't complain too much. Out of the two, I'd say to go with the Ahab - it is slightly more flexible compared to the Creaper, and the size is nice. Going with the 10-pack of titanium nibs and a Jinhao, the cost is going to be under $30. A Noodler's Ahab demonstrator can be picked up for under $20. Prices, etc., vary, so please try shopping around as best as possible.

Haven't had a chance/money to try one of the 14k soft nibs (let alone vintage pens with the super flexible nibs) to see how that performs, especially from an art perspective. I'd like to eventually try something like that one some day, but really, the Noodler's pens and various pen mods are serviceable enough for drawing.

wew, one more post after this

>>3079009
>Its a pain in the damn ass to get it properly heat set (and making sure the oil coating the nib is removed), but once you've done it, it's pretty damn great
any good source on a step-by-step instruction for this?

>>3079009
Anyway, the whole damn point of fuckin' around with the pens like this is to work around the portability issues with a standard dip pen. Its the most affordable option out of everything mentioned, hopefully, and provides the artist with the most options for line variation. A common issue from traveling artists or those urban sketcher dudes seems to be convenience with the supplies used. There's always disposable pens to ink with, of course, although the available options (colour, nib, flex, etc) aren't as great as the small sample of supplies mentioned tonight.
Water brushes are another option too, although one has to be mindful of the flow depending on the ink used. Aquash brushes have a small white filter inside of the valve that can be popped out, so that brand at least has a workaround for that.

>>3078985
Yeah, the problem with that ink in general is that it is slow as fuck to dry. I should've specified that its after it has dried for 24+ hours, sorry.

>>3079021
For heat setting, you'll probably have to look into more guides that deal with the process itself. Goulet actually has the most direct video on this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rhfXcBoM_Q
As far as it goes for the specified mod, a lot of these videos on the specific g nib mod don't help out on that process so much. This one might be the most in-depth out of them regarding heat setting (which isn't saying much):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lN0p7zQtvHA

>>3079031
>after it has dried for 24+ hours, sorry
you think blowdrying it would help?

>>3076849
It's the opportunity cost of 1 mechanical pencil vs a 12 pack of Mars HBs that's the issue. I'm just starting out so I'm not going to get around to every single recommended pencil brand, nor do I believe that I SHOULD explore pencil brands when most of my drawings are just gestures and basic anatomy studies.

>>3071843
>I personally only used Faber-Castle's mechanical pencils because I'm a lasy contrarian faggot
what's wrong with them to make you a contrarion?

>>3076849
stop assuming everyone's life is as easy as yours

Recommend some good pens
Been using Pilot's .5 for a while, g-tec often dry halfway, hi-tecpoint run out of ink too fast.

>>3079733
different people like different things
there was a conversation here about fountain pens, so you know that there's a consensus on using them for inking

if you want to jump straight in, Lamy makes for a high quality and affordable fountain pen that would be a good place to start. they also sell converters that would allow you to use various inks that aren't available in cartridges, plus it's cheaper to just buy ink by the bottle than the cartridge. I think I just bought two limited edition ones for a little over $20-30 each
if you want just sheer capacity for ink, like you mentioned, you might want to either go for a plunger-fill fountain pen (those can be very expensive and tough to clean), or like mentioned here >>3078461 with the platinum preppy. it's low cost and can be made into an eye dropper fountain pen as to give you an insane amount of ink
https://youtu.be/XWLfr7TkRFU
here's a video on converting it to an eye drop one. be warned for this, however, because these pens are very prone to leaking and burping

many people also like inking with dip pens, but you can mod a fountain pen like >>3072304 mentioned to take a really good dip pen nib, albeit that can come with its own problems if it's not done correctly

Does anyone know a good red chalk brand that isn't expensive as fuck? I got a cheap one, and it is absolute shite.

>>3079537
You could certainly use a blow dryer or heat gun if you need to crunch down on time when using watercolour or shit like that. It won't really prevent certain supplies reactivating, like an ink that has poor water resistance.

>>3072193
I make my own with watercolor paper, I'd never go back

Mine is a ring binder but I've learned how to perfect bind them as well. I used black bristol for the covers, it's really easy to do.

>>3079919
how?

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>>3079936
I buy large sheets (50x70) and cut them up in halves till I get to sketchbook size, then I press the stack of paper between two pieces of wood with clamps and I put vinyl glue over the side that sticks out. You just gotta make sure it's flush. Once it's done you just glue the stack of paper on a piece of colored bristol that's length of paper x2 plus the height of the stack.. and you have a perfect bound sketchbook.

Any video on perfect binding on YouTube will do, it's just so simple and on top of all it's really cheap.

The one I use the most is pic related, it's made of some thin flexible wooden board I found in the garage, it's really light. The binder is from a really battered Filofax Pocket, I just took it from the organizer and hammered on a board, and made a cover from the same wood. Inside it's a bunch of different paper, some watercolor some bristol etc.

The only expense you have to make is a cutting ruler, a cutting mat and a box cutter for cutting the paper, but it all pays for itself quickly.

>>3071623
tips for white pencils/pen?

and also toned paper sketchbooks

best paper lads?

Anybody tried Holbein and Kuretake watercolors? I've found them online fairly cheap if I buy individual tubes/pans.

>>3081149
If you can't bring around gouache freely, look into acrylic paint markers for opaque whites. Uni-Ball Signo (broad) is another decent choice, as is Derwent Chinese White.

>>3081530
Holbein watercolours don't disperse as much as most other brands due to formulation. Keep this in mind if you want that effect, or get some ox gall or whatever

>>3075887
hi uni mitsubishi

>>3079609
If your life is so hard you can't scrape together $12, then you should be concentrating on surviving, and not art.

But I get it, you're a kid, mommy doesn't give you enough allowance, and you're too autistic to knock on a neighbor's door to ask if they have any work needing doing, like detailing a car, or cleaning a yard.
If you can't scrape $10 together and you're over 18...I don't know what to tell you, other than maybe now isn't the time for hobbies. You should be looking for a better job.

>>3081149
Fo white ink, the designer's inside secret:
http://www.dickblick.com/products/dr-ph-martins-bleedproof-white/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=26929-1203&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_7fJnta11QIVCoh-Ch3lOgKVEAQYASABEgJzffD_BwE

Get a bottle, thank me later.

White pencils, I prefer chalk, or whatever is on sale. There are different kinds, for different purposes - a white watercolor pencil is going to be different from an oil based one, or a wax based one. I like the watercolor ones, personally, or white chalk/conté.

Toned paper, I always buy Canson Mi-Teintes. I buy the grey pads, and other colors in loose sheets. Great stuff!

>>3082212
I'm not a kid I'm a grown up who doesn't get allowance. Looking for a better job? I don't have a job in the first place because I'm going to school to get a degree to get somewhere in life when I'm done. Also I have a really bad anxiety disorder so fuck off with judging and yes I tried to get help

>>3071623
>maybe we could make this a regular thing.
its not even art man.

>>3079745
Jesus anon thank you for all the information

I never used fountain pens, I'm going to get a Lamy one and see how it goes. I'll keep your post as .txt

Is there anything I need to know, other than get a pen and refills for it? I currently use cheap ass print paper for most of what I do, should I switch to something more sturdy?

>>3082619
Not that Anon. I personally dislike FPs for drawing, but I've had years of mileage with LAMYs. You don't wanna get refills. Get a converter and a bottle of ink (Pelikan is cheap and pretty good, but there are a crapton of varying quality and price), it's going to cost you a ton less than refills and you also get to choose from a huge range of colors and qualities. For a while I used a red-brown by Sailor that was looked fantastic, like old sepia ink.

Also get an EF nib, in my opinion other sizes are way too clumsy to use for drawing. I've even come as far as grinding my EF nib to an even smaller size.

As a final note, don't fall into the fountain pen rabbit hole... the one where "oh this 50$ pen might be better than my cheap LAMY Safari..." or "oh they say this 150$ gold nib pen is great, it must be SO good for drawing!"
It's all bullshit and pretty much collector's fetish fuel. A 1$ Japanese dip pen will outperform a 250$ fountain pen any day because the materials are a huge limit. The price just isn't convenient compared to pretty much anything else related to ink and you don't even get to have 100% waterproof ink (there are commercial inks that are labeled as waterproof but they're nothing close to India or acrylic ink). A LAMY Safari or equivalent is the absolute best choice and best value, even when you consider how limited and overall shitty for drawing it is.

One alternative you might wanna consider is either the Art Pen by Rotring or the Platinum Carbon Desk Pen, but we're still in the same territory. Don't spend more, it's not worth it.

>>3082619
pretty much what >>3082662 said
it's better not to fall for the "if it's super expensive, it's obviously better quality" meme and you should try to convert it over buying cartridges

I recently bought a 5 pack of Z24 piston converters from Lamy. cheap as shit for the value of conversion and worth every penny
buying bottled ink allows you to choose colors that often aren't available for certain pens or pens in general, allow you to select the best quality, and allows you to ultimately refill for cheaper

fountain pens are a personal preference for me, but if you'd prefer a dip pen like mentioned then feel free. I just find a fountain pen to be less of a hassle because it lets me keep more ink flowing for a longer time, I can take it with me, and I can use it to write should I need it

word of warning, however. make 100% sure that your ink is safe for fountain pens. that anon mentioned India ink, which easily clogs up fountain pens

I think in one of my previous comments on here, I mentioned this video where it gives you a basic maintenance tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxH5VS9BeO8
this should help your pen to last a long time. I'd definitely try to keep it under warranty as well in case something happens (usually dropping it on its nib)

as for paper, if it's just quick sketches and inking then printer paper should be fine, albeit nothing I'd recommend if you're trying to be more professional (like, sell your stuff professional)
printer paper is too thin for more professional works and you might want to look into what paper fits what you need
what I'm currently using are Strathmore series 400 for my on-the-go sketches (usually pencil ones with my favorites getting inked) and if I want to add color, I think Bee paper would probably be the better choice

you generally want acid-free paper and pH neutral ink as to keep from having weird effects
all in all, I'd look up reviews on paper because I'm fairly new to it

>>3082696
Paper should be at least 90gsm, the standard Moleskine will bleed and show through

>>3082703
i think it's serviceable for warm-up sketches, desu

>>3082703
it's not to bad, because it's like japanese paper it takes ink better than you'd think

I don't know if this is the place to ask but I'm broke as fuck so can someone tell me how to get Photoshop? I can't afford it on it's own and my income isn't steady enough to guarantee access even with the $10/month plan they offer

I went to the pirate bay but it had a bunch of warning signs about the law and shit and I got scared so I closed it

>>3082716
just get krita
open source, continually updating, and does basically everything photoshop does
best of all, completely free

>>3082716
Wait for a sale on Clip Studio and get it for about 25$. It's SO worth it.

>>3082716
I recommend Clip Studio Paint too. It's very cheap (often goes for $25) and a great program. If you have enough for it, get it when it's on sale.

>>3082718
I have Krita but there don't seem to be any users of it so I can never find any how-to's about how to use it, and it's my first digital art program above MS Paint so I have a hard time translating instructions from the billions of Photoshop tutorials into Krita terms

>>3082721
do they have sales often? I've actually heard of that so I'd probably be able to find a few how-to's

>>3082726
>do they have sales often?
Every few weeks

>>3082726
best advice I can offer about Krita is to experiment with it often until you get the hang of it
I've had it for like a week and haven't tried it out with my tablet yet (still setting up my drawing station), but I get thousands of youtube results when I search "Krita tutorial"

>>3082716
I use fire alpaca and photoshop. Fire alpaca is superior when it comes to lineart also free.

>>3082734
how are the vectors in it? i've been looking into doing line art in inkscape because it's supposed to handle vectors well, but if this one's better I might check it out

>>3082742
(reminder that Clip Studio has vectors too)

>>3079954
Not that anon but that book looks cool as fuck, nice work.

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Currently: cheap no.2 woodcase pencils, cheap pencil sharpener, plastic erasers, and cheap hardcover 7"x5" Walmart sketchbook. Wacom Create tablet and Photoshop CS6 for digital, if not using the oekaki function here.

Before:
(Digital)
>Wacom Create (medium size)
>Manga Studio EX 5
>Adobe Photoshop CS6
(Traditional)
>0.5 Pilot G-2 mechanical pencil
>Uni Color soft blue non-photo 0.5 pencil lead
>Prismacolor Premier felt tip pens
>Tachikawa (model 36) pen nib holders
>Zebra Comic G Pen & Maru nibs
>Speedball Super Black India Ink
>Speedball Pen Cleaner
>Pentel waterbrushes (all sizes)
>Sakura Koi Watercolors field set
>Artist’s Loft pearlescent watercolors
>110 lb. cardstock paper (for ink)
>140 lb. mixed media paper (for watercolor)
>various sketchbooks with 70+ lb. paper

I took a two year break from art. When I came back, I realized that my past obsession with getting the *best* tools was hindering my progress, so now I'm going full retro. I kind of want to just get rid of all my old supplies and swear fealty to cheap traditional tools and the digital medium, but there's no one in my friend circle that would have use for my extensive array of supplies.

>>3083344
Focusing too much on the "right" tools is real, but I can't judge, I have a serious art supply addiction, I can't go into an art supply store and spend less than $200. There's a lot to be said for keeping it simple, though. I've tried, but new stuff creeps in, lol. I have stopped buying paper, though, i have a good stockpile now.

>>3083437
i too am guilty of having too much different stuff. but i am also at that level where i feel like i have enough paper to be able to experiment and what not now.
i have all kinds of tools though. probably too many to name but mostly i just use fountain pens watercolor soluble ink and water brushes.

>>3083344
only thing I might recommend is to get the pencil sandpaper in addition to the sharpener, but right on. I've been trying to straddle the line between practical art supplies and affordability myself

>>3083881
0.5 mechanical pencils are economically better than the cheapest wooden pencils. I've done the math (!)

>>3083884
true, but there's a difference in the two's quality
the mechanical pencils can often come off as more scratchy and iirc normal pencils blend better

>>3083893
If you're doing lineart that you'll ink later, wooden pencils are pretty much pointless.

>>3082662
>>3082696
Thanks a lot guys. You don't need to worry about me ordering expensive shit because I usually set for really cheap stuff. Even with mechanical pencils I just take whatever's cheap and avilable. I don't think my art's good enough to buy a type of pen I never used for $50

Actually wanted to get a $10 fountain pen but since you both recommended Lamy I ordered Lamy. Hopefully I'll like it as much as you do.

>>3083344
Supply autist here, was gonna give some shit on how some of that stuff listed in the traditional before section is really not obscenely expensive in the first place. There's also something to be said about learning to shop around if you're on a super tight budget (Ikea has very low cost blank notebooks, for example). Craft store prices are abysmal even after their coupon bullshit, and art stores have bad prices for most of the year.
However, reading the post over makes it feel like you're not very interested in traditional overall after jumping back into drawing again. How often are you using your physical sketchbook over fuckin' around in Photoshop?

Got a pentel Energel 0.5 (needle tip) and I think it's the nicest pen I've ever drawn with. I don't know if you guys have felt like your pens 'can't keep up' compared to your pencil work, but that's usually how I feel. Glides over the paper, dries quickly, no smudging even when I try. Feels so good.

Super cheap too. Got it for a few dollars at my local office store and the refills online are barely more than a dollar. I've found my soul mate anons.

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Copic Markers SP Multiliner Set A
Are these worth it or should I get the cheaper non-refillable set?

$54 vs. $21

>>3085121
I don't use them but I've hear good things. Can't you get a single pen to try and then if you like it get the refillable set?

If you use them a lot you'll get more value from the refill one. Takes about 3 normals to be worth it though so maybe it's not.

>>3085125
>Takes about 3 normals to be worth it though so maybe it's not.
You're right. I don't think I'll use them as much to need the refillable set yet, it's better to start with something cheap.

>>3085121
I think it would be better to buy one of each and see how much they last and mainly if you like them.

I just bought a bunch of copics and some multiliners from Rakuten(Terraformer).Copics(Sketch) are $5.50 in my country but I got them for 3 bucks and something. The only downside is that they have more refill colors than the actual markers.

There are a couple of stores I want to try out. I can tell you if they are reliable when I get my stuff here.

>>3085121
>$54 vs. $21
If you're serious about your hobby get the refills

just realized I love cheap materials

>wood panels from hardware store
>99cents acrylic craft paint
>kiddie brushes

Anyone here use dip pens much? Don't know what nibs to really delve into for learning to draw/ink

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>>3085481
Get a Japanese G-pen. They're the best option to start with. The brands you'll find (Deleter/Zebra, Nikko and Tachikawa) are pretty much the same in terms of reliability but they change slightly in hardness. It's a really tiny difference, it's not like I'd have annoyances using Zebra nibs if I'm used to Tachikawa.

There are 2 more types of Japanese nib, Kabura (also called Saji or Spoon) which makes a stable medium/thin line, and Maru which makes really thin lines but still has flexibility. They're both just as good as the G, so maybe get a couple varieties and try them out. You don't need to use all 3 to have good range, most people only use a G or a Maru.

You wanna get a holder like in the pic, these are made by Tachikawa.

When you start using a nib, hold it with pliers and put it over a lighter for a while. It doesn't need to get red-hot, but you wanna give it a good burn. Say 5 seconds. This is because there's a wax that protects the nib and needs to be removed or ink won't flow.

Ink itself is a huge topic but if you go with any standard ink designed for comic inking you can't go wrong. Remember that Japanese inks are generally not waterproof so if you want to use watercolor or stuff like that you need to get an India or acrylic ink.

>>3085528
Many thanks anon! The art supply store nearby does have Speedball SuperBlack so hopefully that works out.

>>3082212
orginal pencil question asker here and i just wanted to say that no amount of money is "too small" to worry about. 12 dollars is money you earned through work, so it's only natural that i'd want to make sure all of my money is going towards a sensible purchase. for someone who's giving a lecture about money, you don't really seem to understand the value of it.

>>3085557
If there are problems with ink flow, chances are you didn't burn the nib properly, do it again if that's the case

>>3085575
not everyone on ic lives in the third world

>>3085582
do you have an argument to make on how one shouldn't be careful with their spending or are you just going to meme about how an arbitrary amount of cash is literally equal to zero

>>3085585
not that anon but if you're short on cash I recommend getting the staedtler noris packs

https://www.amazon.com/Staedtler-Noris-Premium-Office-Pencils/dp/B01N9R3D21/

I don't do finished graphite works but I sketch a lot and I don't really see any significant difference between these and the more expensive art pencils from staedtler or faber castell

>>3085590
i already bought a 12 pack of mars but thanks. compared to the non sketching pencils i had (like the norica) the mars smudges a LOT less and is easier to erase. it feels better to use too and the pencil is more "grippy" but that might just be me.

Anyone here ever drawn with carpenter pencils? I picked a few up because I thought the rectangular lead was interesting. Going to try them after work tonight.

>>3085629
yes i have a few. they're not so good to use just as a like rectangle, but if you want two or three lines you can like put little furrows in the lead and get some interesting marks, like one thin line next to a fat line, that sort of thing.

>>3078461
just checking in
recently got all the parts I need to mod my Platinum Preppy into an eyedropper fountain pen
so far, it's been fairly good as just a cartridge pen. I'd definitely recommend it as a low-cost starter fountain pen or a gift to someone

will check back in after I run out of my current cartridge and mod it

I need like a micron but for white ink.
Needs to be completely opaque white and work well with graphite, ink, or charcoal

>>3085680
uniball signo is the best I've seen. Smudges easily though, the ink is very thick and while it's not 'slow' to dry, it's not fast either. If you find something better lmk though, I love white ink.

>>3085680
How fine do you need the nib to be? You could try with refillable acrylic markers like mentioned in >>3073456 and fill it with white acrylic ink. Signos, as posted already, are great too. If you get one, 1mm thickness/broad line is the way to go. The slim version (called angelic?) is a bit troublesome with flow, even when going slow akin to standard white Sakura Gelly Rolls.
A few YouTube vids to help show off other potential options:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x17whwftq70
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gasDZviQyEw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRy4v7edDiM

>>3085585
I didn't say that, my point was that if you struggle to earn 12 dollars you have bigger problems

Hope to see more threads like this in the future. Really helpful-

I started using a Pilot Penmanship fountain pen for sketching about a year ago. I've hardly touched my Hi-Tec-Cs since then. The lines are a little less crisp because fountain pen ink flows more, but you can get a surprising amount of line variation from such a fine nib. I'd highly recommend trying out an XF nib fountain pen if you like using Hi-Tec-Cs or 005/01/02 Microns.

>>3086092
Not that anon but I just bought one of these and its nice as fuck, would buy again

>>3085680
White out pen. Learn it, live it, love it. Best "white pen" available. Covers everything, rarely smears.

>>3088722
>White out pen
That's too thick!

Good thread

Anyone else use those small pocket sketchbooks? What are your thoughts on them? They're unexpectedly comfortable to use.

>>3092001
I like them for when I'm out and about and have time to kill, but I hate trying to plan anything solid in them. There's just not enough room on the page.

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>>3088718
mind posting some drawings you did with it? I use Hi-tec C's for all my construction drawing (architecture and such) and they're great but I don't like them for more organic stuff like figures/nature

>>3092001
>>3092017
to sketch on those, I often have to do a two-page sketch just to have enough room
recently I've just started carrying a larger sketchpad in my backpack

I want to start acrylic painting. Anyone know if Amsterdam Standart or Solo Goya are good brands?

>>3092230
The Amsterdam are student grade - you get what you pay for. If it's all you can afford, it should be okay, for now. I would start in mid-grade paints, because they tend to have better pigments and less filler. Acrylics, from what I recall (never liked them, so I have less experience with them) are safer for cheaper paints, because of how they're made - oils are far more a risk with student grade paints.

Solo Goya seem to be a European brand, and I can't find any reviews on them.

>>3090519
Try this. You can thin it with water - in fact, you have too, it's too thick out of the bottle to use.

http://www.dickblick.com/products/dr-ph-martins-bleedproof-white/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=26929-1203&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI_7fJnta11QIVCoh-Ch3lOgKVEAQYASABEgJzffD_BwE

>>3092445
anon means too wide of a nib

>>3074171
I still get them at Ocean State Job Lot.

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I just got a 12 pack of these. I feel like this was the best art related purchase I have made in a while. It's just a colored pencil, nothing too special, but the tip is a lot harder and more suited for line art. The eraser on the back is mediocre, but you can erase really well with a proper one. The blue has this nice glow to it. Definitely makes filling in sketchbooks more fun, I am sick of the graphite grey and the constant smearing. Think I will get a pack of red ones, too.

>>3093275
>tfw everyone talks so many good things about these pencils but you can't purchase any from your country and import them is super expensive
Which are some good alternatives to this? I've been sketching with plain colors but they are a pain to erase.

>>3093282
Where are you from? I am from Germany and there are only few who sell those, but I found 3 sources that sell them for reasonable prices (one was an Amazon seller). There is also one on Ebay who ships overseas for free.

What are some good brush pens?

I have like 30 Prismacolor double-ended markers now and I always want to buy more.

Am I wasting my money boys

>>3093291
I'm from South America. We can't have nice(cheap) things.
Just checked Amazon and they are willing to ship a box of 24 col erase for 20 bucks...

>>3095492
>$20

Shit nigga, I tried sending a drawing tablet to a friend in Estonia and the UPS store told me it was going to be $150 to ship USPS or $450+ for UPS or DHL

>>3081190
Hahnemühle sketch something something for drawings and ink stuff (makes copics look like a dream) and Daler&Rowney Aquafine 300g/m^2 for watercolor. Haven't ventured anywhere fancier yet, I tend to hoard as soon as I find something nice.

>>3093282
Pentel Hi-Polymer Soft eraser works pretty well on colored pencils

>>3095496
Haha, I'm also from Estonia. Link to their art page?

As for tools, I just got rid of a ton of shit I didn't use. Sakura Microns are great, I much prefer them to fountain pens actually. I never found a satisfying fountain pen. Pilot Parallels are a lot of fun but total ink guzzlers, Kakuno didn't impress me at all, Petit1 is okay. Go-to ink is Platinum Carbon, so far favourite dip nibs Speedball Imperial 101. Somebody hook me up with those please, so far I haven't found them for reasonable eurobucks.

Basic uni-balls are underrated as hell.

I sometimes like to sketch in watercolor pencil when I just wanna try something fast. It dilutes the fuck off when water is added.

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>>3095725
>Pentel Hi-Polymer Soft eraser
Thanks, I'm going to search for that locally.

I bought this Copic thing which is fountain pen like but I haven't tried it yet. The postman needs to deliver it first.