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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

sketching equipment (1 Viewer)

R

RuislipMG

Well-known member
:-C:king:hi there are some great drawings and pictures on the forum
i thought i would ask a question as to what type of equipment everyone uses
when sketching (my preferred activity) i managed to get a dvd of ANF trip and Lars Jonsson was using a bog standard 0.5mm pencil but i gather he has handmade Arches sketchbooks, also i wondered about paints grade and manufacturer
i use what i can afford im just curious and thought it would be a bit of fun
Thanks
 
Besides still using larger single sheets clipped to a board, I regularly use Fabriano sketchbooks in the field - not cheap, but take line and wash beautifully. I use a softish pencil generally - 6b or so. If I were to profer any advice it would be to try diffrent papers - there'll be some out there that you really get on with.
Good luck.
 
The Fabriano pads are lovely but I'd hesitate to recommend them to anybody starting out. The problem is in the fear of 'spoiling' something expensive and lovely which is full of nothing but potential until you put your first mark in it and realise that you're never going to live up to your own expectations.

Having said that, if you're going to be using watercolour washes or other wet medium then you obviously need something with a bit of weight to the page.

In the end it's all personal choice and, as Tim says, trying different materials until you find the one that works for you is the best way.

Mike
 
timwootton said:
I use a softish pencil generally - 6b or so.
Click to expand...

6B!! I never would have guessed! I keep thinking I need to go in a harder direction, which may be why I use the Pitt Artist Pens. But maybe I've just been going the wrong direction and actually need to be trying something like 4B or 6B.
 
Eeeeh, gives me chance to sound like I'm an expert here. I 've just got hold of two Windsor and Newton A4 'Wire-O' sketchbooks - my favourites. Good thing about them is that they are fairly cheap and have 80 sheets - great for sketching and making loads of mistakes! I've now settled on Derwent sketching 2B after loads of others, though I've yet to try Mars Lumograph in that grade, which I believe are good!
I wouldn't recommend 'em for any washes though, toilet paper is probably better!

Hope this is of guidance.

Cheers

Off to watch Aresnal v Barca

Russ
 
Hi folks, here's a nice topic to chat about. Sketching tools has much to do with the caracter. If I remember well David Measures uses a 5 colour ball pen and Greg Poole carries on an assortment of thick washable colour pencils.
I've been painting with Lars several times and he normally uses a 2mm Caran D'Ache clutch pencil 4B or something. For Watercolour sketches he uses homemade sketchbooks of Arches Fidelis paper. I also use this paper and I thinks that the French artist Denis Clavreul does so.
I use the Winsor and Newton cartridge sketchbooks or a similar Spanish ones for pencil and light washes or loose sheets of Arches.
My favourite brushes are the Kolinsky Escoda quite affordable and excelent quality compared to the more expensive WN and Da Vinci.
As to the colours, always WN, more expensive but a lot of of good quality pigment.
And I think that's all
 
Juan Varela said:
I've been painting with Lars several times and he normally uses a 2mm Caran D'Ache clutch pencil 4B or something.
Click to expand...

I wonder if that's what he used in 'Ten Days to Paint the Forest.' I remember watching it, I think when he was drawing from memory in the van, and wondering what type of mechanical pencil that was.

Juan, just enjoyed your interview over at Wildlife Art Journal.
 
I was just about to comment on that, and yes, it´s Arches Fidelis paper Lars uses. It has two different surfaces, a kind of “rough” and a “smooth” one which is quite convenient. I was made aware of that paper on a visit to Gotland a few years back. The following winter I order a package and attended an evening course in book binding resulting in several homemade watercolour sketchbooks -all handmade and very reasonable in price as well. You can choose your own format, colour for the binding, how many pages you want in there and then switch between HP and CP, according to your own taste. You can of course also use different kind of watercolour paper.
In the latest issue of Leisure Painter magazine there is an article on “Make your own sketchbook”. It is really dead easy and you end up with the satisfaction of having made it yourself.

Should anyone be tempted to do it the “pro way” here is a useful link with some video footage. ( also in English )

http://www.papierdesign.de/

Good luck,
Torben
 
solitaryVSong said:
I wonder if that's what he used in 'Ten Days to Paint the Forest.' I remember watching it, I think when he was drawing from memory in the van, and wondering what type of mechanical pencil that was.

No, that one is a 0.7 mm and you can tell by the colour coding of those pencils. A 0.3 mm is brown and a 0.5 mm is black and a 0.9 mm is yellow.

Cheers,
Torben
Click to expand...
 
TorbenBack said:
solitaryVSong said:
I wonder if that's what he used in 'Ten Days to Paint the Forest.' I remember watching it, I think when he was drawing from memory in the van, and wondering what type of mechanical pencil that was.

No, that one is a 0.7 mm and you can tell by the colour coding of those pencils. A 0.3 mm is brown and a 0.5 mm is black and a 0.9 mm is yellow.

Cheers,
Torben
Click to expand...


Thanks Torben!
Click to expand...
 
Just to show the colour coding is here some of mine, mainly use for technical drawings, but they are excellent for sketching as well. They are all “Pentel” + a “Pilot” 0.7 mm. Perhaps some other brands use their own colour coding, I don´t know, but this is supposed to be the approved one.

Cheers,
Torben
 

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TorbenBack said:
Just to show the colour coding is here some of mine, mainly use for technical drawings, but they are excellent for sketching as well. They are all “Pentel” + a “Pilot” 0.7 mm. Perhaps some other brands use their own colour coding, I don´t know, but this is supposed to be the approved one.

Cheers,
Torben
Click to expand...
I look forward to seeing them in action when you come to Orkney, Torben!
All the best.
 
Usually if pencil HB or B clutch pencils, 0,2mm or so, for me more often a bic ballpoint pen if its not too cold. I often forget half my pens and will make do with whatever I dig out of the rucksack pockets. Draw on Daler A4 or A3 pads.
Not really important what the tools are as long as something goes down on paper really...

Torbens set look rather useful, I really should make an effort and but something more swanky..
 
solitaryVSong said:
I wonder if that's what he used in 'Ten Days to Paint the Forest.' I remember watching it, I think when he was drawing from memory in the van, and wondering what type of mechanical pencil that was.

Juan, just enjoyed your interview over at Wildlife Art Journal.
Click to expand...

I tried technical pencils 0,7mm but they don't go with my style. I cannot get thick dense lines and the lead breaks easily. As with the brushes, I don't need a thin one to produce thin lines. A good quality Kolinsky No 6 or 8 can produce thin lines and thick strokes. In my view a 2 mm lead well sharpened gives more caracter to the line, but this of course depends on the drawing style of each artist.
Thanks Ken I also enjoyed being interviewed. At my turn I interviewed the great French artist Denis Clavreul. This will be published in the spring issue I think.
 
B*gger - I wish I hadn't put that link up now. . . . I'm supposed to be working and now I'm in art-world (thanks Ken :) ).
Although it's nice to read my mate Sam's interview as well as Juan's and the rest - great stuff.
 
timwootton said:
I look forward to seeing them in action when you come to Orkney, Torben!
All the best.
Click to expand...

UHH……… :eek!: well, I better bring them along then but be warned………don´t expect any magic.
I am really looking forward for the Orkney adventure and still have some time to study your book before coming. ;)

Se you then,
Torben
 
Juan Varela said:
A good quality Kolinsky No 6 or 8 can produce thin lines and thick strokes.
Click to expand...

No doubt that they are almost unbeatable, but once on a field trip I was really in for a surprise when my travel mate – a professional artist – after we had our cuppa, used his teabag as a brush and did a really impressive monochrome raw sienna like “watercolour” with both thin lines and thick lines as if it had been done with a brush.

Pure magic to me in case you one day have forgotten your paintbox.
 
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