Here is What I Carry

I have two drawing kits. The smaller one fits in a jacket pocket (or even in my jeans) and I am almost never without it. The 4" x 6" paper is large enough to draw a simple comic (see Vidrio Cafe) yet small enough to carry anywhere. The larger kit fits in a backpack or even a small shoulder bag, holds a lot more, and the 6" x 9" paper is large enough to kind of draw a type of full comic page (like the one you see above).

They Call Them Rubbers

I use the plastic eraser most often. It leaves little dust and is easy to find. Staedtler, Pentel, and other companies all make white plastic high-polymer erasers that are perfectly fine.

Brushes and Brush Pens

You didn't think I would tantalizingly mention brush pens in the previous post and then not do a post about brush pens... did you? I'm a fan of the Kaimei, of course, although I didn't use mine for a long long time and it became clogged. I've cleaned it, but it's still not what it was. If I had to pick one brush pen I would choose the Pentel GFKP which is remarkably like a real brush (but sometimes with an annoying, treacherous point that needs a trim). But I am usually less brave and use the Pilot Pocket brush pen because it's just plain easy to use.

Pen Kinds

I actually cut a goose feather into a quill pen recently. Used to do it when I was a kid, wanted to see if I still have the knack. It was pretty easy. But I wouldn't want to be limited to using a goose quill pen all the time. If I had to pick just one pen, I would pick the Pentel Stylo because it is between a Micron and a brush pen. It can do either job, sort of. But of course it's better to also have a Micron and a brush pen... or many...

More Kinds of Pencils

A pencil is a pencil. In the last post, I talked a little about different lead types. Here are some lead holders (for that is what pencils are). My favorite pencil to just carry around is the Tombow Zoom 505. The only slight annoyance is that the eraser is not easy to get to. My go-to for my drawing kits is the Graphgear 500 which is not expensive and is very reliable so long as you don't let it get wet.

Types of Pencil Lead

I suppose the Internet exists so that someone can write a blog post about types of pencil lead. I guess I am not the only one!

• https://pencils.com/hb-graphite-grading-scale/
• https://www.jetpens.com/blog/the-best-lead-grade-for-every-application/pt/475
• https://cwpencils.com/blogs/news/131980803-beginners-guide-to-pencil-shopping-a-guide-to-grades

Whether I am drawing a comic or an illustration, I generally start with a 0.7 mm HB or a Staedtler Norica woodcased pencil.

Comic Drawing Tools: Three Worlds

By "tablet" here, I mean an Android tablet, an iPad, or a Windows 10 tablet like the Microsoft Surface or the Lenovo Miix. Input tablets also have screens in them these days, and I am not sure why anyone would buy something like a Wacom anymore when a Miix (or a Surface Go) is cheaper. There's still the old-school input tablets that are just pressure-sensitive surfaces with no screens. And then there's the ISKN Slate 2 which is kind of an input tablet but you can take it with you and you can draw on paper while it digitizes what you draw. I'm playing with this one these days and I find it to be okay... but not quite as good as the Miix or just using paper and brush pens.

• https://try.iskn.co/us/the-slate/
• https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/tablets/windows-tablets/miix-series/c/miix-series
• https://www.wacom.com/en-us