Pencils, paper, pens and a PC
Hi Everyone
My favourite Drawing Tool
A simple pencil is still the most useful tool for an artist. Pencils never run out. Pencils don't get clogged with ink. Pencils don't get stolen off your desk by family members (they steal the felt-tips every time!). HB is the standard pencil hardness, but for drawing cartoons I prefer softer darker pencils. Look out for 2B, 3B or even 4B pencils and try them out for yourself. Remember to get a pencil eraser too. Apart from that all you need is some paper. You don't need expensive watercolour paper though. I prefer to work on flat white paper myself and that happens to be cheap.
My second favourite Drawing Tool
My next favourite tool is a graphics tablet. I have to do a lot of computer work and the PC mouse is not a good tool for drawing with. A few years ago I bought a graphics tablet and my computer drawings got so much better. Graphics tablets allow you to vary the pressure which changes how the line is drawn (just like a felt-tip). Smooth curves are easier and it is just a lot quicker.
What is a Graphics Tablet?
A graphics tablet is a tool that lets you draw on a board using a special pen (called a stylus) but the picture appears on the screen rather than the drawing board. This is good because you can sketch ideas straight into the computer (helps save the trees because you don't need paper).
It also allows you to work faster and more accurately than with a mouse, and your drawings will suddenly get a whole lot better looking. I know that mine did.
A picture of a graphics tablet
How to use a graphics tablet
A graphics tablet is used just like a pencil. If you know how to use one of those then you will love drawing with a graphics tablet.
Which Graphics tablet do you use?
I use and am totally delighted with the Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch
Books about using graphics tablets
I also recently got this good book about getting the most out of a graphics
tablet by Cher Threinen-Pendarvis. It is called The Photoshop Painting and Tablet Book
