This page is all about Fine Art and Tools of the Trade. There is so many types of art and tools out there, so I thought I would give a little on my take of a few of my favorite tools and supplies I love to use.
What Kind of Paper Do you Like?
As an illustrator and artist, I do enjoy a beautiful piece of paper. The textures, the colors and sometimes even the smell is something that is just magical to me. Paper has so many options, from smooth such as Bristol to a rougher surface such as Water Color or Hot Press. Hand made or commercial made. So many choices. I prefer a paper that is kind of in the middle. I like some “Tooth” to it, something that my pencils will kind of stick to. I also enjoy how a paper surface can add to the overall look of the actual piece. And then… the fun of deciding what to do with that glorious piece of paper. Pastels? Water color? Graphite? Or my main go to Colored Pencils.
Next Up, Colored Pencils!!!
So here’s the fun. I do love Colored Pencils and with Fine Art and Tools of the Trade, I can find exactly how I want to do it. I do use all of the above, so it just kind of depends on what I want the finished piece to look like. So many choices in that category alone. ( I will discuss the others mentioned as we go) I have enjoyed using Colored Pencils all my life. As a child I always had some drawing pads. Lots of them. I doodled constantly and dreamed of being a great artist.
So I learned to draw and paint.
And I drew, and drew, so many things before settling into a few of my favorite subjects. As I mentioned Colored Pencils are my Favorite. Graphite Pencil is my next. But I do enjoy so many, just depends on what I am looking to accomplish. There are so many different kinds and brands it can be overwhelming to decide what to use. I learned to use colored pencils with Prismacolor Premier Colored Pencils. While these are a fabulous pencil, very blend able, they layer beautifully and are great starter pencil, I wanted more. I started looking into art groups online and found several that were amazing. In doing so I discovered so many more brands. Many have the same properties as Prismacolor, but the ones I love are more vibrant in color and can take my drawings further towards what I envision.
My Favorite Colored Pencils.
A couple of my favorites are Faber-Castell Polychromous Pencils, Derwent Lightfast Colored Pencils and Derwent Intense Pencils. These are all softer than Prismacolor and they come in a wide range of colors and can be used from light touch to very deep and rich. There are many others, I tried Caran d’Ache Luminance Colored Pencils, while this is a nice pencil, but I decided I prefer the others. There are a couple of other brands I am going to try eventually. But for now I am enjoying how these work.
The Polychromous Pencils are softer than Prismacolor. They are smooth and make for a beautiful look on paper. They can be layered, blended and you can build up layers of colors for a rich vibrant finish. Lightfast Pencils are soft also. They are so Rich and deep in colors, layered and blended also they provide an Amazing Vibrant and deep color on your paper.
So looking at that wonderful and amazing piece of paper and deciding what I want to put onto it becomes a journey for me. I decide on what I want to do, and then begin the process of making my ideas come to life on the paper. Paper has so many qualities that can add to the final piece of art. I love to play with textures and color to see what my final piece will be. I do take into consideration what media I am using when deciding on paper choice. So always remember to think about what you are wanting to accomplish in the end. This can be so fun.
Response Magic