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Tools of the Trade
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23 posts in this topic

When I go to shows, I sometimes run into artists from whom I would like a commission or sketch, but they tell me they don't have their "tools of the trade" with them. So, it seems to me that a potential solution is to pack a set of pencils, pens, erasers, markers or whatever else they may need (I have already bought Bristol Board). Since I know nothing about what they may want to use/like to use/will use, can some of you make suggestions about what I can pack? 

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As far as basics go take a range of fineliner type pens, 2 -3 brush pens and a couple of types of mechanical pencil. That's it.

If you wanted to flesh it out then you could add an eraser, a white out pen/white gel pen, a ruler, refills/cartridges and possibly a different colour refill your mechanical pencils i.e. blueline. Anything more than that can start to feel a bit overkill and is just going to be too heavy to carry around with you for a whole day.

Personally I pack...

Black pens:

Faber-Castell F167116 Pitt Artist Pen (Wallet of 6 with Assorted Tips)

Zig Brush Pen No.22 + 1 refill

Pentel (Manga) Brush Pen + 1 refill

Rotring Tikky Graphic 0.1 pen

Tombow ABT dual brush pen

Pencils:

Mechanical pencils - 1x 0.7mm 1x 2.0mm either Staedtler mars technico, or Faber-Castell Tk / Tk-FINE ...+refills

Other:

Large white eraser that I have tried out beforehand (brand doesn't really matter as long as it doesn't smudge, currently using a Helix)

Sakura Gelly Roll 08 white gel pen

Tipp-Ex Shake 'n Squeeze (white out) pen

Small ruler

This all fits easily in a 30cm clear plastic pencil case which makes it easy for anyone to see exactly what I have with me. I keep the refills in a smaller clear ziplock bag. Anything else that has found its way in there over time is either a dupe or is just something I or my daughters use for our own endeavours. I try to stick with products that I know work for me, use fairly decent permanent ink and are usually the cheaper option. I'm sure that there are more expensive "better" options but I haven't had any issues so far when they have been used by someone else or even after loaning them out for the day :)

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There is a chance the artists wants to draw and genuinely forgot their tools. 

But there is a good chance he doesn't want to draw during the con and I don't think providing him with tools will help you get your sketch. 

Malvin

Edited by malvin
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1 hour ago, malvin said:

There is a chance the artists wants to draw and genuinely forgot their tools. 

But there is a good chance he doesn't want to draw during the con and I don't think providing him with tools will help you get your sketch. 

Malvin

That's a fair comment, and I would hope that anyone who has been around the block a few times would know quite soon when to back off. I doubt any regulars here would rock up with pens on someone's break or at an after show party/pub.

There have been quite a few times over the years though where I would have missed out without pens e.g. over an hour before a convention starts when bumping into an artist who was drawing that day anyway and was happy to kill time, or from an artist that had only intended to sell prints, a quiet signature line that turns into a sketch op. These weren't situations where I was expecting a "commission" level piece.

More often though there have been a occasions where artists have only brought a few sharpies and even basic sketches look a lot better and last better when done with nicer pens. Some artists I know produce vastly different sketches if they only have sharpies to hand e.g you might just get their "go to" headshot. I don't think there is any harm in politely asking for something other than sharpie, especially if it is on a sketch jam.

You could even find yourself in a situation where the artist hasn't brought something big/decent enough to fill in large areas of black or finds that a pen is running dry.

Edited by Garf
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2 hours ago, Garf said:

That's a fair comment, and I would hope that anyone who has been around the block a few times would know quite soon when to back off. I doubt any regulars here would rock up with pens on someone's break or at an after show party/pub.

There have been quite a few times over the years though where I would have missed out without pens e.g. over an hour before a convention starts when bumping into an artist who was drawing that day anyway and was happy to kill time, or from an artist that had only intended to sell prints, a quiet signature line that turns into a sketch op. These weren't situations where I was expecting a "commission" level piece.

More often though there have been a occasions where artists have only brought a few sharpies and even basic sketches look a lot better and last better when done with nicer pens. Some artists I know produce vastly different sketches if they only have sharpies to hand e.g you might just get their "go to" headshot. I don't think there is any harm in politely asking for something other than sharpie, especially if it is on a sketch jam.

You could even find yourself in a situation where the artist hasn't brought something big/decent enough to fill in large areas of black or finds that a pen is running dry.

Brilliant !!!

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This does not sound like any of the artists I go to shows with, at least in recent years.  If an artist goes to a show, and is expecting or desiring to do sketches/commissions, well then he has his tools with him.  It's not something likely forgotten.  If the artist does not bring tools, it's because he does not intend or want to draw for people.  It's that basic.  I can believe he might get talked into it anyway, but that's another conversation.

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5 hours ago, stinkininkin said:

This does not sound like any of the artists I go to shows with, at least in recent years.  If an artist goes to a show, and is expecting or desiring to do sketches/commissions, well then he has his tools with him.  It's not something likely forgotten.  If the artist does not bring tools, it's because he does not intend or want to draw for people.  It's that basic.  I can believe he might get talked into it anyway, but that's another conversation.

Actually, that has happened to me on several occasions. Several years ago, I ended up getting a Rudy Nebres commission instead of a convention drawing because he hadn't thought he would want to do a drawing at a convention (he does now, of course). Recently, I had a sketch done by an artist (who will go nameless) who did a sketch for me--after I found some paper for him (he borrowed someone else's "tools"). There have been others, too.

So, the question still stands; Garf's comment is appreciated, by the way.

 

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9 hours ago, Garf said:

As far as basics go take a range of fineliner type pens, 2 -3 brush pens and a couple of types of mechanical pencil. That's it.

If you wanted to flesh it out then you could add an eraser, a white out pen/white gel pen, a ruler, refills/cartridges and possibly a different colour refill your mechanical pencils i.e. blueline. Anything more than that can start to feel a bit overkill and is just going to be too heavy to carry around with you for a whole day.

Personally I pack...

Black pens:

Faber-Castell F167116 Pitt Artist Pen (Wallet of 6 with Assorted Tips)

Zig Brush Pen No.22 + 1 refill

Pentel (Manga) Brush Pen + 1 refill

Rotring Tikky Graphic 0.1 pen

Tombow ABT dual brush pen

Pencils:

Mechanical pencils - 1x 0.7mm 1x 2.0mm either Staedtler mars technico, or Faber-Castell Tk / Tk-FINE ...+refills

Other:

Large white eraser that I have tried out beforehand (brand doesn't really matter as long as it doesn't smudge, currently using a Helix)

Sakura Gelly Roll 08 white gel pen

Tipp-Ex Shake 'n Squeeze (white out) pen

Small ruler

This all fits easily in a 30cm clear plastic pencil case which makes it easy for anyone to see exactly what I have with me. I keep the refills in a smaller clear ziplock bag. Anything else that has found its way in there over time is either a dupe or is just something I or my daughters use for our own endeavours. I try to stick with products that I know work for me, use fairly decent permanent ink and are usually the cheaper option. I'm sure that there are more expensive "better" options but I haven't had any issues so far when they have been used by someone else or even after loaning them out for the day :)

Is all of this stuff easy to get at an art supply store? I don't know these products (not my field), so if any of them go by other names, what would they be?

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30 minutes ago, Rick2you2 said:

Is all of this stuff easy to get at an art supply store? I don't know these products (not my field), so if any of them go by other names, what would they be?

Yes. You should be able to search all of that out on Amazon or at a fairly decent art supply store by name. I wouldn't worry too much about getting bogged down in the brand and details, as long as you have a pencil, a few different sizes of fineliner and a brush pen that should be all you need to start with. Just check the ink is permanent/lightfast before buying.

6 hours ago, stinkininkin said:

This does not sound like any of the artists I go to shows with, at least in recent years.  If an artist goes to a show, and is expecting or desiring to do sketches/commissions, well then he has his tools with him.  It's not something likely forgotten.  If the artist does not bring tools, it's because he does not intend or want to draw for people.  It's that basic.  I can believe he might get talked into it anyway, but that's another conversation.

I totally agree. At established conventions that is more often than not going to be the case, especially if a well known guest is only there for a panel or has a table and no tools.

I would imagine that the situation posed in this topic is going to be an artist changing their mind on the day/at the end of a day/when it is really quiet... or maybe at something something a bit more informal like a store signing or a signature line? I think throwing the word "commission" in there as opposed to a random sketch makes it sound a bit odd when you are talking about professionals not having tools.

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About 3 years ago, I went to a show where I met John Higgins. After looking at the portfolio of art he had for sale, and being really impressed, I asked him if he could do a drawing for me at the show. Since he was from England, I didn’t want to take the chance of a more formal commission and slow turnaround time (if ever). He said he didn’t bring his tools with him, although he had them in his room. I offered to pay double his ordinary rate if he could do a Phantom Stranger commission for me, and offered to buy the paper, if he could do it before the show ended (pads were being sold there). He agreed, and I now own a great piece which he finished the next day. So, sometimes, artists will change their minds.

By the way, I have been singularly impressed with artists I have dealt with. I have a standing rule that if an artist finds that doing work on a piece takes longer than expected to get it right, I offer to pay more since I always want the artist’s best work. Not once has any artist taken me up on this offer.

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In almost all situations, I would assume an artist who didn’t bring drawing materials to a show they were attending did not want to bring drawing materials to a show they were attending. However, odd situations can arise. About seven years ago Peter Bagge was in town for the Boston Con. I happened to be at his table when he was phoning his pal Rick Altergott, telling him to come up and hang out. After Rick arrived, he was happy to draw a sketch for me though he had to borrow pen and paper from Peter.

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17 hours ago, stinkininkin said:

This does not sound like any of the artists I go to shows with, at least in recent years.  If an artist goes to a show, and is expecting or desiring to do sketches/commissions, well then he has his tools with him.  It's not something likely forgotten.  If the artist does not bring tools, it's because he does not intend or want to draw for people.  It's that basic.  I can believe he might get talked into it anyway, but that's another conversation.

Hey, Scott.

would you be surprised if I told you this happened with Bill Sienkiewicz at a few of the shows I’ve been to (keeping in mind that I only attend one or two major shows per year, mostly on the East Coast)

by the way, if you’re packing tools of the trade for Bill, bring lots of white out, lighter fluid, razor blades or exacto knife, paper, and LOTS and LOTS of patience 

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36 minutes ago, jjonahjameson11 said:

Hey, Scott.

would you be surprised if I told you this happened with Bill Sienkiewicz at a few of the shows I’ve been to (keeping in mind that I only attend one or two major shows per year, mostly on the East Coast)

by the way, if you’re packing tools of the trade for Bill, bring lots of white out, lighter fluid, razor blades or exacto knife, paper, and LOTS and LOTS of patience 

I'd be surprised only in that doing these shows is a lot of work and prep, so it requires me to plan and pull everything together so that I am ready to be "on stage".  I'm not even that obsessive about it, and for an artist to not have their art supplies, it would seem to me to have to be calculated for a reason.  I'm not talking about the artist who thought he'd packed his tools but had a brain fart--that can happen.  I'm just saying if I didn't bring my stuff, it means I have zero intention of drawing.  But it sounds like we're all wired a little differently.

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14 hours ago, Marwai said:

Just a tangential question related to the topic, what bristol board/paper (no vellum please) would be best for an artist to minimize ink bleed? 

I don't have any personal experience with the subject, but I went on the Internet and found something called "Strathmore Bristol smooth", which markets itself as "Excellent art surface for creating comics, cartoons and graphic novel illustrations. Ideal for pencil, pen and ink." It says it is "acid free, heary weight, smooth surface". (with 100 lb. weight). It was about $4 more than some other boards (24 sheets), but I figure if it helps the artist do a better commission, it was easily worth it. 

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5 hours ago, Rick2you2 said:

I don't have any personal experience with the subject, but I went on the Internet and found something called "Strathmore Bristol smooth", which markets itself as "Excellent art surface for creating comics, cartoons and graphic novel illustrations. Ideal for pencil, pen and ink." It says it is "acid free, heary weight, smooth surface". (with 100 lb. weight). It was about $4 more than some other boards (24 sheets), but I figure if it helps the artist do a better commission, it was easily worth it. 

Thanks.  I looked it up and didn't realize how expensive the paper is by itself.  Some are priced even more than published original art pages.

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On 8/28/2019 at 2:57 PM, Marwai said:

Just a tangential question related to the topic, what bristol board/paper (no vellum please) would be best for an artist to minimize ink bleed? 

I’m curious about paper as well if anybody has experience with it. I got a commission earlier this year at a con from an artist who normally doesn’t do 11x17, but was nice enough to. The only blank 11x17 he had was not good with heavy ink, so it took him longer than he expected. Still a great commission, but I’d like to be able to have some good blanks handy if the situation arose again. 

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On 8/28/2019 at 6:54 AM, Rick2you2 said:

Pencils:

Mechanical pencils - 1x 0.7mm 1x 2.0mm either Staedtler mars technico, or Faber-Castell Tk / Tk-FINE ...+refills

Does it matter if it .05mm instead of .07mm? The cheaper pens weren't available as .07 mm.

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