30 April 2015

My Favorite Tools and Supplies: Colored Pencil Work

Lately I've been asked a lot about my favorite tools and supplies for my colored pencil work.
When I started drawing and painting, I was looking for the 'perfect' pencil or sharpener or eraser, I've found I need more than one, each of them for a specific purpose... I use all what I've listed here!

You'll find here some photos and a list with all my favorites, their names and brands.


PAPER: 
(top left)
Fabriano Classico 5 HP 300gsm/140lb
This is watercolor paper, 50% cotton rag and 50% wood pulp, acid free.
For colored pencils should be used on the 'wrong' side

COLORED PENCILS: 
 Faber-Castell Polychromos are my absolute favorites!
I buy them in open stock the colors I like or I need rather than sets. (top right and bottom left)
Prismacolor Verithin in Black, Grey and Brown (top right)
Prismacolor Premier just five or six colors I can't find in other brands. (not pictured)

BOOKS:
(bottom right)
Botanical Drawing In Color by Wendy Hollender
Botanical Painting with Coloured Pencils by Ann Swan 
There are other books about colored pencils out there but my interest is Botanical Art.



GRAPHITE PENCILS AND DRAFTING PENCILS: 
(top left)
Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2B and H
Tombow Homo-graph Mono H
Pentel GraphGear 1000 0.3 mm HB
Pentel P203 0.3 mm H
Pentel P205 0.5mm H

PENCIL SHARPENERS:
(top right)
Q-Connect Desktop Pencil Sharpener for a long sharp point
Alvin DUX Glass Inkwell Sharpener for regular sharp point 
Mobius & Ruppert Wedge Brass Pencil Sharpener for regular sharp point
Refer to the pencils picture with the sharpeners to see the type of point you get with each one.

ERASERS:
(bottom left) 
Sakura SE2000 Electric Eraser
Faber-Castell Grey Kneadable Art Eraser 
Pilot Foam Eraser
Tombow Mono Knock 3.8 Eraser 
Tombow Mono Zero 2.3 mm Eraser

OTHER EQUIPMENT:
(bottom right)
Pencil Extenders Creative Mark and Lyra
Alvin 450 7.5 in. Proportional Dividers
15cm/6in Steel Ruler
5X Handheld Magnifying Glass
Faber-Castell Erasing Shield

These are just my most used and favorite tools and supplies. For others there would be other preferences. If you have any suggestion they are most welcome!

If you have any particular question please contact me through the comments or using the contact form on the right hand side.

10 comments:

  1. Thank you for your nice and useful advices 😊

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  2. Cool! You are doing so great! ♥

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    Replies
    1. Aww sweet Minerva, thank you very much!! :)

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  3. Great to hear and read!
    I love Faber-Castell's Eco-pencils that are watersoluble too. Will see, if I can buy the Polychromos here 😊

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    1. I haven't try those Oly ;) I usually order my Polychromos online.

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  4. Thank you Maria, this is very helpful. I have some polychromos pencils but I seem to reach for the Prismacolors more often for even skin tones. Maybe I'm not blending the Polychromos correctly as they are oil based. How do you burnish or blend layers of Polychromos pencil? How many layers can you put on paper before you blend them? I would really appreciate your ideas on this. Thank you so much Maria!!

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    1. Kaz I use the lightest color I'm using or white or ivory to blend the layers, I do it with a very sharp point, pressing fairly hard in a mini circle motion. Some times I use a Lyra Rembrandt Splender Colourless Blender Pencil the same way. I haven't count the layers but probably up to 12-15... I suggest you have a look at these videos https://vimeo.com/120692268 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9u8Lawkq7mw

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  5. I love seeing people's supplies.

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