For this interview, we have Audran Guerard with us. He's a visual artist with prior experience as an art director for Ubisoft and Electronic Arts. Recently. he has launched a Kickstarter campaign for his watercolour graphic novel The Life of Frederick Douglass. I though it would be interesting to find out what he uses to create art.

Qn: What are your favourite drawing tools? Any particular brand of pens, pencils, markers, watercolours, etc?

For drawing, I like using a Staedtler 2.0mm technical pencil. It doesn't need to be sharpened often. I can draw at an angle so the tip stay pointy. It's also heavier and feel nice to hold. I use 2B graphite, anything harder will damaged the sensitive watercolour paper, any softer will smudge too much. It's a nice balance.

For the brushes, I think the secret is to find what suits your own style. I've been recommended expansive brushes that I never use. I tried Chinese brush, kolinsky brush, and many others, finally what really suits me is a type of brush I found only in Japan, very cheap too. Actually mines are so old, I need new ones, if anyone from Tokyo is reading this... I need someone to stop at Sekaido for me, Lol.

Theses are the 4 brushes I use the most, 2 Japaneses Brushes, made with bamboo, and the two others are Kolinsky, also called Red Sable brushes.

The characteristic I really like in a brush is the spring and it capacity to hold plenty of water.

Qn: You've chosen watercolour to create your graphic novel The Life of Frederick Douglass. Why choose watercolour?

For me watercolour is the fastest way to express myself, visually that is. I quite never really got hooked on digital painting. I can do it, I do it sometime, but it feels 10x more laborious to me.

To make a quick gradient in watercolour is so easy. Water does all the work for you. Its really important to understand how various pigment will mix, and then it becomes like a language in which you don't need to think before speaking, it becomes natural.

I got drawn into watercolour by a book written by the great Charles Reid, The Natural Way to Paint (US | CA | UK | DE | FR | IT | ES | JP).

I was looking at the cover, and thought to myself "Hey that should be easy enough!" I couldn't be more wrong. I kept at it...after 3 years of despair and hundreds of books later. I started to understand. It was a combination of many things. At the same time, I was learning to see, learning to draw, learning the technicality of watercolour and I was learning to paint.

I eventually started a blog to record my progress. In the end, my best work is when I'm fearless, and let the water do the work.

When I get worried or stress on the outcome, I apply greater control and the water is unable to operate, and the painting end up being a coloured drawing, stiff and lifeless.

Qn: There are quite a lot of watercolour art on your blog. Have you experimented with different brands?

I started with pans, then graduated to tubes. Pans are really hard to revive and it's harder to get rich saturated or dark tone using pans. Tubes give more punch.

I use Graham & Co watercolour tubes. They have a very high density of pigments, so a little goes a long way. Honey is used in their composition, so they remain moist and never cake in my palette.

Other brands of watercolour will dry out and crack. It need lot of effort to revive them. Painting is hard enough, I don't need to fight my equipment on top of it. Graham & Co Watercolors remains consistently moist and are always ready to meet my brushes. Plus, the factory making them operate with very tight environment friendly rules. That's a big win in my book.

Qn: How do you colour correct your watercolour scans? What do you use? How do you get it to match on screen to exactly what's on the paper, as some scanners are unable to scan the texture of watercolour paper.

This is something I'm still trying to figure out. I believe my watercolour looks better on paper. I've been unable to match them perfectly on screen. After being scanned, something gets lost.

The only thing I can do, is digitally push the watercolour in a way to regain some appeal. Maybe better contrast, play a bit with the saturation, trying to compensate for the loss that happens at the scanning.

But that said, only I can do the comparison, People can look at my digital files with no reference to what they are originally.

Qn: Do you use any sketchbooks or draw on loose sheets?

I draw on whatever is at hand. I could use paper from a printer, or use a sketchbook.

But when I want to do fast watercolour studies, like life drawings, nothing beat the Aquabee Deluxe sketchbook, it has a velvet like surface that holds water very well.

For more "Serious" things, I use Arches watercolour paper (140lbs / 300gsm), I like the rough surface of the Cold Press for texturing, but sometime when you need fine details, the Hot Press is better suited.

Qn: You're a visual artist who has worked for video game companies like Ubisoft and EA. Do you use different tools to create art there? If so, why the different tools?

Sometime I would go digital, sometime I would go watercolour. The important thing is not the medium, it's the content. A sketch is a communication tool, it express an idea. How you deliver that message is up to you. As long as your message is well received on the other side.

Qn: Have you bought any art supplies that you were excited about, only to try it and find out you don't like it as much as you expected?

Yes I have lots of it...brush, sketchpad, oils, acrylics, I think it really important to explore and experiment, its surely not a cheap process. But its the only way to understand what really works for you.

Before I would run and buy gear that famous artists used. You may really like an artist, but his ways are not yours. It's fine to study and understand their process, it's actually really good, but don't get obsessed. Don't cage yourself in a style or in a technics. Explore, experiment, more importantly have fun, and slowly you will build an array of tools and practice that make your art, yours.

If you have any questions for Audran Guerard, ask them here: http://goo.gl/NWA9fv

Marvin Chew's a full time watercolour artist located in Singapore. I've known him for a few years now, from the Urban Sketcher Singapore Group. He's also the vice president of Singapore Watercolour Society and regularly organises outdoor painting sessions for the community and his students.

Over the years, he has amassed quite a huge amount of tools. I've never taken a closer look until now. So let's look at them.

This is the plein air set: assortment of brushes in bamboo mat, hand-made Craig Young paint box, paint tubes in zip bag, SLIK Sprint Mini tripod converted into portable easel, Walkstool, corrugated board.

A close up look at the brushes from left to right:

• Alvaro Castagnet needlepoint No.8
• Raphael Kolinsky 8404 No.8
• Escoda Perla No.8
• Escoda Perla No.12
• Escoda Ultimo Mop No.10
• Colorpro Red Sable 2250 No.18
• Escoda Ultimo Flat No.12
• Isabey Cat's Tongue No.8
• Daley Rowney 24 Mop No.7
• Colorpro Flat 2885 No.1 1/2

Qn: Can you talk about the set of brushes you're using now? What are the characteristics of each? Which one do you use most often?

Well, I bring these with me when I go out to paint on location/plein air. I have another set of brushes which I kept in the studio for larger works but they are similar brushes to these, only larger. Let's break them down into the different types:

Needlepoint Brush - Endorsed by watercolour master Alvaro Castagnet, it is a liner with a fat belly to store paints and a long fine needle-like point (hence the name). Useful to paint wires, cables, cloth lines, etc.

Round Sable Brush - As you can see, I use many round brushes. 2 of them are made of natural sable hairs. Colorpro Red Sable No.18 is the largest round brush I have. It's my "workhorse", using it most of the time in any painting I do, due to its superb absorbency and still able to hold its shape after every brushstroke. Raphael Kolinsky Sable 8404 No.8 has the same function but smaller. I used to have a No.12 of this brush, but Kolinsky sable is very expensive and with the rigorous punishment I meted out to my brushes with the way I paint (lots of dry brush techniques), I have since wore out the sharp point, so I switched to the more economical Colorpro Red Sable.

Round Synthetic Brush - Esoda Perla White Toray No.8 and No.12 are my two other must-haves apart from my "workhorse". They are recommended by Joseph Zbukvic whom many consider to be one of the best living watercolourists at the moment. The brush loads quite a fair amount of paints for a non-natural hair brush as Toray White is one of the softest synthetic hairs. It has good tension that springs back to its original shape every time. With its super fine point, I use it to "draw" details and add finishing touches to my painting.

Flat Brush - I have 2 of them. Colorpro Flat No. 1 1/2 is a big flat brush made of mixed goat hair. Useful for laying in flat even wash. Due to its huge size, when I need to pre-wet the paper with clear water, I'll use this. Escoda Ultimo Flat No.12 is made of synthetic hairs and serve the same purpose but for smaller area.

Cat's Tongue - Recently acquired, it is made of squirrel hairs too but is more versatile than a mop due to its wide bottom and curvy pointed tip, great for laying washes using the wider side of the brush and cutting into tight corners using the pointed tip.

Mop Brush - I have 2 here. Daley Rowney 24 Mop No.7 is made of squirrel hairs - very soft and loads a great deal of paints and waters. It is perfect for laying down washes for big areas. The other one, Escoda Ultimo Mop No.10, a gift from Internationally acclaimed floral watercolour artist Fabio Cembranelli when he visited Singapore last year. It is actually made of synthetic hair but is equally capable of holding paints but due to its smaller size, I only use it when doing smaller works (You'll soon notice that there's no standardised numbering system for brush size between different brush makers. For example, Daley Rowney's No.7 is actually much larger than Escoda's No.10)

Qn: Which is the most versatile brush?

It has to be the Colorpro Red Sable No.18 as I use it most of the time, for laying washes, glazing, wet on wet, wet on dry, dry brush, etc. I can even use it to paint some details even though it's a big brush due to the fine point it has, or rather used to have (I abused my equipment, LOL!).

Qn: For beginners getting watercolour brush, what consideration should they have? How should they choose? What would you recommend?

Affordability is usually the first concern considering good watercolour brushes can cost hundreds of dollars. For beginners who usually don't paint too big a painting, they can start with just 3 brushes - a mid-size mop brush for laying the initial washes, a red sable brush, probably a no.8 for general brush work and a fine point synthetic for adding details.

Craig Young's watercolour box

Qn: Craig Young's watercolour boxes are quite pricey. Why do you think artists are still willing to fork out the money to get it compared to other palettes?

Haha, it's hard to explain. Why do some people drive BMW when a Toyota will get you from Point A to B as well? As for me, I personally like hand-made stuff. There's an elegant feel to it that mass-produced merchandise will never have. Craig Young's boxes are the most beautifully hand-crafted palettes I've ever seen in the market. I'll like to think of it as my little "indulgence" for the sake of my art. Anyway, it costs about the same price as a high-end tennis racket but I don't play tennis, I paint, LOL!

More about Craig Young here: The Craig Young Experience (watercolourfanatic.blogspot.com)

Qn: I remember you use a few brands of watercolours. Which brand of watercolours do you prefer? Why?

Yes, over the years I have tried many brands of watercolours.

I use Lukas, Holbein, Schmincke, Winsor & Newton, Da Vinci, and most recently added Daniel Smith to the mix, all artist grade paints.

I don't have preference for any brand but rather I choose the colours that I like from different brands based on the pigment used, lightfastness, granulation effect, and of course, price. I paint almost daily, so I usually buy them in bigger tubes, 24ml or 37ml so I shop around online to find the best deals and promotions.

Qn: You seem to prefer watercolour tube compared to pans. Any reasons?

The colours are fresher and more moist when it's straight out of the tube.

They are also easier to mix in large amount as I need to cover quite a large area painting in half sheet (the usual size I paint outdoors). It will take me forever to mix a large quantity of colour using pans.

Also, pans may damage a good brush in the long run as you keep digging the pans to get the colours especially when it has dried up, but the same can be said of dried up paints from the tube.

Qn: What's your advice for beginners looking to buy watercolours? What should they look out for?

Avoid school watercolour set sold in stationery shops! They are made for children containing very little pigment and you'll struggle to get anything out of it and end up frustrated.

If budget is a concern, go for student grade paints made by professional paint makers such as Cotman by Winsor & Newton, Aquafine by Daley Rowney, Van Gogh by Talens, just to name a few.

You can then upgrade to Artist grade paints once you're comfortable mixing colours and master the basic painting techniques. Having said that, if budget isn't an issue, I'd advise you to go for the artist grade paints straight away. It took me only 2 months to make the switch when I was still a beginner after realising how vibrant, and beautiful the artist grade paints are!

Qn: These seem like single sheets of watercolour paper. What are the advantages of using single sheets compared to padded ones?

Yes, these are sheets of imperial size watercolour paper measuring 22" x 30" or approximately 56 x 76cm.

Obviously, the advantage of using sheets is that you have the option to cut them into whatever size you like.

In watercolour terms, you'll often see paintings done in quarter, half or full sheet. Buying single sheets are more economical than buying the same brand of papers in padded or block as the manufacturer will surely factor in material and labour cost to cut them and produce them in nice looking cover.

Blocks are also heavier especially when they are new. I'll usually bring only 2 or 3 half sheets with me during my plein air outings so they don't weight much.

Qn: Different artists prefer different brands of watercolour naturally. So why do you choose the Langton Prestige for Rough and the Arches for Cold Press?

These two are my current favourites. I use 100% cotton-made papers as they are more absorbent and colours mix better on them.

Arches watercolour papers are often regarded as the best in the market, very tough and durable, and great for all types of watercolour works.

Langton Prestige had similar properties but feels softer, and wet washes spread more freely on it.

Although watercolour papers are categorized into Hot Press, Cold Press and Rough texture, different manufacturers will categorise the coarseness of the paper texture differently. Langton Prestige's Rough is actually closer to Arches Cold Press in terms of texture coarseness. In fact, I will choose Rough for other brands such as Saunders Waterford, Fabriano Artistico but Arches Rough is much coarser than other brands, so I opt for Cold Press when using Arches.

Qn: Do you use Hot Press watercolour paper? Why?

I don't use Hot Press paper as it is too smooth for my painting style. I like to use granulating colours where larger particles in some pigments will sink into the grains of textured papers, creating beautiful grainy effect. I also do a lot of dry brush techniques so some degree of roughness on the paper is essential. Hot Press paper is more suited for very detailed works and for illustration.

Walkstool, SLIK Sprint Mini camera tripod converted to portable easel, and clipboard with camera tripod mount bracket attached.

Qn: What's the Walkstool?

Walkstool is a high quality Swedish-made portable stool. I have the 18 inch Comfort model, which has the same seating height of a normal dinning chair when the legs are extended. Previously, I used a small foldable stool where you're actually sitting in a squatting position. I've developed an aching back sitting in that low position. So, I bought the Walkstool to improve my posture while painting outdoors.

Qn: That easel looks like a DIY. How do you make an easel like that? How does the functional setup look like?

Oh yes, it is modified from a camera tripod SLIK Sprint Mini. I attach a camera tripod mounting bracket on the back of a used clipboard. It is then screwed onto the tripod head and secured at a reverse position, where it can hold a piece of corrugated board on which I tape my watercolour paper with masking tapes.

The whole set up look like this:

Marvin painting on the portable easel at Shaolin Temple in Luoyang, China

This is Marvin's urban sketching set:

• Leather bound sketchbook
• Fome metal pocket palette
• Faux leather pen pouch containing the following:
  • Hero Calligraphy fountain pen 578
  • Sailor Special Script Calligraphy fountain pen
  • Bamboo dip pen
  • Golden taklon flat brush
  • Escoda Reserva Kolinsky-Tajmyr 1214 No.10 pocket travel brush
  • Japanese brushpen loaded with black ink (now loaded with Noodlers bulletproof black ink)
  • Holbein water brushpen
  • Ashley Red Sable No.5 pocket travel brush
  • Escoda Perla No.10

Qn: Urban sketching set? How's the selection different from your plein air set? Can you give us a run down on the tools? I noticed that the only common brush between the two sets is the Escoda Perla No.10.

For urban sketching, I try to keep everything to the bare essentials, and as light as possible. With just a sketchbook, a pocket sized palette and a couple of fountain pens and brushes, I'm good to go.

Fountain Pens - I have the Hero 578 which I use almost all the time, while the Sailor Special Script is my back-up pen as I find it too light. Both pens have the curved nib which mimic the calligraphy strokes of Chinese brush. You can vary the thickness by varying the angle you hold the pen at.

Bamboo dip pen - is made by the owner of Straits Art Co., and given to me as a sample. I have a bottle of Noodler's waterproof black ink in my bag to dip it with.

Golden Taklon flat brush - this is a cheap brush available at most stationery shop. I use it when I want to paint more squarish shapes, but frankly speaking, I can't remember the last time I use it!

Holbein water brushpen - It has a nylon brush with reservoir on the handle to store clear water. A quicker alternative than traditional brushes but I don't really like the stiff nylon hair and controlling the water flow can be tricky.

Japanese ink brushpen - similar to the water brushpen, but loaded with black ink. Sometimes I'd sketch directly using this, resulting in a more oriental Chinese ink painting style. I also use this to spread black ink on dark areas of my sketches.

Escoda Reserva Kolinsky-Tajmyr 1214 No.10 - this is a collapsible pocket travel brush made of kolinsky sable hair. Load lots of paint, great for washes and details too, so it's my general purpose brush when sketching.

Ashley Red Sable No.5 - it's made of red sable hair, and smaller so good for details, but I tend to use the next brush for details. So again, I haven't use this brush for quite some time!

Escoda Perla No.10 - I use No.8 and No.12 of the same brush when painting plein air, so No. 10 is just a nice in-between size for sketching.

Qn: So what prompted you to get a leather-bound sketchbook, as compared to the padded or spiral sketchbooks?

As I mentioned earlier, I like things that are hand-made so that's part of the reason I got it. But it's not just for cosmetic reason only, of course. I wanted a sketchbook with good quality papers. So, I went hunting for one on Ebay that looks good and also uses good quality papers.

Qn: What paper do you use inside? They look like hand-stitched paper. Are they?

I contacted the eBay seller who sent me a few sample of papers to try on and I eventually chose the 100% cotton-made paper which is fountain pen friendly (ie. ink doesn't feather on it). Yes, they are hand-stitched and bound onto the leather cover.

Qn: Some of your watercolour paintings are quite big. What are your tips and techniques on scanning them?

I don't scan them since they are too big to fit into a scanner. I use my DSLR camera to take pictures of my paintings instead. I usually do this on a sunny day but under shaded area.

Put the camera dial on Aperture Priority and set it at f/8 which will more or less ensure everything stays sharp. I'll then crop the image with Photoshop before saving them.

Qn: Have you bought any art supplies that you were excited about, only to try it and find out you don't like it as much as you expected? What are they?

Definitely! I have had my fair share of such experiences. Colours that were too opaque, brushes with hairs falling out, papers that have lost its sizing, you name it, I've had it before.

Rise-Up, Loyang City, China

Sultan Mosque, Singapore

Thian Hock Keng Temple, Singapore

Anchored @ Sekinchan Fishing Village, Malaysia

If you have any questions for Marvin, ask them here: http://goo.gl/qdWMGw

Some of the items mentioned are also available at Dick Blick Art Materials.

Also check out other Art Tools & Gears artists interviews.

In this installment of the Art Tools and Gears interview series, we have with us Penang sketcher Ch'ng Kiah Kiean, 莊 嘉強 (website | Flickr).

He has a unique and expressive painting style with influence from Chinese paintings. Oftentimes he can be seen paintings with twigs especially when using blacks.

Let's take a look at his tools of trade.

Qn: Wow, you've a lot of brushes. Can you give our readers a rundown of the brushes you use?

From left to right:

• #2 Van Gogh 130 Fine Hair
• #10 Van Gogh 130 Fine Hair
• #14 Pebeo petit gris-pure squirrel
• #1/2 650 Goldie fine ox
• #3/4 650 Goldie fine ox
• #10 2210 Goldie red sable
• #6 Rembrandt 136 petit gris pur
• #10 daVinci 5519
• #28 Van Gogh 130 Fine Hair (I forgot the number)
• #22 daVinci Maestro tobolsky-kolinsky
• #16 daVinci Harbin kolinsky
• #6 daVinci Harbin kolinsky

Qn: Which one is your favourite brush? Or the one you use most often? Why?

#1/2 650 Goldie fine ox and #3/4 650 Goldie fine ox. I like to use flat head brushes.

Qn. You use a lot of blacks for your paintings. Do you use these brushes for that?

Normally I will use #2 Van Gogh 130 Fine Hair and #10 Van Gogh 130 Fine Hair to apply Chinese ink.

Qn: What's this black ink that you're using? How is it different from other brands?

The brand is Saintograph. It is a waterproof ink.

Qn: I remember you put something into the small bottle. What is it and what's the purpose?

I will insert crumpled gauze into the bottle, the purpose is to hold keep the Chinese ink. It also prevent dipping directly into the ink, especially when using twigs.

If I dip the twig into ink without the gauze, it will be soaked wet with ink and difficult to control. With the gauze, the twig will have sufficient ink but not too wet.

Qn. You seem to like drawing with twigs. What is it that you like about them?

The line works created with the twigs are full of energy, I like the natural touch of them. I will sharpen them when the nip become blunt. I will sharpen it to draw thinner lines.

Qn: Are there any difference between twigs of different trees or plants?

The major different is between soft and hard wood twigs. Hard wood twigs will produce thinner and harder lines.

Qn: Are there any special considerations when you're using twigs? For example do you have to use a totally dry twig?

Basically I use the dry twig for the outline sketch. If I have decided to work on only black & white sketch, I will use a totally dry twig method.

Qn: Beside twigs, have you used other non-traditional drawing tools.

Not at the moment.

Qn: I see that you have watercolor pans and tubes. Which do you prefer?

Pans are for travelling and tubes for larger watercolour paintings.

Qn: What brands of watercolour do you prefer? How do you choose your watercolours? What do you think about their characteristics?

Winsor & Newton, I used this brand since high school and familiar with the colour characteristics. I prefer transparent colours than semi transparent colours.

Qn: Which are your favourite colours? From which brand?

• Charcoal Grey
• Indigo
• Cobalt Blue
• French Ultramarine
• Vandyke Brown
• Burnt Sienna
• Brown Ochre
• Indian Yellow
• Cadmium Orange
• Winsor Red
• Brown Madder

All from Winsor & Newton (US | UK).

Qn: What graphite pencils are you using? What's the difference between them?

The 3 left-hand one are clutch pencils. I also use Creatacolor graphite sticks of 4B, 6B & 9B.

Qn: Graphite comes off the paper easily. How do you preserve it, or prevent it from making other pages dirty?

I will fix my complete sketch with Schmincke fixative spray.

Qn: What are those graphite sticks? Why do you keep these pencils and graphite so short? How do you use them?

Those are used short graphite sticks, I keep them as a record of usage.

Qn: What are the sketchbooks you have tried? Which ones do you prefer? Why?

Daler-Rowney, Moleskine and Sennelier. I prefer Moleskine watercolour notebook (US | UK). I like the paper quality which can hold light watercolour wash well. The binding of the book is also very good.

Qn: Besides using these sketchbooks, what watercolour paper do you use when you're painting larger pieces?

Saunders Waterford (US | UK) cold pressed and hot pressed, 300gsm. Currently Waterford is the easiest paper brand I can get in Penang. I also like the off white paper colour.

Qn: Have you bought any art supplies that you were excited about, only to try it and find out you don't like it as much as you expected? What are they?

Not yet. I will try to find out the unique characteristic of each brand, I believe nothing is perfect.

Qn: Say you have US$150 budget to buy some art materials. How would you spend it?

I will buy some Escoda travel brushes and Winsor & Newton tubes for colour refill. Also 1 or 2 Moleskine A4 folio albums.

That's Ch'ng Kiah Kiean sketching at the start of the video.

Items mentioned may be available at Dick Blick Art Materials, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Peter Mohrbacher is a concept artist and illustrator best known for his work on Magic: The Gathering. He's been making card illustrations since 2010 and helped design the worlds for Return to Ravnica and Theros.

He's currently using some of his art to create prints and playmats using Kickstarter. Check out his project at http://kck.st/17U63xu. It ends 13 Dec 2013.

I took this opportunity to ask him about his art and inspiration.

Qn1: Can you give us an introduction on how you got started in art, your training and inspiration?

I had made simple drawings of video game characters throughout my childhood, but I don’t think anyone thought of me as artistic. But one morning, when I was 16, I woke up with a powerful urge to make artwork. It hit me like a ton of bricks and it’s never worn off.

During high school, I survived by projecting my fantasies onto paper. I would steal reams to printer paper from my school to fuel the number of drawings I was making. I was really into anime at the time, so I drew anime characters as well as designing and redesigning my own characters over and over again.

When it came to college, I got sucked into one of those horrible “for profit” schools because it was one of the only programs that offered a game art program. I really wanted to work in the game industry and this seemed like the best way to get in. I should have done more research. The program and facilities were horrible, but I used that time to get involved in online communities like CGTalk and Deviantart. By the time I graduated, I had taught myself how to paint digitally. It was during that time that I discovered my voice as an artist and I’ve been building on many of those themes and images ever since.

Qn2: You've produced many illustrations for Magic The Gathering cards. Can you talk about one of your favourite pieces and also one from another MTG artist?

Erebos, God of the Dead is probably the piece I am most proud of. I worked on the concept team for Theros and I designed Erebos early on in the process. He was the first god design to be approved and was used to help pitch the set internally at Wizards.

Erebos

When I was commissioned to illustrate Erebos, I got super excited! I stressed and fussed over it much more than normal because I knew that he was going to be a signature figure for me as well as Theros. When I saw him on the packaging art, I was ecstatic.

Surgical Extraction by Steve Belledin

Terror by Adam Rex

I love being a part of the Magic art community. There are so many pieces of art that make me want to stop and stare but every once in a while I will see a piece that really grabs me. Steve Belledin’s “surgical extraction” comes to mind. Steve is an artist’s artist. And I always love to see his originals at shows. I’m a fan of the high concept pieces most. Adam Rex’s “Terror” is another that I just freaked out when I saw it. Maybe I just like magic cards with skeletons on them!

Qn3: What type of images stir you the most? Can you give an example, maybe the first one that comes to mind?

I love images that have mystery in them. When there is something in the painting that is present but you cannot see, I get excited. It starts my imagination running! That feeling draws me into a painting to the point where I start to imagine the sounds and smells of the place. The work of Zdzislaw Beksinski is some of my favorite. His work contains this subtle human element locked behind the mysterious jumble of textures and symbols. His work can become intensely scary because of his amazing ability to balance relating gestures against strange and unknowable images. That juxtaposition is wildly unsettling, and it makes me want to engage the art even more.

Qn4: You've created a mentorship program for other artists recently. What's the most helpful critique you've received, either from your mentor or not? How did it help you?

I’ve been taking a mentorship with Rebbecca Leveille Guay through her online SmART School program. It was through this that I learned that a piece of advice I’d been giving people for years was all wrong. I always told people, that you need to forget about your imaginary audience and just focus on the piece that you want to make. But I was all wrong.

What I was really trying to express was that an artist needs to be present in their own work, which is important. But more importantly, they need to think about how their choices will affect their audience. I didn’t realize this, but I had been doing it all along without thinking about it. Every choice about a piece of art, from the colors, to the texture of the mark making sends a message to the viewer. It’s so important to be both a creator and observer while painting because you must be aware of how your decisions will be seen by someone interacting with your work.

Being more self conscience about my artistic choices has been helping me push my art into new territory for the first time in a years. I’m currently in the process of making many new additions to my portfolio to reflect this point of view. In short, it means that I’m making paintings where the characters have faces. Finally.

Qn5: What do you know now that you wished you knew earlier in your career?

I still love painting digitally and I’m never going to stop but there is a deep satisfaction to painting with physical materials. I wish I had taken opportunities to do it sooner.

It’s only in the past few years that I’ve ever picked up a brush and it has opened my eyes to things I would have never learned otherwise. I’m not sure it’s possible to truly learn about color until you’ve spent time mixing paint on a palette. There’s never been a more profound experience in my art education.

To get Peter Mohrbacher's art, visit his Kickstarter campaign at http://kck.st/17U63xu. It ends 13 Dec 2013.

And also check out more of his art and about the mentorship program at http://www.vandalhigh.com

Below are photos of the home studio of my friend Andrew Tan (aka Drewscape).

I wanted to feature him for the Art Tools and Gears interview series and have been wondering why he took so long to response, or even seem reluctant.

After looking at his home studio, I know why now. He has a load of art materials, and claims he uses them all. So I might have to split the interview series in several parts.

Meanwhile, I'll give you a preview of his tools first.

If you have an interesting workspace and wants to be featured to thousands of readers, contact me, send me your photos.

If you have an interesting workspace and wants to be featured to thousands of readers, contact me, send me your photos.

Aaron Pocock (website | blog) is an artist born in England but now lives in Australia. He draws for a living and has created work for children books, packaging design and even editorial illustrations.

He's our guest artist for this instalment of the 5 Questions interview series.

He has self published some sketchbooks and finish drawings recently.

I got to know of his work through his Kickstarter project for a how-to instructional artbook called The Fantasy Artroom. It covers drawing, line art and watercolour painting for fantasy art. Check out the project at http://kck.st/1cEjsqt. It ends on 18 Dec 2013, Wednesday.

Qn1: Can you give us an introduction on how you got started in art, your training and inspiration?

I was a very shy kid. Looking back, I think that is the main reason I became drawn to fantasy art. Firstly it was comics and cartoons, then movies.

As I got older, I think the single defining influence came in the form of the Narnia books, they blew me away, took my imagination to places I'd seen in my dreams. There's something so timeless and real about those books, I don't think anything has had the same impact on me.

Ever since I was old enough to hold a pencil, drawing was what I loved the most, it was a way to break down those barriers I felt as an awkward kid, dealing with emotions and the like. I always seemed to manage to get attention (often when I wasn't wanting it) from friends, family members and classmates. I carried on doing it because I loved to create my own little fantasy worlds to escape into, much the same as many other artists, I'll wager.

I'm totally self-taught so I've picked up a lot over the years. Initially from copying the work of my heroes, but most commonly through practice, time and effort are the key in my opinion, there's no short cut to learning this stuff, I wish there was. That said, I'm creating this 'How To' book so people can learn things without having to spend the time I spent searching.

Inspiration comes from everywhere, for me. I look out of my studio and see a dramatic sky, Or the way a bird takes off from a tree or glides across the water to catch a fish, it's not much of a leap to turn said bird into a dragon in my mind. Nature is a big influence on my work, we're very lucky to have such beauty in the world.

Qn2: Since your Kickstarter project is for a how-to book on fantasy art, can you tell us what is it about fantasy art that you like?

Fantasy art is such a wide description of something that covers so many areas, so many things... Creatures, beautiful heroines, powerful wizards, it's a timeless subject and it dates way back since man first started scribbling on rocks.

I love it because it gives the artist/illustrator a chance to dream, to imagine. You can create and hopefully if you do it well enough, people will believe in what you do and become immersed in your worlds, or at least in a particular image.

I hear all the time how images of mine have inspired people, to either drift away to an imaginary land, or to pick up a pencil or paints and give it a go themselves.

I love to inspire people, I love to imagine, I love to better myself technically. Fantasy art gives me the opportunity to indulge in all of that.

Qn3: Can you tell us some of the fantasy artists that you like?

Fantasy artists that I like?... Well there are so many of them, but I'll go back from early influences and work my way forward, these guys are the ones who 'made' me want to get better, to pursue art...

As a child, John Buscema was a hero. His work stood leagues above anyone else in my eyes. Looking at it now, he's still the man, I got to meet him in the early 90's, he was a lovely guy too.

Then came Marc Silvestri, another artist cut from the Buscema cloth, the raw power in his work stood him above his contemporaries as far as I was concerned, and he's still creating great art.

Next, I managed to befriend a fabulous artist by the name of David Wyatt, I'm sure most of your readers will be familiar with the name... He's responsible for some of the best book covers in the past 20 years or so. David and I used to play music together and I was fortunate enough to have pawed over his original art, which literally turned over everything I thought I knew about art. He's an inspiration to this day...

Via David, I was exposed to another main influence in the form of Charles Vess. As a young 20-something, I sent him a letter with some dodgy photocopies of my art, he was gracious enough to not only reply, but send me a few of his self-published works, copies of the work of his own influences and a lovely hand written letter of encouragement. This changed the course of my art and I think the influence is still evident although my style has developed.

See how one thing leads to another in the art world?

Next, via Charles Vess, I came to know the work of Arthur Rackham. I'm sure many readers will have had similar experience of that first moment they saw a piece of his art. It was all there, everything I'd ever tried to express in my own art. The guy was technically masterful, a wizard with line and brush and his subject matter was/is always believable. Another guy who stood head and shoulders over anyone from his era. His sense of humour is another thing that set him apart. I refer to these guys as my 'Gods'.

Also via Charles Vess came Alan Lee. I own most of the books he's illustrated, simply because his work is so delicate, ethereal, so technically masterful but organic in the way I've not seen in any other artist's work. If I could draw like that I'd die a very happy man. I think Alan ranks up there with timeless artists such as Waterhouse. There's nobody else like him, in my opinion alive today. There are so many more artists I admire, but these guys are the reason I do what I do.

Qn4: I see from your profile page that you've worked with a lot of clients. How do you go about promoting yourself and finding work?

Self promotion is a hard thing for an artist. At least that's the impression I get from people I talk to.

It's never an easy thing to deal with pictures that come from one part of the brain and then flip it over and handle paperwork, talk to clients on the phone, or in meetings, to promote endlessly via the web or whatever, yet, it needs to be done.

I've had to learn it as I go and I'm still learning. Internet social media outlets are popping up left and right and if you miss them, you miss out.

Building up a following is vital and should never be underestimated as a way to gain an audience, for outlets for your work, and for sales of your artwork. Unless you're very fortunate, slowly but surely is the way to do it. I'm gaining followers every day.

Word of mouth is very important, be a good guy or gal. Don't abuse your position. I've seen many top artists act like idiots and it annoys the hell out of me. Be gracious and thankful for the people who have accepted you.

I answer all of my mail, Facebook messages and the like, these people are the ones who keep us in work, doing what we love, sure, there's a lot of competition out there, but if you love what you do, you'll find a way.

I can't stress enough the importance of developing somewhat of a business-oriented brain, even if it feels completely unnatural. You'll do what you need to do, if you need it badly enough.

Promoting yourself can be exhausting but that's the way breaks come for you. Blogs, websites, social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter are all important elements in your quest to reach people.

When I illustrated that set of 'Mythical Creatures' stamps for Australia Post, the gig came via them finding me via my blog. Who could have seen that coming, certainly not me.

Exposure is the key. Be nice, make art to the best of your ability and you'll get yourself out there. Join online groups, or art societies in the real world. Make sure your work is seen.

Qn5: What do you know now that you wished you knew when you were starting out?

That's a simple one. Always work to the best of your ability, don't work on projects you can't dedicate enough time to. I have a few arty skeletons in my closet I'd rather keep locked away. Sometimes though, you need those to cringe at as a yard stick. I was young and naïve then. And another things, as I mentioned before, it's important to see what you do as a business, get to grips with that and all the stuff that comes with it.

Check out his Kickstarter project for The Fantasy Artroom at http://kck.st/1cEjsqt. It ends on 18 Dec 2013, Wednesday.

We have with us for this interview Anders Sandell, founder of TANK & BEAR, a company that designs and publishes children's media and craft toys. He has a background in interaction design, illustration, and toy design. Although originally from Finland, he now lives in India.

He's also the creator of Jörgits, an interactive children novel on the iPad.

In addition to the Jörgits iPad app, he's now creating a physical book. The illustrations are simple and beautiful, and the story is about some cute aliens who crash landed on earth after leaving their planet which is becoming increasingly cold.

He's using Kickstarter to launch the book and you can back it at http://kck.st/1dY0XP7.

It was Kickstarter Project of the day for 29 Nov 2013.

Qn1: Can you give us an introduction of yourself and how you got started in art. It seems quite interesting. You are originally from Finland but now based in India.

I was born in Finland but my family moved to Hawaii when I was eleven. My father is an astronomer and got offered a job to work on the telescopes in Mauna Kea. I've lived in many places since then including, Seattle, New York, San Francisco, China, Japan and now India.

I actually didn't study art in undergraduate, I have a double bachelors degree in Chinese Language and History. I discovered design right as I graduated from the University of Washington (UW).

My last year at the UW, I had an amazing class in Chinese Pop Culture. The first day of class, the professor, Andrew Jones brought in a mixed tape of Chinese music that started with the introduction of the gramophone in China and ended with Canto Pop. That's when I knew the class was going to rock. Throughout the course we watched an amazing variety of movies, I got introduced to Wong Kar Wei before most people in the US had even heard of him. Somewhere in the middle of the semester I had this realization that I didn't want to read about artists any more, I wanted to become one myself.

After I graduated I set out to teach myself design, I then began freelancing as a Flash Designer and a year later I joined Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) at the Tish School of the Arts. This was back in 2000, so a lot more has happened since then. Let's fast forward a bit. I ended up in India in 2008 where I started the Toy Lab at the Srishi School of Art, Design and Technology. It was kind of like my own Santa's workshop. From my work with the lab I started my company TANK & BEAR, to publish children's media and design toys, but that's a long story so let's save it for another time.

Qn2: What's your motivation behind creating Jörgits & the End of Winter?

The story is inspired by the year and half I spent in Finland after I graduated from ITP. I hadn't lived in Finland for over fifteen years, so when I returned everything felt strange and new but also eerily familiar. At times I felt a bit like an alien in my own country. I could relate but I was also on the outside looking in.

My intention with the Jörgits is to capture the wonder that you feel when you get introduced to a new culture. But the story also has a strong environmental message. The novel is about a group of aliens who end up crash-landing outside of Helsinki in the middle of winter. Their planet has become too cold and they've come to ours to discover the secret to how we are warming up our planet so quickly. The story is of course about global warming. I'm worried that as a culture we're not quite taking the climate crisis seriously enough.

The Jörgits is my attempt to introduce the issue to people in a tactful and light-hearted way. Stories are a very powerful way to in communicate ideas.

Qn3: What did you learn from creating the iPad app?

With the Jörgits I set out to create a company not just an app. Producing the app is just fifty percent of the work, marketing, networking, and raising money is the other fifty percent. Without doing the business part of the project your ability to create the next one will come to halt. I'm still have a lot to learn about this part of my business but its an exciting challenge.

Qn4: Say someone else is going to create an interactive story app similar to Jorgits. What advice would you give them?

Interactive fiction is a new medium, its not clear yet whether there is large enough of a market to support the production costs of these types of apps. Study the market very carefully, look at the apps that are being released how are they doing in the app store? Is there large enough of an audience for your app. I still believe in the medium but I think my next story book app will look very different from the first one that I made.

Qn5: Now that your app is out, why did you decide to create a printed book? What differences can the readers expect?

I'm creating a brand with the Jörgits. This is just the first novel in the series. I also a have dance game with the characters for the iPhone in concept stage and a first draft of book two ready.

The main reason to publish the book is to reach more people. Some people will want to interact with the characters in the app, some will want to read their story in a traditional book.

Personally I love the app but there is something really wonderful about a tangible book. I prefer the reading experience in the book, but I love the animations and interactive features that we created in the app. So you should get both.

Check out The End of Winter: Jörgits Printed Book Kickstarter project at http://kck.st/1dY0XP7. It ends 20 Dec 2013, Friday.

Today we feature Khoo Cheang Jin from Penang. I got to know of him during the Penang Sketchwalk 2012 and he was also at Bangkok Sketchwalk 2013. He would also come to Singapore painting occasionally.

Firstly, can you give an introduction to the readers?

My medium for expression is watercolour but I also use sketches to record my surroundings. My favourite subject for painting is places with heritage buildings.

I love art since young and the passion never dies off. While practicing Architecture in Penang I would allocate times during weekends for my family and for art.

Qn: Can you give our readers a rundown of the brushes you use?

Although my brush case is almost full, there are only a few brushes that I use frequently.

I have from left to right:

• No 6 Rembrandt 310 Pure Red Sable
• No 6 Goldie 2210 Red Sable
• No 8 Goldie 2210 Red Sable
• Unknown old brush
• No 12 Da Vinci 5519 Red Sable Special Inlaid Liner
• No 10 Pyramid Synthetic Hair
• No 4 Rembrandt 136 Squirrel (sword point)
• No 1/2 Pyramid Synthetic Hair (sword point)
• No 2 Saintograph flat brush, Unknown round brush
• No 5/8 Daler HP 28 Squirrel
• No ¾ Rowney S. 164 Ox Hair
• No 6 Rembrandt 132 Squirrel

Qn: Which one is your favourite brush? Or the one you use most often? Why?

I would often begin with No 2 Saintograph flat brush or No 6 Rembrandt 132 Squirrel for broad areas (eg. Sky). No 5/8 Daler HP 28 Squirrel, No 6 Goldie 2210 Red Sable and No 8 Goldie 2210 Red Sable for the main works, and No 12 Da Vinci 5519 Red Sable Special Inlaid Liner for the fine details and lines.

Qn: What brands of watercolour are you using? Why do you have a preference over this particular brand? What do you think about their characteristics?

My first encounter with artist grade watercolour was Winsor & Newton, and it still remains my favourite brand for its transparency. However it is not available in the Penang market so all these years I have also tried other brands such as Schmincke, Holbein, Old Holland, Rembrandt and Rowney.

Really, there’s no fixed brand in my bag and I have been painting all these years with mixed brands. But one thing I must make sure they are artist grade watercolours.

Qn: How do you choose the colours? What are the must-have colours for you?

I usually go for 7 or 8 colours that I use frequently, and these few colours stand the test over the years where they most suited my painting.

My favourite colours are Ultramarine, Cobalt Blue, Cerulean Blue, Burnt Sienna, Raw Umber, Burnt Umber, Sap Green and Vermilion. The other less use or only as highlight would be Permanent Yellow Deep, Scarlet Lake, Turquoise, Sepia and White. There are also other colours such as Purple, Rose etc which I keep in the bag but not on the palette. Only rarely I squeeze a little bit on the palette when I need them.

Of all the colours, there are 2 key players in my palette, the Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna. With these 2 colours, I could come up with different shades of blues, browns and greys, and add other more regular colours with that would be sufficient for me to complete a painting.

Qn: Is there a particular way that you use to arrange the watercolours on your palette?

As Ultramarine and Burnt Sienna are my 2 key players, I always put them side by side and in the central position. One side of the Ultramarine would be Cobalt Blue, followed by Cerulean Blue and Turquoise. Next to Burnt Sienna would be Raw Umber and Burnt Umber, followed by Greens. I would place Yellow and Red away from the dark colours to keep them as fresh and clean as possible.

Qn: That palette container looks familiar. Where did you find that? Usually I see people using metal palettes. Is there a reason why you decided to go with this plastic palette? How do you keep it?

My previous palettes were also plastics (the normal white ones you would find in art supplies). This particular palette was a gift from Kiah Kiean, bought in Taiwan.

It is very compact with 21 compartments for colours arranged in 3 rows with an air-tight lid (well, almost air-tight). The whole palette can be put inside the metal mixing tray, closed up as a compact metal box. When the tray is open, it has 4 mixing areas and you could fix the plastic palette to the tray. Below the plastic palette is a holder where you could hold it with your thumb on one hand and paint with the other.

Qn: How about watercolour paper?

I love Arches watercolour paper (smell is awful!) but this is not available in Penang, I only managed to obtain some from friends. So most of my paintings were done on Saunders Waterford, some (very few) on Bockingford. I always go for the 300gsm rough texture as it suits my style of painting.

Qn: Can you talk about your water tray? It looks like they can be detached into two pieces.

I can’t remember exactly when I bought this water container, must be around 20 years back, either in Straits Commercial (map) or ArtFriend.

It is very handy with 2 containers (1 full and 1 divided into 2) stack up to become one to save space for storage. The big compartment is the main washing tray while the small ones help me to keep some clean water when I need it.

What's in your pencil case?

Nothing special really. I have some pencils, clutch pencils, twigs and sharpened ice-cream sticks, pen-knife and erasers.

Qn: Can you talk about your easel?

I have been looking for easel for quite some time but they usually either not for watercolour or too heavy to carry.

I bought this Holbein aluminium watercolour easel 2 months ago at Straits Commercial and I love it, although not perfect. It is not heavy, easy to set up, can be tilted from horizontal to up right.

The shortfall is the extended spine is not long enough for full size watercolour paper. Even half size in vertical format would have problem. To overcome this, I use 2 metal clips, tied with rubber bands. The clips help to hold the board in position and the rubber bands will be pulled until the little knob at the central spine of the easel to hold it. Under normal circumstances (not tested yet under strong wind condition) it is pretty stable and I’m happy with this little innovation.

Qn: Is that dark shade bag a special artist bag? Where did you get that?

It’s not particularly for artists, many designers use it too. I got it from one of the art supplies in Bangkok.

Qn: So what do you put inside that bag?

I use it to keep my watercolour papers and boards. The size nicely takes in my half size board, and there are also some pockets to store the little utensils.

Qn: Do you use any sketchbooks for drawing? If so, what do you use?

I usually have 2 sketchbooks (sometimes 3, no wonder my bag is heavy) for different purposes.

I would use my Moleskine for more precious sketches, and a normal type for practice sketches, or for subject of less significant. I sometimes also use my DIY watercolour sketchbook when I want to do fast watercolour sketch.

Qn: Say you have $120 USD budget to buy some art materials. How would you spend it?

I guess I’m quite happy with the painting equipment I have now, so I would spend on some watercolours and papers. Love to have a good, big size flat sable hair brush, but it would be way over this budget!

Items mentioned may be available at Dick Blick Art Materials, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

For this instalment of 5 Questions, we have with us Little Thunder Co., a small design studio from Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Currently, they are working on their first children’s picture book Chalky and the New Sports Car, and have recently launched a Kickstarter campaign for the book. The story is about the adventures of Chalky in his neighbourhood.

Check out the Kickstarter project at http://kck.st/17NyNHM

The team behind Chalky consist of Gabriel Muldoon (Art Director), Tim Potter (Art Director), Michael McKeever (Designer), Stanley Potter (Author), Jordan Henderson (Illustrator) & Kyle Steed (Typographer).

Qn1. Can you tell us more about this cat Chalky?

GABRIEL: Chalky is a stray male cat that was rescued by Tim, son of the author, Stanley Potter. He was approximately 7 months old when he was found on a cold and wet winter’s evening in a friend’s shed, sleeping on a bunch of old plastic bags. Tim brought him back to his family home and since that night almost 10 years ago, he has resided as the Potter’s family cat.

TIM: It is still a mystery as to where he came from and how he had survived the previous 7 months on his own, but one thing we know about Chalky is that he is a good scavenger. He is also very friendly and has a big personality and no doubt was receiving handouts from kind folk in the neighbourhood before he found his permanent home. He does still have a wild streak in him from his days as a stray so he’d leave presents for our family in the form of a dead mouse or bird from time to time, but he’s a genuinely caring and lovable character.

Qn2. Can you tell us how the art is created? The black and white draft pages look lovely. And the coloured artworks look like they are drawn on textured canvas.

JORDAN: All paintings in 'Chalky' are digital, painted using a Wacom graphics tablet, but heavily inspired by traditional techniques.

When first approaching an illustration, I like to draw plenty of thumbnails - very small versions of potential compositions. Thumbnails are loose, fast and the idea is to figure out the 'bigger picture' and not get hung up on the details. Nothing beats traditional pencil and paper for this. I've come to view thumbnails as the most important stage in the process - it's like building a house on solid foundations. If the initial composition of the painting isn't right to begin with, no amount of fancy details will fix it at a later stage. I am massively influenced by the incredible work of Andrew Loomis. In his book Figure Drawing For All Its Worth he advises, "it's not how you draw, it's WHAT you draw".

The next stage of the process is to choose the strongest thumbnail to take forward. At this point, it's important to really consider the context in which the illustration will be used. For 'Chalky', it was critical for children to easily be able to connect with the illustrations. I repeatedly asked myself, "What is the best way to tell this story?". The fairly detailed painting style of Chalky is balanced by using simple, easily-readable compositions which help to drive the narrative of the book forward. I'm constantly thinking about how the text will interact with the illustration work. Both should work in harmony within a picture book as both help to communicate the story.

The next step in my process is to produce a 'prototype' illustration. This is a quick, digital sketch used to quickly determine if the illustration is working or not. If you're making a picture book, this stage will save you a lot of time in the long run. At this point, tweaks can be made fairly quickly without worrying about colour, texture and details. I usually feel like I am 'sculpting' the illustration here as I am still working with just one brush and a very limited tonal palette.

Once the prototype is looking solid, it's time to begin painting the final piece. I pay close attention to 'value' in all my paintings. I use patterns and combinations of value to lead the viewer’s eye to where I'd like them to focus on. It's so important to consider the experience of the reader. I plan a visual journey for the viewer in each illustration.

The aesthetic of 'Chalky' was developed very organically. Working closely with Tim And Gabriel, I started the initial paintings with a loose style and slowly began to work the details in. All the illustrations in Chalky were born out of the discussions that we had as a team. We crafted these illustrations through our conversations. This was the most enjoyable part of illustrating this book - Tim and Gabriel constantly brought exciting ideas to the table and it was a pleasure to bring them to life.

I use a variety of digital brushes that aim to reproduce traditional oil and paste techniques. Many artists feel like it really doesn't matter what type of brush is used because a brush does not compensate of a lack of technical ability. While this is true to an extent, I do believe that selecting the right brush is a huge part of digital illustration. I love working with texture, so I am always on the lookout for brushes that take inspiration from traditional approaches. It feels natural for me to paint in this way. I usually start with big, broad, powerful strokes to capture the form and rhythm and then I slowly decrease the brush size with each sitting until the painting is refined.

Qn3. How did author Stanley Potter come up with the story?

TIM: The neighbourhood where Chalky lives is pretty small (approximately 5 houses and 5 apartments) so it’s easy to keep track of his comings and goings. Like most cats he is curious and has a special admiration for cars. He has learned that when a car arrives, the bonnets are typically warm from the engine heat and given the UK climate, any heat is welcomed. Neighbours and visiting family would often return to their car to find a furry white ball curled up and enjoying the heat. He is well know by all the neighbours and most visitors by now, so they find it quite entertaining.

He also likes to peer up the exhaust’s of cars, I’m not quite sure why, but the bigger, the better as far as Chalky is concerned. Being a white cat, it is pretty obvious what he has been up to when he comes home as he’ll have a white ring of soot around his face, so Stanley took these real life hobbies of Chalky which set the story for Chalky and the New Sports Car.

Qn4. Did you learn anything new that you didn't know before about cats?

TEAM: Drawing a cat is actually quite a challenge so we learned a lot about their anatomy. We studied their movements and mannerisms to enable us to create a believable character, but the great thing about children’s books is we can take any characteristic and over exaggerate them to give them more presence within the illustrations, like the big, excitable eyes in the case of Chalky.

We also learned that you need to pay close attention to positioning when drawing a cat’s face as if the nose is too high it can make it look like a fox and if the brush strokes for the fur are too thick and the eyes are closer together, it can look a little bit like a bear.

Qn5. If you are a cat, what crazy things would you do? Why?

GABRIEL: I’m not sure I would investigate the exhausts of cars but I’d certainly enjoy my own adventures as a cat.

MICHAEL: If I was a cat I would draw pictures of people. That would really freak them out wouldn’t it :)

Check out the Chalky and the New Sports Car Kickstarter project at http://kck.st/17NyNHM

Qn: Hi Marc, thanks for helping out with the interview. Do you mind giving our readers a brief introduction about who you are? I heard that you created art for video games, but I can't quite associate your drawing setup with video game art.

Good question! Let’s see….

I went to art school for design/illustration (Alberta College of Art and Design), and I do indeed work in video games. I was an art director for many years, most notably on RPG projects such as Neverwinter Nights and Lord of the Rings online. Eventually I got promoted to concept artist, (technically speaking a step back, but forward for my personal happiness!).

Most recently I’ve been working on the Dragon Age series for Bioware/EA. I also did a short stint as a concept artist in feature animation at Imagemovers/Disney. Now I freelance from my home in Montreal.

I have to admit a kind of artistic schizophrenia. All of the entertainment media art is digital. Usually drawn or painted in photoshop with a graphics tablet. Most of that work is meant to be very illustrative, using a lot of photographic reference and approaching “reality”, even when it’s fantastic subjects.

In my personal work I’m the complete opposite. I have a drawing based approach, very aggressive and gestural, very open to mistakes, weird line work, whatever happens in the moment. I prefer to draw from life, putting myself in front of interesting subjects. You can do your ‘best’ work in the studio, but I also like to experience the world first hand, even if the results are somewhat ‘sketchy’.

I’ve been blogging my ‘On Location’ work at citizensketcher.wordpress.com and a mixed array of digital work and figure drawing at tarosan.wordpress.com (Occasionally NSFW).

Qn: Can you give us a rundown of the brushes you use? Those look really well used. What's with taping for some of the brushes?

You’ll see a mix of nice sable brushes and the cheapest of synthetics in there. I often like a sharp, calligraphic kind of stroke, so I can draw shapes and have crisp edges. The cheap synthetics are actually best for that. But they suck for drybrush, or very expressive thick-to-thin line variation. So that’s why both.

The taping thing is
A: really old brushes with a cracked paint on the shaft can get wet and swell, loosening the ferrule. Newer brushes don’t seem to do this – they probably all have plastic shafts now.
B: I thicken the belly of the brush so they seat into the wire handles of bulldog clips (see shot below, brushes attached to the easel). Otherwise they just fall through.

Qn: Which are your most frequently used brushes? Why do you like them?

There is a rust-red barreled one in there – (not the bright red one). It’s a #14 Escoda Reserva Kolinsky Sable made in Barcelona. It’s a moderately large brush if you’re working 9x12ish, but the perfect size to do the workhorse drawing at 12x16ish. It’s got a great point, but can be laid on the side for a fat stroke. So If I could have only one brush ever, that would be the one.

Every brush has a role though. That bright red one is a cheap ass thing that I like to use for grinding or stabbing the paper. Drybrushing foliage. There’s a long hair rigger second from the spine on the left – just for small tree branches, long hair on a model, things that need long slender strokes. I have an even longer haired one I should actually switch it out for. The big mop on the left is for skies and big areas of ground. Always use the biggest brush that fits in the shape you are doing.

Qn: In one of your blog post, you mentioned that "Synthetic is fine. Natural sable is great." Why is that so?

I am on the cusp of ordering a whole new set of brushes. I might go all-sable soon. I just have to get over the mental block of spending $500 replacing all of them at once.

Sable has a few advantages. They hold more water, so the strokes are juicy and can go further. They can splay out and hold their shape, being better for drybrushing, and yet, (with a good one) they can have a very sharp point.

I have to admit, I have found sometimes the point is inconsistent in my old favorite Series 7 Windsor and Newton sables. This is one thing that sucks about the new reality of online shopping. You really should inspect every brush you buy. Most art stores will give you a cup of water to test the points. Not every brush of the same fiber comes out to the same final quality. It’s just the way of natural products.

On the other hand, you can do great work with synthetics, mostly you can’t tell the difference in the finished work. I would say synthetic will get you through your first 2000 paintings just fine.

Qn: Is that a dedicated pouch for storing brushes?

Yes, that’s a brush case – no idea the brand, they are quite discreet – no markings on them. But I’ve seen them at lots of art stores. This is really an important bit of kit. You have to treat the points of your brushes carefully. If you’re going to throw them into a shoulder bag it’s the only way. I have a bigger case for oil brushes with the longer handles.

Qn: What brands of watercolour are you using? Why do you have a preference over this particular brand? What do you think about their characteristics?

I choose them for the pigment, not so much the brand – so I have a mix of Winsor and Newton, Holbein right now. It’s just a matter of what color I need and what’s in stock.

I’m not savvy enough to say the difference in granularity or dispersion – I feel like I go for the color I need and adapt to the situation. The effect of humidity, temperature and paper is much more significant than any minor variation in manufactures paint quality anyway.

So I’d just say you get to know which brand is the shade of a color you like. One trick is, you can read the tiny numbers on the tube to see what it really is made of. W&N Cerulean Blue for instance is PB35. The ingredient names for pigments are standardized, so any brand with the same code is the same color. I bought a tube of Da Vinci Cerulean blue that is based on PB36, thinking it would be fine, and it’s actually a completely different color. Very acidic and greenish tinged. I hate it. It’s a big 2 ounce tube I’ll never use up. Unfortunately, it’s just a matter of experimenting and seeing what you like. I guess my advice is don’t buy the big tubes till you know you like a color.

Qn: How do you choose the colours? What are the must-have colours for you?

My basic colors are: Alizarin Crimson, Cadmium Red Light, Yellow Ocher, Cadmium Yellow Light Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue. This is a very basic setup based on a warm and cool of each primary.

I have some ‘optional’ colors – I love Sap Green as a basis for foliage. One warm or cool it as required, almost never using it straight up.

I use Burnt Sienna and Prussian Blue as mixes to make darks. Combined with anything really, but often with the Alizarin Crimson.

I have this weird special effect colors Winsor Lilac (an opaque-ish light pink), that I use sometimes just for fun. It’s almost like white gouache and Alizarin Crimson. Something I can’t mix on the fly. I use it in skies for variety and flesh tones.

If I need some super dark darks I use Holbein Shadow Green (a powerful cool dark), Van Dyke Brown (a deep warm dark) and Lamp Black. I don’t use these much, but sometimes you need super dark darks.

It is very useful to have Opaque White Gouache and perhaps an Ivory Black Gouache. You can mix these with watercolor to make ‘body colors’ – opaque mixes that can be used bring back details on top. This is not traditional for watercolor, but can be useful at times.

Qn: Is there a particular way that you use to arrange the watercolours on your palette?

Basically, Primaries on the bottom, Earths and Darks on the side. You’ll see my two reds, two yellows, two blues along the bottom, with the special effect colors next to them. Lilac next to reds, Sap Green next to yellows. Prussian Blue next to the blues.

No particular reason, just habit so you can add new colors and know what’s in the wells. There is a blob of Cad Yellow Medium on there, taking up a slot. I haven’t used that blob in about a year, so I should take it out I guess.

Qn: What's your advice for beginners looking to buy watercolours? What should they look out for?

I guess everyone knows don’t buy Student Grade paint. It’s basically all filler and not enough pigment, so your images will be weak and anaemic. Artist grade costs more, but it’s the only option really.

My other main peccadillo – I don’t much like pans. Not the dry ones for sure, they are the worst. You can’t get the right amount of pigment when you’re scrubbing them like a bar of soap. Its either too much, or nowhere near enough. To get a nice rich color, sometimes you want to pick up an almost pure dollop of pigment. The pans are just too miserly.

The semi-moist are not really much better. Bottom line: if you use pans, you won’t be able to mix complex colors. You’ll have a hard time making large washes, and/or getting enough pigment strength released from the pan. In general your paintings are likely to end up pale and cartoon-like. Pans are only useful for working in a small sketchbook by the side of the road in the south of France.

Sure, I have used them in the past – it’s how I got started (tinting over ink drawings), but these days I’d rather just draw in ink if I can’t have tube paint for space/portability reasons.

I know Charles Reid uses pans, but he’s super experienced. I think it’s the hard road going that way. So feel free to ignore me, but also add 5 years to your learning curve! Ha!

Qn What are those metal clips for?

Look down to shot of the fully set up easel – see how I use them to hold brushes? (as well as hold the taped paper-and-board on the tray). It makes a real difference – having all your tools at hand.

Watercolor is a very speedy medium. There are things you just have to do while a wash is wet. Once dried, the paint is inert. So anything that saves you groping for tools is important. You get a better piece if you can have the right brush instantly.

Qn: How about watercolour paper? What do you use?

The ‘correct’ answer is 300lb Arches Cold press. This is really the best paper. It’s got a great texture, great for drybrush effects. And in 300lb weight you don’t have to stretch paper (wont wrinkle).

BUT, I’ve been known to use a lot of cheaper machine made papers – Canson Montval pads and blocks are a standby for field sketching. I sometimes like a smooth, sized paper like the Montval. You can draw a nice sharp detailed image, and washes go on smoothly. So, I’ve done things on cheap paper I quite liked. But I know the Arches 300 is the best way to go, and now that I’m more confident with my drawing, that’s what I’m switching to as my mainstay.

Qn: And these two are?

Nalgene water bottle – totally leak proof, carry it around everywhere, never had a spill. Use one like it for oil painting solvent as well. 100% reliable. Plus a wide mouth you can swizzle your brushes in.

The ‘mist’ bottle (I think it’s an old hair spray container, must be 20 years old) – this is to ‘wake up’ your old paint in the palette. I mist them before starting, so the paint blobs get juicy and ready to spew color.

Qn: These look like your drawing tools. I can recognize the Lamy fountain pen. The bottom one's a pencil? Can you talk about them?

The top is a Lamy Safari fountain pen. That’s an EF (Extra fine), but I have Fine and a 0.9 calligraphy tip that’s a real bruiser. I use the Lamy house brand cartridges. Lots of people like the suction refill-gadgets to hand-fill with bottle ink, but honestly I can’t be bothered. If I want liquid ink, I’ll just use dip pens or a brush (see below for more on that).

The other reason I like the cartridges is they are NOT waterproof. (I’ll explain why I like that a bit further down.)

Below that is just a Staedtler mechanical pencil. I like a 0.7mm, as it’s a bit thicker line, useful if you’re drawing bigger. And the Kneaded rubber eraser – I think everyone knows these? These rubbery erasers are good for lifting graphite off the paper without damaging the surface. The white art erasers can be too rough on the paper tooth.

The deal with mechanical pencil - some people have been taught to use wooden pencils for ‘expressive line’ – but that’s really not the issue in a watercolor. You don’t want too much graphite under you paint. You can dirty the paper with too much drawing. I like a clean, spidery, drawing that shows through with nice sharp line work. Plus I hate sharpening on the go – either you make a huge mess with shavings, or you have a reservoir sharpener that gets full in 2 seconds and then opens in your bag making a huge disaster.

The brush pen in the shot is the old standby the Pentel Pocket Brush. Also known as the GFKP. Sometimes you have to search that name to find the refills online. It’s really a great brush pen, and I’ve used it for years. This is probably my fourth of these, eventually the cap breaks if you actually use the pocket clip. A very nice responsive tip, very fine lines but can also drybrush or lay down big blacks.

BUT – I will say I’ve switched to the Kuretake #13 brush pen. The tip is a little finer, a little more precise – and the ink cartridge is also NOT waterproof. The Pentel PB is fully water safe. So, again, I’m using the water-solubility as an effect these days.

Here’s a few ballpoint pen sketches with the Kuretake for accent.

Qn: Looks like dip pens and nibs you have above. What are they? How are they different compared to the Lamy fountain pen? I don't suppose you use these for outdoor urban sketching?

That is a Tachikawa nib holder and some Zebra Model G nibs, and a stray hunt crow quill I think. Both ordered from Jet Pens.

I do use them outdoors! – that’s why the tiny bottle of ink, and the even tiny-er bottle for carrying the nibs.

The dip pen is just so much better than any pen-pen. The line is much more expressive, much greater range of thick to thin. Plus you can change ink colors instantly. They are super easy to clean and you just toss them if they get worn out. Cheaper AND Better!

I’m using them for almost everything now. I can hold a sketchpad and the small bottle of ink in one hand, draw and dip with the other. Never had a spill in the three or four months I’ve been using them. Eventually I’ll pour ink in my lap or something, but hey. Live dangerously!

I have to admit – I have not shown any of the recent drawings done with the nib pen. A lot of them are for an un-announced book project. I’m going to have to do some just for the purpose of demonstrating the value of the nibs. It’ll be a year before I can talk about the book I’m hinting at.

Just a ballpoint. I do a lot of my speed gestures with ballpoint and brush marker. The 3 min or less drawings.

You’ll note all the little tin cases for erasers, cartridges and pens. These were from a Japanese stationary in San Francisco, and I wish I’d bought more sizes. They satisfy my deep-seated Asian need for containers to put inside containers.

Qn: When I first saw your easel in your blog post, I was impressed. That thing is like a piece of art by itself. Does not look anything like a traditional wooden easel. Where did you buy it? Or how did you make it? There's even a tray below. The setup looks amazing.

My wife is a photographer, so I could see from her gear that camera equipment is much better made than most artist oriented stuff. People love asking about these rigs, but it’s really nothing special. It’s all available at camera shops and online stores.

This was my first setup:

I don’t mind hauling around a tripod, but most people are not going to want to bother with this. It’s really overkill.

Ultimately I decided this tripod-and-arm combo was too heavy, too slow to set up. And the side arm (which is meant for an accessory microphone or a small camera) was too shaky.

So I upgraded to a new (more expensive) lighter weight setup:

This bigger black tripod (Manfrotto 055XPROB) is much more stable, goes taller, and has the “horizontal mode”. A really great system. But honestly I could not recommend to anyone they buy this setup, so I wasn’t going to mention it this time. It’s just too expensive, and frankly too big for most people to bother carrying around. But, if you are curious, all the parts are identified in that blog post you saw: People always ask about the easel.

So this latest setup (the red one) is my compromise between portability and function. It’s a Sirui T-005. I once said I’d only have black camera gear, but apparently the world is moving on without me. Next thing you know we’ll have white phones.

The plastic trays are a product called the Eric Michaels En Plein Air Traveler. If you were a wood worker it would be simple to make your own trays. The connection you need between the tray and the tripod is called a T-Nut. I didn’t need to get crafty as I’ve had the E.M. Traveller for ages. I’d still be using the off-the-shelf Traveler, but I wore out the cheap tripod it ships with.

Qn: Is it heavy? The tripod looks big. Is it easy to setup?

The black Manfrotto 055XPROB is a bit heavy, 5.3lbs (~2.4kg) and 25” (63cm) folded (so carried over the shoulder).

The red Sirui is a slender 2.2lbs (~1kg) and folds down to 12” (30cm) and fits in a bag.

Both are fast to set up and take down and both can go plenty tall for standing to paint. I’m average height and I don’t use them at full extension. The Sirui has a hook under the centre column, from which you can hang your bag – giving it added weight if you need to counterbalance a big painting.

Qn: This is an interesting piece of work I saw on your blog. Seems like some watersoluble ink, but there are also some lines that didn't quite dissolve. What did you use?

This is that thing I was talking about! The water soluble inks. That’s the Lamy Safari and Kuretake #13 brush pen, both using their native cartridges.

You can simply wash it with clear water (being careful what you touch and what you don’t) and get instant grey values – or you can paint in with watercolor, and you colors get an automatic unifying, greying effect as the pen line melts into them. It’s great for an ‘unfinished’ look where the drawing shows through.

If your readers don’t mind some pin-up level near-nudity (Pasties Alert!) here’s some drawings from Dr. Sketchy’s with those pens and watercolor.

I first discovered this whole deal on sketching trip to Newfoundland in 2012. I was using the Lamy 0.9 calligraphy nib, and discovered how awesome it is to use water soluble ink line with watercolor. I have a video flip through (Inspired by parka blog!) of that sketchbook.

Qn: I saw you sketching on a sketchbook during the Urban Sketching Barcelona Symposium. What sketchbooks do you use?

That’s a Stillman and Birn Beta. Which is a damn nice watercolor book. 180lb/270gsm paper in a sketchbook! Got to be the nicest books for field work in watercolor.

For other things, I don’t mind the ubiquitous Moleskine, especially if I’m just drawing in pencil.

But I have to be honest, I am wanting to work larger these days, so I’m all about my 14x18” Coroplast backing boards and cut sheets. They are light enough I can carry a stack of 5 boards with paper on both sides, and that’s always been enough for a day on location.

Qn: Last question that's not related to your tools. I don't usually see video game or movie concept art being created in watercolour. It always puzzles me. Do you know why?

Two reasons. Well three.

1: Rapidity of revisions. In game/film design there is a lot of art direction and back and forth discussion. Working digitally allows you to make infinite changes to the work without ever having to re-do anything completely.

2: Perfection of vision, be it realism or a style or just hyper detail. Entertainment media is all about pushing graphics. Whatever the style we seem to want to constantly push for better graphics, bigger effects, more, more more. Traditional media can’t do this quickly (oil paints for instance are capable of anything, but it takes time). Watercolor is too idiosyncratic. It’s a media for ‘happy accidents’. Water flows into blooms and backwashes. I love the alchemy of water painting. Forcing it to be realistic is a shame. Whenever I see hyperrealist watercolors I just wonder ‘why bother’? It’s not natural to the expressive medium. If you want to obliterate the fluid dynamics and the brush strokes, to have a perfect photographic finish, just paint it digitally.

Third reason is just that it’s much easier to learn to paint digitally. The computer is a skill-magnification device. Like bringing a motorcycle to marathon. Digital art amps up your native ability.

But I’m not setting up for a traditional vs. digital fight. The best artists use whatever they want to get the effect, switching back and forth seamlessly. I’ve seen people paint, scan, do photoshop, print outputs and paint some more. I’ve done it myself in a way, making digital collages of sketches and printing a final drawing on Arches for a painting. You’d be surprised how much traditional art there is behind the scenes sometimes.

I love working both ways, and see some great possibilities for artists who embrace both sides!

Ok, thanks for having me! See you around the net!

~marc

We have with us concept artist Nicolas Weis (website | facebook | twitter) for a quick 5 questions. He has created art for several animated films, such as How to Train Your Dragon and The Croods.

Qn1. How about a little introduction about yourself?

The reply for this question comes from the Nicolas Weis' blog

I was born in 1977 in the outskirts of Paris where I spent the first 25 years of my life. I was fortunate enough to discover role-playing games pretty early and I am proud to say that it is probably what helped me the most to develop my imagination and allowed me to meet a lot of interesting and original people.

Then when I was 20 I decided to learn how to draw. For real.

I graduated from the Ecole du Louvre where I studied History of Art and majored in Archaeology. Then I decided to become an artist and learn to draw. Unfortunately, the French art schools are particularly narrow-minded therefore it was really hard to find the curriculum I was looking for. After a year in the Atelier de Sèvres preparatory workshop I joined ENSAD but a year and a half later I realized this was not what I was looking for so I moved to ESAG Penninghen where I graduated with a Masters degree in graphic Arts. As much as I learnt in this excellent school, the place where I was really taught what I use on a daily basis in my professional life, is the studio of Yannick Francois.

After graduating from ESAG, I was an illustrator for two years and also taught drawing at Créapole and the Atelier 1845. In 2005 I had a solo exhibition at the Thomas-Henry museum in Cherbourg (Normandy). Right after, I left to spend a year in Cleveland, Ohio. A series of unexpected and lucky events led me to stay in this great country where I work today in the animation industry.

Qn2. How did you actually get in to the animation industry?

I had been living in the United States for a year and came to visit a friend in Los Angeles. She worked for Sony and her boyfreind was at DreamWorks, so I had the chance to visit both studios. To say the least it completely blew my mind. Basically, I was discovering my dream job without knowing it existed a few days ago. It might seem silly but I did not realize everything had to be designed in those movies.

I was an illustrator at the time and I decided to get into animation, with the help of my friends. They told me that they thought I could make it if I reshaped my portfolio into something geared toward this new medium. It was a pretty long shot since there was no guarantee it would ever bring anything concrete. I worked on this new portfolio for over a year. The last four months I worked 19 hours a day. But it paid off, thanks to all this sweat and my friends' patient advice and support, I finally found a job at Imagi in February 2008 on the feature animated movie Astroboy.

I was lucky at the time that my Visa situation in the US allowed me to work. It is something you don't realize immediately as a foreigner trying to find a job in the industry but, on top of the huge amount of work you have to do on your craft, you also have to deal with obtaining a work Visa. After a 6 months contract at Imagi, I was hired by DreamWorks where I spent a little more than four years working on some very exciting movies such as How to Train Your Dragon 1 and 2, The Croods and a few undisclosed projects. I am now working freelance for the animation and video game industry.

3. How is it like working in the animation industry?

Working on an animated movie's visual development is an amazing experience.

Being part of a team that builds a world to support a story is extremely fun, challenging, rewarding. Plus you have the opportunity to meet talented people from all around the world, every one of them with their own language, experience and sensibility.

Of course there is also the political game inherent to such a big business, maybe even more because it is the entertainment industry. It can sometimes be annoying but overall it is an amazing job and I try to remember every day how privileged I am to be able to draw for a living, something I had a hard time to imagine when I was younger.

4. Can you talk about your favorite piece of personal work, or a memorable project?

I did this painting right when The Croods was released. During production, the directors wanted us to explore some camera angles for the jungle portion and I had this idea of a semi underwater shot that would show that the immersed portion of the Jungle was a world in itself.

I did this rough pencil drawing and forgot about it. Two years later, as I was prepping up for putting some stuff on my blog after the movie release, I stumbled upon it and decided to do a quick color pass. Everything came very quickly, easily (I put 12-15hours in it), just like the image was painting itself, perfectly capturing the vision I had for this area.

5. Which other artist or creator should we feature?

Well, that's a tricky one. There is so much talent around that come up with very impressive images that it is very hard to pick. May be I am going to point at two artists I just discovered and whose universes really tickle me : Jake Wyatt and Mael Gourmelen. And when you ever need a little eye candy, you can take a look at Franquin or Toppi's images, which is something I do regularly.

Above's a look into Nicolas Wei's sketchbook and below is a four part video of The Croods sketchbook

Today we have Vance Kovacs to talk with us about concept art and the Kickstarter artbook project The Art of Eclipse: The Well and the Black Sea that he's working on with Justin Sweet.

Check it out out http://kck.st/IGJK2V

The project ends on 12 Jan 2014.

Qn: Can you tell us about how you got started in art and your training?

I took a few night classes at a local community college in Fullerton CA. Justin and myself met Marshall Vandruff there teaching anatomy and composition. Marshall was a great influence. It was his classes that really opened our eyes to the possibility of pursuing art as a profession. Justin was already taking art classes at the nearby Cal State Fullerton when we started taking Marshall’s classes.

Art from The Art of Eclipse: The Well and the Black Sea

I got my first art job at Interplay Productions in Irvine CA. I was hired as a concept artist. I recommended Justin for a contract job on a game called Dragon Dice. They loved his work so much that they hired him on. We worked at Interplay and shared an office for 5 years. Justin left to move into a freelance career. I stayed for a couple more years.

Interplay began to have it’s problems and during that time Justin was called to work on The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe by Grant Major, the Production Designer on the Lord of The Rings films. Interplay was going under, my boss had quit and my project was cancelled. Justin got me onto The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and that began our careers in film.

We worked on all three Narnia films together and then ultimately got into the Film illustrators union years later. During our time in film we continue to freelance for games as well as do illustration jobs for Magic The Gathering, book covers, and concept work for Disney Imagineering.

Qn: Can you talk more about your book The Art of Eclipse? Is there going to be some sort of narrative? What's the inspiration behind creating such a book?

Justin and I have spent our careers visually exploring different worlds though picture making. Game worlds, Narnia, Marvel, each project a different universe with it’s own set of rules.

World building has always been something we both love doing. Eclipse is a world that we can explore deeper themes and a travel over a more poetic landscape artistically. It has captivated our imaginations for the past decade.

The book will be a document of this journey for us. There is a narrative, but it’ll be infused into the images we create. Each picture will be a piece of larger mosaic. We plan to use this book as a springboard for much bigger projects. We’re fans of games like Myst/Riven, Ico, Dear Esther, Journey and many other titles that strive to tell meaningful stories in a experiential way.

Crafting an interactive experience is something we’re very interested in developing if our project is a success.

Qn: You've created artworks for many movie titles. Tell us one great and one bad thing you learned about movie industry.

It’s been a very positive experience for the most part.

We’ve both been part of some great productions with very apt and skilled people. Justin worked closely with Grant Major on Green Lantern and I worked with Bo Welch on Thor and MIB3.

One of the greatest things learned about film is that each one is somewhat of a miracle. So many parts have to come together to get a project to green light.

We were often used early on to generate excitement to get the project going with concept art and illustrations. Our art is often the first people see of what the film could look like. On the flip side of that, that means that projects can also be abandoned early, even up to sets being constructed.

When we were on Dawn Treader all was set to go to Europe and start building the movie sets. The designer had materials on trucks and an art office about to open. Over night the American dollar plummeted instantly making the film 7 times more expensive to make. They halted the production and had to let almost everybody go.

Qn: What advice would you give to those who want to pursue a career creating concept art?

It’s a far more competitive field than when we first got in. When we started, concept art was a very niche job as an artist. Now it seems like an entire industry unto itself.

Art from The Art of Eclipse: The Well and the Black Sea

There are two main categories for a concept artist.

The first is to make great art. I’d recommend strengthening in the fundamentals: Drawing, anatomy, color, composition. These are the tools an artist has to communicate his/her ideas. It’s like having a larger vocabulary to use when you’re pitching an idea. There is great instruction available online nowadays. Students should take advantage of that.

The second is opening yourself to greater influences than what is popular, trendy or in the mainstream. Often directors and designers want to see a fresh perspective. They want to see a new spin on an old idea. This takes effort and time. You need to open yourself up to inspiration off the beaten path or draw from juxtaposing forces.

Art instruction you can find, but original or creative ideas are harder to come by.

Qn: What do you know now that you wished you knew earlier in your career?

That’s hard to say. I don’t really think that way.

More art instruction would have always been nice as we both want to continue to get better in our craft. I’m glad for all the experiences I’ve had both good and bad. They have gotten us both here now at the cusp of launching our own project and creating an original world that we can fashion and develop.

Most of what is going into this book is what we’ve been collecting along the way. Ten years of conversations, sketches and drawings we’ve been storing up. Now with the advent of Kickstarter we’ve get to draw from that well and share it.

Well, check out their Kickstarter project at http://kck.st/IGJK2V

They have several rewards and the top one is this concept art oil painting below:

Qn: Can you give an introduction to our readers?

Hi, My name is Rinna Clanuwat (facebook | website | flickr | twitter). I am an illustrator, designer and children book author from Bangkok, Thailand. I live to inspire and paint happiness (as well as lots of lots of cats).

Qn: I see fountain pens and watercolours. Are these the main drawing media that you use? Do you create art digitally?

These are the tools I use regularly. They are easy to carry around everywhere. I find it’s pleasant to go places and do art whenever my idea strikes. Sometimes it’s right in the middle of my meal in a crowded cafe, during traffic jam time, or after a long hike to mountain top, etc. So I prefer light tools, which don’t require much to operate.

I use fountain pens mainly for sketching down my ideas, and watercolour when I paint. I do simple hand painted art most of the time, for you know, sometimes when I turn on any electronic devices I always ended up on Facebook.

For a person with such short concentration span like me, traditional illustration helps me focus better. But, yes, I do digital art from time to time, but I always start by drawing/painting on paper first then continue it digitally from there.

Qn: Why are there three Lamy fountain pens? Are they the similar? Beside the colour, of course.

I do picture mind-map a lot when I want to structure my (messy) thoughts and I would use my LAMY pens with it.

I have a long history using LAMY pens since college time. I tried several other pens before, but I found LAMY’s weight and stroke the easiest easy to write with.

As for colours, I have purple, blue, and black ink for each pens. Hence the 3 different ones. There’s not much reason behind it beside the fact that it’s fun to draw in multicolour. I wish LAMY would have brown ink though. I tried mixing LAMY ink colours together by myself, but it didn’t come that nice.

Qn: What's this palette called? Where did you get it? What brand of watercolours are these? What are the colours? Especially the bottom right one.

The first watercolour palette is called “Kuretake Gansai”, Japanese brand of watercolour palette. It’s a gift from my Japanese friend.

I love the fact that the texture of the colour is so smooth and the set came with gold colour too (the bottom right one). Other colours are basic hues - red yellow blue plus brown and green. I think this brand have more colour variety in bigger set, but I have never tried that yet.

Qn: What are the two pens by the side?

The side pens are black line marker and water brush, which I rarely use actually. They just came with the set.

The second one is Royal Talens Van Gogh. I love that they have many colours I can work with, but I prefer my own selection of colours. So after using some of them up, I replaced some other colours from tubes.

I would take the Kuretake one out with me on the day I want to travel light and use the Royal Talens Van Gogh at my studio or in the situation that I do some serious paintings than quick sketches. I also love the fact that both of these palettes give strong vibrant colours.

At my studio, I use glass (Hokkaido Morimoto) yogurt bottle as water buckets for I would get 1 everyday from my breakfast.

I always fill up 2 or more water bottles when I paint. One for brush cleaning, one for diluting colours, the other one for soaking brushes (especially the ones I use with black ink - you know how nasty black ink could stick to your brush) while I just can’t be bother to wash them properly yet.

Below is the picture of how I DIY my bottle for the purpose.

Qn: Can you give us a rundown of the brushes you use?

My watercolour and ink brushes.

• 1. Royal Talens Van Gogh no.191/6 selected filament (came with watercolour palette). The hair is made from polyester which gives more flexibility. I use this with black ink only.
• 2. Royal Talens GWVR Van Gogh Visual brush no. 6. It’s a mix between goat hair, ox hair, and nylon. The brush is softer than the previous one. I use this with watercolour for softer smudge effect.
• 3. The same as no. 1. But I use this one only for watercolour. *note if you mix black ink brush with watercolour brush, the black ink could dull your vibrance.
• 4-5. Holbien Resable 31R mini no.8 and no. 6. Shorter brushes for going out.
• 6-7. Raphael 8204 KAERELL no. 4 and no.2. These are hobby brushes actually. But I love that they are not too soft. I use these mainly for calligraphy.

Qn: What are these brushes?

LeFranc & Bourgeois polyamide brushes for acrylic painting.

Qn: What is this brush used for?

This is my old paint-area sweeping brush. I have been using this for 20 years now.

Qn: What do you use this bottle for?

This is Extra gum bottle I use as outdoor water bucket. You will be amazed how super seal-tight it can be.

Qn: That looks like Japanese black ink. Sakura brand? Where did you find this? What's its characteristics?

This is definitely standard Japanese black ink. I got this as a gift from my friend.

Together with my brushes, they became the best waterproof marker ever. I divided only small amount of the ink into tiny glass bottle when I use. I rarely dilute it with water for the stronger marker effect.

Qn: Those clips are too cute! Painted animal faces, and smiley faces! Where did you buy them?

I found these cute clips in local stationery. They are so multi-purposely useful. I use them to DIY my tools, prevent my tissue papers from flying away when I do outdoor painting in windy places, also hold thick papers together while glue is still wet, etc.

Qn: What's that black and white stripe thing?

Just some fancy tissue papers lol.

Qn: So what do you use the Scotch double sided tape for?

Sometimes I do pop-up and 3-dimensional arts as well. This double sided tape is so useful for making mock-ups. A lot cleaner than glue.

Qn: Louvre Acrylic paint. So you use Acrylic as well? These tubes look very new. Just bought them?

Yeah, they had a sale in local shop. lol. I use both acrylic and watercolour for different purposes.

Qn: What's with the big tubes Titanium White and Flesh Tint?

Yes, I use white and flesh tint a lot. Other than that, I will just mix my own palette from basic tubes.

Qn: What paper do you paint on using the Acrylic?

Anything with smooth surface. Most of the time I use ARCHES hot pressed.

Qn: Which do you prefer, acrylic or watercolours? Why? When do you use them?

Watercolour work can be fast and spontaneous. It’s like playing with how water flows and get absorbed on paper. We need to know when to keep going, when to wait. But once we mess up, there’s not much chance of fixing. We will just need to keep going and see how the outcome will surprise us.

Acrylic work is more solid. It gives more time to breath and think while painting. When I paint with watercolour, sometimes the pace is so fast that I don’t have time for deep consideration. But with acrylics, it gives me time to delicately go into details as well as more chance to create my new colour scheme and experiment with it.

To decide which is the better medium really depends on time and result I would like to achieve as well as materials we paint on. If it’s a big mural on brick wall, or painting on some wood panels, then watercolour might not stick. Once I was asked to do a wall painting when I only have watercolour available though. It still worked, but gave out different effects. So I guess there’s no rules on which is better. Just play around and see how it goes.

Qn: Why do you use baking paper?

For acrylic painting, the proper acrylic pad can be pricy. I found the non-stick baking paper a lot cheaper and could do the job. We can just throw them away afterward without taking time to scrub off paint stains.

Qn: What are these for? How do you use them? I see that they are Japanese brand also. Where did you buy them?

The left one is the brush cleaner for acrylic. Once the colour dries, it’s not water soluble anymore and become super difficult to clean. If we don’t clean the brushes well, there might be some lumps of left over colour that could ruin brush shape.

The middle and the right ones are flow palette wetting spray and flow medium. Basically they help making acrylic paint dry slower. Hence more flow when drawing lines or continuous strokes. The middle one is a spray that you spray onto the palette before mixing colours. The right one is for dropping into colours while mixing. They work similarly to me.

Qn: On what kind of artworks do you use these fixative for? So far the tools you showed me are paint tools, the Winsor Newton fixative on the left is for pastel, charcoal and pencils.

Oh I forgot to mention that I do pastels too sometimes lol. So yes, the spray is for coating the pastel painting after it’s done. The right one is the spray for watercolour and acrylic gouache. It makes the painting more vibrant as well.

Qn: That's quite an interesting book stand you have. It looks like someone is reading the book on the wrong side. Haha. Is that a handmade watercolour sketchbook? Did you make it yourself? The pages look torn. And there's a butterfly in the middle? How did you get that to stick?

You know by now that I adapt whatever available on my table for any purpose I want. Somehow this Peko chan doll is suitable for the book stand job. lol.

As for the book, it’s the handmade book I found in a shop. It’s made of traditional Japanese handmade papers therefore the rims are uneven like that. The butterfly, I tore it out from another piece of paper from the same notebook and glue it with my magic double sided tape.

Qn. So what's your favourite drawing medium? Why?

My most favourite drawing medium would be my brushes with either watercolour or black ink on whatever surface I feel like painting on.

I love using brushes to the point that I prefer them to pencils. I even write down my notes with brushes sometimes lol. You know that I don’t even sketch before I paint, right? Honestly I can’t be bother to draw twice with pencil then brush. I love how I could just dip my brush and go. It feels more fresh and spontaneous. I can also have fine or thick lines as I go along with out changing tools.

Qn: Do you use any other sketchbooks for drawing? If so, what do you use?

I used to paint a lot on Moleskine watercolour books in different sizes. But also love to collect different types of notebooks with paper that is ok with watercolour or ink. If I found sketch books l like, I would buy few of them to paint on as a collection for a while. Then I would look for different ones for a change.

Qn: Say you have $120 USD budget to buy some art materials. How would you spend it?

Hmmm…
1. Royal Talens or Rapahel or LeFranc & Bourgeois hobby (polyester) brush in no. 2, 4, 6, 8.
2. Normal black ink
3. Middle or upper brand of few basic watercolour hues (red yellow blue green purple brown black)
4. 2 bottles of Extra gum
5. Cheap plastic colour tray
6. Some smooth surface papers

I will also ask for free napkins from any cafe later and I think I’m good to go :)

Qn: Nice cats. Seems like tabletops are one of the favourite hangout spots for cats. What are their names?

Ha ha they are 2 out of 10 cats I have. They are Dimi and Jamie :)

Qn: Do those cat get in the way of you painting? Have they even gotten paint onto themselves?

Oh yes, most of the time they would love to see how I’m doing and sometimes helping me painting by walking across my work with those fluffy paws dipped into colours from my palette. Sometimes we get nice outcome from our collaboration ;)

You can see more artworks from Rinna Clanuwat on her facebook, website and flickr.

Liz Steel: Thanks Parka for asking about my tools and gear - I am going to enjoy this!

I want to say at the start, that in recent years I have seen myself as primarily a sketcher who sketches for myself — not producing paintings to be hung on a wall. I want to record my life in my sketchbook as spontaneously as possible — so I work fast, very fast.

I take my gear with me everywhere so it must be light but as I often attempt sketches in crazy situations or within very limited time constraints, it must be flexible as well. There is always a tension between a compact kit and being ready to capture the moment quickly. My tools are always changing and evolving — growing and expanding till I realise I am carrying too much stuff and then I pull back to basics.

Qn: Can you talk about the drawing tools you have and use? I know you have a lot of Lamy fountain pens, waterbrush.

I am a bit of a fountain pen junkie — I have been using them since I was about 10 years old when my Dad gave me one of his old Parker pens and I fell in love with the flow of the ink on paper and how much neater my handwriting looked.

Through primary and secondary school, university and 20 years working as an architect I have used a fountain pen off and on. But in 2007 I bought my first Lamy and well that was it — I was hooked — fountain pens all the way now!

This photo makes me quite emotional since the first two pens from the left: Lamy Joy pens (Black and Red) have both been lost in the last 12 months. I now have a white version of the same pen (easier to see if I drop it in a cafe with black sofas!)

So what is the fuss about the Lamy and in particular the Joy? It is a joy to use (sorry about the pun!) for both writing and drawing, it is light in weight. I find the shape of the grip perfectly suits my hand but especially I LOVE the balance of the long tail.

The Joy is the calligraphy model but I replace the calligraphy nib with an EF normal nib.

For me the most important thing about a pen is how it feels in the hand. I do want to find an alternative with a nib that gives varying line thicknesses but with the amount of sketching I do, it is important that it feels right!

I then have a few extra Lamys with different inks or nibs. I like to use different coloured lines in my sketchbooks for variety, maps, notation etc. and although a coloured felt pen does the same job, I prefer using ink.

• Yellow Lamy safari containing my Noodler's Polar brown ink (hmm... They don’t do a brown safari!)
• Red Lamy Safari with Noodler's Cayenne
• Lamy Vista (clear safari) with Noodlers Polar Blue ink (love this!)
• Newer style black and silver Lamy Joy pen with a GOLD EF nib. The new style Joy is a fraction heavier than the old style... I prefer black and red or white Joys in my hand. This nib is lovely and has more flexibiliy than a standard nib but I am afraid to take it out on location (the nib cost 2 x the price of the pen)
• Pilot Parallel Pen in 1.8mm (I also have the 3.5mm size) Quite unpredictable to use ...it was an impulse buy thanks to the influence of Josu Maroto
• Noodlers Flex Pen with Lexington Grey ink... Never really warmed to this and it leaked on the plane once.
• Rotring Art Pen– this is one of the pens I used as a uni student and used this at work. It is even lighter than the Lamy Joy (old style) but for some reason I don’t like writing with it so would only use it when drawing. It seems to leak a lot so I have since abandoned it- sick of having ink marks on my fingers during client meetings!
• Fancy Lamy pen that I bought in the early days to hold my gold nib... But it is too heavy so has a calligraphy nib now.

BTW I also have a small collection of Hero and Sailor pens now and always carry a brush pen. The Pentel pocket brush pen has been a favourite for many years. I do like to have a pen that makes expressive lines — which I use as my 'fast tool'. The specific pen I have with me varies over time but their is always one in my kit.

Qn: What's that small cute pen below? Is it difficult to use?

It is a Kaweco Sport and tiny with the lid on. Despite my love for long tail pens this one is surprisingly comfortable to hold. I don’t have a converter for it so currently am using it with water soluble ink. I really love it and it is SO cute!

Qn: What kind of ink do you use with your Lamy pens?

I use Noodler's bulletproof black as my standard ink. I haven't tried any alternatives as I have been very happy with it — and other options are not available in Australia (not that paying for overseas shipping has ever stopped me buying new stuff before!)

I know a lot of people have problems with this ink, but it works just fine for me and I often don’t wait long before putting watercolour over the top. The theories on why it runs for some people and not others include the amount of humidity in the air, the cotton content in the paper, whether you are drawing over graphite and how many stop and starts you have with your line work.

My personal theory is that it is important to keep the ink flowing. My Lamy Joy gets used everyday and I never have a problem... but the ink in pens that sit around do get very sticky.

Qn: Do you ever mix your own ink?

Never have tried that — tell me more... (no! don't tempt me)

Qn: You use a lot of watercolours. What was the first watercolour set you use?

In 2007 I discovered watercolour in a field kit and bought a Cotman kit without any knowledge that it was student grade (I have had no art training or background). It served me very well for about 18 months but then one morning, shortly after starting to share my work online, I woke up and just knew that I needed to buy artists quality from that moment onwards.

A WN Cotman box replaced with artist quality Daniel Smith & WN watercolour paints

Photo of my using it in Norway on a fast moving boat in a fjord in 2007...(sketching in crazy opportunities has always been a part of my work)

I am a firm believer in buying the best quality materials that you can afford… but I also don't think that people should rush out and buy expensive art materials if they will never end up using them.

Some of the Cotman kits have great lightweight compact boxes and this first box of mine is one of the best 12 pan kits out there. Cotman are not lightfast and have a lot less pigment — you can get strong colours with them but you have to work really hard. You also miss out on granulation which is my favourite aspect of watercolour. I would love to find a good affordable off the shelf kit for beginners!

Qn: What's the watercolour box that you're using now? The schmincke one? Why? I notice there are no holders holding the pans down. How do they stick to the bottom of the box?

It is a Schmincke box and my favourite.

It is compact but with fold out mixing trays and I like the three divisions to the lid (one for brown/grey/ one for blue and one for green — I try to mix the same colours in the same places in my palette)

I drilled the metal clips off the tray and then fix the pans to it using blutack - that way I can load up the box with more paint!

Qn: What are the different brands of watercolour you use? Do you see any difference between them?

I mainly use Daniel Smith(DS) watercolours as they are the most vibrant colours I have tested.

However, I am not brand loyal but rather test out each pigment in different brands to find the one that works best for me. I also have one or two Schmincke and a few Winsor and Newton(WN) colours that I use.

Art supplies are VERY expensive in Australia and DS are cheaper than WN but WN are available in every art store, DS only in a few.

I personally do not think there is a great difference between pan and tube as a general blanket statement — there is a huge difference between pigments and brands. Some tube paint can dry rock hard and it can be more difficult to pick up colour from them than it is from pans which are designed to be re-wet numerous times. I think the problem is that many people who use pans often don't pre-wet them.

When I am travelling and using them everyday my pan paint have been very soft and vibrant... but as DS paints only come in tube paints that is what I am using these days.

Qn: What's your methodology towards choosing colours?

It is a combination of using a standard split primary with a few earth colours and then a few personal choices based around the colours that I use most. I think it is really important for people to build their palette around their own love of colour and typical subject matter.

As I work fast I do not want to be spending time mixing up a lot of colour and also I only use a very small water container... so I do include a few colours that I know will mix together well and easily.

I love granulating colours and putting down a few juicy washes and let the pigment interaction do the work. I also look for vibrant colours - the Australian light is bright and think my use of colour reflects that.

You can read more about it here (I could do a whole interview about colour!):
http://www.lizsteel.com/2013/04/my-basic-palette.html

Qn: I know you like to get different colours to try out. Don't you get confused when there are so many colours? Since each watercolour would have their own characteristic.

No I don't get confused as I know the characteristics of the colours that I have in my palette and I also know what work I want them to do.

I am always comparing new options with the existing 'friends' in my palette. I want those pigments in my palette to be as flexible as possible - so I am always on the look out for the best mixers.

Earlier in the year I had a session with local artist Jane Blundell who really knows her paints and we worked systematically through my palette looking at alternatives to what I had — this was an intensive masterclass...but normally I would just test one colour at a time. I am looking for vibrant mixes and a bit of pigment interaction.

Example of a colour mixing test

Qn: What other materials do you use besides watercolour? What's your perference? I saw some pencils

Lately I have been very interested in exploring water soluble pens and pencils.

Although I see myself as an 'ink girl' I was surprised earlier in the year that I enjoyed pencil as well — it seems to suit me better than ink when I am working fast. I hate anything that smudges but found that the Derwent sketching pencils (slightly water soluble) don't smudge as much as normal pencil.

This photo shows some pens/pencils that I used when in Melbourne earlier in the year…and I am not sure how many I will keep in my kit long term.

Qn. Do you have any watercolour book to recommend? You mentioned Transparent Watercolour Wheel.

Transparent Watercolour Wheel was the first book I read that really got me focus on the different types of pigments and why I was getting mud due to mixing too many opaque pigments.

I also read a wonderful blog post by Roz Stendahl on how she choose colours in her palette (that post really should be the thinking process behind setting up a palette).

But my biggest reference is the Handprint site. I have spent hours and hours and hours poring through the pages there. Bruce McEvoy's basic palette rationale and then reading up on pigments.

But that is just about colour …

Qn: Name 8 watercolour colours that you must have.

What, only eight! I love colour so much that it is hard to limit myself but if I have to I would use a standard split primary approach and 2 earth colours

• DS Hansa yellow medium (beautiful vibrant yellow)
• DS Quin Gold (makes beautiful Australian greens)
• DS Transparent pyrrol orange (glorious orange red! love it!)
• DS Carmine (very versatile cool red)
• DS Ultramarine (a basic colour!)
• DS Cerulean Blue Chromium (better for Australian skies than the normal Cerulean)
• DS Monte Amiata Natural Sienna (an alternative to raw sienna but more transparent)
• DS Transparent Red Oxide (crazy reactive alternative to Burnt Sienna

Qn: For the adventurous, what colours would you recommend?

Well a few of my favourite colors not in the above list...

• WN Cobalt Turquoise Light
• DS raw umber (gorgeous cool brown)
• WN Potters Pink (granulating colour, mutes colours )

As for adventurous:

• DS Green Apatite
• DS Moonglow
• DS Goethite

Qn: What are the brushes that you use?

I use an Escoda pocket sable brush #8 as my standard brush. I prefer the Da Vinca travel brushes but they are much more expensive. I love the softness, the hold and the springiness of the sable but unfortunately I wear out the points on these brushes and need a new one every 6 months.

I have tried using full pans and picking up the paint sideways on the brush but still the points wear out. So I am about to try the Escoda synthetic brushes for daily use and see if they last longer - or use they in combination with a sable. I also carry a 20mm flat brush (synthetic) and a rigger brush.

I want to try using a squirrel brush and am playing with a small synthetic dagger brush at the moment (always trying new things!)

Qn: I remembered you baked your tube colours once. Why did you do that? Did it damage the colours? Won't they just dry by themselves overnight or over a few days?

I have had problems with paint running all over the place after leaving to dry for 2 days so I like to allow for a full week before using them.

However I often don't have that amount of time. Through a friend I heard about a trick of putting them in the oven for 1 hour or so on 50C (just a bit hotter than a hot day!) I find it works very well and I always ventilate my oven well afterwards. But one time however I was careless about the temperature! (actually I have done it twice)

Qn: You're an architect, right? Are the tools you use for work different from leisure art? How are they different?

I have worked for an architect for nearly 20 years and have always done a lot of freehand drawing even in these days of computer domination. Some of the drawings and tools that I use are

• working drawings as I design. Done with ink pen on yellow trace (or butter paper) and I work very rapidly. The faster I draw the more design options I can explore.
• sketches of design concepts for preliminary meeting with clients. Ink or felt pen sketches over basic computer generated 3D models. Often coloured with markers (such as Copic or Admarker) and/or coloured pencils
• more polished sketches for submissions. Similar to above but a composite of freehand and computer images. Put together and enhanced in Photoshop
• lots of freehand details issued to builders during construction - drawn with felt pen on tracing paper.

So basically mainly dry media either on bond paper or trace paper. A degree of modification in photoshop is normally done. It needs to be flexible and easily modified.

This year I have been doing some architectural illustrations and they are ink and watercolour on watercolour paper.

Qn: I remembered you have this cloth band around your wrist. What's that?

A black sweat band for wiping my brush. To clean my brush and preserve my water as long as possible I dip and dab

Qn: Which sketchbook do you use?

I like using the A4 watercolour moleskine in landscape format for my travel sketchbook — I like the paper — it suits my use of both ink, watercolour and watercolour pencils and the larger size gives me plenty of room for text, maps and collage of tickets and bits and pieces that I collect during the day. It is a little heavy to carry around as a daily sketchbook.

Qn: You're also trying out some Stillman & Birn sketchbooks. What do you think about them?

I love the Stillman and Birn sketchbooks.

I love that they have a bright white range - the Alpha and Beta paper.

The Beta paper is 270 gsm and beautiful to work with - but with only 52 pages in a sketchbook I go through it too quickly. I am using one right at the moment and nearly half filled it in a week. So for my daily sketchbook I love the Alpha paper (120pages, 150 gsm). It is not watercolour paper but can withstand a lot of water and mixed media and is perfect for my day to day scribbles and sketches.

I have also recently tried the Zeta paper which is smooth and 270 gsm. It was great for ink work and would suit a lot of people's ink and wash. I like to get more interesting effects with my pigments and this paper didn't perform as well as the Beta or the Alpha.

Qn: I read in a post you were recommending some colour pencils for a class you were teaching. What are they?

I like to have a small collection of watercolour pencils with me for three reasons

1. for quick sketches when I am on the run and standing up.
2. for adding tone and colour when inside museums or churches etc where I can't use water.
3. for adding texture. I mostly add watercolour over the top rather than just water.

These are Faber Castell and are by far my favourite brand of watercolour pencils. I also like some of the Derwent Inktense colours but sadly they are not lightfast. As you can see in this page what I 'should' have in my bag and what I end up with changes over time.

Qn: Have you ever bought something from the art shop, went back and tried it and dislike it?

Yes - occasionally! I have a few tubes of paints that I bought and didn't like. But sometimes I do find a use for them down the tract in my architectural illustration work. I still haven't found the perfect watercolour paper that suits my work.

Qn: Which scanner do you use? I noticed that even when scanning a spiral sketchbook, the scanned image appears to be perfectly sharp, even when there are areas of the paper not touching the surface of the scanner glass.

Epson V500 Photo scanner and have had it for a number of years and very happy. The spiral book you refer to was the Stillman and Birn zeta paper and at 270gsm it did sit nice and flat on the glass.

I always scan with a large heavy book over the top to flatten the sketchbook as much as possible. Ideally I scan with the spine of the book perpendicular to the direction of the scanning light so it doesn't pick up as much of the shadow in the spine. I then join using photo merge in Photoshop (don't always do this but it gives a much better result!)

I also pick up the white of the page with the magic wand and use the dodge tool to lighten it manually. I don't use levels to do this as it causes the light watercolour to blow out. (I have a 'how I scan' post on my to-do list!)

Qn: You've an interesting carrying bag? Tell us about it. What's your bare essentials sketching tools?

I am always looking for a handbag that is light (less than 500gsm) looks smart and has good front pockets for quick access to art tools. The secret of sketching especially when travelling is to be ready to go in a few seconds!

I am also developing the ‘perfect’ pen holder - this current prototype which I took to Barcelona in July is working well but I will make some adjustments in the next model. The idea is to have a pen holder that is compact, that allows every tool to be easily accessible when in my bag pocket and that can also be taken out and hung around my neck while sketching.

90% of the time I use my Lamy pen and watercolour and Escoda 8 brush but I also like a few watercolour pencils and 1 expressive line pen(a brush pen) as my 'fast tools'.

Qn: Last question, what media are you looking forward to try next? Why?

Well I really want to develop my watercolour skills primarily ... am I am looking for the perfect fountain pen with expressive lines. But in terms of something different...

I have a desire to do more studio work, work bigger on canvas (even abstract) and try oils (though I am not sure when I will find the time for that!)

Parka: Special thanks to Liz Steel. I might have gotten carried away by asking so many questions. *laughs*. She writes even more on her blog.

Check out more of her artworks and adventures at http://www.lizsteel.com

Also check out other artist interviewees at http://www.parkablogs.com/tags/art-tools-and-gears

Items mentioned may be available at Dick Blick Art Materials, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Qn: Can you give our readers a little introduction of yourself?

Hello! My name is Favian Ee. I'm working as a visual effects artist for movies. I've been drawing since young, specialising mainly in comic and cartoon illustration. Nowadays I also do a fair bit of urban sketching.

I studied computer engineering in university, but went back to animation school for a complete career switch. Some of my works can be found on my art blog at http://fav-art.blogspot.sg. I also keep a travel sketching blog at http://sketchpacker.blogspot.sg and update it now and then, especially before and after a trip.

Qn: What are colour pencils are those? Seems like a mixture of two brands.

The solid-coloured ones are Prismacolor. I was given a set ages ago. The greys are Derwent Colorsoft. There are a couple of Col-Erase ones on the left, some Cretacolor ones, and a couple of Conte pencils. I've since added more Prismacolors to my collection and repacked my pencil wrap a bit.

Qn: What's the pencil wrap that you're using? Is it good at protecting the pencils?

It's a Derwent pencil wrap. It protects the pencils well. Once rolled up, the pencils provide support for one another. I don't find my leads breaking in the wrap.

Qn: Are these the same colour pencils as above? What pencil case is that. Looks like leather?

Yes, these are from the same set above. I just got this Global Art Pencil Case today. It holds 24 pencils, but in a very tight fit. Reviews say the elastic bands are very tight. I wanted to see how the pencils fit so I took some of the Prismacolors and put it in. It can hold other kinds of pens and pencils. It is genuine leather but very affordable. Comes in canvas and different colours, and also different sizes holding 48, 72, and 120 pencils.

Qn: What's this bag used for?

This is a pen case made by Lihit Lab. I use it to hold a basic kit, especially for traveling. Currently it holds my mini travel watercolour box, 3 travel brushes, 3 Pentel waterbrushes, 5 Micron pens, a pencil, a white gel pen, 3 Hero fountain pens, an eraser, a plastic card, a small piece of sponge, and even a small box of 6 Koh-I-Noor watercolour pencils. I used to use a Smiggle case, but found this more compact.

Qn: What watercolours do you use? Do you have any preference for specific brand?

I use Winsor and Newton, Holbein, Schmincke, and ShinHan. This is my mini travel set comprising of W&N half-pans, Holbeins and ShinHans (squeezed from tubes). I like the greens by ShinHan (a Korean brand). Holbein is an affordable option and pretty good. This set is chosen for transparency, so my Schmincke colours (which are mostly opaque) aren't represented here.

Qn: What watercolour box is that? It looks customised. Usually there's some sort of pan holder in the middle, right?

It is a Rembrandt box for 12 half-pans. I took out the holder so I could fit more pans in (stuck to the base with blu tack). It holds as many colours (actually a little more) as my 24 half-pan W&N set, but occupies less than half the space.

Qn: Do you prefer watercolour tubes or pans?

When I'm on the go, I tend to use pans because tubes can be messy. I'll squeeze the tubes into empty pans and let them dry for 2-3 days if I want the colours in my set. They are just more convenient that way. But if I'm painting larger pieces at home, I might opt for tubes.

Qn: What's that shiny thing beside the watercolour pans?

It's a bullet. I'm kidding. That is an Ashley 2000R travel brush. Size 5, red sable.

Qn: Do you use any other watercolour brushes?

Yes. I have a couple of Da Vinci kolinsky travel brushes, another size 12 Da Vinci Maestro, a size 16 Escoda Ultimo mixed-hair mop, and several smaller Raphaels and other random brushes.

Qn: What watercolour paper do you prefer?

I haven't tried many watercolor papers, but from those I've tried, my favourite is the one used in the etcetra sketchbook produced by Grandeluxe. It doesn't dry too quickly and allows you to play with your colours more. At the same time it doesn't dry too slowly either. Moleskine's is not bad too, but they are much more expensive.

Qn: What do you use these bottles for?

They are for holding water for painting. The Nutella one was given to me by my brother and sister-in-law (with the Nutella inside!). It holds the same amount of water as a film cartridge box, but is more stable. Its small size makes it easy to carry around for quick sketches. Fits nicely into my waist-pouch too! The pink one at the bottom is used when I need more water. It is collapsible, so it's quite compact to bring around.

Qn: These look like dip pens. Can you give us a rundown on them and what you use them for? What's the difference? There are quite a lot of them.

I began using dip pens when I was doing more comic illustration. I did a comic book once using the Japanese G nib, but have since moved away from them as they laid down too much ink for my liking. I stick to the Hunt 102 and Hunt 107 nibs now, which are preferred by comic artists in the west. The 102 has good flex for line variation, but at the same time it has a fair amount of stiffness and gives me good control over my lines. The 107 has less flex and gives a more even line. I also use a Hunt 56 pretty often. It is a very flexible nib that gives a broader line than the 102.

Dip pen nibs are broadly classified into writing and drawing nibs. Drawing nibs tend to have a sharp tip while writing nibs may have sharp, flat, or even circular tips. Some specialty nibs may have several tips per nib - something resembling a comb - that allows you to write or draw parallel lines. There are even nibs made in other shapes like that of a hand, and even the Eiffel Tower! Those are mainly decorative.

Each nib has its own characteristic, such as stiffness and ability to hold ink. Some nibs come with a reservoir that increases the capacity before you have to recharge the pen (i.e. dip it in the ink bottle again). It takes some experimentation to find something that suits your drawing style. The shank of the nib that connects to the holder comes in about 3 or 4 standard shapes/sizes, so it's important to get the right holder for the nib you are using. Be sure to try your nibs on the holder before buying to make sure it fits.

Dip pen holders come in different shapes and sizes too. My favourite is the aluminium one in the middle that holds a nib at each end. Each end fits a nib with a different type of shank, and they can be unscrewed or tightened to attach the nibs. For calligraphy, some holders have an armature that hold the nib at an offset angle. They are called oblique holders and are used normally for writing rather than drawing. When choosing a holder, the most important thing is whether it can fit the nib you want to use it with. The next thing is whether it can hold the nib tightly. If the nib is too loose, it may slide into the holder when you apply pressure, or it may rotate while you are drawing, affecting your artwork. The third thing is ergonomics (and, of course, cost).

One more note about dip pen nibs is that they usually come with a thin layer of grease to prevent rusting. You need to get the grease off before using them or it will affect the flow. Some people rub it off with an eraser. I prefer to pass the nib quickly through a lighter flame and burn the grease off. It's quicker. But don't hold it in the flame too long or you might ruin the nib.

Qn: Do you use technical pens, if so, what do you use?

I don't use technical pens like the Rotring types. As a comic artist, I tend to like some line variation. If I want to draw with even lines, I usually use felt-tip Micron pens. I use mainly Sakura's Micron pens for the archival ink and darkness of the blacks. Not all blacks are equally black, especially when it comes to felt-tip pens.

Qn: What are the items in this set? What are they used for?

The leftmost pen is a Hero 578 curved-nib fountain pen. It is very versatile and allows me to draw thin as well as thick lines depending on the angle with which I'm holding the pen. I usually load it with Calli ink because it's waterproof and quite affordable. However, the ink can dry and affect the flow if the pen is not used in a while, but usually dipping the tip in some water would get it working again. That failing, it would be time to wash and flush the pen.

The next 2 are Pentel ink brushes. The grey one has a smaller tip size. The ink is waterproof (be warned: not every ink brush comes with waterproof ink!).

The 3 blue ones are Pentel waterbrushes of different sizes. The handle is a reservoir for water, so they can be used without having to carry a water container around. Just squeeze to wet the tip, and wipe it off to clean it.

The pouch on the right is the Accurasee Sketch Caddie. It is my favourite travel pencil case. It is about A5 size and has an elastic band that slips over an A5 portrait-format sketchbook (hard)cover easily. It is quite spacious and holds everything in the photo, and then some. On its front it has elastic bands to hold 3 pens/pencils. The ones in the photo are a mechanical pencil, a Pentel pocket brush, and a Pilot Parallel Pen (a flat-tipped calligraphy pen, but I use it mainly for drawing). It also has 2 front pouches for other small items like erasers, cartridges, sharpeners, etc.

Pilot Parallel Pen

ShinHan Touch markers

Qn: What are these markers that you use? They don't seem like Copic markers. How do they compare to Copic markers?

These are ShinHan Touch markers. Very similar to Copic, but cheaper. They are very comparable. The colours are vibrant. They are duo-tipped. I prefer those with one flat broad, and one brush tip on each side. They also have another type with a fine and a flat broad. Like Copic, these are alcohol based and may bleed through normal paper. They should be used in well-ventilated areas.

Qn: How do you choose the colours for these markers?

I buy the Touch markers individually and choose them based on the colours I'm most likely to use. Because markers tend to be expensive, I don't usually invest in the entire range. I also try to think what colours I can get if I layer them. I have a set of 6 greys (3 warm, 3 cool) which I sometimes use to layer over the other colours to darken them.

The Touch markers are also mixable using a colourless blender. You can mix several colours on a plastic sheet using the colourless blender and use the blender to apply the colour to your artwork. The blender can then be wiped off for the next use.

Coloured with Shinhan markers

Coloured with Shinhan watercolours

Qn: What paper do you use these markers on? Are there special considerations when using markers?

ShinHan produces their own marker paper which is surprisingly good. It is very thin and comes in a pad, but the markers don't bleed right through to the sheet underneath, even though you can see the colours on the underside. I don't know how they do it. Other than that, I just use them on any paper that takes markers without bleeding too much. If I'm afraid of them bleeding through to the sheet below, I just put a piece of card or scrap paper under the sheet I'm drawing on.

Faber Castell Pitt pens

Qn: What are these pens are and what do you use them for?

These are Faber Castell Pitt pens. These are the brush-tip variety (they also come in the normal felt-tip pen form). They come in sets (eg. greys, browns, landscape, basic colours, etc.) but may also be bought individually.

I have about 20 of them. Unlike normal markers like Touch and Copic, these are not alcohol-based and will not bleed through paper. They contain pigmented India ink. The colours are not as intense as my Touch markers, and they are not refillable either. However, they are compact and versatile and allow me to use them on normal sketchbooks without worrying about whether they are going to show through the underside of the page I'm colouring on.

Created with Pitt pens

Qn: What sketchbooks do you use?

I use a variety of sketchbooks, but tend to gravitate towards those with multi-media paper, such as Daler Rowney's Graduate and Simply series, Stillman and Birn Alpha and Gamma, and the Sketch2book, which is a handy portrait-cum-landscape sketchbook in one.

Moleskine watercolour sketchbook

I've used Moleskine's watercolour sketchbook as a travel sketchbook too, but that's for ink and watercolour, and not very suitable for colour pencils and markers, for which I prefer less textured paper with a bit of grain.

Recently I bought a Derwent panoramic sketchbook to do panoramic scenes. It has been quite fun!

Qn: You create artworks for games and videos right? What equipment do you use at work?

Actually I don't do artwork for games and videos in my current line of work, since the films we work on are all live-action. While I was in animation school, however, I specialised in concept art. Most of my artwork then was created digitally, or inked on paper then coloured in Photoshop. The exception was storyboards, for which I tended to use pencils or coloured pencils for the linework. For other illustrations, including my comics, I usually do my linework on paper using dip pens or sable brush and india ink on Japanese comic paper before scanning them and colouring them in Photoshop. Some of those illustrations can be found at http://www.zazzle.com/wensworld.

You can check out more of Favian's work at http://fav-art.blogspot.sg and http://sketchpacker.blogspot.sg/

Comments for Favian Ee?

If you have comments for him, send them here: http://sketchpacker.blogspot.sg/2013/12/im-featured-on-parka-blogs.html

Items mentioned may be available at Dick Blick Art Materials, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Today we have Suhita Shirodkar with us. I can't remember exactly where I've seen her artworks but it's probably either on her blog or Flickr page.

I love her fluid lines and use of colours that make her drawings really lively and fresh. She usually sketches on location and occasionally post on the Urban Sketchers blog.

So let's have her tell us more about herself.

Qn: Can you give our readers an introduction of yourself?

I'm Suhita Shirodkar. An urban sketcher, watercolor artist and graphic designer. I grew up in India and now live in San Jose, California.

I love vivid color and pattern, and I particularly like drawing urban landscapes full of people and activity. I attribute my love for crowds and for color to growing up in urban India, where everyday life is a mad whirl of colour, commotion and people.

Qn: How did you pick up watercolours?

I started out using colored pencil. But I was quickly drawn to the vibrant nature of watercolor, and the ability to mix so many hues with a limited color palette.

I love the wild, untameable nature of the medium. I'm mostly self-taught, but I look at the work of many, many artists all the time, and that might be the best education I have had.

Qn: What are your favourite drawing tools?

My main drawing tool is an Extra Fine Point Sharpie (US | UK).

I always have 4 or 5 of these in my sketch bag all the time. I never want to run short of them! 4-5 sharpies is a lot. But i am not super-organized so pens go "missing" in the depths of my sketch bag. Also, I often have my kids ( I have 2, a 6 and an 8 year old) with me when I am out sketching, and they tend to want to use the same supplies as me, so I always have extras.

They're an unusual pen for a sketcher to use but I love that they are waterproof, and also that the ink flows out of them very fast: this makes me sketch quickly to prevent big blots. Actually, I like that they create little dots of ink every time I pause on the page: The little blots mark the pauses they mark the passage of my hand across a sketch.

Qn: What watercolour brushes do you use? I noticed that many travel sketchers like to use waterbrushes. Have you tried them before?

I might be the rare urban Sketcher that doesn't like the waterbrush. I can't seem to get the hang of squeezing down for waterflow and free movement for my strokes: they don't work together for me.

So I stick with traditional brushes : a #4 , #6 and a round #10 or #12.

Most watercolor artists use Kolinsky sable brushes (US | UK), but I find I prefer hardier Cotman watercolor brushes (US | UK). They stand up to a lot rougher treatment than do sable brushes, and I am not gentle on my brushes when I paint!

Qn: Your sketches are always so colourful. What are some of your favourite colours?

Strangely, my must-have colors are not my brights: they are Payne's Grey, Raw Sienna and Burnt Umber, which help quieten down my super-bright colour palette and add depths and tones.

My brights I change out often: I'll experiment with different reds, yellows and blues, but my neutrals are what grounds my work.

Qn: What are the pens do you use with your sketches? The ink from your watercolour sketches certainly look waterproof.

Yes, it is waterproof. My trusted Extra Fine Sharpie is my most common pen to use, but I'll switch it out every once in a while for a Lamy Safari pen with a medium nib.

Most of the time I'm using Noodler's bulletproof ink in it, but I've been experimenting with more organic line with non-waterproof inks and with using India ink and a bamboo pen.

Qn: I see a normal pencil. What's that used for? How does that compare to the more convenient technical pencil?

I always use a normal pencil, an HB or 2B sharpened with an exacto knife (US | UK, not a regular sharpener )

I like the point I can make like this better than a more mechanical, even point from a sharpener or a technical pencil.

If I use a technical pencil, I find my lines are more angular looking, not flowing. With an exacto-sharpened pencil, I can go from using the point of my pencil to using it almost horizontal to the page for a softer, looser line, all in one stroke.

Qn: What sketchbooks do you use? The watercolour seems to work well on them.

I've experimented with lots of books over time.

My early books were Bee Paper Company's spiral bound books, a watercolor sketchbook called Cachet (by Daler Rowney) (US | UK) and Moleskine sketchbooks (US | UK.

The Cachet books are great value for money, but I can't seem to find them anymore. I love the paper quality on a Moleskine, but don't always like the warm-colored paper: it works well in the summer when most scenes are bathed in a warm light. But in the winter, I feel I have to fight the paper to achieve a cooler, crisper light.

My current favorite is the Stillman & Birn Beta series (US | UK) of books which have bright white paper and hold up fabulously to my heavy use of pigments and water. They're quite heavily sized, so the pigment takes longer to dry, but it works for me because I work wet in wet. And, I always have a second sketchbook around so I can let one sketch dry while I start on another.

Qn: I was looking at your sketches from way back and noticed that your sketchbooks are mostly spiral bound. Do you have a preference towards spiral bound sketchbooks? Why? I mean sometimes it's difficult to draw across the gutter where the spiral is, especially when you want to complete a wide scene.

Yes, it is hard to compose and draw across the gutter, but I rarely do that. What I gain with a spiral bound book is convenience: I can fold the books over easily when I sketch. I am often drawing standing, and I have been moving to larger and larger sizes(I use my 9x12 inch Stillman & Birn sketchbook quite a lot lately) so spiral bound books really work for me.

Qn: Do you use loose sheet watercolour paper?

Not often. Unless I am working on commercial illustration work, and then I use Fabriano watercolor paper (US | UK) in larger sizes.

Qn: What's the carrying bag that you're using? Is it good for carrying drawing materials? Is it heavy? Do you have a stool to sit on?

My bag is a Timbuk2 messenger bag (US | UK). I really like how comfortable it is to wear and that it's waterproof, so if I were to get rained on, my books are relatively safe. I've used a backpack at other times, but I prefer wide-format bag to a tall one, as it makes it easier to reach for things.

I own a Walkstool (US | UK), but don't end up using it much. Usually the best vantage points for me to draw from are places where I have to stand to draw. Or, I am happy to squat on a pavement and sketch most of the time.

Qn: Who's the next artist do you think we should feature?

That's a hard one, I can think of so many.

I'd love to peek in the sketch kit of Inma Serrano. She is a genius with color.

Or, of an artist I follow on flickr known as mango Frooty.

Or Shari who has a way with light and watercolors that is poetic.

You can check out more artworks from Suhita Shirodkar on her blog, Flickr page and Etsy store:

• http://sketchaway.wordpress.com/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/sketchaway
• https://www.etsy.com/shop/sketchaway

Comments

If you have any questions or comments for her, send them here:
http://sketchaway.wordpress.com/2013/12/20/talking-shop-on-parkablogs-com/

Items mentioned may be available at Dick Blick Art Materials, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

We have Katarzyna Kozlowska aka Lady2 (DeviantArt | facebook), an artist from Poland to talk about her drawing tools today.

Her coloured pencil drawings and portraits really captured my attention, especially the eyes of her subjects. She has even created a tutorial on drawing eyes with coloured pencils.

Alright, let's get on with the interview.

Qn: Can you give our readers an introduction of yourself?

I don’t like to talk about myself – it’s always so hard! My works do it instead of me. But to be serious: I am an average girl from Eastern Europe. Bein’ into drawing since I was a little girl… And began to draw seriously in 2009. Now I’m studying an architecture. And all my free time I spend on drawing, sketching, learning about art etc. My whole world is about this art thing. I also do private and commercial commissions. Still trying to develop in this direction...

Qn: It seems like coloured pencils are your preferred drawing medium. Why do you like about them?

You got me! I have to admit that I discovered coloured pencils recently…

Previously I drew only using ordinary pencils you find everywhere. But I came into the conclusion that it’s time for small changes. So I’m still learning how to use them... However, I'm charmed by power of these little bastards! :D

Qn: What brand are these coloured pencils? Can you talk about the colours here? This is an interesting set of colours. I see mainly flesh tone colours, with reds, a blue, purple and green.

This is probably one of my favourite sets for drawing people. Because of a range of tones here - you can draw any type of skin tone without getting an artificial feeling. And it’s Polycolor set by Kooh-i-Noor. I really love them!

Qn: Faber-Castel coloured pencils. 36-pencil set? How does this set compare with the other set from above?

And these are my little children!

For a long time I hesitated on buying them because they are not cheap. However, everyone recommend them to me so I decided to take a risk. And I was not disappointed!

These are by far the best coloured pencils which I had the pleasure to draw. They are very soft and soooo easy to blend ... Perfect.

Unfortunately, I have a fairly small set. That is why I support them with Polycolor. Together make my perfect duo.

Qn How long do the colour pencils last? Your drawings are quite large. I suppose you would use up the pencils very quickly? Are the pencils sold separately?

This may seem strange, but colored pencils are more efficient than a pencil. They are expensive - but they are worth it. All the pencils I’ve got you can buy separately. However, it is more economical to buy the whole set.

Qn: What are the qualities of a good quality coloured pencil?

For me, a good coloured pencils must be sufficiently high quality that can be really easy to blend. And of course my must have is a wide range of non-standard colours.

Qn: Where do you buy the pencils? At art stores or online? I'm asking this because some artists are afraid of buying their pencils online for the fear of them breaking during shipping.

Usually I buy in the shops stationary. However, for few times I have ordered things on the Internet. They are so well packed that there is no way to break during the delivery.

Qn: Can you give us a quick rundown on the pencils you use? What's the difference between the technical pencils? What's that cute yellow pencil(?)?

In the picture you can see my personal set of pencils which I usually use when I draw black and white works.

After many years I collected the pencils which I think are best for me. So you can see 2h, 2b, 4b, 6b, 9b in different brands. I totally love Faber Castell green pencils. They are sooo cool! I also use two mechanical pencils: 0,5 and 0.3 mm.

Hhaha that cute yellow pencil is my mechanical eraser. The best they’ve ever invented.

Qn: What eraser do you use? Is it good? Some erasers can be quite brittle.

I use my cute yellow eraser. It is compact, does not leave streaks … There is nothing worse than drawing spoiled by bad eraser. So I recommend mechanical ones.

Qn: What paper do you use? I see some Daler Rowney and Canson drawing pads. The Canson drawing pad above seems to be for pastel work. Do these papers work well with coloured pencils?

I have tested sooo many papers from sooo many different brands that I found that Daler&Rowney paper is the best for me. They are really high quality and quite cheap. Also the texture is excellent for any mediums.

The Canson one is for pastel medium but I bought it to try coloured pencils on it… We will see how it works.

Qn: What are some of the sketchbooks you use?

The best paper is from Daler&Rowney so all my sketchbooks are from this company. The black one is sooo great because it’s got spirals and you can draw easily on each sides. The one with butterfly is the one I’ve handmade.

Qn: How do you protect your artworks? Pencil sketches in sketchbook have a tendency to smudge when in contact with other pages. How about the single sheet artworks?

For All my works I use an ordinary hair spray :D Yes I know that it’s seems weird … but it really works and it’s waaay cheaper than professional sprays.

Qn: How do you scan the large drawings?

I visit the printing press - where they have professional scanners.

Qn: I see that you also take commissions for the coloured pencil drawings. How do you ship those large drawings without damaging them?

I always packed them into the paper tube. It’s so strong that nothing can be damaged.

Qn: Who else do you think we should feature next?
There are so many great artists, it's hard to choose one. Maybe Jennifer Healy– she is my great inspiration!

That's all from Katarzyna Kozlowska. You can check out her works at

• https://www.facebook.com/lady2art
• http://lady2.deviantart.com/
• http://instagram.com/lady2art
• http://lady2.tumblr.com/
• http://society6.com/lady2
• http://lady2.bigcartel.com/

Items mentioned may be available at Dick Blick Art Materials, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Kerby Rosanes (DeviantArt | Facebook | Twitter) is a Philippines-based artist who works as a graphic designer by day, and doodles at night.

His artworks are usually rendered with meticulous line work. His whimsical characters and creations from imagination are wonderful. The style is bold and striking.

In this interview, we'll talk about the drawing tools that he use to create those illustrations.

Qn: Let's talk about your pens first. What pens do you use? What do you like about them?

I use Uni Pin Fineliners. What I like about them is that they are light, feels very comfortable when used and most especially, don't smudge on my sketchbooks. The tips are felt tip with sizes ranging from 0.05 to 0.8. For larger areas that need to be entirely black, I use Sharpie black markers to save time.

Qn: How long can the pens last? Have you considered using technical pens that are refillable?

For my Moleskine drawings, one pen can last for approximately 8 hours of continuous drawing and can fill up two or more pages depending on the complexity of the doodle.

I have tried using refillable pens before but most of them are just good when used for the first time and not once refilled. The strokes will vary — depending on the number of times the pen was refilled. I don't have all the patience.

Qn: What are some of the other drawing tools that you use besides the pens?

The markers, colour sticks, pencils. We'll talk about paper and sketchbooks further down.

Aside from the pens I also use oil pastels, rulers, sharpie markers, a drawing tablet and the good old pencil.

Qn: Have you tried other pens before?

Yes of course. I tried different multiliners before from different brands before I settle down on using Uni Pins which I felt more comfortable and reliable.

Qn: I see there's a Wacom tablet there. What model is that? What type of artwork do you use the tablet to create? What do you think about working with a tablet vs working with pens?

It is a Wacom Bamboo Pen and Touch. I use it in refining, cleaning up and coloring drawings on Photoshop or creating an entire digital doodle work. I don't use it often though since I still prefer everything done the traditional way.

Qn: What sketchbooks and paper do you use? Do they work well with your drawing materials?

I use a regular A4 multi-purpose paper for most projects or just quick sketching sessions. I use a Canson A3 drawing sketchbook for more complicated drawings. My first ever sketchbook dedicated to doodling is the Berkeley Sketch Pad with pages same as with the quality of a regular watercolour paper.

Most of the time, I always bring with me my Moleskine pocket sketchbooks for quick doodling when boredom strikes.

Oh by the way, I also tried using a blackpad before to explore more possibilities in drawing but I haven't been making any progress after drawing in two pages of it. Probably a new goal for next year.

Qn: For the Moleskine sketchbooks, do you draw on every page? When you scan the drawings, does the drawing from the previous page make an impression on the scanned pages?

I draw on every page-spread. When you are using a Uni Pin on a Moleskine sketchbook, there is a least chance of making an impression on the current page from the drawings of the previous pages when scanned. The pages in moleskine are sturdy and thick enough to avoid it. And that's one reason I like about this sketchbook.

Qn: Who else do you think we should feature next?

Swedish artist Mattias Adolfsson who has been a great inspiration for me. Google his name and you'll see why you need to feature him next. :)

That's all for Kerby Rosanes. Thanks!

Check out more of his artworks at

• http://kerbyrosanes.com
• http://kerbyrosanes.deviantart.com
• https://www.facebook.com/sketchystoriesblog
• http://instagram.com/kerbyrosanes
• https://twitter.com/Kerby_Rosanes
• http://society6.com/kerbyrosanes
• http://www.behance.net/kerbyrosanes

Comments

If you have any questions or comments for him, ask him on Facebook.

Items mentioned may be available at Dick Blick Art Materials, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

Francis Theo is a sketcher from Urban Sketchers Singapore. Since joining the group in 2012, he has been sketching frequently and has now filled more than a dozen sketchbooks.

Qn: You are more a pen and ink guy. Can you talk about the pens you have used in the past and which ones do you use most often?

Oh dear, pen & ink guy. Must try watercolour soon. Hahaha.

I used Hero (from China), Delli (from India), vintage Mont Blanc, Lamy Safari, Pilot Falcon and free pens.

My favorite are Lamy Safari B nib, Pilot Falcon B & M nibs and a free pen (free from a promotional event).

Qn: What are some of the criteria you look for when buying or choosing the pen for your sketching purposes?

It have to be affordable, flex nibs, nib size, smooth ink flow.

Qn: For the ink itself, given the myriad of brand in the market, what are some of the brands you are currently using and the one you like best?

So far I have used Hero, Daler Rowney Calli and Noodler’s.

I like Noodler’s for the wide range of colours but they are expensive and have to order online.

Daler Rowney Calli colour are intense, reasonable price but limited colour. I love mixing Calli ink. My choice is Daler Rowney Calli Ink.

Qn: What watercolours do you use for your washes? Any specific brand?

Shinhan, Talens and Holbein.

Qn: I noticed you use a variation of sketching papers. Can you elaborate on your drawing process and how each different kind of sketchbooks appeal to you?

I sketched on any paper that I can get hold, Chinese rice paper, back of parking coupons, pastel paper, home made sketchbook from recycle paper, cheap and expensive sketch books.

Some sketchbooks I used are Daler Rowney, Moleskine, Muji, Sennelier, Stillman & Birn and Nude Sketchbook.

When I joined the Urban Sketchers Singapore in 2012, I have no confidence in my sketch. I sketched with a pencil and go over with pen. After a few sketchwalks I begin to sketch with my first HERO 9018 pen, the rest are history.

Most of my sketches are landscape format. Moleskine Japanese Album and Daler Rowney Panorama Sketchbook are ideal for my need. The accordion design of Moleskine Japanese Album allow me to continue sketch a whole street scene or merging from one scene to another.

I used Square format sketchbooks for sketching tight subjects and the good thing is that I can spread open to sketch landscape format.

When travelling I prefer to travel light, the ideal size to bring is the landscape format (21 x 13 cm ) sketchbook. It is light to carry can slip into my sling bag easily.

Qn: You use dry medium like coloured pencils for some of your works. What are the appeal of coloured pencils for you?

The coloured pencils are not my favourite, I preferred the 4 in 1 coloured pencils. All I need for field sketching is a sketchbook, one 4 in 1 color pencil and a pencils sharpener. I use the Caran D’ache coloured pencils at home, it is too bulky to bring out for field work.

Qn: What watercolour brushes are you using currently?

I use Taklon Ashley, Holbein, Pentel pen brush, some old brushes from BVI days ( can’t read the brand ) and Make-up brushes from my wife.

Qn: What are art supplies do you hope to get in the future for your drawing purposes?

More choices of affordable good fountain pens, drawing inks and sketchbooks.

Qn: What are things you look out for when urban sketching?

Since I was a teen, I have been fascinated by buildings, cityscape and landscape, especially old buildings.

Instead of drawing them I photographed. Because of my photography background, I approach my subject and capture from a photographer perspective — compose and visualise in my mind before I sketch.

Qn: Who's the next artist do you think we should feature?

Don Low, my idol. He multi talented artist . He will inspire a lot new artists.

Comments for Francis Theo?

If you have questions and comments for him, send them here: https://plus.google.com/u/0/114389360127784826236/posts

Items mentioned may be available at Dick Blick Art Materials, Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

For this interview we have Richard Sheppard. He's a freelance illustrator and fine art artist whose art have appeared in books (e.g. An Illustrated Journey) and galleries. He has also authored a book called The Artist on the Road based on his 2009 trip in Greece.

You can check out his art blog at http://www.theartistontheroad.com or his illustration portfolio at http://www.artstudios.com

Qn: Tell us a bit more about yourself. How long have you been creating art or sketching?

I attended Arizona State University back in the 1980s then transferred to the Academy of Art University in San Francisco where I studied Illustration under Barbara Bradley, Barron Storey, and Howard Brodie. At the Academy, sketchbooks were required and it’s there that I first started sketching out of doors. At the time, it was difficult for me to sketch in public and it wasn’t until I went on an extended sketching trip to Greece that I got beyond my fears.

Since graduating in 1996, I’ve illustrated books, package designs, and publicity materials. I also write and sketch local scenes for our county newspaper. My "Sense of Place" column appears in the Towns section. I’m currently working on my next book "Impressions of Wine Country" to be published in summer 2014.

Qn: What are your tools of trade on the road, and that you use for freelance illustration?

A few years ago, while preparing for my trip to Greece, I designed a sketching kit that I still use today. It combines a masonite backing board, water cups, and a modified children's paint set. I soaked out the cheap original paints, then replaced them with professional grade Winsor & Newton watercolors. I’m really pleased with the paint box because it cost only $4US, and is as sturdy as the expensive ones in the art stores. Plus I prefer having my colours in a row instead of the typical square box. It saves space.

For my illustration work, I use watercolour, pen & ink, and digital media (Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop). Most of my work combines these media to produce theatre posters, graphics for books, and package designs.

Qn: I read from your blog that you use the Sakura Pigma Micron pens from size 01 to 08? Are they good?

I love Pigma Micron pens. They’re permanent, don’t bleed, and provide a range of line widths even within a single pen. They also come in an assortment of colours, several of which I rely upon regularly.

The only downside is that they seem to dry up pretty quickly and are not refillable.

Qn: What watercolours do you use? Have you tried different brands?

I use professional grade Winsor & Newton watercolours. I was required to use these paints while in college and have grown accustomed to the characteristics of each colour. Some paints are opaque, others transparent, and still others are sedimentary. Plus the gum arabic binder has a big influence on how the paint handles on the paper.

I know there are other brands that make quality watercolours, but I’m familiar with Winsor & Newton so I just stick with them.

Qn: In the drawing of your tools above, you said you use two colours per oval pan. I suppose your watercolours are squeezed from tubes. Isn't that going to make your pure colours messy?

While painting, I don’t fill the pans with water so even though there are two colours per oval, it’s still easy enough to brush the colour I’m after without the colour next to it getting in the way. I chose to put similar colours together so if they mix a little, it adds complexity to the colour instead of creating mud.

Qn: What do you think of the Winsor & Newton Series 7 watercolour brush that you're using. Is it too big or small for the size of sketches you're drawing?

The Series 7 brush (size 8) is a great sable brush. It holds paint better than synthetic brushes and makes for a better painting experience.

Note that in my paint kit I use a small piece of kneaded eraser at one end of the tray to hold the brush in place. It keeps the brush from mashing up against the end and ruining the tip.

Qn: That masonite hardboard you use for backing your sketchbooks. Is it necessary?

The masonite hardboard is used as a support for my sketchbook and paint kit while sketching. It’s especially helpful while standing and sketching since my water cups and paints are available for use without setting them down on the ground.

Qn: I see you use the Moleskine sketchbook. Is that the normal sketchbook or the watercolour ones? What do you think about them? Are they worth the money?

Moleskine makes a good quality sketchbook and I especially like that they lie flat during use. But since I learned to make my own sketchbooks, I use my self-mades almost exclusively. At present, I still have a couple of the landscape watercolor Moleskines and will continue to use them until they're filled.

Qn: Wow, you make your own sketchbooks as well. I saw your step-by-step post on your blog (http://www.theartistontheroad.com/?p=2988) on how to make the sketchbook. You said you could not find the perfect sketchbook. What's your ideal perfect sketchbook? Isn't just more convenient to buy a sketchbook?

The biggest problem with commercial sketchbooks is the lack of paper quality. Most don’t handle watercolour very well and since I love to splash copious amounts of water on the page while working, most papers just buckle. I searched everywhere for a sketchbook that worked with my sketching techniques but eventually gave up on commercial brands.

Finally, I discovered a near perfect solution with self-made sketchbooks. Its only deficiency is that the binding requires the purchase of a special tool or the help of a third party supplier. Though I tried for weeks to make a stitched binding that worked, it wasn’t until I had the book spiral bound that I found what I was looking for. The spiral binding allows me to tuck the finished pages underneath to save space and to occasionally tear a page out for a friend, sell to a buyer, or toss an unsightly drawing away. But most important of all, I have my favourite paper to sketch on, which is Arches hot press watercolour paper. Even Arches sketchbooks don’t contain the same quality of paper as the full size sheets so making my own sketchbook solved all my problems.

Qn: You mentioned you bought the binder The Cinch made by We R Memory Keepers. Is it good? What's the paper size that it can bind?

The Cinch works pretty well as a sketchbook binder and I’m glad I bought it. I prefer their metal clamp binders over the plastic spirals because they make a tighter fitting book.

I’ve used commercial binding services such as FedEx Office (in the US) and they do a good job binding sketchbooks too.

But the reason I bought the Cinch is so I didn’t have to drive and wait for FedEx Office to do work I could do myself. The Cinch can bind just about any size sketchbook I want.

Qn: Are there any special precautions to note when binding your own sketchbooks?

I recommend practicing on cheap paper until you get something you’re happy with. The first time I used the Cinch, the holes didn’t align properly, but after practicing a couple of times, I got the hang of it and it worked perfectly.

Qn: What watercolour paper do you use?

My favourite paper is Arches hot press watercolor paper because it’s 100% rag, archival, and won’t yellow over time. Pigments float on the surface of hot press paper better than cold press, giving the colours a more vivid appearance. It also contributes to the water effects that I encourage in my work. And lastly, hot press enables me to remove (or pull out) paint from the page a little more easily than cold press when necessary.

I scan all my sketches into the computer, and Arches hot press paper shows less paper texture than cold press. I often sketch silhouetted drawings so the removal of the paper texture around the image is important to me.

Qn: You mentioned the Timbuk2 and STM messenger bags that you use to bring your art tools around. Are they good? Why two bags?

I purchased the Timbuk2 bag for my trip to Greece. It worked perfectly while traveling abroad and was large enough to not only hold my art supplies, but also many other travel items.

But when I’m out day sketching, my smaller STM bag works great. It’s just large enough to hold a couple of sketchbooks, my sketching kit, water bottles, etc. Each bag has its flaws and subtle annoyances, but these two bags are durable and work well overall for my needs.

Qn: What travel stool do you use, if any? Is it heavy and can you fit that into your bag?

On occasion I carry a generic travel stool that I purchased at a camping store many years ago but it doesn’t fit inside either of my bags. It can be useful to have a stool while out sketching, and occasionally, I’ll tie it to my Timbuk2 bag, but I usually forgo the stool and can usually find a place to sit onsite.

Qn: Which artist do you think we should feature next?

Omar Jaramillo. His watercolours are amazing and I’d love to know more about his techniques and tools.

Comments

You can send your comments to Richard Sheppard at http://www.theartistontheroad.com/?p=4394

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