A delightful eyeful Raj. Thank you for laying out your beloved tools and materials. I love to see this as it is an intimate share isn't it? I shall explore some of your items and see how they fit with me. Happy New Year - Alison
Oh my goodness, I love seeing all the materials lined up and numbered! Such pleasure in the organized. I too am in love with the Mars Black pencil and though I haven't purchased the Beya Rebai neocolors, I have a lot of the colors purchased individually and they are so vibrant!
My fave material this year has been the artgraf carbon with a water brush pen. It is so delightfully freeing allowing for a lot of range in tone and texture, and you can't beat the portability. It'd be fun to discuss what materials we fell out of love with too—for me it's been the Tombow brush pens! Barely use them especially any darks!
Good point about the materials we fall out of love with - I also have used Tombow brush pens less. But I still enjoy other markers like Ecoline and I LOVE the Faber Castell Albrecht Durer markers!
I would LOVE to see how you have used the Art Graf, and what your sketches look like? It is a beautiful material, I do own one but I struggle to find my way with it. I wish I could love what I create with it, but so far it hasn't quite connected with me! I love the little tin, and how verstaile it is...I need to spend more time with it!
I bought the same indigo pencil recently and it is gorgeous! My top 3 are
💜Sharpie pk8 chisel tips in slate grey and fluorescent red
💜Faber castel Jumbo 9000 pencils
💜Stabilo woody as well, but my faves are the light green.
All chunky things, can you tell I have terrible grip lol.
💜Also shoutout to Elmer's school glue pens for anyone who collages, glue pens are often so hard to get the right skinny it but these don't blob everywhere or feel like your going to pop a vein to get anything out, I'm pretty sure i can use a syringe to refill then too.x
Droppy hands solidarity,💜✊😆 have you ever tried the elastic band handle trip for pencils? It's helped me a few times. Also you can cut any Sharpie head into a chisel tip, but I particularly like the squashed shape of the body (is that the right word for the non writey part?) Of these chisel Sharpies, cheap AF too https://amzn.eu/d/d4BswM4
I LOVE a good Sharpie! Thanks for the tip! (See whaddididthere?!🥴) I have not heard of the elastic band handle thingy though?! Sounds like JUST what I need!! Not just for pencils though, I am known as the 'dropper' of pretty much everything...
Omg what a dad joke! //Compliment// fab, I learnt it from equipmeot on insta, you hook the band arrived one end of the pencil, put the band over your hand, then hook the other end over the pencil. I've only managed to make it work when grabbing the pencil like a fork, but it loosens me up like that anyway. But there's also things you can put on pencils with fiber holes. (Accesable tools are my autistic hyperfocus, v useful 💜)
This was a great roundup and *almost* convinced me to buy a set of Kurate Gansai paints (I’ll probably regret not pressing buy on the 48 set for 44% off for the rest of my days, or until I just buy them... they are still sitting in my amazon cart 😅). I just did a review of all the art supplies I used this year, and coloured pencils, neocolor II’s and watercolour topped my list!
I really relate hard to the items sitting in the shopping cart for ages!! I don't want to influence you to buy them...but maybe you can influence someone else to gift them?!? That tactic has worked pretty well for me in the past few years - so well in fact, that now I am pausing ALL art supply purchases. (Famous last words).
What a great roundup! I do love that Quink ink in a fountain pen. I never would've bought it if you hadn't mentioned it in a post! Maybe since I use it for journaling, and it's prone to fade, I'll put those pages in the sunshine so they'll disappear hahaha.
My brass sharpener is another fave too, but it's kinda shell-shaped. I love how tiny and mighty it is.
I've loved using anything with a dropper this year. Still hooked on Neocolors and falling back in love with color pencils. Markers and I have an on-again/off-again thing too. And Caran D'ache oil pastels!
The Quick IS gorgeous... such a shame it fades, but in the journals when they are not constantly exposed to light like an artwork on a wall is, they should be ok. I guess if your future great great grandkids want to read what their amazing great great grandma Beth was doing in the olden days, they might not get to read your wonderful words!
YES to the brass sharpeners!!
Ooooh - working with a droppper sounds like a great way to loosen up! I have to try that!
Neocolours and colour pencils are still at the top for me too. Failsafes!
Who doesn't love a good post about art supplies, this was a good one Raj 🤩 still need to revisit my drawings from the year to confirm if I'm right, but I'm guessing that my top 3 were: Luminance pencil - Perylene Brown ; Derwent Drawing pencil - Ink Blue and Ecoline brush pen - Pink beige 😊 this year I completely fell in love with colour pencils!
ooooh!!! Wow that's two votes for the Derwent Drawing Ink Blue! Pink Beige is SUCH a great versatile colour. Sounds like those 3 would also work quite well together?
Hahahaha - I Honestly only realised I was Blue obsessed from this post! I think we always make discoveries when we step back and review stuff. I love your top 3! That Derwent Drawing Ink Blue is GORGEOUS!!
May I add that Sennelier oil pastels make great marks ? And if you have a favourite colour, it might be worth investing in the giant kind. They last forever !
I’d be keen to add the ArtGraf graphite box that you can carry anywhere with a water brush and make whole drawings with lots of textures on the go. It lasts forever too. Well worth the investment !
And while I’m at it, a few Holbein in your favourite colours. They really are something else. ( but unfortunately, don’t last forever...)
I think the idea of buying one favourite colour in a new material is genius. I have used oil pastels very sparingly so far, but I agree, the marks are incredible. I think I just feel too precious with them, butI do want to use them more. Thanks for the suggestion!
The Art Graf is GREAT - I do actually own one. However, I don't know why, but I don't seem to like any of the work I have made with it! I need to persevere and keep going.
Holbein: do you mean the colour pencils? I LOVE the pencils...I do own a few of them too. Agree they are amazing.
A delightful eyeful Raj. Thank you for laying out your beloved tools and materials. I love to see this as it is an intimate share isn't it? I shall explore some of your items and see how they fit with me. Happy New Year - Alison
Happy New Year to you too! Glad you found it insightful!
Oh my goodness, I love seeing all the materials lined up and numbered! Such pleasure in the organized. I too am in love with the Mars Black pencil and though I haven't purchased the Beya Rebai neocolors, I have a lot of the colors purchased individually and they are so vibrant!
My fave material this year has been the artgraf carbon with a water brush pen. It is so delightfully freeing allowing for a lot of range in tone and texture, and you can't beat the portability. It'd be fun to discuss what materials we fell out of love with too—for me it's been the Tombow brush pens! Barely use them especially any darks!
Good point about the materials we fall out of love with - I also have used Tombow brush pens less. But I still enjoy other markers like Ecoline and I LOVE the Faber Castell Albrecht Durer markers!
I would LOVE to see how you have used the Art Graf, and what your sketches look like? It is a beautiful material, I do own one but I struggle to find my way with it. I wish I could love what I create with it, but so far it hasn't quite connected with me! I love the little tin, and how verstaile it is...I need to spend more time with it!
I bought the same indigo pencil recently and it is gorgeous! My top 3 are
💜Sharpie pk8 chisel tips in slate grey and fluorescent red
💜Faber castel Jumbo 9000 pencils
💜Stabilo woody as well, but my faves are the light green.
All chunky things, can you tell I have terrible grip lol.
💜Also shoutout to Elmer's school glue pens for anyone who collages, glue pens are often so hard to get the right skinny it but these don't blob everywhere or feel like your going to pop a vein to get anything out, I'm pretty sure i can use a syringe to refill then too.x
I'm also a big fan of the chunky stuff! Im a 'dropper', so it helps 😂. I don't know the Sharpie chisel tips, I have to look them up!
Droppy hands solidarity,💜✊😆 have you ever tried the elastic band handle trip for pencils? It's helped me a few times. Also you can cut any Sharpie head into a chisel tip, but I particularly like the squashed shape of the body (is that the right word for the non writey part?) Of these chisel Sharpies, cheap AF too https://amzn.eu/d/d4BswM4
I LOVE a good Sharpie! Thanks for the tip! (See whaddididthere?!🥴) I have not heard of the elastic band handle thingy though?! Sounds like JUST what I need!! Not just for pencils though, I am known as the 'dropper' of pretty much everything...
Omg what a dad joke! //Compliment// fab, I learnt it from equipmeot on insta, you hook the band arrived one end of the pencil, put the band over your hand, then hook the other end over the pencil. I've only managed to make it work when grabbing the pencil like a fork, but it loosens me up like that anyway. But there's also things you can put on pencils with fiber holes. (Accesable tools are my autistic hyperfocus, v useful 💜)
This was a great roundup and *almost* convinced me to buy a set of Kurate Gansai paints (I’ll probably regret not pressing buy on the 48 set for 44% off for the rest of my days, or until I just buy them... they are still sitting in my amazon cart 😅). I just did a review of all the art supplies I used this year, and coloured pencils, neocolor II’s and watercolour topped my list!
Buy them! They are awesome 🖌️🎨
Oh, I did!
I really relate hard to the items sitting in the shopping cart for ages!! I don't want to influence you to buy them...but maybe you can influence someone else to gift them?!? That tactic has worked pretty well for me in the past few years - so well in fact, that now I am pausing ALL art supply purchases. (Famous last words).
Thanks for sharing your top materials!
But yes, good tip! I will live by this for next year, I swear! LOL
I bought them 🤭
What a great roundup! I do love that Quink ink in a fountain pen. I never would've bought it if you hadn't mentioned it in a post! Maybe since I use it for journaling, and it's prone to fade, I'll put those pages in the sunshine so they'll disappear hahaha.
My brass sharpener is another fave too, but it's kinda shell-shaped. I love how tiny and mighty it is.
I've loved using anything with a dropper this year. Still hooked on Neocolors and falling back in love with color pencils. Markers and I have an on-again/off-again thing too. And Caran D'ache oil pastels!
The Quick IS gorgeous... such a shame it fades, but in the journals when they are not constantly exposed to light like an artwork on a wall is, they should be ok. I guess if your future great great grandkids want to read what their amazing great great grandma Beth was doing in the olden days, they might not get to read your wonderful words!
YES to the brass sharpeners!!
Ooooh - working with a droppper sounds like a great way to loosen up! I have to try that!
Neocolours and colour pencils are still at the top for me too. Failsafes!
Who doesn't love a good post about art supplies, this was a good one Raj 🤩 still need to revisit my drawings from the year to confirm if I'm right, but I'm guessing that my top 3 were: Luminance pencil - Perylene Brown ; Derwent Drawing pencil - Ink Blue and Ecoline brush pen - Pink beige 😊 this year I completely fell in love with colour pencils!
ooooh!!! Wow that's two votes for the Derwent Drawing Ink Blue! Pink Beige is SUCH a great versatile colour. Sounds like those 3 would also work quite well together?
Yes, they do 🥰
Why am I getting the idea that you have a thing for a blue pencil? 😁
Picking just 3 favourites will be absolutely impossible for me, so I’ll go for my 3 most used ones:
1. Caran D’ache Luminance Herculanum Red (068) Coloured Pencil - for plotting my sketches.
2. Derwent Drawing Ink Blue (3720) Coloured Pencil - such a beautiful and versatile colour.
3. Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen brush, Cinnamon 189 - love this one for line work 🥰 (And also the Earth Green 172)
Hahahaha - I Honestly only realised I was Blue obsessed from this post! I think we always make discoveries when we step back and review stuff. I love your top 3! That Derwent Drawing Ink Blue is GORGEOUS!!
That blue is gorgeous yes! I even mixed myself a pot of it in acrylics so I can also use it when painting.
Thanks Raj !
May I add that Sennelier oil pastels make great marks ? And if you have a favourite colour, it might be worth investing in the giant kind. They last forever !
I’d be keen to add the ArtGraf graphite box that you can carry anywhere with a water brush and make whole drawings with lots of textures on the go. It lasts forever too. Well worth the investment !
And while I’m at it, a few Holbein in your favourite colours. They really are something else. ( but unfortunately, don’t last forever...)
I think the idea of buying one favourite colour in a new material is genius. I have used oil pastels very sparingly so far, but I agree, the marks are incredible. I think I just feel too precious with them, butI do want to use them more. Thanks for the suggestion!
The Art Graf is GREAT - I do actually own one. However, I don't know why, but I don't seem to like any of the work I have made with it! I need to persevere and keep going.
Holbein: do you mean the colour pencils? I LOVE the pencils...I do own a few of them too. Agree they are amazing.
I think I might like a Sennelier oil pastel or two! Are they smooth like the Caran D'ache ones?
Much creamy than neopastels!
Sounds dreamy! ❤️😊
Ooh, what a lovely juicy collection! I am a bit envious
I'm very lucky to have gathered so many lovely treats!