Lung Sketching Scrolls

And the Giveaway Winner is....

2012-01-27T21:38:00.000-08:00

"Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2012-01-28 05:37:11 UTC"

So the winner of the first Mystery Sketching Kit for 2012 is:

Aisazia

Please e-mail me your contact info so that I may send you your prize, thanks everyone for the warm welcome and stay tuned for my next giveaway.

I'm back! Quick Giveaway for loyal readers

2012-01-26T21:31:00.001-08:00

Finally my first post for 2012! Gearing up to resume regular blogging. Got tons of new neat stuff to review and speed sketch with. Much of it courtesy of Matthias from Bleistiff. Plus I have rediscovered quite a few art supplies from my deep storage bins during my recent move to North Carolina.
Thanks again Matthias for the generous Christmas pencil gift pack. This magnetic pencil is sure fun to have around: it can effortlessly stand straight on a pencil tin, swiftly pick up stray paper clips and sharpener blades, and features a pretty smooth lead encased in black-dyed wood.

Giveaway rules: let's get started with a mystery giveaway to reward my loyal readers that are still keeping and eye on this blog. Just leave a comment to this post within the next 24 hours, and we'll pick a winner with random.org. The winner will then have 24 hours to send me full contact info to receive the prize. Good luck!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T09:28:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for 2012! Hope to resume regular blogging once I return home next year and regain access to my regular computer and recording gear. Cheers!

Upcoming Sketching Kits Giveaway planned for 2012

2011-12-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

Ok guys and gals! just giving you a heads up on the sketching kits giveaway I will be holding early next year. A sudden family matter has kept me in Florida longer than expected and prevented me from holding a second holiday giveaway before X-mas as I had planned.
Joshua from Neko Heavy Industries already sent me a few sketchbooks to include in the prize kits. If you can not wait for a chance to try one of his fine handcrafted products, you might want to treat youself to the customized sketchbook experience.

Jet Pens Giveaway and Mystery Kit winners

2011-12-05T21:04:00.000-08:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2011-12-06 05:03:54 UTC

So the Jet Pens $10 gift certificate goes to "Unknown - truffleshuffle213@ gmail. com"

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2011-12-06 05:04:39 UTC

So a mystery sketching kit will go to "Ted - that posted comment #11"

Please e-mail me your names and mailing address (for mystery sketching kit), so we can get your prizes out in a timely manner. My e-mail is listed under my Blogger profile. Stay tuned for upcoming bonus giveaway just in time for X-mas.

Holiday Gift Guide 2011 and Jet Pens Giveaway

2011-11-22T20:31:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays Everybody! I have tried and reviewed several new art supplies after writing my first gift guide in 2009, so it seemed like a good time to update it since Brad from Jet Pens has generously offered a $10 gift card for one reader that leaves a comment to this post (naturally it would be best not to post anonymously to allow for your effective identification should your comment win the prize). We'll use Random.org to select the wining comment on Monday, December 5th 11:59 pm EST. The winner will then have 48 hours to send me his or her name and contact information. Depending on the number of entries and depth of the comments, I might also select a couple of additional winners for "mystery sketching kits" (one selected randomly and another based on its originality). Thus I would be interested to learn what tools or components would you consider essential to your sketching kits and/or what was the best sketching advice or drawing tip you ever received. After my recent move, I had to figure out what main sketching tools to keep handy and what part of the collection should go in deep storage. So if you were to ask me today what might make a nice gift for the sketchers and artistically-inclined people in your list, I would have to go with the following categories and items (Disclaimer: these are my personal preferences from items I have bought in the USA or tried from samples sent my way, so your mileage and experience might vary. While I am a Blick's affiliate and really appreciate it if you click my banners on your way to their website, I have tried as a customer all of the online retailers listed in my links list at least once. I just tend to get the bulk of my collection through Blick's and Jet Pens given their selection and free shipping offers. I recommend you always compare prices, consider quality of customer service, and handling and shipping charges before choosing an online retailer):

Sketching pencils: a nice dozen box of Mitsubishi Hi-Uni pencils in 2B or 4B should meet the sketching needs of users that prefer soft dark leads that glide smoothly on the paper while remaining fairly smudge-resistant. If you feel like splurging, you might want to consider the Hi-Uni Pencil Art Set that includes all 22 degrees. Also worth considering the Tombow Mono 100 and the Palomino Blackwing 602 premium pencils.
Leadholders: this category remains a personal favorite and a staple of my sketching kit. A full set of 4 Mitsubishi Uni 2 mm leadholders (H, F, HB, B) bundled with a matching selection of lead refills would make for a well-rounded starter set. The recent addition of 3H, 2H, 2B, 3B, and red leads have further expanded the creative potential of these leadholders. If you prefer heavier models you might want to check out the offerings by Staedtler and Rotring.
Mechanical pencils: practical sketching tools that eliminate the need of constantly sharpening a pencil point. My favorite remains the Pentel Graph 1000. Leads are now available in Pentel Ain and Hi-Uni formats.
Drawing pens: The Sakura Pigma Sensei drawing pen set is another good choice for a starter sketching set that also includes a 0.7 mm mechanical pencil and eraser. I was super happy when they finally became available in open stock as boxes of 12 pens each since I always used up my 0.6 mm and 1.0 mm pens before the rest. For longer lasting tools with sleek aluminum barrels, I would recommend the Copic Multiliner SP pens that feature replaceable nibs and can be kept going almost indefinitely with their ink refills.
Markers: lets keep this category simple by saying that Prismacolor Premier Double-Ended Art Markers would make a fine affordable choice for starter and field sets, and that for heavy marker users and manga fans you could not go wrong by choosing Copic Sketch markers.
Coloring tools: there are many, but I would suggest you consider Faber Castell Albrecht Durer Watercolor pencils and a waterbrush for their versatility to be used dry or wet and the bright saturated washes they can yield. Also PanPastels are a fairly new product that might prove a welcome change of pace with their bright colors, ease of application, and erasability.
Sketchbooks: also plenty of choices available in this category. For a pretty original customized sketchbook and nice selection of paper choices, I would not hesitate to recommend the Neko Heavy Industries Custom Sketchbook and wirebound sketchbooks. For a ready-made option with sturdy papers, you might want to consider the Strathmore Visual Journals. If you enjoy using watercolor and light washes on your sketchbook, their product range include mixed media and 90 lb & 140 lb watercolor versions. For a pretty elegant choice you could take a look at the Quo Vadis Habana blank notebook.

This would be my 2-cents regarding suitable art supplies for my 2011 Gift Guide. What else would you add to this list? If you could only get to keep one type of paper and one sketching tool, what would they be?

Ongoing reply updates: Not sure what went wrong after approving comment #11, but somehow it disappeared after I got the e-mail confirming that it had been published to this thread. Perhaps it was deleted by mistake, so reader "ginigin" might want to repost his or her entry to the giveaway.

For pencils cases, I have tried and used many to keep my different supplies organized and stored. Yet the one that I carry with me everywhere remains the Mead Five Star Xpanz Zipper Pouch. If you carry complete pencil sets of 36 with you, I lean towards the Derwent Canvas Wrap rolls.

Cybertron Transformers out of package

2011-10-28T21:27:00.000-07:00

Had this Transformer Cybertron leader class 2-pack sealed in its original box for quite a while (think I probably got it on sale at Costco), and finally released them from their packaging as a house-warming ritual and surprise for my 3-year old nephew. Their design and electronic features allow for some fun playtime while their scale and articulation still make them pretty effective drawing reference models.
Their humanoid facial design is fairly close to the original Generation I style of the mid 1980s. My robot sketches often tend to display a fairly heavy influence from the Transformers robots from this time period.

Recent Jerry's Artarama Loot

2011-10-26T00:25:00.001-07:00

One of the best things of moving to North Carolina is that now I live close enough to an actual brick-and-mortar art supplies store: the Jerry's Artarama in Raleigh. On my last trip there I picked a couple of interesting items: a drawing pad made of Bamboo Paper and a Korean reference book of poses of a guy wielding a sword and riding a horse. It's like having a wooden manikin in book form with more flexible and expressive range of motion.
The Bamboo paper was off-white and fairly soft. Manufactured in China. Hope no pandas went hungry due to the production of this paper that is billed as an environmentally friendly alternative to papers made from soft and hardwoods. The paper readily accepted ink and graphite drawing tools. Will have to do some further testing with wet media and some other coloring tools in the future. Also finally got to try the Krystal Seal sleeves in the ATC size, and they worked well enough. I am now more inclined to try the larger sizes for protecting commission works and cartoon portraits at events. As convenient as online shopping can be, it can not fully duplicate the feeling and excitement of browsing through an actual store and discovering new materials to expand our creative potential.

WHSmith Pencils and assorted Faber Castell Pencils from the UK

2011-10-26T00:18:00.001-07:00

Continuing the doodling fun with the pencil sampler from Matthias, we'll move on to the WHSmith graphite pencils in B and 2B grades. Quick reminder for new readers and budding artists: while most pencils for writing and general use that we might come across everyday tend to be the classic yellow No. 2 or HB pencil, softer B pencils often make for more efficient sketching tool choices. The latter tend to be smoother and darker allowing faster sketching speeds and lightning fast shading. I tend to prefer 2B or 4B leads for quick sketches. While some softer leads are prone to smudging and are a bit more difficult to erase completely, I seldom erase exploratory sketches so that is not much of a concern. Yet I have come to expect and accept a couple of stray graphite particles to migrate away from heavily shaded areas from to time to time. As for these WHSmith pencils, I found that the difference of a single grade was clearly noticeable. The B lead retained its sharp point longer and its test swatch had a distinct linear quality. The 2B pencil got blunt quicker laying down broader strokes and darker sample swatch with the same pressure.
With the exception of the Grip 2001 pencil, these Faber Castell pencils were new to me as open stock. Other than the Blackwing, it is rare to find artist pencils with erasers and ferrules. Both of the B pencils sported white erasers that performed adequately. I found little difference in the darkness between the Faber Castell 9000 and the Faber Castell 1117 pencils. The 1117 simply features a very thin varnish that gives its barrel a "rougher" feel expected of an economy line. The Goldfaber 4100 is clearly a student grade colored pencil with a lower pigment load compared to a Polychromos pencil. I think I liked the Grip 2001 best from this bunch. Thanks again Matthias for this sampler, and I wouldn't fret over a couple of broken pencil points. The paper pad and bubble wrap mailer were more than adequate protection for factory-sharpened pencils. All the pencils re-sharpened well and were fully functional, so none of the leads broke completely during their overseas trip.

New Room and organizing the Art Supplies Closet

2011-10-26T00:14:00.001-07:00

Mateo arrived just in time to discover my initial attempt at organizing the supplies closet. Naturally he expects me to share all my art sets with him. Which reminded me that with adequate supervision, most of my young nephews and nieces have enjoyed trying out artist grade materials at a fairly early age.
A few of my sketching kits and messenger bags in my new studio. Luckily got plenty of natural light and a nice view of the forest.
One of my oldest art gear bags from my college years is this Rexel Derwent gym bag. currently loaded with assorted marker sets and my Pitt Big Artist Brush Pens.

Used a few open sets to get an idea of the holding capacity of the closet shelves. Still got to figure out a permanent arrangement to keep all my main drawing and coloring tools easily accessible. Hmmm! between the move and lack of access to my regular desktop set up, my blog posting frequency have dropped a tad and my 400th post came and went without much fanfare (like 3 posts ago). Had meant to do some sort of giveaway to mark the occasion.

EZ Grips and EZ Grip ResQ Pen Review

2011-10-18T22:30:00.000-07:00

Carl from Dextek sent me these EZ Grips and EZ Grip ResQ Pen samples for review. According to the back of their blister cards, they both were made in China. First I used the ResQ pen to sketch some random doodles on white card stock, and then tried the grips with a few pencils to do a bit of shading.
Using an EZ grip with a Staedtler Norris pencil for some quick effortlessly shading. Having fairly large hands, sketching with narrow tools like regular size pencils can cause a bit of cramping and discomfort during long sketching sessions. These grips slipped easily enough on the barrels of several different brands of standard pencils, the tapered barrels of 2 mm leadholders, and over the grip area of a Sakura 127 0.7 mm mechanical pencil. In all these tests, the different pencils felt more comfortable to hold while still allowing precise control over their drawing ends. Thus I had hoped I could use the EZ grips with my favorite cartooning tools: the Sakura Pigma Sensei 0.6 and 1.0 mm pens. Sadly they were a little too wide for them. Still if you already use regular plastic pencil grips, you will probably find these EZ grips to be a suitable alternative and perhaps a bit of an improvement. Recommended addition for your pencil accessories kit.
EZ Grip ResQ Pen disassembled into its plastic components that rendered it pretty lightweight. I found my sketching experience with this pen somewhat less satisfying than with the pencil grips.
At my faster sketching speeds the line skipped, and ink blobs tended to build up on the pen tip (something that could probably be solved by replacing it with a higher quality gel ink refill). The bulky barrel felt cumbersome and obscured the drawing area, so I would not recommend it as a regular sketching tool. Yet it performed adequately as a writing tool, and the skipping seemed to decrease after further use. Worth considering for users that prefer wide barrels and ergonomic grips on their pens.

Pencils from Overseas Sneak Peek - Staedtler Wopex Pencils

2011-10-18T22:25:00.001-07:00

Pencil sampler freshly arrived from the UK courtesy of Matthias from Bleistift.
WHSmith A5 Sketch Pad and this generous assortment of pencils made the trip safely across the pond within their bubble wrap mailing envelope with just a couple of broken pencil points. Should remember this efficient packing method of relying on a paper pad for greater structural integrity in future parcels. Plus I really like the opportunity of trying out a new sketch pad from another part of the world. As you can see there is plenty of material here for future posts and sketching videos. Most of these pencils I had not seen in person before.
The first ones to catch my eye were the color coded Staedtler Wopex 2H, HB, and 2B pencils. Go check Pencil Talk for a very detailed review of the the Wopex HB pencil. I had no trouble sharpening any of them with my handheld sharpeners during these initial tests, but the extruded rubber compound certainly felt harder and offered a bit more resistance against cutting. Thus it might be prudent to reserve a single sharpener for them to wear down and replace its blade in a timely manner. Their rubberized barrel felt quite comfortable while sketching.

While making these sample doodles and reference swatches, the three different pencil grades performed very similarly. The strong leads felt smooth and left very smudge-resistant marks. While I made the bottom 2H sample swatch lighter with less pressure, any of the three pencil grades could yield fairly dark marks indistinguishable from each other with average drawing pressure. So far I have not seen them in any outlets stateside, but they will be worth picking up as an interesting addition to your sketching pencils collection once they officially arrive to our shores. Thanks again Matthias for this neat custom-made pencil sampler.

KUM Ghost Sharpener and blue 2M Long point sharpener with leadpointers spotlight

2011-09-28T23:05:00.000-07:00

Found these KUM sharpeners at the Jerry's Artarama store in Raleigh. I am mostly trying out a new laptop with this particular post, so I quickly made a couple of rough videos to cover the features of the Ghost and 2-stage long point sharpener and some doodling with the KUM pencil included with the ghost sharpener. Not particularly happy with the grainy results, so will have to keep tinkering to find a happy medium between video quality and a reasonably fast upload process.
Getting back to the sharpeners: the novelty ghost one glows in the dark and would look quite nice decorating your drawing desk particularly in this time of the year with Halloween fast approaching. It has a generously sized waste compartment for the shavings and a plug for the sharpener opening to prevent debris from falling out. A plastic wedge sharpener is attached to the base that fits securely to the bottom of the ghost. The blue 2M long point sharpener is possibly the most versatile choice for the traditional wooden pencil user that also enjoys using 2 mm and 3.15 mm leadholders. It even comes with 2 spare blades to prolong its useful life. Both KUM models would make nice functional additions to any pencil accessories collection.

Faber Castell Loctite 9800 SG Review

2011-09-12T16:02:00.000-07:00

Latest addition to my Faber Castell leadholder collection: a new old stock (NOS) Loctite 9800 SG 2 mm clutch pencil manufactured in Germany in the 1970s. It features a distinct golden ribbed grip, lead degree indicator (from HB to 4H), and 3-jaws clutch section. Initially I thought that it did not come with a drawing lead inside, for nothing came out when I pressed its yellow push button. Yet when I tried refilling it, I found that a lead was already stuck inside.
Discovered some green corrosion within the barrel when I took the Loctite 9800 apart. Some build up was preventing the lead from sliding out. After cleaning the individual components and shaking off the debris, this drafting pencil worked just fine. It is really as a comfortable and fun sketching tool with its center of gravity close to the tip. Recommended addition to any leadholder collection. Just take care not to drop it or scratch it, for the gold coating is prone to cracking and peelings off judging from the poor condition typical of used models that come up for auctions.
Test Doodle 2-minutes Video.

Savoir Faire Lama Li Bubble Book Spotlight

2011-09-11T13:56:00.001-07:00

While I picked up this 8.5" X 6" Savoir Faire Lama Li Bubble Book a while back, it got lost in my storage drawers for a couple of years before resurfacing during my latest clean-up efforts. The first order of business was to customize it a bit with a few monsters to make it look a tad less girly. The interior cover was made of Lama Li paper that had been dyed a rich black. It features 65lb acid free laid paper sheets that readily accepted ink and graphite.

Trying out the Neko Heavy Industries Resident Evil Sketchbook Video

2011-09-11T13:06:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Made a 5 minute video demonstrating assorted sketching tools' initial doodles on the 28# smooth acid free pages of the Resident Evil sketchbook.

Venus Drawing 3800 3B vintage pencils spotlight

2011-09-09T21:50:00.000-07:00

Just received this dozen of Venus Drawing 3800 3B vintage pencils from a recent E-bay auction. They are a good example of American craftmanship and proof of the fine drafting pencils once made in the USA. The shape of their white end caps even reminds me of the Mitsubishi Hi-Uni pencil black cap with a yellow dot. Sadly despite their quality and smooth performance, the production of this distinct-looking pencil (with the name "Venus", statue logo, and crackled coated barrel) was discontinued sometime during the later part of the XX century. The pencils arrived loose, so I found them a home in an old pencil tin. Thought it appropriate to bring out an earlier example of pencil packaging used by the American Pencil Company (Hoboken, N.J.) for their Venus Indelible Copying pencils that share the same crackled coat finish. Reportedly these 3B pencils were manufactured by Faber Castell, but they were not labeled as such anywhere on their barrels.
Sample doodle drawn on beige card stock. The soft 3B lead readily sharpened to a strong fine point. The pencil tip wore down slowly and glided smoothly on my Resident Evil sketchbook producing rich dark blacks that resisted smudging and still erased quite well with a soft vinyl eraser. They still are a great choice for a sketching pencil despite their decades-long storage. From their markings they were probably manufactured in the 60s or 70s. If you find any good deals on vintage stock of Venus drawing pencils in your preferred graphite degree, pounce on it. Highly recommended.

Royal Langnickel Sketching Pencils Set Review

2011-09-07T23:17:00.000-07:00

John from PencilWrap.com generously sent me this Royal Langnickel Sketching Pencils Set to try and review. He reported that he recently acquired several sets for a buck each. While this was my first time trying this particular brand, I did recognize them from value sketching sets often seen in the bargain sections of bookstores and craft stores. The back of the pencil box indicated that these pencils were made in China. There was a lack of consistency in the pencil slats, since some pencils were made with slats of different color. The softer B leads were rather crumbly, and their tips broke quite easily. Thus the softest 6B pencil wore down rather quickly after the repeated sharpenings required to keep it pointed for this doodle test. While the 12 different pencils were labeled 5H through 6B, their reference chart drawn on smooth paper revealed little change in darkness among the pencil grades on either side of the HB pencil. All the H pencil swatches were pretty much indistinguishable from each other, and the same held true for the B pencils. The 6B pencil was the smoothest and clearly laid down thicker darker lines than the harder H pencils. The Royal Langnickel Sketching Pencils Set is an adequate introduction to the fact that pencils are available in different grades of hardness. Beginners might learn the differences between H and B graphite grades from trying out this set. Value priced, it makes for a suitable choice for kids' classes or field use since you would not mind much if some pencils were to get lost. Compared to premium graphite pencils though, these Royal graphite pencils feel rather rough and weak. Unless you also find them in the dollar bin, I would recommend skipping them altogether and investing on a set of true artist grade pencils instead. Bottom line: they are ok to try just so you can better appreciate the improvement in performance of premium artist grade pencils.

Baby Turtle Reference Pitures

2011-09-03T15:17:00.001-07:00

Found these little guy on the sidewalk while taking out the trash earlier today. Figured might as well give him a ride to the brook where he could swim away from predators. Took a couple reference shots for later use.

Tru Point Standard Leaholder Review

2011-09-01T21:24:00.001-07:00

Found another vintage new old stock (NOS) 2 mm leadholder for my collection through E-bay: the Tru Point Standard. This metallic blue pencil arrived neatly packed in its cardboard box along with a folded product catalog and display card in pristine condition. Its design and color reminded me of appliances and lab equipment from the 60s and 70s. Other than some minor cosmetic differences in their barrels, it turned out to be pretty much the same as the red No. 120 Tru-Point Automatic Lead holder reviewed back in March.
Both were made entirely of very similar metal parts (probably aluminum) in the USA, so they are quite sturdy but still pretty lightweight. The graphite lead can naturally be loaded through either end, but refilling the leadholder through the back seemed to offer less resistance. What is pretty unique about these Tru Point leadholders is that the drawing lead advances a set length without been released completely when the push button is depressed. Thus the lead can not be dropped accidentally because a second spring hidden within the internal metal chamber keeps it in place. In the case of the the automatic version, every additional push on the push button advances the lead by the same set increment. The standard version advances the drawing lead at smaller increments. Sometimes it advanced so slowly, that originally it gave the impression that it stayed the same length despite of how many times its push button was depressed. With their complete metal construction both leadholders feel quite solid, and I suspect they must have provided a lifetime of reliable service to American draftmen in the last century. Probably the only time one might have needed a replacement would have been when they were lost or misplaced.
It came loaded with a 2H lead which I quickly replaced with a softer B lead for quicker shading. Recommended sketching tool with an American historical flair and unique mechanical design of its inner chamber.

Ok let's give this another try,... and the winner of the Giveaway is...

2011-08-31T21:41:00.000-07:00

Since the first winner did not claim the Sketching Kit/Cartoon Portrait Giveaway prize within the time allowed, we have to draw another name from the pool of 37 entries:

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2011-09-01 05:01:37 UTC

Which would make the winner: Matthias Congratulations!

Neko Heavy Industries Custom Sketchbook and Resident Evil Sketchbook Review

2011-08-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

Joshua from Neko Heavy Industries just sent me these fine handmade sketchbook samples to review. Quite impressed with his ability to figure out what might suit me best just from a couple e-mail exchanges. Yup, this massive 10" X 7"X 1 3/8" Chemistry sketchbook was custom made to meet my preferences and multimedia sketching needs with four different types of paper stock. It features a strong elastic loop to keep it tightly closed when not in-use and removable sheets. The subject matter on its front hard cover appropriately reflects my scientific background. The back cover interior featuring the periodic table brings back fond memories of all-nighters and lab classes back in college. These recycled old textbook hard covers are secured with three steel loops with ball and socket closure joints.
They are easy enough to open and close to remove a given sketch for scanning or repositioning the provided vinyl sheet that protects the paper below from marker bleed through. Actually to make the protective sheet easier to use like a shitajiki, I cut small wedge sections up to their holes so that the sheet could be quickly moved without taking the whole sketchbook apart. This sketchbook was loaded with 54 sheets of acid free smooth 28 lb paper stock, 30 sheets of 100 lb card stock, and 12 sheets of watercolor paper plus 2 bonus sheets of vintage Strathmore Aquarius paper. So with these four distinct support options, it should be able to accept a fairly wide range of sketching tools and watercolor washes.
To provide a clear visual indicator of the different functional sections of the sketchbook, I used my trusty rotary paper cutter and standard 3-hole puncher to fashion the colored card stock dividers shown above.
Let's take a closer look at the performance of the 28 lb smooth sketching paper with some pencil test doodles. Leadholders loaded with F and 7B graphite leads and a Mitsubishi Uni 4B pencil yielded a nice graduation of values and laid down rich dark marks on this support.
These additional graphite and watersoluble pencil sample doodles proved that the 28 lb paper could handle even some light washes and readily accepted different graphite grades (from the everyday Paper Mate Classic No. 2 HB pencil to the premium Japanese and German art pencils). The erasability test showed that F and 2B graphite test swatches on the smooth paper erased easily and completely.
The ink test doodles were drawn with a Faber Castell TGS-1 0.7 mm technical pen and a Sakura Pigma Sensei 0.6 mm drawing pen. Both pens glided effortlessly on the smooth paper surface which minimizes wear and tear on the pen nibs. Neither bled through the paper, but the inked images remained clearly visible through the back of the sheet. Not a big issue for me since I usually only work on one side of the paper anyway.
The Prismacolor Art Stix color chart showed that the sketching paper could even take some wax-based colored pencil, but the coverage was a bit uneven given its lack of "tooth".
Chartpak AD markers worked quite well on this paper laying down uniform flat colors, but always make sure to protect the sheets below since their xylene-based inks bled right through the page. A selection of 36 Copic Sketch markers and Multiliner SP pens were used to draw the color chart above. The ink from Multiliner pens did not go through the paper, but the alcohol-based inks from the Copic Sketch markers did bleed through.
The one thing I did not like about this sketchbook design was that the interior corners on the light weight 28 lb sketching paper were prone to get caught and get bent when turning the pages. Found that the heavier watercolor paper and card stock sheets were easier to flip without damage than the thinner 28 lb sheets. Thus once I am done filling them, I will probably remove them and replace them with bristol or some other heavier stock. Given their standard 3-hole perforations, the completed sketch pages could easily be filed away in a regular 3-ring binder. Thus you can appreciate the versatility of the Neko Heavy Industries custom sketchbook concept: not only do you get to express your individuality to the world by your choice of salvaged hardbound book covers, but you also get to choose exactly the type and weight of paper stock (Options listed on the cover band: paper 28#, Card Stock available in 60#, 80#, and 100#) you prefer to work with. Each sketchbook is assigned a unique reorder number, so that refill pages can be ordered as needed. I'm thinking that a sketchbook with smooth bristol, vellum bristol, and cold-press Arches/Fabriano/Nujabi watercolor sheets might just make for a pretty efficient multimedia travel sketchbook.
For something lighter and easier to carry around: this compact 8" X 5.5" field sketchbook with rounded corners would make a nice addition to a daily sketching kit. It features an impeccable coil binding job and a cool salvaged movie placeholder card cover. It is loaded with recycled 28# smooth paper, can lie open flat, and can fold on itself without the spiral coil binding coming undone in the edges. Since this initial review has gotten pretty long already, we will save the watercolor and doodle tests on the heavier card stock and field sketchbook for another post. These unique sketchbooks handmade in the USA are certainly worth trying, and thanks again Joshua for allowing me the opportunity to review them. For another thorough sketchbook review go visit the Pencil Revolution.

Sketching Kit/Cartoon Portrait Giveaway Winner

2011-08-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks to everybody that entered this giveaway.

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2011-08-29 05:30:56 UTC

Thus the winning comment is:

"Ashley said...

I like to use a Pilot 2020 mechanical pencil for random sketching.

August 27, 2011 5:27 AM"

Congratulations Ashley! if you are located in the USA, please e-mail me your shipping address within 72 hours (my e-mail is listed under the Blogger profile) so that I may send you the prize tin. If you are an overseas follower, please e-mail me a couple of reference pictures for your cartoon portrait.

UPDATE: Ok, It has been almost 72 hours and Ashley has yet to claim her prize. If we do not hear from her by midnight, we'll use random.org again to find another winner.

A.W. Faber Castell TK 9500 Loctite 2 mm leadholder spotlight

2011-08-26T20:27:00.000-07:00

Latest addition to my A.W. Faber Castell leadholder collection: this dark blue TK 9500 Loctite was probably produced in the 1980s, for I could not find the exact same match featured in the Leadholder Museum. Judging from similar E-bay offerings, this drafting pencil was also available in classic green, yellow, and red. Made in Germany. The pocket clip is removable if you find it obtrusive. Measuring just over 5.25" (134 mm with the lead fully retracted), the TK 9500 Loctite is the most compact from the bunch and easiest to carry in a pocket. Recommended as a fine sketching tool.

Ok I think is time for a Sketching Kit/Cartoon Portrait Giveaway!

2011-08-24T09:20:00.000-07:00

Let's see how many of you are reading this blog this week. Since most of you probably visit this blog due to our common interest in stationery or art supplies, I decided to fill one of my vintage Faber Castell pencil tins with some random goodies that you might enjoy adding to your personal sketching kits. Just leave a comment to this post indicating you current favorite sketching tool from now until this coming Sunday August 28th 11:59 Eastern Standard Time (EST). One comment per person please. The winner will be selected with random.org and announced the following Monday morning. The winner will then have 72 hours to send me his or her maling address to receive the prize (my e-mail is listed under my Blogger profile) . Giveaway open to readers within the US only. Sorry international readers, for I have serious reservations that the package might not make it to you safely through customs and different postal services. But I am not leaving you out of the fun completely, if an international reader enters and wins this giveaway I will draw him or her a custom cartoon portrait that could be sent digitally anywhere in the world. Good luck and thanks for visiting my blog!
UPDATE: Wow! it is really fascinating to learn the variety of sketching tools currently preferred by the readers that entered the giveaway thus far. Here is a sneak peek at the prize tin and partial view of its contents. As you can see they are mostly graphite tools of different grades from across time and space with a mystery item from the distant past still hidden under the top layer of pencils.