Graphite Tools

I'm doing an FAQ soon and thought a couple of pictures showing tools might be helpful to go with it.

Please excuse my photography skills once again the flash glows off my drawing board, but it's the best I could do

So in order of appearance:

1. A little barrel sharpener .. nothing special. I replace these every couple of drawings.

2. Workable Fixative. I use this for graphite to seal once I finish a drawing. But it's also really helpful in colour pencil drawings if you've filled the tooth of the paper and need another layer or two on there.

3. Sanding Block - To fluff up my tortillions. Also really handy to sand pencils if you need a little graphite dust.

4. Gel Pen - I hate these things, but occasionally, if needs must, this is the one I'd choose. It's a Uni-Ball Signo Broad.

5. Mechanical Pencils - I very rarely use the 0.35. It a Faber-Castell one. I paid more for this that the other four I have together and the cheap ones are the best by miles! This is not something I would recommend to anyone, it breaks constantly and is horrible to hold The 0.5 is a Staedtler one and it's great.

6. Ruler and Set Square - for grids or guidelines and checking as I go to make sure I've not strayed too far.

7. Tortillions and Stumps - The tortillions are handmade ones and what I use more then anything. Stumps I use mainly for pores, I don't like them for blending.

8. Blu-Tack - I use this in place of a kneaded eraser. It's the best invention next to the Tombow Mono. It's tacky, unlike a kneaded eraser so you can blot graphite rather than drag. It's uses are endless!

9. Erasers - This is a Pentel Clic for big areas and Tombow Mono Zero (Fine and Broad) - the best inventions known to man and I think half of dA are converts now It's a very tiny and hard eraser, it's great for little details.

10. Tombow Mono 100 Pencils - All grades and all I use with the exception of the 8B Mars Lumo

11. Bulldog Clip - To hold my paper on the drawing board

12. Colour Shaper and Brush - Colour shapers are mainly for pastels I think, but they make graphite really really smooth, so good for lips and eyes .... you need to be careful though, they're made of rubber and if you rub too hard it erases. The other end of this is a little dusting brush ... handy to get rid of eraser bits!

13. Lead Holders - I use these for unblended skin mainly. They are big fat leads and great for consistent application with the added bonus of not having to sharpen These are 2H, HB and 2B here.

14. My Drawing Board - A pressie from my little sister and I love it!

The reasons I'm doing an FAQ is that I get asked some questions over and over and it's much easier to answer in a single place. The other reason is that so many people seem afraid to ask questions and that they are bothering me. I find that really sad dA is a place of sharing and learning for me and I'm more than happy to explain and share if it helps someone else.

Paula