White Art Supplies I use for Colored Pencils and Drawing

These are the whites that I use to make my colored pencil artwork.

I use these for highlights, backlighting, and fixing errors.

Left to right:

1. Simple plastic eraser. Removes most of the pigment on the paper. Staedler Mars Brand.

2. Prismacolor white. The most opaque white pencil I've come across yet, by far out of my 8 whites. Used for brightest highlights in *some* drawings. Can desaturate colors though.

3. Uniball Signo 0.7mm or 1.0mm. Opaque white gel pen. Doesnt wipe off.

4. Sakura Gellyroll 08. I think 0.7mm tip also. Slightly less opaque but cheap and good. Doesnt wipe off.

5. FW acrylic ink by Daler Rowney. Used with a brush or dip pen fairly good for less opaque highlights. Takes time to dry.

6. Uni Posca White 2.5mm. Acrylic marker. Fairly opaque, rarely used unless I want to correct mistakes and contour a drawing. If you want to use it for fine lines, I suggest you get their 1.0mm to 1.5mm tipped marker. Doesnt wipe off.

-JT

Where to buy art supplies online?

 This question comes up A LOT in art circles. It is also answered a lot. This post is to amass a little information for beginners or otherwise who are unsure of their options.

There are plenty of places to buy decent art supplies, but it all depends on your budget, your distance, what quality you need, what type of art supply you want, and what quantity you need, amongst other factors.

You will always get the answer from me: "Support your Local Art Store" first.

I am a big supporter of supporting local businesses. To find your local art store, do a google search  of the term 'local art store'. It may take a bit of browsing but can be enlightening! You never know if you have one just 10 minutes away from you!

Local art stores often go above and beyond, because they love what they do: supplying art materials to artists.

Ok, now that I've interjected that (😉), I can tell you a few places online.

These are in no particular order.

In the US, Jerry's Artarama and Dick Blick are pretty standard places to get art supplies. You can get a variety of brands and qualities of art supplies from them. I tend to get my art supplies from them, whether it be paper, pencils, canvas, artist tape, paint, or conservation supplies. Cheapjoe's is another US based online art store.

There is Jackson's Art supply in the UK, 

In store "Brick and Mortar" locations:

Joanns Fabrics and Crafts, Michaels, and a place called Benjamin Franklin all sell scholastic grade to studio grade art supplies. They don't often carry artist or professional grade art supplies, but they are great if you don't have a small local art supply near you.

I encourage you to use their coupons when buying anything, as the markup on products is heavy. A pad of Arches brand watercolor paper can cost $50 or so at a big box art store, but $30 at an online store. If you use a very good coupon, you can get a decent price for an artist brand pad of paper.
(I am unsure as to why people in artist circles don't use the tactic of using coupons in big box art stores.) Using coupons in big box art stores is great if:

• you need the art material immediately
• an online store doesn't ship to your location
• You want to test out an art supply before you use it, by either using their testing paper in the store or buying a few pencils or markers.

I don't personally use Hobby Lobby. I would rather not make comment on their store, but it is an option for you, if you would like to do your own research on their merchandise and products.

I hope this helps for those who are somewhat confused as to what to buy and where!

-JTP

The Art Tools I use: Colored Pencils

Lately, some folks have been asking me what tools I use, what brands. In this case, people have asked me what colored pencils I use.

The answer is simple and complex. I use a multitude of brands.

Here is most of my collection. 

Some of the brands I use:

Caran d'ache Pablo

Prismacolor

Prismacolor verithin

Caran d'ache Luminance 

Koh I Noor wordless colored pencils

Faber Castell Polychromos

Koh I noor Polycolor

Sanford Colorific

Blick Studio pencils

Utrecht colored pencils 

Mitsubishi prussian blue

And I plan on getting more pencils from different brands! Theres probably some brands I've even missed!

I've amassed this collection over the years through curiosity and self guided research. My goal is to make art with these pencils, of course! I have years of experience with pencils and art materials. (Probably close to 20 years.)

I have secondary goals: to find the most archival pencils, to be able to describe the qualities of each brand I come across, and to share that knowledge with people!

Since I'm often on the move, I store my pencils in a handy plastic zipper art bag, with other materials I use to make colored pencil art.

I draw everything from illustrations, to reproductions of paintings, to abstract art, and even my comic art.

Colored pencils are NOT the only medium I use. But they sure are fun, and to get started with them, you only need about 8 to 12 pencils!

I hope to share more of the knowledge I have acquired over these years really soon!

Ffn

-JT

Frieze - Acrylic Painting on Canvas

Frieze, acrylic on canvas. Late 2018. 

This cute canvas is about 6"x6", and fits perfectly into small spaces. I love the vibrant stark black contrast, don't you? Sometimes playing with color is fun, sometimes playing with sharp contrasts and heavy lines is fun.

I love it so much that I might make similar ones, like a series. OMG, I'm a bit excited to do that! I might do it on paper though, and experiment with how much detail I could get into such a tiny painting.

All of my paintings are for sale, unless otherwise noted. Message me through Gmail or Etsy about it! Etsy.com/shop/jtphillpsmnr<3

-JTPMNR

Pineapple Table Runner in size 20 thread, wip

I am making a table runner/tablecloth for my mother. I'm testing out to see if I like the pattern. So far, I like the pattern, but not the thread and hook combo.
I'm using Aunt Lydia's Fine Crochet size 20 and a Boye size 10 hook. This might be too small for me: It will take forever to even make a table runner with this pattern! I've made about 4 motifs so far.

There's more info at my Ravelry project page.
https://www.ravelry.com/projects/murasakinoryuu/pineapple-square-s-742

jtp/mnr

October 15 abstract finished!

Finally finished this abstract drawing!

At the moment, i am calling it, "October 15 abstract".

11x14", india ink on bristol. I used markers, technical  pens, dip pens, and brushes for boath the broad lines and small detail.

To reiterate my last post,  each of these abstract drawings is organic and spontaneous in design and concept. This series examines the shape,  physically, mentally and spiritually, of the metropolis and its relation to the individual city dweller and the industrial/technological past, present and future. Each drawing is an abstract meditation on these concepts.

JTP/MNR