Author Topic: Traditional art/artists and in what way?  (Read 2916 times)

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Offline Avan

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Traditional art/artists and in what way?
« on: August 17, 2009, 05:52:02 pm »
I was wondering how many here draw totally traditional art (the only digital things can be slight adjustments and scanning)?

The reason I'm asking, is if:
-you use large paper/scanners (and where to get them)
-you use any particular type of graphite with which to draw
-you create a framework of sorts and then add detail later and erase the framework (and how to get rid of the erasure marks)
Also I'm just curious as well ^^

I've found myself rather limited in scope and scale due to the following problems:
I'm stuck with letter size paper and scanner (I DO have some larger paper, but nothing to scan it with), and I simply can't squeeze enough detail into it all
Also, I have to get it right the first time, and limit the number of erasures, otherwise I get marks of varying intensity.

« Last Edit: August 17, 2009, 06:14:44 pm by Avan »
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Offline HockeyRaven

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Re: Traditional art/artists and in what way?
« Reply #1 on: August 17, 2009, 06:58:28 pm »
I'm a traditional artist, and waaay cheap.
I use regular letter-size paper. Most of the time I fold it in half, but if I can't fit everything into that, I go full-size.
The small size helps save my colored pencils, which are just a basic Crayola 50-pack. Which I probably ought to consider replacing, considering how small some of the colors have gotten.
For the images that I color with those pencils, I use 0.5 mm standard lead (well, graphite) mechanical pencils such as you would find in the school supply or office supply aisle of the grocery. I ink over the pencil with a liquid-ink (not ballpoint, that just sucks) black pen, such as a Pilot Precise V5 Rolling Ball or Uniball Vision Needle.
My eraser gets a bit more expensive. I love love love Mars Staedtler white vinyl erasers. If you give the ink enough time to dry (not long, really), they erase very cleanly and don't cause smearing. You will get some eraser shreddies, but not anything like the pink pearl or gum erasers.
My scanner is a three-in-one printer-scanner-copier from HP. I don't know how much it cost, it was a birthday present.
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Offline CiceroKit

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Re: Traditional art/artists and in what way?
« Reply #2 on: August 17, 2009, 08:38:06 pm »
I am, predominantly, a traditional artist. I use all sizes of paper and/or canvas.  Large flat bed scanners are ridiculously expensive. I used to work for a magazine publisher that had a couple that were $50,000 each. You can scan in large pieces in sections and piece together in Photoshop. I do this sometimes, always using layers to prevent mistakes. However, sometimes it just makes more sense to take a picture of a finished work. You can get a decent digital camera and set up a photo stand to take pictures of your work for not much money.

As for medium, I use graphite in an array of lead hardnesses (6B-6H and ebony), Prismacolor colored pencils, Conte crayon and chalk pastel, watercolors, and ink. When I use ink, I use brushes. I never did like the mechanical pens that much. I used to use Prismacolor markers, but that is an expensive habit to keep up. I can get a wide color assortment of Higgins inks for half the price of a 48 pack of Prismacolor markers, and they will last so much longer. When I am working in ink, I will either use watercolor brushes or bamboo brushes. Bamboo brushes are dirt cheap ($2 or less per brush) and create such a nice effect!

As for framework, I create some basic framework sometimes. I don't do the whole structural framework that the drawing texts have made famous. When it comes to removing graphite, it all depends on what eraser you are using. The key ones to have (and this is such a minimal investment-most are under $1 each-so I would advise to spend the money here) include: white vinyl, pink pearl, kneaded and gum. The white vinyl and gum erasers are great for removing pencil marks. The pink pearl is less to erase than it is to blend. It is a good drawing tool. The kneaded is great for removing a small area of pencil with optimum control. These too can be used to blend with. When I tell people that the kneaded and pink pearl are for drawing and not erasing, they often seem confused. I guess I should say that they are meant to optimize your drawing, rather than take away from it. Pink pearls are wonderful for creating hair detail. You can add the illusion of shine or bring in light effects with your kneaded eraser. Neither are good for erasing large areas the way white vinyl or gum erasers are.

As for paper, it all depends if you are using dry or wet media. A good watercolor paper for watercolor or ink is hard to beat. If I am working in acrylics or oils (which I really don't do much at all anymore), I will use a canvas or wood surface. Same with tempura or casein paint. For dry media, your options are wide open. Bristol cover or Hammermill index are decent. Stratford makes some good multi-purpose papers, many are recycled and pretty affordable. You can always use card stock, as it is similar to Bristol cover or Hammermill index. It all comes down to what you are willing to spend. If you are working in mixed media that combines wet and dry media, go with a higher end multi-purpose. Stora Enso makes a linen paper that is suitable for this purpose and it costs a lot less than most watercolor paper.
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Offline Sheeta

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Re: Traditional art/artists and in what way?
« Reply #3 on: August 17, 2009, 10:59:28 pm »
 When I do traditional work, I use all types of papers from plain typing paper to comic paper to croquille.  

As far as pencils, I use a simple TwistErase mechanical pencil for all my sketchwork--that pencil is my baby; I've had it for nearly  10 years.  I also have several sets of graphite pencils in varying degrees of hardness, my favorite being the woodless type made by Monolith.  And I agree with HockeyRaven with the choice of Mars Staedtler erasers--those things are awesome.  That's the only type of pencil eraser I've used since high school art class.

I absolutely love my Prismacolor pencils, and use those on matte board to do my wildlife illustrations.  I want to get into marker work someday...I have over 100 Prisma markers that were given to me by a friend, and I have yet to play with them.

My scanner is a $90 Canon that I got from a computer store that closed a while ago.  It's pretty good, though I would love to get an 11"x17" scanner someday.
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Offline Avan

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Re: Traditional art/artists and in what way?
« Reply #4 on: August 17, 2009, 11:26:44 pm »
X3
I guess the first thing I should invest in is a good eraser? I've searched around, but I guess I'd have to go to a specialty store/order online to get some of the best ones there are...

I sort-of have access to one of those massive scanners since I have an engineer friend, and her department deals a lot with large blueprints, and thus they need large scanners and photocopiers, however, she only does the creation of the designs, and she doesn't know much at all about computers (the kind of person who thinks the monitor is the computer), and I'm not too eager to have unknown people handling my stuff. Think its worth it though? Of course, I could take the time to drive an hour or so to do it manually, or I could perhaps have the local photocopier/scanner/photo store's machine do it (though it does cost quite a bit).

I guess I'll have a peek at getting a wider variety of colored pencils as well too (usually I just make sketches, and never bother to get past that)
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Offline EmuMadam

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Re: Traditional art/artists and in what way?
« Reply #5 on: August 18, 2009, 05:33:21 am »
I do alot of traditional art, I use 0.5 and 0.3 mechanical pencil for really detailed artwork but only 0.5 for basic, I use 0.5 as the main then 0.3 to do small stuff like small detail and sharpern and darken areas that I want to stand out.
I use mainy A4 cartridge sketch pads but do use big illustration boards with Prismacolor pencils. And I use only plant or chemical art paper | canvas not skin; be carefull what you buy find out what it is made of and what works best with it because some types of colour of my acrylic scratched off on a painting I half done and my Prismacolor pencils looked washed out on a type of illustration board I got.
When I do big art I scan it in lots of pieces then join in a good art program, but takes alot of time to join it nicely. Plastic rubbers work best for erasing plus blue tack (the white one) to rub out aswell if a big plastic rubber won't fit without rubbing alot of hard work out.
Also if plastic rubber gets dirty from lead I start rubbing on another piece of paper to clean it so it won't smudge.
Plus I use tracing paper instead of membrane to keep acrylics wet, tracing paper is cheaper and paints don't stink on it like they do on the other but have to use 5 pieces ontop of each other to be strong enough. I soak a piece of curtain material so no mildew in container; goes under tracing paper.
I use a safe plastic container for paints to as it is cheaper and doesn't break like the dear acrylic paint container.
« Last Edit: August 18, 2009, 06:02:17 am by CaseyCoati »

Offline ObliviousAlly

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Re: Traditional art/artists and in what way?
« Reply #6 on: August 19, 2009, 01:43:44 pm »
I work both traditional and digital. I primarily used cardstock, though I also have a variety of sketchbooks in other paper types (regular sketchbook papers, kraft paper, Bristol, scrapbook paper, etc., etc.). I'll usually try to draw on just about anything, really.

I use non-photo blue or H2 pencils for inital sketching, then I detail with a mechanical pencil or ink, depending on if I want just a nice sketch or to digitally ink the piece. Also depending on if it's a commission or not. I use Sakura Mircons in a variety of sizes to ink with.

I color with markers mostly. Prismacolors and some random colored pencils for shading or detailing. I also love gelly pens for little details and sparkly bits.

I've got a regular Canon scanner, nothing special. It does the job I need it to do.
 

Offline RedneckFur

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Re: Traditional art/artists and in what way?
« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2009, 11:44:56 pm »
I only do traditional art.  Mainly becuse I dont have photoshop anymore, or a tablet.

I use a variety of pencils, from 4B to 7H, but the pencils I use the most are 3H, and 6H.  I do about 80% of my drawing on GP Cardstock.  its very similar to some expensive drawing papers, but at only a fraction of the price.

When I draw, I tend to make a full skeleton, and add more to it as i work.  I ink with a vairety of pens, and then erase my lines with Stadleter stick erasers.

I then color my ink work with Prismacolor markers.

I do my scanning on a standard sized Cannon scanner that I picked up a few years ago for $40.  It was the best $40 I've ever spent.

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Offline Slylin

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Re: Traditional art/artists and in what way?
« Reply #8 on: August 25, 2009, 01:14:12 am »
I only do traditional art as well, I am a learner, beginner but I found a very cool technique to add pictures without a scanner. If you have a camera laying around that has flash turn it on and use it, turn off all lights in room and let the flash do it's work. The reason why I use flash and no other source of light is because then the light isn't even, making shadows. I also use a technique where I try new things on the face, faintly erasing the lines if I mess up, and try again, and so on, for my finished product I take another sheet of paper and trape it to my origonal page and tape it where I want the picture to be. Then I place it on my laptop screen for the extra light to trace. Doing it this way allows me to mess up as much as I like. I just use standard printer paper and an hb#5 pencil. Nothing big right now.
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Offline Kwan

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Re: Traditional art/artists and in what way?
« Reply #9 on: August 25, 2009, 08:59:14 pm »
I'm a traditional artist, because I'm lousy with computers, and also I just plain love traditional art.

I'm more or less limited to 8.5 x 11 inches, due to paper size & scanner size.

For paper, I use plain old cardstock.  It really lends itself well to both pencils and markers, and stands up to a lot of abuse--and man, do I ever abuse it.  Bristol boards are awesome, but pricey.

As far as method--I first draw most everything with a good ol' .5 mechanical pencil.  I ink over the lines with a variety of Micron or similar art pens of varying thicknesses, then erase like crazy.  I love nylon erasers!  If I color, I use any combination of Prismacolor pencils, pens, & markers, Crayola mechanical pencils & mechanical crayons, and a set of truly craptacular art markers that I'm sorry I ever set eyes on.

I used to use fountain pens, and loved how it looked.  When I have $$ I'll be buying a set & some waterproof ink.
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Offline Acton

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Re: Traditional art/artists and in what way?
« Reply #10 on: August 27, 2009, 01:13:01 am »
I am a traditional artist because I work with tech and wanted a hobby that does not involve technology; I have no interest in digital art. I use graphite pencils, Prismacolor pencils, pen and ink using a nib pen set. I use framing to create the gesture and body proportions.  As for paper, I have a few sketchpads and some good cold press 100% cotton paper I use for pen and ink with watercolor wash.