Attention parents: some quick links to sources for some sketching kit upgrades

Thanks to the teens and parents that came to the manga cartoon sketching class on Saturday at the Cary Arts Center.  I know we discussed and introduced quite a few sketching tools that are not so readily available locally, so for your convenience here are some links for the main ones that your kids may wish to add to their current sketching kits.

Japanese mechanical pencils for those that prefer not to have to sharpen regular wooden pencils:

1. Pentel Graph 1000 a personal favorite.
2. Uni Shift Pipe Lock Drafting Pencils feature a design that protects the drafting tip during transport.
3. Pilot S3 drafting pencils value priced plastic model with sleek look and good performance. I recall seeing it for the first time in photos in the How to Draw Manga: Sketching Manga-Style book 1 by Hikaru Hayashi.

2 mm Leadholders for a reliable drawing too with constant length and width with a comfortable grip:

1. Ohto Comfort Sharp Leadholders are a nice value priced introductory choice with built-in lead pointer in the push button.
2. Uni leadholders and leads are another personal favorite choice that have been a staple of my own sketching kit for years. You might want to pick up a leadpointer to round up your kit and sharpen your lead as needed.

Waterbrushes and Brush pens to expand the versatility of your sketching kit with the ability to apply watercolors with a minimal set up and draw with brush and ink anywhere:

1. Pentel Aquash waterbrush nice convenient tool for working with watercolor pans and water soluble pencils anywhere. Also available from Holbein, Sakura Koi, and Kuretake.
2. Brush pens wide selection of drawing pens for when you need some line width variation in your strokes. Some feature flexible nylon marker tips, and others are actually made of synthetic filaments and even sable hairs. Popular choices include: Zebra disposable brush pen, Pentel Pocket brush pen, Kuretake No. 13 Fountain brush pen, and Pilot Futayaku double-sided brush pens.

Erasers:

1. Uni Boxy Eraser Black another personal favorite since it does not show smudges given its dark base color.
2. Pilot Foam eraser love its performance with dark softer leads.
3. Iwako erasers for a bit of fun or inspiration, but probably won't be used much for actual erasing.

Jet Pens 101 - Art supplies shopping guide for parents

Suggested Japanese Art Supplies

   The wide range of writing and drawing tools available in the Japanese market has always impressed me for their variety, high quality, and constant innovation.  This vast selection might prove somewhat intimidating and confusing, so we'll go over some sketching and drawing tools that would make good starter choices for your kids or students.

Pentel Aquash Waterbrush good accessory for watersoluble graphite pencils, watercolor pencils and pan watercolor kits. This tool allows budding artists to color and create washes without the need of a water cup for rinsing the brushes clean.  Gently squeezing and wiping the waterbrush on a paper towel when switching colors is pretty mess-free and allows children to work with water media anywhere even during airplane travel (just make sure to empty the water from the barrels before going through TSA checkpoints)

Uni-ball Hi-Uni Wooden Pencil might quite possibly be the best premium wooden pencil in the World if you prefer a strong dark lead that glides smoothly on the paper.  Being left-handed I really appreciate its smudge resistance compared to similar graphite grades from other brands.  The pencils sharpen well and the lead tips glide smoothly and effortlessly on the paper surface without any scratchy impurities that might disrupt the creative flow.  A nice pencil extender paired with a box of a favorite pencil grade pencil would make a great gift for kids that can spend hours drawing.

Uni-ball Lead Holders and Refills - 2 mm – H through 3B - Pack of 6 when I do not want to deal with wooden pencil shavings disposal or if I just want to toss a drawing tool quickly in my pocket, my first choice would be a leadholder loaded with a F or 2B drawing lead.  The advantage of this traditional drafting tool is that the length of the barrel and average weight remain fairly constant for a reliable consistent feel each time you pick it up.  A Uni leadhoder, a box of 6 leads, and a 2 mm lead pointer would serve well kids that keep their sketching kits organized in pencil cases and enjoy specialized drawing tools.

Pentel Graph1000 for Pro Drafting Pencil - 0.5 mm if your kid prefers to write and draw with a mechanical pencil, the Graph 1000 would make a pretty good gift since it is quite comfortable, sturdy, and light weight for extended work sessions.  Its 3-jaws clutch hold the lead quite securely and accurately relay your hand movements while sketching and freehand drawing.  With its longer drafting sleeve, it can work well with straight edge rulers and drawing templates.

Zebra Disposable Brush Pens - Super Fine through Medium good value choice for drawing and inking with a line that varies in thickness as you adjust your drawing hand pressure.  They nicely expand the expressive range of a set of Sakura Pigma Sensei pens. Their ink is waterproof, so kids can color their sketches with Crayola markers or other water-based media without smudging them.

Uni-ball Boxy Eraser – Black a fine compact choice for an eraser that can fit in the tight spaces of a crowded pencil case. Given its black color, it seems to remain tidy longer and does not show stray graphite smudges like white vinyl erasers do.

Pilot FoamEraser - Size 10 a long time favorite with a self-cleaning feature since its eraser debris neatly rolls into a strand instead of crumbling.  The downside is that they tend to wear down rather quickly.  My easy fix: I get two from the get go and enjoy their speedy performance.

Recent sponsorship lot.  Jet Pens has graciously been sponsoring me for the past few months with products to try and review.  I have been bringing many of these samples to class during the summer art camps and drawing workshops, so some students have had the chance to try them as well.  If you have any further questions about any of them please feel free to leave a comment, e-mail me, or simply contact Jet Pens directly.  I have been shopping with them for many years and really enjoy the convenience of being able to find so many of my favorite imported art supplies online quickly and easily.