Some of the discounted supplies found on recent trips to
Office Depot: large 11" x 14"
Mead sketchbooks and oversize 14" x 17"
Foray Marker pads for $3 each that I plan to use for in-class drawing demonstrations. They will come in handy when the limited range of expression of dry erase markers becomes an obstacle to the clear exposition of drawing tips and techniques.
It had been a while since I actually tried using
Crayola crayons for anything, but decided to test a box of 24 crayons on the
Mead sketchbook paper as a potential inexpensive coloring tool for the cartooning classes. While the colors appearance on the paper is nowhere near as saturated as that of the
Caran D'Ache Neocolor I wax crayons, I have to admit that for 30 cents this compact set is a pretty good value for the quick-sketching of early rough color studies.
Comparing the line quality and writing performance of several
pigment liner pens of similar nib size (around 0.3 mm in diameter) on
Foray marker paper, no significant difference was apparent at first glance. Unlike most of the specialized pigment liners shown, the
Sharpie Pen is a fairly common find at local retailers and office supplies stores while costing the least of this bunch.
While marketed primarily as a precision writing tool, I find the
Sharpie Pen quite suitable for doodling with ink. The nib feels strong and glides smoothly on both
marker paper and regular copy paper leaving dark uniform lines with no bleed through. Despite some online reviews warning of poor durability (mainly paint chipping off the barrel and loosening up of the plastic cap after posting it on the back of the pen), the
Sharpie Pen seems promising as a sketching tool given its initial performance and recently lowered price (found the 2-pack for $2.50 at a local
Walmart Supercenter store). I just plan to either use it at home or carry it securely in pencil cases that would prevent rubbing against other tools that might cause the dreaded paint chipping. When posting the cap on the back of the pen while in-use, avoid using excessive force and do not push the soft plastic cap all the way down to prevent it from getting loose prematurely.
Reading through the excellent caricature drawing reference book Face Off by Harry Hamernik, I got reminded of the existence of ledger size (11" X 17") paper and the great value offered by regular office copy paper for drawing practice. Thus picked up this Hammermill Copy Plus 20 lb paper and some ledger size card stock at the local Staples for some doodle tests.
The Sharpie Fine Point glided smoothly and laid down crisp black strokes on this 20 lb paper.
Given the thinness of the sheets there was some light ink bleed through that stained the sheet below, but it remain still usable for doodle practice. It really makes sense to rely on a supply of inexpensive paper for the large amount of sketching papers required by large groups of students.
Pack of 125 sheet of 67 lb ledger size card stock.
The lower priced cover stock available online (left sample) is cream (or perhaps already showing some yellowing from lack of buffering). The acid-free labeled version (sample on the right) found in stores retails for almost double the price. Either one would be fine for initial sketches and earlier drawing practice, but as the students improve it would be best to switch to the acid free version to ensure the maximum longevity of the drawings.
The ledger size 67 lb Staples cover stock paper (11" X 17") folded in half can work well as an inexpensive portfolio cover to hold students sketches and drawings.
It is fairly sturdy, and it can easily be decorated with a Sharpie pen illustration. The contents could be secured with a simple paper binding clip. Both paper products tested would make fine additions to the Cartoon Sketching Class selection of available supports.
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