Newest Field Sketching Bag from the Army Surplus Store

While most of the time I'm quite happy to lug around my regular sketch bag loaded with all the supplies I might want to use. Sometimes travel circumstances and weather conditions call for something light and compact for maximum sketching efficiency. Thus I was always in the look-out for a map case after reading this blog.
Found this neat sketching case (originally a German map case) in a recent trip to an Army Surplus store, proving that suitable art supplies can sometimes be found in the unlikeliest of places with just a little ingenuity. Its made out of rubberized heavy cotton canvas and features a webbing strap and 3 aluminum clasp to customize its fit.
Back view. Bottom view shows the accordion-effect from the two main compartments.
Side view.
Loaded case for drawing with dry media. The Cretacolor 5.6 mm drawing leads are the perfect fit for the narrow pencil pockets on the front of the bag. Regular size Tombow and Staedtler pencils could fit in some of the front pockets, but they could not slide all the way down and the fit was rather tight. The two main compartments can hold a slim tin with sketching pencils (a Cretacolor Monolith set in the example above) and 5"X8" sketchbook (like a Handbook or large Moleskine journal). Compact, light, and easy-to-carry: this map case makes for a very functional and practical sketching bag for field trips where you might want to keep the carrying weight and bulk down to the bare minimum for optimal mobility (like hiking in the country side, visiting the zoo, doing sketchcrawls downtown, and touring museums).
The small pocket can hold a tube of graphite leads or a wedge sharpener. It is a tight fit, so sometimes they get stuck. They can be easily ejected by pulling the tab of the strip attached to the pocket.

Wacom Tablet of the 1920's? American Antique Drafting Table photo review

This American drafting desk from the 1920's features metal crank handles on the front of the table that work in unison to lower and raise the table height when either one is turned.
Before the restoration work, the top of this desk was marred by a deep gash running across its entire length. After some careful sanding, resurfacing, and refinishing, it was returned to this functional smooth condition by Casey, my skilled brother-in-law.

Side view of the slanted drawing board.
Even though this drafting desk and chair are both fairly compact and occupy little floor space, they are quite comfortable to use even by a 6 foot person given its sturdy construction, slanted drafting board, and adjustable height.
Further proof that workmanship and quality of American products from almost a century ago can stand the test time. Feel certain uneasiness that we might not be able to say the same about many items produced today given that these days fewer and fewer goods seem to be manufactured in the USA.

Nomadic PD-04 Khaki Roller Pencil Case Review

This roller pencil case looks as good as the pictures in the JetPens website: really nice functional pencil case concept that would likely protect 5 of your most cherished writing or drawing tools from scratching and marring one another while leaving enough room for extras like an eraser, extra graphite leads tube,and spare ink cartridges. With its zippered outer case, all the contents can be stored securely still within a fairly compact package. When all the tools are rolled out, they are easily accessible while keeping the work area neat and well-organized.
All interior stitches are nicely done. Just wished the interior roller material was a bit thicker, for I fear that my mechanical pencils' fixed sleeves (Pentel Smash and Graph 1000) could easily pierce and rip through the thin fabric.
Also can't help but feel mildly disappointed upon discovering the "Made in China" tag in its interior while its exterior label so proudly displays the Japanese company website link. Seems like every single pencil case purchased in the last decade was manufactured in China and of uneven quality. Really miss the days when a product under a Japanese label was actually made in Japan and of unquestionable quality. I hope the production of my favorite pencils and pens never follows this trend. While my initial impression of this new pencil case is fairly positive, it will take a few months to verify its durability.
Quick writing test of a few Pentel Slicci and Uni-ball Signo DX fine point gel pens revealed their nice colors on the bright surface of the hot-press Strathmore 300 Bristol board. While they all felt fairly smooth on the paper for such fine point sizes, the Slicci pens felt somehow weaker than the Mitsubishi pens.

Faber Castell Pitt Graphite Crayon and Mitsubishi Hi-Uni 6B review and doodles

The Faber Castell PITT Monochrome Graphite Crayons are 12.0 cm X 12 mm sticks of pure graphite that come in four grades of hardness suitable for sketching in large scale: 2B, 4B, 6B, and 9B. According to the manufacturer's website, they are of the same quality as the leads in a CASTELL 9000 graphite pencil. Their shape remind me of ninja throwing spikes from manga and martial arts movies. They feel silky smooth on the paper and can easily go from thin to thick lines on the same stroke. Since there is no wood casing or lacquer coating around the graphite and clay sticks, their hexagonal barrels can be used on their long size to shade large areas quickly. For the same reason, they can be rather messy to use. Thus mine have stayed at the bottom of my sketching box for a while.
After spotting the Lyra Hexagonal Crayon/graphite Holder, I realized there was already a similar tool in my supplies drawers that would allow clean handling and the most useful life out of these graphite sticks. The Intus 123 pastel holder keeps fingers clean while working with these thick crayons. Its wide plastic decagonal barrel grip is quite comfortable, and its metal clutch jaws hold the crayon pieces securely in place as they gradually wear down with use.

Trying out the Faber Castell Pitt 6B Graphite Crayon loaded within the Intus 123 pastel holder The 6B crayon marks can be hard to erase completely even with a great eraser like the Pilot Foam eraser. The generous size of the graphite crayon and its smooth performance make it ideal for sketching quickly in a large scale. This batch of 8.5" X 11" sketches for example was completed in under half an hour.
The graphite crayon tip was a tad blunt by this point, resulting in the thicker lines of this last sketch.Another potential use for this 6B crayon is for making a transfer sheet. I discovered it by accident while doodling on both sides of a sheet of card stock. After finishing on the second side, I discovered that the sketches from the first side had clearly transferred to an underlying sheet.
Comparison chart of five 6B graphite pencils showing the expressive range from lightest gray to deepest black attainable with each brand. While all sample swatches might look fairly similar, the Faber-Castell pencils required more strokes to reach that same degree of darkness. All the pencils felt quite smooth on the card stock, but the Staedtler Mars Lumograph pencil felt a bit drier and crumbled the most from this bunch. The Tombow Mono and the Mitsunishi Hi-Uni seemed to glide faster and very smoothly on the paper producing their darkest shades with fewer strokes.
The Mitsubishi Hi-Uni 6B pencil glides smoothly on card stock leaving rich dark marks. Given the softness of its lead core, it tends to blunt quickly. Excellent choice for quick doodling and the final shading stage of a drawing. Would make a nice addition and increase the expressive range of any graphite drawing kit.

Pentel Smash Mechanical Pencil for Drafting and Pentel Hi-Polymer Ain Pencil Lead - 0.5 mm - HB - Hard- first impressions

Just added the legendary Pentel Smash 0.5 mm mechanical pencil to my drafting pencils collection. It is a bit shorter than the fairly similar-looking Pentel Graph 1000 pencil. While at first glance the Smash might look rather nondescript, closer inspection reveals a couple of unique features like the rows of raised square rubber knobs in the grip area and the distinctive black rubber accordion-like covering of the push button. Its internal metal barrel was filled with 6 HB leads. The drafting sleeve is not retractable, so care must be taken during transport to prevent damage and accidental stabbings (meaning just because it features a strong metal pocket clip, it does not mean you should carry it in your pocket unless you enjoy wearing a nerdy pocket protector). Given this pencil's scarcity, it would be wise to invest in a suitable pencil case.
When taking the Pentel Smash apart, I noticed the clever design of the lead degree indicator ring. The ring joint base has an octagonal pattern that locks it in a specific label location (4H, 3H, 2H, H, F, HB, B, & 2B), so that it does not slip accidentally to another degree label when screwing the textured rubber grip back in. Unlike the flimsy lead degrees sticker used in the newer Pentel GraphGear 1000, the degree labels are actually printed on the surface of the black plastic barrel of the pencil.
Close up of the end cap and the 3-jawed brass clutch of the Pentel Graph 1000 for Pro Mechanical Pencil for Drafting - 0.5 mm [PENTEL PG1005]. The yellow metallic interior of the end cap piece suggests its made out brass and painted black.
Close up of the 3-jawed brass clutch of the Pentel Smash 0.5 mm Q1005.
Close up of the open 3-jawed brass clutch of the Pentel Smash 0.5 mm Q1005. Simply pressing the push button pulls back the brass chuck ring releasing the lead.
Both mechanical pencils feature virtually identical brass clutch mechanisms, fixed sleeves, extremely comfortable rubber textured grips, lightweight solidly constructed plastic bodies with metal internal barrels, understated looks, and excellent balance. The Smash did not come with a cleaning rod attached to the the eraser like the Graph 1000 does. If you read my recent posts, you already know that the Pentel Graph 1000 is my current favorite 0.5 mm mechanical pencil. It's still too early for a final complete review on the Pentel Smash, but it is definitely a top 5 contender and would make a fine addition to any mechanical pencils collection given its impeccable performance and the unique look of its push button and rubber grip.
As for the the Pentel Ain C255-HB3 hard 0.5 mm lead, I found no significant difference between these 3 types of HB leads after making this comparison chart. To keep testing conditions consistent, the same Pentel Graph 1000 was used to make the swatches and sample sketches with the Pentel Hi-Polymer Ain Pencil Lead - 0.5 mm - HB [PENTEL C255-HB] and the Pentel Hi-Polymer Ain Pencil Lead - 0.5 mm - HB - Hard [PENTEL C255-HB3]. I do not know the specific type of HB leads that came in my new Pentel Smash, but its range and sample marks look fairly similar to those of the first two types. For all intents and purposes these 3 HB types are fairly smooth interchangeable break-resistant leads.

Mitsubishi Uni-ball Penmanship Writing Wooden Triangular 4B Pencil Review

For the value-minded artist and wooden pencil connoisseur, this should be a no-brainer: with the same length and similar graphite handling properties of the second-to-none Mitsubishi Hi-Uni pencils, the Uni-ball Penmanship Writing Wooden Pencil 3-pack is a great deal (one could get all four 3-packs available for much less than a dozen Hi-Uni pencils, and end up with a mixed dozen of premium 4B & 6B pencils).
It sharpened easily with a standard KUM block sharpener. The long strong wooden shavings produced at its first sharpening is further proof of the premium nature of this pencil. Their rich graphite cores are even wider in diameter (about 4 mm wide) than the Hi-Uni pencils (the 3B pencil for example has a 3 mm wide graphite core) making them an even better deal. After calculating the relative volumes of their cylindrical graphite cores, I figured the Uni-ball penmanship pencil packs 78% more graphite than the Hi-Uni pencil.
The ergonomic triangular profile of the Uni-ball Penmanship Writing Wooden Pencil is quite comfortable for precise drawing control for extended periods. It feels silky smooth gliding on card stock and quickly lays down large areas of deep dark tones. Thus they are great tools for shading and defining shapes in the final drawing stages.
While there is no such a thing as a magic pencil that can make you a great artist overnight, these great pencils are certain to make your artistic journey a lot more pleasant and satisfying. Just to make it crystal clear, every budding artist should try adding these awesome tools to their analog sketch kits.

Economy 0.5 mm mechanical pencils

Through the years, the quest for my current favorite mechanical pencil lead to me to also amass this small collection of inexpensive pencils (most retailing for under $5 each). Click on the photo above to check out the note tags and origin of each model. From this bunch, the two pencils on the bottom of the picture (Pilot 2020 and Pilot S3 Series) offer the best performance probably because they feature metal 3-jawed clutches that hold the graphite lead firmly in place for precise control.
The Pilot 2020 Shaker Super Grip Mechanical Pencil - 0.5 mm - Neon Color - Green is a fun inexpensive pencil that children are likely to enjoy. Of course not recommended for the little ones since it can pose several choking hazards as shown by the picture of its disassembled state.
Higher quality pencils often feature stronger brass metal 3-jawed clutch mechanisms that hold the lead securely in place while cheaper pencils tend to have plastic 2-jawed clutches that gradually wear down and loosen their grip allowing the lead to slide to various degrees while writing and drawing.

My top 0.5 mm favorite Mechanical pencil: the Pentel Graph 1000

The second from the bottom, the Pentel Graph 1000 for Pro Mechanical Pencil for Drafting is my absolute favorite drawing pencil. If I had to pick a single mechanical pencil from my collection, this would be it without question. The original Pentel Graph 1000 is incredibly comfortable, lightweight, sturdy, and well balanced. Its 3-piece jaws brass clutch hold the lead very securely for great control when drawing freehand. For some mysterious reason, I like the feel of the matte finish in the grip of the original black version better than the shinny silver finish in the grip of the new limited edition colors. It just seems less slippery and handles in a very precise manner. To check the comments on the other 0.5 mm mechanical pencils check the notes of the Flickr photo shown above.

Doodling with Mitsubishi Uni graphite leads

Oversize thumbnail depicting an encounter between a sleek and nimble ninja and a treacherous biker thug attempting a sneak attack.
This exercise was mostly about testing the range of expression of the Mitsubishi Uni 2 mm H, HB, and B graphite leads. The lighter H lead would be recommended for the initial sketching of the under structure of a drawing. The HB lead provides a happy medium degree for further developing the sketch. The B lead is best saved for the final drawing stages to render the rich dark shadow areas. All three lead degrees handled very smoothly on the surface of the white card stock without any hint of scratchiness.
Scan of the card stock sheet with the sketching samples drawn with the H, HB, and B graphite leads.
The Mitsubishi Uni H lead was ideal for the initial light sketching of the biker character. With heavier drawing pressure, it is also able to lay down fairly dark thin lines. In fact, any one of the three lead degrees can be succesfully used by itself to create fairly wide range of grays by simply varying the pressure of the drawing strokes. Yet having a handful of assorted degrees facilitates and speeds up the rendering process.
I supposed this biker demon thug character fits more under the monsters category. I really need to get some reference to whip up a more believable bike, but the contraption I whipped out of thin air will have to do for now as placeholder conceptual art. These last two illustrations were drawn using all three lead degrees.
It had been too long since a ninja sketch graced this blog.

Prismacolor Colored Pencil sharpener review and some of my collection of hand held sharpeners

The Prismacolor sharpener is one of my favorite choices from my collection: it is compact, well-designed, easy to clean, and very seldom breaks my colored pencils and softer graphite pencils. Holding the sharpener vertically while sharpening minimizes the stress on the pencil point resulting in fewer accidental breaks. Further info on the Prismacolor sharpener can be found in the manufacturer's website. The wedge sharpener can be removed from its plastic ring housing to replace the blades when they get dull. I tend to pick this model for my field sketch kit when traveling by air for the convenience of the waste container and overall compact design. It takes far less room than the 2-hole Staedtler Mars Lumograph sharpener or the Faber Castell Trio.
These two KUM sharpeners are kept in my main sketching kit and go with me everywhere. Between the two of them I can sharpen every size of pencil I own. The magnesium block sharpener features two spare blades screwed on the side of the sharpener, so it has a fairly long useful life. The brass Kum wedge sharpener has a slightly larger diameter opening, so it can be used to effectively sharpen wider pencils like the Derwent Drawing and Coloursoft pencils.
This particular sharpener has been in use for quite some time, and it still yields a razor sharp point on this 3B Mitsubishi Unistar graphite pencil. The Prismacolor sharpener or actually the simple KUM wedge sharpener held inside is the perfect accessory for my priced Mitsubishi Hi-Uni and Tombow Mono 100 pencils.

For further comments on the rest of the collection check the notes on this Flickr shot.The Kutsuwa Two Way sharpener was a good choice for colored pencils, and its sharp blades lasted a long time. Unfortunately it is kind of hard to find in the USA. Found this unit at the Kinokuniya stationery store in San Francisco. The older Staedtler Mars Lumograph 2-hole sharpeners have a hole large enough for oversize pencils, but their blades got blunt rather quickly. The Faber Castell Grip Trio was an old favorite. The German sharpener unit performed well for a long time. Unfortunately current units available in the market seem to be of inferior quality. Newer models coming from China do not seem to sharpen as well and tend to fall apart, for the silver plastic containers do not snap securely over the actual sharpeners. The General's All Art sharpener is the worst German model of this bunch. It is a perfect match for the colour grip compartment of the Faber Castell Grip Trio , but that is sort of a moot point since it's a rather poor unit. It broke pencils points even when brand new, so I can not recommended it. The Derwent plastic sharpener that came packaged with a set of burnisher and blender pencils is also pretty much useless, for it broke the point of every pencil I tested it with. It also was made in China. To avoid disappointment and poor performance, try to select sharpeners manufactured to exacting standards in Japan or Germany. I have already been burned in this product category too many times with substandard products from China.

Chance to win Nomadic PE-10 Tri-Fold Pencil Case

Attention guys! just in time for the summer here is your chance to win a free Nomadic PE-10 Tri-Fold Pencil Case to customize your vacation sketching kit. JetPens has this neat promo running in their forums section until midnight Pacific Time June 10, 2009. One winner will be chosen at random from the comments. One comment per person please!

Also if you are active in Facebook, you could try winning a Nomadic PE-08 Easy Classification Pencil Case by posting a comment on this discussion thread from now until midnight Pacific Time June 5, 2009. One winner will be chosen at random from the comments. One comment per person please!