Since it has been a tad stressful trip with an ongoing family medical emergency that shook things up a bit, I took a small detour on the way to the hospital to the local art supplies store for some relaxation/browsing and ended up picking up the loot above.
Kum Lead pointer for 2 mm and 3.15 mm leads with cleaning sponge and sandpaper pad, and
Mobius & Ruppert classic magnesium sharpener, and
Kum Correct-stick eraser. The
KUM lead pointer is probably the best value for a compact and efficient sharpening tool for leadholder users, and it has been a permanent fixture in my main
sketching kit for the last few years (it was about time I replaced its broken lid).
Pentel GraphGear 500 drafting pencil. An inexpensive model that should tie me over until I can get back to my usual Graph 1000. It does resemble a dart, and its center of balance is close to the tip. Basically this is another well-built light weight mechanical pencil from
Japan. This economy model performed adequately and would make a fine addition to a field sketching kit since it wouldn't be too hard to replace if it were to get lost during a sketching trip. Keep in mind that its fixed 4 mm sleeve is not retractable hence not pocket-safe. Unless you want to risk stabbing yourself with it, use a pencil case with adequate cushioning or sturdy metal walls to prevent damage either way.
Also was quite pleased to find the
Sakura Pigma Graphic 1 pens in open stock, for you can usually only find them in carded sets packed along with two chiseled-tip pens which I do not use as much. Thought they would be a suitable stand-in for my preferred 0.6 mm and 1.0 mm
Sakura Pigma Sensei Manga drawing pens, but I just saw them available in open stock
here (wohoo, now I will be able to get boxes of 12 pens next time I have to re-stock my supply drawers).
Initial test doodles drawn on white card stock with the
Sakura Pigma Graphic 1 pen and the
Pentel GraphGear 500 mechanical pencil using
HB and
3B leads.
Kum Correct-stick eraser test: worked well but left more debris on the paper than my preferred foam erasers. With its unique ergonomic shape, it would make a nice addition to any eraser collection. Overall I am pretty happy with the initial performance of the tested supplies. We'll see how they hold up in upcoming sketching demo videos.
Since it has been a tad stressful trip with an ongoing family medical emergency that shook things up a bit, I took a small detour on the way to the hospital to the local art supplies store for some relaxation/browsing and ended up picking up the loot above.
Kum Lead pointer for 2 mm and 3.15 mm leads with cleaning sponge and sandpaper pad, and Mobius & Ruppert classic magnesium sharpener, and Kum Correct-stick eraser. The KUM lead pointer is probably the best value for a compact and efficient sharpening tool for leadholder users, and it has been a permanent fixture in my main sketching kit for the last few years (it was about time I replaced its broken lid).
Pentel GraphGear 500 drafting pencil. An inexpensive model that should tie me over until I can get back to my usual Graph 1000. It does resemble a dart, and its center of balance is close to the tip. Basically this is another well-built light weight mechanical pencil from Japan. This economy model performed adequately and would make a fine addition to a field sketching kit since it wouldn't be too hard to replace if it were to get lost during a sketching trip. Keep in mind that its fixed 4 mm sleeve is not retractable hence not pocket-safe. Unless you want to risk stabbing yourself with it, use a pencil case with adequate cushioning or sturdy metal walls to prevent damage either way.
Also was quite pleased to find the Sakura Pigma Graphic 1 pens in open stock, for you can usually only find them in carded sets packed along with two chiseled-tip pens which I do not use as much. Thought they would be a suitable stand-in for my preferred 0.6 mm and 1.0 mm Sakura Pigma Sensei Manga drawing pens, but I just saw them available in open stock here (wohoo, now I will be able to get boxes of 12 pens next time I have to re-stock my supply drawers).
Initial test doodles drawn on white card stock with the Sakura Pigma Graphic 1 pen and the Pentel GraphGear 500 mechanical pencil using HB and 3B leads.
Kum Correct-stick eraser test: worked well but left more debris on the paper than my preferred foam erasers. With its unique ergonomic shape, it would make a nice addition to any eraser collection. Overall I am pretty happy with the initial performance of the tested supplies. We'll see how they hold up in upcoming sketching demo videos.
Posts
2 comments:
Hey alberto, have your tried the GraphGear1000? It's got a springloaded tip, which retracts and comes out as if it were a switchblade. Very cool. I love mine and they (0.5 and 0.3) are in my EDC.
Yup, I picked up the 0.5, 0.7, and 0.9 mm GraphGear mechanical pencils based on their looks alone. I actually find them a bit too heavy for long sketching sessions and haven't used them all that much. I guess I should break them out sometime for a dedicated review in the near future.
Post a Comment