Doot Doot Garden: The Blog of Craig Thompson
tool talk June 16th, 2007

tooltalk.jpg

In response to one of the most frequently asked of questions, here’s my list of “art tools”. My apologies to those
bored with shop-talk… I pencil with any ol’ HB pencil — these “Berol Turquoise” will do. Erasing courtesy of
“Staedtler Mars Plastic”. The text lettering in the balloons is casually dashed off with a .05 or .08 MICRON felt-tip.
For inking, I dunk a watercolor brush in a well of India ink - the old fashioned way. SPEEDBALL “Super Black” makes
me happy with its soulful darkness. CHUNKY RICE and BLANKETS were inked up with these cheap Winsor Newton
Cotman III number twos — a synthetic/sable blend. With my new book, Farel Dalrymple turned me on to this
upgrade brush — the Raphael series 8404 size number four. It’s quadruple the price, but it’s debatable if my line
has improved at all. While on the go, the Pentel “pocket-brush” is certainly handy. Another frequently asked question;
“How do you get that dry-brush effect?” Answer: Vellum finish bristol paper. Its toothiness combined with an abused brush
caked up with gunky ink.
brushes.jpg

The dimensions of my pages has fluctuated plenty. The live art area of CHUNKY RICE is 10.5″x14″ reduced for print a whoppin’ 48%. That’s admittedly too much shrinkage. While all the details are sharpened in the reduction, some of the integrity of the original is lost. The Pantheon edition of the book is smaller than the Top Shelf one, but the details are sharper, because I finally scanned the pages at 1200dpi from the original art. The older edition was simply 600dpi scans from Kinko’s photocopies! BLANKETS is drawn far smaller and reduced less — 7″x11.25″ / 70%. HABIBI is in-between; 8.75″x12.5% reduced 63%. (Sorry, this isn’t metric!)

artdimensions.jpg

One last goody. On this page of BLANKETS, you can see a paste-up correction. Just a slice
of typing paper glued atop the bristol.

paste_up.jpg

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25 Responses to “tool talk”

  1. Arlene Says:
    June 16th, 2007 at 11:38 am

    I got my new Pentel brush pen in the mail this morning. Man! It is fun!

  2. Petty Says:
    June 16th, 2007 at 12:14 pm

    Craig, thank you for leting us know your artistic secrets! I´ve always wanted to know some of the tricks you use in your drawings, I love the way your line moves.
    It´s nice to hear that you´ve done with almost 20% of your next book.
    Keep on doing what you do!
    Greeting from Buenos Aires, Argentina!
    Petty

  3. Petty Says:
    June 16th, 2007 at 12:15 pm

    Craig, thank you for leting us know your artistic secrets! I´ve always wanted to know some of the tricks you use in your drawings, I love the way your line moves.
    It´s nice to hear that you´ve done with almost 20% of your next book.
    Keep on doing what you do!
    Greeting from Buenos Aires, Argentina!
    Petty
    PS: Check my drawing in my flickr website (http://www.flickr.com/photos/petycha/) and tell me what do you think about them.

  4. Jeff Says:
    June 16th, 2007 at 12:25 pm

    Thanks for the awesome Tip on the bristol board. The Pentel Brush is new intel for me. I have used a Marvy Le Plume brush tip. Not a bad pen if your starting out.

  5. John Says:
    June 16th, 2007 at 6:28 pm

    never leave the house without my pentel pocket brush. Its a really amazing tool. (although its hard to make a thin line when I’m in a really warm/humid place). I bought one based on seeing it in Carnet…Thanks for the tip!

  6. Anthony Woodward Says:
    June 16th, 2007 at 11:29 pm

    Pental products are usualy pretty good I find. I really like their erasers the high polymer kind.
    they look like this
    http://www.jetpens.com/product_info.php/products_id/760
    I’d be interested in finding a pental brush pen.

  7. ben bishop Says:
    June 17th, 2007 at 3:19 pm

    hi craig, i was wondering if you could help me out, i was wondering how you ended up drawing cartoons for nickelodeon magazine? did you just mail them your resume with samples or what? thanks alot, -ben

  8. Liz Says:
    June 17th, 2007 at 5:05 pm

    I know this is kind of dumb because I don’t know if you even read all of these… But it would be neat if you did more bookstore tour type things. I’d love to go to one, but alas, I’m in Chicago.

  9. Josie Says:
    June 17th, 2007 at 10:41 pm

    I can’t believe you actually filled the black in like that in Chuncky Rice.

  10. Giovanni Says:
    June 18th, 2007 at 4:49 am

    WOW! thank you very much! :)

  11. Stephanie Says:
    June 18th, 2007 at 2:34 pm

    When I was a kid my father would take me out for drives in the car and he’d talk to me about the important things I needed to know:
    - why politicians aren’t to be trusted
    - why you should pay your bills on time
    - how to pick out the bargains at the grocery store
    - why you should use Staedtler Mars Plastic erasers :)

  12. Amanda Collins Says:
    June 19th, 2007 at 3:02 pm

    i find the “shop talk” very interesting in “yeah,-but-it-still-won’t-make-me-be-able-to-draw” kinda way. if one needed art supplies to sing, i’d post at length about them so i could feel better about myself. ;)

  13. adriana Says:
    June 19th, 2007 at 3:35 pm

    fantastic work!!! i love your comic pages :) )))

    Greetings from spain

    Adriana

  14. robin Says:
    June 20th, 2007 at 9:20 am

    Thanks for humoring us fans and posting info about the tools you use! This totally makes me want to head to the nearest craft store and stock up. Ia lready have about five billion Sakura Microns, but those Pentel Pocket Brushes look great! It’s also neat to see the different sizes of paper for each work. I usually buy Deleter comic book paper for my comics and save the Bristol board for special stuff!

  15. koneko Says:
    June 21st, 2007 at 8:25 am

    yeah pentel pocket brushes are really handy ^^

  16. Belinda Says:
    June 21st, 2007 at 10:22 pm

    Hey Craig,
    Just stumbled across “Blankets” at the library the other day and I couldn’t put it down. Loved “Carnet” too. Just letting you know you have a fan in Calgary!

  17. Matthew Says:
    June 22nd, 2007 at 6:24 am

    thanx so much for posting this. it’s helped me alot. I’ve decided I’m going to have to start using a brush to improve my lines and needed to know what kind…. i love your linework in blankets.

  18. Daniel Says:
    June 26th, 2007 at 7:54 am

    Thanks for this post Craig, really helpfull. Looking forward to see some new art from your latest story.

  19. Callum Says:
    June 26th, 2007 at 1:00 pm

    Good evening Mr. Craig. Regardless of whether I’ll sound, golly gosh forbid, like a fan I’d just like to say that Blankets is a major inspiration for little old me. I’m roughly of the age Mr. Craig was then…ish…an A-Level English art student. Seeing your style made me want to develop my own etc.

    And, of course, Steadler Mars Plastic is actually the best rubber in the world.

    Many thanks, and the best of luck to you. Cheers!

  20. Rod Says:
    June 27th, 2007 at 5:41 am

    Fantastic. I love seeing materials - almost fetishitically, I might add.

    Gorgeous brushwork, too, Craig.

  21. Patrick Dean Says:
    June 27th, 2007 at 6:10 am

    You are a lightning bolt.

  22. Jeff Says:
    July 2nd, 2007 at 3:22 pm

    Craig, your generous heart makes everyone love you. Thank you for the tips.

  23. Brian Defferding, Oshkosh, WI Says:
    July 3rd, 2007 at 1:13 pm

    Great stuff! Thanks for taking the time in posting this Craig!

  24. Lili Says:
    November 23rd, 2007 at 10:36 am

    I adore your work, you where an inspiration for what I’m drawing now. And yes I am curiously goinig to try the “pocket brush” too.
    Greetings from Belgium

  25. léa Says:
    December 10th, 2007 at 2:48 am

    i love your work! i’m french
    blankets has changed my life! it’s wonderful!! thanks for this

    léa

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