As an artist, I get asked “What do you use?” all the time.
“What did you use to make that?”
OK, here are the tools of my art trade through the years.
In the 80’s I mostly used oil paints to paint. Grumbacher was my primary brand, but I have no idea what the products they make now are like.
For drawing I used Ebony pencils and turpentine on Clearprint velum simply because I was taught that way by my father, or I used Prismacolor colored pencils on any type of drawing paper with a tad of tooth I could get ahold of. Charcoal was used a bit too, probably a couple hundred drawings/sketches per year.
For ink work, I used various inks and calligraphy pens or a refillable rapidograph pen.
For tattooing I pretty much used equipment I had made and maintained on my own, and the same went for pigments. I purchased and traded with other tattooists for cool pre-mixes, but kept a small palette.
In the 90’s for painting, I went back and forth with oils and acrylics of various brands, but pretty much only trusted Liquitex brand paints for my serious work.
I still swore by Ebony Pencils and Prismacolor for drawing. Charcoal was used a bit too, probably a couple hundred drawings/sketches per year on average.
Pigma pens started to replace my Rapidograph along with using brushes in ink rather than calligraphy pens.
I was a hardcore Clearprint Vellum fan at this point.
I started buying mostly pre-mixed tattoo pigments for tattooing as they became more available. I only used my own black though. I switched from bug pins to #12 sharps. I soldered all my own needle groupings because I couldn’t find anybody to do it as well as I did.
In the early 2000’s I found myself 100% converted to acrylic paints, no longer using oils at all. Liquitex was still my primary brand, but I used many other paints as well. I also started buying pre-stretched canvases.
Ebony pencils had gone the way of the dinosaur, the ones they make now are not the same. Different company, same branding, crud pencils. Prismacolor pencils still maintained their colored pencil top spot for me.
For ink drawing, I had switched purely to Pigma pens.
For tattooing, I now bought everything and made nothing myself except my black because things were easily available and finally of decent quality.
Started messing around with digital art. Mostly photoshop.
The tools of my art trade from 2010 till now are like this.
Still acrylic paints on pre-made canvas. Multiple brands, I just check lightfast ratings before I buy anything. Acrylic paints have come a long way in my life.
Prismacolor pencils and Pigma pens still rule for me.
I now buy every single item for tattooing, even the black. I have found exactly one black I like and trust. The “company” that makes it is basically a couple of guys who knew the methods I used, which they did too.
I can’t say I fell in love with digital art as I can’t seem to put any soul into it and I don’t see anybody else able to either. It is great for design, but I am unsure if anybody will ever make what I consider true art digitally. I have been messing around for the last fifteen years or so digitally altering my art and working back and forth with traditional methods and digital to get something new out of it.
Also, I use the heck out of the new technology to figure out layouts and such. Besides that though, it’s great for making pictures, cartoons, and graphic designs. Fast, easy, and simple.
Obviously, when you look through my work on various websites you’ll see I am not limited to the art supplies described above.
I basically play around with all mediums on and off. From oil pastels and chalk to wood burners and torches. I like playing with it all. There is no best type of art mediums, just best for certain people.
That’s it. The tools of my art trade. No need to ask me now.