I found myself in a situation of great frustration last week so I decided to step away from the source and take a breather. While going for a walk, I realized that I had left behind my sketchbook. I quickly went to a nearby shop to pick up an inexpensive book and something to draw with. I admit to having an obsession with sketchbooks. They are the best gift, as I have a shelf filled with those that are full and those waiting to be filled and any time I'm in a store, I tend to gravitate to the sketchbook display only to begin an internal dialogue convincing myself that I don't need another sketchbook. But, in a moment of desperation, knowing which shops have sketchbooks becomes extremely rewarding.
Armed with new materials in hand, I headed to a nearby park, to people-watch and produce something remarkable and profound. Well, nothing at all worth sharing came despite my determination. I did, however, discover a new tool: The Pentalic Woodless Graphite Pencil.
It's solid graphite (with a lacquer coating). There is no wood, which makes for a pencil which feels heavier in hand and provides a rich, velvety smooth application. There's more graphite than the usual pencil and that leads to using it from detail work to broad coverage. Below, are two better examples, once I'd grown an appreciation for the pencil and its effect. The first, just a sketch which shows how varied the tone can be and the second from a Summer concert at a local park.
Labels: art, book, illustration, moleskine, sketch, sketchbook
