mikeshearules

I made a coloured version of this earlier GIF, and now it’s up on Loop de Loop, which is an amazing site/initiative. YAAAY for animation!

Dustin Harbin is a cartoonist and illustrator living in Charlotte, NC.

What are some of your favorite drawing tools (pens, pencils, markers, drawing tablet, all of the above)?

Okay here's my basic list, in order of importance, as in, if the house were on fire, what would I grab first?

1. Tachikawa T-77 mapping nib. Like a firmer, better made, and all around superior Hunt 102. I draw very small, and the T-77 is firm enough for small regular lines like hatching, but with just enough flexible to give you a range between a very delicate line and one with a little bit of body--but without sacrificing control.
2. Hunt 108. Super flexible nib that I use for all my "big" lines, or anywhere I want the texture of the paper to show through. At it's best it's my favorite drawing instrument, but Hunt nibs are so poorly made now that only 2 out of 3 are really usable, they are easily damaged, and bend out of shape after a fairly short time. :(
3. Dr. Ph. Martin's Black Star ink (matte). Richard Thompson turned me onto this ink, and I praise his name every day. It's VERY black, to the point that you might need to thin it, especially if you're like me and forget to close your ink bottle occasionally. But somehow, improbably, it also works in technical pens, so I also use it in my larger Rapidograph pens for spotting blacks. It's totally waterproof, lightfast, and best of all, eraser-PROOF, unlike many india inks.
4. Koh-I-Noor Rapidomatic mechanical pencil, .5mm, 2H lead. I don't know that this pencil is any better than any other, but I've had it a million years, which must mean something. Plus it has a metal bottom, which gives it a pleasing weight in the hand. I use 2H lead for nice light lines, but not so light that you're digging into the paper. I often don't erase my pencil lines, and 2H is fairly easy to "tune" out in scanned artwork.
5. Strathmore 500 bristol board, semi-smooth surface. Strathmore 500 is the only bristol I've found that reliably doesn't bleed, and is also fairly (thought not, I think, totally) archival. The semi-smooth is smooth enough to take a light pen line without bouncing, but rough enough that if you want the texture of the paper visible, it's easy to make happen. And it'll take a limited amount of watercolor/inkwash, usually about 2 or 3 touches before it starts to break down under moisture.

If you have a wide collection, how do you decide on which to use on a particular drawing, project, or day?

I do have a pretty wide collection, but more from being a packrat than anything else. I think the tools I listed above compose about 95% of everything I do, with the exception of paint/digital coloring, stuff like that.

If you prefer pens, is there any particular brand, color, or type of ink you like best?

I use Microns, especially the colored ones, to sketch with, but I haven't found a disposable pen yet that really sings for me. I recently got turned on to the Platinum Carbon pen, but it's too light to be pleasant to use extensively. I do like sketching with it though.

How do you like your color? Watercolor? Acrylics? Oil? Colored pencils? Markers?

I generally use some very simple watercolor from a 16-pan travel set by Winsor & Newton. But I'm a baby at it, so it's mainly just tinting things. I sometimes color in commissions with Copic markers too, but they don't work with my preferred ink, so they're slowly falling out of favor in my workflow. More than either, I use inkwash, usually in 2 waterbrush pens, kind of like what Dan Berry describes here, except with diluted ink wash, in 2 tones, dark and light.

If you do use paints, inks, pencils, or markers for coloring, are there any in particular that are your favorites? Do you prefer travel sets of paints to a full set?

As I was saying above, for watercolors I use a travel set, which is fine. For markers I buy Copics in colors I like--I've gotten a good collection together over the years, but as with everything I probably only use about 5-6 of them with any frequency.

Is there any particular type of notebook or drawing pad you prefer? Or does any scrap of decent-sized paper work in a pinch?

I'm super snobby about paper, but my last three sketchbooks have been handmade by cartoonist Joe Lambert using a cream colored cardstock you can get at Kinko's. Remarkably, it takes pretty much any media. Plus Joe's sketchbooks are handsewn, lay flat, and often have covers featuring his work, or if you're like me you can get them plain and draw on them yourself. I've gotten so used to them it's hard to imagine switching back, so hopefully he'll keep making them.

Do you ever do any kind of post-processing (like adding color in Photoshop or similar tool) to your drawings?

I use Photoshop to color generally, but my last few projects have been colored almost entirely using Manga Studio 5 and Ray Frenden's MS5 brushset. MS5 is way more intuitive a drawing application, and for coloring there are a lot of great halftone features. Very into it lately.

Have you ever tried a new pen (or paper, etc) from reading about it, or seeing the results in another artist's work?

Paper no, but pens for sure. The aforementioned Joe Lambert and Dan Berry are pretty influential for me as a tool snob, although I'm betting neither of them are very snobby--they seem to try a lot of different tools, which is healthy. I, however, am a True Snob and prefer to let others play The Most Dangerous Game (trying different tools).

Do you have anything out of the ordinary you use for making your art?

I sure don't. Probably the only out-of-the-ordinary thing I do is draw really REALLY small, which both saves time and is easier (for me).

If you create purely-digital art, what are the software programs you use? Is one used more than another?

As mentioned above, Manga Studio 5 plus Ray Frenden's brushset. His drawing brushes are perfect, mimicking not only differing size/flexibilities of nib, but also 2 different "pencils" and a number of paintbrushes for wet/textured effects.

If you work both digitally and non-digitally, which do you find yourself doing more? Is there a reason you would prefer one of the other? Is it because of the tools available in either space?

I would like to work digitally more--I'm not against it at all, but for myself I find I work faster on paper, weirdly. On paper small accidents and incidental pen bounces or surprises can be assets, but on a screen I can't stop undoing everything. I'm maybe too fussy to have undo available to me during drawing. So often I will take the extra steps of scanning and compositing to get things done quickly and without a lot of preciousness on paper, then reserve the tablet for edits and last minute additions.

I asked about post-processing on a computer, but do you think the computer is a helpful tool for making art? Whether it’s looking for inspiration online, or using it to build a weblog to promote yourself and your art, do you think a computer is necessary, helpful, or a distraction (or all of the above)?

Definitely all of the above. It's hard to imagine living without one now, though of course all the great illustration masters seemed to do okay without one. Heck, they did all the best Disney movies without a single computer, right?

Thanks Dustin!

You can find Dustin Harbin online on Tumblr, on Twitter (@dustinharbin), on Flickr (dharbin), and prints of his work can be found on his BigCartel shop.

NEW POSTER - pencils and temp text for Impostor Striketh Back, a bit of theatre by Tim Bungeroth (11x17 - 2013)

2 hours of song selection and conversation with Ian Mackaye on Henry Rollins’ KCRW show.

(Thanks Trina!)

The Red Sox are surprising fans and pundits with their quick start in the AL East, though the Orioles cut into that lead thanks in part to a ninth inning Chris Davis homer that sparked a five run rally. Davis's performance so far this season has been impressive—to everyone but Boston fans, at least.

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A Christian Phalangist soldier in Beirut during the Lebanese Civil War, 1978. 

[Label: Stones Throw | Cat#: STH2320]

• 36-minute rap cassette

RG
UL
FS

Nick DeWolf Photo Archive posted a photo:

sacramento, california
1974

bruno, the grizzly bear
sacramento zoo

part of an archival project, featuring the photographs of nick dewolf

 
Rocket News 24 hipped me to this life-size Ray Charles animatronic that plays parks in Osaka, Japan. Apparently the animatronic Ray isn’t really belting out any tunes or playing the keyboard (there’s a speaker in the heart of the machine).

Whatever the case, we need animatronics like this one playing parks in America. Maybe a GG Allin one that hurls feces at onlookers?

 
Via WFMU on Twitter

Third in a series of posts highlighting the Polish children's book collection of Aleksandra & Daniel Mizieliński, aka Hipopotam Illus. by Jan Marcin Szancer for Baśń o Szklanej Górze, 1972 From the collection of Hipopotam From a blurb by Janusz Stanny about the 2009 book Wwaga! Spychacze! (Watch Out! Bulldozers!: Young Polish Illustration)The early 1960s. "RUCH" Publishers is founded. Professor Jan Marcin Szancer becomes its art director. Szancer decides to reach with ambitious books out to the most distant corners of the country, and he succeeds in selling them through a network of RUCH outlets. He invites some distinguished artists to work with him, including Henryk Tomaszewski, Antoni Uniechowski, Jan Mlodozeniec, Andrzej Strumillo, and Olga Siemaszko, as well as a large group of young artists, often his students. That group numbered 40 people, and I was in it too, as an assistant of Professor Jan Marcin's. Szancer organized regular exhibitions of work by artists cooperating with the publishing house. From Zygmunt Januszewski's preface to the same book:The Studio of Illustration, Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, is an exceptional place, continuing a tradition that goes back many years, and with an established position within the Faculty of Graphic Arts. Founded by Jan Marcin Szancer in 1951, then for over 25 years , from 1971, superbly run by Professor Janusz Stanny, it educated 250 degree students. Illus. by Henryk Chmielewski for Tytus, Romek i A’Tomek, 1974 From the collection of Hipopotam Cover illus. by Teresa Wilbik for Joachim Lis, detektyw dyplomowany, 1974 From the collection of Hipopotam Original title: Joakim Räv by Ingemar Fjell. There's a 1968 English edition, Jack Fox, Detective: "When the Badgers discover their jam has disappeared, and the only clue is an X on the wall, they call in Jack Fox, who has just completed a correspondence course for private detectives, to investigate the case." Illus. by Teresa Wilbik for Joachim Lis, detektyw dyplomowany, 1974 From the collection of Hipopotam Cover illus. by Waldemar Andrzejewski for Śmiejmy się, 1976 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Waldemar Andrzejewski for Śmiejmy się, 1976 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Waldemar Andrzejewski for Śmiejmy się, 1976 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Waldemar Andrzejewski for Śmiejmy się, 1976 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Józef Wilkoń for Wyprawa tapatików, 1974 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Józef Wilkoń for Wyprawa tapatików, 1974 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Józef Wilkoń for Wyprawa tapatików, 1974 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Irena Przewłocka for Baśnie indiańskie, 1971 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Irena Przewłocka for Baśnie indiańskie, 1971 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Zbigniew Rychlicki for Zaczarowane kółko Misia Uszatka, 1970 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Zbigniew Rychlicki for Zaczarowane kółko Misia Uszatka, 1970 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Maria Szymańska for Dar Królowej Róż, 1971 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Maria Szymańska for Dar Królowej Róż, 1971 From the collection of Hipopotam Cover illus. by Bohdan Butenko for Niebo i kalendarz, 1973 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Bohdan Butenko for Niebo i kalendarz, 1973 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Bohdan Butenko for Niebo i kalendarz, 1973 From the collection of Hipopotam Cover illus. by Zbigniew Rychlicki for Mądra poduszka, 1977 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Zbigniew Rychlicki for Mądra poduszka, 1977 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Zbigniew Rychlicki for Mądra poduszka, 1977 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Teresa Wilbik for O dobrym rycerzu, dumnym koniu i śmiejącym się ośle, 1971 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Marian Stachurski for Bajki, 1970 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Krystyna Michałowska for Kaczki, 1972 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Józef Wilkoń for Tapatiki kontra Mandiable, 1976 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Józef Wilkoń for Tapatiki kontra Mandiable, 1976 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Bohdan Butenko for Romek i czarownice, 1978 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Adam Kilian for Misie nie chcą spać, 1973 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Krystyna Wojciechowska for Gdyby…, 1975 From the collection of Hipopotam From U nas | Środowisko społeczno-przyrodnicze, 1978 Illustrators: Illus. by Elżbieta Procka, Jerzy Heintze, Mirosław Tokarczyk From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Adam Kilian for French-Polish children's dictionary, 1979 From the collection of Hipopotam Illus. by Jerzy Flisak for Niewiarygodne przygody Marka Piegusa, 1973 From the collection of Hipopotam See the full series and also "The Wonderful Wizards of Wooj" parts one and two See all posts tagged "Poland" on 50 Watts

Illustrations and from Astronomic Picture Atlas by Ludwig Preyßinger (Germany, 1851) From the collection of Michael Stoll (flickr / @mstoll) I featured Michael Stoll's collection way back in May 2009 and since then it has grown considerably. His flickr page is definitely one of the richest sites for imagery around. He's outdone himself reproducing this book, which appears to glow in the dark. The photos make me want to toss my scanner in the trash. Read a recent interview with Prof. Stoll at SND. View all posts tagged "science"

I'm having so much fun with this.

Thoth Amon, 1975.

Remember what North Korea did to the U.S. at Pearl Harbor?

No? Neither do I. I knew I should have paid more attention in History class. Luckily, the internet is full of of really smart people who will clue us dummies in on what happened in the past…

After seeing all those tweets, you’re still not convinced North Korea was responsible for the attack on Pearl Harbor? What? You’re saying it was Japan? Well, luckily, a few of the Einstein’s who know better than you have rebuttals prepared…

We got this press release earlier today and, man, it's great. The Reading Fightin Phils, the Phillies Double-A affiliate in Reading, Pennsylvania, just reached an agreement with an ostrich farm in New Jersey—which, what?— that will allow the team to keep two ostriches at the stadium.

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A new addition to Dustin Cohen’s Made In Brooklyn series.

“Frank Catalfumo is a 91 year old shoemaker and repairer in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. He first opened the doors to F&C Shoes in 1945 and continues to work five days a week alongside his son Michael. If you’re ever in the area, make sure to stop by the shop and listen to one of Frank’s amazing stories about life in Brooklyn back in the day.”

In 1939, a Washington DC radio station recorded an entire broadcast day of wonderfully old-timey radio, including a baseball game between the Washington Senators and The Cleveland Indians. Read about the game here, and listen here. [The Atlantic | Internet Archive]

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losangelespast:

The first telephone pay station in Los Angeles, at 228 S. Spring Street, 1899. The service was not cheap: that 50¢ per minute call to San Francisco would cost $13.58 per minute in today’s dollars.

CHICAGO—Calling the overall human experience “poignant,” “thought-provoking,” and a “complete tour de force,” film critic Roger Ebert praised existence Thursday as “an audacious and thrilling triumph.”

Jack Kirby and Joe Simon, Boys’ Ranch #2 Opening Splash Page (Harvey,1950)

Wondering what movie to see this weekend? Look no further than the film about North Korean terrorists invading the White House, Olympus Has Fallen!

What’s that you say? Oh, you’re one of those people who need to hear some reviews first? Not to worry! These fellow movie goers’ tweets are sure to sell you on the film:

Whenever I see someone use that specific slur, I wonder how old could they possibly be.

“Good Mercian movie.” Mitt Romney gives it two thumbs up.

(P.S. The villains in the movie are North Korean.)

There are a ton of these “now I hate all Asians” tweets on Twitter now…

…but that above tweet specifically led to this amazing conversation:

“Typical Asians.”

At least she knows what she is, I guess?

Wait a minute…take a close look at who “favorited” that last tweet.

Will Miller is the creative director and lead designer of Firebelly design studio in Chicago, IL. Miller takes creativity to another level, and doesn’t rule out any possibilities when it comes to his design process. Taking no shortcuts, his passion is evident in his work.

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Also worth viewing…
Typographische Monatsblatter
Visual Language of Herbert Matter
Hans Hartmann

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Featured Book: Irving Harper: Works in Paper.

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Sun Ra on location in California for Space is the Place,early 1970s. From the book Sun Ra + Aye Aton: Space, Interiors and Exteriors, 1972. Out in May from PictureBox. 

 
Not sure if it’s the sword, the “Daisy Dukes” cut-offs, the confused nationalist iconography or his absolutely manic, speedfreak smile, but the Motörhead frontman may have actually out-Lemmy-ed himself with this one. Yep, this is Lemmy at his Lemmyest.

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Gas masks for babies tested at an English hospital, 1940 (via Imgur)