Three Questions With Ed Jelley

I forget the first time I ran across Ed Jelley’s blog but I knew he was on to something right away. The style, the quality, the imagery - oh the pics! - all of it is makes for smart and interesting reading. My thanks to Ed for answering Three Questions.

1. What role do analog tools such as pens, pencils, and paper play in your day to day life?

I think that any notes that need to be recorded are best done with pen and paper. I have yet to find any digital note taking app or system that makes more sense / is easier to use than a pen and paper. In addition to work notes, I tend to doodle a lot. I find the process is much more enjoyable with a fountain pen and some nice paper and I find the activity to be a great stress reliever and an even better chance to let your mind go and put some thoughts on paper. On top of that, I write a fountain pen, ink, and paper review blog that a lot of my pen and paper activities are directed towards.

2. What are your favorite products you are currently using?

My favorite products that I have been using recently are the Omas Ogiva Albas that are in for review, the Quo Vadis Habana Journal, and my Nikon Df. The Omas pens are excellent writers, I especially love the standard medium nib. The colors are great and the vintage-inspired body shape is comfortable in the hand and a pleasure to write with. I'm really enjoying the size and construction of the Habana. The cover isn't as thick as that on the Rhodia Webnotebook and the 6.25 x 9.25" size is great to keep on my desk or throw in bag without taking up too much room. I've been using my Nikon Df since early August and I absolutely LOVE it. It looks like an old film camera, but has an incredible full-frame sensor. I usually have a 50mm f/1.4 lens on it. The photos are incredible and I love the classic styling.

3. What post are you the most proud of on your blog?

I'm most proud of my “Buying a Grail Pen” post. I put a lot of thought into it, and I love how the photos came out. I got a ton of positive feedback and I definitely think that it helped a few people realize that something they may have their eye on is not unobtainable. Also, I had a great time doing the podcast with you on how to start blogging. The response was great to that as well and it was super cool to see some new blogs pop up after the show.

Three Questions With Ian From Pens! Paper! Pencils!

Ian Hedley is part of the ever-growing British contingent of stationery bloggers, bringing us wonderful reviews and artwork via Pens! Paper! Pencils! and Pennaquod, the pen blog searcher. My thanks to Ian for answering Three Questions.

1. What role do analog tools such as pens, pencils, and paper play in your day to day life?

I have a busy job with lots of meetings which, if I'm honest, I sometimes have trouble staying focused in. Taking notes with a nice pen and ink, on good paper, gives me something to do. It helps me concentrate and remember what was discussed.

I also keep a diary (journal in American) which I write in every day. Often I'm writing about pens because that's the kind of person I am. As well as the diary, every morning I write down three plus one good things from the previous day.

Recently I decided I needed to watch every episode of Star Trek in order. I write a couple of sentences about each episode after I've watched it. Another excuse to use a pen.

The most useful tool I've ever found isn't a pen or a pencil, though, it's a homemade set of 43 folders called a Tickler File. I can't understand why everyone doesn't use one.

2. What are your favorite products you are currently using?

I've settled on my favourite paper – Calepino and Rhodia. I've also settled on a favourite ink – Sailor Jentle Apricot – so I felt very sad when it was discontinued. I can't get enough new inks though. My favourite pencils for sketching are Tombow Mono 100s.

With pens, though, my favourites change week to week. My Platinum #3776 Sai, Twiss Marmalade, Franklin-Christoph M02 and Kaweco Liliput are usually in there somewhere but ask me again next week and it might be different.

3. What post are you the most proud of on your blog?

My most favourite pen review would have to be the Twiss Marmalade but to be honest it would be impossible to write a bad post about such a beautiful pen. The sketch I'm most proud of to date is Going for a Walk. But I try to make each post better than the rest so, while I don't always manage this, some of the posts coming up over the next few weeks I'm really quite pleased with.

Three Questions With Ben Kwok

Holy crap.

That was my first reaction when I saw Ben Kwok’s artwork online. The detail is mind blowing, and looking at the tools he uses, I knew I had to get him on Three Questions. Thanks Ben!

1. What role do analog tools such as pens, pencils, and paper play in your day to day life?

Analog tools play a major role in my life. I'm a professional illustrator, so I use analog tools on a daily basis, but I still use the computer to speed up the process. For a typical project, I will do a quick digital sketch on the computer. Print it out, redraw it by hand to get all the details and line work laid out properly. Scan it into the computer to resize it and I would transfer the image onto a Crescent 110 cold press illustration board. Then I would finalize the drawing with various fine liners like Microns, Copic Multiliner SP, and recently the OHTO Graphic Liner (recommendation from The Pen Addict Podcast). I will also use some watercolor and ballpoint pen for shading. All the fine liners I use are waterproof and archival which is important to me. Since I spend an average of 18-24 hours on each illustration, I want it to last.

2. What are your favorite products you are currently using?

My favorite tool at the moment is the Zebra Tect 2way 1000 Drafting Pencil 0.5. It has a nice weight to it and I enjoy the 3 rubber rings around the metal grip. Since I draw for several hours at a time, I need a pencil that's very comfortable, and this pencil delivers that. 

Recently purchased several higher end drafting pencils, but haven't had time to really test them. I'm sure I'll have a new favorite in a couple of weeks.

For the longest time (5+ years), I've been using only using the Pilot S3 Drafting Pencil 0.5. After listening to The Pen Addict Podcast, it reignited my curiosity for my tools. I've always hoarded lots of pens and mechanical pencils, but thanks the the podcast, I'm fulfilling their destiny and started using them.

3. What creation or design of yours are you most proud of?

Wow, that's a tough question. I'm proud of lots of my illustrations. It's like asking which child you love more. If it's okay with you, can I list 3 illustrations I'm particular proud of for various reason?

1) Ornate Elephant (See above)

This image was definitely a game changer for me. Started off as a rough sketch that sat in my bag for over 8 months. Eventually when I found myself out of a job and with some extra time on my hands, I decided to finish this drawing. Little did I know what an impact it would have made in the art, tattoo, and apparel community. With such positive feedback, I knew I was on the right track. This single drawing launched what I call, my "ornate" style artwork.

2) Ornate Owl Head

I'm proud of this image because it was drawn entirely with a black BiC pen. I was experimenting with different styles and medium and the way it was executed surprised me. I didn't think too much of ballpoint pens at the time. I knew I could shade with it, but not for an entire illustration. Many people have tattoos of this image, and I'm quite honored.

3) Lion

I love this image because I really pushed the shading and contrast. It was actually a happy accident. Spilled some ink onto the mane of the lion. Didn't want to start over, so I decided to add more shading to cover up the ink spill. Since I added more shading on the mane, I had to add more shading everywhere else. It really pushed the contrast of this drawing and made it pop. Suffice to say that I'm happy with the end result.