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Category Archives: Sketch
The Beast of Times!
I’m having the beast of times with my Pen+Gear Sketch Diary sketchbook, a gem my wife Tina unearthed for me at our local Walmart. The sturdy paper withstands the rough handling of my pencils and erasers, while its surface handles … Continue reading
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Posted in Doodle Tuesday, Illustration, It Came From the Sketchbook, Sketch
Tagged analog, Cartoon, chaos, creative process, cross-hatching, demonic presence, horror, Illustration, ink drawing, It Came From The Sketchbook, Joe Williams, pen and ink, Pen+Gear Sketch Diary, Pentel pens, punk club, Sailor pens, Teenage Beast, transformation, USA, Walmart
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My Nemesis in Polyester: A High School Memory
Wherein I dispense a little cartoon justice on my high school nemesis, a troglodyte in polyester. No gentle glide down memory lane here—just ink and spite. Continue reading
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Posted in Blast from the Past, Illustration, It Came From the Sketchbook, Sketch
Tagged 1970s high school, art school experience, athletic struggles, cartoon caricature, comic book fantasy, coming-of-age stories, disco era, fountain pen art, high school bullying, high school nostalgia, It Came From The Sketchbook, jock culture, polyester fashion, rock vs disco, school days, sketchbook drawing, South Jersey high school, South Philly culture, STUPID=COOL mindset, teenage rivalry
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Pen+Gear Sketchbooks: Not All Are Winners
I’ve been working on notions of what the final scenes of my Teenage Beast story will be like, sketching ideas in my Pen+Gear Sketch Diary. As I have written before, that sketchbook is a gem as far as price and … Continue reading
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Posted in Doodle Tuesday, Illustration, It Came From the Sketchbook, Sketch
Tagged acid-free, art supplies, budget sketchbooks, dragon sketch, feathering, fountain pens, India, ink bleed, mixed media, Paper quality, Pen+Gear, rough sketches, Sketch Diary, sketchbooks, Teenage Beast, Ticonderoga UCreate, Vietnam, Walmart
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You Can’t Keep a Good Spacefaring Hippie Down!
Drifting through the starry void, he felt as one with the cosmos. It was utter harmony and contentment. His shaggy hair floated weightlessly about him, catching glints of light from distant nebula. He pondered the vastness stretching infinitely out in … Continue reading
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Posted in Doodle Tuesday, Drawer Cards, Illustration, It Came From the Sketchbook, Sketch
Tagged analog, birthday, card, comic, Cosmic Maaaaaannnn, drawing, gift, Hippie, humor, Illustration, Joe Williams, pen and ink, sketchbook, space, stoner, Tina Garceau, USA
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Dixon Ticonderoga UCreate — a Decent Little Sketchbook!
I’ve used UCreate sketchbooks manufactured by Dixon Ticonderoga a couple of times before in recent years, and I have just finished off my third. They are affordably priced and are readily available at Target and Walmart. The quality of the … Continue reading
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Posted in Doodle Tuesday, Illustration, It Came From the Sketchbook, Sketch
Tagged 6x9 sketchbook, 8.5x11 sketchbook, affordable sketchbooks, analog, Artist tools, big box art supplies, budget sketching, Canson sketchbook, Cartoon, cartoons, Dixon Ticonderoga, Fabriano sketchbook, fountain pen sketching, horror, humor, Illustration, Joe Williams, pen and ink drawings, Pen+Gear Sketch Diary, Sailor Fude de Mannen, Sketch, sketchbook, Sketchbook review, Target art supplies, UCreate sketchbook, USA, Walmart art supplies
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The Frugal Review • The Pen+Gear Sketch Diary
When my wife and co-host of this fabulous site, Tina, calls about a cheap sketchbook she’s found at a big box store, I’ve learned not to question her. I just say, “Buy it!” She’s got a knack for spotting art … Continue reading
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Posted in Doodle Tuesday, Illustration, It Came From the Sketchbook, News, Pixels Versus Pigment, Sketch, Stuff Joe Likes, Technique
Tagged Affordable art, Art on a budget, art supplies, Artist tools, Budget sketchbook, cheap art supplies, Creative supplies, doodle, drawing, Drawing paper, Frugal art, illustrated story, Joe Williams, mechanical pencil, monster, Non-Repro Blue, Paper quality, pen and ink, Pen+Gear Sketch Diary, Pencil sketching, Sailor Fude de Mannen, Sketch, sketchbook, Sketchbook review, Sketching, Teenage Beast, Walmart art supplies
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The Cheapskate Strikes Back!
I was in an art supply store recently to pick up some gift items for a friend, and I thought I would pick up a smallish, mixed media, sketchbook for myself. I was thinking a 7-inch by 10-inch sketchbook would … Continue reading
