Category Archives: Stuff Joe Likes

I Want a New Toy!

…and I got some new toys! First up is the Sailor Fude de Mannen which is a fabulous fountain pen made in Japan. I think it was meant to be a calligraphy pen, but it works great for drawing. You … Continue reading

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Tuesday Digital Doodle • Automaton Powers On

This is another vector doodle I did in Affinity Designer. In preparation for the occasional science fiction book cover I illustrate, I will play with metallic tones and mechanical shapes. I am figuring out how I may approach that starship … Continue reading

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Sci Fi Textures

When the blank page or screen is staring at me waiting for me to fill it with something illustrative and I don’t really have a solid idea, I doodle digital science fiction textures. I play around with colors and shapes … Continue reading

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HALF THE PRESSURE, TWICE THE SPEED

Decades ago, I had picked up my first Blackwing 602 pencil and loved the feel of the pencil and its rich black lead. It was made by the Eberhard Faber Pencil Company and was enjoyed as the weapon of choice … Continue reading

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Lansdowne Theater

I saw a post on social media about how this beautiful theater which was built in 1927 is in the process of being restored. It’s in Lansdowne, PA and just a stone’s throw from work so I decided to take … Continue reading

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My sweet irreproducible you

Non-Photo Blue pencils are a particular shade of blue that could not be detected by a  graphic arts camera like a photostat camera. I ran stat cameras in the era when graphic design was an analog pursuit involving rubber cement, … Continue reading

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Get to the Point!

A search through some old art bins in the studio set me tumbling down a rabbit hole of wooden pencils, pencil sharpeners and crafting the perfect point.

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