Capturing animals at the zoo

Some selected sketches from the zoo. These were drawn with a Sharpie Calligraphic pen.

New Bic Atlantis is a sketching discovery

These are my first sketches (composite from 2 cafe visits) done with the new generation Bic Atlantis ballpoint pen (new to me anyway). The fluidity of the new ink is impressive--almost gel-like but like digital inking, doesn't smear, which makes this a great pen for location sketching. (My favorite is the 2 older men sitting next to each other: one reading a book and the "hipster", a tablet. [lower right])

• more sketches: a pick-up basketball game

Grainy Manga Studio Pencils: work-around C

A) Pattern Brushes            B) Bitmap           C) Convert to Tone

Continuing my experiments from my previous post, I stumbled upon a third work-around to simulate grainy pencils in Manga Studio (and probably the best). What I tried this time was drawing on a raster layer with the Color Reduction Method set to Convert to Tone on Noise. Why is this the best? —because this way saves the steps of applying any filters (B) and of setting rulers for any necessary shapes (A).

Grainy Manga Studio Pencils

Recently, a colleague (who I had introduced Manga Studio to) told me that a client insisted on a natural pencil look. He therefore used Alias Sketchbook Pro instead. Since I prefer the MS interface, I wondered if there are any work-arounds to satisfy such a client. 
     First, I tried to copy various old pencil sketches (traditional) using only Pattern Brushes. Surprisingly, the linework reminded me of those I was able to draw using Corel Painter.

Although the sketches above were the closest that I could get to a natural look, using any shape tool added extra steps because the rulers had to be set first. So, below, I further experimented by applying Random Dither Bitmap filters instead, some to the lines only and some to the tones too.

Conclusion:
A) It's very possible to simulate grainy pencils in MS.  B) Although the Pattern Brush gives the better results, the compromise for speed by using the Bitmap filter is instead the best work-around.

Accordian-fold "sketch pads"

These are simple home-made accordian-fold "sketch pads" that evolved from my previous post. Each one is made from a sheet of 17" x 11" bond paper, cut length-wise. With a simple ballpoint pen, this "location kit" fits into a shirt pocket.

Hotel guests 6 x 2

To step away a bit from the glossy, photogenic conventions of advertising and to search for characters and style cues, I went to a nearby hotel to do some location sketching. The modular 6-up folded bond paper format (x2) and half-sized yafa ballpoint pen was an attempt to miniaturize and homogenize with the guests.

Sketches from today's library visit

Returned some books to library and left with some sketches.

Zoo sketches

Sketches at the zoo with a Bic ballpoint pen.

Reading chair calisthenics

Who said that reading is not a physical activity?