Tools and Furnitures Many Illustrators Use
Today, I digress slightly and want to share something lighter and fun.
Many of my friends are professional creatives. Sometimes, when I pay them a visit in their studios, I can’t help but notice we have the exact furnitures or tools. I always find this a bit amusing.
A quick note: you don’t need any specific tools or furnitures to make your art, your comics, your graphic novels, or your work. A paper notebook and a No.2 pencil will do. The important thing is to sit down and start making the work.
With that said, here are some items that many creatives use.
Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with any of the items mentioned below. (◍•ᴗ•◍)
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(1) Art Drawers
If you work bigger than 8.5”x11”(or the slightly bigger A4 size, for my European friends), you will eventually need space to store those artwork. Flat file cabinets are usually pricy and bulky. If I see flat file cabinets in a friend’s studio, I would go, “Wo-ah! You rich!” (In which my friend would inevitably go, “I scored this at a garage-sale / estate-sale / hand-me-down when a friend moved / freecycle website.”
But for the rest of us with no neighbors selling off their furnitures and friends with no intention to move, this IKEA ALEX drawer is affordable, practical, and goes well with the rest of our Scandinavian-furnished space (all IKEA).
I think the majority of my friends owns at least one ALEX.
(2) Archival Boxes
Sometimes, when I finish a project, I don’t want to stack all the artwork in the IKEA ALEX drawer – I need those space for on-going projects. This is when archival boxes come in handy.
I throw in all the project’s related items in a labeled box, including early sketches, revision notes, book dummies, final artwork, etc. Make sure you put the boxes in an elevated space – in case of flooding . Even if you live in the desert, there is still a chance your pipe might burst. I’m speaking from experience.
On that note, I once saw a YouTube video on how UK illustrator legend Quintin Blake stored his work. I’ve always wondered what those folders were. They look fantastic! Did he handmade them? If not, where did he get those? Does anyone know? :-)
(3) Utility Cart with Casters
My talented friend Joe Cepeda (who makes all his own furnitures) once said he would always put casters (aka wheels) on everything. This way, he could rearrange his studio depending on what art medium he was using for a project. Genius.
I don’t have as big a need to move everything around, but I do see his point on the benefit of this flexibility. Here’s yet another very popular IKEA item that many of us authors/illustrators own: The RASKOG utility cart.
IKEA likes to switch up the colors all the time, so depending on when you purchase the cart, the color will be different. Mine is in cottage red.
A note: I see other places selling similar looking carts, but the one IKEA is inexpensive, sturdy, and the casters work really well. IKEA is not paying me to say these things (although that would be nice.) It’s just my honest opinion here.
(4) Slanted Desk
This comes in handy particularly for comics creators and graphic novelists – especially if you still draw the old school way (meaning non-digital). Some friends have drafting tables in their studios. I don’t have enough space to install another desk in my room, so I use a portable version, one that I could put on top of my current desk.
I use this a lot when I’m working on my picture books. For graphic novels, I have gone full-digital. That’s when I put this drawing board aside in a nice corner of the room. I like that flexibility.
Tips: Sometimes when I am just sketching or writing, I like to pull out this slant board instead, a small option for friends who like ergonomic items.
(5) Book Stand
I use a book stand everyday, from reading to referencing books while I’m working. This comes in really handy.
They no longer sell this particular one on Amazon, but you can find similar looking ones, such as this bamboo version.
I also have a lighter version of a bookstand I bought at Daiso (I think it’s $6 there). They are not as visually pleasing. But if you need to reference another book and you want something less bulky, these lighter version works – unless it’s a really big or heavy book. (Also, not a fan of that flimsy page holder. But I get what I paid for.)
Trivia: Thomas Jefferson, our third president, owns a fancy one.
If you love this, you can buy an inspired version in the Monticello Shop.
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One last note: if you are just starting, don’t worry about all the furnitures and tools. Invest your time and energy on your craft instead, and only buy items when it makes financial sense, or as a pat on the back when you finished a big project. I accumulated these items over a very long period of time, too. (I don’t have that fancy Thomas Jefferson multi-book stand. It’s nice, but probably unnecessary. Also, bulky!)
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Are there tools or furnitures you use regularly that you’d like to share with everyone? Please comment below! I’d LOVE to see what everyone uses!
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Have a great day! ˓˓ก₍⸍⸌̣ʷ̣̫⸍̣⸌₎ค˒˒
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