Product reviews pt.3: Staedler mechanical pencils and leads.

Staedler mechanical pencils and leads.

Staedler is known for their drafting products, and one of their most common items is the mechanical pencil. Like most brands, they come in four sizes. 03, 05, 07, and 09. This post will also cover Staedler lead holders, leads, and sharpeners.

The mechanical pencils are a joy to use. The rubber grip makes them more comfortable to hold than other brands, and their thick bodies are the ideal proportion for a tool such as this. Like some modern technical pencils, they have a sliding indicator for lead weight, allowing you to keep track of what weight is in what pencil. This is particularly useful if you are using a large number of these with a large variety of weights. Sizes are color coded, and the overall appearance of the pencil is pleasing. If nothing else, it is a fine example of industrial design.

The only real issue I have with these pencils, aside from the cost, is that they have a higher than expected rate of mechanical failure. I have had to replace 05’s several times. Other sizes don’t seem to have this issue with the same frequency, but perhaps this is just because 05 is my default size for sketching, and therefore those pencils get more extensive use. This issue has come up in other brands as well, such as Pentel, but it is not universal.

All in all, these are my first recommendation when it comes to technical pencils. They look great, feel great,and are mostly reliable.

Staedler lead holders are even more reliable and solid than their mechanical pencils. They may be lacking in aesthetic qualities (though the metal grip on the one to the right does look nice), but overall they are very agreeable. Staedler sharpeners are…well…sharpeners. They’re reliable, but sometimes a bit stiff in their operation.

Staedler lead has a decent level of quality, though it isn’t appreciably better or worse than anything else I’ve tried. If nothing else, you get plenty o refills for a low price.

Product reviews pt.1: Copic markers and multiliners (with brush pen).

So, I will be doing reviews of the various things I use to create my images. Why? Because I don’t like for the blog to be free of posts for long stretches of time, and this is the best type of filler material I could come up with. Plus, it allows me to write, which I enjoy doing anyway. Anyway, on to the first installment!

Copic markers and multiliners (with brush pen).

Most of my traditional media pieces are mixed media, and they primarily consist of a combination of watercolor and ink. Images are sketched, and then inked with microns or copic multiliners. Watercolor washes provide the initial layers of color, and shading, added depth, and details are added accordingly. For certain effects, mostly involving adding different hues for a richer appearance to the shading, I will use copic sketch markers.

The brush nib is the primary reason I use these, as it allows for easy blending with whatever I’m doing. The following piece, for instance, is a mixture of watercolor and copic marker, which I’ve used to add highlights and shading to certain areas. I sometimes do this to get a more vibrant or precise result than I can get with the watercolors I have on hand.

Some pieces are done entirely in copic marker. The following work, for instance, was drawn on landscape drawing paper.

It was penciled, then the basic outlines were inked. Afterwards, the first layers of color were added. Hatching is added afterwards. Microns and copic multiliners are supposed to be waterproof, smear proof, and, in the case of the latter, “copic proof”. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and whether the ink smears depends on what type of paper/medium you’re using. Generally, sketchbooks and thinner drawing paper will have this problem. Illustration boards and thicker paper will vary. Heavier tooth and heavy weight paper, such as watercolor paper and wet media/mixed media paper don’t usually have this problem. Smooth illustration boards can sometimes do this, but they’re usually okay.

Once the first layers of color are applied, then I do the hatching and smaller details. Finally, added shading, hues, and other blending tasks are completed. The brush nib is very effective at blending, and in some cases you will not have any need of the clear blender (though it has it’s own unique uses.)

Copic also sells wide tip markers, for coloring in larger areas that are usually flat in color. These can be more difficult to master, as they have heavy chisel style tips which are not as effective at blending.

Still, these are useful for filling in large areas. Especially with darker colors and black markers, where blending may not be as much of an issue. Blenders also come in wide tip sizes, so you can still blend these. It’s just more difficult than it is with sketch markers.

Copic multiliners are my preferred ‘mid level’ inking solution, between microns and technical pens. Line quality is a bit better than microns, and tends to be smoother and more consistent. They also offer a greater variety of tip sizes are available, including the extra small .003 tips. They are also designed to be reused, as the ink cartridge inside is easily replaced with a new one.

The following piece was inked with copic multiliners, including the smaller sizes. This is the type of piece I enjoy doing with these pens.

Venetian mask tattoo

Copic also has their own equivalent of the brush nib pens produced by micron and staedler. This brush pen does its job just fine. Feature-wise, it doesn’t differ from the micron brushes, but I have found that the nib is a bit more durable, and is not prone to the light fraying/splitting that sometimes happens to the microns.

Copic products can be a bit more expensive than other options, but they do tend to offer unique features that you can’t get from other markers and multiliners. The multiliners, in particular, are one of the best lower cost alternatives to professional level technical pens (rapidograph pens).