Creative Breakthroughs

[Grimm]

I too get a crazy number of my breakthroughs in the shower. There's a ton of psyche reasons why, probably the biggest of which is that showers are so mindless that your brain does other stuff while your body does the whole cleaning/washing thing so it gives your creativity an uninterrupted bit of time to explore different ideas. When working on ideas at my gaming firm I've been told by other staffers to "go take a shower" when I'm blocked 'cuz they know I usually come out of them with good ideas (at first I was getting offended 'cuz I thought they were referring to a smell or something but they've assured me it's purely a creative concept).

More to the reason for my post -

Pimpette, where did you get the blue pencil? I went to both michael's (art supply chain store, for those of you who don't have them nearby) and Office Depot and neither had them - the people at Michael's had never heard of them, Office Depot has had a few requests but doesn't carry them. I called Staples and spoke to a questionably accurate clerk who said they don't have them there either... where should I get a few? I feel really silly ordering pencils (or worse, just the lead) online and pay $5 shipping for a $2 product, so I'd like to go to a physical store if possible.

Thanks!

[Ewomack]

a-ha! If I don't update my comic site on a regular and timely basis, people stop visiting!! AH!!!

That revelation more than any other has helped my site stats increase.

[Bustertheclown]

Pimpette, where did you get the blue pencil? I went to both michael's (art supply chain store, for those of you who don't have them nearby) and Office Depot and neither had them - the people at Michael's had never heard of them, Office Depot has had a few requests but doesn't carry them. I called Staples and spoke to a questionably accurate clerk who said they don't have them there either... where should I get a few? I feel really silly ordering pencils (or worse, just the lead) online and pay $5 shipping for a $2 product, so I'd like to go to a physical store if possible.

Thanks!

I'm not Pimpette, but I can answer your question.

You don't have a regular ol' art store you can go to? The locally owned store with the big colored pencil section is going to be your best bet on finding a non-photo blue pencil. However, I have a secret to tell you: for general purposes, non-photo blue pencils are obsolete. Digital technology has rendered them sterile, and you can get the same effects from any pencil that draws within the parameters of the RGB color spectrum that you're most likely working within. This means that the combination of really any light blue or even red colored pencil (hell, I bet you could even go with green, but that might get messy if you're working in CMYK for print) and color channel filtering in your image editing program will get the job done. Go with a harder lead pencil, like a Prismacolor Verithin, so that your pencil work isn't too dark, and you'll be just fine.

[Grimm]

Thanks for the info, are there any that you know of that sell mechanical leads though? I can find the 2mm ones in colors pretty easy (like for lead holders rather than mechanical pencils) but there's not really any specialty art stores within 20 miles of my place (both sad and pathetic) aside from the couple chain stores I've already unsuccessfully tried with. I was trying to avoid buying online but I might have to.

[Rhenny]

If I do not please myself.... how in god's name can I expect to attract like minded peopel to read it?

[Bustertheclown]

Thanks for the info, are there any that you know of that sell mechanical leads though? I can find the 2mm ones in colors pretty easy (like for lead holders rather than mechanical pencils) but there's not really any specialty art stores within 20 miles of my place (both sad and pathetic) aside from the couple chain stores I've already unsuccessfully tried with. I was trying to avoid buying online but I might have to.

Got any colleges nearby? I've had a hell of a time finding colored mechanical pencil leads. Sometimes I'll luck into some blue or red at .5mm, but it's few and far between. Then, while waiting in line to buy my overpriced textbooks at my college bookstore, I came across a very lovely assortment of colored leads on the office supply shelves there.

Honestly, if things you want specifically aren't immediately on hand, then you might have to make concessions. Either go online, put in a special order at a local store, or just try to find similar results with different materials.

If I do not please myself.... how in god's name can I expect to attract like minded peopel to read it?

Just be sure that you don't stymie yourself with overbearing self-assessment. Having high standards, and wanting to show a good face to the world is wonderful, and it keeps us honest. However, I've seen time and again that mindset get carried too far, and cripple an artist. Like-minded people are often very forgiving, and sometimes a person needs to know when to say, "good enough" in order to just get the work out there.

[Turnsky]

I too get a crazy number of my breakthroughs in the shower. There's a ton of psyche reasons why, probably the biggest of which is that showers are so mindless that your brain does other stuff while your body does the whole cleaning/washing thing so it gives your creativity an uninterrupted bit of time to explore different ideas. When working on ideas at my gaming firm I've been told by other staffers to "go take a shower" when I'm blocked 'cuz they know I usually come out of them with good ideas (at first I was getting offended 'cuz I thought they were referring to a smell or something but they've assured me it's purely a creative concept).

More to the reason for my post -

Pimpette, where did you get the blue pencil? I went to both michael's (art supply chain store, for those of you who don't have them nearby) and Office Depot and neither had them - the people at Michael's had never heard of them, Office Depot has had a few requests but doesn't carry them. I called Staples and spoke to a questionably accurate clerk who said they don't have them there either... where should I get a few? I feel really silly ordering pencils (or worse, just the lead) online and pay $5 shipping for a $2 product, so I'd like to go to a physical store if possible.

Thanks!

That's why you buy them in bulk, and save on shipping, that said dickblick.com carry the leads you seek.

[Takuun]

My most recent creative breakthrough came from listening to my co-workers. They always have the 'funniest thing happened to me' thing and they'd drone on and on till they got to the funny part. Though by then I'd lost interest. So I began to have comics where you didn't have to know how things started, you simply got the set up, a break (maybe), and then the punchline. So now when I do story arcs the jokes are less forced. Plus I'm not trying to squeeze 12 panels on a page.

[Pimpette]

I dunno man, I generally get mine from Curry's... or Staples. The one Tynan happens to work at has a pack of several different colours, like blue and red and purple and green, etc.
Curry's has a whole little shelf of them though... i found some very nice cyan-coloured ones that are basically the exact shade that my scanner tints everything for some inexplicable reason. But I think I said that already.

And yeah I dunno if Michael's has them... but I don't have one near enough here to wander over and check.
Curry's though, if there are any in your area.

[Mercury Hat]

You can buy blue mechanical pencil lead online, Pentel makes it. Also check to see if you have any smaller office supply stores around, I have one down the street from my house that always carries it. Michaels and the other bigger stores never have it.

[Turnsky]

You can buy blue mechanical pencil lead online, Pentel makes it. Also check to see if you have any smaller office supply stores around, I have one down the street from my house that always carries it. Michaels and the other bigger stores never have it.

Yeah, same brand i have thanks to a very kind person in the US.
Either way, when one does get them, be gentle with the lines, they're a pain to erase if you're not careful..

[Metruis]

I tend to have a lot of shower breakthroughs as well... but not lately. Writer's block just hits and sticks HARD. My breakthrough? If I'm forcing it, it's clear I'm forcing it and you can tell, so I go with what I'm not forcing. For example, what ought to be the next scene, I absolutely hate and don't want to write. I'm doing different stuff, and it feels a lot more fun than the preplanned stuff that's boring me to tears.

If I'm not happy with it, how can I expect anyone else to be?

[Dallawalla]

Any time I am using my brain for something else, ideas come to me,

like now that im employed... tonnes of ideas

so if want, do.

[Industrialpowersart]

This coming issue will be a wonder to behold because of my most recent EUREKA! moment which actually came as a result of my writer buying my supplies for me. He didn't know exactly what to get, so got me a Pitt manga marker set and a bunch of greyscale watercolor pencils. PITT pens are waterproof. . . the possibilities are freaking ENDLESS! In trying to figure out how to make these things do what I previously was doing, I failed, and came up with something better.

Anyway, that's the thing about new materials. You're never afraid to experiement because if you screw up you can blame it on your new stuff and not your skill level. It's very freeing.