The Drawing Club

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86 The Drawing Club

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What kind of materials do you use and why?

Hong Kong Cinema, markers on paper, Paul Briggs

Pris from Blade Runner, watercolor on paper, Ernie Marjoram

To avoid becoming dependent on a particular medium, I

try to sketch with a variety of media—in pen, pencil, pastel,

watercolor, and acrylics. My favorite combination for figure

drawing is soft charcoal pencils on 80 lb drawing paper. The

soft charcoal blends easily and can achieve really solid dark

values but can be erased to bring values under control or

create highlights. I sometimes draw with the eraser.

Charcoal on newsprint has a great tactile feel, but the

newsprint is not archival, so I use drawing paper, even for

warm-up sketches. You never know when a two-minute

gesture drawing will nail the pose and merit development

into a more advanced drawing.

—Ernie Marjoram, storyboard artist

I use a variety of colored markers that have a tendency to

bleed while I’m working (and they usually have a powerful

marker smell, unfortunately for anyone working around

me.) I like to block out the pose using these big markers. It

allows me to focus on the line of action and planning of the

storytelling.

After blocking, I always draw with the same tool. I like to

use a bold Sharpie on which I use my pocketknife to cut a

chisel tip into the nib.

I started working this way a long time ago. The Sharpie

forces you to make big, bold marks that you know are going

to be ugly, so you go with it. It doesn’t allow you to get too

caught up with details. The best is when the pen starts to

die—you get great texture!

I like to draw on story pads, which are pads of paper cut

into a specific film ration. They get me thinking in story and

film language.

—Paul Briggs, story supervisor, Frozen, Walt Disney

Feature Animation

Cezanne, charcoal pencil and white chalk on peper, Ernie Marjoram

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Chapter 6: Materials

Materials matter a lot to me. I like trying new materials or

changing up the way I use them. Most of the drawings I do

are some combination of media. I most often use a soft litho

pencil—it has a lovely feel against the paper, makes a nice

bold mark, and softens a bit with watercolor. I use watercolor

and gouache because I tend to think in terms of shapes and

values—and like to add the emotional component of color.

—Virginia Hein, toy designer and art instructor

I like ebony pencil and a kneaded eraser when I’m taking my

time. I’ll rough things in pretty loosely, then rub it down with

the eraser, almost to the white of the paper, and then refine

it. I’ll build it up and rub it down several times. It’s a very

sculptural process that lets me get detailed while keeping the

initial energy.

—Michael Greenholt, freelance artist who’s worked for Disneytoon

Studios and on the comic book series, Alcatraz High.

I like to use Japanese calligraphy pens because they allow

for a variety of line weights. A light touch can produce a thin,

delicate line, while a heavy hand yields a dramatic thick mark.

Materials are very important because they can provide a

specific aesthetic, depending on the artist’s intent.

—Stacey Aoyama, lead designer, Disney Consumer Products

Uncle Creepy, colored pencil on paper,

Stacey Aoyama

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