Drawing Table Unpacked

 

Ahhhh! It will never again be as clean and tidy as it is right now! I cherish this moment! On the desktop are my current first-tier colored pencils (Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelles, Prismacolors and Supracolors), brush pens, brushes, graphite pencils, other pencils, ballpoint pens. All those pots might look full, but I culled each one and filled a large baggie with duplicates, rejects or just meh items that will go to the next gab & grab or charity. The wood holders contain more graphite pencils and related tools and two fountain pens. An electric AFMAT sharpener on the left and Carl Angel Royal crank sharpener on the right.

Two weeks after the move, my drawing table is finally unpacked! A lot of general busy-ness kept me from unpacking as quickly as I wanted, but much to my relief, at least this primary point in my studio/office is done. (I’m still working on organizing and storing my supplies; stay tuned!)

My new drawing table (previously Greg’s PC desk; see above) is quite a bit larger than my old one (see end of post for photo) and also has nice drawers for storage. Since it’s intended for computer use, the table has a pull-out keyboard drawer to tuck away my tablet, pencil “valet” and current project when not in use. It probably looks jam-packed, but compared to my old table, it has a huge unoccupied space! My old table started out that way a decade ago, but somehow things kept creeping in – both on top and underneath – to the point of being out of control. I’m sure the desktop contents will evolve as I use different media, but I am going to do whatever I can to keep it from getting overcrowded again! (More details in the photo cutlines.)

The pull-out keyboard drawer holds my pencil "valet," tablet and current project (in this case, my class homework).

I just finished my final class assignments at my new drawing table! See below for setup.

The tablet is propped up on a box of colored pencils (see below) to bring the image closer to my eye level. The sketchbook is supported by the pencil case (not visible) and the edge of the tablet, which gives it just the right angle for drawing.

In the top drawer are second-tier Faber-Castell Polychromos pencils, a few watercolor supplies, Caran d'Ache palette and a box of blending stumps (too many... I need to cull those).

Second drawer contains second-tier Derwent Lightfast and Caran d'Ache Luminance colored pencils, Neocolor I and II, and a few other pencils I use occasionally. (The largest, lowest drawer is, sadly, filled with file folders, not art supplies. This is an office as well as a studio.)

This side view shows my current sketchbooks in progress, mostly for desk-based work. My sketchbooks in use for urban sketching are stored elsewhere (you'll see them eventually).

BEFORE: My train wreck of a drawing table shortly before I packed it up for the move! Note that the working space is very small because so much stuff is crammed onto the surface -- not to mention under the table! Hardly any room for my feet on the footrest!