Derek writes in,

I am very new to drawing and wondered if there are any pens that you would recommend…

I don’t recommend any particular drawing tools, because I think tools are very personal and idiosyncratic–I mean, the tools that work for one artist might not work for another. One of my artist friends won’t draw with anything more than a .5mm mechanical pencil. I, on the other hand, don’t like to draw with anything less bold than a 1mm gel pen.

Regardless, here’s a list of what I carry around in my bag:

• Miquelrius 300 page flexible notebook
  I can never decide on gridded vs. blank. Blank makes for prettier drawings, but gridded is great for taking notes.
• Pentel Pocket Brush Pen
• Sharpie Fine Point Marker
• Pilot G2 Gel Pen (1.0mm BOLD)
• 8-pack of Crayola crayons

The tools change, based on the occasion: when I go out with my wife to a movie or a concert, I carry a Sharpie or a gel pen and a stack of index cards.

Feel free to share your own favorite notebooks/drawing tools for Derek in the comments!