If you read my previous post you’ll know that I haven’t been able to draw for the past few weeks because of tendonitis, trigger thumb, and a strained ligament in my right hand.  It’s been tough, really tough, not to be able to just sit down and sketch something when I feel like it.  So I thought tonight I’d just talk about some of my new pencils, etc. and what I’ve learned about a better way to draw when I am able to get back at it.

My physical therapist told me that I need to change my routine a bit and that she will be giving me instructions on exercises for both before and after I work with my hands.  That will be after therapy.  In the mean time I am having three Iontophoresisc treatments a week as pictured below.  It is a way of introducing medication to my inflamed tendon without injections.

My therapist told me that I will need to either get larger pens and pencils or add these soft grips to the ones I am using in order to take some strain off my fingers.

I already had some larger barrel mechanical pencils that I enjoy using so they should work well. My Sakura Sumo Grip is my favorite.  I am partial to regular wood pencils when doing graphite drawings.  However, I always have my mechanical ones in my case  especially when traveling with no pencil sharpener.  Its also nice to be able to switch leads in them.  Pictured above are a few of my 2B leadsin different sizes.

My first love love is pen and ink!  I don’t know if I will be able to improve the grip of this pen, but I will not stop using it.  I don’t do much drawing with this particular one but I do sketch with it on occasion.  I use Sakura Microns, Copic drawing pens, and Staedtlers mostly for drawing.

I absolutely love my fountain pen for writing letters and journaling, though! This beautiful turquoise “Peacock” ink by Pilot is my favorite color.  (My favorite color for ink and everything else really.)  I have had several fountain pens over the years, but I always come back to my Lamy.  It is often called the beginner’s fountain pen, it’s the least expensive at $35, but it has the fine nib and I so enjoy writing with it.  This model, the Vista, is clear so I can easily see when I need to refill it.

The three pencils pictured here are Staedtler Rally that I got last week.  I love how smooth and dark they write for an HB yet they don’t smear like a softer lead.  I look forward to using them soon.

So that’s what I’ve been up to since I can’t draw…looking at and photographing pencils and pens!