It’s been awhile since we did a ‘Tools of the trade’ post where we introduced you to some of the more unique tools in our creative arsenal. I have been doing a lot a of lettering per one of 365 projects, I have also just finished watching a slew of lettering videos Bryn at Paperfinger recently launched a 3 part series, Molly Jacques has one I highly recommend (she has an easy/breezy teaching style), and Melissa Esplin was one of the pioneers in the class movement and I would be remiss if I didn’t give her a mention! One of the tools that kept coming up for the lettering artists was the light box for seeing guidelines under your cardstocks. A lightbox could come in handy for a a myriad of creative projects (if you needed to re-trace anything) so I think if it makes sense for the kind of projects you work on then it should be added the arsenal. I have one that is a lot older and compared to the newer versions is just a bulky mess. The new ones are sleek, super light, portable and relatively affordable (it seems my monstrosity was a fortune). Are you using a lightbox in any of your projects now? If so do you think it’s a valuable investment? I really want to add the Daylight Wafer Light Box to my studio. If you have a unique tool you use in your creative endeavors send us an email so we can feature it future installments, we love being introduced to new tools!
daylight wafer light box | artograph LED light lightpad series
P.S. I have been asked about supplies I use for lettering via Instagram, for convenience I thought I would just add this little post script with the link to some of my favorite supplies for beginners-here they are!
Love these tools of the trade posts!!
Thank you Theresa!
I recently bought the artograph and I loooooove it!!
I also loved these posts! Thank you. You are such an inspiration!
I just bought a nice new lightpad and was wondering how often various artists used them. Glad to see this post! I’m using mine for illustration work, but I’m glad to know it will come in handy for calligraphy too (my husband gifted me Melissa Esplin’s course for Christmas)! This is the one I got: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00J3NRAV2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1. A great deal at only $45! I love it so far!
That is a great deal! I love that it also has the rulers on it! A light pad is usually used on a per project basis ie.- envelopes, but I think it really depends on the artist and their needs. Thank you for the link!
Thank you Silvia for the encouragement! We have been a little behind in posts this month and hope to get back to a regular schedule soon!
I dabble in lettering every now and then, and so I found this Crayola alternative called “Crayola Music Light Up Tracing Pad” (http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00DZIXTES/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_dp_ss_1?pf_rd_p=1977604522&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B0084JUNXS&pf_rd_m=A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB&pf_rd_r=09ATHGDSZDMVYJA04QYR) which works decently for those who want to test out if investing in a proper light box is right for them :)
Nika, that’s a GREAT find, thanks for sharing!