1. From my previous career as a ray of sunshine I drew this in 2010 and had it made into postcards for zine-related correspondence and thank-you notes. When you make zines and comics about yourself, you can get away with putting a picture of yourself on almost any stationery item, and I should know, because I have done that for years. I made these postcards, and then I used them and mostly forgot about them until I found a small stack in the back of a box this morning while I was home sick and rummaging around in my studio.  I haven’t been feeling like a wielder of rays of sunshine lately, to the point that when I pulled this from the box I was all The heck? When did I draw this? like I was seeing someone I barely recognized from running into them at the supermarket or around the neighborhood once or twice—familiar, yet ultimately a stranger. That is a sad thing, to not recognize a drawing of yourself (granted, a couple of hairstyles ago), grinning wildly and holding a sunshine on a stick. Blame a sore throat, too much work, or general malaise, whatever: it’s a bummer. Being a little under the weather (pun… intended?), I’m not ready to commit to full-fledged sunshine-wielding at the moment, but it feels like a nice thing to aspire to in the coming months. I can see it becoming part of my summer wardrobe, like all the cotton dresses I’ve been pressing and hemming in the past few weeks. Come the next warmish day, I’ll be doling out sunbeams like crazy.

    From my previous career as a ray of sunshine

    I drew this in 2010 and had it made into postcards for zine-related correspondence and thank-you notes. When you make zines and comics about yourself, you can get away with putting a picture of yourself on almost any stationery item, and I should know, because I have done that for years. I made these postcards, and then I used them and mostly forgot about them until I found a small stack in the back of a box this morning while I was home sick and rummaging around in my studio. 

    I haven’t been feeling like a wielder of rays of sunshine lately, to the point that when I pulled this from the box I was all The heck? When did I draw this? like I was seeing someone I barely recognized from running into them at the supermarket or around the neighborhood once or twice—familiar, yet ultimately a stranger. That is a sad thing, to not recognize a drawing of yourself (granted, a couple of hairstyles ago), grinning wildly and holding a sunshine on a stick. Blame a sore throat, too much work, or general malaise, whatever: it’s a bummer.

    Being a little under the weather (pun… intended?), I’m not ready to commit to full-fledged sunshine-wielding at the moment, but it feels like a nice thing to aspire to in the coming months. I can see it becoming part of my summer wardrobe, like all the cotton dresses I’ve been pressing and hemming in the past few weeks. Come the next warmish day, I’ll be doling out sunbeams like crazy.


  2. What I use for comics-drawing: nothing too fancy here, everything obtained at my local Artist & Craftsman Supply Staedtler non-repro blue pencils for sketching Uniball Vision Fine for drawing/lettering (I buy these by the box from an office supply store since I go through them so quickly) Micron Pigma in 005 and 03 for detail/crosshatching, but I don’t actually like drawing with these, if that makes sense. There’s no give in the points. Dry and skritchy. Staedtler Pigment Liner in .1 is also nice for detail. Staedtler eraser thing, although let it be known that I hate erasing in general because it’s so MESSY. Eraser dust = worst. Just draw it over. Faber-Castell ginormous brush pen thing (I also use smaller versions of this) for filling in areas that I could probably do easier on the computer. Whatever. Clear ruler with all those grid lines Bleedproof paper for pens. I used to use Bristol board, but found that it was too bleedy. This is better. Not pictured: adhesive Ben Day dots (I get these wherever I can find them), x-acto knife, security envelopes. What materials do you use?

    What I use for comics-drawing: nothing too fancy here, everything obtained at my local Artist & Craftsman Supply

    • Staedtler non-repro blue pencils for sketching
    • Uniball Vision Fine for drawing/lettering (I buy these by the box from an office supply store since I go through them so quickly)
    • Micron Pigma in 005 and 03 for detail/crosshatching, but I don’t actually like drawing with these, if that makes sense. There’s no give in the points. Dry and skritchy.
    • Staedtler Pigment Liner in .1 is also nice for detail.
    • Staedtler eraser thing, although let it be known that I hate erasing in general because it’s so MESSY. Eraser dust = worst. Just draw it over.
    • Faber-Castell ginormous brush pen thing (I also use smaller versions of this) for filling in areas that I could probably do easier on the computer. Whatever.
    • Clear ruler with all those grid lines
    • Bleedproof paper for pens. I used to use Bristol board, but found that it was too bleedy. This is better.
    • Not pictured: adhesive Ben Day dots (I get these wherever I can find them), x-acto knife, security envelopes.

    What materials do you use?

  3. A recent project: illustrated the design for these bags for the first birthday of Cambridge, MA knitting/sewing shop Gather Here.

    A recent project: illustrated the design for these bags for the first birthday of Cambridge, MA knitting/sewing shop Gather Here.

  4. Craftland is a shop in Providence, RI that carries some of the craftier stuff I make. When they asked me to create instructions for a how-to project for a program to be given out at the launch of their holiday-season shop, I jumped at the chance. Here’s what I drew. I actually prefer the tan erasers for carving purposes, but the pink ones made a better illustration.

    Craftland is a shop in Providence, RI that carries some of the craftier stuff I make. When they asked me to create instructions for a how-to project for a program to be given out at the launch of their holiday-season shop, I jumped at the chance. Here’s what I drew.

    I actually prefer the tan erasers for carving purposes, but the pink ones made a better illustration.