Aw crap.

[maui]

Having some technical difficulties at the moment. I have a dead and/or dying mouse, and my graphics card went belly-up yesterday. So until I can get those issues resolved I won't really be online much. I should be able to hop on briefly a couple of times a week, but it won't be much in the grand scheme of things

Comments

[kyhwana]

Doh! Was that Gwyns old machine that I setup for you?
Well, it lasted 2 years right? Not TOO bad..
It was an old AGP card, so you should be able to find one. Heck, assuming they didn't throw it all out when they moved, Matt and Andy should have one still..

[maui]

Yep, same box. It's lasted and performed really well. Actually, I think this computer has had the least amount of problems and issues of any box I've ever had, except my Mac laptop... Hrm. XD

[kyhwana]

Interesting!

[ixwkir]

This may sound weird, but try a Goodwill or equivalent thrift store! Most I've been to have 'electronics' hiding somewhere in back, including piles of old computer cables and monitors and such. I don't doubt you'd be able to find a cheap mouse if you went looking. :)

[ixwkir]

Oops, and I totally missed the part about illo board. I usually get cold press, hot press seems to have a sort of 'shine' to it while cold press is grainier... though if you're looking to step up from sketch paper to do small things (under 9x12), you might just get some vellum bristol. It's cheaper than illo board, more portable, is easier to erase pencil off of (I HATE this about illo board, it tends to hang onto sketch marks no matter how much erasing I do) and (IMHO) takes ink and paint better.

I really like the way acrylics lay down on bristol, even though they do warp the paper (especially if you use them really wet). But I found it easy enough to mist the back with a spray bottle and flatten it out after the fact under a stack of phone books. X) Ghetto, maybe, but it works for me! I reserve illo board for larger and/or more complicated things (ie, in need of more layering and mashing of paint).

[keovi]

I may be able to help out. What kind of graphics card do you need? Is a USB-Wireless mouse okay? If I can find mine, it's all yours.

[turbinerocks]

I use d alot of illustration board back when i worked in real media, eventually I moved to just gessoing board, but I painted directly on coldpress board when I was in college.

Are you using watercolors? Gouache? Acrylics?

[turbinerocks]

Watercolor-consistency acrylics, mostly, though once I am making the fat stacks again I want to start playing with gouache.

[boatswain]

I used illustration board throughout college. I use it for final pieces to show clients. They're firm, durable and easy to mount and scan.

My tips: Use cold press for watercolor, acrylic, gouache, or any dry media.

Use hot press when you need a fine detail with minimal bleeding usually inks, lettering in gouache, airbrush and dry brushing etc. I'll use it for my logo designs, technical drawings

Money saving stuff:
Go with 3ply when doing heavy washes to minimize warping
Use 2ply for anything else. It's just cheaper.
Buy big and cut down

Alternatives:
Masonite and gesso.
I'll gesso pieces of cardboard (cereal boxes work well) to workout techniques without wasting a fresh canvas.

[maui]

Gesso is something I have yet to acquire. :> But I have heard good things about masonite. I think it'd work well with how I tend to paint from looking at it, but it could in reality behave entirely different than I think it might. :D