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Setting Up Your Studio

The setup of your studio or workspace is essential to your comfort and health, but for the beginner this task need not be expensive or time-consuming. There are just a few basic points to remember.

Commercially made drawing boards are quite expensive, but a sheet of plywood or MDF, about ¼” (5mm) thick with the edges sanded smooth, makes a good substitute. This can be propped up at an angle against a table and rested on your knee. The angle will depend on how comfortable it is for you and on the work you are doing. Diagrams (A) and (B) show ways of maintaining the board angle.

Pad your board with several sheets of blotting paper or newspaper under a sheet of drawing paper, secured with masking tape. This will give a more responsive base than the hard board.

You will need a guard sheet of clean, plain paper taped over the bottom half of the board to protect your work from greasy hands and spills. It keeps the work in place, but allows you to move it easily as necessary.

Slit a cardboard tube lengthwise and slip it over the edge of the board to prevent large sheets of paper from getting creased. Secure with masking tape.

Board angle and penshaft angle should work together for best ink flow. Experiment to find what works best for you.

are you sitting comfortably?

Set your board up in an area with good light to avoid eye strain. Daylight is best, with a north-facing window giving the most even light. If this is not possible, use an adjustable anglepoise (balanced arm) lamp with a bulb that imitates daylight. Light should come from the left if you are right-handed and vice versa for left-handers. Aim to avoid shadows over the working area, which is important when you are mixing and matching colors.

Make sure the table is large enough to give you room on either side of the board to lay out your pens and other materials.

The chair should support your back and help to keep you sitting up straight. At all costs resist the temptation to lean forward as you work, as this will soon cause back and neck pains. A height-adjustable chair is the ideal solution.