In our second art tutorial, JKR explains some of the gear that will help you on your way to greatness, with a touch of classic Cubetoons humor along the way. An amusing read even if you aren't on the path of the arist.

 As an artist, you will probably find two things to be true:

1) You spend all your money on insanely expensive gear to help you be a better artist.
2) You have no money.

Lucky for you, artists can technically succeed with nothing more than a pencil, some scraps of paper, and a heart full of persistence. Only, that way will be like trying to tear down a building with a spoon.

Yes, it works, but as an artist you'll want to make things as easy on yourself as possible.

Let's be realistic. If you're an artist, you're probably pretty lazy. There is only one type of person lazier than an average artist, and that is a traditional game store owner. (Open at noon, close at four, and talk about Dungeons and Dragons all day? Why didn't I pick that as a career?!) So instead of taking the nearly impossible route, start out by equipping yourself with a few useful tools.

The first thing you'll need is a pencil. That will let you write down all the other things you need. Paper helps too. Unless you want to write on your pants or something. Paper and pencil are a great place to start with any project that you're doing. You can get all your initial thoughts down quickly so that you don't lose any of those amazing ideas. (I know! How about a comic about video games? Genius!)
Now, aside from your standard pencil, you can find all sorts of other, better, more magical pencils out there. A small set with different weights are nice, and a non-photo blue pencil is within my own personal reach at all times. These puppies don't show up on copiers so you can ink right over them and not worry about rough lines.
Paper comes in so many varieties that mentioning them all would probably take up the whole internet. So rather than break the web, I'll just point out a few: Copier/printer paper is great for everyday work, roughs, and even some finished projects. Every Cubetoons comic is done on this standard paper. Good stuff. Bristol board is amazing if you've got some cash to spend and you want something with a little thickness and quality. If I had a million dollars, I'd use Bristol board all the time. Vellum is the rich man's tracing paper. Great stuff but expensive.

Now aside from the essentials, you can go crazy with other useful items that increase your productivity. For a complete listing, go to a local art store and stare at the walls of crap. (And even that is far from complete. People are always coming up with new ways to get artist's money.)
Here are a few tools I find particularly useful, should you want a few suggestions:

• A plastic right triangle (doubles as a straight edge!)
• Sharpies (in several thicknesses)
• A ruler (in case you actually want to use numbers)
• A drawing table (though I use the back of a Bristol Board pad)
• Kneaded erasers. Erasers that never go bad.
• A computer (with art-type programs)
• A scanner for computer mentioned above
• A tablet (the electronic kind for you computer)

Once you've got something to draw with, and something to draw on, you're ready to take a nap. I mean- actually start drawing. Right. No naps. You can nap once you've made your first million dollars. (And sent me half, of course.)