New Filming and Art Equipment!

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I don’t know about you, but I always get excited when the mail comes.  Especially when there are packages with your name on them.  And now, with my room half-filled with empty boxes and packaging materials, I can show you some of my new supplies.

Logitech c920 Cameras

Logitech c920 Cameras

My priority was filming quality.  The video recording and lighting are important factors.  My phone was easy to film with, but the quality was definitely lacking.  I haven’t used the cameras much yet, but so far they seem great.  Using OBS I can change different settings to adjust the picture.  Plus, they will work for both YouTube and Twitch livestreaming.

 

For lighting, I bought the Lightblade 1500s.  Originally, I was planning on an Ottlite.  But the reviews on Amazon were so positive that I decided to give it a chance.

microphone box edited

Blue Microphones NESSIE Adaptive USB Condenser Microphone

I want to do voiceovers for the videos, so I bought the NESSIE Blue Microphone.  I’ve seen people on Twitch use them, and the Amazon reviews were also good.

Canon CanoScan LiDE220 Photo and Document Scanner

Canon CanoScan LiDE220 Photo and Document Scanner

Lastly, the scanner was another necessary purchase.  Previously I had only taken pictures of my artwork, but they’re nothing compared to the quality of a scanner.  Personally, I would have preferred a larger one, since I like doing bigger artworks.  This was the best I could get for my budget, as the other ones I looked at were about $2,000 and up.  Upon letting out a cry of shock and slight despair, I decided this $99 Canon scanner was the best option.  I’ll figure out what to do with big drawings when I need to.

 

Are filled with glee at the arrival of packages and equipment upgrades?

Sketchbooks and Shelving and Pens- Oh My!

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I recently went to a well-known artist haven: Michael’s.  Amidst the fragrant wood projects and fluffy brush bristles, one can’t help but be inspired.  Unless you return and see once again that they have no Copics in stock.  Sigh.  Much sadness.

The Haul Overall

The Haul Overall

Nevertheless, it was still fun.  I had gone with the mission of finding storage for pinback buttons and a shelving unit for 50% off.  It was a success!  The containers for buttons I actually found in the jewelry aisle, but they look like they’ll be a good size.

 

I picked up a few miscellaneous things as well.  I desperately needed new scissors, as the ones I had were bent and dull.  My mom was with me, and she picked out a nice portfolio for some of my larger drawings.  They had just been sitting in a pile on my desk collecting dust, so it’s nice to have a safe place for them.

gold-shadow-gelly-rolls

The Sakura Gelly Rolls were intriguing to the point where I felt I had to get them.  So far I’ve been pretty impressed with Gelly Rolls as a whole, especially given their fairly low price.  There are different types, and I believe these are the newest ones. They’re called Gold Shadow, and are described as “gold with color outline.”  I was curious to see how well they work (stay tuned for a review!)

 

The sketchbooks, oil pastels, highlighters, and clips were also somewhat impulse buys.  I’m pretty close to finishing my current Canson Mixed Media book, so I was already considering which one to get next.  These Artist’s Loft sketchbooks have the thinner paper I wanted, plus it’s about time I have some with nice covers.

old-vs-new-sketchbooks

The sketchbook on the left says “Imagination is more important than knowledge.   -Albert Einstein”

 

Michael’s was having a lot of back-to-school sales, so the candy highlighters and clips were super cheap (and cute).  The Artist’s Loft oil pastels were only $5 for 48 colors, plus an additional 20% off in sales.  I’ve been liking Artist Loft a lot lately.  Their products somewhat reflect their cheap prices, but it provides a way to test out a type of media without investing in a high-quality ‘artist’ brand.

 

What’s your favorite thing to look for in craft stores?