The essence of drawing is the line exploring space.
- Andy Goldsworthy
Anything can be any color at any time depending on what color everything else is at the time.
- Keith Crown
 

 

Friday, February 17, 2012

The Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies

Posted by Charley Parker at 10:10 am

The Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies
Bittersweet nostalgia; and/or my attic and basement…

[Via Dave Gibbons]

    Posted in: Tools and Techniques   |   27 Comments »

    27 comments for The Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies »

    RSS feed for comments on this post.

    1. Comment by Bill Carman
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 10:21 am

      Oh man you did it. I remember. . . You know that Bestine oil can thing was one of my most valuable tools. Cleaned up the wax.

    2. Comment by Daryl Boman
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 11:26 am

      Hey! I still use those tech pens but, in a post -modernist style. Great old tools!

    3. Comment by David Wilson
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 11:33 am

      Now wait a minute, I’m only 30 and I know what everything is AND I’ve used it all at one time or another. Am I a fuddy-duddy?

      There is a lot of craft being lost as these tools go “out of fashion”. That’s not to say that there aren’t huge benefits and additional capabilities that are inherent in the digital tools we add to the arsenal.

      Oh, and don’t forget Ruby Lith transfer sheets.

    4. Comment by deb
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 12:44 pm

      oh baby, what I used to imagine I would do to be able afford both sets of DrPhMartin colors back in art school…

    5. Comment by Pat
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 1:36 pm

      I used that same pencil sharpener last night, and much of that other stuff I use fairly often. I love well made things, tools, art supplies, home items.

    6. Comment by ALMI Art
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 1:57 pm

      David, You’re not a fuddy-duddy, unless I am. I’m only 25 and I know all of them. Traditional mediums are so much fun – I don’t think I will ever fully convert to digital.

    7. Comment by Rownd
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 3:06 pm

      LOL!!

    8. Comment by Nanina
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 3:25 pm

      Surely people still use these tools?!! I do, though the refillable technical pen deserves to be forgotten. Mine were hurled against the wall at every outing.

    9. Comment by Rownd
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 3:58 pm

      This was my best friend back in the day.

      http://www.forgottenartsupplies.com/?what=artifacts&image_id=64&cat=52

    10. Comment by Lou Brooks
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 4:00 pm

      Charley…
      Thanks from the bottom of my Best-Test Cement-clogged heart for featuring the Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies! Much appreciated. And thanks to all of you who commented. The Museum seems to hit a nerve in many of us, regardless of age. I had not much in mind when I started it as a little side gallery when I was blogging on Drawger.com. But as it kept gaining speed, I realized that beyond just art supplies, the Museum seems to represent some sort of threshold where technology transformed us all.

      Please feel free to drop by the joint as often as you like, day or night… there’s always something new to see!

      Yours Lou-ly,

      Lou Brooks
      Museum Founder, Curator & Night Watchman

    11. Comment by Melissa B. Tubbs
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 4:33 pm

      I’ve used everyone of these. Some of them still. I think all students should learn to do things by “hand” in case the power goes off when there is a critical deadline :-)

    12. Comment by Brian Harrison
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 4:37 pm

      Yeh, and Cow Gum, who could forget it !!
      Actually, the issue with the traditional media, for me, was quickly
      disappearing supplies, and a reduction in quality. I was an airbrush illustrator for some twenty five years, but I had an increasingly difficult time obtaining high quality smooth board, and parts for a range of airbrush. Many suppliers were faced with having to commit to two container loads, which, in New Zealand would be almost impossible to sell !
      With initial reluctance, I bought a Mac, plus the relevant software, and have not looked back – but this post has certainly jogged a few warm memories
      Letraset – I still have a draw full :)

    13. Comment by Dave Dubé
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 4:44 pm

      Almost ALL.OF.THEM. In my studio. I still use them, but for that rubber cement. I’ve never used it.

    14. Comment by rObfOs
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 5:25 pm

      I am so jealous of Brian – all that letraset – I still have the huge 1980′s catalogue with its beautiful spiral bound bright yellow cover (and lots of little asterisk dotted throughout on favourite alphabets) – but alas no letraset.

    15. Comment by Dave
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 7:43 pm

      That’s funny – I still use everything shown here except the Letraset and rapidograph nibs, and I still have those! Damn, am I that antiquated?

    16. Comment by Dave
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 7:51 pm

      And, my Dr. Martin bottles (additions to that set shown) still have the price stickers on them – $1.17 for #14A black from Pearl Paint on Canal Street, and $1.79 for 28b Sepia, from Utrecht. What are they now, around $6 or $7, right?

    17. Comment by David J. Teter
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 8:00 pm

      I still have or have had all but 1 from the pics here.
      I still use the ellipse guides every so often, same with the ink pen nibs and the set with the ruling pen.
      Had a rapidograph pen used it once didn’t clean it out good enough…
      great memories

    18. Comment by w.j. richards
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 8:23 pm

      I always hated technical pens anyway. You’re missing a haberule to do your type spec. ; )

    19. Comment by Brian Harrison
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 8:33 pm

      Yeh,
      I got one of those ! In Fact my steel Type Rule, 5, 6,8,10 and 12 Point size on it is one of my prized possessions, although I used it solely for painting curves with a brush !
      Mentioning brushes, the best brushes I always used were Windsor and Newton Series 3a, elegant long fine sables that kept their point until they just wore out ! A sad day when I could no longer buy them !

    20. Comment by Nancy Ewart
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 10:06 pm

      I went looking in the back of one of my drawers and sure enough – found a huge package of unopened Letraset alphabets. I still have a lot of those items and use them. But you’ve left off one item – the hot wax heater. When I was in the business back in the 60′s, we laid down type and images with wax. I still get nostalgic for the “smell” of it as it represents the newspaper business as it used to be. Fabulous post which I shared on FB

    21. Comment by Charley Parker
      Friday, February 17, 2012 @ 10:17 pm

      You’ll find waxers and glues here: http://www.forgottenartsupplies.com/?what=artifacts&cat=53

    22. Comment by Deb Guidot
      Saturday, February 18, 2012 @ 9:16 am

      I not only remember having all those things, I still have letraset laying around from ages past. I had no idea it had been there for so long!

    23. Comment by Don O'Shea
      Saturday, February 18, 2012 @ 5:02 pm

      Speedball pens! I bought a whole assortment as a kid.

      Despite the fact that I taught physics until I retired and fussed over my textbook covers and figures, it never occurred to me until I saw this assortment of art supplies how early I was concerned about graphic design.

    24. Comment by Tracey
      Tuesday, February 21, 2012 @ 10:11 am

      I still have letraset sheets, can’t bring myself to throw them out!

    25. Comment by Diana (DiDi) Martin
      Saturday, February 25, 2012 @ 12:45 pm

      Back in the 70′s, I worked at Aladdin designing lunchboxes. Your Museum brings back such crazy memories .. a room-sized camera system, 17 stages/
      steps to final production (including trips to Chicago to check color mixes), and so – SO – many of the tools you’ve shown. I haven’t yet perused (spelling?) everything on this site but I am looking forward to it.

    26. Comment by Kate Higgins
      Tuesday, February 28, 2012 @ 10:05 pm

      I remember all of those things and still have some. But you left out line tape and Higgins ink and that stupid sandpaper block for ‘sharpening’ conte sticks and a waxer for sticking stuff down. And…oh, I guess I’m dating myself, never mind…

    27. Comment by Angela T
      Thursday, April 12, 2012 @ 9:28 am

      OMG I have 10 of these. Preparing to move, I have been sifting through the decades, box by box. (and the letraset still works!)

      if anyone knows how to get the ink out of clogged technical pen shafts (that have had a long time to dry) I would really appreciate knowing. Thank you.

    Leave a comment

    (required)

    (required but not published)

     
    Display Ads on Lines and Colors (1st tier): $25/week or $75/month.

    Please note that display ads for lines and colors are limited to arts related topics and may not be animated.
    Display Ads on Lines and Colors (2nd tier): $20/week or $65/month.

    Please note that display ads for lines and colors are limited to arts related topics and may not be animated.




    Donate Life

    The Gift of a Lifetime