What's your angle?

[Tim Mallos]

OK, all you art school types. What is the prescribed angle for your drawing board. I know, this is another personal preference thing, but is there a guideline?

Thanks!

Tim (Not an art school type)

[gazorenzoku]

I wish I had a table at an angle! Mine is flat. 100% flat. I am thinking about getting a new table at an angle when I move into a new apartment next month... my back is really starting to hurt with all the hunching over I do.

Yeah, I went to art school. What good did it do me? Well, I do have a degree... and I got hit on the head once or twice with the roll call folder by my painting teacher... No, seriously, I loved it. Art school, that is, not the getting hit on the head.

[Tim Mallos]

So, greater than zero.

Sorry about your hunch.
I can relate to feeling stoop-ed.
The whole quasi Quasi Moto thing is a pain.

Sorry. Long work day.

I've seen some decent tables for under a hundered.
(http://www.dickblick.com/zz501/01/produ ... ig_id=2980) I mean, looks decent...

I acquired a light table that I can adjust the angle of the top on. I can probably go to 50 or 60 degrees off flat. Currently, I'm at about 15, but it seems like I'm bending over too much. It's a pain to adjust, so I thought I'd ask before the ol' trial and error.

Tim

[gazorenzoku]

Hope some people write in with advice. If I get a new table when I move, it will be my first time with one, so I'd also like to know what other people are setting theirs at.

I lowered my chair and that helped the back thing out a lot, though.

[Rip Tanion]

I'd say the steepeer the angle the better. My current drawing table, which I've owned for years, has a maximum angle less than 45?, and I find it isn't enough. One of the these days, I'd like to get a board that's a bit steeper.

Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference, as well as how tall you are, and how long your arms are. You've got to find the angle that's most comfortable for you. You don't want to get a backache, or have to stand up to reach the top of the artwork (if you are working big). A good, comfortable chair, which is high enough for you, is important, too.

I would avoid buying a drawing table site unseen. Go to the store, and demand to sit in it, and get a feel for it, before you actually go and buy it.

[gazorenzoku]

Go to the store, and demand to sit in it, and get a feel for it, before you actually go and buy it.

That's really good advice... and something I didn't think about.

[Tim Mallos]

So, Rip, do you hold your paper up with one hand and draw with the other? Seriously.

Do you tape down your page?

I am so ignorant in the ways of the comics Jedi.

Tim

[gazorenzoku]

Hey, I don't know if this is the best / correct way or not, but since I am online I'll just shoot my mouth off anyhow.

There is drafting tape that you can buy to adhere paper onto surfaces. It is a relatively weak tape, so when you peel it off, it doesn't tear the paper. Theoretically, at least. Sometimes it does, so you have to be careful.

Every commercial arts type class I have ever attended uses this tape...

[Eric F Myers]

I used to have a drafting table and drew at a 45? angle at all times. Then we moved to a small apartment, I had to get rid of some furniture and sadly the table went . Now we're back into a bigger apartment and the desk that I'm using doesn't tilt. The advantage is that I don't need a third hand to hold the T-square, triangle and pencil all at one time. I also have a convenient spot to put the ink bottle (right on the table where I'm working at) and not on a table next to me or in my lap .

About tape. I use that blue plastic masking tape that they sell by the house paint supplies. It sticks but also comes off easily.

[gazorenzoku]

The advantage is that I don't need a third hand to hold the T-square, triangle and pencil all at one time. I also have a convenient spot to put the ink bottle (right on the table where I'm working at) and not on a table next to me or in my lap

I have been taking that for granted. Having everything all on one table is great. I love it.

Actually, I realized that I actually am working at an angle. I work on a light table that I bought which is tilted at a slight angle. Very slight, but still an angle. It makes working a little easier.

[Rip Tanion]

Gazo is right-on with the drafting tape. However, some brands tend to be too week, and disloge when you don't want them to. A lot of times, I'll just use plain masking tape, and use paper that's big enough so that I'll have large white gutters around the artwork. I don't have to worry about ruining the actual artwok when I pull the tape off. If the paper is so big that it makes scanning a pain, I can always trim off the gutters, or fold them back. I never tried Efm's blue tape, but now I might have too.

If you're worried about paper sliding off the table, make sure you got a "lip" at the bottom. That will keep things from falling on your lap. Of course, my board is so rough and grimey, from all the years, that paper just usually sticks to it.

As for T-Squares and triangles, one of these days I'd like to get one of those tables with the built in T-square.

[Surlyben]

My table is flat. I could adjust it to be at an angle, but I hate the way things always roll off of it. Also having it at an angle prevents my watercolors from being messed up in the way I want them to be. I often draw on a board on my lap, anyway, and use the table only for the finished stuff.

As far as drafting tape goes, I can't stand the stuff. I use regular masking tape, which I then stick to a clean t-shirt and peel off. The lint that attaches makes it less sticky, but still stickier than drafting tape...

[gazorenzoku]

Gazo is right-on with the drafting tape.

Hey! I'm "right on" about something! Whaddayaknow?

---

Ok, Tim, I have given the matter a lot of thought the past few days, and here is the conclusion I arrived at:

A slim tilt is the best (for me). Why? The main reason is that I love to move my paper around as I work on it. Well, actually, more than that, I MUST move my paper around to get some of the lines just right. Otherwise, they go from being brilliantly genius to worse than the insides of a rotten fish. It's that important. I'm willing to go so far as to say that with my current drawing style, if I had to give up moving and spining the paper around while drawing, I'd almost have to think about maybe giving up drawing. Well, I could change my style... but it would be a BIG DEAL if I had to tape my paper down to a surface.

The only time I ever even use tape is to tape one sheet of paper over another on the occasions when I use the light table to trace stuff.

If you increase the tilt, you are going to have to tape stuff down. Which might be fine for you....

[Tim Mallos]

Hey gang.

I settled on something like 30 degrees for a while. I'll see how it goes. I am using the mildly-tacky artist's tape.

One plus of the tilt, I have room to work. The drawing table is in my office and I would pile junk on the big flat surface because it was available. Now, I'm set to go when the mood strikes.

I have a drawer on the right that I can pull out to hold my coffee cup, triangle, etc.

I have another plastic set of organizer drawers within reach on my left that can hold things in the drawers and on top.

Still trying to get the hang of the angle, but I think I'm generally positve so far.



Tim

[Rip Tanion]

That's a nice looking table, Tim. Is that as steep as it goes, or can you adjust it to give a steeper angle? I like the idea of the draw. I'm a disorganized slob who's always misplacing my stuff.

My dream table is one that has a remote control angle adjustment (from 0? - 90?), as well as a remote control chair.

[Tim Mallos]

I think it can go nearly vertical, although the top is so heavy, I'd be afraid of it tipping forward after a point.

It is a really nice table (and light table). I need to keep working on my art to be worthy of it. I see these masterworks being produced and then you see the person's studio and they are drawing on a stack of milk crates and an old storm window.

Target and stores like that are always having sales on the plastic drawer tower things. It's come in really handy (you can see the top of it in the foreground in the photo above)

The one drawer on the table is handy, like I said, for a coffee holder etc.
Matt Feazel ( http://members.aol.com/cynicalman/ ) Has a little box affixed to his table. I guess once I settled on an angle I could rig a flat surface for part of the top, just to set things down on.

The angle absolutely feels better to draw at than on the flat.

Tim

[Rip Tanion]

A light table, too? Cool!

If you don't mind me asking, Tim, how much did something like that thing run you? I'd like to replace my old piece o'junk table in the near furture, but I have to keep an eye on my pennies.

[Tim Mallos]

I lucked into it third hand, but did a little poking around and a comparable one is quite pricey. I think it is really intended as a light table for a photographer / someone looking at slides etc.

Tim

[William G]

Depending upon where I'm living and the quality of the surface, I eaither use the kitchen table or the floor.