Question about supplies and storage

**Justin32** · 05-29-2007, 04:27 PM

Stuart!

I have an off the wall question.
I want to pick up a portfolio book, similar to the ones you and many of the other artist's use to carry their various prints and original artwork. My question is that I have no clue where to go to pick one up or rough prices. Any chance you can point me in a good direction? I'm running out of room to store things and I want to get the book so that I can keep purchasing more prints!

**Stuart Sayger** · 05-29-2007, 11:11 PM

Great questions... with many correct answers. The real question here is just how much do you want to spend. I use a portfolio alot and they tend to wear out so I've always looked for an inexpensive product that is still decent in quality. For me the best "bang for your buck" comes from the ITOYA "profolios".. ( it's the type of portfolio that I have with me at conventions) 11x17 ITOYA portfolios will cost you around 20.00-25.00 and usually have 24 pages ( 48 if you count both sides ). They have plastic bodies, not leather. no zipper and no handles... but they do a great job protecting prints and original art and are easily to look through like a book. Because they dont' have handles or zippers you can also store them upright like a book with is nice if you have more then one.
I believe that the ITOYA portfolios make some sort of acid fee claim but i've never worried to much about the PH of a protfolio. the inks and paints that we use are all acidic and even paper that is said to be "acid free" is often only buffered to be acid free on the surface. The best thing you can do to protect you art is to keep it out of the light someplace that is not too hot, and not to dry or damp.. that's it.. All paper is going to age, the best you can do is minimize the rate at which it happens!

Hope that helps.. those are my two cents, if anyone want to add to this or has a particular portfolio that they like I've love to read about it myself!

s t u a r t
s a y g e r

**Bobby Esc** · 06-01-2007, 01:15 PM

All the paper I've played around with seems to soak up ink like a sponge, and it's almost impossible to spread any around. Is there a certain kind of paper you use that gives you a second to do that with your fingers?

**babydave** · 06-02-2007, 11:54 PM

I recently bought 2 Prat Start 2 Presentation cases (leather-ish with zippers). I'm not going to carry them around except when moving so they're only for show. I bought an 11x17 for the common print size and smaller along with an 18x24 for the bigger stuff which I kinda bought to house the large Shiver in the Dark print but it didn't fit. The 18x24 is almost full because I found ways to fit stuff in and I had some posters and a few larger than 11x17 prints as well. Itoya is the best value, but if you want something nice and aren't worried about wear and tear, the Prat stuff is cool.

I spent over 150 total with shipping but this also included a pack of additional 11x17 sleeves because I plan to buy more prints of that size. I used www.adorama.com.

Good luck.

**Stuart Sayger** · 06-05-2007, 10:05 PM

I was talking about paper with artist Paul Smith this last weekend and he was telling me about some paper that he was given by DC comics to draw I think a Batman annual on ( This work was done years and years ago ) he complained that the paper was "too thrusty" and that it just sucked ink right up .. he said that he's always used the strathmore 500 series to avoid such a situation.. I have to say from my experience the DC paper does suck the ink right up regarless of weather or not you are using the smooth or rough surface.. the rough surface really gobbles up the ink and frankly, i like.. I do use A LOT OF INK.. I mean I really go through the stuff and a thursty page never bothered me, frankly I like the added texture... Though i seem to be one of the few guys that prefers the rough stuff to the hard plate finished paper.... Everyone has what they like best , and obviously it's up to you to find what works for you. I seem to recall that Chris Moreno said that he liked bein fang paper for inking... ( Don't hold me to that though, I dont' want to put words in his mouth)... As a good rule of thum if you want to really have your ink stand on the board, and not soak into it then plate finish is the way to go... hold it up to the light and find the paper with the least testure and the least visable grain and just give it a try.

**Bobby Esc** · 06-06-2007, 09:02 PM

Okay, cool. I love Strathmore Bristol Vellum for penciling, and the Smooth seems nice for inking, but both of them act rather "thursty" for me. Perhaps I'm just not using enough ink, although the stains on my fingers and the overpowering scent of Sharpies hanging in the air of my room would indicate otherwise. I'll just keep playing around with it. Thanks, Stuart.

**Stuart Sayger** · 06-07-2007, 03:52 PM

You know one thing to consider about strathmore ( and other papers )is how the are marketed/ sold... I know that alot of comic book people draw almost exclusivly on some sort of illustration board/ bristol board... But my guess is that the majority of people buying this paper are not comic book people, and probably don't work in ink... The cover for the pads of paper say that the paper is good for use with ink, but I swear that the image on the front of just about any bristol pad shows someone drawing with pencil or pastels.. etc.. I suspect that the vast majority of this type of paper sold never has ink put on it... The "thursty" problems we might have are almost an after thought when this paper is designed...

Could it be..?

**Stuart Sayger** · 06-07-2007, 03:52 PM

You know one thing to consider about strathmore ( and other papers )is how the are marketed/ sold... I know that alot of comic book people draw almost exclusivly on some sort of illustration board/ bristol board... But my guess is that the majority of people buying this paper are not comic book people, and probably don't work in ink... The cover for the pads of paper say that the paper is good for use with ink, but I swear that the image on the front of just about any bristol pad shows someone drawing with pencil or pastels.. etc.. I suspect that the vast majority of this type of paper sold never has ink put on it... The "thursty" problems we might have are almost an after thought when this paper is designed...

Could it be..?