In 2016, in the days before toddlers, when it was only cats and dogs underfoot, I built a very fancy desk.
It is lightweight, made of balsa wood, with cabinet hardware hinges mounted on the sides, so it can be easily detached for a different angle, or swapped out for one of 2 others just like it. It has a shelf with a fancy angled book holder for reference, great lighting, a chair that had been locked at the perfect height for excellent working posture, and reference monitors everywhere. It is an ideal working arrangement for me. Not pictured is the cabinet I am standing over for the photo, which contains all of my rare and exotic tools. Everything is within arms reach by simply swiveling around. It is a wonder of engineering and DIY craftsmanship.
And since having kids, I have used this setup a total of 3 times.
Since having kids, I use my fancy desk only for livestreaming, (it does look fancy after all!) and never for actual work. The truth is that 99.99% of the drawing and painting I do, I do on a basic, regular old clipboard. I know that is not something anyone wants to hear, but it’s the truth. Everything has to be instantly mobile nowadays. Toddlers are always climbing on desks and pulling over lamps and trying to microwave the cat. You have to be quick, lightweight, and always moving. I dress like a ninja every day, eat only coffee and scraps I can steal, and keep all of my drawing tools rubber banded to a clipboard. I have gotten used to drawing at kitchen tables, drawing while sitting on the living room floor, drawing while standing, drawing while cooking, washing dishes, brushing toddlers teeth, and in the very best case scenario, drawing on my clipboard, which has been placed for a moment on top of my fancy drawing table.
Pictured above:
2 x Staedtler 925 05 (in HB and 2B) stored in leather sleeve
1 x Generals Layout Pencil
1 x Kimberlys 2H Pencil
1 x Mono Zero eraser
1 x Smudge Stick of unknown origin
Not Shown, but present:
1 x Small hand sharpener, firmly affixed to a wall, hidden in a hall closet.
1 x heavy duty cover sheet. (Danger is everywhere. Keep your drawing safe!)
5 x Cups Black Coffee
The Staedtler mechanical 925 pencils are essentially hypodermic needles with lead in them, so I keep them in a leather sleeve. (One learns these things quickly with toddlers.)
This setup didn’t happen all at once. There was a few years of spills, throw-ups, scares, slips, breaks, ambushes, house-fires, actual floods, shocks and near death experiences, before my fancy desk evolved into the magical mobile one shown here. The last disaster involved a robot floor cleaner, that found something horrible the dog had left in an unseen corner, and spread it across our entire house.
One has to be quick to survive in this world.
It took a while to realize that I actually didn’t need all my drawers full of gizmos and tools and exotic leads. I didn’t need all my monitors, or my lights, or my perfectly tuned chair. Like someone in a post-apocalyptic survival film, disaster after disaster helped me whittle my gear down to only the most essential, durable items. Ones that can be effectively maintained with nothing more than bailing wire and a bottle cap.
And weirdly, I have found that this new mobile drawing table actually made me, against all possible reason, a better artist. Since I began using it, I have gotten more done, and the work that I have done has been more in keeping with my own goals for my work.
I have done the same with a watercolor board as well, with a simple tray of watercolors command-hooked (velcro’d) to a similar clipboard, and a tiny vial for water. (I’ll try to share that in October.)
I’m not really sure what the lesson here is. Maybe it is that we never need as much as we think we do. Maybe it is that if you are dedicated to a dream, you will find a way to make it work, whatever the circumstances. Maybe it is that there is power in simplicity.
Whatever the lesson, I thought I’d share this bit of kit with you. I wish it was fancier, or that it had some clever hardware on it, like a steampunk swiveling magnifying lens, or that it folded out into an elaborate chair, but this is it.I hope it encourages you that you don’t need a perfect setup, or anything fancy to do good work.
Justin Gerard is an illustrator who has traveled the world in search of the perfect medium to paint in. He has not found it, but along the way he has met some fascinating people, seen some interesting places and had a chance to paint a lot of great subjects.
His work has been featured in Spectrum Fantastic Arts, Society of Illustrators and Expose. He enjoys good music, chocolate chip cookies and tank battles.
A perfect set up Justin, just needs one thing-a beer can holder! Also, possibly a remote holder as well so i can crank up the volume on the old spotify and drown out the barking dogs and wife screaming at me to take out the trash!
Cheers-
Marika Lord (Riona)
on September 8, 2020 at 8:33 am
I always love how you write your articles. It always got that joyful and playful tone that always bright up my day as I read it. I’m living in a 5 room appartements with our two teens and a cat. I have no room left for a workshop. Funny thing is, lately I was looking for all the loose time/downtime in my days so I can fill it with personal drawing. I couldn’t help myself but think of it as unprofessional (I guess it’s my old junior self who’s trying to prove itself by being extra) Yet, you shut her down this morning and I must thank you for that! Having a portative desk like yours will help me to do the extra creativity I’m looking for!
What is professional is getting the job done and unleash your creative dragon and go on an adventure with him! Let’s fly to a fantasy country and draw all we see!
Lesson learned: The most important thing is to create, the how is irrelevant as long a you do it!
I’ve found the same thing true for myself! I’ve been attaching my drawing paper to cardboard scraps with binder clips. It works great. It was weird to end up swapping my $45 table easel with a $1 one made from a small trifold board, but my workspace has never been more flexible.
Delightful and reassuring! I like all the clips and attachments, and must try that. In other years I’m usually travelling for a month or two, and have got my travelling studio down to fit into a rigid document box, and when I’m home I’ve never entirely been able to get out of the habit of working small, and feeling bad about it!
This is exactly what I needed to read today! Here I was, blaming my difficulty getting work done on the idea that my working area is too small/not ergonomic enough/uninspiring/too cramped/not professional-looking enough/etc. I’ve been fretting that I don’t have the space or money to set up a working space for myself that’s all fancy/professional/kitted out like the ones I see the professionals I admire showing off. But here you are getting things done in a much more chaotic, distracting environment than myself! And that is *much* more inspiring than seeing yet another depressingly fancy, perfect setup. You are my hero 😀
With COVID changing my day job environment, I’ve found myself working in my car just as much as I get to work at home. I have my sketchbook and streamlined toolset ready as soon as I have free time. I’m probably making some of my favorite work, with limited tools and short bursts of time to work. I can think out what I want to try to get done during the next break, while doing monotonous work tasks. That said, I’d love to see your plans for that fancy desk if you’re willing to share. At least the interchangeable part. I need to upgrade my work setup a bit. Thanks for the post!
It would be a good idea for a post! I had actually planned on doing a post about it after I made it. (I was very proud of my setup haha) Then I never really got to use to. I’d like to do a few heavy projects on it before writing out the post, just to make sure it is something I can fully recommend. But it would be fun to at least put up some plans for my “perfect” desk…
Have you seen James Gurney’s ‘mobile watercolor easel’ he’s posted about from time to time? It really is mobile, though it can be screwed down to a camera tripod it’s small enough that you really could hold it one handed if you use the size that’s geared to the small moleskin watercolor books.
Your post reminds me why I never reproduced though – I’m FAR too selfish
Yes! And it looks amazing. My watercolor palette is WAAAAAY less fancy. I’d love to upgrade mine to be more like that someday. He’s an inspiration for all of us!
So awesome. I too had to basically abandon my desk and computer / continue setup when my daughter started to get mobile. I actually just put a few boxes into storage and have donated a bunch of supplies, because I realized all I actually needed was about one drawers worth of physical materials, and my iPad. I’ve gotta handy at drawing while walking these days. Felt very unprofessional, but now I feel very validated.
Howdy Justin, Much as I like the mobile drawing table you came up with, I think it’s very cool that you made that “fancy desk.” Artists obviously have multiple skills. Also the chimera creature you drew above is amazing. Great work.
Sadly no haha! That is my favorite painting of the past half century. That one on the wall is a print, but I do have an original Petar drawing on the opposite wall of my studio. There are a couple of original Bonners and Omars up there though!
Sarah FinniganonConversations about PricingThank you! There seems to always be so much conjecture among artists at events where originals are hung, so I hope hearing from collectors can help pe…
CarolynonReport from IlluXcon 2024Real and simple method for all to use and do some surfing over the internet and start making more than $15k every single month from home. I have recen…
CarolynonUnconventional Inspiration: Beyond the VisualReal and simple method for all to use and do some surfing over the internet and start making more than $15k every single month from home. I have recen…
A perfect set up Justin, just needs one thing-a beer can holder! Also, possibly a remote holder as well so i can crank up the volume on the old spotify and drown out the barking dogs and wife screaming at me to take out the trash!
Cheers-
I always love how you write your articles. It always got that joyful and playful tone that always bright up my day as I read it. I’m living in a 5 room appartements with our two teens and a cat. I have no room left for a workshop. Funny thing is, lately I was looking for all the loose time/downtime in my days so I can fill it with personal drawing. I couldn’t help myself but think of it as unprofessional (I guess it’s my old junior self who’s trying to prove itself by being extra) Yet, you shut her down this morning and I must thank you for that! Having a portative desk like yours will help me to do the extra creativity I’m looking for!
What is professional is getting the job done and unleash your creative dragon and go on an adventure with him! Let’s fly to a fantasy country and draw all we see!
Lesson learned: The most important thing is to create, the how is irrelevant as long a you do it!
I’ve found the same thing true for myself! I’ve been attaching my drawing paper to cardboard scraps with binder clips. It works great. It was weird to end up swapping my $45 table easel with a $1 one made from a small trifold board, but my workspace has never been more flexible.
Delightful and reassuring! I like all the clips and attachments, and must try that. In other years I’m usually travelling for a month or two, and have got my travelling studio down to fit into a rigid document box, and when I’m home I’ve never entirely been able to get out of the habit of working small, and feeling bad about it!
This is exactly what I needed to read today! Here I was, blaming my difficulty getting work done on the idea that my working area is too small/not ergonomic enough/uninspiring/too cramped/not professional-looking enough/etc. I’ve been fretting that I don’t have the space or money to set up a working space for myself that’s all fancy/professional/kitted out like the ones I see the professionals I admire showing off. But here you are getting things done in a much more chaotic, distracting environment than myself! And that is *much* more inspiring than seeing yet another depressingly fancy, perfect setup. You are my hero 😀
Hey Kat, Well that is wonderful to hear! Thank you! Glad this could be of some help!
With COVID changing my day job environment, I’ve found myself working in my car just as much as I get to work at home. I have my sketchbook and streamlined toolset ready as soon as I have free time. I’m probably making some of my favorite work, with limited tools and short bursts of time to work. I can think out what I want to try to get done during the next break, while doing monotonous work tasks. That said, I’d love to see your plans for that fancy desk if you’re willing to share. At least the interchangeable part. I need to upgrade my work setup a bit. Thanks for the post!
It would be a good idea for a post! I had actually planned on doing a post about it after I made it. (I was very proud of my setup haha) Then I never really got to use to. I’d like to do a few heavy projects on it before writing out the post, just to make sure it is something I can fully recommend. But it would be fun to at least put up some plans for my “perfect” desk…
Have you seen James Gurney’s ‘mobile watercolor easel’ he’s posted about from time to time? It really is mobile, though it can be screwed down to a camera tripod it’s small enough that you really could hold it one handed if you use the size that’s geared to the small moleskin watercolor books.
Your post reminds me why I never reproduced though – I’m FAR too selfish
Yes! And it looks amazing. My watercolor palette is WAAAAAY less fancy. I’d love to upgrade mine to be more like that someday. He’s an inspiration for all of us!
So awesome. I too had to basically abandon my desk and computer / continue setup when my daughter started to get mobile. I actually just put a few boxes into storage and have donated a bunch of supplies, because I realized all I actually needed was about one drawers worth of physical materials, and my iPad. I’ve gotta handy at drawing while walking these days. Felt very unprofessional, but now I feel very validated.
Howdy Justin, Much as I like the mobile drawing table you came up with, I think it’s very cool that you made that “fancy desk.” Artists obviously have multiple skills. Also the chimera creature you drew above is amazing. Great work.
Thanks Aaron! Yeah, I’m glad I made the desk… I just hope I get the chance to use it someday! haha
Is Petar’s painting on the wall the original?
Sadly no haha! That is my favorite painting of the past half century. That one on the wall is a print, but I do have an original Petar drawing on the opposite wall of my studio. There are a couple of original Bonners and Omars up there though!