Soap Magazine
Their Favourite Drawing Instruments
Is the pencil over ? It ’ s no secret we ’ ve turned to keyboards and touch screens to convey our thoughts , complete our work in the office and design everything from bespoke stationery to custom footwear . For most , it ’ s hard to recall the last time an octagonal wooden shaft rested between our fingers . But for a select set of highly creative individuals , writing instruments are still in high demand . Here , authors , designers and artists ranging from Manolo Blahnik to Milton Glaser share brief odes to the pencils , pens and brushes to which they are devoted , and illustrations to go along with them .
Kulapat Yantrasast : Sharpies
Thai architect Kulapat Yantrasast is the founder and creative director of wHY architecture firm . Mentored by the famed Japanese Tado Ando , Yantrasast was named one of the most powerful people in the art world in 2012 .
“ I will show up at a client meeting with a museum director and curators with a bowl of about 50 Sharpies in different colors . People just never see that . It ’ s like candy . When I start sketching , generally the purple comes out first – it is strong , but not too out there . I also love orange . The different colors help you clarify things : layering , floors , spaces , doorways . I discovered Sharpies when I moved from Japan because I loved to go to those huge stores , places like Staples
4 and Office Depot . My drawings tend to be big and free , almost calligraphic-like . In Japan , our sketches were very small . They use mechanical pencils and are very obsessive about choosing point size , lead , the right paper . I think I have about 300 pens on my desk . My staff makes jokes that we will never go under because we can always sell Kulapat ’ s pens . But I spend a lot of time thinking about what color I will use , whether I am writing or drawing .”
Fernando Santangelo : Pilot Precise V5 and Bic mechanical pencil
The interior decorator Fernando Santangelo caught the public ’ s attention when he redesigned the landmark ’ 20s Chateau Marmont to tremendous acclaim . His client list includes Jacqueline Schnabel , Uma Thurman and Andre Balazs .
“ I use everything – crayons , magic markers , watercolors , pen and ink – but my favorite is the Koh-I-Noor multi-colored Magic Pencil . I buy them by the dozen .
- Milton Glaser
“ I came here from Uruguay at 18 . Since English is not my first language , I create my words through my hand because drawing is much faster than talking . I start with a Pilot extra-fine rolling ball pen , which becomes the skeleton of the design . I like to work on trace because it rolls out like a Chinese scroll , but it is not so precious . Then I go over the design