Technologica Artistica di Roma
So there have been various technical questions from readers who wonder what sort of mountain of gear I have brought with me here to the Holy City to get shit* onto paper and onto this site. It's an important and pressing issue so I will explore it here in full.
Here're the highlights: I carry an aluminum alloy Soltek Pro Easel in a calfskin and spandex torsal harness and a Herman Miller folding titanium stool with translucent Cygnus mesh; a 22x30" Roma Luss Journal re-bound with 300 lb. Fabriano Artistico Cold Press; a full set of Series 44-14 Dan Smith Autograph Series Watercolor Round brushes in Russian winter male Kolinsky sable fur; my trusty 18 Kt rose gold finished Mother of Pearl 85th Anniversary Aurora fountain pen and three different sets of Daniel Smith watercolor pans, each customized for optimal performance under varying heat and humidity conditions.
Oh, and my personal assistant, Franellika, carries a 72" linen parasol; two Art Bin Ultimate Solutions tote full of miscellaneous markers, pencils, paints, brushes, scalpels, quills, sandwiches, and iced martini fixins; a fully loaded iPod plus backup; a portable library of travel guides, art monographs and r.crumb sketchbooks; and a yellowing skull for contemplation
Back at the hotel, I have two Power Mac G5s (2.7GHz dual-processors) each rigged up to 30-inch
Cinema HD Displays and 2-terrabyte external drives; I digitize my drawings with my Aztek Premier drum scanner and run off prints of each page on my HP Color LaserJet 3700dtn Printer. The gear takes up most of the extra hotel room I set up as EDM production HQ but it's worth it to bring you my high quality art work in the sort of breath taking verisimilitude you have come to expect from this site.
Any further questions on techniques? Please post a comment and/or refer to
this profile of my usual gear inventory and inventory of art supplies.
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*My language may be a little questionable today as I have discovered my new favorite filthy thing:
The Dawn and Drew Show, the fucking funniest thing I have heard at least since coming to Italy if not before, and am listening to it on iTunes while I write this)
A record of my exploration into all aspects of drawing, illustrated journaling, creativity, and the inspiring aspects of art. By the author of "Everyday Matters," "The Creative License", and "An Illustrated Life" and other books.
Comments
You forgot to add your custom painted Hummer to carry everything around in......
It's it nice to dream...although I don't think I would carry around all that stuff...unless I had an assistant named Sven or something! :-) Thanks for the great paintings!
Posted by: Nancy Patterson | July 25, 2005 02:23 PM
Who even knew Herman Miller made a folding stool ...
Posted by: cg | July 25, 2005 02:38 PM
Danny, I wouldn't travel any other way, though I think you're little light on the digital equipment, but if you like to slum, so be it. Also I found that my Herman Miller folding titanium stool with translucent Cygnus mesh didn't hold up to conditions in the north woods.
(Since the warranty card clearly states the product is tested for extreme conditions I took them at their word. I fail to see how rock climbing, crawling through abandoned quarries, and a little portaging between lakes exceeds that rating.I did not use it for a toboggan as the customer service rep incorrectly hypothesized. Product literature clearly states that action will void the warranty.)
Because of this equipment failure I recently spent 3 long, soggy days sitting on granite and basalt boulders while sketching. An event that was only made endurable by the unspoilt Jaques-esque scenery before me and the 84 inch Gortex SuperLite Collapsing Parasol (with Sun-ban for those non-rainy days!) that my personal assistant Mike carried and held in place. I suggest you upgrade your parasol immediately. (Franellika will appreciate the reduced weight.)
And by the way, I would like to correct the rumor now circulating that Mike was hired purely because he is easy on the eye. While that may be true (and it is), I find that the uncanny way in which people, including irate police in crowded city squares, seem to just bounce off his 6 foot 3 inch, 230 lb. frame totally justifies his stipend. It also is no handicap that he is fluent in 5 languages. (Due to the success of the "Speak like a Local" tape series Mike will soon be able to add English to the list.)
Happy travels.
Roz
Posted by: roz | July 25, 2005 02:44 PM
Roz:
We must introduce Mike to Franellica. Then we could get a sedan chair and they could carry us around. No more sprained ankles!
Danny
Posted by: Danny | July 25, 2005 03:37 PM
You had me at HERMAN MILLER FOLDING STOOL.
Wowsers.
Your newest drawings are breathtaking.
And I love it when you incorporate expletives into your posts, it adds color to your already brimming pallete.
Posted by: Donavan | July 25, 2005 05:54 PM
has another of your long-forgotten relatives died and thus enabled you to buy all of these lovely travel acoutrements? the linen umbrella and martini shaker are an especially nice touch- no ugly american stuff here but rather one with ultimate style and producing good stuff for us to boot. rock on!
Posted by: dana.jenkins | July 26, 2005 10:00 AM
Hi Danny
You do realise you can have TWO 30 inch displays on each of those Powermacs don't you? Shame on you for not exploiting them to the full. (Could I borrow your assistant when you've finished with him?)
Yours geekily
Michael
Posted by: Michael Nobbs | July 27, 2005 02:56 AM
(pouting).
Well I was serious... and I think you're teasing us... maybe. All that stuff would seem to require several sherpas.. or since you're in Italy, maybe a gaggle of gondoliers. Your results are certainly awesome. I'm going to go check on line and see if that stuff really exists. I like the martini idea.
Posted by: Dana | July 27, 2005 04:40 PM
Are you serious about the martini and the skull? LOLOL!!!
Posted by: Kisane | July 28, 2005 11:03 PM
All this group is SO nice.
Posted by: DW | July 29, 2005 08:32 AM