My "studio" is now half an SCA craft room. It's a few steps from a bathroom for easy access to water. It's on the same floor as the walk-out to the back yard, so I can easily let my crazy dogs in or out as they insist.
My work surfaces are two 6-foot tables put together in an L-shape with a small opening at the corner for my standing floor lamp. I'm using old heavy tables I had for SCA activities before the new lighter ones appeared at stores.
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| Workspace and chair, side view. |
Comfort is important to me, so my chair is adjustable to a height that lets my arms rest on my workspace at close to a 90° angle. It also has no armrests for me to bump against.
I'm fortunate to have a large space around me, so my arms aren't cramped. Yet my chair rolls and rotates so I can easily extend my reach if something I want isn't handy.
Calligraphy and illumination's detailed strokes take arm movement that let me move freely. That's important. It's even important to have a clear space at your feet so your knees aren't higher than your "bottom". My dog, Pippa, has learned to sit way to the side under the table to be near me and not in my way.
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| Left table and corner of both. |
The top of the lattice-sided-cube holds a mobile phone, a can of workable fixative, a box of cartridge pens, and a nib box. Stuck through the lattice are several small c-clamps, strong scissors, and sometimes my draft dust brush.
Inside the cube are miscellaneous items. I seem to collect a lot of them. There's a plastic shoe-box with gold leaf "pads", paper samples, and circle templates. To its right is a small Fiskars paper cutter intended for scrapbooking, which I've never done.
To the table's front is room for resources such as open books, my Kindle, and online printouts. You also see my Ozark Trail covered, insulated mug. It is important because where ever I put it down, I can't accidentally stick a brush or pen in it. And limits spills.
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| Corner with lamp protruding and lattice cube. |
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| Dual swing-arm lamps(on), slanted lightbox and active work area. |
Under the lamps is my light box. It rests on two thick, large books so it is slightly slanted. Behind it, resting on the protruding support books is a plastic container with various inks, gum Arabic, and nib cleaner.
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| Right, active work-table broad view with lamps off. |
I also have pens and brushes.
This area becomes cluttered as I work. It tends to be where I put anything down if I'm not careful. Erasers, pen test papers, a guard sheet, scrapers, rags/paper towels sections, nib cleaner, my cell phone.....
This area becomes cluttered as I work. It tends to be where I put anything down if I'm not careful. Erasers, pen test papers, a guard sheet, scrapers, rags/paper towels sections, nib cleaner, my cell phone.....
To the back, I keep a rotating utensil holder filled with rulers, a small t-square, scissors, old toothbrushes, a sharp knife and more dreck. To its right are a stand with paper towels and cleanup wipes. There's also a battery powered pencil sharpener and a tape dispenser.
On the wall, I have tacked a paper with standard frame sizes and a binder clip with clear plastic sheets. I use them to protect my light box. One is also a printed transparency of my favorite size grid.
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| Small computer station and some room view. |
I am lucky to have so much space. It suits my work style because I like all my tools nearby. Or maybe I developed this style because I didn't have to work from a portable scribe's box. C & I doesn't need to be spread out, but I'm just spoiled by it now.
Related Prior Post:
External Related Post:
Professional C&I artist Patricia Lovett post: Work, my workroom and ‘Landlove’ magazine, December 2016ai