The Mirado Black Warrior – 3/52, Week 3/BlackBerry 52, Minneapolis, Minnesota, January 2011, photo © 2011 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
I was at the Casket Arts Studio last night (Liz and I finally completed, scanned, and mailed our sketchbooks to New York) and saw this still life on the art desk. The Mirado Black Warrior is one of my favorite pencils. I bought about ten of them years ago when I read that author Thad Beaumont, the main character in Stephen King’s The Dark Half, wrote his books with Black Warriors. By association, I made the leap that the Black Warrior was also Stephen’s pencil of choice. (I just knew that if I used them to write, his uncanny ability to weave a story together would rub off on me.)
I am fascinated by the way ordinary objects impact our daily lives and have read about the history of pencils. Liz included the pencil on the cover of her sketchbook for The Sketchbook Project because pencils changed the world (her theme was Things That Changed Other Things). I learned at Pencil Revolution that part of what makes the Mirado Black Warrior so enticing is that it is rounded (rather than octagonal), smells like heaven because of its cedar construction, flows smoothly on the page due to the waxed-ceramic and graphite core, and has a semi-soft Pink Pearl eraser that will not burn holes through your pages.
Did you know Henry David Thoreau’s family owned and managed a pencil factory in Concord, Massachusetts? According to The Thoreau Society, “Thoreau family pencils, produced behind the family house on Main Street, were generally recognized as America’s best pencils, largely because of Henry’s research into German pencil-making techniques.” (For more on Thoreau and pencils, check out Henry Petroski’s classic account The Pencil; the thick, tall book is on my bookshelf.)
The Dark Half tops my list of books by Stephen King, along with his nonfiction work, On Writing (see 10 Tips From Stephen King On The Craft Of Writing). I even went to see him at the Fitzgerald Theater in November 2009. So when I saw the Mirado Black Warrior on the desk last night, I knew it would be Week 3’s Jump-Off in the BlackBerry 52 collaboration with Lotus. Feel free to join us if you wish (learn about the project’s beginnings at BlackBerry 52 Collaboration).
-related to posts: icicle tumbleweed (haiga) – 2/52, Best Of BlackBerry 365 — First Quarter SlideShow, BlackBerry 365 Project — White Winter Squirrel, WRITING TOPIC — TOOLS OF THE TRADE
I love your reference to Stephen King with those pencils. I think we go throughout life liking things that remind us of celebrities and famous people and secretly hope that in some way they rub off on us. 😉 A good example would be obtaining some dead celebrity’s DNA sample (like a lock of hair, etc.) and making perfumes/colognes out of that sample so that you can smell like that celebrity–like Marilyn Monroe for instance. Your reference to pencils kinda reminded me of that… lol 😛
Interesting trivia about Thoreau. Never knew that. Learn something new everyday!
I can’t wait to work on the response for this Jump-Off!
Lovely photo as always, QM. 🙂
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I love the shot QM. Angles add so much interest. I haven’t heard of this warrior pencil. Now I’ll have to go to the local art store and find one and see what it makes my hand do.
I was a rather odd child that collected pens and pencils. (Imagine that). I had squiggly ones, rubber bendy ones and really fancy slim ones. Even a special black leather carrying case with slots. I still love those fountain pens but being a lefty, I tend to smear.
I promise I won’t go into the paperclip collection…
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When I saw the title for this post I kept thinking it sounded familiar but couldn’t place where I’d heard of the Mirado Black Warrior. Thoughts of ninjas followed. lol! It’s been so long since I read The Dark Half that I’d forgotten all about Thad Beaumont and Black Warrior pencils.
Wonderful shot. The angles just draw me right into it.
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@anuvuestudio I collect pens too, but probably not as creative/artistic as yours (e.g., bendy, squiggly types, etc.). I absolutely LOVE fountain pens! I worked with many of them when I was in 5th grade when I was fascinated with calligraphy. I should get another fountain pen one of these days and experiment with it again. 8)
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Robin, Lotus, and Heather — thank you!
Lotus, Did that really happen with the perfume & DNA of Marilyn Monroe? I had not heard that! That is wild.
H., please do go into the paperclip collection! I’ve got a few fancy ones myself. BTW, since you broke the ice, I feel safe admitting that I collected pencils, too! Strange ones I’d find all over the place. Even as an adult. I have a shoebox full of them and wish I knew a young child who might appreciate them. I’d gladly give them away! Some of my faves: the brown pelican pencil from Sanibel, Florida; the half moon and star, the pencil with the working plastic camera on top. I love that you collected them, too.
Robin, I loved The Dark Half when I read it years ago. I thought about rereading it but then didn’t want to be disappointed. Sometimes I reread books and don’t like them as well as the first time; I’d rather remember loving them! Thanks for stopping by.
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I had no idea there were so many fellow “odd people” who collected pens and pencils! Whoo hoo salute to ya! ( if YB reads this, that’s “whoo hoo” NOT “Who Haw”. BIG DIFF ;’)
A pencil with a working plastic camera on top!!! Oh QM. You are my hero! My favorite paperclip was a silver triangle. Wish I knew where it was!
A~Lotus – I love calligraphy too! …Although I have my own style. I used to beg my Dad to let me have the fancy set with the big ostrich feather so I could be snooty!
BTW, if you two tell me you wore those clear plastic high heels with the gold flecks and black stretchy straps while carrying a bee bee gun as a kid, we must meet soon!
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Hey QM, wow, I’m impressed by this pencil’s name. I didn’t realize pencils have their own names. I guess pens do, so why not pencils.
I just bought a bunch of new pens recently that are paint pens. They are opaque paint markers, and they are great because they write on just about anything. I’m doing a lot of work with Caran d’Ache, as you know, and I also work with gouache, both of which are hard to write on with my Pigma Micron fine point drawing pens. And then my paint brush pens are not opaque enough. So, I got these cool paint pens that can write over anything. The fine point isn’t all that fine, so it’s not for detail work, but for patterning or that kind of thing they’re great. I got them in metallic silver and gold, plus black and white. So I can write with white on black. It’s a hootenannie! (Heather!) 8)
BTW, congrats on getting your sketchbooks mailed. That was a big project. I’m working on my Moleskine Exchange now (hence, the new pens) and am having a blast. I love making art!
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ybonesy, thanks! Yeah, I feel proud to have completed The Sketchbook Project, completely scanned it, and got it mailed. It was a huge undertaking in which I lost a lot of sleep. But I’m so happy it’s part of the traveling Sketchbook show.
Hey, I was so excited to see your comment about the paint pens. Liz was just asking me last night what you used with the wax crayons. We both clogged up our pens trying to add ink to the Caran d’Ache. Even my Sharpies that write on anything get clogged from the wax. So you use paint pens? What brand? We do have these Metallic pens that are kind of like paint pens and do pretty well. But I’m on the search for more pens that write over the wax. If you come back to this post, let me know the brand. We’ve got a coupon for an art store this weekend; I’m always looking for good sets of markers for my mandalas, too.
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Heather, the camera pencil is the best. I’ve got some pretty cool pencils. OMG, those high heels with the flecks and black straps — I so remember them as a kid. I do think I had a pair…borrowed my brother’s BB gun. I was such a tomboy. Best of both worlds. You always make me smile!
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I have to warn that I haven’t actually tried the paint pens over the wax crayons, but given that they worked so well on top of the gouache (once it dried overnight) I’m optimistic that they’ll do great on top of wax crayons. By the way, I ruined two brand new Sharpies trying to draw over wax crayons. It’s as if they completely dried out. I even let them sit for a week and the ink never flowed the tip again. 😦 (It bugs me to ruin brand new pens!)
The brand–I should have known you’d ask: DecoColor Opaque Paint Markers. For some reason, Artesano’s had them behind the cash register/counter. Not sure if that’s because they get shoplifted or if because of the fumes or what.
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QM, I’m so excited, I had to share. Over the weekend I discovered the following: If I use wax crayons to color in a drawing, once I’ve got it to a point where I’m probably done with the wax crayon portion, I spray the piece with a matte finish. You can pick up a can at an art supply store. (I used Krylon brand.) Let it dry–it’s fast drying, so you can begin working the piece again with the hour. Then you start working with the pen and ink, and it’s like writing on regular paper. No clogging, no drying up. I used very fine inking pens, and it worked beautifully.
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[…] Hard to believe, but we are already into the 4th week of January. A~Lotus created the beautiful haiga collage Searching For Stillness in response to the BlackBerry 52 Jump-Off for Week 3, The Mirado Black Warrior. […]
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ybonesy, I’m so glad you came back and commented on the markers. The day you left your first comment about the DecoColor paint markers, Liz actually came home with that exact brand before I had a chance to tell her. Have not had a chance to try them yet. Hope to this weekend.
Oh, and thanks for the tip about the Krylon brand matte finish spray. I told Liz about it and she said she almost bought a fixative at the art store the same day she bought the DecoColor paint pens. Is the Krylon a fixative? We have a couple of kinds of sprays in the studio. Will have to check out what we have.
I’m happy to know there are ways to mix the wax and the pens and Sharpies. We found the same thing you did, that the wax dried up or clogged up any other kind of pen we tried to use. Will work on your suggestions.
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Yes, QM, the matte finish spray is a fixative. On the piece I used it on, I then will go back after having added now a layer of “pen and ink” I’ll spray the piece one more time. This time I can use a gloss fixative if I want that type of a finish, or I can continue with matte. I don’t use too much because this is for a book and I’m still a bit worried that when I close the book and send it in the mail, the weight of the pages will cause them to stick together. But I’ve been assured by those who are more familiar with fixatives that they will not stick. Still, just to be safe, I’m not using a thick layer but rather just a light spray to do the job I need.
Cool that Liz found the same brand and came home with them. Tell her to be careful when she first uses them. If you push down too hard on the nib to get the paint flowing, you might end up with a big puddle of paint and a lot of waste. Also, get the paint flowing on a scratch paper, not directly on the piece. Once the nib is saturated, then start working on the piece.
It’s fun to learn and share with you both. Just imagine what a blast we’d have if we were actually in the same room together. 8)
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My mom watches a game show everyday…one of those that has the word “Millionaire” in the title. If they pose a question to the contestant that she thinks I’d like, she writes it down and calls me to ask it.
A few days ago the question was: “Which famous author worked in a pencil factory when he was young?” Because of this post I knew: Thoreau.
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Teri, that is so cool! I just love that Thoreau worked in his father’s pencil factory. I don’t think he thought it was the highlight of his life. But, for me, it’s a romantic notion for a writer to have worked in a family pencil factory. Just doesn’t get any better than that. 8)
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Let’s get jobs in pencil factories…gals on the line with hairnets and smocks. Getting ideas for stories from the tales we hear in the break room. Taking part of our pay in pencils, not cash.
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I’d do it for a pen factory. Kind of like getting a moonlighting job at a clothing store that you really love but can’t afford. If I worked for a pen factory, I’d be in pen heaven. (And I wouldn’t mind wearing hair nets, either.) 8)
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Actually George Stark from the books used Berol Black Beauty pencils, not Mirado Black Warrior. However I still love Mirado and I started using them after reading the book years ago.
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