MON, 11/27/00, 3:02 p.m.

Question, what type of water colors do you use for your painted work? I picked up Sakura KOI brand recently to try. I think you mentioned you use the cheap ones that come in the trays? Up to this point, I used these cheap ones that come in tubes in a set of 12 for, like, $10.00.

2/20/01, 7:26 p.m.
I paint with Acrylic and water color simutlaneously, mixing one color from water color with another color from acrylic to get the right shades. The trick is to let the water itself do the real work. I just sort of add different tones to the water blobs as they dry and coagulate together and I often mix them right on the page, by letting the water mix them together.

In skin tones, there might be some open tubes of pink, peach, and purple, acrylic and some wet water color trays of watered down orange, browns, tans, yellows, etc, that I mix into the wash.

2/26/01, 2:07 p.m.

When I do sketches at the cons, I prefer to ink with those brush pens. Sadly, I can't find the ones I like around here. I forget the name of them, but it's not Tombo or Micron. I know they're black and of Japanese origin. Jim O'Barr and Drew Hayes turned me on to them. Do you have any idea which kind I mean, and if so, any idea where I can order some?

All the type on the packaging is in Kanji, so I don't know if that will help you, but there is a little square on the package that has a picture of a Panda and the initials WWF below it.

4/23/01, 7:26 a.m.
I like to try all kinds of media when I work.

In comics, I do most of my work on Blueline Pro pages.
When I use pens, I use mostly Sakura Microns or Gellyrolls.
And I make a habit of trying all kinds of different paints, etc.

6/17/01, 2:10 a.m.

Hello Mr. Mack,
Hope all is well. Ever since I had the opportunity to meet you at the Heroes Con this year, I've been in search for a brush similar to the one you were using to do ink drawings. I thought it was an elegant piece. I remember you said Anh had got it for you while in Japan, and that the bristles were goat hair. I've searched at all the local art supply stores and the closest thing I've been able to find are oil and watercolor brushes (but they're too large). Do you know of any place I could order one? Thanks!
Rafael

Someone recently picked up some similar brushpens for me in Japan Town.

I'd guess that stores in Hawaii would also have them. I think that you said you were from the Honolulo area. I'd ask friends in that area to check it out, or check the Japanese art stores on your next visit.

10/5/01, 12:01 a.m.
I pretty much use [Blueline Pro boards] as a base board for almost all of my comic book work. They come 11" x 17". They also have blue line page markings on the front, but I ignore that and use the back.

I use it for black and white, paintings and as a base to collage other stuff onto. You can probably order it from any store or online. Try BluelinePro.com or something like that.

But I just use the Blue Line Pro brand. The run of it that I have is thicker than any other comic type art board.

Hope that helps. Tell them you heard it from me! I've been using it for 10 years.