Chris Gralapp wrote:
>
> I have always wanted to illustrate a book entirely in pencil, my favorite
> medium.  I like it for its freshness, and that I can conceivably eliminate
> the entire inking step, which would save a lot of time, especially when the
> deadline is short.
>
> Now I have an opportunity to do a book in pencil, and I'm trying to make my
> case to the publisher.   I know it must be processed as a halftone, which
> makes a tad more work for the printer, but the overall look will be
> contemporary and attractive,  so there is a plus there.
>
> Can one get good reproducible results with an all graphite approach?  Is it
> really more expensive to reproduce, or do digital methods of scanning make
> this less of an issue?  Does anyone have any tips for surfaces to use, etc.?
> I am told that plastic pencils on Cronaflex make for a nice effect, so I
> must try this.  I want to work up a couple of figures as a sample for the
> publisher.
>
> Any ideas or resources would be greatly appreciated!
>
> Thanks
> Chris

Chris. I love graphite pencil. I did "Gathering the desert"
(Nabhan/Mirocha) in 1986 all in .3mm mechanical pencils. At the time I
researched halftone art for pencil and did a lot of tests with the local
camera operator to get the mythical "highlight halftone" where the white
of the paper was really white, but you didn't lose the subtle gray light
tones. . Digital production gives so much more control now over the
step-off from white of the paper to the lightest gray tone. It doesn't
cost any more to reproduce anymore, really. BUT it is still the most
sensetive kind of reproduction to handle and you should educate yourself
on all those gamma curves. Become good friends with your printer or
local digital output jockey. You can email me directly if you want.


Paul
--
Paul Mirocha Design
118 South 5th Ave, Suite 121
Tucson, Arizona   85701
Phone/Fax 520/623-1515
email: [log in to unmask]
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"Derive happiness in oneself from a good day's work,
from illuminating the fog that surrounds us."   -Henri Mattisse