Multiple Tools

I regularly use three different graphics applications because they serve different needs:

(I don’t know all three of these inside and out like I used to know JASC Paintshop Pro (wikipedia.org). R.I.P. But I know how to do the common stuff and i’m learning more all the time.)

(See also the traditional art tools section below for a mention of another favorite program, Sketchbook.)

Email is another place where I’ve recently learned to stop chasing the "Holy Grail" and just use multiple applications. IMAP (as opposed to POP) makes this possible. It’s not uncommon for me to have both Thunderbird and aerc running at the same time, working on the same inbox. I use aerc as much as possible because I prefer writing in $EDITOR (vim). But Thunderbird is so much easier to use for handling attachments and dealing with the occasional HTML-only email (groan).

I even use my mail host’s webmail application when I’m not at my usual desktop computer!

On the flip side, I believe that some tools warrant mastery. I’m positive there’s a good analogy here with kitchen gadgets versus high-quality knives, but I’m not a chef, so I won’t make it.

Sometimes you should RTFM the heck out of a single tool. But sometimes, "the one tool" just isn’t going to be right for a particular task. I give myself (and you) permission to use more than one, if it makes life easier.

Art is something I understand. The pencil, brush, and pen are worth mastering. All three will challenge and reward for a lifetime. But there are so many variations of each! Spend time with each to learn how to get the most out of it.

In the digital realm, I once gave myself a daily challenge to create an entire drawing using a different brush (and only that brush) in a drawing program called Sketchbook (wikipedia.org). I did a drawing with every single stock brush in that program. I’m not sure how many there were. Let’s say 50. Most of the drawings turned out pretty terrible, but some of them didn’t. Some of them were pretty great.

But the drawings themselves weren’t what I got out of the challenge. I learned the heck out of that program. Some of the brushes made no sense to be used to create an entire picture. But I learned how to fine-tune and manipulate them in every possible way until I could force a drawing out of them. I knew that program inside and out after that. It was great. And I knew when I could do everything I needed with one brush versus when I should use multiple.

(Also, one of the best ways to get out of an "art rut" seems to be to get some (inexpensive) new art supplies and experimenting with them. Playing with a new medium is fun and inspiring. Going "hog wild" in a sketchbook can unblock my creative systems.)

The point, again, is: be pragmatic. Go deep and search wide. But don’t worry about finding that "one true tool" to do it all. Some tools do a lot, but there’s nothing wrong with using two (or three) instead. Just know your options.