Not long after I moved to Massachusetts I made my way to the best art supply store to ever exist- Charette. Sadly Charette folded 15 or so years ago. It was a very sad day. I hit their clearance sales with intense sadness in my heart.

Not long after my first visit to Charette I picked up my first Koh-i-noor Magic FX pencil- glossy black lacquer with glitter. It featured a mixed color core- a rainbow core of bright colors. According to the Koh-i-noor website, the colors are neon. Whatever it was, I used it quite a bit. I have no idea if I ever finished it or where it is now. (Probably with my missing in action clutch pencil*.)

I recently reinvigorated my love of them. I’ve been taking the train again and while I wait I draw vehicles in the parking lot. I usually have between 5 and 15 minutes to wait. I’m sketching in a 5×5 inch Talens Art Creations sketchbook or a 4×4 inch sketchbook from Dollar Tree.

​Also, I started to take the train again right after the weather here in Mass decided to be seasonably cold and windy. My markers and pens started to freeze up. The acrylic paint in the brush paint markers just wouldn’t dry or would thaw as I worked on the images on the train.

I pulled my Neocolor 1 and 2s out and started to draw with them.

In the back of my mind I thought, “Hey I’ve got all those clutch pencil leads and that clutch pencil, that would be great for this.” So I looked for it. I couldn’t find them. So I stuck to the markers and crayons. 

Then I pulled my rainbow pencils out of storage and started to use those. I can see why I loved these- capable of a thin line like a regular pencil but also with some practice capable of some delicate shading. I also liked the fat size of the pencils so I could keep wearing my gloves. I also had snagged a package of cheapo rainbow pencils. They were also very nice.

Over the last month of cold weather I kept thinking about those clutch leads and where that lead holder might be. This weekend I took a deeper look around the house, office, and studio.

I found all the leads but not the lead holder. I have no clue where it might be. So I gave in and ordered a replacement.

Funnily enough, now that I’ve ordered the lead holder and found the leads for it, the predicted temperature for tomorrow and the whole next week is in the 40s.

*I have been scouring my home and attempting to figure out where I stashed my beloved E+M clutch pencil. I couldn’t find it so I ordered a replacement- a Koh-i-noor Magic version of their clutch pencil.