Toolsday: Digital and Analog Favorites
This week I’m sharing two digital tools for creators — and two analog tools that make painting and drawing a lot more fun. Hope you find something you love!
Welcome to Toolsday! Every other Tuesday, I’ll be sharing a few of my favorite tools — a mix of digital and analog resources that are helping me create, stay inspired, and make a little more magic in the world.
Digital Tools
1. Style Safari
If you’re working with Midjourney (or even just starting to explore it), Style Safari is a must-try. It helps you apply consistent styles to your prompts, making it much easier to create a series of images with a unified aesthetic. Think of it like a style library that you can tap into for cohesive visual storytelling. To use, just add “—sref” + the style reference number to your prompt.
2. Genmo
Genmo is a free(ish) tool that makes it incredibly easy to create AI-powered video content. I’ve found it works especially well for generating subtle, ambient animations — things like rippling water, shifting skies, or blowing leaves. It's a great way to add a bit of life and movement to your creative projects without needing a deep background in animation.
Analog Tools
1. Caran D’Ache non-photo blue pencils
I have tried a lot of blue pencils, but these Caran D’Ache non-photo blue pencils are my absolute favorite. They have a smooth texture that makes sketching feel really good. I like to use them to map out basic shapes before refining the drawing with darker, more definitive lines. Originally, non-photo blue pencils were designed for use with photocopiers — this specific shade of blue wouldn’t show up when scanned or copied on older machines. I’ve never used them that way myself, but I love how they keep my early sketches light and easy to build on.
2. Acrylic Palette with Wet Pads
If you paint with acrylics, this wet palette is a total game changer. It keeps your paint from drying out, so you can pick up right where you left off — even a few days later — without wasting tons of paint or having to remix all your colors. Trust me, once you try one, you'll never want to go back.
These links are for information purposes, btw. They are not affiliate. Feel free to buy these from your local art store. In fact, do that, if you can:
Art stores are inspiring. They also smell nice.
Local small business! Yay!
What do you think?
Have you tried any of these tools before? Got a favorite tool you think I should check out? Feel free to hit reply or leave a comment — I'd love to hear about what’s working for you lately.
Hugs and highfives,
H
Thanks for sharing! Good to know about prompt libraries! I carry a non photo blue pencil with me regularly! Relatedly, another analog fave of mine are multicolor by tipped pencils, sometimes called rainbow pencils, but the palettes can vary.
As far as digital tools, I’m a big fan of Gravity Sketch in VR for all sorts of uses, including prototyping art installations. Though for more imaginative creation, I feel more playful with Adobe Substance 3D modeler (VR and desktop).