I’ve had four different studio spaces across 5 years, and I’ve done a lot to optimize the space for me and my work. I recently completed my current studio space which is definitely the best incarnation so far. Now I have a lot of opinions on what makes a studio space great. Here are some of those opinions. Note, I am not affiliated with any of these brands, these are just my honest opinions. This isn’t intended to get you to go buy things, rather to think about what might make your space work for you.

#5 Trays

Hot tip for my adhd art peeps. Trays everywhere. This tray I made from scraps, and this one I stole from my mom. This way during a project I can keep all my shit out and in easy reach, but chuck it onto the tray to get it out of the way if I need the desk space. I used to have a real problem with just filling up any horizontal surface in my studio (or anywhere tbh). The clutter is inconvenient, stressful, and clutters my mind. But typical organization tactics that want you to hide things away after every use don’t work for me either. The compromise is trays. Trays are the way.

#4 Mushroom stool

This is an overpriced piece of crap from urban outfitters but it’s cute and I love having something to put my feet on under my desk.

#3 Lounge chair

I stayed at an Airbnb that had a similar style of chair and I learned I really like sitting and lounging to sketch. Sometimes it’s easier to access the creative flow when I’m not distracted by the fact my body hurts. So I decided for my next studio I would get a chair, and I recently scored this one on fb marketplace for cheap. it’s perfect and I love it. There isn’t a brand on this chair that I could find, but I’ve seen similar ones on Wayfair.

#2 Light

My current desk light was a Christmas present in like 2018 and it hasn’t failed me yet. It has bright daylight and adjustable dimming. Good lighting is really important for painting and this guy does the trick. This room actually doesn’t have any overhead lighting, but this desk lamp is enough to get by even at night. If you’re looking for a light for painting, definitely get one that has daylight temperature and good brightness. (do your research!) The lamp I have is from the brand PHIVE.

#1 my drafting chair.

My beloved. This chair was expensive but it saved my life. I swear my back problems went away once I invested in a proper chair. The brand is Modway. The seat is cushy, it has lumbar support, moveable armrests, and most importantly it’s a drafting height chair. That means it can go up to like bar stool height or be regular chair height. So I can go from standing to paint or sitting without adjusting anything, and if I’m working on a large painting or drawing, I can move my chair up or down instead of hunching down to look at my work. A lot of ppl have adjustable standing desks I just got got a chair that adjusts instead. It’s easier. Technically these desks from Ikea are adjustable, but not automatically so, and even if they were I have so much crap on my desk that it isn’t feasible.

You definitely don’t have to have a drafting chair, it’s just what I decided works for me. But, I do really think that a good chair is probably the first thing any illustrator, comic artist, or designer should invest in, maybe even before good hardware. I’m only 28, but I seriously used to have so much back, neck, and shoulder pain while I was suffering through with crappy office chairs. Maybe you aren’t a delicate, sensitive flower like I am, and you can sit on an uncushioned rock for eight hours with no ill effect. But for the rest of us Princess and the Pea types, just get a good chair. You aren’t proving anything by suffering. It affects your work and it affects the rest of your life.

Is there anything in your studio that you can’t live without? Anything on my list that you actually hate? Shop talk studio spaces to me.

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