Etch-a-Sketch FAQ
How are these drawings made?
You turn the left knob for horizontal lines, the right knob for vertical lines, and you turn them together for curves and designs.
No, really. How do you do it?
I have a sweatshop of nimble-fingered kids.
Actually, a lot of practice and a good imagination. If you come see me at an artwalk, you can watch me in action.
How long does each drawing take to do?
Anywhere from half an hour to five or six hours. Most of my permanent drawings take about two hours of actual drawing time, not counting the process of making them permanent. I also do quick sketches which aren't as detailed, but I don't make them permanent. I just take a picture to document the good ones.
What happens if I shake one?
You shake it, you buy it.
No, seriously, they're fairly permanent: as long as you treat them the way you would any other piece of art, the drawing should last.
How are they permanent?
I drill a hole in the back and drain out the powder inside so the drawing can't be erased. Then I superglue the knobs so you can't add to the drawing. Voila! Permanence.
Where do you find Etch-a-Sketches these days?
I have powerful connections with Santa's elves, who manufacture them by hand and deliver them to key drop-off points for me. These drop-off locations include: toy stores, department stores, Fred Meyer, etc. Apparently Ohio Arts doesn't do a good job with their marketing, because a lot of people aren't aware that you can still buy Etch-a-Sketches, exactly the same as the ones you grew up with, just about anywhere.
Speaking of Ohio Arts, why don't they pay you to do this?
Believe me, I've tried. They tell me they don't really need any help selling Etch-a-Sketches. They're happy to sell them to me, but I haven't managed to convince them to give them to me for free, let alone pay me to make my artwork.
What's with these grainy pictures?
I've included some of my older Etch-a-sketchings from my college days, back when I did mostly 10-15 minute drawings and then erased them after a while. It was also before I had a digital camera, so these are scanned from not-so-great photographs, the only record I have of these particular drawings.
[last updated 3.13.05, pre-dated for archiving reasons]
April 01, 1998
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