When it comes to sketching and communicating your ideas well, nothing beats a good old-fashioned pencil and a keen sense of perspective. That said, adding depth to your form sketches with light and shadow is a natural next step in taking your sketches to the next level. And when it comes time to cranking ideas out fast, our favorite go-to is a fistful of 2-3 Sketching Grays from Copic that give us great contrast. These ultra-blendable, low odor, alcohol-based inks deliver rich and smooth strokes that are ideal for quickly communicating product concepts. And unlike water-based inks, which tend to pill and oversoak paper while blending, Copics mix on the…

Last year, Kano debuted a complete DIY desktop computer kit based around the Raspberry Pi as a way to get kids interested in computing. The unforeseen problem, however, is most kids today prefer to interact with touchscreen mobile devices—such as smartphones and tablets—rather than a desktop PC. Kano took notice and has launched an updated version of the kit that now includes a 10-inch touchscreen. This effectively now allows kids to navigate and program using the company’s custom OS with just a swipe of a finger—their computing method of choice. The company’s Computer Kit Touch includes a custom Raspberry Pi 3 SBC (1.2GHz quad-core Cortex A53), an updated display driver…

Those of you who know us well know of our longstanding love for the iconic rOtring 800 Mechanical Pencil. But heck, it isn’t the only great mechanical pencil to have on your desktop. For those who are particular about sharp lead points — AT ALL TIMES — the brilliant engineering behind writing tool manufacturer Uni’s Kuru Toga mechanical pencil just might be the best thing for you since, well, sliced bread. Ideal for sketching, writing, engineering linework, or just about anything else that requires a nice bit of lead to the paper, the Kuru Toga features a mechanism that rotates the lead ever-so-slightly each time it’s lifted from the page—meaning, you’re always…

Mondays might not be your favorite day of the week, but the good news is that we’re all in this together ladies and gentlemen. As purveyors of prime Grade A web content, the SolidSmack crew has done some of the heavy-lifting to make sure you get your Mondays started on the right track. Welcome to The Monday List. Every Monday, we link you up with some of the most insightful, informative, and socially-relevant stories to keep tabbed, bookmarked, reading listed, pocketed, or what have you to get your week started on the right foot. Be sure to check in each week for a new crop of freshly sprouted words curated straight…

Morphi is a (sort of) free app for the iPad, Mac, and Windows devices that lets users push, pull, and craft 3D creations via a touchpad device. Its simple nature makes it ideal for starting kids out in the world of 3D modeling and showcasing their work — with tools such as stop motion and AR/VR to name a few. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fgGrdVTAn0 The app has been out for quite a while now, receiving a slew of updates since its 2014 release on the iPad. In its newest 3.4 patch, Morphi has added 3D visualization/rendering tools which now allows users to add and edit textures onto 3D models, put in some basic object…

Don your favorite bathrobe, cream that coffee and get comfortable with this week’s SolidSmack Weekend Reader. The Weekend Reader features a handful of the most interesting articles featured on the ‘Smack over the past week ranging from tips and tricks to inspirational designs, processes, and more. So lay back, relax and take a load off while reading the top stories on SolidSmack this past week. Oh and uh…don’t forget to shed some much-needed sunlight on your face, too. Make a Massive 8-Foot A-10 Warthog -(From Dollar Store Foam Board) Have you ever fancied building and fly your own model aircraft? Well nowadays its more possible than ever, and even on…