Uses | Stephen Finnegan

Many people ask about the equipment I use in my studio and in daily life, so I’ve put together this list.

While these items aren’t necessarily endorsements, they’re tools I’ve found that work well for me.

Often, I choose what feels right without extensive testing or research, and I tend to stick with what I know.

Software

Rhodia A6 Flexible Notebook: I use these becuase they are relatively cheap and they fit in my pocket. I carry one around everywhere, and jot down notes and interesting things that catch my attention over the course of the day.
Talents Art Creation Sketchbook 12x12: I like these little sketchbooks for writing out my daily log at the end of each day. Cheap and cheerful.
Seawhite Sketchbook 14x14: I love the paper thickness on these - 140gsm. They are sturdy, cheap and last me about three months. I use these for my daily diary.
Rhodia Composition Book B5: I love these composition books. I have several scattered around my home and frequently write notes and ideas in them.
Canvas One Line a Day: I use these little notebooks to record one quote a day. I frequently flick through the pages when I'm in need of inspiration.
Silvine A6 Index Cards: I use these for writing notes after reading a book and keep them all in cardboard photograph boxes. They are essentially my Commonplace Book (Box).

Mitsu-Bishi 9852EW HB: These are my favourite for writing in notebooks. I ordered them on a whim and carried on using them.
Prismacolor Ebony Pencils: Chunky, thick, black. Perfect for marking up books and doodling in my diary.
Pentel Mechanical Pencils: I like the clip on these. I can keep one in my shirt pocket.

Pilot G2: Black/Red/Blue with 1mm of ink. I use these all the time.
Lamy Safari Fountain Pen: I love these fountain pens. I sometimes write with these in my diary. Great for stream of conscious style writing.
Posca Paint Markers: I use these all the time, from marking the spines of my notebooks to creating art.
Pentel Pocket Brush Pen: Bit of a learning curve on these ones but I love the flow of ink.

Cutting Mat: Any will do. It serves its purpose to protect my desk. I have two in sizes A3 and A2.
PrittStick Glue Sticks: Ive used these since i was able to hold a pencil.
Xacto Knife: I use these for collage. They are sharp and the blades are replaceable.
Bone Folder: For creasing paper.
Scotch Scissors: For cutting paper.
Trodat Date Stamp: I use this everyday for marking my notebooks.
Smith Corona Typewriter: Part decoration part utility. I love the sound of the keys and I can write slowly and really think about what I have to say.
Oxford English Dictionary: For meanings
Roget's Theosaurus: For words.

Refurbished HP Elitedesk 800 G3: Picked one up for under £100. Does everything I need it to. I like these ex enterprise machines so much I bought a second for my home server. It just works.
Degoogled Pixel 7: I always buy two generations behind when Im buying a smartphone. These Google Pixel phones are particularly good for degoogling. I use Graphene OS on mine.
Logitech Keyboard: I like the sound of mechanical keyboards. This one was on sale.
Logitech Mouse: I got this one free with a refurbished HP EliteDesk. It works.
Brother 2070N Printer: Its been on my desk for at least a decade and its never failed me.
Kindle 11th Gen: Basic Kindle, bought in 2022 on Black Friday. I do most of my reading on this thing these days. I rip books off qBittorrent and send them to Calibre for organising.
Audio-Technica M50X Headset: I use these for podcasting, Zoom meetings and listening to music.
Audio-Technica 2020 Mic: Pairs well with my headphones. Great quality sounding.