In high school I did much better in my 3D art classes than my 2D art class. I loved sculpting and constructing, but the materials were expensive and they always seemed to make a mess, and the results could not be stored in my binders or notes. Without a proper digital tablet and pen, I found computer paint programs awkward and the results painfully simplistic. Until I entered the realm of 3D software, I relied on the primitive (and affordable!) pencils and pen.

Pencils are easily portable, come in dozens of colors which can then be mixed, and you can achieve transparent effects with them. Even better, they don't make a mess. With them I drew maps and sketched characters, scribbled out floorplans and diagrams, and turned my imaginings visible.