I use a slanted surface for ease of lettering and better posture. My lightbox allows me to illuminate the text from below so that my guide lines are easy to follow. No more drawing guide lines on sheet after sheet - just place under your drawing paper and write! It is easy to build. I'll show you how. Away with old-fashioned line drawings - here are color photos for your edification and viewing pleasure.

Get a pane of glass a bit larger than the paper you'll be working with. Mine accommodates an 8.5 x 11" size sheet well. I merely pulled it from an unused picture frame, above. Keep it in the frame if it's a low profile and doesn't hinder writing, like this one. It can be flipped 90 degrees to go horizontal, or any other angle you wish. Edging with black electrician's tape is advised if you're doing without the frame. This project is simply impractical with large page sizes.

Cut a corrugated box into a wedge shape of any angle that suits you, perhaps 45° or less. Measure the sides carefully, putting marks at the lowest and highest places of the angle, then cut carefully with a hobby knife or box cutters and ruler so the sides are parallel.

The box should be narrow enough to support your pane of glass on both side edges. If you make the angle more extreme, make the notch at bottom a quarter of an inch deep to catch the edge of the glass sufficiently.

Your department or hardware store probably carries portable, battery-powered lamps like these, above. If you expect to use this a lot, I suggest getting rechargeable batteries. Saving money is good!

This lightbox means you won't have to draw guides on your paper all the time. Also, you'll be able to use it to trace the roughs you made. I created a PDF of guide lines for your work, and this is where you'll use it. for more details, see the Downloads link on the home page of this app.

You can buy your own (non-slanted) lightbox for around $50 (small and flat) to over $300 (24 x 36"). Makers include Daylight, Porta-Trace, Seerite, Artograph, and others.

Some really nice tabletop easels are available for less than $100 and on up by Ravenna and other companies. They come in a variety of woods, are collapsible for carrying, and some include slide-out drawers for carrying pens and brushes.

You want to avoid leaning your heavy head over your desk for long periods of time. My head must weigh a ton - and it's mostly empty! A slanted lightbox helps rectify this problem. The poor posture invites the pain gremlins to take up residence in your neck and back. Take periodic breaks to stretch your fingers and neck.