Blog

For many moons I have had sketchbooks. They serve as a place for me to empty the contents of my brain without any pressure or pull from an actual commissioned piece. A lot of what I put in my sketchbook never actually gets used for anything but it does serve as a good point of reference when I hit a creative block. I also post a lot of sketches to my instagram account so if you are interested you should follow me there.

I usually use pencils, ballpoint pens and other ink based pens laying around my studio. Nothing fancy. I like Canson marker paper and I also like lined journals and sketchbooks because they have texture already. I really enjoy using a ballpoint pen to crosshatch darker doodles. Characters with mischievous looks and naughty gestures captured by the dirty look of ballpoint  Smudged and full of mistakes, those mistakes can lead to greatness. I like dark subject matter but I like it subtle, I like the viewer to ask the question “is that cute little guy a burglar?” and the answer is usually “yes, yes he is”. Most of my character developments come with a weird back story, I don’t share those stories but that’s my point of reference a lot of times.

Doodling has always been in my life, sketchbooks have played a big part in that and I have many. If you are an artist you probably have many too. If you are an aspiring artist you should get one. Find which kind you are comfortable with and use pens and equipment that you like. No rules, just what captures your creative out pouring. Experiment and the first few sketchbooks will look crappy, mine sure did. Stick with it and enjoy the process. Sketchbooks of the great artists sometimes reveal a lot more about them than their masterpieces.