Sketches, drawings and doodles.

Thought I'd share some recent sketchbook action. Whether it is in a sketchbook or loose paper, more and more I realize the voice of an illustrator- that thing that makes them unique, is often strongest in their drawing, rather than in their painting.

A great friend said to me years ago, "Scott you can paint like a M-fer, but your drawings underneath suck, and you try to make up for it in the paint and you can't." Harsh but so true and a watershed moment for me. After that I spent way more time working on the drawing than I do the painting.

But usually I am only drawing for an assignment, and it is only recently I figured out, it is the drawings you do for stuff that isn't an assignment where you see real growth and risk taking. And you cross your fingers some of that adventure can make it back into your professional art w/o the reality of a 'real gig' freezing up your flow. (Which still happens to me all the time.)

Some of these drawings are in a small moleskin, and the others loose. Moleskin drawings are from the local town Fair, trying to capture creatures in the wild. But they moved so fast, I'd sketch a quick essence, and finish them from memory.

Someone asked me about the weird paper the other drawings are on. I love going to flea markets and finding stacks of vintage office supplies, pens and pencils and PAPER. (Anything to get me excited to draw.) This paper came from a sale like that, I have no idea what it was for, but it pretty great. Nice weight, slightly tinted, close to what is in my moleskin, but a little lighter. Rounded corners makes it feel special, lol. I wish I had the binder designed to hold it, alas, I have to keep hunting for that.

Every now and then I take these sketches into the computer and do color study on them and decide if I want to take them further. This is one I might like to actually paint someday. Something about it feels like a happy place between my children's book work and my grown up work.