A Journey Into Painting Clarified My Drawings
Updated: Sep 12
I've been trying to do more with physical media for some time now. I discussed this challenge in my creative process in the first blog post I wrote here called The Color Problem back in March 2021.
But there have been a few things holding me back. First, I really love making my dark fantasy art the way I've been doing it the past few years: beginning with a pencil drawing on Bristol, inking it with brushes and a crow quill pen, and then scanning it in and doing the color work in Photoshop. Second, I knew it would be challenging to switch to a new medium after years immersed in particular workflow.
I also had to figure out what my new art style would look like. Would it essentially be the same thing, or would it be something completely different?
Well, I took a few rough steps forward, and the first thing I have to show for it is this humble little 6" x 6" painting on a wood panel. This began with a loose pencil sketch on the panel, then the acrylic painting, and then India ink over the top for the lines.
I had planned for this to be the beginning of a major creative shift, but incidentally, working on this painting actually gave me clarity on what I love about drawing.
I love the freedom and flexibility of the drawing process, particularly the ability to define small details. There's something about creating an image by making a series of dark lines on a white background that is simply magical to me, and I'm just not willing to leave that creatively.
So immediately after I created this I began working on six small drawings – originally as a guide to help me with my paintings, but soon purely for their own sake. And at the time I'm writing this, it's become clear that this detour into painting will be a very short one.
That said, I'm not dismissing the idea of a return to physical media again in the future. It's possible that now simply isn't the right time.
I share process videos, sketches, and behind-the-scenes work as new pieces take shape. If you'd like to see the next stages of this world as they’re built, you can find me here:
It's cool to see you trying something new!