Riding The Cyclone at Coney Island in the 1920s
End of Summer
Originally published in August 2024 in Blog, Toronto Illustrators
Milton Glaser on Attentiveness
Originally published in March 2023 in Blog, Toronto Illustrators
“Attentiveness is the great benefit of drawing.” Milton Glaser said that. But becoming attentive to your life is a question for every human, not just artists. To pay attention without preconceptions is massively challenging. As Milton explained it, too much belief spelled the end to observation and understanding. Self-restraint, like listening, is an exercise in […]
Art Classes: Cocoa & Paint
Originally published in March 2022 in Art Classes, Blog, Toronto Illustrators
Hyper-realistic vs. suggestive drawing styles
Originally published in November 2021 in Blog, Toronto Illustrators
Hyper-realistic or suggestive? In high school, I was OBSESSED with drawing objects so accurately that the viewer might mistakenly try and lift them off the page. I liked certainty. This copy of a Clinique eyeliner ad was a case in point. While I was making this, I remember slicing my Staedler eraser […]
Today’s Old Master Copy
Originally published in August 2021 in Blog
Look how the dog’s ear drapes over his leg like a neck tie! Today’s old master copy is after P.D. Eastman’s classic 1960 storybook cover, Are you My Mother? P.D. (Phil to his friends) was an American illustrator and screenwriter who trained with Walt Disney Productions and worked with the Signal Corps […]
How I Drew This
Originally published in July 2021 in Blog, How to Draw, Illustration, Toronto Illustrators
Process Porn: I drew this landscape in the @Procreate app using the “Peppermint” pencil ✏️ (in the Brush Library under “Sketching”). Paul Cézanne was my guide. His angled brushstrokes had a consistent rhythm. They look like the wind blew them all in the same direction. I prefer Procreate’s pencil tools to it’s oil brushes (at […]
Butterflies and #ASMR
Originally published in June 2021 in Blog, Drawing Lesson, Toronto Illustrators
Sunday mornings. Sometimes I flip through my sketchbook looking for drawings to colour. Look, I found this butterfly! Caran d’Ache soft watercolour pencils felt like the best way to add a hit of colour to her wings. The colour melts into paint when you add water. The rest of my day went well after this. […]
The Ink Spot: Drawing Faces
Originally published in June 2020 in Blog, Drawing Lesson, How to Draw, The Ink Spot
I’m looking for a new printing partner
Originally published in March 2020 in Blog, Graphic Facilitation, Graphic Facilitator, Graphic Recording, Graphic Visualizer, Toronto Illustrators
Some of you are asking how I’m faring in my search for a new business partner to print and ship my pillows, totes, scarves, and tees at Pen Jar Productions. 👚 👕 First, THANK YOU! 😘 The answer is: I’m doing my due diligence, researching my options online, talking to friends, drinking tea ☕️, and building a chart in […]
