This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American
While considering how to sum up my artistic year, I realized this sketchy little painting of my character Trilobite Boy fleeing anonymous hands was already doing that. So I finished it up.
This has been another tough year for me artistically. My output has been low while juggling my full time job, blogging here at Symbiartic, being a parent and husband, completing contracts and occasionally sleeping. We have a second child on the way - imminently! - and yet drawing is the itch I must scratch.
It used to be I would rise early before work to paint or blog: the rest of my day after felt like something personal had already been accomplished and it was fulfilling. Since becoming a parent, it has been harder to find a consistent sleep cycle to allow this. But I'm not giving up. The clawing hands of the clock (hey I should have put clocks up there instead of weapons) are a constant enemy of artists everywhere. Finding ideas isn't an illustrator's problem, it's finding time to execute the ideas.
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The little painting above was created entirely on my iPad, with the exception of © Mellow 2013 in the corner. I used ArtRage on my new Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus, and then filtered with the Halftone app.
The Intuos Stylus (sorry Wacom, I'm not writing that whole whopper of a name out again in this post) is a tremendous tool that allows pressure sensitivity on the iPad, using Bluetooth. I've a got a full review of that little baby queued up for after the holidays.
And so onward.
Cheers for a prosperous 2014 for illustrators, artists and creative people making things that did not exist before. My thanks to Kalliopi and Katie and the Scientific American editors for another tremendous year here on Symbiartic. And a hearty, back-slapping thank you to all of the artists featured this year. Anytime I feel exhausted or wrung out, your creativity inspires me anew.
Cheers!