• You learn to draw by drawing.
• People that are better than you are just better than you because they’ve had more practice.
• Draw VERBS, not nouns. – Walt Stanchfield
• Turn everything you paint to greyscale (digitally). If it looks like a grey soup, you f*cked up.
• If you’re not sure what good values look like, look at screen stills from B/W movies, like Citizen Kane.
• You learn to draw by drawing.
• 50 bad illustrations might yield one good one. You learn to draw by drawing.
• Sometimes you gotta draw it 6 or 7 times.
• Use sharp edges for only important things, practice hierarchy and contrast. Have a focal point.
• If you’re going to give someone a jewel, don’t surround it with shiny things. – Paul Hudson
• Saturate your eyes and brain with work that is better than what you can do. Then put it all away
and start working.
• Progress, not Perfection.
• Schedule time to utterly fail. – Iain McCaig
• Take reference, it’s easier that way. Don’t make stuff up if you don’t have to. If it doesn’t exist,
figure out how to take a picture of it anyway. Use cardboard, clay, macaroni… doesn’t matter.
• Doubt can only be removed by ACTION. – Goethe
• Use the best materials you can possibly afford. You’re already fighting a battle. Don’t fight the materials.
Find pencils/brushes/paper that feel good.
• Does it work in greyscale? Does it work at postage-stamp size? Does it work reversed? Upside down?
• Do what you love, other people will love it too. – Z

More thoughts are found here.

Inktense pencil, watercolour on sketchbook paper. 11″ x 14″

Click to zoom. -Z

The amazing Kim Boekbinder, a fiercely talented songstress just released her first solo album.
She asked us to illustrate Open/Avocado, one of my favourites. Listen/Buy here.

Charcoal on paper. Original size, 11″ x 17″.

Hour and a half long portrait from life.
If you’re interested in a similar black and white portrait, contact me.
I’d love to draw you. -Z

Pencil on Denril. Photoshop colour.

Inktense pencil drawing on Denril. Photoshop colour. 9″ x 12″

Illustration for a short story by Eilis O’Neal called Middle done for Realms of Fantasy.

Oil on board. Absolutely no Photoshop. 15″ x 20″

First fully completed oil painting. 16 week Atelier session. Oils are amazing.
Gotta look at Rembrandt more. Keeping the highlights rich and thick, the darks
transparent and thin. So much to learn! -Z