Practicing sketches every day helps keep one sharp. Everyone should, even if it's not for a project, regardless of skill. It's a great way to stay creative and remain inspired to think outside the box.
Pen & Ink Sketch Artist Society
Fountain pen sketching became a hobby. After trying different mediums over the years, in a constant effort to grow as an artist, we kept persisting. It had enough variance to remain interesting yet performed enough to stay predictable compared to traditional media like pencils, brushes, markers, or anything else. As a result, with always a different way to toy with ink, paper, and tips, we never got bored. That's part of what prompted our founding of the Pen & Ink Sketch Artist Society on Facebook.
It started a few years ago with just one member but grew to over a thousand. We felt it was a great way to share work, learn from others, and gain better understanding of how social media worked. It was interesting to witness the way communities formed, inspired others, and encouraged growth. Posting on a weekly basis, during breaks, we took screenshots from anything we felt proud of.
It wasn't clear if anyone would join given the plethora of groups on Facebook nor that our work was at the level of artists we admired. Also, in many ways, social media had been on the decline for some time. But it worked out, we met many talented people, learned a lot, and great connections formed. Who knows where you might find inspiration?
Traditional
Since childhood, we loved copying from cartoons on TV or comics in print, scribbling to our heart's content, until the desired result happened. It became an obsession and identity. Over years we experimented with different methods, mediums, and techniques to find our "style", which never happened but evolved over time. Some works didn't fit categories but felt worth sharing. Most of these were pencil or reference-based. In many cases we leaned toward line art than shading yet both made great practice.
While there's not often time to dedicate toward one piece, during mealtimes, long phone calls, extended meetings, computer compiling, or when inspiration strikes, those are the opportune moments to grab something and sketch. Usually at our desk or in the kitchen with a notepad, post-it, and sketchbook, we try to capture the essence of something. Working from reference is ideal but often preferable to practice from memory which isn't always optimal but frees the imagination. There are so many ways to explore new ideas yet so little time. It's a shame great art requires more hours than expected.
While sometimes we lose focus on the immediate and time flies, later on these sketches end up becoming something more. A lot of projects have benefitted from them. Who knows what kinds of discoveries await?
Digital Experiments
The transition from traditional to digital was admittedly difficult because of our love for tactile response. There was something about the feel of actual paper, pencil, or clay that made creating art more fun and engaging than with a piece of plastic on a stylus. But the advantages of digital outweighed the physical and it was inevitable it would become the future of art.
Earlier in our career, we experimented with digital concept painting and admired anyone able to pursue it full time. In our case—juggling too many interests, with art often competing with code and game design—it was preferable to draw on paper than PC. It was distracting to focus on digital paint presets when there were already so many other buttons to push.
It wasn’t until college we had access to a drawing tablet. In the labs, we had a chance to learn about hotkeys, various tools, their settings, and pressure sensitivity. While it initially felt weird—we were too accustomed to the power and control of a pencil—two areas where digital always won were with layers and the undo button. By hacking away at different pieces until they worked, we were able to get used to the power of digital art, even if there wasn’t as much time to mature as we hoped. In an alternate universe, it would’ve been nice to have been a full-time concept artist.
While today there are concerns about generative AI and a growing flood of work online, one may never know where an experiment may lead. The power of digital lies in its ability to evolve and branch into different forms—comic, storyboard, interactive presentation, or even a game. There's life beyond a still image with the digital canvas, a potential that far outweighs the risk of obscurity and wasted time. Someday, we'll return to concept art and complete projects. For now, it's enjoyable to share some of our results. Who knows where it may lead?