Since insomnia wanted to kick it with me tonight, I sketched up another installment of @THATGUYSeries fan art.
working on my workflow.
me circa 1995. sitting in front of a keyboard with a drawing of @BoyzIIMen. #throwbackthursday
TORN
I’m a bit conflicted.
Since the beginning of 2012, my plight to be 100% digital and mobile with my artwork has consumed me. It has taken me to unchartered territories online, broadened my knowledge and infiltrated my wallet. I’ve traded my moleskines and notepads for a Wacom tablet and iPad. My trusty 2HB pencil and black eraser has been upgraded to my Sketchbook Pro app and Adonit Jot stylus. I have achieved the dream of creative efficiency and increased productivity.
So why do I feel like I’ve betrayed my analog ways?
I still have pencils that have never been sharpened. Brand new Bristol paper drawing pads lay next to my wooden drafting table. Those expensive drawing markers? Okay, I don’t miss shelling out $20-30 every couple of months for them. But it doesn’t feel right to abandon the tools that have fueled my creativity long before Photoshop, Illustrator and MacBooks were invented.
As much as I love creating on a digital platform in a new and exciting way, I believe there’s still a place in my life for good ol’ pencil and paper. There isn’t a law hat says I can’t have it both ways. I focused so much on improving my digital prowess, it seemed rooted in replacing my competencies moreso than adding to them.
The purpose of seeking digital/ mobile drawing options was to give APNF the most crisp, polished look and feel possible. Moving forward, I’ll still keep my old standbys on deck for more ancillary creations like my Fave Doodles or random designs for clients, friends, etc.
I love the digital age and what it has done to evolve the creative process. But hard drives crash. LCD screens crack. Logic and motherboards die. Cloud storage companies (with their flashy, free 5GB of space) can go offline tomorrow. Servers crash. Thumb drives go AWOL. Files get corrupted. Power outages happen. Our precious digital footprints are as fragile as steps in the sand. God forbids some electrical apocalypse wipes out years of work. But should it happen I know analog will be there. So I will keep it close like the iPhone on my hip and iPad in my bag.
Day 3 - me & my friends - the characters from A Pug Named Fender. #photoaday
This was the last time I was immersed in both music and drawing equally. circa 1995.
I am the sum total of my talents.
I love being a musician, a producer and a writer - but I realize that this is my season to be a cartoonist. My first gift from God. The talent that’s been with me the longest and has never hurt me. Ever. Hell yeah, I’m gonna embrace it. APNF for life.
new eps of A Pug Named Fender coming soon.
