Getting Back to the Basics (Sort of…)

I've discovered the longer I design, the more certain trends start to appear, not just in my work but in my processes, as well.

The way I originally learned how to create a new composition was to begin with a simple sketch. However, in this digital age, it becomes easier and easier to begin right on the computer, throwing type and color and textures together out of the gate and forgoing the sketch phase altogether. The trend in my workflow as of late has been to succumb to this approach more and more. You could call it lazy, but I think it's more to do with creative atrophy. The less you use your artistic muscle, over time the harder it is to use it at all.So, I'm taking the first step and admitting I have a problem. This revelation came to me when I was playing around with a new app I downloaded for my iPad called Paper. It's the best realistic touch-based drawing app I've used to date. And while I was getting the hang of it, I realized that, man, I really miss drawing. So I've decided to get in a habit of sketching out whatever random ideas I have floating around in my brain, not for any kind of project, but just for the fun of it and the act of exercising those atrophied muscles. And while I still may not be going back to the purely traditional tools of pencil and paper, this is at least a good compromise to ease me back into the discipline of creating with my hands, rather than just a mouse.

 
 

To keep track of these sketches, and so others can view my progress, I've created a simple little blog over on Tumblr called Sketchi Pad (see what I did there). Bookmark it or add it to your feeds and follow along!