Inspiration

Since I’m drawing more, I’m finding it’s easier to get in the headspace of what I want to do by revisiting the works of artists whose styles I emulate closest. That’s not to say I want to copy directly their styles, but their illustrations are closest to how I prefer drawing. Since I’m still refining my approach and process, it’s nice to refresh myself on what they’ve done so I can have a more cohesive vision for what I want to do.

Locally, I really love the way Caroline William drew her scenes. Barbara and David Day are also hugely influential. Additionally, old architectural drawings by Samuel Hannaford and his contemporaries are always worth looking back on.

I got this book from the Ohio Bookstore years ago. It’s a collection of floorplans and sketches by George Woodward, originally printed in the late 1800s. I find them among the most beautiful sketches of houses and Victorian-era buildings I’ve seen. They’re so technical and precise. While that’s not how I prefer to work (I like Williams’ more loose approach), I can’t get over the shading in his drawings. They add so much dimension and beautifully highlight the many shapes and corners of each building.