Tell me a little bit about yourself, about your life? Where did you go to school, and what classes did you study (if any)? What helped prepare you to become the artist that you are today?
First off, I want to stress that although my Patreon and art is focused on adult (18+) subject matter I believe the base inspirations for art are universal. I’ve crafted all my answers to apply to ANYONE who is interested in doing art or any creative endeavor. This is for all ages and backgrounds to enjoy.
I did go to school for art but most of my ‘schooling’ would be from my own practice. I have always loved animation and that is probably what inspired me first to pick up a pencil and draw. Over the years I have collected more comics and watched more anime than I care to admit too. haha
How do you go about designing a new piece of art, and what goes through your mind, from start to end?
The first thing on my mind is ‘will this be fun’? I think it’s very important to have a passion for the work you are creating. For me, fun is a good driving force that really helps me get through a piece. As a few might know, there comes a point while working on a new project where your enthusiasm will ebb. A fun piece will really help you stay focused and see things through to completion.
Something overlooked is the idea it’s OK to change direction while working on a piece. By this I mean keeping the end goal a little loose to allow for happy accidents to happen. Having a bit of leeway will keep the project fresh, keep you on your toes and still give you the wiggle room to incorporate a new take.
What is a typical day for you, and who are the people you work with?
I work from home and have been for a while now. Thanks to Patreon I have been able to shift my efforts almost entirely to my patrons. I have a month to month schedule I create and keep. At the start of the day I get up, check my goals, pick the ones for today and get to work. I don’t have rigid set of hours but I do work to stay on track and focused. Again, thanks to my patrons and the setup I incorporate I can take a break when I feel like it and not have a guilty feeling I’m falling behind. haha
What are some of the things that you have worked on?
Most of my most recent work on Patreon is the stuff I’m most proud of. I can’t thank my patrons, friends and fans enough for the opportunity to create new art. Thanks to their support I have been able to expand my work into animation and now I create 10-15 minute color movies every month. That’s quite a jump from me doing black and white comics when I started my Patreon.
Is there a character or illustration you have done that you are most happy with?
It’s probably cliché to say it but I think my most recent piece is always my best. My old art is important to me and I look back on all my work with a lot of gratitude. My recent work, whether art or animation tends to be a culmination of all the work I have done to date so I feel that is really my ‘best effort’.
What projects are you working on now? (if you can tell us)
Yep, my Patreon is all about creating animation and comics. Each month I interact with my patrons and poll them for what they are liking to help shape the direction of my new work. It’s a great process and helps me stay engaged and working on things both I am my friends and fans enjoy.
Who are some of your favorite artists out there?
When I was coming up I was stunned at the amount of artists out there. Now, so many years later there are – no joke – hundreds, if not thousands of people I look up to. I’m still learning and doing my best. I think a person can learn from ANYONE if they are willing to pause and take things in.
Could you talk about your process in creating your art, as well as the types of tools or media that you use?
I used to be a mostly traditional artist (pencil and paper) and around 2011 or so I went totally digital with Clip Studio (then called Manga Studio). I do not regret the move one little bit. Clip Studio is so freaking good and allows me so much creative freedom. That program alone has probably propelled my meager abilities forward more than anything! haha!
What part of designing is most fun and easy, and what is most difficult?
The most fun is coming up with the idea and the most difficult is finishing a seemingly simple idea. A lot of times my ideas are WAY ahead of my ability. When I get stuck and things get hard I work to make it fun by making the “hard moment” a challenge to overcome. It works too! Taking a tough spot and turning it into a golden moment is incredibly rewarding.
What are some of the things that you do to keep yourself creative?
Wow so many! I try to take in a lot of art and animation, shows, books and the like. I also vary up my day to day and get outside when I can. I feel I do better when I break up my routine too. A lot of times I get locked in my chair for hours and days drawing. It’s always nice to get out, see friends or even take a walk in the morning or evening.
What are some of your favorite characters from other creators that you enjoy?
This goes back to the above answer but I think there are so many people I like. To name some classic creators (who I am in NO way implying my art is even close to) would be people like Frank Frazetta, N. C. Wyeth, Andrew Loomis. Visual designers like Syd Mead, Ron Cobb and a ton of others too! Chuck Jones, Hayao Miyazaki oh man… there are soooooo many more I can’t even begin to list all of them and the list above is also woefully incomplete.
What is your most favorite subject to draw? And why?
I don’t know that I have a favorite as much as I try to change up my subjects as often as I can. I have an ongoing comic story that I’m working on and it takes place all over – land, sea, space. Mostly it goes where I think will be fun.
What inspired you to become an Artist?
I was very lucky to have understanding and encouraging parents as well as a good social network growing up. That plus watching tons of anime when I was younger. I wanted at one point to move to Japan and work at ANY studio that would have me! oh man! hahaha
What are some of the neat things you have learned from other artists that you have worked with or seen?
You know, i try to watch other artist streams on Twitch or Picarto. When I can I will look to support my fellow artists in anyway. I love, LOVE seeing artist give tutorials about their process and I do look for those wherever I can find them.
What wisdom could you give us, about being an Artist? Do you have any tips you could give?
The most important thing is ‘make sure you are having fun’. Forget about money, fame and all that. If you are having fun the rest will follow. It’s always slow at first and many people might doubt you but if you are passionate and working on something you enjoy then you will be in a GREAT position to see it through!
If people would like to contact you, how would you like to be contacted?
I encourage anyone who wants to talk with me to mail me at granitelog@hotmail.com that is the BEST way to get in touch with me.
Finally, do you have any of your art work for sale (sketchbook, prints, or anything) for people that like your work can know where and when to buy it?
Everything I have for sale is up on my Patreon but I have a huge free gallery at my main website. It’s an adult focused place so no people under 18 please!
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