Inspiration from sketchbooks

Most designers, especially illustrators, architects, interior designers, fashion designers and even web designers have a simple sketchbook accompanying their design process. Sketchbooks act as a tool more than just a journal showing artistic work from lines and colors. Sketches can be classified as observation – a documentation of the artist’s external world and invention – a series of drawings showing the internal journey of the development of composition and ideas. Throughout history, they are oftentimes seen on various exhibits or in some private art displays. But not anymore today.

Even with the evolution of digital art, sketchbooks today are still in the spotlight in terms of showcasing artistic quality in terms of illustration and design. With the power of the Internet, presenting the works in sketchbooks to the rest of the world is easy. They are seen by many people across the globe by just taking a photograph or scanning the sketch then posting it on a website. Online portfolios of most traditional illustrators have a link to view their sketchbooks. It adds up to the professional quality of the artist and taking a peek on his/her design process through raw sketches is a plus factor.

And to inspire you to make the most out of your sketchbooks or sketchpads out there – whether it is a moleskine or just an ordinary notebook – we’ll be presenting some amazing artists together with their one of a kind sketchbooks that will definitely inspire you to start filling up your own blank pages. Enjoy!

 

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Irina Vinnik

 
 Russian illustrator Irina Vinnik will make you say “wow!” over her sketchbooks. She was educated as an architect, has worked as a web designer, write and illustrate children’s books. Her unique style in manipulating ink lines and strokes in her sketchbook illustrations mostly floral designs and patterns are absolutely incredible!

 

 

 

Sketchbook Illustration by Irina Vinnik  (Source)

 

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Oleg Tischenkov

 
Oleg is an illustrator from Canada who specializes in character design and typography. His sketchbook shows us lovely doodles of cityscapes with some touch of natural elements like trees, leaves, flowers, animals and vines incorporated in each pieces per page.

 

 

 

 

 

Sketchbook Illustrations by Oleg Tischenkov (Source)

 

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Eniko Déri

 
As a graphic designer in Hungary, Eniko Déri specializes in print design, typography and packaging. Her sketchbook is so unique in terms of composition and idea. Each page is composed of different lines that create abstract and  surreal patterns delighting the eyes of anyone who looks at them.

 

 

 

 

 

Sketchbook Illustrations by Enik0 Déri (Source)

 

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 Norio Fujikawa

 
Norio Fujikawa is an illustrator based in San Francisco who created 3D design models. He specializes in character and concept designs that makes his sketchbook extremely unique and full of fun and adventure!

 

 

 

 

Sketchbook Illustrations by Norio Fujikawa (Source)

 

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 Lesya Nedzelskaya

 

Based in Ukraine, Lesya specializes in illustration, painting and drawing. Most of her subjects are based on the female figure incorporated with surreal and natural elements defining a unique style and feel.

 

 

 

 

 

Sketchbook Illustrations by Lesya Nedzelskaya (Source)

 

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Ben Templesmith

 
The award winning Australian comic artist Ben Templesmith have worked in various big time projects in the comic industry, most notably in Image Comics. He also worked for popular series like Star Wars, Doctor Who, GI Joe, Army of Darkness, Silent Hill and Buffy: The Vampire Slayer. His sketches reflect how professional he is as an artist and his unique style is just incomparable.

 

 

 

 

 

Sketchbook Illustrations by Ben Templesmith (Source)

 

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Audrey Kawasaki

 
With the influence of Art Nouveau and Japanese manga, Audrey‘s works are very popular in terms of delicate features and flawlessness. She’s a painter based in LA focusing on erotic and decorative feminine portraits on wood and canvas. The doodles on her sketchbook are just a glimpse of how great an artist she has become.

 

 

 

 

 

Sketchbook Illustrations by Audrey Kawasaki (Source)

 

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Mateusz Nowakowski

 
Irish illustrator and printmaker Mateusz Nowakowski created stunning sketches as a recording of different places he went and people he met and various ideas floating into his mind.

 

 

 

Sketchbook Illustration by  Mateusz Nowakowski (Source)

 

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Zlatina Gocheva

 
Based in Bulgaria, Zlatina Gocheva is an illustrator and blogger who has this “cute” element on her creations. Her sketchbook is full of simple yet imaginative sketches with very unique concepts and adorable ideas.

 

 

 

Sketchbook Illustration by Zlatina Gocheva (Source)

 

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Artem Solop

 
Another Ukraine based digital illustrator manages to maximize the use of his sketchbook. Artem Solop compiled his most amazing sketches with every detail on subjects like robots and mutants –  each is impressively done with pencils, pens and digitized later on. Here are some of his collection, the most remarkable ones are enlarged.

 

 

 

 

Sketchbook Illustrations by Artem Solop (Source)

 

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Sketchbooks are great sources of inspiration. They don’t just let us take a peek on the artist’s works but take us to an entirely different world of creativity.

 

http://www.youthedesigner.com

from the file 'Just Stuff'

Mobile phones give artists new tools to create

By Lauren Russell, CNN

updated 11:49 AM EDT, Wed September 19, 2012

Karen Divine set a personal challenge for herself of working exclusively on her iPhone to create her Nude series. She uses the iPhone apps Hipstamatic, Camera Plus, Image Blender, and ScratchCam, and occasionally Snapseed, PhotoCopier and Perfect Photo for smaller adjustments in her work.

(CNN) -- When working on her nude series, artist Karen Divine sometimes joins other photographers at group photo shoots with a model in a studio. She's usually the only woman, and she's usually the only one without a high-powered digital camera.

She always gets funny looks when she joins a group shoot with just her phone. Last week one photographer said to her, "Oh, gee, that works for you?"

In fact, it works quite well for her. She shoots, composites and manipulates all her pieces on her iPhone.

Divine's nude series explores whether a female photographer approaches photographing women differently than the male photographers who dominate the field. The series has not only been recognized as great iPhone work, but it also stacks up well against traditional photography. Her work won two awards in the international Eyephoneography photography competition and won first place in the Fine Art Nude category in the Lucie Awards, an international photography competition.

Since she discovered the potential of the iPhone as a photography and art tool a year and a half ago, Divine has downloaded 50 photography apps and stowed away her bulky cameras that had been invaluable tools in her art career for the past four decades.

"I haven't really shot with my camera since," she said.

Smartphone artwork is increasingly becoming recognized as a viable new media form, providing an opportunity for veterans to expand their style and reach. Mixed media artist David Swann has worked in welding, film and digital photography, printmaking, painting and Photoshop; for him, the iPhone is just another canvas.

"It's not out of disrespect for traditional processes," Swann said. "It's just another way of taking a creative idea and putting it out there for people to share."

His mixed media works might include a photo manipulated on the iPhone, then printed on a canvas and overlaid with acrylic paint.

David Rams, a former photographer for Playboy Magazine who is also now experimenting in mixed media, said he pulls photos taken on his Nikon into his phone and applies filters. Sometimes clients like them more than the full resolution photos. He finds beauty in imperfections: in scars on people and in scratches and overexposure effects of some Instagram filters. For him, app experimentation is like sketching.

Art photography: When 'reality isn't good enough'

"There's no stress," he said. "I don't have a client breathing over my neck."

It also allows him to document his personal life without feeling like he's in work mode, unlike when he has a camera hanging around his neck.

"There are some moments you don't want to be carrying a camera so you can be involved in it, but a cell phone is a lot more spontaneous," Rams said.

All three artists said settling for the lower resolution of the photos was worth the improvisation the iPhone allows. They can grab a shot of a neat cloud formation when running errands, or composite a new piece while waiting in a doctor's office.

It's not only experienced artists playing on their phones. Smartphones and apps provided a platform and tools for creative types who hadn't pursued art because of lack of training or supply funding. Daria Polichetti and her partner, Nate Park, launched the website iphoneart.com in 2010 for mobile artists to upload their portfolios and share techniques with each other. They hosted the L.A. Mobile Arts Festival in August, which they said was the largest gathering of mobile art to date with more than 200 artists' work showcased.

"There were well-known artists alongside soccer moms," Polichetti said. "People from all over the world, from Lebanon, Turkey, Africa, were able to come together in a way that wasn't possible before in the world of art."

Mobile devices have allowed more people to become part of the art world, and both Polichetti and Divine, whose work was featured in the festival and is posted on the site, are welcoming the newcomers.

On Wednesday Polichetti launched an iprint online store where artists sell prints of their work.

"We feed each others' creativity," said Divine, who is teaching her techniques at workshops. "I can teach techniques, but people have to have a vision and work from a place where they can express themselves."

Polichetti said she often hears that mobile artists aren't truly artists because they hit a button to apply a few filters, and it's the app developers who are doing the real work.

"These artists are innovating art at the front of the field and doing things these app creators didn't even know was possible. They're inventing new processes," she said. "It's a real collaboration."

 

http://www.cnn.com

from the file of WF

Street Art: Bite Your Spray Can!

Last year, I featured the fantastic outdoor murals of Smug, since then, he has continued to do quality work which can be viewed here.

 

 

Top: Photo © SmugOne.

http://illusion.scene360.com/

Oil Paintings by Fulvio di Piazza

Author: Draw As A Maniac

Fulvio Di Piazza was born in 1969 in Siracusa, Italy. He studied at Urbino Art Academy and currently lives in Palermo, Italy. In 2008, Di Piazza participated in the Quadriennale exhibition in Rome. In 2011, his work was included in an exhibition curated by Vittorio Sgarbi at the Italian Pavilion of the 54th Venice Biennale.

 

Chek him at www.bonelliarte.com

http://drawasamaniac.com/news/Fulvio_di_Piazza.php

An incredible castle made from paper

This incredible castle is an amazing display of papercraft, an artform that uses heavy sheets of paper to create intricate sculptures and artworks. In this remarkable piece by Japanese artist Wataru Itou, we really get to appreciate the detail, intricacy and patience a creation like this takes.

 

What’s also fascinating is the lighting which can have a dramatic impact on the mood and feel of the artwork. The name of the piece in Japanese is Umo no Ue no Oshiro, and loosely translates to, “A Caste on the Ocean”. Back in 2009 it was on display for an exhibition at Umihotaru.

Umihotaru is an artificial island with a rest area consisting of restaurants, shops and amusement facilities. It’s a bridge-tunnel crossover point on the Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line.

http://www.edotmagazine.com/