Drawing Inspiration

Mike gets a little too close to a possessed 1936 Dodge and draws some more insects. Wildlife artist Sophie Green joins the podcast to talk about her creative journey from teacher to an accomplished and successful artist. Sophie talks about her recent pieces from elephants, to bisons, penguins and whale sharks. Sophie donates a percentage of her income to various charities around the world focused...

Mike has had some recent success in exploring nature journaling. He shares his tools, techniques, and some tips along the way. He also talks about some of his recent nature illustration pieces. Jo Brown ( @bernoid  on Twitter,  @taojb  on Instagram) -  Episodes 13  and  Episode 40 Secrets of a Devon Wood Unsplash Pixabay Daniel Smith Watercolor Water brushes from Pent...

Mike continues his work with watercolor by painting a tractor and some bees and then he draws some rocks. France Van Stone then joins the podcast to share her creative journey. France has been able to carry her passion for art through her life while working full-time as a French teacher. She talks about the influence of living near a large car manufacturer in France when she was younger and the lo...

Mike reflects on the last few interviews and the year to date. He talks about his recent foray into watercolor with more detail around some recent pieces as well as his toolkit. It’s also time for a creative check-in to consider what is important and whether you are on the right track. He also talks about finding art time within the nooks and crannies of life and also some interesting homework usi...

Mike works with a new online drawing tool and plays with watercolor, again :-) Sam Gillett then joins the podcast as an early-career artist to share his journey so far. Sam has been drawing for some time but only recently started sharing his work online as well as opening his Etsy store. Sam and Mike discuss the power of observation and his inspiration for his work. Sam then talks about his recent...

Mike talks about an online collaborative tool for digital art as well as a couple of graphite pieces. Scott Christian Sava joins the podcast to talk about his journey and fulfilling his dream to work on Spider-Man. He then talks about his Netflix movie, “Animal Crackers”. They explore Scott’s posting and daily painting practice on TikTok. Scott shares how he does not let TikTok define him while st...

Mike talks about some his recent works and morel mushrooms. Samantha Dion Baker then joins the podcast to talk about her evolving art practice from graphic design to illustration and author. She share her journey that has resulted in volumes of sketchbooks in her house. She talks about about her process, tools and approaches for creating wonderful memories through a mix of pencil, ink and paint. M...

Mike talks about some colored pencil pieces and future plans. Artist and author Kimberly Brooks joins the podcast to talk about her journey and her new book, “The New Oil Painting”. They talk about her beginnings and how she took control of her own journey. She talks about color versus line for all artists and not being precious about your work. Cardinals ( version 1  digital,  version 2...

Mike follows up on some UFOs and shares some thoughts on his current art pieces. Mike is then joined by artist Sunaina Buckshey to talk about her creative journey. As a recent graduate of the London School of Arts with an MFA, Sunaina shares her thoughts on art degrees. She then talks about her exploration of pigments and how 28,000-year-old cave paintings have inspired her to create her own paint...

Liza Donnelly joins Mike on this episode to talk about her creative journey in becoming a cartoonist for the New Yorker, Medium, Cosmopolitan, and so many other publications. She talks about her mindset, tools and what it takes to become a successful cartoonist by sharing her stories and experiences along the way. Liza’s drive to make people happy which started when she was quite young is still wh...

Mike shares a story about connections. Eric Messinger then joins the podcast to talk about his incredible charcoal and graphite fantasy art. Eric has a unique style and approach using abstract use of charcoal in prepping the paper for his characters to visit. He goes through his process and then Mike and Eric have a great discussion about paper and pencils. Eric uses an interesting approach to sta...

Marek Badzynski joins the podcast to talk about his journey from Poland to Canada and architect to urban sketcher. Marek talks about his early days in Europe and how urban sketching saved him from a police incident. He then discusses his approach to using fountain pens with the fude nib as well as water-soluble graphite. He also addresses how to separate the collector of art supplies from the arti...

Myriam Tillson makes a return to the podcast to talk about her daily doodle exercise. Mike and Myriam then take a deep dive on a few of her pieces to explore the impact they have had on her as well as others. Myriam talks about a recent post on TikTok and why she will be doing more of them. They then discuss her YouTube channel and the impact Patreon has had on her career and her creative well-bei...

Mike shares a new promo from a friend of the show and also talks about his first newsletter edition involving dinosaurs. Mike is joined by Kina Forney who talks about her creative journey and how a fine arts degree with a focus on computation arts helps to shape her early work. Kina talks about her incredible jellyfish and nebula work and why the canvas you need to paint on maybe be right in front...

Mike opens his online shop and talks about a couple of challenges. Mike then welcomes artist and teacher Sarah Marie Lacy to the podcast to talk about her journey from Canada to France and back as a formally trained artist. Sarah discusses her early beginnings and how the discovery of a piece in a coffee table book written by a nun brought her to a Studio Escalier. They talk about the challenges w...

Mike gets close to launching the newsletter and his first shop. He also received some new pencils and a wonderful new tool. Michael Relth then joins the podcast to talk about his journey from art school to writing and illustrating his first book. Michael talks about the need to make a positive impact with his art and how critical it is to have a circle of trust. He talks about his work with animat...

Mike spends some time with colored pencils. He then reflects on 2020 and talks about his theme for 2021. Jake Parker joins the podcast to share his creative journey from his early inspiration to animation, books, and of course Inktober. Jake talks about his style and looking in the rearview mirror. He also shares his experience and business advice after successfully creating and publishing a numbe...

Mike works on getting ready for the holidays but does have a chance to finish a graphite piece. The wonderful Andy J. Pizza visits the podcast to talk about his journey and the impact of ADHD on becoming a successful creative speaker, illustrator and educator. Mike and Andy chat about the impact of social media on creativity, success and wellness. They explore education as an art form and of cours...

Mike gets down to some graphite pieces with the new Pentel Canada Orenz Nero. Mike is then joined by Andrea Ross who talks about her journey from software developer and podcaster before a diagnosis of cancer changed her life. She talks about creating the idea of drawing something positive everyday which she calls “gruntling”. Approaching 1000 drawings by the end of 2020, she talks about perseveran...

Mike welcomes graphite back in his life and makes some Patreon changes. He also talks about doing some more live draws and has new products to test. Jo Brown then joins the podcast to talk about her new book, which is based on her nature journal. She also shares her experience in drawing on a fiberglass otter in support of Dartmoor National Park. The talk about spiders and of course, mushrooms. Ep...

Mike talks about what’s on his reading list and the value of Patreon with some changes to come. Mike then reflects on his Inktober experience and reviews some of the successes and challenges he had along the way. He also talks about what’s coming next. Show Notes Patreon Braving the Wilderness - Brené Brown Brené Brown Podacsts Storyworthy - Matthew Dicks MOTH podcast The Skeptics Guide to the Uni...

Mike continues his Inktober project and talks about his workflow and a few of the prompts. Mike shares a couple of books and then explores a video to help your coffee house sketching. Cornelia Hernes joins the podcast to talk about her journey in pursuing her lifelong passion. She speaks to the melody in art and developing your artistic vocabulary. She uses her skill and experience in art and teac...

Mike begins Inktober and talks about his first four days. He is then joined by artist Sarah Burns from the picturesque highlands of Scotland to talk about her creative journey. Sarah shares her experiences in oil, pencil, and watercolor and how the iPad has become a key component of her artist kit. Sarah and Mike discuss her online presence and what it’s like to be a successful artist with the cha...

Mike reflects on the work from a previous guest, LightBox Expo, and the upcoming release Procreate 5X. Mike then explores the controversy around Inktober and how to remain focussed on your ultimate goal. He then reflects on 2020 and how to remain strong, sensitive, healthy, and creative. Show notes Patreon New Patron->  art_of_jamie_conklin Procreate drawing MaxPacks LightBox Expo Anna Buc...

Mike takes a staycation and was able to finish the grasshopper, begins a butterfly and spots a stoat. He talks about the upcoming LightBox Expo and some work Max Ulichney has released. He then talks about his plans for Inktober and the role creative writing has in his art life.  ===== Show notes ===== Grasshopper Comma butterfly Scott Maier (Episode 31) Stoat , LightBox Expo Max Ulichney Epis...