The SneakyArt Podcast

In this episode, Nishant speaks with Cornwall-based illustrator and artist Emma Carlisle about her work as an illustrator, and how adverse circumstances pushed her to engage in new and meaningful ways with both her art and her thousands of fans. In this respect, they speak about the many pitfalls of Instagram from the point of view of both creatives and fans. Emma talks candidly about suffering fr...

In this episode, I speak with LA-based urban sketcher and educator Virginia Hein about her education to be a fine artist, her work in the toy industry, and her discovery of urban sketching. Despite intending to become a painter, Virginia found herself working in the toy industry fresh out of art school. Did she find this troubling, and how did she equip herself for the subtle differences between c...

I speak with Vienna-based researcher and illustrator Oliver Hoeller about the field of science illustration, and what he finds in the practice of urban sketching to make him a better illustrator, a more patient observer, and a happier person. He tells me about his path to a scientific career, and how he leapt at the opportunity to make his first science illustrations. We talk about where good idea...

In this episode, I speak with Amsterdam based art-educator Koosje Koene about how she used the restrictions of COVID lockdown to "discover an extended version of the artist" in her, with a simple philosophy of doing what's fun . How much can be achieved by doing what is fun? Can it spark new ideas? Can it help us accomplish big, important goals too? Koosje used this period to write a book and disc...

I speak with Ottawa-based Tom Pajdlhauser (aka Captain Tom) about his years of work in the animation industry. I ask him about the many responsibilities of an art director, and the hierarchy of workflows involved in the creation of an animated show. We talk about how he sees the relevance of traditional drawing skills in the age of digital art. But as a career illustrator, what does Tom gain from...

In the new episode, I speak with NYC-based artist and urban-sketcher Katie Woodward. Katie has made paintings that are both very large and very small. As a scenic artist for the theater she has worked on backdrops spanning several feet, and as an urban-sketcher she makes tiny watercolor cityscapes just a couple of inches wide. What's it like to make art for the theater? What is inherently differen...

In this episode, I speak with urban-sketcher and illustrator Anna Wilson. Anna is what I describe as a 'deliberate artist', in that she has taken strong decisions to change her career trajectory towards art and illustration. I am always interested in speaking to 'deliberate artists', because they have such motivated and well-considered reasons for the things they do. What does a path of self-educa...

In this episode, I speak with Berlin-based illustrator and artist Felix Scheinberger. Felix once described illustration as "applied imagination" and in this conversation I try to learn more about where this imagination comes from, and how it can be nurtured. What is the role of on-location drawing in feeding this imagination? What are some ways to strengthen your imagination over time? What is the...

In this episode, I speak with Ian Fennelly, an artist and urban sketcher in the UK. Ian paints his urban environments in vivid, rich, and sometimes fantastical color-scapes. His lines and colors cleverly contrast the tussle between representing objective reality and subjective emotions. As Ian likes to point out, he is not recreating a scene, but creating art from a scene. The title of this episod...

In this episode, I speak with oil painter and urban-sketcher, Marc Taro Holmes, about his evolution over the years as an artist. Marc worked in the early gaming industry, when both games and design programs were rudimentary. Later, as an urban-sketcher, he started the Citizen Sketcher blog, led numerous workshops, wrote several books, and inspired countless artists with his annual events - OneWeek...

In this episode, I speak with Mumbai-based artist, illustrator and urban-sketcher Zainab Tambawalla, about her sketch-reportage project to tell the story of 6 artisans practicing different trades in the city of Mumbai, India. She shares stories from their lives, professional struggles, and the enormous hardships of the past 2 years. Her project urges us to notice the lives of people who are often...

I speak with painter and storyboard artist, Alex Hillkurtz, about working on Hollywood storyboards and how it informs and influences his art today. We discuss how storyboards are made, what they are used for, and the lessons they have for every artist in terms of composition and framing. Alex tells me about picking up painting at a later stage in life, and how his ideas about control and precision...

In this episode of the SneakyArt Podcast, I speak with Danny Gregory - author, adman, speaker, artist, podcaster and all-around creative person. Danny has led a remarkable life, growing up in various parts of the world, working different jobs, and pursuing creativity in various forms. I speak to him about his journey to become a deliberate artist, and what it means to pursue self-expression inside...

In this episode, I speak with Teoh Yi Chie, an urban sketcher, artist and YouTuber in Singapore. Teoh creates content at a prolific pace to meet the diverse needs of his audience - art tutorials, draw-alongs, art supply reviews, and online workshops. We talk about the many ways that creators can interact and engage with fans in the new "creator economy". In his work, Teoh is able to merge his natu...

In this episode, I speak with Rob Sketcherman, an urban sketcher and digital artist in Hong Kong. Rob is popular in the global urban-sketching community for making his work exclusively on the iPad, and for being the host of USk Talks. Rob's artistic journey constitutes decisions motivated by both curiosity and pragmatism. It was a combination of curiosity and pragmatism that led him to urban sketc...

In this episode, I speak with Roisin Cure, an urban sketcher and illustrator living in Galway, Ireland. We talk about learning to draw from comic books, and the ways that urban sketching has transformed her art and her approach to life. I enjoy Roisin's work for the unique illustration style and for her focus on human activity. People are the subject of Roisin's work, and in this conversation I le...

In this episode, I speak with Gabi Campanario, sketch-journalist at the Seattle Times and founder of the Urban Sketchers organization. Everyone in the urban-sketchers community knows or knows about Gabi, but often only in the role of being the founder. As I researched this episode, I realized it would be a disservice to speak to him only about this. Instead, we talk about the many intersections of...

In this episode of the SneakyArt Podcast, I spoke with British artist George Butler, who makes ink/watercolor drawings of people in conflict-zones and refugee camps all over the world. His latest book ( Drawn Across Borders ) tells the migration stories of 12 individuals, compiled from travels over the past decade. Modern reasons for migration, legal or otherwise, include political upheaval, civil...

I speak with Sydney-based urban-sketcher Liz Steel about the different ways she makes her art look effortless and spontaneous. Liz took a big leap of faith in her professional life - quitting a career in architecture to become a full-time artist and educator. What does she carry from her education and experience that informs her art today? How does she benefit from a regular blogging habit? And wh...

I speak with industrial designer Mike Daikubara about how the principles of design intersect with his passion for urban-sketching. In design it is said, form follows function. But how does that translate to art? We discuss this interplay in both directions. How does Mike's education affect his urban-sketching? How does a regular sketching practice inform his work as an industrial designer? The aut...

I speak with New York-based artist Sarah Nisbett, who has been sketching people on the subway for over 9 years. Her work is titled Drawn on the Way , which is an apt description for her art as well as this episode. Drawing on the subway means that Sarah is always racing against an invisible clock, because she never knows when a subject might leave. This makes her alert to inspiration, and ready to...

The purpose of this episode is to look back at previous conversations and follow the threads of commonality that weave between them. I do not try to portray unique ideas, but ideas that we all have in response to obstacles we all face. In this way, I hope that the moments I have chosen will inspire you, bring confidence, and show you a way forward in the fog of solitary, creative pursuit. I like t...

I speak with Singapore-based educator and artist Paul Wang about the way he dances, using line and color, across the page. Paul finds art in the middle of urban chaos and he paints it with dramatic colors and meandering lines. His composition is informed by his education in interior design and theatre production. He tries to tell a story with every piece, and that influences every artistic decisio...

I speak with Toronto-based urban-sketcher Marek Badzynski about being an impatient artist, using a fude nib fountain pen, and selling art to tourists from different countries. While both of us like to finish drawings quickly, we discuss the importance of getting started quickly. We talk about making it easier to get started on an empty page and how that is often the biggest barrier of all. It was...

In the latest episode, I speak with traveler and urban sketcher Luis Simoes about his journey around the world. Luis quit his job as a graphic designer (in his early 30s) to backpack around the world, drawing all the interesting sights he would see. What motivates a salaried, young person to take on a life of less comfort, certain risks and constant instability? Is there really a pot of gold at th...