Text heavy!

I'm one of those people who rummage through the paper recycling box after taking out the trash. Why, you say? Because it's an easy way to get magazines without paying a penny (and it's nature friendly, too, mind you). The unfortunate side of it is that when you're not all that tall and the container is rather big, there's a danger of falling in when you're trying to fish out fashion magazines (which for some reaosn always are in the bottom). But so far no one has caught me red handed ;) I can imagine their looks when they see their sorry neighbour halfway in the paper container...

When I was doodling some random heads today, I got to thinking about which artists have most influenced my own drawings. Aimee Major Steinberger and Alan Tew are by far my two biggest influences when it comes to sketching. When I was younger, I used to look at their drawings and try to get the hang of drawing faces. Their sketches have simplicity and dynamics that I found really helpful. I think that espescially animators' sketches are a good resource for getting some idea of how to draw movement and facial expressions (things I still have to work on a lot :P). Another similar influence is Shane Glines - he has nice retro style in his work.

Brian Froud is one of my "weird factor" influnces and Yoshitaka Amano's work has probably brought in some flowyness (is that even a word?). I'm not sure if Amano's work has influenced me much, but he's one of my top favourite artists in any case. Then there's of course my overall love for Art Nouveau and various other things I've picked up along the read. Music and the people I know are also really big influences - musn't forget those!

The funny thing is that the things people critique you on may sometimes become the things that you think most as your own style. From early on I was told not to draw "alien heads" (big heads with triangular shape and so on), but I now think my alien heads is just something that I see as me. Sure, they looked pretty different back then, but you can always spot similarities in your old and new work.

+ Music: The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself (sugarpie, honeybunch) (listen)