I Used to Be Dead-Set Against Tablets

I'm Now a (Mostly) All-Digital Artist

How My Work Process Slowly Evolved from Pen & Paper

February 2023

At Boise State University, where I earned my BFA in Illustration, I learned the habit of drawing with a pen in a sketchbook. My professor told us, "Commit to your lines" and "Do more and better". Frustrating advice, but it goaded me on.

I drew for thousands of hours during and after My time at university.

I filled a big stack of sketchbooks from cover to cover. I fell in love with the look of ink on a page and the quiet sensation of picking out new pens and ink brushes in stores that smelled like old libraries. I illustrated many of my earlier pieces with pen and paper before scanning and coloring them digitally.

Eventually, having clients and deadlines meant I had to rely more and more on an iPad.

My first piece for The New York Times took me 5 days from the time they contacted me to the time I turned in final artwork. There was no way I would have been able to ink the image on paper in that amount of time, and so I banged it out on the trusty ole' iPad. And it was actually a ton of fun! ProCreate's digital tools really do measure up nicely to the physical ones I love so much. I was surprised that I was able to readily re-create my favorite looks and feels and still meet my deadlines.

When I'm not on a tight deadline, I like to pull out a bunch of sponges, brushes and ink rollers to see what kind of textures and interesting marks I can create in real life. Then I scan them into my computer and make digital textures and ProCreate brushes out of them. This helps infuse my work with physical mark making while I can still enjoy the convenience and versatility of a digital workspace.

I get nostalgic flipping through my old ink drawings, though.

Ink drawings in my studio from university

It's so fun to have people in my studio and pull my out my big stack of old ink drawings (you're all invited). But as cool as physical drawings are, working on a tablet has allowed me to get a lot more refined in the creation of my work. I can endlessly perfect my lines, or go back in and easily fix mistakes, and these abilities have allowed for the development of a stronger technical prowess. It's a process I'll be using and evolving for a long time to come!

View Illustration Drawn with Ink

Preview of My First Official Print Release

Here's another detail shot of 2023's first limited edition print release which will drop in the Spring. The illustration is based off a personal experience I had while backpacking the Idaho side of Hells Canyon. A local partner who will handle this specialty print production and mail out each piece by hand.

This print will be released in two sizes: 16x20 and 11x14. Stay tuned for next month's newsletter - I'm absolutely stoked to reveal the art, and the details about the print.

Recent Work For UCLA Magazine

Still frame from animation for *UCLA Magazine*

I recently collaborated with UCLA Magazine to create an animation about American political division fueled by social media. It's an interesting topic, and I had fun creating a bunch of different fake social media posts and assembling them into a "wall" that floats in between the two main characters, dividing them while they look at each other, confused. I used myself as a model (if you can't tell).

View Animation

Monthly Vibe

I'm still obsessed with this original Hokusai print I got to see at Scholten Gallery in New York City last March. His artwork left a profound and lasting impression on me.

Furry Assistant

Roast Beef, my cat, testing out the strength/durability of my tote bag (very helpful).

Ben KonkolMarch 2, 2023