Illustrations & Paintings

Here is a selection of some of my work from the past 8+ years. I became self-trained and exorbitantly practiced in pen & ink drawing through middle and high school, which I applied in early projects like an illustrated children’s book story written by my at-the-time-
14-year-old sister (see “The Bullfrog’s Song” under Stories & Portfolios), one AP-level portfolio documenting the time I briefly dabbled in the art of humorous cartography, and another porfolio in which I carved the faces of Women throughout history with nibs of glitter gel pens that scarred bristol paper and produced some truly awful sounds with each stroke. At the same time I started to explore graphite and painting techniques, cultivating a life-long passion for anatomical drawing and portraiture.

Learning to become a master of technique at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in 2017 introduced me to a wide range of media and practices, and I soon entered my digital era of Adobe Creative Suite. My practice of pen on paper naturally translated to stylus and tablet. Character design continues to be a special creative interest, alongside storytelling as a whole. When I look at my work from 2019 and 2020, I see a love for linework in the intricacies of hair, folds of fabric, tiny marks and details. This is when I see my former dedication to realism convert into an ability to exaggerate forms and streamline shapes.

In my current process, I try to work at a steady pace, follow my intuition, and be unafraid to make big changes. Constant brain breaks help to refresh and reorient for a clearer picture of a project, but also 8 hours of caffeine-fueled hyperfocus is great for getting things done. As a part-time artist / full-time grunt, I’ve grown to cherish time I can spend being creative and learned to stop being picky about what projects I decide to start… or finish!