how an illustration is born: a small story from my studio

Jul 7

Hey hey friends!

A question I get a lot: is your work really all done by hand? Yes, just not the way people picture it. Every illustration starts as a quick pencil sketch in my notebook, usually with Archie sighing dramatically nearby like he's supervising. From there it moves onto my iPad, into Procreate, where the real shaping happens: layers, color, texture, all built line by line until the character starts to feel alive.

Layering is my favorite part - placing shape over shape, adjusting a shadow, nudging a color until it clicks. There's always one quiet moment when I look at a piece and just know: it's done. Not a big "ta-da," just a calm yes.

From there, the illustration makes one more journey from the screen to an archival print, ready for a wall or a mailbox. Same hand, same eye, just a different tool than people expect ッ