Process and product

I finished a sketchbook this week. As I flipped back through the pages I was reminded how much of what I do starts with a sketch.

Sometimes the sketch and the final product are very similar, but often they have nothing in common.

Below are some scans from my sketchbook. For each one I’ve included some notes on the process and a link to the final product.

Process: The sketches were digitally isolated and recolored in Photoshop.

Product: One Week

Process: The sketch was traced over and edited in Illustrator then morphed into a comic.

Product: Sequential art

Process: The sketches were conceptually important, but never actually used. The artwork for this one was made completely in Photoshop.

Product: Blending together

Process: I referenced the sketches as I cut the shapes out of index cards.

Product: Seeds in motion

Process: I was trying to decide if I should put my grill in the garage for the winter or leave it outside. I looked to see what my neighbor was doing with his grill, saw it was still outside, and decided to leave mine outside. I thought it would be funny if he was in his house looking at my grill, seeing it was still outside, and deciding to leave his grill outside.

Product: I never did anything with this.

Process: The sketches helped me find the words and ideas expressed in the zine.

Product: I Will

• A poem for a student who used AI to write a paper.

• An animation of the Burberry knight made of 120 stitched frames. Beautiful.

• Eastend Western is using 3D printing in animation. Each time the character moves it’s a whole new 3D printed thing. Very cool! It reminds me of how Laika makes faces.

• “It doesn’t matter what you do. Only how you’re seen.” Appearance and reality in AI ads.

“Mommy chicken lay eggs. What do daddy chickens do?” “Um, maybe they go to work?” “Daddy chickens don’t go to work. They don’t have laptop or computers.”

This newsletter is sent out every Sunday morning, rain or shine. It’s lovingly made by Mitchell and patiently edited by Carly. Knox and Olive are around here somewhere. We do not use AI.a

Thank for being here. If you want to support my work you can become a paid subscriber (I’ll occasionally send you stuff in the mail), buy a zine, share this post with a friend, or hire me to make stuff for you.