It’s hard for me to whittle this list down to only a few. However, these six are always on my mind when I draw. They continuously shape the technique and expression of my illustrations.

Mattias Adolfsson

Mattias has had the most direct impact on my style. I first discovered him reading “An Illustrated Life” by Danny Gregory in which Mattias was a featured artist. (Gregory’s wonderful books about sketching deserve their own post later.) The timing couldn’t have been better. I was in my last year of college and spending most of it outside sketching in a Moleskin around panhandle Florida. I latched on to Mattias, checking his blog everyday, studying the way he constructed buildings, inked and colored them. On the left you see one of his sketchbook illustrations and on the right is my first study of his style.

Image sourced from mattiasa.blogspot.com

Shel Silverstein

Silverstein’s influence reaches beyond his spindly inked lines. I often add captions or poetry to my drawings. If I’m stuck on words, I can read a few pages of “A Giraffe and a Half” or “Where the Sidewalk Ends” to get back in the creative zone, helping me to write poems such as for Zack the Zipper.

James Stevenson

Stevenson is another illustrator from whom I leach design and poems. I adopted his method for creating atmospheric perspective with grayscale washes such as in my sketch of this NY parade.

Skottie Young

I learned of Skottie Young through Marvel’s Wizard of Oz comic series. I am by no means a comic book reader, but the depth of space he can create in a 3” x 2” box sucked me in. I’m particularly drawn to his balance between soft and jagged lines, which nudged me into experimenting with a comic book structured story.

Tim Burton

Tim Burton teeters right at the edge of being too dark for my taste. However, the charming exaggerated features of his characters and scenery make me giddy with amusement. His 2010 MoMA exhibit was hands down the best art display I have ever seen. I love the theatrical nature to everything he creates.

Bill Watterson

The guy behind Calvin and Hobbes has the best spot on my bookshelf. If ever I’m feeling nostalgic, I pull down one of his books to read. Calvin is the epitome of my three older brothers and the comics take me back to my childhood spent largely playing in the woods. I’m always surprised at how Watterson’s watercolors are simultaneously comical and fine art. Though mischievous, there’s an innocent nature to Calvin and Hobbes that strikes a chord with me. I strive to achieve the same sentiment with my characters.

Image sourced from http://nuvoleparlanti.blogosfere.it