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BARTHELMEY,
KEN
theartofken.com
All images © Ken Barthelmey

Since childhood, monsters from movies have always

been intriguing to me. Each time I saw a film I tried to
sketch the monsters on paper afterwards. Unintentionally
that was good practice! Because of this, I started to
draw very early on, on a regular basis. I enhanced
my skills with each drawing I did (and still do), and
eventually began to develop my own creations. I
find sketching very relaxing. It is just like meditation
when you are focused working on a drawing.

I love to work with a traditional pencil and paper; I can’t

imagine my working process without these tools. It’s a fast
and easy way to present preliminary ideas, and the first
encounter with an image that previously only existed in
my mind. Traditional media also gives the work a gritty
and interesting texture. Later I scan my sketches into the
computer and proceed digitally in Adobe Photoshop.

Ideas can fade away within a few minutes. From an artist

and designer perspective it is therefore advisable to sketch
these ideas as soon as possible. That way you build your
own library of concepts. Sometimes when I work on a new
project and have trouble coming up with an interesting
shape for a design, I quickly browse through my old
sketchbooks to get inspiration. A sketch should never be
seen as the final design; it’s only the first brick in the wall.

INSPIRATION AND IDEAS

I love science fiction, especially films like Jurassic Park, Star
Wars, and Aliens. These have been some of my biggest
influences from an early age. There are also a number of
great artists whose work inspires me: Stan Winston, Ralph
McQuarrie, Ray Harryhausen, and many more. In addition
 SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS

I have an interest in evolution and Greek mythology. As a creature

designer, however, real animals are the best inspiration you can get.
In order to make a compelling design it is very important to have
a good blend of realism and imagination, and using references
from nature is the best way to make believable designs.

MATERIALS
Scribbling with pens is great for quick sketches, so for my rough
sketches I use Copic Multiliner SP pens or a black Pilot Hi-Tec-C pen.
For my drawings I like to use a variety of Faber-Castell pencils; my
tool of trade is a 0.5 mm technical pencil. I like to keep my sketches
together and prefer to use an A4 sketchbook with extra white
paper. For my more detailed drawings I love to use very smooth
paper without any texture, like Canson Bristol paper.

TECHNIQUES
Especially when designing a creature or character, coming
up with a unique shape is the most important first step.
I therefore start with three to four rough scribbles using
a large brush pen to explore different shapes. Once I am
happy with one shape, I start working on a more detailed
pencil drawing. I usually begin with a thick pencil to roughly
get the base form on paper, then shade the character with
a thin 0.5 mm technical pencil. The technical pencil gives the
drawing a pleasing texture comprised of thin lines. I like my
characters to be lit distinctively, so I often blacken a small
area of the background so
that the character comes
more into focus.

FAR LEFT: A base sketch I did

for a Christmas card painting. I
enjoy translating my designs into
cartoon characters; it’s a great way
to recharge my creative batteries.

NEAR LEFT: A base pencil sketch that

I later colored in Photoshop. I like to
merge traditional and digital media.
BARTHELMEY, KEN

NEAR RIGHT: A more

detailed drawing of an
alien monkey hanging on
a branch and eating fruit.
Technical pen on A3 paper.

MIDDLE RIGHT: A very

rough base sketch I did
for a digital painting.

FAR RIGHT: A concept

drawing of a creature
that I modeled in 3D
afterwards. I used a technical
pen and a 7B pencil.
LEARN FROM YOUR
SKETCH STUDIES
Do sketch studies as often as you
can. I like to sketch animals and
anatomical pictures. That way I
build up my visual memory, which
is very helpful when working on a
new design. Sketching something
that you have in front of you
is much easier than sketching
something from imagination,
so it is a good opportunity to
experiment with different tools or
try to come up with a new style.
BARTHELMEY, KEN

SKETCH YOURSELF
INTO THE FLOW
Sometimes you will find that
you are not motivated or you are
empty of ideas for an upcoming
project. On those days you will
catch yourself thinking, “I have no
clue what I am doing right now.
Maybe if I wait I will eventually
get a good idea.” Never wait for
this perfect moment – it’s a myth;
just create it! Sketching helps
me to enter a creative rhythm. I
just start sketching and doodling
random subjects and don’t worry
about the outcome. I almost
always end up in a productive
mode as a result and start
generating interesting ideas.
 SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS

FAR LEFT: A bored

ogre sitting on
a cliff. Sketched
with a pencil on
smooth A4 paper.

NEAR LEFT: A pencil

sketch of a mutated
bat. I like to blend
real animals with
my imagination.

RIGHT: A pencil
sketch of a character
that I later modeled
in 3D. A sketch is a
great reference when
working in 3D.
 BROWN,
RYAN
ryanbrown-art.com
All images © Ryan Brown 2017

I’ve been interested in art as far back as I

can remember. I’ve always had a passion for
detail and an unhealthy interest in horror.
Most of my early artwork was created with
a Biro or pencil and painstakingly rendered
on A4 paper. I remember the day I first used
Photoshop; I thought “this is never going
to take the place of traditional art.” Little
did I know I would grow to love the medium
and digital painting. These days, most of
my time is spent on various ventures for
major comic book and movie companies,
painting images of all sorts of creatures and
characters. I’ve been involved with projects
as diverse as Gears of War, Mars Attacks,
Judge Dredd, Creepy comics, V-Wars, and
Jacked. You would think the last thing I
would want to do with my free time would
be to draw – but this is not the case!

INSPIRATION AND IDEAS

I have always been interested in horror.
When I was young I would go to the video
store and spend hours looking at all the
VHS covers of horror films. In those days
the covers were painted artwork and I
remember thinking that I would love to
do that as a career when I grew up.

MATERIALS
Most of my work is comic book covers and
concept art. I find it more effective to work
digitally as I can alter images quickly at the
 SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS

end to suit the client’s needs.

When I’m using Photoshop,
my painting technique is very
similar to when I use acrylic paint.
When I paint traditionally I use
acrylics combined with colored
pencils and markers, whatever
works to give the best result.

TECHNIQUES
I usually start a sketch with a black
coloring pencil to get the basic
composition. Then I cover the page
in an acrylic wash to give a midtone
through which I can build up my
lights and darks. From this point
I use a combination of black and
white colored pencils, markers,
and paint to render the details.

LEFT: Having an understanding

of muscle and bone structure
can help add a bit of believability
to your sketches. Using the
smallest amounts of white can
create powerful focal points.

RIGHT: For this zombie sketch

I looked at some references of
mummies. I wanted to recreate
the effect of mummified skin and
matted hair. In these sorts of quick
sketches it is all about the illusion of
detail created using lines and dots.
BROWN, RYAN

“I’ve always
had a passion
for detail and
an unhealthy
interest in
horror”

NEAR RIGHT: Black eyes and a

black mouth make a ghost-like
silhouette, a simple yet effective
technique. Sometimes less is more.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Old man zombie.

I like to play with expressions
and make the reader work to
interpret the image. I’m not one
for gory zombie images; I think
the dead are scary enough.

FAR TOP RIGHT: Have you ever

wondered what an exhumed body
looks like? Well, here’s your answer.
Sometimes you need to look at
some gruesome images to give
your paintings that realistic touch.

FAR BOTTOM RIGHT: I added

areas of warm color to signify
wounds on this zombie. The teeth
are a yellow-orange to stand out
from the cool tones of the skin.
SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS
 BURBURAN,
FILIP
filipburburan.artstation.com | instagram.com/filipburburan
All images © Filip Burburan 2017

I’m an illustrator, concept artist, street artist, and graffiti painter.

I was born in 1983 and grew up in the city of Rijeka, Croatia. In
2011 I began working as a freelance illustrator and concept artist
and have been working professionally ever since. Companies I’ve
worked for include Wizards of the Coast, Applibot Inc., Gameloft,
Paizo Publishing, Sony Online Entertainment, Fantasy Flight
Games, Cryptozoic Entertainment, and Bevog Brewery.

I have been drawing for as long as I can remember, making all

kinds of fantastic images and creatures starting when I was a
child; my fingers have been stained by graphite and
paint ever since. Back in the eighties, I didn’t
have art books, there was no
internet, and I couldn’t find
anyone who was making
images that I wanted to see
until I got my first illustrated
books featuring work by
artists such as Douglas
Henderson, Alan Lee, and
Julek Heller. Discovering
the works of these artists
was awe-inspiring and
I became even more
obsessed with drawing.

What I love most about

drawing and sketching is the creative
process. The joy and excitement of those initial
moments of putting a line of ink or graphite on
paper and watching that line transform into
weird and funky creatures, creepy monsters,
enormous beasts, and so on, is irreplaceable.
 SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS

INSPIRATION AND IDEAS

My inspiration comes from everywhere. I’m constantly surprised, impressed, and
delighted by the things I see and hear. Growing up surrounded by the spectacular “My sketching process
landscapes of the Adriatic coast, as a child I would spend every summer vacation
on the island of Cres. I was either out diving and collecting marine specimens or
and techniques
drawing dinosaurs and sharks. It gave me a great love for the natural world. constantly change
Scarcely populated and wild, Cres has been inhabited since the later Stone
Age and is rich in historical and cultural sites, including ancient cities, building
depending on what
remains, and monuments. With dramatic scenery from steep shores and high I draw, what tool I
peaks to low plains and many lagoons, coves, and caves, it always has and
always will be an inexhaustible source of inspiration and ideas for me. use, and whether
it is for a client or
MATERIALS
When it comes to materials and tools, I tend to use any tool that leaves a trace, and personal work”
on any surface. However, my preference is ink and heavy watercolor paper. Ink is a
wonderfully creative and versatile medium that you can both draw and paint with.
I use technical pens, markers, and dip pens for thinner and thicker lines, hatching and
cross-hatching to generate value and textures. I use brushes to apply a light or dark
wash to add tone and dimension, and a toothbrush for splattering. I use waterproof
ink so that I can paint over the drawing if I decide to add watercolor or colored inks.

TECHNIQUES
My sketching process and techniques constantly change depending on what I
draw, what tool I use, and whether it is for a client or personal work. I often don’t
do quick, rough thumbnail sketches like many artists do; instead I take a sheet
of paper, stare at it while ideas cook in my brain, and jump in right away with
very loose and light pencil strokes. This allows unexpected and wonderful
accidents to happen that can give birth to new ideas. I work as I go, images
flash in my mind throughout the whole process, and I constantly add, remove,
and change things. It keeps me fresh and sometimes it feels like the drawing
draws itself, with me just pulling the pencil and observing.

LEFT: Mammoth Rider. A barbarian

hunter concept drawing created
for a miniature sculpt.

BELOW: Astro Faerie. This is an

image that developed on its
own. I started with no particular
idea and just played and had fun.
BURBURAN, FILIP

“My inspiration comes

from everywhere. I’m
constantly surprised,
impressed, and
delighted by the things
I see and hear”

LEFT: Corpse King. A

zombie creature that
uses its powers to suck
the life from its victims
to triumph over death.

NEAR TOP RIGHT: A

concept drawing of a
younger Striga witch
(see next caption).

FAR TOP RIGHT: Striga.

A woman with natural
or learned wicked
powers who inflicts
harm to humans, but
completely loses power
if someone finds out
and shouts her name.

FAR BOTTOM RIGHT: The

Collector. A lesser undead
creature than the Corpse
King. Collectors undertake
the most labor within the
horde, being responsible
for constructing skull
and bone totems, huts,
towers, and so on.
SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS
BURBURAN, FILIP

BELOW LEFT: Sometimes I like to make characters a bit

comical. I will enlarge a nose, make the head a bit bigger,
the hands longer, and so on. This adds to the character.

BELOW RIGHT: Interceptor. Body language, facial

expressions, and hand gestures are unique features of a
character that allow me to tell the story behind the image.

NEAR RIGHT: Giant. Art should be fun and

this type of grotesque and silly character
drawing has no purpose other than that.

FAR RIGHT: Bonecap. I not only aim to produce a

good drawing with an interesting design but also
try to give it great character and personality.
 HRABOTA LESSER,
JENNIFER
jenniferhrabotalesser.com
All images © Jennifer Hrabota Lesser

For me, the process of drawing has always

been integral to working through ideas. As
a child I initially drew to explore the things
that were important to me and communicate
what I loved, or even hated, in a visual way.
I found a pure joy in creating what I wanted
to see, as well as a challenge in trying to find
a way to really convey what I wanted to say.
This challenge has never left me and as I grew
older, I found that the visual exploration that
occurred through drawing and sketching would
take me to unexpected places that I may not
have reached if I had just planned everything
in my head, or written things out on paper.

Whether I am creating a 3D character model, 2D

card art, or an oil painting for a gallery, sketching
is where I start my process; it is where I think.
Creating an emotional impact is important in my
work. Sketching out my ideas, I can see the ways
that a slight change in gesture or expression
can alter the tone of how a piece reads. This is
where I do most of my problem-solving in any
piece of work, setting the mood and delivering
narrative while creating a compelling visual
for the viewer. I always refine my composition
in a sketch so that I have a road map, edge to
edge, of where I am going on the canvas.

INSPIRATION AND IDEAS

I am an avid reader and find that a lot of inspiration
for my work comes from fiction, mythology, religion,
and folklore. I love to see where the beautiful
 SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS

and horrible meet, and how we try to relegate each

into their own spaces. There is something cathartic
about dealing with the darkness we perceive
through art, both in creating it and partaking in it
as a viewer. Nature is very present in my work as a
creative, transformative, and destructive force.

MATERIALS
I use a variety of materials for sketching, but most
often come back to graphite. I use a combination
of Blackwing pencils and drafting pencils. I like
the Alvin Draft-Matic drafting pencil, and most
often use a 0.3 mm lead in HB and 2H. I won’t leave
home without a kneaded eraser and refills for the
small eraser on the end of the Draft-Matic.

TECHNIQUES
I start out most mornings doing some free drawing,
and once or twice a week I try to either go to a
life-drawing session or draw from online figurative
reference. When I have a specific piece to create I will
often start out with thumbnails. I have cut-out index
cards I like to use as quick templates for aspect ratios,
and fill a page with these rectangles to draw into.
Occasionally, I use the same templates to overlay a
frame on a free drawing I’ve created in order to find a
good composition. I often try to retain the energy of the
thumbnail by blowing it up and using it on a light box.

LEFT: Eyes can convey so much. In

many images I emphasize the eyes, but
here I wanted to convey something
sinister by not showing the eyes at all.

RIGHT: Howl is meant to convey the deep

hunger that occurs in the first moments
a new vampire rises. I wanted tension in
every inch of the vampire’s body. The burial
shroud covers the creature’s eyes, helping
to portray the feeling of a blinding hunger.
HRABOTA LESSER, JENNIFER

“A slight change in
gesture or expression
can alter the tone of
how a piece reads”

ABOVE: Inspired by the haunting of Esther Cox,

this sketch shows the madness of a nineteenth-
century woman tortured by a poltergeist.

NEAR RIGHT: The Stars are Right was created for

NecronomiCon, a Lovecraftian-themed literary
convention in Providence, Rhode Island.

FAR RIGHT: Ravenous is meant to depict the

dual beauty and cruelty of nature. I tried to
overload the viewer with a lush flora, and make
sure the eyes have the most contrast so that you
are drawn in by them, only noticing moments
later that the child is devouring the moths.
SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS
HRABOTA LESSER, JENNIFER
 SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS

“I love to see where the

beautiful and horrible meet,
and how we try to relegate
each into their own spaces.
There is something cathartic
about dealing with the darkness
we perceive through art”

FAR LEFT: In Daughter of Arachne I wanted the initial

read of the piece to be one of a sweet young girl, so
the more sinister elements in the drawing are subtle.

NEAR LEFT: In Untethered I wanted to create a sense

of floating away, so I created an image where pieces of
the sketch float up and break through the image edge.

ABOVE: Even though I was working on a vignette

here, I still considered how the edges of the drawing
relate to the edges of the image; the negative space
here is considered as much as the image itself.
 LISTER,
CHARLES
charleslisterart.com
All images © Charles Lister | Profile photo by Sarah Lister (ladyloon.net)

I make art to inspire others, to push creativity,

and to bridge gaps in communication where
words don’t satisfy my cathartic experience.
I seek to convey core feelings of the human
spirit, such as forsakenness, isolation, and
redemption. I hope that my audience will
empathize, relate, and find a connection with
it. I tend to gravitate towards macabre yet
whimsical subject matter that exists only in
my mind’s eye. Light-hearted darkness is a
very misunderstood oxymoronic area, and I
like exploring it. I believe a lot of people label
themselves as outcasts, aliens, or rejected
nomads, and identify with that sentiment.

If another artist has already rendered an idea,

I am committed to not repeat what that artist
has executed. The more sources of inspiration
I can draw from, the better. While I’m creating,
I ask myself if another artist has gone down
this road. If the answer is yes, I reformulate
the idea and go down a different route.

Ultimately, I make art because I love doing it.

Enjoying the process of achieving a completed
look brings me immense joy and it’s my
privilege to share that with my audience.

INSPIRATION AND IDEAS

My characters are inspired by my fascination
with the bizarre. I always find inspiration in
artifacts that I keep near my workspace, whether
it’s a reference image library of other artists and
 SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS

photographs or tangible objects such as skulls, interesting

rocks, or things found in nature. I also draw a lot of inspiration
from movies and cartoons I am nostalgic about, such as
The Thing, The Wizard of Oz, and The Ren & Stimpy Show.

Ever since I was young, I’ve always been attracted to jack-o-

lanterns, masks, teeth, hoodies, umbrellas, puppets, and the
moon. Music is also a huge inspiration – the weirder it is, the
better. I stitch all these diverse concepts together to form a
vessel with which to bare my inspiration. Besides allowing
the aforementioned nostalgic roots to seep into my art, I
try not to go over familiar paths, even if it’s unavoidable.

MATERIALS
A 0.5 mm 2B pencil tends to be my go-to drawing instrument
because of how forgiving it is; I can easily play around with
an idea before it settles. Sometimes I like pushing the values
with Pilot Hi-Tec-C ink pens and a few colored pencils to
bring out interesting areas. For full-color work, I use a Wacom
Intuos 4 drawing tablet, although now and then I’ll do an
oil painting because there is something very classically
lovely about imitating the techniques of old masters.

TECHNIQUES
My go-to method is playing around with gestural strokes
until I start seeing something on the canvas. I’m never
satisfied with my process, which leads me to experimentation.
It’s one of the main reasons why I love drawing in my
Moleskine so much. There are only so many times I can
erase something until it looks like a terrible mess, so
I try to make my marks count. My preferred ideation
technique, which is a nice safety net, is working from a
generalized idea – studium – to specific – punctum (best
explained by French philosopher Roland Barthes).

LEFT: A sketch from Inktober 2015.

TOP RIGHT: Collect Mummy. From Inktober 2016.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Grave. From Inktober 2015.

LISTER, CHARLES

CREATE
IMAGINATIVE
SELF-PORTRAITS
When you really have no clue
what to draw and are stuck for
inspiration, try to imagine yourself
as the main character of a game
or film. Give yourself a personality,
powers, abilities, and a costume.
Consider that it’s Halloween on
another plane of reality and you
are not limited at all by budget or
biological origin when it comes
to your outfit. The point is to
stop thinking so much, and draw
something that’s familiar to you.
You are your best reference: utilize
yourself. Extend it even further
by not just drawing yourself but
doing portraits of your friends.

NEAR RIGHT: Gibskuri –

“The Rancorous Gaunt.”

MIDDLE TOP RIGHT:

Black Cat. A sketch from the

Inktober 2015 challenge.

MIDDLE BOTTOM RIGHT:

Moon. From Inktober 2015.

FAR TOP RIGHT: Escape.

From Inktober 2016.

FAR BOTTOM RIGHT:

Kaptimal Nontimaebo –
“The Unhinged Deranger
of Moo Degduj.”
SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS
LISTER, CHARLES

“I make art to inspire

others, to push creativity,
and to bridge gaps in
communication where
words don’t satisfy my
cathartic experience”

ABOVE: Idolhunts – “The Encumbered Lummox.”

NEAR RIGHT: Teethies. A cathartic

release from October 2016.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Friend. From Inktober 2016.

FAR TOP RIGHT: Big. A sketch

produced for Inktober 2016.

FAR BOTTOM RIGHT: Broken. From Inktober 2016.

SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS
LISTER, CHARLES

“Light-hearted darkness
is a very misunderstood
oxymoronic area, and
I like exploring it”

ABOVE: Aemorts Brachtipesk – “The Sojourn of Exihti.”

NEAR RIGHT: Burn. From Inktober 2016.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Tempt. Another cathartic release sketch.

FAR TOP RIGHT: Nyep Sep – “The

Panoptic Leaper of Vuldru.”

FAR BOTTOM RIGHT: Giower Yoimfin –

“The Bewildered Coddler of Lo Sange.”
SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS
 ŠIMEČKOVÁ,
LENKA
llesim.tumblr.com
All images © Lenka Šimečková 2013–2017

For as long as I can remember, sketching for me

has been the most accessible and natural way of
processing my nightmares. As a child, I suffered
from horrible and paralyzing dreams. At first I
tried to write them down, but I never felt that
transferring them into words really captured
what I needed; the portrayal never felt complete. I
therefore tried drawing, which allowed me to quickly
transfer that nightmarish atmosphere onto paper,
and gain back some control over my dreams.

Initially my sketches were restricted to my dream

journal, but as my need to capture sudden and
fleeting ideas grew, my drawings could be found on
every little piece of paper that I could find. In this way,
I never really learned a proper sketchbook discipline.
I could buy the most pleasant of sketchbooks,
or bind my own with my favorite papers, but at
the end of the day they all ended up with only
three or five pages used, and were usually lost.
At some point, as my pile of sketches on random
bits of paper grew, I learned to accept my lack of
sketchbook discipline and started to appreciate
this system. After all, every one of those random
pieces of paper itself conjures up an additional
memory – where I found it or who gave it to me – all
that information is tied up with the sketch that is on it.

My dream in illustration is to master atmosphere

and the skills to tell a story in just one picture.
I love that an illustration is not literal and
that each person can find their own story and
interpretation within it; two are never the same.

272
 SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS

INSPIRATION AND IDEAS

Dreams and nightmares are still my biggest
inspiration, but I had to learn how to
comprehensibly transfer them onto paper.
Great help in that area are, of course, horror
movies. I love the old ones, where fear and
suspense are not based on adrenaline jump
scares, but on slowly built atmosphere. I get
the best ideas in those last few moments
before falling to sleep. Having to get up and
sketch them before I forget them disrupts
my sleep rhythm, but usually it’s worth it.

MATERIALS
Throughout the years I have tried many
different tools when sketching, including
ink, ballpoint pens, watercolors, and
acrylic. None of them really worked for
me though; they were too rigid, clumsy, or
slow. In the end, I found simple pencil and
sometimes graphite powder to be the most
suitable for my needs. Since they allow
great versatility in style, the lines produced
are not as stiff as with ink, and of course
they present the possibility of revision.

TECHNIQUES
When it comes to line work, I love to use
soft pencils and just let my hands fly
through the rough sketch. Sometimes
I add graphite powder to the line work
and model it a little with an eraser. It
is a quick but effective technique, and
if I decide to digitally color the sketch
later, it saves me half the time. Plus I love
the texture of graphite powder and the
LEFT: The Witch House. Pencil and white ink. This sketch of a witch and her tree house way you can influence it with brushes
was inspiration for a short comic called Remains, which I worked on some time later. or paper. Sometimes I just enjoy doing
thousands of little lines with a mechanical
ABOVE: Homecoming. Pencil and white ink. A sketch inspired by haunted houses. pencil; it is like a kind of meditation.

273
ŠIMEČKOVÁ, LENKA

“Sketching for me has been the

most accessible and natural way
of processing my nightmares”
FAR BOTTOM

LEFT: House.
Mechanical pencil.
A dream sequence
sketch for a comic.
I experimented
with crooked
perspective and a
flowing sensation.

FAR TOP LEFT:

Place. Mechanical
pencil. Drawing all
that pencil hatching
is always so relaxing
and I love using it on
old Victorian houses.

NEAR LEFT: Moving

out of the Crooked
House. Pencil and
white ink. Another
sketch from a time
when I was fascinated
by haunted houses.
ŠIMEČKOVÁ, LENKA

USING GRAPHITE FOR TEXTURE

I love to give my sketches the feel of traditional textures, even when later I
color them digitally. Graphite powder is excellent for this, as you can achieve
a great variety of traditional textures just by using different brushes or tools
to spread it. It also reacts differently on each paper, so just play with it until
you find your favored texture. Sometimes I add graphite right into the line
art and shape it with the eraser; sometimes I create that texture separately
and add it later digitally – whatever works for that particular drawing.
 SKETCHING FROM THE IMAGINATION: DARK ARTS

FAR TOP LEFT:

Arsenic. Pencil. Inspired

after watching an old
detective movie, I
played with negative
and positive shading.

FAR BOTTOM LEFT: Sleep

Paralysis. Pencil. Drawn
after a few days of a really
bad case of sleep paralysis.
I wanted to capture
that feeling of being
completely frozen by fear.

NEAR LEFT: Crumbling.

Pencil and graphite
powder. This started as
just wanting to draw an
interesting jacket and then
I let it randomly develop.

NEAR TOP RIGHT: Glitch.

Pencil and graphite powder.
I was aiming for the illusion
of double or triple vision.

NEAR BOTTOM RIGHT:

Kitty. Pencil and graphite

powder. Multiple mouths
and pairs of eyes somehow
became my obsession.
It came naturally one
day, with the flow of
a face, and stayed.

FAR RIGHT: Dig. Pencil. I

sketch these two unlikely
demon friends from
time to time. I’m still not
sure who they are.