Looking for artists I might enjoy
March 1, 2015 4:24 PM Subscribe
If I like Austin Kleon, Lynda Barry and Danny Gregory, who else might I like?
I have been on a big art journey the last few months; I was always the writer-type in my family and thought the art gene had passed me by. Then I found a book about Zentangle and was stunned and surprised to find a style of art I could do which actually produced nice-looking stuff. I was never actually sure what to DO with these drawings, but I enjoyed making them.
About three months after that, I discovered another book called 'The Sketchnote Handbook' and all the pieces clicked for me. I started keeping a diary using words, little illustrations and so on, using my Zentangle designs to make the boxes, divider lines and so forth. I have been writing and drawing in my little book every day and having a blast.
A post on the Sketchnote blog led me to the work of Lynda Barry, which blew my mind. I have since found out about Austin Kleon and Danny Gregory and love them too. Something about the handwriting with little pictures, the simplicity yet whimsy, the emphasis on 'doing' something with your work rather than just making it (Barry and Gregory both treat the process itself as more important than the finished pictures) appealed to me.
I also like that all of their work is done with pens, pencils and notebooks. I have explored other 'art journal' stuff online and found some of it very beautiful, but with a process that is a bit too fiddly for me. Teesha Moore, for instance, makes lovely stuff, but has a multi-part process involving paint, collage, lettering and so on. It's just too much. I like that Barry and Gregory seem to emphasize just going ahead and creating, rather than spending six weeks making one illustration in your journal. I like that they emphasize what you can learn from the process---Danny Gregory especially seems to use his journal to actually work on his feelings; the books and 'art' is secondary to that.
So, the tl;dr version: I love Lynda Barry, Austin Kleon and Danny Gregory. What else should I read?
I have been on a big art journey the last few months; I was always the writer-type in my family and thought the art gene had passed me by. Then I found a book about Zentangle and was stunned and surprised to find a style of art I could do which actually produced nice-looking stuff. I was never actually sure what to DO with these drawings, but I enjoyed making them.
About three months after that, I discovered another book called 'The Sketchnote Handbook' and all the pieces clicked for me. I started keeping a diary using words, little illustrations and so on, using my Zentangle designs to make the boxes, divider lines and so forth. I have been writing and drawing in my little book every day and having a blast.
A post on the Sketchnote blog led me to the work of Lynda Barry, which blew my mind. I have since found out about Austin Kleon and Danny Gregory and love them too. Something about the handwriting with little pictures, the simplicity yet whimsy, the emphasis on 'doing' something with your work rather than just making it (Barry and Gregory both treat the process itself as more important than the finished pictures) appealed to me.
I also like that all of their work is done with pens, pencils and notebooks. I have explored other 'art journal' stuff online and found some of it very beautiful, but with a process that is a bit too fiddly for me. Teesha Moore, for instance, makes lovely stuff, but has a multi-part process involving paint, collage, lettering and so on. It's just too much. I like that Barry and Gregory seem to emphasize just going ahead and creating, rather than spending six weeks making one illustration in your journal. I like that they emphasize what you can learn from the process---Danny Gregory especially seems to use his journal to actually work on his feelings; the books and 'art' is secondary to that.
So, the tl;dr version: I love Lynda Barry, Austin Kleon and Danny Gregory. What else should I read?
John Porcellino. His newish book The Hospital Suite is really quite good, a moving and unforgettable look at his own physical and mental illness.
posted by Ursula Hitler at 4:55 PM on March 1, 2015
posted by Ursula Hitler at 4:55 PM on March 1, 2015
Best answer: Too obvious? Before The Simpsons, Matt Groening wrote/drew Life In Hell. (Bonus: He and Lynda Barry have been friends since college.)
posted by Room 641-A at 5:19 PM on March 1, 2015
posted by Room 641-A at 5:19 PM on March 1, 2015
For the kind of art you're describing, I'd say Keith Knight. He's also wordy with pictures and I've often thought his energy is similar to Barry's.
From how I'm reading your question, it seems that you're also interested in hearing from artists like this about their own creative process and how they conceive the role of art in their lives and in their communities. Knight illustrated a book about community-based art projects that I think might interest you as well.
posted by dlugoczaj at 6:37 PM on March 1, 2015
From how I'm reading your question, it seems that you're also interested in hearing from artists like this about their own creative process and how they conceive the role of art in their lives and in their communities. Knight illustrated a book about community-based art projects that I think might interest you as well.
posted by dlugoczaj at 6:37 PM on March 1, 2015
You're following Lynda Barry's tumblr, right? It's a nice stay stream of drawing and journaling exercises for her courses at UW Madison and links to interesting art and music.
posted by BrashTech at 5:37 AM on March 2, 2015
posted by BrashTech at 5:37 AM on March 2, 2015
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posted by bcwinters at 4:43 PM on March 1, 2015