June Studio Dispatch
June 5, 2025
A June update from the Realmscapes studio: a new zine, a new Realm, and a glimpse behind the scenes as sticker kits and tiny books come to life.
A June update from the Realmscapes studio: a new zine, a new Realm, and a glimpse behind the scenes as sticker kits and tiny books come to life.
A personal reflection on how Zen philosophy influences my creative process. I explore beginner’s mind, letting go of perfection, and why doing your own work—your own way—is the only real path to growth in art, writing, and life.
In my last post Why I Joined New Masters Academy and chose the Illustration Track, I covered Week 1 of Drawing Foundations 1. This update picks up from there, with progress through Weeks 2–5. While most of the material so far is review, I’ve found that each week holds at least one useful reminder or new nuance that’s made the
Curious about New Masters Academy? Here’s why I joined, how I chose the illustration track, and what Week 1 of their structured art program is really like.
I fell off the illustration bandwagon this week while working on a novel. But I did manage some drawing practice, learning “Weight Drawing,” and had a realization while reading Heller’s The Education of an Illustrator about how AI is just another evolution in the industry, much like photography and digital tools were.
In this week’s SketchAwesome challenge, I explored the Loomis method for sketching heads. It improved my technical skills, but I found the sketches lacked expressiveness.
This week’s progress in my Illustration Quest came with some challenges, like tackling flash pose drawing and rethinking my routine.
This week, I faced my challenges with gouache in the SketchAwesome program, navigating tricky color mixes and layering techniques. Though it’s not my favorite medium, these exercises offered a welcome break from structured practice and helped me find joy in creative exploration, complementing my ongoing Illustration Quest.
My first week on a self-taught art journey has been filled with unexpected challenges, inspiring discoveries, and a renewed sense of creative freedom. Join me as I explore foundational skills, face new trials, and uncover what it means to truly learn the art of illustration.