Beginnings:

     I of course loved playing games, I had started with a Sega Mega Drive and a PS1, I still have most of my favorite games from my childhood, ranging from Ratchet and Clank 1,2,3, OddWorld and Metal Gear Solid 1,2,3. Watching my dad play them on the PS1 and PS2 was a treat, and when I first got my PlayStation 2 after begging my dad for one during Christmas I played through Ratchet and Clank 10 times or more.

     I grew up in a tough part of Essex, which pushed me to work hard and give myself a way out, or at least a future with options. Early on, I was set on studying Physics and Music, but that focus shifted during my A Levels as I found myself drawn more toward English Literature and Fine Art. I still loved music and spent plenty of time on my bass and acoustic guitar, but I knew I didn’t have the drive to turn it into a career. Art, on the other hand, kept pulling me in.

Starting my fine art journey:

     I was initially inspired to start drawing by the Youtuber/Graphic Designer/Video Editor "ZoocDoesStuff" (Christian Baltoc). By watching him draw and replicating what he made I was able to improve my shading skills and my understanding of how light reacts with edges. It was incredibly satisfying to watch those hard-edged lines soften as I learned to use shading to shape and define form.

     I then went on to studying Mark Crilley's work who is a comic book creator/Illustrator, I was intrigued by the Manga style of drawing as it was something that was more playful. The environments that he would create for his comics and the tutorials he would give were fun to replicate as they were easy to follow along and understand, giving you freedom to add your own spin on the environmental details.

     After spending most of my early teens sketching whenever I could, choosing Fine Art for my A-levels felt like the natural next step. Drawing had become both an escape and a way to express myself, so committing to it academically was the first real move in taking my art seriously.

In the above image is a selection of drawings inspired by these artists as well as a few that were made solely by me during my fine art course in Sixth Form. There is also a Scrab, the very first drawing I ever made that I was proud of as I was inspired by the game Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee.

Moving on to acrylic paints and mixed media:

     During my Sixth form studies I came across an artist known as Minjae Lee, his use of color and pattern work to define shape and form was fascinating. I loved the vibrant colors used as well as the stark contrast between the elements of the image. Initially starting out by studying small sections of his work I then went on to replicate some of his artwork to truly understand how he built these art pieces layer by layer, being careful to not allow the ink work to bleed into the paint. Once I was confident enough I was able to take what I learned and apply it to my own art pieces.

Focusing on acrylic and oil paints:

     As well as the Minjae Lee studies there were many other artists that was studied whilst I was in Sixth form, this was to improve my painting technique but to also test my skills with different mediums. I would paint on canvas,wood boards, use simple brush strokes to build the art piece layer by layer, try out different mixed media. Some were more successful than others, and I really found my footing when it came to oil paints, I found them much easier to work with.