The latest instalment in my Sketchbook Peeks Series is the wonderful Jessica Gonacha Swift, who I first discovered on Etsy, and then her blog, you can find out more about Jessica here. Check out her wonderful patterns and illstrations, they are bound to inspire you
Before we start, tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into your art/craft/design career, how it all started and where you are now…
My name is Jessica Gonacha Swift, and I’m an artist and pattern designer living in Atlanta, Georgia. I grew up in Boulder, Colorado and went to Ithaca College in upstate NY, where I earned a BFA. When I graduated from college, I moved back to Boulder and was working as a waitress at a miserable restaurant. I applied for my first ever juried show during that time and got accepted, and one day I decided I just couldn’t work at the restaurant anymore. I quit and declaredto myself that I was going to make it as an artist on my own. Looking back, I think that was a pretty crazy decision, but thankfully it’s worked out so far! I’ve been making a living as an artist since I was 23 years old (with a couple of part-time jobs here and there), and I’m now 29 and fully supporting myself as an artist/designer
How long have you been using sketchbooks?
I’ve really only started using sketchbooks the last few years. I wasn’t a big sketcher in college or the few years afterwards, but I really like using them to collect ideas now and as a place to lay down the framework of my illustrations.
How often do you use your sketchbook?
I use it most days in one form or another. I’ve been drawing more with my pen and tablet lately, so it’s lessened a bit, but I love my sketchbooks. J I use it to write down ideas so I don’t forget things, and almost all of my work starts out in black and white in my sketchbooks, so it’s a regular part of my days.
Do you have a favourite and why?
I tend to use Strathmore recycled drawing paper sketchbooks. I like the weight of the paper and the spiral bound edges. I like things to lay flat.
How do you feel with the prospect of starting a new sketchbook with lots of lovely blank pages?
It’s exhilarating! I wonder what it’s going to be filled up with, and I always get a little nervous on the first page, like it’s going to set the tone of the whole book or something. But I love the feeling of a while book of blank pages that I can do whatever I want with. It’s like a fresh start.
When and where do you get your sketchbook inspiration?
There’s no real rhyme or reason to it. I draw a lot from photographs , so browsing through photos inspires me. Walking through my neighborhood also inspires me. I often pick up interesting twigs or pods that I find that sometimes turn into drawings in my sketchbook.
What is your favourite medium to work with?
I love black pen. Lately I’ve been using a 0.3 Staedtler pigment liner pen, which is perfection.
How would you describe your sketchbook process?
I use my sketchbook to draw things that I’ll later colored and work on digitally, so there are lots of black and white images inside– often a lot of different little drawings on a page. I scan the drawings into my computer and go from there. So really my sketchbook is just the place for my work to begin. The drawings take on a different life once I have them in my computer.
Where is your ideal sketching location?
I like to sit on the floor in my studio to draw in my sketchbook. It lets my imagination flow more than when I sit at a table or a desk. I think it’s the kid in me coming out!
How have your sketchbooks evolved over the years?
I’ve started using them more over the years, so I’ve noticed that everything in my sketchbooks have a purpose. Or, they’ve become something else, I guess. There’s not a lot of random doodling in there—it’s very focused. When I didn’t work so much digitally, my sketchbooks were more a place to just play. Now the purpose has changed and they are an integral part of my actual work.
If you had to pick one favourite sketchbook page which would it be and why?
This drawing just makes me happy. (image #7) I wanted to create something that conveys a positive message, and I loved the idea of the girl listening to inspirational and positive words in her headphones. I get really excited when I get to the point of a drawing where I really know what it’s going to be about, and this one turned out to be about saying YES to life. I love that. (I also included the finished piece (image #8), which I colored digitally, just for fun!)
Thanks so much Jessica!!
