Artist Interview: Brandon Schaefer – Strathmore Artist Papers

Who are you and what do you do?

My title is Brandon Schaefer and I’m an artist focusing typically on drawing and watercolor portray. When it arrives to drawing, I like to draw animals and wildlife with pen & ink on toned paper. For watercolor painting, practically nothing beats likely exterior and acquiring an exciting landscape or subject matter from daily life. I also share my artwork journey on my YouTube channel and web site.

How and when did you get into art?

I’ve constantly enjoyed art and I started off drawing when I was 5 yrs outdated. I was intensely influenced by Disney animated motion pictures and cartoons and I would attract lots of of the people I viewed. When I was youthful, I imagined I wanted to be animator when I grew up. That did not finish up occurring and I didn’t pursue but I’m satisfied with the alternatives I’ve manufactured with my art.

How has your follow altered in excess of time?

It has changed a whole lot around the many years. I largely drew throughout my childhood and only ever experimented with portray once I was in college or university. Only then I began to go after portray and artwork a little bit more critically. I resolved to discover watercolor portray but this section lasted close to 1-2 decades. I then moved on to acrylics in research of additional daring colours in my perform. I used acrylics for about 4 several years just before trying oil portray. The moment I tried out oils, I was hooked. I employed them exclusively for about 4 years as well. Finally, I made a decision to just take a excursion for painting but I wished a lightweight, minimal journey sketching set up and for me, oils didn’t do it, so I began relearning watercolors for plein air painting. Eventually I stopped applying oils completely and went back again to watercolors the place my portray journey started. I also started out utilizing pen & ink about 2 decades in the past and love it as well.

What’s the finest piece of artwork information you have been provided?

I imagine the most effective art guidance I’ve been given is to simplify your matter. As artists, we enjoy to observe anything around us and see all the minimal specifics. And I assume we appreciate to overthink, about-complicate, and overwork our pieces in some cases. So for me, I generally try to recall and go again to simplicity within my perform and my existence as well. Much less is far more. Allow the viewer fill in some of the particulars with their creativeness. I believe that will make it substantially much more exciting for us and these viewing our do the job. And it gives us a obstacle and one thing to attempt for.

What is one artwork tip/system you can share with us that you come across actually valuable?

I have discovered that experimenting with my artwork and the approach is just one of the best matters to do. For instance, final 12 months I attempted adding a splash of watercolors in the background of some of my pen & ink animal drawings on toned paper. This mix truly brought an entirely new seem to my drawings and opened the doorway to making an attempt other tactics as perfectly. Experimentation has served me to evolve with my artwork and my style.

What is your most loved Strathmore paper?

The Strathmore Toned Tan and Toned Grey sketchbooks and papers are my beloved to draw on, no question. I nearly never use white paper any longer mainly because the toned paper just can make the system much a lot more enjoyment and simple.