Composition is always the most challenging part for me—creating a scene that furthers its purpose, with elements balanced accordingly, and perhaps with some innovation too… It’s a lot to convey, and up until now, my rough sketches have been very tight and less enchanting than I would like them to be. So I’ve been trying to loosen up a bit, to more accurately reflect the spirit of the scribbles, bleeds and blooms that follow… Replacing crisp outlines with softer dots and dashes, and lightening up stiff forms with more fluidity. And, just trying to make them a bit more delightful overall.

Here’s the rough sketch for the illustration above (I ended up changing the brush to a pen nib in the final, to make the object clearer):

And a sneak peek at another rough sketch, for a piece that will come out in a few months:

I’m happy with how these are beginning to feel. Van Gogh’s drawings have long been a favorite of mine, and I’ve been turning to them often lately for guidance. I love how he captures life and movement with his expressive marks. And now I leave you with some of his delectable drawings: