My Artistic Voice
Step into my wacky world of art and design! I’ve got opinions, experience, and plenty of stories to share: from battling creative blocks to the importance of hand drawing, from AI art trends to gear I can’t live without. So, put those reading glasses on, pour yourself a glass of wine, and enjoy.
Posted - 09/25/2025 [BLOG]
Enough is EnoughMany artists, myself included, struggle with knowing when a piece is truly finished. It’s tempting to keep tweaking: a line could be straighter, a colour brighter, a shadow darker. But there comes a moment when you have to step back and simply say, it’s done.
So how do you know when that moment has arrived? That’s the hard part. Sometimes I’ll ask for another opinion, if someone tells me it looks great, I take that seriously. If you’re into AI, you can even ask it what it thinks. If the feedback feels right, maybe that’s your answer.
Often, I just sleep on it. Looking at the work the next morning with fresh eyes usually tells me everything I need to know.
In the end, there comes a point where “enough is enough.” The truth is, it’s completely up to you. Sometimes, you just know.
Posted - 09/16/2025
MIND OF ITS OWNIn art you’ll often hear someone say, “It hasn’t figured out what it wants to be yet.” But is that really true? Does art somehow take shape on its own?
Not exactly. What’s really happening is this: each new mark, detail, or idea changes the story your work is telling. The piece keeps evolving until you decide it’s finished.
Take a simple example: you draw a cactus in the desert. Straightforward enough. But then you get the idea to add eyes to the cactus. Suddenly, it’s no longer just a plant, it’s a character. Add a few more cacti with hats or glasses, and now you’ve got a whole cast in your desert scene.
That’s what artists mean when they say the art “takes on a life of its own.” It doesn’t magically form itself, you guide it, but the ideas snowball as the piece grows.
And the hardest part? Knowing when to stop. But that’s another post.
Posted - 09/15/2025
Triangulation.A common technique I use in my illustrations is triangulation. Artists have relied on this compositional tool for centuries, and for good reason. It works.
By arranging key subjects along a triangular path, triangulation naturally directs the viewer’s eyes, guiding them through the narrative of the piece.
In the illustration below, notice the red triangle. As you look at each subject (each point of the triangle), your eyes loop from one to the next, creating a natural movement that keeps you engaged with the scene.
That is the power of triangulation!
Posted - 09/10/2025
What was it like? Graphic Design School.Was it intense? Absolutely. Was it rewarding? Without a doubt.
Before enrolling at The School of Design at George Brown College, I wasn’t an artist. I was lost, unsure what to do with my university and postgraduate education (see my [ABOUT] section).
Graphic design school changed everything. It forced me to dream. I wasn’t just creating advertising campaigns, brand books, writing copy, or making illustrations, I was transporting people. My projects became the medium through which I took my teachers, peers, and viewers to entirely new worlds. That’s what I loved most: I could channel my “wacky mind” into something meaningful, and it paid off with high grades and compliments.
Thinking About Going to Graphic Design School?
If you’re reading this because you’re considering art school or graphic design school, here’s my advice: absolutely consider it, but do your research.
As mentioned earlier, I attended The School of Design at George Brown College, one of the top-ranked graphic design schools in Canada. It was challenging but incredibly rewarding.
That said, be warned: you have to be prepared to work hard and open your mind. I remember my very first drawing project, we had to sketch 150 cubes in three hours. Every single one had to be drawn at a different angle and size. It was brutal at the time, but looking back, it was invaluable. That exercise taught me how to understand form, perspective, and lighting. To this day, I still sketch cubes when I’m bored.
Final Thoughts
If your dream is to become a graphic designer or just improve your design skills, schooling is worth considering. I’ve never worked as a full-time graphic designer for a company, but the skills I learned are priceless. Especially when considering how much it helped me with my cartooning and designing this site.
I can write.
I can draw.
I can dream.
And for that, I’ll always be grateful to George Brown College.
Posted - 09/08/2025
Photographic MemoryIn the art world, having a photographic memory is often seen as a highly sought-after, almost “god-like” power. Many artists admire those who can perfectly recall details and recreate them with precision. But honestly? I’ve never wanted that ability. I’m a cartoonist, not a photo-realistic painter, and I’m perfectly happy with what I have.
For me, creativity is far more valuable than being able to reproduce superheroes or entire scenes without a reference. Sure, being able to do that might impress people, it’s a neat ‘party trick’ but developing your sense of colour, composition, humour, and storytelling will take you much further as an artist, in my opinion.
So don’t feel discouraged if you can’t remember the exact shade of red on Spider-Man’s suit. Instead, focus on harnessing your creative vision. Build your own compositions. By that, I mean your own characters, your own narratives, your own colour schemes, your own style. Play around with ideas in your head, everyone with an imagination can do that. You don’t need a photographic memory to create something original.
I’ll be talking more about using references in another post, but to sum it up: there’s nothing wrong with using references, just don’t copy them exactly, use them as studies.
Musicians listen to recordings of other artists to spark inspiration, they do covers, so why shouldn’t visual artists be allowed to do the same?
Just because you can’t remember every detail of what you see doesn’t make you any less of an artist. The greatest gift a cartoonist can have is an imagination. Everyone has one, you just have to learn how to use it. Don’t get caught up in what you can’t recall. Focus instead on what’s happening behind your eyes, and let that world come to life through your art.
Posted - 09/03/2025
Alex the EntertainerI remember, for a project, a professor asked what art meant to each student and what we wanted to achieve with it. I wrote this:
”Art is the expression of one’s self; thus, I want to show the world who I am.”
Thinking back, I still believe that to be true. My art is about laughter, happiness, and joy. It’s about giving the viewer that feeling of their inner child, that warmth, that spark.
I am an artist, but most of all, I’m an entertainer.
I welcome you to watch my show, one heck of a wacky show, but one worth tuning into.
Posted - 08/31/2025
A Friend of The Devil: AII’m joking when I say AI is the devil, but I understand why so many artists are worried about it. You can describe a scene, and AI will render something in minutes. That’s powerful. But here’s the thing: it has limitations. AI can’t read your mind. It can’t perfectly recreate the vision you see in your head.
As an artist, my goal is not to make “generic” cartoons, but ones that reflect my inner vision. I want control over everything: the transparency of my highlights, the curve of my character’s lip, the weight of every line.
AI doesn’t give me that level of precision. Sure, it’s fantastic for people who don’t draw, who are on deadlines, or who need quick mockups. But for me, it doesn’t replace the need for artists, if anything, it highlights why artists are still essential.
How I Use AI as an Artist
I see AI as a critique tool, not a replacement for my craft. I’ll use it to review my work: What’s my art lacking? Does the AI “understand” my narrative? How would it rate my piece compared to others?
AI forces me to see my art from another perspective. The real question is: can you handle the feedback?
I can, and I think other artists should, too. Ignoring this tool could mean missing out on opportunities for growth.
For me, art is equal parts expression and effective communication. AI can help you improve as a communicator, but I don’t let it render my images or make my corrections. I want to stay in control every shape, every stroke, every highlight is mine.
AI isn’t my competition; it’s my mirror. It shows me where I can improve, but the final creative decisions will always come from me. The best advice I can give is use it for insights, not images, and you will grow as an artist. But let me warn you sometimes looking in the mirror is hard.
Posted - 08/30/2025
Where Did It All Go?If you’ve never experienced creative block, I’d call you one of two things:a liar… or the luckiest person alive. So, what is creative block? Simply put: torture. You want to create. You need to express yourself. But you can’t. The ideas are gone, the well’s run dry, and you’re left staring at a blank page, a silent instrument, or an untouched canvas.
So what can you do about it?
Hahaha… that’s a funny question. In my experience, you don’t fight it, you embrace it. You step away. You redirect your energy into something else you love. For me, I bounce between two worlds: art and music. When the art well runs dry, I dive into music. When the songs fade, I crawl back to the sketchbook.
It’s a dance, a frustrating, beautiful dance I’ve learned to accept. I know there are endless exercises and “unlock your creativity” techniques out there, and sure, some can help. But most of the time? You just have to wait. And when the spark finally comes back, oh, you create, create, create.
A couple of tricks that help me along the way:
Switch mediums - If digital’s stale, I grab a pencil. If I’ve been deep in cartoons, I’ll explore figure drawing.
Fall in love - Not necessarily with a person, but with something: a passion, a sport, a pet, a new obsession.
For me, my love for music has inspired me more times than I can count. Maybe one day I’ll try romantic love… I can only imagine what kind of creativity that could unlock.
So here’s my advice: fall in love, explore, and let yourself breathe. The spark always comes back. And when it does, don’t hold back. Create like you’ve never created before.
Posted - 08/30/2025
Drawing by HandA lot of people believe that in order to draw digitally, you first have to master drawing by hand. Well… that’s not entirely true.
The perk of drawing by hand is that it’s a fast and flexible tool for getting your ideas out quickly. You can sketch character designs, experiment with layouts, test colour combinations, all at the flick of your wrist. Think of it like being a musician: being able to sing as well as play an instrument complements each other. Singing gives you an immediate, in-the-moment way to work out ideas. Drawing by hand works the same way.
Now, I know what you might be thinking: “I’m not good at it, so why bother?” But here’s the thing, it’s not about skill; it’s about capturing your ideas. You can always refine them later in the digital realm.
Honestly, I’m not a strong hand-drawer myself, but I still do it, and yes, you do get better with time. Plus, it’s fun! I love the tactile feel of pens, pencils, markers, and paper. There’s something grounding about it.
So before you jump straight to the computer, give hand drawing a try. You might surprise yourself with what you create.
Posted - 08/30/2025
Understanding Your Inner-WorldWhen I close my eyes, I see nothing. Then I begin to think. Thoughts fill my head, especially images. These images and ideas form the foundation of my art.
I transport myself into other worlds. Through my art, I invite others into these spaces, revealing an unseen world that exists behind my eyes. And like I’ve said before, this is ONE WACKY WORLD, and my thoughts are a part of it.
The hardest part of creating is the fear that I won’t be able to capture the idea. Nothing scares me more than falling short of doing justice to the thought. Sometimes, the image escapes me but I’m like a clam that’s swallowed a grain of sand. I work and work until that tiny irritation becomes a pearl.
So yes, I rarely give up on a concept. Two steps forward, one step back that’s the rhythm of creativity. Eventually, every stubborn idea becomes something beautiful… a pearl worth sharing.