A professional artist and graphic designer, Mellem has designed for magazines, video games and theater and worked in various industries over the last decade. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The California State University, Fullerton, and studied drawing at the American Animation Institute in California. Traditional drawing techniques are the foundation of his work, to develop characters and stories. His book SKETCHING PEOPLE: LIFE DRAWING BASICS was released by North Light Books in 2009.
I've never really considered myself an artist; I'm just a guy who likes to draw. I think it's fun to sit down and let the pen wander around the page until some character reveals himself. The wonderful thing about drawing in a sketchbook is that it turns the act of drawing into a process of discovery. In a sketchbook, you can start a drawing with one thing in mind, but as you draw, you can discover new ideas along the way and you end up somewhere completely different than where you thought you were going.
Drawing has a magic about it. From simple lines, shapes and forms are created that carve space from the flat page. The lines disappear when something we recognize emerges. The sketchbook is such a great place to explore because there doesn't have to be an end result — it can be whatever you want it to be, and no one is there to pass judgment.
Sketchbooks are pieces of art in and of themselves. Sometimes a sketchbook can be a personal journal filled with notes and sketches of the artist's experiences; other times it can be a place to practice techniques or study a new subject. I've seen sketchbooks that are wild assemblages of drawings and clippings pasted together, and I've seen very neat books filled with exquisite drawings and watercolors. The sketchbook reveals the artist's thoughts, methods, skills and personality more than a finished work does because it shows his or her process, and it often captures the development of an idea or the moment of discovery.
Drawing in a sketchbook is one of the many things I enjoy doing. It's so convenient when inspiration strikes to sweep up my sketchbook, Namiki fountain pen, a watercolor brush, and a couple of Prismacolor Col-Erase pencils and sit down at my desk or some other location and just draw. The time spent may end up being productive or it may just be a pleasant waste of time. The whole point is to enjoy the process and see where it goes.
In a sketchbook, you can start a drawing with one thing in mind, but as you draw, you can discover new ideas along the way and you end up somewhere completely different than where you thought you were going.
