You draw a lot of portraits. Who are the people you draw and why did you choose to draw them?
The human face is my favorite thing to translate. With every portrait I create, I gain more understanding of the subjects and myself. When I draw something as intimate as a portrait, there is always a sliver of myself embedded inside. The people I draw range from friends to those that inspire me. My goal is to capture the subjects likeness with a variety of methods and styles based on their personalities.
How would you describe your style and how did you develop it?
My style is influenced by a myriad of artists and techniques. Japanese artwork heavily influences my style. At a young age I was fanatical about Manga and Anime. Manga specifically uses weighted ink lines and hatch marks to describe form, I was always drawn to that. When I reached an older age the works of Da Vinci and Manet really called out to me. I draw much inspiration from the music I listen to. I listen to a wide variety of genres, Jazz, Classical, New Wave, Rock, and Vaporware are some examples. Music is the fuel that allows me to create my artwork. It guides me and helps me disassociate with my surroundings.
What motivates you to be so disciplined in drawing everyday?
I draw everyday because I have to. It keeps my mind cleansed and balanced. In a sense, my artwork acts as therapy. It’s always there for me when I need to escape the drudgery of everyday life.
4. What are things you like to do to get in the right mindset before starting a drawing? Do you have a routine?
When I prepare to start a drawing, I attempt to have a calm, level state of mind. This of course, is very difficult to do consistently. Some days are failures, while others are successes. This is the nature of my personality. The key for me, is to not get frustrated and to stay objective. This of course, is very difficult as well. Staying Zen is important to me.
What is your favorite Bee Paper product and what types of media do you use on it. How long have you been using our product?
My favorite Bee Paper product is the Super Deluxe Mixed Media sketchbook. I absolutely love it. The versatility and strength of the paper, allow me to do whatever I want. Ink, graphite, pen, watercolor, anything i can think of works well on the paper. This is great for me because my style is very schizophrenic. I have been using Bee Paper for probably a little under a year and will never go back to any other brands. The quality is unsurpassed.
Do you sell your artwork?
I do sell my artwork and recently got accepted to LCAD (Laguna College of Art + Design) in Laguna Beach. For this reason my output has been minimal due to school work. Traditional training is my focus at this time. I am although, open to commissions and inquiries that can be sent to my email: brycedarrow1989@gmail.com and my Instagram: brycedarrowart. Everything I do is hand done. My services include, paintings, drawings and graphic designs.
Tells us about your career in music. Did your break to pursue music help you in anyway as an artist?
For 6 years I was a professional musician in bands such as, Turquoise Noise, Vox Waves and Cogito. I played lead guitar and synthesizer. We recorded records and played venues like The El Rey Theatre, The House of Blues, and Harvard and Stone. It was good times but I believe I’m more gifted as an artist than musician. All creative endeavors have a similar process. Formulate an idea, sketch it, render it, then refine it. It’s important to get use to this process if you want to become a creative individual.
Whats the most encouraging advice you’ve received that you would like to pass on to our readers?
Something I have learned through my creative pursuits is never compare yourself to others. You must focus on yourself, your skills, your vision. All the outside noise doesn’t matter. So many times I have felt not good enough to be an artist, a dreadful insecurity. This insecurity is deadly. It is though, very important to have inspirations and artists to look up to. It’s useless to compare yourself to them. There is one Vermeer, there is one Picasso, there is one Leonardo. Learn from YOUR inspirations, draw from them, study them, and never compare. When you compare yourself to someone, you lose your individuality. This is the most important attribute an artist has at his or her disposal. The ability to be unique.