When I draw for pleasure, I just start drawing and see what happens. I don’t approach the page with any set direction.
Every mark I make is a response to whatever mark proceeded it. I defer decision making to my subconscious and carry on until the image reaches a natural conclusion.
Themes emerge, and I follow them, but I don’t start with a destination in mind.
The fun comes from not knowing where I’m going to end up; from sitting back and enjoying the journey.
If a drawing requires development and planning, that’s when I consider it work.
There's a game called squiggles. One player scribbles something on a piece of paper, then gives it to the next player who tries to transform the lines into a recognisable picture. I basically play that game on my own, and have done for years. I’m quite good at it.
Surrealist painters like Dali used to develop images in a similar way. As did a lot of underground cartoonists in the 1960’s. It’s how I developed the short comic strip above.
I made it up as I went along, then coloured it in afterwards.
Today’s example is fairly accessible, but sometimes the results are far stranger.