Tobias Ellis | SCCArtGalleries

I am influenced by the things that surround me. I tend to look at my environment and try to imagine it in as many different ways as possible before creating my work.

Even when drawing something as simple as a hand, for example, I want to see what it would look like when the palm is slightly more detailed than the rest of the hand or what it would look like if the hand were a different color than usual. I am also very strict when it comes to my work having at least one realistic quality. My subject can be distorted but there has to be some concept that connects it back to a real life version of itself, like realistic shading or sizing.

I mostly work in chalk pastel and colored pencil because they give me the effect I am most looking for in my drawings. I have the ability to make miniscule marks with colored pencils which make drawings that require more detail simpler, while using chalk pastel makes a process a lot less stressful and time-consuming as the focus is on features like color gradation and shading. Also, the drawing technique that can be seen in mostly everything that I draw is cross-contour. It tends to be the technique that assists me most in making any subject that I draw look the way that I intend.

Printmaking is a fairly newer art that I have involved myself with. Although the technique is different from drawing, there are still similar elements between the two that give me the satisfaction of drawing while simultaneously allowing me to create something fresh in a completely separate field of art. I’ve found most of my success experimenting with trace monotypes.

Overall, I believe that I have built a strong understanding and skill when it comes to drawing, particularly in drawing the human hand. My consistent and relentless practice with cross-contour has made this process a lot more satisfying. Also, with the addition of printmaking,I've begun to really appreciate the time and precision that goes into each drawing. With each new artwork that I create I plan to find some new way to construct something visually pleasing to the eye.

-Tobias Ellis