Known for her ethereal paintings of playful, cartoonish human and animal characters, Amy Sol (Hi-Fructose Vol. 5 cover artist) creates storybook-like scenes that are endearing as much as they are entrancing with their placid colors and bountiful details. The Las Vegas-based artist has had a busy year creating work for several group shows, such as the “Wild at Heart: Keep Wildlife in the Wild” and “Kingdom Animalia” wildlife benefits we featured on the blog earlier this summer. Amy is currently developing a new body of work and has sent over some behind-the-scenes shots of her sketches for our Inside the Sketchbook series. Take a look at how some of her fantastical works originate and read our exclusive interview.
Have you always kept a sketchbook?
I’ve always had a couple sketchbooks lying around, mostly collecting dust. I didn’t really start taking sketching seriously until the last few years, after finding out that painting without a sketch is often extremely difficult and will not lead to the best results (speaking from my own experience!)
How big of a part do sketches play in your creative process for your paintings?
Super important! Most of my compositions and subject matter originate from a sketch or doodle of some sort. If I run into a problem, I can usually solve it on paper and go back to my painting to rework things.
What kinds of things do you typically draw when you doodle?
I usually start with a loose idea floating around in my head and sometimes it leads to something I will want to paint. The most interesting sketches usually start off with a vague sense of what I want to draw and take shape on their own. Also, I enjoy drawing things from life and nature especially when traveling, not so much for use in paintings but for the challenge and fun of it.
Do you have any tips for our readers about good sketchbook habits?
Just sketch as often as you can, even if it’s on loose paper… and be optimistic! Not every doodle has to turn into a masterpiece. My sketchbook is comprised of at least 70% terrible, unfinished, half baked ideas. The point is to explore and get practice, it should be a personal tool.
Are there any projects or anything special you are working on you would like to share?
I’m currently working on a new body of work for Scope in Miami with Thinkspace Gallery in early December! I love this fair and am super excited to be part of it! Many of the sketches I’ve been working are leading up to elements in these new paintings.
