About this blog

The Tumblr site I created almost a year ago grew out of a desire to have something better than a hastily put-together Multiply site as a portfolio. I decided early on to have it feature my illustration projects exclusively, then further narrowed it down to only children's book illustration. The site is pretty simple and straightforward, but I think it works just fine for its intended purpose.

Its portfolio format, however, has also made it somewhat static and therefore unconducive to frequent repeat visits. I wanted something more dynamic -- something that I can update more often and allow me to share more than just selected images of my works and their corresponding (short) descriptions.

So I started this blog.

Whereas the Tumblr site only has selected children's book illustrations, this blog will also feature my other illustration projects, as well as my graphic design works and my designs for theatrical productions. More importantly, I will also be sharing the process that some of these projects went through, including (but not limited to) the the techniques I used, the reason behind certain choices I made, and occasionally even the ideas that I eventually scrapped. All these, I hope, would lead not only to greater interest in and appreciation for my work, but also help others with their own work as well -- the way many other artists' blogs have helped me with mine.

A couple more things:

I chose "Sketches" as my blog title because the word "sketch," as a noun, has relevance in both visual and performing arts -- the two fields I usually create for. And whether I'm illustrating a story, designing a set or whatever, the word, in its verb form, is what I do to begin fleshing out my ideas. Plus, I plan to post actual sketches in this blog too.

That monkey on the header is based on Elliot, a stuffed toy I have had since I was a baby. He has become a mascot of sorts and has even been used as a prop in a few of my projects. He was actually nameless until about ten years ago, when I found him beside an old E.T. stuffed toy and decided to name him after the boy who befriended the extra-terrestrial in the movie.

So there. Welcome to my blog!