April is one of my absolute fav guests to have appeared on this podcast. The way she talks about art has rekindled the joy and love I once had towards painting. Today's episode really meant a lot to me. Thank you Marshall and April!
Be careful, fellas! Once you've had a taste...you're going to come back for more and more. You're going to try and soak up, or glean, all that you can from these episodes. (Even if it's like 40% common sense and Marshall rambling on, or Stan stating the obvious. 😉jk I'm only teasing, with a hint of truth)
As a mother of 3 under 3, being a self taught artist is so hard. These podcasts are so nice to listen to and I learn so much, but I don't really feel like I ever have time to really apply what I'm learning, or throw myself into the practice. I work best when I stay up late and create, but then I'm shot the next day as a stay at home mom. My priority is my family and my art is after that, and it's a sacrifice that causes me pain, but a choice I'd never change because on my deathbed, I'd rather have raised happy and healthy kids who are well adjusted more than a massive body of work. I know when my children are grown my art will be no less valuable or worthwhile even if I couldn't practice as much in my twenties as other artists. Even with all that said, I'm determined to make as much art as I can and spend time learning, even if it's not in the eight hour stretches the inner creative would just love. If anyone else out there feels like less of an artist because other priorities take precedence, don't despair. Your journey may be slower but it will be no less enjoyable or worthwhile. Besides, children make excellent quicksketch subjects.
When you are not just learning from April but also from Marshall. I love how Marshall did this interview with so many good questions he throws at April and at the same injecting his knowledge and expertise into the different topics. :)
I actually kinda worried how Draftsmen podcast will go on after Stan takes his leave, but now after a few episodes, gotta say I was wrong about it. Marshall is doing a fabulous job with his interviews and making us to come back to this channel. Well done! And Stan... altho i still miss you but i think you can take your time with your leave lol.
I saw April’s work at the sawdust festival in Laguna recently and was blown away at her artwork, she’s definitely now one of my inspirations. I struggle to find time for myself to do art and I have little energy after work but I hope I can become as great as she is one day, I just gotta keep pushing. She’s so lucky to have lived in Laguna, it’s so beautiful there 😭❤️
I love her attitude, it seems like she has that "mad scientist" kind of approach. I also feel like just diving in when I draw, the first stages of the drawing aren't really enjoyable to me. Edit: After watching it all, she's literally like my kindred soul. It feels like I'm listening to an older, female version of me lol. I got so much out of this episode, thank you guys so much for inviting April 😁
Hearing her talk so passionately and enthusiastically about art and different art mediums is really inspiring me to try new mediums. Really enjoyed this!
April is one of the most inspiring artists I have ever met, and is such a beautiful person. Her passion for art is what makes her art so powerful. I’m so thrilled that Marshall did this interview with her so that everyone can experience her awesomeness!
Great interview. April defined the artists path of always learning and improving her own skills to express who she really is as an artist. Drive. A rare gift Thanks
I’m only halfway through and I can tell April just loves to talk about her art. I wouldn’t be surprised if she does personal writing because she gives amazing comparisons to things like warm butter on toast. So amazing!
Stan painted the bookcase for Marshall's podcast/youtubing. They aren't real books! More importantly I like the puddytat on Ms. Solomon's outfit! Not to mention her artwork. I'm always trying dragons but lack imagination. Good episode, as almost all are. Thanks for everything.
I love this interview Marshall. I grew up in Huntington Beach and attended Pageant of the Masters and the saw dust festival many times as a child and teenager. I have great memories. This is so encouraging to me and to create more art. Thanks for interview. April is an amazing artist.
In two years of watching almost everything you released this is the most relevant to me and a wonderful surprise, I have made a living (25+ years already) literally just drawing aeroplanes, I can hear rolling when I say that but it has established me internationally within the niche and it's less about the machine or the mechanics (although I am a qualified aircraft technician as a backup career which informs the foundations of my work) but more about the mystique and wonderment of flight and the symmetry and perfection of aerodynamic structures, other aviation artists focus on the machines and scenarios like warbirds in battle etc but I bring out the mythical beast inside everything that is made by man to fly. Learning from Proko about figure and anatomy has given me a deeper understanding of 3-dimensional objects and how they relate to each other.
I would love to take mentoring from April. So much brilliant advice that I have been wondering about that she has touched on in this, if April ever feels like she could mentor then I am a self taught artist happy to put money on her.
She likes Magic the Gathering, D&D, animals, dragons, werewolves, and admired Sargents watercolor art books. She's perfectly fine by me! That's a cool lady!
Every. Damn. Day. Except it wasn't my parents. It was my engineer friends' parents and my teachers. And some fellow classmates who gladly mouthed off to me about my "gay anime art" but who couldn't draw any better. It's funny too. Everyone loves anime now. But when I loved it, I was like a 6 year old soaking it up wherever I could. Back then, this was in the 90s, I had to get anime stuff at the mall in vhs stores. It turns out I was a kid ahead of everyone. I even had a bowl cut hair cut back then, and guess what? Seems like every K-Pop king has sported that look at some point. Ah, but I ramble on...this 30 year old gal has seen some good times.
I was born in 1955 to parents who never encouraged me and convinced me that had to get a "real" job. So I did and spent 45 years working in factories while dreaming of being an artist. I did not get to live my life as an artist until I retired 3 years ago. What a waste. BRAVO to her parents for doing the right thing and encouraging her.
Those biceps, amazing o-o All in all, she has a really stong physique, which one rearely sees on artists that seem to be glued to their desk/ create a lot. I myelf struggle to maintain a strong drawing/arting routine AND a physical routine at the same time. It's always one or the other... currently in a next round of trying to implement more movement durign those long desk days PLUS the Corona confinement, fencing is currently not allowed..... It is tricky. So I'm just amazed! The art style has a strong presence as well and the mix of media she uses and knows, fascinating. Really enjoyed watching this interview, a lot I could relate to.
Wow! This was such a great episode. I connect with April Solomon on so many levels. From growing up in OC, D&D, thinking I’ll only ever do pencil, the fantasy horror genre, and the road to Hana! And it is my goal for 2021 to draw dragons. Thank you Marshall. Does she teach?
I agree that ball point pen is great to use. For me I think it’s a psychological thing because when i use pen I feel less inhibited to create and i have a free flow of ideas.
I told my son, I’ll support him in any dream career - art, music, sports, deep sea photography, space pirate etc - and I’ll support you, get you lessons, help you build a career... some boring job will always be there if you need it... so he tells me, “I think I’ll go into finance”. Lol. I think it’s just a phase.
id agree, but I think TB choi would struggle in this podcast cuz her main language isn't English, also there's a tb choi interview in Bobby Chiu's channel
I also love ballpoint pen, it's one of those mediums that just happened when I was in highschool, I never expected to draw with it until one day my mechanical pencil ran out of lead
Great interview Marshall. I love April’s work. I love ball point pens also. I have just about every color and use them (and Prisma colors)exclusively in my unique sketchbook.
In this at the 19 min mark about detail and being lost in all the details and fighting the from large brush to small is one of my biggest issues to overcome in re-learning to draw. I love dragons and one of my earliest drawings were dragons. Hearing her tell the story of how she got into drawing( I didn't have an artist parent, father's mother somewhat) sounds greatly familiar to me. I have the "talent" rather in I picked it up quickly or some parts came easier and was more easier to do. I learned this year, that how I was drawing as a child, unknowingly was exactly how many do it now. I was able to freehand copy different images and drawings by looking at it. Now? I struggle to do even that after YEARS of going through the "do the mannequin" and all the basic geometric shapes. So yeah I have the foundations and proportions, learned how to do 1-3 point perspectives(though 3 point is rare). It's just now the hours to build the skills further, detail and rendering which is where I struggle the most. I'm only re-learning traditional media(pencil, colored pencil) so I can re-affirm my drawing so I can get the proper shading and "sculpting" for human forms, as I have a ton of ideas for projects. For TL:DR I think she sums up how I feel on a lot of things especially the "I can't do this" voice among other topics. A parallel of she is and does what I haven't, couldn't or can't do currently, but could do if I was able have kept drawing all these years.
Thanks for uploading another episode! Just out of curiosity (definitely not because podcast done only by Marshall would be lacking anything ❤️) when is Stan coming back?