What first inspired you to start drawing?

I remember first trying to stay within the lines of coloring books, next I won a 1st grade drawing contest and received a fresh book titled “Where the Wild Things Are”. Quickly after absorbing Maurice Sendak’s art, Garbage Pail Kids and Transformers sealed the deal.

This is a sweet topic. Well, definite props to your inspiration that’s one of mine too. When I was 5 I was obsessed with dinosaurs and drew them, too. But, I think #1 would be Commander Mark’s 3-D drawing tutorials when I was in elementary school. I actually didn’t know he had a web site, but this made my day:

I thought that is how all parents get their kids to shut up. Paper and pencil.

I remember as a kid being really into airplanes, mostly fighter jets. I drew them all the time. I then moved from fighter jets to cartoons. I used to watch them constantly and try to figure out how to draw all the characters. I also would get the how to draw _______ from the school Library. It wasn’t until high shool that I realized that I could do it for a living.

Ed Emberly’s books and some marker drawing show on PBS where the dude drew alien landscapes, can’t remember the name of it for the life of me. Both from the 80’s.

nothing really, just something i used to do from an early age.

I had a knack for being able to replicate any drawing put in front of me from quite an early age. I remeber spending quite a long time copying an illustration i saw in warhammer. can still remeber what it was as well tyrnaids vs the imperial guard.

But er yeah i wasnt ever exposed to much art or anything as a child by my parents neither of them were creative or saw any worth in it, just something i used to do i guess.

Saturday morning cartoons and my grandmother was a librarian and used to drop off the “hot to draw” books all the time for me.

Draw Squad. My Dad bought me this book when I was 7. Been drawing ever since.

Amazing. “How to draw…” and Where the wild things are, were definite inspirations. As were any vehicle, airplane, boat, shoe, etc. I remember drawing a boat in church (speaking of shutting a kid up) and thinking to myself “Whoa! That’s real! I can draw!” When you’re 6 or 7 you’re easily impressed. But from then on I was always drawing.

Oh I forgot…Bob Ross. Taught me how to paint a draw Happy Trees

Did you ever see the TV show? “Commander Mark” ? It was sweet!

Ever since I can remember I loved going to my father’s office because there was a huge marker collection and a airbrush …which I wasn’t allowed to touch (damn!). I always was a huge fan of cartoons and I would draw them all the time to make my friends laugh until one teacher told me “hey you could make a living out of this!”

Haha it was Mark Kistler that I used to watch, funny.

I was actually a lousy drawer (weird word?) as a kid. This might be a lame story, but when I was 8 I met Chuck Jones, the director of some of my favorite cartoons of all time, at a book-signing, and I brought along a terrible sketch of something I had done that day (don’t even remember what it was…I vaguely remember a Daffy-like character in a warehouse, or something random like that). I gave him the sketch and he actually stopped and talked to me for a few minutes, shaking both of my hands (I had to criss cross them!). And he said something like “keep at it!”. It was really inspiring to an 8 year old. Although I’m still only an adequate drawer, so I guess it goes to show that inspiration isn’t everything…

Yeah! I loved his books. As a matter of fact I met him and had him sign the “big green book” when I was a kid. I just proudly passed it on to my son.

I have kind of the opposite!!! I remember my algebra teacher taking my sketchbook away (and not giving it back until the end of the year) and saying “you need to pay attention to math. What are you going to do with your life draw stupid pictures all the time?” I went to a high school homecoming game recently(my sister is 10 years younger and was still in the HS at the time) and seeing him and said look I am doing something with those “stupid picture” now and making a damn good living doing it.

hee hee - amusing topic!

I’m wondering what was inspiring the european kids as well as the 'mericans amongst us…

I think it was anything that involved somebody wearing a helmet that made me pick up my pen as a kid - sea divers - action men - starwars - Battle of the planets ( did my 7yr old mind love that G-force team or what! - jason, mark, kee-op, tiny and that beautiful white suited girl!)

Oh and the 2000ad comic!

I used to really like drawing these like retro rocket ship cars. Later i remember trying to do a comic book with these barnyard character doodles, like a duck and a chicken and stuff. Then I got booted out of art class for asking why ripping up construction paper and gluing it back together was art. I didn’t draw anymore until college. Apparently I had a real attitude problem in elementary school.

I remember being so into those rocket cars, I even built some out of wood blocks.

Great Topic!!

Acutally, my grandfather was a tattoo artist. He doesn’t have any tattoo, just loved the artistic side of it and was incredible at it. I used to go to his studio when I was young and watch him for hours. With pencil and paper, I would try to replicate the drawings in his portfolio or jsut simply watch him give tattoos. It is something that I cherish.

I’ve drawn ever since I could hold a pencil. I used to draw a lot of stick figure military battles with tanks and choppers. Ed Roth was a big influence as a small kid. Evil monsters and hot rods ruled the day!!! My dad told me I met him at an auto show when I was a small kid. I don’t remember but I know I had always loved his stuff!!

I also remember drawing the characters and ship from the Star Trek Cartoon in the early 70’s. I’d get up early on Saturday and start drawing them while everyone else was still asleep. I drew Fat Albert and the gang as well and Return to the Planet of the Apes. I drew the Ark II vehicle about a million times!

Once I got into Jr High, I drew all the Iron Maiden Album Covers and a lot of satanic stuff.

Unfortunately I hated art class and was anti-social so I only took it once in 7th grade and once in 12th grade. Looking back, I missed out on some of the basics which I’m learning now.