Eric Peterson is a veteran cartoonist & artist who worked across a variety of industries and niches, through advertising & commercial art, and now as a independent artist. Eric has developed a signature style, based in abstraction and surrealism, and referencing silkscreen and printing techniques of centuries past.
Catch up with Eric and see some of his work on his Facebook page.
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Eric Peterson’s artwork
Eric Peterson’s artwork
Eric Peterson’s artwork
Eric Peterson’s artwork
Get The Episode
- Download The Busy Creator Podcast, Episode 57 (MP3, 30:19, 14.8 MB)
- Download The Busy Creator Podcast, Episode 57 (OGG, 30:19, 22.8 MB)
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Eric drawing a character, without formal sketching
Show Notes & Links
- Eric describes his work as strange, surreal
- Eric’s influences were comic books and book illustration
- Dr. Seuss
- Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak on Amazon and on Audible
- Block-printing and engraving, methods of reproducing illustration in centuries past
Example of an engraving illustration
- Cross-hatching, a shading technique
Crosshatch styles
- Gray’s Anatomy, originally published 1858
- Dr. Henry Vandyke Carter, the unsung illustrator for Gray’s Anatomy
- Eric worked in advertising in the 80s, but didn’t find creative satisfaction
- Stream of consciousness
- Zen
- Canadian publisher taking on Eric’s next comic project
“A true artist does things that are organic or abstract.”
—Eric Peterson
“There's something that happens in spontaneity that lends a huge visual aspect that fine-tuning just doesn't have.”
—Eric Peterson
- Joel Duggan, cartoonist & illustrator, appeared on The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 2
“Coffee and drawing is perfect.”
—Eric Peterson
- Art methods of old
- The Learners by Chip Kidd on Amazon and on Audible
- Brazil, The movie, written by Terry Gilliam
- Eric Peterson on Facebook
Tools
- Drafting table
- India Ink
- No. 2 or No. 4 Watercolor brush
- Japanese brush pens
- Red photo pencil
Techniques
- Allow the writing to lead the art, as well as the art lead the writing
- Take a break — perhaps even months or years
- Keep your pencil sketching loose, let the inking process take the lead
- Procrastinate on purpose, to take meaningful break
- Embrace creative distraction
Habits
- Sketch ideas as they pop into your head, don’t let them vanish
- Wake up with coffee and enjoy the rituals of all its sensory aspects
- Carry a sketchbook at all times!
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