Pushing The Boundaries Of Design

Design and creativity is at the forefront of my mind as I zip in and out of a world that is my own, from the nightmarish worlds inspired by Clive Barker, to the comic book charms of great comic book artists past and present. I live for creating art and that's the case with most artists as we involve ourselves in the creative process.

Clive Barker who is best known as a horror writer, but even he has said himself that he thinks of himself more of an imagineer, someone who was destined to create stories in the written word and fantastical art that can be sometimes abstract or it can have qualities to it that shines brilliance. Also a movie director and producer, directing such classics as Hellraiser and Nightbreed.

Certainly when I am creating new ideas and artwork I try and create it in many forms, whether that's a sketch, a color painting, a written description so I can complete a work of art later or some other medium that really is experimental. Art when created in a sketchy fashion is what I like best, the raw sketch and energy that you can create can be so inspiring and creating energetic art is what art is and should be all about.

Pushing the boundaries of design could mean challenging yourself to draw things you wouldn't ordinarily draw or it could mean to continue sketching lots of new stuff until you finish the one sketch you are happy with. I like the latter explanation as an artist myself I know all too well the benefits of drawing and sketching continuously for a few hours. Especially when you get into that creative state, that flow of energy that you feel when you draw some cool stuff or great ideas you are content with.

When looking at pushing the boundaries of design, I look for a few other things to help me decide....

• Looking at what has been done before and seeing how to better with that idea or but a completely different spin on the idea making that concept original and unique.
• Look at what areas are my weakness and try and create stuff in that area more often, pushing these boundaries work best when you can see that your technique is getting improved upon by the constant pushing of the envelope.
• Dream journals could be a source of inspiration to create stuff and this is a personal creativity that could spur you on, if only you can remember your dreams, especially the nightmares as these are more memorable usually.
• Plan things through and don't be afraid to change our mind at any point, creative freedom is worth a lot to artists and designers as it provides them with an enthusiastic approach, one that they can follow through with.

Naturally, being creative, you do have to set aside some considerable amount of time to think and actually teach yourself to think creatively and always be coming up with new ideas and creations. Fresh thinking quite regularly can benefit your daily creativity, so by always seeking out new pursuits that would bring about that state of mind you could become a well of new images and ideas.

In the following could of drawing videos I just started to draw some evil looking faces, the first one of a demon I wanted to get some energy into the drawing as I didn't exactly know if the drawing would work, particularly as the added pressure of filming it in real time video seems daunting at the time, but I just rolled with the flow and created an idea that I was proud of.

The second video I was determined for it to be a skull of some kind, but try and work the color up with my trusty Crayola Supertip markers and the spontaneous feel of the sketch shines through as do some of the artistic creativity with the quicker sketch approach.

Watch the videos and always remember that pushing the boundaries of design is about challenging yourself, creating a set routine that you break for no one and being committed to becoming an imaginer, a decider of your own artistic vision.