When you boil it down, a good illustration requires only pen and paper. Albert Chamillard geometric illustrations are as good a demonstration as any. Using well-worn books, found pieces of paper, and the simplest of drawing tools (restricted to blue, black, and red pens), his works are immediately familiar to any student who’s doodled on the edges of his math book.
But Chamillard takes doodling to the next level. His monochromatic pen drawings have been celebrated both online and offline, having exhibited his minimalistic work around the US. With a BFA in Painting and Drawing from The University of Arizona, Chamillard also operates a drawing and bookmaking studio in Tucson, AZ, where he has lived for eighteen years.
“I work during the day, so on weekdays I generally start drawing around 8pm, and work for 2-3 hours,” he told Faithwaites, recounting his day to day. “Weekends provide more daytime hours, and I draw quickly, so I’m able to produce a lot of finished work. I find it helpful to have small sketchbooks with me, so I can work out ideas and sketches if I’m on the phone at work, in a meeting, etc. This time also includes finding shows, preparing works for exhibition, documenting, etc.”
“I love making art,” he says, “so I find it easy to motivate myself – it’s something I always want more time to do. I also draw and make art every day, and I think that having a daily practice is a natural motivator, as well. I have a day job, and I’m a busy parent, so it’s not always easy, but for me, a lot of the drive to make art comes from the process of making art.”
