I’m LASERCUPS (it’s an anagram of my real name, because nothing says “artist” like hiding from your exes online).

I’m an animation student at RISD, studying urban sketching with Taria Dawson and Sketching Scottie, and generally drawing whatever makes me laugh. My weapons of choice are Posca pens, ink with watercolor, and a healthy disregard for staying in the lines. I also make messes with graphite, alcohol markers, and colored pencils. After a long, battle-hardened career as a graphic designer who knows Photoshop and Illustrator like the back of my stylus, I also occasionally dabble in digital art.

This blog is where I spill the messy, colorful details of becoming an illustrator. It goes into far more depth than an Instagram caption ever could. I’m jumping into art school at 50, testing every art supply I can get my hands on, and I’m knee-deep in courses, books, podcasts, and tutorials. I occasionally squint suspiciously at the advice I get from “industry pros.” Think of it as a behind-the-scenes tour of my brain, complete with questionable ideas, material experiments, and the occasional victory worth framing.