Meet Artist Scott Burdick
Meet Scott Burdick, the artist who created the drawings featured on our new 400 Series Toned Sketch pads.
When we asked Scott to create art for the covers, we left the subject open. However, we asked that he incorporate the iconic thistle into each of his pieces, as is featured in all of the art for our 400 Series pad covers. The thistle has been a symbol of excellence in art papers since Strathmore’s early beginnings.
Strathmore asked Scott to share a bit about his pieces:
How did you interpret using the Strathmore Thistle for the pad cover artwork?
In one pad, I used the Strathmore thistle in the hat of the Navajo man and in the other it is incorporated into the earring of the girl from San Miguelle, Mexico.
How did the Strathmore paper you used for the project affect your drawing techniques?
I really enjoyed the slickness of the paper, which allowed me to rub the charcoal in to create smooth tones where desired. Because of the tone, it also allowed me to leave much of the background simple and to add a few accents of white chalk to pop the highlights forward, rather than having to tone everything with charcoal as I usually have to do.
Which artists inspire you?
My favorite artists are Sargent, Zorn, Sorolla, Klimpt, Fechin and about two or three hundred others!
What advice would you give to beginning artists?
Drawing is the basis of everything. Concentrate on drawing exclusively from life for at least two or three years before doing much painting and it will pay dividend for the rest of your artistic life.
About Scott: Scott Burdick was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1967 where his mother and father early on encouraged his interest in Art. "I spent a lot of time in hospitals as a child and remember my mother showing me how to transform simple shapes like circles, triangles, and squares into objects like planes, helicopters, and fish. It seemed such a magical thing and made spending so much time in casts and on crutches much more bearable," says Scott.
In high school, Scott began taking life-drawing classes at the American Academy of Art under the legendary Bill Parks. "Though I'd always loved drawing, it was Mr. Parks who filled me with the enthusiasm and discipline necessary to improve my skills. His love of painting and creative expression infected us all," explains Scott. After finishing the Academy, Scott continued his study informally with Richard Schmid at the Palette and Chisel Art Club, where he met his wife, painter Susan Lyon. "It's a wonderful thing being able to paint together all the time and grow as artists together," Scott says.
His ideas for paintings come from everywhere. "What makes a subject attractive to me are the same things that attract us all. The beauty of a young girl, the character of a weathered face, the solitude of a farm at sunset, or even the story itself behind someone or something that makes it interesting." Scott believes it is the job of the artist to recognize this when it happens, analyze why, and use his technical skills to convey the feeling to someone else. He notes that some paintings are as simple as stopping at the sight of something interesting, while others may take more time to research than to actually paint.
Today, Scott and Susan live in a rural area of North Carolina. Surrounded by forests and the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, their house is a perfect resting place after the many trips they take throughout the world in search of subject matter to paint.
Scott has self-produced Online educational videos through his website and DVD's published through Lilidahl publications.
