Graphic design and architecture

“I believe that even though they are different disciplines, Graphic Design and Architecture aim to achieve the same thing. Beyond just creating “buildings” both use space and form to create composition, but in the end…everything is art. This piece is one in a million answers to the question being posed.”

Alvin Oei
28 years old

What I do: I have been lead designer (hospitality projects and graphic design) at Randall Baylon Architects, Inc. in Los Angeles, CA for the last 6 years. Recently, I just quit to attend Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, CA as a full time student of Environmental Design to work towards becoming a Disney Imagineer.

Where I am from: I reside in Upland, CA. Born in LA

What I was doing when making this drawing: I was thinking of ways to mesh illustration, typography, and architecture. I started a rough outline of this on the train but finished it when I got home and well into work the next morning.

Whom I was with: Besides the people on the train, I was mostly by myself when making this.

Wolf and Butterfly

This week, a letter came, with these drawings! (Half of them came with the words “Wolf and Butterfly.”) Hurray!

Charles
36 years old
clerk
Boston, Massachusetts, USA
I do most of the drawing at home.

A soldier’s bluebird

“Not much to do out here, collect nature magazines and try to sketch pictures of animals that catch my eye.”

Jesse W
30
soldier
Detroit

About my drawing
What I was doing: Sitting at a small COP in Afghanistan
Where I was: Barracks
Whom I was with: Never alone out here.

Sketch from a photo

“This was my first sketch from a photo.”

Samantha Riker
18 years old
Unemployed
Kansas City, Missouri USA

About my drawing
“I was looking at a photo of the girl I was drawing at home with my grandpa.”

Gratitude and drawing

They say being consciously grateful makes you happier.

Finishing graduate school and (temporarily) away from New York City, I’ve been unconsciously giving drawings of people as farewell and thank-you gifts. I thought it would make them happy, but on my end, drawing embeds them further into my memory.

Here’s one of my taekwondo class:

Another of two lovely guests at my birthday party:

And one I’ve never met, but who has supported some of my projects:

Thanks, all!

—Catherine

Music makes me happy!

Clem
14 years old
musician and student
United States

About my drawing
I drew this in my bedroom at home, while listening to Johnny Cash music. I was alone, and prefer to be when I draw.

The Arabic ‘A’ and a Walk through New Orleans

Maryam
four years old
New Orleans, Louisiana

This sketch has a lovely story and it took place in New Orleans.

While walking along Julia Street, an extremely adorable child stuck her head out of a van and very cheerily said, “Hi!”

I greeted her back and kept walking, but still she kept sticking half her body out of the van and said “Hi!” again.

That was it. I gave in to the adorable ball of cuteness and asked her to draw what makes her happy. (With the permission of her grandmother, sitting in the driver’s seat.) She happily obliged.

She kept drawing until her mom, Melody, came.

Maryam described her drawing as the arabic letter “A” (she’s half-Egyptian), trees, flowers, and the letters that make up her name.

Thanks, Maryam! Southern friendliness was one of the lovely things I took away from this trip.

Inventing things in my mind

 

“Filling out timecards at my old job brought me great frustration. But one day I invented something to solve the problem. I drew it on my arm, and my frustration then gave way to amusement.”

Nikki Sylianteng

30 years old

interaction design student

Manila → Los Angeles → New York

About my drawing

What I was doing: Procrastinating and trying to alleviate my stress

Where I was: My desk at work in Marina del Rey, CA

Whom I was with: My co-workers were at their desks a few feet from me

Rain

Tamara Davis
14 years old
New York City

Rumbleroar

Amy Hao
15 years old
New York City