Check out Luke Eidenschink’s Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Luke Eidenschink.

Luke, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Drawing has been central to my life for almost as far back as I can remember. I still have a few drawings that I made on paper restaurant placemats when I was about 3. Even back then, I preferred to use a pen (which my mom always kept in her purse) rather than the old broken crayons that restaurants always provided for kids.

Growing up in rural Minnesota, the farmlands and forests of the surrounding countryside were my playgrounds. Those experiences, plus many camping trips up in the lake country with my dad, heavily influenced my perception of the world around me and how I express myself through my art.

I have continued to develop and grow as an artist through the years. I have illustrated several books and magazines, worked on a graphic novel, participated in art exhibitions and have had many other amazing experiences through my artistic pursuits. In 2009 I was one of the winners of the international Illustrators of the Future award, which had a great positive impact on the way that I looked at my drawing.

In 2012 I moved from Minnesota to Arizona. Now that I have been settled in here for a while, my drawing has ramped up considerably. Particularly In the last three years, I have grown a lot as an artist, and there are many exciting projects in the works for the future.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do? Why? And what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I make detailed drawings in ink, with pen and brush on paper. My tools are basic and old school: dip pen, brush, ink, and paper. Because I use these old-fashioned tools, my work tends to be reminiscent of the pen and ink artists of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.

As I was growing up, I saw my dad drawing, and this was probably my first artistic inspiration. Our home was always filled with books, and some of them had old style pen and ink or woodcut illustrations. Those illustrations inspired me greatly, as well as reading the stories and coming up with my own ideas for drawings.

If there is an overall theme to my art, it would be a sense of imagination and wonder. I like to tell stories with my drawings, or at least suggest them. When you look at my art, I want your imagination to kick in and wonder ‘what’s the story here?’.

In addition, I also want to inspire other artists. All artists are inspired by other artists, and I am no exception. There are so many great artists, working in diverse mediums, who have influenced and inspired me. I feel that the greatest compliments I have received have been when someone tells me that my work has inspired them. I hope to be able to always inspire others with the work that I do, and help them on their own artistic journeys.

Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
I feel that one of the biggest challenges facing artists today, especially younger and/or beginning artists, is social media. Social media is wonderful for being able to connect with people and share what you do and find others who have amazing things to offer. That is the upside. The downside is that it can amplify something that many artists are all too familiar with: self-criticism. If a creative person compares themselves or their work to that of others, the resulting self-criticism can be a hard thing to overcome.

My advice for all artists and creatives is to be inspired by the work of others. But always stay focused on your own work. Remember that art is about enjoying the process, and it is about continually growing your skills and abilities. In art, there is no ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ only different.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
One of the best ways to support me is to follow me on Instagram, which is the central hub where I am always posting new content. I am also on Facebook and YouTube, where I post longer format tutorials and process videos.

Another level of support is through my Patreon, where I offer perks such as extended tutorials and behind-the-scenes shots that you will not see anywhere else.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.etsy.com/shop/LukeInkArt
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/luke.ink
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/luke.ink.art
• Other: https://www.patreon.com/lukeink

Image Credit:
Lindsey Gemme

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