Mark Hewatt

Author: Mark Hewatt

  • The Reader and the Statue

    The Reader and the Statue

    I’m sharing a new piece today, built from a reference photo I took on a cool spring afternoon at the Georgia State Botanical Gardens in Athens.

    Walking through the grounds, I was immediately drawn to the relationship between these two figures—a man reading on a bench and a nearby sculpture. I loved the accidental, imitative gestures; both the living man and the stone figure seemed equally invested in their quiet activities. The contrast between the fleeting stillness of the reader and the permanent stillness of the stone was a dynamic I wanted to capture on paper.

    For this piece, I wanted the technique to reflect the atmosphere of that afternoon. Instead of rigid, heavy linework, I relied on quick dashes and the natural, expressive tendency of India ink. My goal was to give the illustration a whimsical and impressionistic sensation, capturing the feeling of the garden rather than just mapping out its exact details.

    To balance that loose, kinetic energy, I brought in acrylic ink very sparingly. It was used just to provide some opaque grounding in a few sparse locations across the piece, anchoring the expressive ink lines and giving the composition a bit of weight.

    It’s a quick study of a quiet moment—where life and art happened to be doing the exact same thing.

    Technical Details:

    • 9×12 140lb cold press
    • Faber-Castell Pitt pens
    • Shuttle Art paint pens
    • Staedtler Pigment Liner
  • sweets shoppe

    sweets shoppe

    The painting presents a charming drawing of a local confectionery by a verdant landscape. The house itself has a classic design, featuring a grey roof and brick walls, with two windows that add to its cozy and welcoming appearance. 

    In the background, the image is framed by towering trees with dense foliage, providing a natural backdrop that contributes to the overall serenity. The variety of trees, including palm trees on the right, adds a touch of tropical beauty and diversity to the setting. The bright colors used for the sky and surroundings indicate that it is daytime, casting the entire scene in a cheerful and peaceful light. The drawing captures a picturesque moment, inviting viewers to imagine the tranquility of life in such a lovely environment.

    Technical Details:

    • Acrylic wash
    • Sakura Pigma pens
    • 9×12 140lb cold press
  • Snow Day in North Georgia

    Snow Day in North Georgia

    I’m sharing another new piece today, this one capturing a completely different kind of stillness. Based on a cold, snowy day up in North Georgia, it depicts a few figures standing right in the middle of an iced-over road.

    There is a very specific kind of quiet that happens when it snows heavily around here—the cars stop, the world slows down, and suddenly the middle of the street becomes a place to just stand and take it all in. I wanted to capture that rare, communal pause.

    To get the atmosphere right, I used the same technique as my recent Botanical Gardens piece. I relied on the expressive, fast nature of India ink, using quick dashes rather than rigid lines. This approach gives the illustration a whimsical, impressionistic sensation that mimics the raw, biting energy of a freezing winter afternoon. The scratchy ink work was perfect for mapping out the bare, shivering trees and the heavy tire tracks carved into the ice.

    Just like the last piece, I used acrylic ink very sparingly to provide some opaque grounding. The bright hits of color on the winter coats and the deep, rusty reds in the background tree line help anchor the composition, allowing the white of the cold press paper to do the heavy lifting for the snow.

    It’s a quick snapshot of a rare winter moment, frozen in ink.

    Technical Details:

    • 9×12 140lb cold press
    • Faber-Castell Pitt pens
    • Shuttle Art paint pens
    • Staedtler Pigment Liner

  • Physical: Nunnally Road

    Physical: Nunnally Road

    Here is the first of the physical work for this series.

    I’m excited to introduce the first piece in a new three-part illustrative series. The theme is a blend of seasonal whimsy and the gentle, spooky feeling of unique, isolated structures. Over the years, I’ve collected photographs of fascinating buildings, and this series gives them a new life and a new story.

    I chose a stark, graphic style with strong linework to evoke the feeling of a classic block print or a storybook illustration. While this image was created digitally, I’m currently working on its physical counterpart, exploring the dialogue between the two mediums. This piece, “Nunnally Road,” is the beginning of that exploration.

    Technical Details:

    • Acrylic swipe
    • Sakura Pigma pens
    • 9×12 140lb cold press
  • Physical: Hightower Road

    Physical: Hightower Road

    My physical creation of the original digital piece.

    Continuing my new three-part illustrative series where seasonal whimsy meets eerie Americana. This second piece is titled “Hightower Road,” and it carries forward the theme of bringing old, forgotten structures back to life with a new, illustrative story.

    The style remains graphic and sketch-like, evoking the feel of a classic block print. As with the first piece, this is the digital version, and I’m continuing to develop the physical counterparts. The exploration of bridging these two mediums is at the heart of this series, and “Hightower Road” is the next step in that journey.

    Technical Details:

    • Acrylic swipe
    • Sakura Pigma pens
    • 9×12 140lb cold press

  • Physical: Cemetery Road

    Physical: Cemetery Road

    Physical version of this original digital piece.

    And with that, the series is complete. This three-part digital collection was an exploration of seasonal whimsy and the mysterious vibes of forgotten places. From the first piece to this final one, “Cemetery Road,” my goal was to take real structures I’ve photographed and imbue them with the feeling of a modern folk tale.

    For this final installment, I used a monochromatic green palette and the enchanting glow of fireflies to create a uniquely eerie and magical atmosphere. It’s been a fantastic journey blending photography, memory, and digital illustration. Physical versions of all three are still in the works!

    Technical Details:

    • Acrylic swipe
    • Sakura Pigma pens
    • 9×12 140lb cold press
  • Old Live Oak

    Old Live Oak

    I spotted this shack while driving. It was anchored by an old live oak with heavy, sprawling limbs. The wood was grey and tired. The tree was the opposite—covered in a vibrant green moss that felt alive against the weathered boards.

    What I found most interesting was this dimension of time. You have a structure slowly surrendering to the elements while the tree just keeps reaching. It’s a quiet, roadside dialogue.

    I used a mix of ink and acrylic for this piece. I also made a specific choice: I stopped correcting myself. If the ink bled or a line went wide, I let it stay. Usually, these are called errors. Here, the errors were the effort. They belong in the work, much like the rot belongs on the shack. It’s an honest way to record a moment.

    The ink defines the twisting architecture of the oak. The acrylic adds the weight to the sky and the moss. It is a rougher, more experimental process than my usual work, but it captures the grit I was looking for.

    Technical Details:

    • Acrylic swipe
    • Sakura Pigma pens
    • India ink with drip pen
    • 9×12 140lb cold press press
  • The Lure

    The Lure

    On the outside, it’s just weathered wood and rust. But when the door cracks open, the mask slips. This illustration is about that moment of realization—when the familiar peels back to reveal something sickly and wrong underneath.

    The colors inside are too bright, too vertical. They vibrate against the rot of the doorframe.

    Now part of a private collection.

    Technical Details:

    • Acrylic swipe
    • Sakura Pigma pens
    • India ink with drip pen
    • 9×12 140lb cold press press
  • Roadside Blue

    Roadside Blue

    We pass these structures every day on the backroads of Georgia—weathered barns settling slowly into the landscape. This piece comes from a reference photo I snapped years ago, capturing the specific texture of the vertical siding and the tin roof.

    For this study, I wanted to contrast the intricate, scratchy pen work of the aged wood with a bold, abstract splash of blue. It pushes the sketch beyond a simple observation into something more graphic and modern. A memory of the road, captured in ink.

    Technical Details:

    • 6×9 140lb cold press
    • Sakura Pigma pens
    • Acrylic swipe
  • River Bottom Watchman

    River Bottom Watchman

    This Barred Owl lives nearby and is a frequent sight (and sound) among the trees along the river. For this study, I wanted to capture how perfectly his plumage blends with the textured bark of the pines.

    It’s a challenge in camouflage—using pen and ink to define the bird while letting him remain part of the forest. The wash adds depth without breaking the stillness of the scene. A quiet portrait of a local resident.

    Technical Details:

    • 6×9 140lb cold press
    • Sakura Pigma pens

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