Author: Mark Hewatt

  • A Fleeting Thought, Held

    A Fleeting Thought, Held

    This piece explores the visual and emotional dialogue between the enduring and the fleeting. The foreground is dominated by a vibrant bloom of bluebonnets, rendered with a delicate touch to emphasize their ephemeral nature – like a beautiful, transient thought taking tangible form. Their cool tones offer a moment of respite within the overall warmth of the composition, a temporary splash of serenity.

    The choice of a strong, almost cadmium orange-yellow for the sky was deliberate. It serves to create a sense of visual tension, a feeling of being enveloped or even constricted by the intensity of the atmosphere. This deliberate contrast in color and feeling aims to highlight the preciousness and temporary nature of the bluebonnets, making their ephemeral beauty all the more poignant against the persistent, almost weighty sky.

    Technical Details:

    • 9×12 140lb cold press
    • Sakura Pigma pens
    • Acrylic brush and swipe
  • Illustration of Dragon Tree

    Illustration of Dragon Tree

    Illustration of Dragon Tree

    Technical Details:

    • 9×12 140lb hot press
    • Sakura Pigma pens
    • Faber-Castell Pitt pens

  • Flowers and Undergrowth

    Flowers and Undergrowth

    I am sharing a new piece today that steps away from the ink and mixed media for a moment to focus entirely on pure pencil work. There is a specific kind of quiet intimacy that comes with a graphite study—it feels like a direct, unfiltered look into the sketchbook.

    This drawing is a study of the wild, tangled details of the undergrowth. My main goal was to play with extreme contrast and negative space. By heavily shading the background to create a deep, soft, almost hazy shadow, I was able to push the untouched white of the cold press paper forward. This allows the delicate petals of the flowers to catch the light and practically glow against the darkness.

    To keep the composition from feeling too heavy, I used sweeping, thin lines for the tall grasses. That fine linework gives the piece a lot of kinetic energy, which balances perfectly against the heavier, more textured shading in the centers of the blooms.

    It is a quiet observation of the forest floor, relying entirely on shifting values to find the light hidden in the shadows.

    Technical Details:

    • Mitsubishi graphite pencils
    • 9×12 140lb cold press

  • Mountain Stream and Masonry

    Mountain Stream and Masonry

    There is a quiet permanence in a stone bridge that I find endlessly compelling, especially against the backdrop of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Unlike the shifting water beneath it or the skeletal branches of the trees above, the bridge stands as a testament to craftsmanship and time.

    In this piece, I wanted to capture that contrast. The challenge was in the sheer variety of textures found in this mountain landscape: the jagged, individual faces of the foreground rocks, the weathered masonry of the bridge, and the delicate, almost ethereal network of the winter trees.

    Working in this monochromatic style allows me to focus entirely on the “architecture” of the scene—how light hits a rough surface versus how it filters through a dense thicket. It’s a meditative process of building layers to find the true weight of the place.

    Technical Details:

    • Mitsubishi graphite pencils
    • 9×12 140lb cold press

  • Illustration: Southern Barn in Late Winter

    Illustration: Southern Barn in Late Winter

    Pencil drawing of a small barn along the roadside in late southern winter.

    Technical Details:

    • Arteza graphite pencils
    • 9×12 140lb cold press

  • St. Simon Red Cedar – Pencil Sketch

    St. Simon Red Cedar – Pencil Sketch

    From the sun-drenched coast of St. Simons Island, Georgia.

    This illustration is a portrait of a single, magnificent Southern Red Cedar that caught my eye. More than just depicting the tree, this piece is a direct study in light—how a bright, clear sun can describe every twist of a branch and lay its entire structure bare in the shadows below.

    A quiet moment of observation on the Georgia coast.

    Technical Details:

    • Arteza graphite pencils
    • 9×12 140lb cold press

  • Illustration: Solitary Summer

    Illustration: Solitary Summer

    Illustration of an abandoned shack at the peak of an old farm field.

    Technical Details:

    • Arteza graphite pencils
    • 9×12 140lb cold press
  • The Throat

    The Throat

    A feeling, a raw, visceral clench when a familiar space turns on you. The air is thick, humming, and the walls are a sick, fleshy pink. The lines all scrape inward, pulling you, forcing you down toward the dark.

    Everything here is designed to mimic that tightening in your own gullet. That patch of light on the floor isn’t a welcome. It’s a stain. It’s what the darkness leaves behind.

    But the real horror is in the details. Go on, look closer. Lean into the shadows at the end of the hall. See what’s been left on the floor.

    This is the digital version. The physical one is clawing its way into existence even as we speak.

    Technical Details:

    • Samsung Tab9 Ultra
    • Infinite Painter
  • Cemetery Road

    Cemetery Road

    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:

    • Samsung Tab9 Ultra
    • Infinite Painter

  • Hightower Road

    Hightower Road

    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:

    • Infinite Painter
    • Samsung Tab9 Ultra