Drew Englander

What’s your process like?

I always start by sketching and lately I’ve been doing that on my iPad in this really basic app that has only a few tools. I just draw with my finger and try to get things out as quickly as possible. I like the drawing to be messy and loose so I don’t overthink it, I just throw everything in the soup and see if it works. When I have the drawing worked out I project it onto a large canvas and pencil things in.. do a little more arranging.. then I finally start the painting process where I add details and shadows and refine my lines and colors, making the pictures believable. Not realistic but believable in their way.

How has your practice evolved over the years?

I’ve always drawn and that has been a constant in my life since I was a kid. I’ve explored lots of different avenues.. sculpture, video, music, etc.. drawing is always how I generate ideas for anything though. I only decided to make paintings in the last 3-4 years because it felt like the right platform for me to flesh out the ideas I was drawing. I found my love for painting in the process of doing it and now painting and drawing feel like the same language to me and they’re equally enjoyable (which I think is important).

Can you talk about some of the content of your work?

I’m mostly interested in everyday things. Objects that are personal to me, spaces that I’m always in. I usually sit in a room and quickly draw all the objects that feel like they have some kind of personality. The more I sit and stare at things, the weirder and more fluid they seem.. their funny shapes and how they change depending on the light, where I’m viewing from, my mood even.. I make the paintings look like that experience. A weird little world in flux.