Bored Panda reached out to Jim Benton again to find out how he comes up with ideas and to learn more about him. We asked the artist to walk us through his typical creative process. "Usually, I just doodle for a few minutes and an idea will come to me," Benton shared. "I'll sketch it up quickly and if it seems like it could work, I draw the final art. I prefer traditional tools, dip pens, pencils, and things like that, but I've been working more with an iPad lately. Either way, I usually add the colors in Photoshop."
Artist's block is a common challenge, so we were curious to learn how Benton overcomes moments of creative block, and if he has any specific strategies for reigniting his creativity. Fortunately for the artist, he doesn't really have too much trouble with that. "I'm pretty sure I won't live long enough to draw all my ideas."
We asked Benton if there are any specific themes or topics that he finds himself consistently exploring in his work. The artist told us: "I think I gravitate to things about absurdity. I like to do comics about the unknown and the surreal: the afterlife, fantasy, mythology."
If you're an aspiring comic artist, buckle up, because Benton has some advice for you! "I think I would say to doodle and sketch A LOT. Enjoy the works of new and old cartoonists. And never engage a critic—if somebody gives you a negative comment, just move along."
