What Richey Beckett has said about Pen-and-ink illustration

Beckett says self-imposed rules and the binary of pen and ink help him focus and complete work, whereas painting's possibilities intimidate him.

“The binary of pen and ink has always worked really well for me, just knowing I'm just thinking about that one thing at one time”

Seekers of the Eternal: #54 ~ Richey Beckett ~ Album Art & Rock Poster Illustrator (Oct 31, 2024) · Listen from 16:45

Beckett says he draws without corrective lenses, using his severe short-sightedness to block out distractions.

“when I draw I take my lenses out and I don't wear glasses so I'm just engaged with the page”

Seekers of the Eternal: #54 ~ Richey Beckett ~ Album Art & Rock Poster Illustrator (Oct 31, 2024) · Listen from 16:58

Beckett argues that artists can be tricked into making art for competition, sales, or likes rather than for exploration.

“you can get tricked into making art to try and be better than someone else or to try and sell it or please people or get likes”

Seekers of the Eternal: #54 ~ Richey Beckett ~ Album Art & Rock Poster Illustrator (Oct 31, 2024) · Listen from 25:07

Beckett finds pen and paper comforting because the tradition has barely changed in centuries, unlike digital tools.

“just the historic tradition of it having not really changed in hundreds of years. there's something that feels incredibly dependable about it”

Seekers of the Eternal: #54 ~ Richey Beckett ~ Album Art & Rock Poster Illustrator (Oct 31, 2024) · Listen from 32:50