Meet the Team: Steve Bell
In a rare change to our Meet the Team feature we’re going to dive into the detail of one of our team’s passions!
Creative Lead Steve Bell has been with us for over twenty years and is an integral part of the Lux Aeterna team. In his spare time Steve runs his DrawBellDraw instagram account where he documents his love of drawing and showcases his latest work.
Steve took some time to explain more about his love of drawing and what inspires him:
“I’ve always enjoyed the beginning of a design project—diving into research and immersing myself in the subject. Drawing has a similar appeal; when you’re sketching, you’re not just creating an image but learning about and connecting with the subject.
Last year I had the chance to attend several music festivals and events, sketching the crowds, food stalls, crews, and bands. Festivals are particularly interesting because you become part of the entertainment for festival-goers, and the interactions with the crowd are always positive, if occasionally a bit overwhelming.
I picked up drawing again about 2½ years ago after an injury prevented me from going out for my regular lunch break runs. I’d studied drawing at art school but that was nearly 30 years ago so I began going out sketching historical bits of the city center. Over time, I developed a greater interest in drawing people and now frequently sketch the busy weekly food market with its colourful stalls and crowds.
I also started attending a weekly life drawing session and a monthly portrait club. These intense, focused couple of hours are fantastic practice for honing your skills in drawing people.
I always carry a pocket sketchbook, you can draw anywhere—hiking Europe’s toughest mountain trail in Corsica, polling stations on election day, Giffords circus, a political protest. One of the most unusual places I’ve drawn was the tunnels of the Paris catacombs last year. Using a torch to light my sketchpad, I made a few hasty drawings of bone piles and skull-studded walls before I got spooked and had to leave.
Initially, I used Instagram to document each drawing, to help keep track of progress and build the drawing habit, I kept it private as I didn't want to get into the business of chasing followers and likes. This year, I decided to make the @drawbelldraw channel public to seek more opportunities to draw at festivals and other interesting locations. One of the rewarding things about this has been tagging the people or businesses I’ve drawn and getting some nice feedback, there's also a large community of artists online to take inspiration from.
I typically sketch on the spot and rarely make additions afterward. I'm interested in the experience of being in the moment and reacting to what’s in front of you.I’ve gradually become more interested in reportage drawing, inspired by illustrators like George Butler and Felix Topolski, who traveled to dangerous and difficult situations trying to draw and bring back a human vision of what they saw. George makes a good case for drawing as communication in this Ted Talk.
Looking ahead, I’d love to sketch the crowds and performances at Glastonbury Festival. I’m also talking to a local community gardening project to capture their teams and their work. I’m always on the lookout for new opportunities and experiences to draw.
People often tell me they wish they could draw. I believe everyone can, though starting can be the hardest part. Don’t be discouraged by initial results—practice is key. My personal motto is: DRAW BELL DRAW!”
You can see some of Steve’s work as part of the Lux Aeterna Design Team here.