A 2D animator for nearly 15 years, and currently working on Bob’s Burgers, Drew Newman found his love of digital art waning over time and “yearned to feel creative again, working with physical materials like I used to do as a child,” he says.
Woodworking fulfilled that desire, and Newman approaches it with the same attitude he brings to his animation: “To invest my time toward making something I’m proud of.” Rather than pursuing a formal education, he says that he received his “woodworking degree” from YouTube, teaching himself everything from best table saws to properly applying Danish oil to walnut wood. “I am always eager to make mistakes early on when learning something new by diving in and making something asap,” he explains. “If it goes wrong, I get to problem solve how to salvage the project or come up with a different item to make with the surviving material.”
Newman has a workshop set up on his second-floor balcony, which means he keeps his projects small and manageable. He loves working with exotic woods like the strikingly streaked Ambrosia maple and vivid Padauk, and he enjoys playing with hue and value combinations to create high-contrast pieces that grab attention. The goal of all this? To make items, he says, that look expensive and can outlive their owners and serve as heirlooms.
Instagram.com/drawnewman
drewhah@gmail.com
-
ITEM: “Executive” Stylus Holder
DESCRIPTION: Made from walnut and maple woods with hand-drilled storage for stylus and nibs.
PRICE: $60
.png)