Senior Spencer White sets aside pen and paper to pursue digital art

By Eric Furth
Staff Writer

Many Costa students are already involved in different art programs offered at the school, but senior Spencer White has taken his newfound passion for digital art to a more personal level.

Beginning in October of 2012, White began to make digital art on an iPad as a hobby. A few months later, he began to take requests to design custom posters and prints for friends.

“I really like drawing things for other people because the requests really help me expand my knowledge, and aren’t things I normally draw,” White said. “I want my friends to be able to have input in what I draw for them, to make them as personal as possible.”

White has had years of experience illustrating and drawing throughout elementary and middle school for small self-projects. However, he was only limited to pen, pencil, and paper. When his family bought an iPad, he began to experiment with digital art using an array of illustration apps, such as Sketchbook Express and ArtStudio.

“It’s my favorite art medium overall because of all the freedom it gives,” White said, “I think it lets me be more creative than anything else I’ve done before.”

White has worked on a small personal portfolio that he continues to add to on a regular basis. One of his most recent projects was making a small children’s book which was distributed to his former elementary school, Grand View.

“Spencer made me a poster of a character from one of my TV shows earlier this month as a birthday present,” senior Molly Galliher said, “It’s currently hanging up in my room, and I’m really happy with the way it came out.”

White had previously been involved with photography, entering many of his works in the annual Manhattan Beach Neptunian Woman’s Club Art Contest. He sought to do more in with his drawing talents once he found mobile drawing programs that he could use, which then transitioned to making drawings for friends.

 “He drew me a creature that I play with on League of Legends, and sent it to me digitally rather than physically,” senior Mark Holton said, “I printed out a copy of it and hung it in my room.”

White occasionally follows artists online, seeking their works as sources of inspiration to learn about what makes an artist’s style unique. One of his favorites is OMOCAT, a Japanese artist who draws characters from different TV shows and comic books.

“Sometimes I like to experiment in their styles to see their brushwork, color schemes, and general designs,” White said. “This really helps me get a broader understanding of the artistic community.”