“I was still primarily a digital artist,
and going through the realisation
that I wasn’t enough for someone
else and never would be. This was
my first real heartbreak. Every
day I was hiding my melancholy
and teetering on the edge of
exhaustion. I felt disposable and
needed something to do to not
think about it. I turned to my art
as an outlet.
It was during this period that
I changed my focus back to
traditional drawings, and the work
I created reflected this state of
being. My drawings had characters
that looked empty and defeated.
I wasn’t hiding how I felt any more
and my strange mix of sadness and
determination bled through the
sketchbook pages.
Page after page told the story of
how I felt without having to voicethem. With so much content, I was
then inspired to create a book
from these pieces as it gave me a
new distraction from my situation.
The response to this work and the
eventual first sketchbook volume
was instant. It was then I realised
how being true in my work
garnered a deeper connection
between myself and the viewer.
Looking back, I was in quite a lot
of pain and this person seems so
different to who I am today. It’s
one of those instances of being
given lemons and making
lemonade. This will always mark
my biggest breakthrough.
I starting to become financially
independent from my artwork,
but also finally gathering the
strength and confidence
I needed to start the next
chapter in my life.”ART IMITATING LIFE
Timothy explains what he means by “the marriage
between creative pursuit and a technical prowess”TIMOTHY VON RUEDEN
vegan); an allegorical drawing and
short story about almost giving up on
relationships before meeting his
partner; and an illustrated shout-out to
supporters of Pride.
“I just go at it with good intention
and see what turns out ... this doesn’t
mean they always turn out,” he says.
“My drawing technique is a process
that usually focuses on contrast,
gradations, sharpness, negative space,
and a heavy emphasis on detailing.
The actual process, however, isn’t very
methodical. Sometimes I work with
soft, loose lines – like a whisper across
the page – while other times I start
outlining bold lines right away. Many
of the drawings I create take at least
eight hours and upwards of 80.”
LIFE ON THE FARM
Timothy now lives in
Waukesha, Wisconsin. Spare
time is spent with nearby
friends and family, and
working on his backyard farm.
If the right offer came in, he
would be open to a job in film
or games. He does accept the
occasional commercial commission.
But, mostly, he finds working for
someone else “a hindrance.” His own
ideas take up all of his time, without
taking on other people’s.
Being an independent artist means
Timothy is able to do this. But he still
has to sell his art online and at
conventions. Big artists wouldn’t
be pumping out those
female portraits if they
weren’t popular. Not
everyone shares Timothy’s
interest in the workings of the dairy
industry. So we stand by our new,
slightly more awkward, slightly more
pretentious question from earlier: how
do you make great art – work that
comes from this place of passion,
this place of authenticity – and still
get likes, shares and make money?“I find that a true artist’s work is
often a ref lection of who they are. They
choose not to hide themselves, but
rather display who they are – not only
at their strongest but also at their most
vulnerable. If you’re a patient person
then it will show. If you’re arrogant
then it will show. If you’re looking for
money then it will show.”
Timothy continues: “I see many
unknown artists who pour their heart
into their work and create pieces that
I would consider great, even though
the social construct may not ref lect
that. Despite how this may sound,
I’m actually very optimistic these
artists are finding that, even if they
aren’t well known, their work gives
them joy. And that’s what truly
matters to me: creating work that’s
actually meaningful.”Sometimes I work with
soft, loose lines – like a
whisper across the page
THE BANISHED PRINCE
“The only son of Triton, Tristan stole his father’s
conch, unaware of its curse that trapped words in
black bubbles, only able to be heard on the surface.”SHADOW PRINCE
“The feeling of being
unable to escape your
current situation while
desperately trying to.”