I Really Like Mike Lowery’s Doodles

I have to admit, I really like Mike Lowery’s work. I came across his Scotland sketchbook and started looking through the drawings, and pretty soon I was checking out more of his work, which is usually a pretty good sign.

What grabbed me right away is how much fun his drawings look. There are animals, travel sketches, weird facts, little jokes, strange ideas and all sorts of things that make you stop for a second and look closer, and this is exactly the kind of drawing I like.

Mike isn’t somebody who just pulls out a sketchbook once in a while. He has been drawing for years, carries a sketchbook with him and uses it to record things that catch his attention, whether they are funny, interesting or just plain weird.

I really like that way of thinking about drawing. You don’t have to sit down and decide you’re going to create some great work of art; you see something funny or interesting, grab a pencil and draw it, which is pretty much how I think drawing should be.

Mike has also been drawing a weird fact in his journal every morning for years. What started as a way to keep himself drawing eventually became Random Illustrated Facts, which I think is a pretty great example of what can happen when you just keep doing something you enjoy.

Then I Found the Scotland Sketchbook

This is where I really got hooked. Mike and illustrator Katrin Wiehle spent more than a month traveling around Scotland while leading sketchbook retreats, and instead of trying to draw everything they saw, Mike picked out the moments that stood out.

I love that idea because those are usually the things you remember anyway. A big landmark is great, but sometimes it is the stupid little joke your family made, the animal you saw, the strange bug that wouldn’t leave you alone or something completely unexpected that ends up becoming the memory you keep.

There are landscapes, animals, bugs, family moments and even a 35mm camera that Mike had been thinking about before the trip. Then you get unicorns, because apparently you can’t go to Scotland without drawing unicorns, and I’m perfectly fine with that.

There is also the story of Duncryne Hill, which is known as “The Dumpling.” Their son wasn’t told that The Dumpling was just a nickname, so he apparently expected an actual dumpling at the top, only to discover that Scotland had played a cruel trick on him.

There was no dumpling, which makes me laugh every time I think about it. I don’t know about you, but I would remember that hike forever, and The Great Scottish Dumpling Disappointment is exactly the kind of family story that belongs in a sketchbook.

This Is the Stuff I Love

One of the pages has a drawing exercise involving four random shapes and figuring out how to fit sheep into them. There are also drawings inspired by Loch Lomond, including the idea of imagining what might actually be living in the lake, and I love how quickly the ordinary turns into something completely different on the page.

This is where Mike really gets me. It isn’t about making everything perfect or trying to impress somebody; it is about having an idea, grabbing a pencil and seeing what happens.

I’ve always liked that kind of drawing. Give me a weird idea and a blank piece of paper and I’m happy, especially when the result doesn’t take itself too seriously.

A whimsical, hand-drawn illustration on a light blue background, featuring various Scottish cultural symbols. The central banner reads 'A FEW DAYS IN SCOTLAND', surrounded by a Highland cow, sheep, a bagpiper in a kilt, a thistle, a unicorn, a puffin, a bottle of whisky, and the humps of the Loch Ness Monster.

Now I’m Looking at His Books

Of course, once I started looking at Mike’s work, I found out he has done a whole lot more than the Scotland sketches. There are Random Illustrated Facts, Slightly Jet Lagged, Doodle Adventures, Bug Scouts! and Pizza Shark! among a whole bunch of other projects, so naturally my little investigation got more expensive.

And yes, Pizza Shark! immediately caught my attention. Pizza, sharks, puns and friendship is a pretty ridiculous combination, which is probably exactly why I like it, and I’m starting to think Mike has figured out how to make books that are specifically designed to tempt me.

At this point I have decided that I’m going to buy some of Mike’s stuff. If an artist’s work makes me this happy, I’d rather put a few dollars toward the artist than just keep clicking around his website like some kind of freeloading art tourist.

Besides, I want one of those sketchbooks. I have a feeling this could get expensive, but I’m perfectly OK with that.

A whimsical, hand-drawn illustration on a light blue background, featuring various Scottish cultural symbols. The central text reads 'A FEW DAYS IN SCOTLAND'. Surrounding elements include a Highland cow, two sheep, a bottle of whisky, a puffin, a unicorn, a thistle, a man in a kilt playing bagpipes, and several orange, humped creatures resembling the Loch Ness Monster in water. Small green and orange floral motifs are scattered throughout, creating a cheerful and inviting mood.

Why I Like Mike Lowery

What I really like about Mike is that his drawings make me want to draw. That sounds simple, but I think that is one of the best things an artist can do, because when somebody else’s work makes you want to pick up a pencil, something has gone right.

His work reminds me that drawing doesn’t have to be serious all the time. You can draw a sheep, a unicorn, a weird fact, a bug, something you saw on vacation or an idea that popped into your head five minutes ago, and it doesn’t have to mean anything more than you had fun doing it.

That’s what I see when I look through Mike Lowery’s work, and that’s why I keep looking. I went looking at a few Scotland drawings and came away wanting his books, wanting a new sketchbook and, most importantly, wanting to pick up a pencil and start doodling again.

Not bad for a guy I had never heard of a little while ago.