One of the greatest cat-related distractions on the Internet is a little something called Crap Drawings Drawn Crapily.
It’s the brainchild of a U.K.-based illustrator who goes by the name of Sasky D and has come to specialize in pet portraits. As the ruse’s title suggests, her illustrations have a deliberately low-fi charm, but they still manage to really capture a cat’s personality. Stylistically, think the polar opposite of those fusty old fine-art oil paintings of felines and you’re getting close to approaching the ballpark.
We pestered the artist to talk about the lure of crap drawings and her dream celebrity kitties to illustrate.
Catster: What inspired you to start drawing pets?
Sasky D: I’ve always drawn animals, and I’ve always had pets from rats to cats, but the idea for personalized ones came while I was doing university work. I was getting a bit bored of sourcing my own images and having to make the decision on what to draw, so I thought about asking people and drawing their pets. It turned out people really liked them and would pay me to do it! That’s a dream come true, honestly — all I want to do is draw.
How would you describe your style? Well, beyond being “crap drawings drawn crapily”?
Ha ha, that phrase was coined by my university tutor during a work critic session. I like to think that they are almost so bad they do a full circle and become good again. I had a follower comment saying they were “cat-tinuous” line drawings, which I loved because I enjoy a good pun.
Why do you think people seem to like cat drawings so much?
Well, who doesn’t like cats? I think the humor within my drawings attracts people because it’s different from the usual pet portraits — they are very quirky. I like to think I have a very individual way of drawing, which people like, as they usually haven’t seen anything like it before. Also, there’s the fact I offer personalized portraits — I don’t know a cat owner who doesn’t always need just one more picture of their cat.
I have done some dogs as well. I’d like to be able to draw every kind of pet, but it just seems that cats are the most popular at the moment. That’s fine by me, ‘cause I’m a cat lady myself.
What’s the trickiest part about drawing a cat in your style?
No question, it’s capturing their personality. It’s very important to me as an illustrator that the owner feels like it’s their pet. I would hate a customer to be unhappy and not feel like the portrait wasn’t accurate, so I do spend a lot of time on making sure the markings, expression, and stance of their pet is close to the picture I’m working from.
Which Internet-famous cats would you most like to draw?
Oooh, tough question. It’d be cool to do some celebrities’ pets, especially animal activists, as I like to get involved more with being able to use my art to help give back to rescues. Other than that, Princess Monster Truck has been a favorite of mine for a while, and, although obvious, it would be cool to do an official Grumpy Cat portrait, because I love that grumpy little face!
Finally, what cats do you have yourself?
I have five in total, although four are shared with my mum. We have three black cats (Licky, Mr. Tobermorey, and Anya), one mackerel tabby named Willow, and then my fur baby who is coming to live with me in my flat next month, Inka, who is a classic tabby. She’s the prettiest cat I’ve ever seen, and I love her so much — I can’t wait to cuddle her again!
Want a crapily drawn picture of your cat? Head over to the Sasky D website for ordering info.
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