Artwork From Home: Mattias Adolfsson

Currently living in Sigtuna, Sweden, Mattias Adolfsson has made a name for himself in international art circles through his sketchbooks filled to the brim with illustrations. From elaborate cityscapes populated with humans and creatures to intricate, futuristic machines, each drawing takes his viewers on a whimsical adventure—unsurprising since Adolfsson’s background is in computer game animations and graphic design. Over the course of his illustration career, Adolfsson has worked on commissions from Nickelodeon, The New York Times, Chipotle, WIRED, album artwork for Dance Gavin Dance, and more. You can keep up with his latest projects on Twitter and Instagram, as well as check out videos about his sketchbook process on his website.  

When did you first begin making art? 

I have always been drawing but I have been making a living from it since 2007.

What does your workspace look like now?

I have a studio in my house. It used to be a garage but we had it redone when we moved in here.

How have present circumstances affected your creativity?

The situation is very worrying, but it has not affected me that much, apart from the fact I had planned a lot of traveling this year and that is not happening. 

What or who do you look to for inspiration? 

I don’t really seek out inspiration, but I get a lot when traveling 

What are some art-making materials you can’t live without? 

A fountain pen, sketchbook, and watercolors 

How has illustration changed the way you see the world?

It has made me so much more self-sufficient. Everything I see can end up in a drawing.

You have been dubbed the “mad scientist of the Moleskine.” Can you describe your process when you begin a new sketchbook? How do you go about crafting the intricate, immersive little worlds that fill each page? 

Starting a new sketchbook is not that much of a process. It’s a continuous journey; when one book ends and another starts is of little importance. The hardest part of drawing is starting a new one. The longer I get to stay on each page, I delay starting a new page, that is the secret of the crafting.

How do you make time for your art practice at home? 

I prefer not to draw in the evenings, any other time works great. I don’t really enjoy doing commission work as much anymore. I’ve tried to steer my career into making my own stuff more and more, so time and practice are not things I think about.

How do you get through creative blocks?

By working out.

What’s the best piece of art-making advice you ever received? 

I have not got that much advice in my life. I’m a self-taught artist, but that might be because I haven’t listened that much to other people.

How can people support your work?

The best thing is buying something from my online shop.