Illustrating in LA: an artist’s journal and journey [inside my journal]

Ashley Nguyen is an artist from Los Angeles. Working in illustration, pattern design and art publishing, she shares how she uses her journals for ‘stealth sketching’ in the wild, gives advice for budding illustrators, and reveals where she finds inspiration for her work…

Where did you grow up?

I was born in Long Beach, CA but I spent four years on the east coast at the Rhode Island School of Design where I majored in Illustration. I graduated in 2024, and I have now moved back to LA, where I am trying to embed myself in the art scene.

Were you always into art and illustration? 

I’ve loved drawing and painting since I was a young kid. I began taking it more seriously in high school when I rediscovered my interest. I admired many contemporary artists in the illustration world, and seeing what they could create inspired me to keep developing my own skills.

You are working across four main areas of art. Let’s start with your illustrations; you create beautiful, colourful work, often featuring people. Tell us more…

Most of my drawings are figurative, and it all began with my interest in creating characters that reflected my personal relationships with others. I grew up in an unconventionally large family; I have five siblings, all close in age, so you can imagine the chaos.

It was a consistently stimulating environment, with several conversations happening simultaneously, lots of play, as well as disagreements and tension. My characters began developing through projects centred on familial relationships, exploring the tension of love and hate you can have with a sibling, and reflecting our experiences of growing up in my work.

You have also worked on some books – can you tell us about those?

I’ve been collecting art books since I began drawing, both as a source of inspiration and because I admired artists who published or designed their own books. That interest eventually led me into the graphic design and publishing world. I’ve created a few self-published books, ranging from personal works to projects for other artists.

One example is a zine I created for a class project. I wanted to make an artist book that reflected the verticality of Hiroshige’s Birds and Flowers artworks, but from a scientific lens, showing the symbiotic relationship between the birds and the flowers. Each page focuses on a specific bird and flower species, and I used a Japanese bookbinding technique that allowed the pages to be flipped through easily.

Another book I worked on was Santos Maru, which came about while I was interning at the Japanese American Cultural and Community Centre. My supervisor, Hirokazu Kosaka, asked if I could design a book for him. He had many photographs documenting his journey of immigration from Japan to the US. As a young child, he and his brother boarded the Santos Maru steamship alone, while their parents waited for their arrival in the US.

In the photos, there were women who took care of him and his brother on the voyage. These women eventually went to Brazil, and Hirokazu was trying to find out what happened to them by searching for their names on the passenger list.

Eventually, he found them, and once the book was published, he was able to send them a copy. It was nostalgic for them to receive it and a heartwarming experience for me to be part of.

How do you use your paper republic journals for your artwork?

I use the drawing paper refill for my observational drawings, which involve different types of mediums. I also have another refill with thinner paper for thumbnail sketches and notes on new ideas. In art school, keeping a sketchbook was important for experimentation and visually showing progress, whether for sketches or planning how to execute a project.

After graduating, I knew I wanted to continue maintaining a consistent sketchbook practice, and observational sketching is something I really enjoy. I do a lot of drawings of people in public spaces, like cafes or restaurants, basically anyone I can observe from a distance. I try to capture their character as quickly as possible.

It’s challenging because people are constantly moving and doing their own thing, but that makes it a great way to practice drawing quickly. This kind of drawing is exciting because I have a limited time to finish a live drawing, and I try to do it discreetly without seeming too intrusive. The results are often unexpected, which makes it a fun form of experimentation for me.

You created a beautiful set of print patterns for cushions, bags and other items. What’s the story behind these?

Pattern is a visual element I enjoy incorporating within my drawing and illustration practice. Surface design is another interest of mine, where the design begins as a two-dimensional surface and can take on many possibilities in three dimensions with functional usage.

I created a collection of designs inspired by the fall season and thought of natural objects that reflected the seasonal change. I wanted to find a way to combine traditional mediums and digital methods to create a cohesive design.

I hand-painted the nature objects using watercolor and arranged them digitally while trying to maintain the tactile feeling of the physical medium. The project was a good experience for learning how to combine both physical and digital mediums for a project.

As an illustrator, what do you like in particular about the paper republic system? 

I love how customizable the journals are to your individual preferences. For example, I added little charms to the exterior of my grand voyageur journal and even debossed my initials on the leather. Paper quality is important to me. I like using the 150-gsm drawing book for mixed media and sketching experiments because it holds up well with ink and alcohol markers.

I use the drawing book refill for more polished drawings and the smaller 80-gsm notebook refills for preliminary sketches and notes. It’s like having two journals in one while keeping them separate.

I’ve always been a big fan of stationery and have experimented with lots of different journals. What I enjoy most is how they develop a unique patina that reflects my own life experiences. I carry my sketchbook everywhere, and when I finish a refill, I can start fresh while keeping that original petrol-blue cover.

Where do you find inspiration for your art?

Going to museums or gallery spaces is a good source of inspiration for me. Seeing what others artist are capable of within their lifetime. 

For example, with Hiroshige’s wood block prints I really enjoy the intricate line work, and subtlety of colour. I admire looking at East Asian art principles in general as a source of inspiration.

I also like to look at art objects outside of my area of practice, such as oil paintings or sculpture, because there's always something to take from different forms of making. You can always learn from everything around you. 

What’s next for you?

Currently I'm doing a lot of my own projects, building my portfolio and searching for more exhibition opportunities. I'm also interested in publishing so I’m exploring the world of art books. I have a well-rounded portfolio, which can make it difficult to categorize, because people see that I have broad interests.

Finally, what advice do you have for others wanting to get into illustration work? 

When you’re learning to draw, it helps to imitate artists you admire, doing so lets you lean into the art elements you naturally gravitate toward. At the same time, it’s important to find your own voice and develop your own techniques. If you focus on what you like, the right audience will connect with the work that is unique to you.

Practice sketching daily, and you’ll naturally discover what interests you visually. For me, it was helpful not to be too precious about experiments. If something feels off, you can always learn from it and improve the next time around. Consistency is key when developing your visual language, it takes many artworks to get there.

Looking back, I can see how the pieces eventually fell into place and led to the work I do now. Most importantly, create work that gives you joy above all else.

See more of Ashley’s wonderful art at AshleyNguyen.art on on her Instagram channel.