Kevin McGillivray
@schmevin.bsky.social
Artist & instructor in Wisconsin
✍️ Writing “Art Just Happens: A Life Drawing Handbook”
The Timeless Way / mythic mode / conviviality
I post about: Paintings, drawings, websites, creative practice
✍️ Writing “Art Just Happens: A Life Drawing Handbook”
The Timeless Way / mythic mode / conviviality
I post about: Paintings, drawings, websites, creative practice
“If I’m not gentle with myself, that feeling can stop me from moving the pencil at all, so I have to give myself plenty of encouragement. The main thing I have to rely on is small inklings of desires or curiosity that hint toward possible next steps.” open.substack.com/pub/patternw...
Autoritratto
On self portraits
open.substack.com
February 9, 2026 at 7:56 PM
“If I’m not gentle with myself, that feeling can stop me from moving the pencil at all, so I have to give myself plenty of encouragement. The main thing I have to rely on is small inklings of desires or curiosity that hint toward possible next steps.” open.substack.com/pub/patternw...
Cursed to touch all the stones open.substack.com/pub/patternw...
(On the encouragement of friends, this is my first subscribers-only newsletter. I’m experimenting with a behind the scenes studio journal, and more regular public posts on creative practice and art. Hope you’ll join me!)
(On the encouragement of friends, this is my first subscribers-only newsletter. I’m experimenting with a behind the scenes studio journal, and more regular public posts on creative practice and art. Hope you’ll join me!)
Cursed to touch all the stones
Dig them up and give them to me
open.substack.com
February 4, 2026 at 3:49 PM
Cursed to touch all the stones open.substack.com/pub/patternw...
(On the encouragement of friends, this is my first subscribers-only newsletter. I’m experimenting with a behind the scenes studio journal, and more regular public posts on creative practice and art. Hope you’ll join me!)
(On the encouragement of friends, this is my first subscribers-only newsletter. I’m experimenting with a behind the scenes studio journal, and more regular public posts on creative practice and art. Hope you’ll join me!)
"This is my favorite tree. I love it for its visual splendor, the way the branches twist and flow out and I have to spin around to follow them. Its canopy creates a room, and its double trunk creates a chair."
open.substack.com/pub/patternw...
open.substack.com/pub/patternw...
Scots Pine
My favorite tree
open.substack.com
February 3, 2026 at 2:47 PM
"This is my favorite tree. I love it for its visual splendor, the way the branches twist and flow out and I have to spin around to follow them. Its canopy creates a room, and its double trunk creates a chair."
open.substack.com/pub/patternw...
open.substack.com/pub/patternw...
apple photos decided to make a slideshow of protests I’ve gone to for the last 10 years so that’s nice
January 20, 2026 at 3:45 AM
apple photos decided to make a slideshow of protests I’ve gone to for the last 10 years so that’s nice
We met some deer in the wetlands today!
December 27, 2025 at 12:42 AM
We met some deer in the wetlands today!
Drawing portraits from RedditGetsDrawn! youtu.be/2Yt0EybYiCk?...
Drawing from RedditGetsDrawn
YouTube video by Kevin McGillivray
youtu.be
December 12, 2025 at 3:38 AM
Drawing portraits from RedditGetsDrawn! youtu.be/2Yt0EybYiCk?...
Warming up my YouTube channel with a video sharing one of my favorite drawing exercises! youtu.be/XV7S5ux9b1M?...
Unreasonably fun drawing exercise
YouTube video by Kevin McGillivray
youtu.be
December 9, 2025 at 1:42 AM
Warming up my YouTube channel with a video sharing one of my favorite drawing exercises! youtu.be/XV7S5ux9b1M?...
Portrait study, charcoal pencil on newsprint
November 30, 2025 at 5:56 PM
Portrait study, charcoal pencil on newsprint
Reposted by Kevin McGillivray
Gun Rith.
Standing stones in West Penwith
Standing stones in West Penwith
November 29, 2025 at 11:03 AM
Gun Rith.
Standing stones in West Penwith
Standing stones in West Penwith
All we want is the winged victory
Figure study in Procreate with Lane Brown’s charcoal brush pack
Figure study in Procreate with Lane Brown’s charcoal brush pack
November 29, 2025 at 2:43 PM
All we want is the winged victory
Figure study in Procreate with Lane Brown’s charcoal brush pack
Figure study in Procreate with Lane Brown’s charcoal brush pack
I’m writing a life drawing book! It’s a companion to bring with you to life drawing to find inspiration and exercises to keep your practice fresh, grow your observational skills, and get encouragement in your creative practice. Want to help? Send me a DM! Looking for folks to test draft exercises 😄
November 27, 2025 at 7:25 PM
I’m writing a life drawing book! It’s a companion to bring with you to life drawing to find inspiration and exercises to keep your practice fresh, grow your observational skills, and get encouragement in your creative practice. Want to help? Send me a DM! Looking for folks to test draft exercises 😄
A few life drawings from the last few months
November 27, 2025 at 7:20 PM
A few life drawings from the last few months
Figure drawing on thrifted Pier 1 stone tile
November 11, 2025 at 4:17 AM
Figure drawing on thrifted Pier 1 stone tile
i like how all art forms are basically humans organizing stimuli for their senses into pleasing structures and flows
November 11, 2025 at 4:11 AM
i like how all art forms are basically humans organizing stimuli for their senses into pleasing structures and flows
At a life drawing session I made drawing in sanguine that became the visual direction for a new series titled Red Mage. I loved the brilliant red contrasted with the paper, and the immediacy of the study. The series gradually grew in the studio during what I called “sanguine summer.”
October 26, 2025 at 1:49 PM
At a life drawing session I made drawing in sanguine that became the visual direction for a new series titled Red Mage. I loved the brilliant red contrasted with the paper, and the immediacy of the study. The series gradually grew in the studio during what I called “sanguine summer.”
Reposted by Kevin McGillivray
Within the Oxenham Arms in the village of South Zeal, Devon is
The ‘Roman Pillar' propping up the roof in the restaurant at the rear of the pub.
In the next room is an enormous Menhir built into the fabric of the wall too. One pub - two standing stones.
The ‘Roman Pillar' propping up the roof in the restaurant at the rear of the pub.
In the next room is an enormous Menhir built into the fabric of the wall too. One pub - two standing stones.
October 24, 2025 at 9:03 AM
Within the Oxenham Arms in the village of South Zeal, Devon is
The ‘Roman Pillar' propping up the roof in the restaurant at the rear of the pub.
In the next room is an enormous Menhir built into the fabric of the wall too. One pub - two standing stones.
The ‘Roman Pillar' propping up the roof in the restaurant at the rear of the pub.
In the next room is an enormous Menhir built into the fabric of the wall too. One pub - two standing stones.
realizing the first thing you should do for any idea / interest you have is find the niche discord server / forum that has a small but active and encouraging community related to that thing
October 7, 2025 at 6:45 PM
realizing the first thing you should do for any idea / interest you have is find the niche discord server / forum that has a small but active and encouraging community related to that thing
chasing the high of reading the D&D equipment list table for the first time and deciding what to spend my 12gp on
October 4, 2025 at 5:04 PM
chasing the high of reading the D&D equipment list table for the first time and deciding what to spend my 12gp on
I’m gradually settling on a local-first approach to Enchanted Table, my virtual tabletop web app for tarot and oracle decks. Your readings, cards, and decks are your own data, the value of saving to a remote database is primarily data backup and easy access across devices.
October 3, 2025 at 7:49 PM
I’m gradually settling on a local-first approach to Enchanted Table, my virtual tabletop web app for tarot and oracle decks. Your readings, cards, and decks are your own data, the value of saving to a remote database is primarily data backup and easy access across devices.
the tarot / oracle deck web app I’ve been working on is gradually starting to feel juicier
September 28, 2025 at 4:13 AM
the tarot / oracle deck web app I’ve been working on is gradually starting to feel juicier
Reposted by Kevin McGillivray
Coming soon 🦉🐦⬛🪶
September 20, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Coming soon 🦉🐦⬛🪶
Me: Haha Baldur’s Gate is so silly, why would someone leave a single bottle in a box
Me, opening a box in my basement: oh look, a single bottle
Me, opening a box in my basement: oh look, a single bottle
September 1, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Me: Haha Baldur’s Gate is so silly, why would someone leave a single bottle in a box
Me, opening a box in my basement: oh look, a single bottle
Me, opening a box in my basement: oh look, a single bottle
One drawing sold and added a couple more today!
These drawings are a helpful exercise for me personally to practice different approaches and techniques, but I also hope to make drawings that would be fun to have on a wall at home.
These drawings are a helpful exercise for me personally to practice different approaches and techniques, but I also hope to make drawings that would be fun to have on a wall at home.
August 3, 2025 at 8:40 PM
One drawing sold and added a couple more today!
These drawings are a helpful exercise for me personally to practice different approaches and techniques, but I also hope to make drawings that would be fun to have on a wall at home.
These drawings are a helpful exercise for me personally to practice different approaches and techniques, but I also hope to make drawings that would be fun to have on a wall at home.
Trying something new, an art auction! There are many daily studies piling up in my studio, and it would be nice to 1) make collecting art more accessible and 2) create a flow of drawings out the door. I have new charcoal figure drawings available now, thanks for looking! www.ebay.com/usr/kevinmcg...
August 3, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Trying something new, an art auction! There are many daily studies piling up in my studio, and it would be nice to 1) make collecting art more accessible and 2) create a flow of drawings out the door. I have new charcoal figure drawings available now, thanks for looking! www.ebay.com/usr/kevinmcg...
Reposted by Kevin McGillivray
urls really are one of the best ideas ever
July 19, 2025 at 10:13 AM
urls really are one of the best ideas ever