There has always been something very appealing about the look of ink on paper but with CG being so prevalent now, thriving traditional artists are rarer to come by. Marek Jarocki reminds us all the art is alive and well and we can't help but feel inspired whenever we see his fresh & creative drawings.

We're happy to present you a small interview we did with him recently as well as some of his gorgeous art below. Be sure to visit his store and grab his sketchbooks here!

Q. When and how did your career as an artist begin?

A. It would be really easy for me to say that my career as an artist started when I was little and first picked up a crayon. I always loved to draw and wanted to be an artist when I grew up. It didn't become real until my wife encouraged me to go to art school. I was at a point in my life where I was giving up on my art and she encouraged me to pursue it. So I did. It was really good advice.

Q. So far, what has been your biggest push-back as an artist and how did you deal with it?

A. The biggest hurdle is and always will be the dreaded artist block. It feels like it happens every few months to the point of being super predictable. When it hits I lose motivation and feel like I have no ideas. I have no interest in my current projects. Whenever this happens I schedule myself a chunk of time devoted only to drawing, like an hour before bed. I try to draw from reference as much as possible, from my pinterest boards or tumblr photo blogs. I find that drawing from reference takes away all the pressure of coming up with "an idea" and helps get the creativity and motivation flowing again.

Q. What was your first very paid gig as an artist?

A. Wow, thinking about it now I have a hard time remembering. It was when I was still in art school. One of my professors had a band and threw me some cash to design a poster for him. It was really satisfying and fueled my hunger to become a working artist.

Q. If you could be equally good at something else as you are at drawing, what would it be?

A. I would want to be good at sewing, like being able to design and construct clothing. I don't really know if there's a proper term for that. I like drawing clothes, particularly big jackets, and would love to possess the ability to create them in real life.

Q. Energy drinks or coffee?

A. Coffee. No question. I used to drink a lot of energy drinks in high school, but I think my body was better at processing toxins back then. Now they tend to make me sick. I've tried to quit coffee a few times but I always come back. The caffeine-fueled creative may be a cliche, but its real. Very real.

Q. What got you selling your sketchbooks online?

A. People asked me if I was going to sell copies of my sketchbooks. So I did. I had seen some other artists that were doing it and it seemed like a lot of fun. I love to share my process as much as possible.

Q. Next big project from Marek Jarocki?

A. I'm glad you asked! I'm currently working on a comic that's been in metamorphosis for about a year. Its called "Errant." I'll be releasing it digitally with hopes of publishing physical books in the future. Briefly its about a cat named Spriggan who is thrust into a conflict that she wants nothing to do with and how she copes with the unavoidable horrors of war. The first issue will be out later this month. I'm also working on another comic book project with a fantastic writer named Hansel Moreno, which will probably see the light of day later this year.