Drawing Cartoons with Mark Kistler – An Interview!

I have a special guest for this blog post today!  I had the exciting opportunity to talk with Mark Kistler, who has written many popular drawing books (with over 1 million books sold) and has shared his love of drawing on his own PBS television series “The Secret City” in the 1980’s, and through his Emmy Award winning PBS series “Imagination Station” in the 1990’s. Most recently, in 2023, his career was highlighted in the award-winning documentary The Secret Cities of Mark Kistler.

Mark Kistler’s Drawing Lessons

His teaching style is playful, fun and confidence-building, while guiding students in essential drawing skills such as shading, shapes, lines, and perspective.  Mark has made over 1,000 YouTube drawing videos and has made a challenge to do a livestream drawing every day this year on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.  I interviewed Mark through email and Zoom, and he even did a private drawing lesson with my kids and me! Here are some pictures created by my kids (ages 11 and 15) and me.

I learned about Mark Kistler over 20 years ago while I was doing a teaching practicum.  My cooperating teacher did a “secret city” drawing lesson using the techniques from Mark’s books.  I have done this secret city project with my own students many times, using his books as guidance. Here is the book I recommend for this project: Mark Kistler’s Draw Squad. But he has many other drawing books as well.

Mark Kistler’s Art Career and Background

Question: You have taught millions of viewers around the world the joy of learning how to draw. Tell us a little bit about how you started your TV shows.  How did these opportunities come about and what was the experience like?

Mark: “What a wonderful question! Coincidentally there is a documentary film about my career, answering this very same question! The film was an Oscar nomination contender, and won “Best Documentary” at San Diego Comic Con International Film Festival and premiered in Hollywood and NYC. Very cool, and very surreal! I began my professional cartooning career when I was 15 years old teaching afterschool cartooning classes with Carlsbad Parks and Recreation. I can’t believe that was 47 years ago! Whoa! Over those 5 decades I have been thrilled to teach my passion for the visual arts around the world. Learning to draw is such a powerful inspiring communication skill, igniting creativity and launching imagination!”

Question: How did your childhood art experiences shape your career?

Mark: “I have fond memories of my mother telling me stories about how when I was a toddler she would find me sitting on the kitchen floor drawing on the floor with peanut butter and my finger. Also how I would draw in my oatmeal and mashed potatoes sitting in my high chair. As I grew up drawing was always a defining passion in my life. When I was in jr high school, I asked her if I could draw a mural on my bedroom wall. I recall clearly that she, without hesitation, declared “what a wonderful idea!”. So for the next 2 years, my brother Karl and I drew the most amazing fantasy world of space ships, aliens, dinasaurs and even an island of teddy bears on all 4 walls AND the ceiling! My mother was always my biggest cheerleader, always bringing home new sketchbooks, pencil kits, and drawing instruction books. She explained to me that she would never give me art supplies as birthday or Christmas gifts, that drawing was my oxygen and that her supplying me with art supplies was was oxygen to me, and oxygen doesn’t qualify as a gift.”  

Influences and Inspiration

Question: Did you have any particular artists who influenced your work?

Mark: “Who are my favorite artists? Which artists influenced me the most?  This is really a moving target, currently it’s Matt Dixon who has created an ingenious series of delightful paintings of a robot in different settings, dozens if not a hundred of them. They pop up now daily on my social media feed, and distract me TOTALLY! I can not stop myself from exploring the image while thinking, I love love love his work! I want him as a featured special guest artist on one of my LIVEstreams. Another artist that really inspired me as a teenager, and still does everyday on my social media feed is Sandra Boyton, an incredibly talented, brilliant, FUNNY cartoonist. Of course Gary Larsen, he brings brilliant cartooning and captioning to an entirely stratospheric level. Tedd Arnold, author/illustrator of his children’s book series “Parts”. I can and have stared at his amazing illustrations for hours. Bill Watterson, (Calvin and Hobbes) Chris Van Allsburg, (The Polar Express, The X Was Zapped!) Stephen Kellogg (Animalia), Lynn Johnston (For Better or For Worse).”  

I asked Mark where he got his ideas from and how he kept things exciting and new.

He said he gets his ideas from everywhere, all over! For example, he’s even gotten ideas from creative airport illustrations! He said he has loved going into bookstores and getting inspiration from brilliant children’s book authors and illustrators. He keeps things fresh by feeding off the excitement and energy of his viewers. Mark said, “When I’m doing my live presentations or when I’m going live stream, I can see the light bulbs going off.  We have had 761,000 viewers and participants since January 1 of my my live streams. They’re drawing every day, and they’re enjoying it, and it’s getting them inspired.  So that keeps me going, knowing I have my group.  I call it my cartooning consortium, my cartooning group. The world needs more creativity. The world needs more joy.  Now more than ever.  And to me drawing is joy. Is the definition of joy.”

Question: You’ve taught millions how to draw. What do you do when people say they can’t draw?  How do you help them get past that block?

Mark: “Just pick up a pencil a piece of paper and doodle sketch with me everyday any day with me on Instagram or YouTube or Facebook! I have nearly 600,000 drawing enthusiasts logging in drawing with me since I began my “Draw LIVE in 2025!” Challenge. It’s so much fun! Join me 20-30 minutes each day to draw fun fish, birds, monsters, aliens, and of course FLOWERS! Every day I encourage viewers to grace themselves with permission to make mistakes, erase, and try again, you have to make mistakes, to fail in order to succeed! Give yourself permission to explore your curiosity, to step out of your comfort zone and try something new, creative, imagination launching!” He also said that as teachers we can lead with our example, we can share our joy, our passion for the visual arts and being authentic – by sitting down and drawing along with them, showing our enthusiasm for art.

Question: What projects are you working on right now?  Tell us more about the events at the San Diego Botanic Garden and any other shows, books, events or classes that are in the works.

Mark: “A few months ago, my fiancée Susan and I where visiting the SDBG, she has visited numerous times over the years, I had NEVER been, can you believe that? I was so completely enthralled, inspired, enchanted! What a beautiful magical place of flowers, trees, plants, and joyful smiling people strolling enjoying the garden. I turned to Susan and said this place is incredible! We should get married here! On our way out we stopped at the front visitors center to sign up as members. This is when we met Tyler the membership staff team member, as we where signing up she recognized me from growing up watching and drawing with my National PBS television series “The Secret City” on KPBS San Diego. Her recollections and enthusiasm were contagious as I autographed a sketch for her. When she said “You should teach a drawing flowers event here for our members!” She inspired the spark that eventually included Rachel Sebastian and Venice Henson to confirm our very cool special “How To Draw Fabulous Flora!” Here at the Gorgeous SDBG!” This event is coming up this weekend, so if you are local to San Diego, you should check this out!

Date: Sunday September 14
Times: 1pm -2pm All Ages Family Workshop
3-4pm Adults Only

Learn to Draw Fabulous Flora with Mark Kistler – San Diego Botanic Garden

You can check out Mark’s “Draw LIVE in 2025!” Daily LIVEstream drawing challenge.  On January 1st, he embarked on a fun personal challenge, to draw LIVEstream everyday on his Instagram, YouTube, Facebook for one year. 

You can connect with Mark Kistler and see his drawing tutorials through his website, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.  He is also available for school assembly visits and virtual lessons!

Thanks, Mark, for sharing your work with me and with all your viewers! We all could use a little drawing joy in our lives!