instagram:

The Daily Diary of a Sketchbook Artist

To see more photos of Anna’s notebook sketches, follow @sally_mao on Instagram.

“The absolute truth appears in your drawing when you have no chance to change it,” says Moscow-based Instagrammer Anna Rastorgueva (@sally_mao), who creates an exquisite daily diary using only felt-tip markers. She takes inspiration from the detailed illustrations of botany and zoology books, a lifelong love of hers. “When I read ‘Brehm’s Life of Animals,’ I dreamed of meeting all the heroes from the pages of his book,” she explains. Anna draws anywhere, whether standing among thousands of people at a concert or even at a nude beach. For her, drawing is her personal space. “When I draw, I can dive deep into the moment and emotions. As Salvador Dalí said, ‘Drawing is the honesty of the art. There is no possibility of cheating. It is either good or bad.’”