Artist sketches the quirky people -- and pets -- of Portland

(MAY 13, 2022) "Keep Portland Weird" is a slogan that describes Oregon's largest city. It celebrates the creative people that live there and all the unusual things they do. Jack Kent is an artist in Portland, and he celebrates the people of Portland, too -- in cartoons.

"I love people-watching," says Jack, who regularly draws black-and-white "character studies" that reveal a person's personality.

Jack shares his work on Instagram. He also publishes his cartoons in books called "Sketchy People." Each book has drawings of 100 people, usually from Portland. One book even features pets.

The title of his drawings ("Sketchy People") is a pun. A pun is a funny use of words, usually words that have more than one meaning. For example, "sketchy" can mean incomplete or without details, like a cartoon or rough drawing. But it can also mean unsure, unreliable, or of questionable quality. In other words, you might not be sure why the people in his drawings do what they do or look as they do.

Jack grew up in Newport. He lives in Portland now. When he is not drawing cartoons, Jack is a production designer. That is another form of art, usually for publications. For example, he has designed many covers of Willamette Week newspaper. He is also a musician and plays the guitar.

But Jack loves cartoons most. "Cartooning is what makes me tick," says Jack. That means that drawing cartoons, or comics, is what most motivates him. "I have so much fun with my wacky style of cartooning and the sense of humor I get to write from these doodles."

You can follow Jack's "Sketchy People of Portland" on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/sketchypeoplepdx/