Inside James Paterson’s head, black lines swirl and disappear. Faces morph into unidentifiable shapes and shadows. Biomechanical sea creatures slither from pregnant pustules. And every now and then, a toothy grin breaks the tension. As an artist, Paterson’s mind is an open book. And at presstube.com, every page is open to interpretation.

Presstube is a graphic journal that chronicles Paterson’s day-to-day thoughts and charts his evolution as a draftsman, animator and programmer. It’s an organic fusion of tradition and technology, where all mediums are created equal — an online sketchbook where static concepts are set in motion to bridge the gap between imagination and reality. It showcases both polished projects, and a frequently updated daily scrapbook.

Paterson’s creative influences for presstube.com include the late experimental animator Norman McLaren, music, and recurring thoughts of popping pimples and losing his teeth.

In recent years, Paterson’s unique synthesis of drawing, animation and programming has garnered attention and accolades from galleries and clients worldwide. His personal and collaborative works have been shown at the Design Museum in London, London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts, the Pompidou Center in Paris, the Museum of Contemporary Arts in Taipei, the Seoul Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Sundance Film Festival, and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

Today, the bulk of Paterson’s work resides at presstube.com, his personal site; and at insertsilence. com, an online gallery dedicated to his collaborative work with Amit Pitaru.

Founded in 1999 with Robbie Cameron and Eric Jensen, Presstube began as a showcase for printmaking. It now serves a creative playground where James posts the majority of his solo projects.