William of Zeno
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zenosarrow.net
William of Zeno
@zenosarrow.net
Metaphysical and speculative fiction comics, on-location/plein air drawing & painting, artist/writer. Based in Seattle.
Bringing dance moves to the gun fight.
🔗: zenosarrow.net
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Hey there! I'm an artist, cartoonist, and writer based in Seattle. I write and illustrate metaphysical comics and draw and paint landscapes en plein aire focusing on water-based media.

My latest comic project was The BOOK of DEATH Haiku Comics, pictured with my other two!

More at zenosarrow.net.
First @urbansketchers.bsky.social Seattle outing of 2026 for me, and I’m glad I braved the cold to paint outside!
I really like how this painting of @mohaiseattle.bsky.social came out.

#watercolor #pleinair #onlocation #art #painting
January 16, 2026 at 11:25 PM
More 🎾 life gesture sketching

#lifedrawing #gesturesketching #sketch #tennis
January 11, 2026 at 12:56 AM
The Maurice Sendak Nutcracker ballet props! This house in Seattle exhibits them every year, hosted by one of the Pacific Northwest Ballet orchestra members.

Sketched with mittens on to try to save my fingers, which are getting a little frost bitten.

#nutcracker #sendak #sketch #urbansketchers
December 31, 2025 at 11:28 PM
Happy New Year, everyone! May 2026 bring you enlightenment. 🧘‍♀️

Made this comic at the monthly DUNE comics jam in Seattle.
December 31, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Last Urban Sketchers Seattle meetup of 2025!

#watercolor #onlocation #pleinair #urbansketchers
December 28, 2025 at 12:07 AM
I wrote a recap post for 2025 and shared the progress I've made over all the watercolor sketches and paintings I did over the past two months, and also a look ahead to 2026. Check it out here!
Looking Back at 2025 and My Watercolor Ramp—and Forward to 2026
[NOTE: if you’re reading this in email, the post is too long to show in its entirety due to all the watercolor pics.
www.zenosarrow.net
December 24, 2025 at 3:01 AM
Gonna have to get to tennis clinics early more often!

#people #tennis #art #sketch #lifedrawing
December 21, 2025 at 2:44 AM
Painted another view over Lake Washington from Magnuson Park, this time on a very grey, foggy, cloudy morning, but with great atmospheric light in the distance and the sun breaking through the clouds occasionally.

#pleinair #onlocation #urbansketchers #watercolor #art #artsky
December 16, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Holy cow it was freaking windy on this day! At one point my paint brush case, water jar lid, and a plastic bag took to the air and made a run for it. But on the plus side I got this great painting out of it!

#pleinair #onlocation #watercolor #artsky #urbansketchers #art #sketch
December 11, 2025 at 12:02 AM
December 9, 2025 at 12:30 AM
A little sketch of Pike Place Market while waiting for friends to arrive. A great thing about sketching is you can do it anywhere!

#sketch #urbansketchers #pikeplacemarket #onlocation #pleinaire #art #tradart
December 6, 2025 at 1:30 AM
Watercolor is starting to click!

The exuberant yellow foliage of these tall, thin trees in Magnuson Park in Seattle struck me as I was looking for what to paint.

#watercolor #sketch #onlocation #pleinaire #urbansketchers #landscape #art
December 2, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Happy Thanksgiving!
And thanks to this barred owl for hanging out and letting me sketch it! Feel lucky to have stumbled on it and noticed it camouflaged in plain site.
#owl #sketch #lifedrawing
November 27, 2025 at 8:47 PM
Just a fountain pen on this grey Thanksgiving Eve. It’s nice to focus on one tool. Also good b/c it started misting, so I was glad to be able to move faster!

Ignore the white paint—I used this sheet as a test sheet earlier. 😅

#sketch #drawing #landscape #urbansketchers #nature #art
November 27, 2025 at 1:06 AM
Took my new gloves for a test drive, and I'm happy to say that they work! Kept my hands a workable temperature on a day where I had to pull up my puffy jacket's hood.

Really like how this sketch turned out. Playing with approaches continues.

#watercolor #onlocation #pleinaire #urbansketchers #art
November 25, 2025 at 12:30 AM
I've come a long way with my on location sketching techniques and materials since the end of 2023! It's great to look back and see healthy progress.

Enjoyed a great #urbansketchers Seattle chapter outing this weekend at KEXP.

#art #sketch #onlocation #watercolor #tradart
November 19, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Learning lots, learning lots. Watercolor is hard!

#watercolor #sketch #pleinaire #onlocation #urbansketchers #art #tradart
November 18, 2025 at 12:30 AM
BTW, Short Run went great! Thank you to everyone who checked out my table and bought books!

There was a steady flow of visitors despite the new location. I had by far my best show yet, and even sold out of the stock of The BOOK of DEATH Haiku Comics that I'd brought. A good sign for its future.
The BOOK of DEATH Haiku Comics
Poetry comics illustrated and translated from the works of early modern Japanese poets
www.zenosarrow.net
November 13, 2025 at 7:02 PM
I'm making an effort to spend more time in nature and away from screens. This means I'm gonna get gud at on-location watercolor.

#sketch #watercolor #pleinaire #onlocation #artsky #art
November 13, 2025 at 12:02 AM
Reposted by William of Zeno
Hey folks, I’ll be at the Poulsbo Kids’ Book Festival this Saturday, November 15th, along with a whole slew of other authors and illustrators!
www.poulsbokidsbookfest.com
November 12, 2025 at 4:06 AM
More watercolor trees! Now with humans!

Tried hard to keep it in a narrow warm register.

#sketch #watercolor #pleinaire #onlocation #artsky #art
November 11, 2025 at 12:30 AM
Reposted by William of Zeno
📣 This race isn't over folks! 📣

Make sure your vote counts! Tap the link below to check on your ballot.

☑️🗳️: info.kingcounty.gov/kcelections/...
November 5, 2025 at 7:15 PM
If you're in Seattle THIS SATURDAY NOV 1st, see me and 150 other indie comic artists at Short Run Comix Festival 2025!

Admission is FREE!
October 28, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Hey there! I'm an artist, cartoonist, and writer based in Seattle. I write and illustrate metaphysical comics and draw and paint landscapes en plein aire focusing on water-based media.

My latest comic project was The BOOK of DEATH Haiku Comics, pictured with my other two!

More at zenosarrow.net.
October 26, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Sometimes it’s good to just do studies to focus on something more particular. I love how the trees came out by the end.

#sketch #trees #pleinaire #tradart #inkdrawing
October 19, 2025 at 11:53 PM