War of the Worlds illustrator builds his dream studio

Everything in the studio is on wheels or sliders, enabling me to adjust things for whatever project I’m working on. Heat and cooling comes from air conditioners, but the studio floor is heated separately. At the back of the studio, I have cabinets and closets to hold paintings, supplies and photography equipment. My workspace was built to fulfil both my traditional and digital needs. You’ll usually see a cup of tea there, too. Often I’ll import my art to see it in reverse or to test colour schemes. For drawings and watercolours I use a scanner. Tom’s taboret, formerly a kitchen cartThis is my main rolling art taboret – its original function was as a rolling kitchen cart. I’ve built a studio with that in mind. I like to ensure my studio is a pleasant place to be. I need good light, plenty of space – primarily to back up and look at my work – and a high ceiling to accommodate the extra big jobs and my oversized easel. The town I live in – New Milford, CT – has snowy winters and warm, humid summers. To photograph my art I use a digital camera. An artist’s secret weapon: teaI’ve filled my rolling cart – and former TV stand – with paint, rags, brushes and other regularly used items. It would be a bit awkward, but I could do a painting 24ft wide in this studio. It holds my palette, which I made to snap into its extendable shelf, the brushes I’m currently using, and my mediums. I visualised myself in the space, imagined it working exactly how I wanted. I try to keep only the things that I’m currently using or use regularly in the new studio. Size mattersA well-worn easel built to hold large paintings. I also sell original paintings, so it’s nice to have a separate area for crating them up for shipment. The ceiling height here is 14ft. My old studio is now used for matting, framing, storage and as a library. Inside Tom Kidd’s spectacular new studioI paint standing up, so my computers are set at eye level.