Cal State Fullerton’s artist community came together as the Pencil Mileage Club hosted their Speed Drawing Social in McCarthy Hall on Friday, Jan. 30.
The Pencil Mileage Club is an art club that was established by animation and illustration students at CSUF in 1996. The club centers around art and community, bringing together people that share the same love for art, according to its president Marian Chin, a fifth-year illustration major.
“The thing that drew me to the Pencil Mileage Club is that the club is just a bunch of nerds that have come together,” Chin said. “A lot of people who are super talented and also really love art and are also super nerdy about the things they like.”
Pencil Mileage Club hosts guest speaker events, featuring talents from across the art and animation industry, drawing events and socials. A popular event held each semester is the Speed Drawing Social.
“It’s like speed-dating, but people will draw each other instead of dating each other. They have a prompt, and they have two minutes to draw each other in that prompt,” Chin said.
The Speed Drawing Social brings artists out of their comfort zones, and is a favorite among club members. Members have two minutes to draw their partner according to the prompt that is shared, some of which included famous shows such as “The Amazing World of Gumball” and “Gravity Falls.”
Members focus on recreating their fellow members according to the prompt and respective art style, while connecting and engaging with one another.
“It’s just a way to have fellow members or people that are interested in the club to interact with other people in the club, whether they’re freshmen, transfers or existing members,” said Vice President Katie Casey, a fourth-year entertainment art and animation major.
The community at Pencil Mileage Club welcomes students to feel safe in their creative space. Students have made friends and connected with others who share the same love for art.
“As a freshman, I went to a Speed Draw Social. That was my very first event, my first exposure to PMC,” Casey said. “And it was just such a welcoming community. I met some of my best friends through this club. I genuinely have a lot of positive things to say about this club, just because of how welcoming and how open everybody is.”
The Pencil Mileage Club accepts anyone interested in art with open arms, creating an environment to experiment with their art or possibly discover a new talent. The club itself is a safe space and allows anyone to be themselves and express themselves.
Another popular event hosted by the club are the speaker events, which are either held in-person or through Zoom, making them accessible to anyone interested in the art industry. Speakers that have participated in sharing their experience include Jimmy Cao, Nick Szopko and Kenny Leoncito.
Speaker events include a variety of animators, illustrators and storyboard artists from the art industry. Their experiences allow students to catch a glimpse of what they can pursue once entering the industry.
“I really enjoy our speaker events. It’s just a really good way to connect with people from the industry and make connections,” Casey said. “It’s a very professional, yet unprofessional space where I can talk to an animator, like a character designer, about my favorite show.”
Aside from club events, members also participate in creating flyers and posters on social media. Each artist is credited, and is able to express their creativity by drawing in their own art styles. The club has their own exclusive mascots, which are featured in many event flyers and events.
Pencil Mileage Club isn’t just about art, but about bringing together students as a community. Despite there being other clubs surrounding art, what makes Pencil Mileage different is the name.
The term ‘pencil mileage’ comes from professionals in the industry, telling students that they needed to expand their drawing skills, according to the Pencil Mileage Club website.
Pencil Mileage Club welcomes anyone who is interested in becoming a part of their community, even if they are not an animation, illustration or art major. For some, Pencil Mileage Club is like a second home to them.
“It just felt like a found family, like a home away from home,” Casey said.
The Pencil Mileage Club is on social media platforms, such as Instagram, TikTok and X. Students interested in joining the club can join the Discord server in their Instagram bio to learn more about upcoming events and activities.
The majority of events are hosted on Friday evenings. Club meetings recur every Wednesday from noon to 1 p.m. in the Titan Student Union’s Titan Theater.