Renowned illustrator Paul Davis shows what the joy of the journey is all about by taking the Note II onto the UK’s public transport system. Discover how using the S Pen for features like S Note can transform your daily commute, and find out why Paul believes that the Note II is a great travel partner

The Joy of the Journey

A self-confessed 'Romantic Satirist', Paul Davis has built a successful career with his unique and thought-provoking drawings. No stranger to travel, Paul’s work has exhibited globally, from New York to Tokyo, and featured in publications Dazed and Confused, Creative Review, Time Out, and the Independent On Sunday.

By partnering up with the Note II, Paul has used his travel experiences to show that the joy of the journey is all about embracing your inner creativity. ‘I always carry a notepad on me. The journey, the destination and all the elements are so exciting to me,’ says Paul. ‘The Note II is definitely brilliant and packed full of great stuff. I love using it’. 

I always carry a notepad on me. The journey, the destination and all the elements are so exciting.

- Paul

To demonstrate the joy of the journey, Paul has taken an illustrative tour on the most common forms of public transport - the Underground, the bus and the train.

‘I like to draw while on transport; I’m fascinated by people, and commuting is like a psychologist’s paradise - you never know what you are going to get.’

First stop: King’s Cross station.

1. Rush hour on the underground

Before Paul can get on the Tube, he is already putting the Note II to good use.

‘The Underground at peak times is a complicated place for an artist, as commuters are in their own bubble. The great thing is that you see interesting facial expressions, and for me this is great fun.’

‘I found the size of the screen convenient for the confined space. I also noticed that I was much more direct with my drawings. But this is fine, as whenever you get a new idea, you simply load a new page.’  

2. A packed Number 67 Bus

The S Pen is a great tool for getting creative and provides so many creative options that you wouldn't normally have with a pen.

- Paul

After alighting at Liverpool Street station, Paul heads to the bus stop.

‘Being creative on the bus is definitely more intimidating. It somehow feels more intimate.’

Sitting towards the back of the bus, Paul uses the S Pen to create his unique style of artwork. 
‘The S Pen is a great creative tool. It provides so many options that you wouldn’t normally have with a pen.’

Paul stops midway through a sketch and says, ‘For example, the bus ride is a lot shakier than the Underground, 
but with the S Pen I can easily rub out mistakes, which is a really nice feature, as I normally just start again.’

Paul steps off the packed bus, looking satisfied with his journey. 

3. On the train to Islington

For the final leg of his journey, Paul boards the train.

Standing in the aisle, Note II in hand, Paul confesses, ‘I have a fear of boredom, 
and being creative is my way of coping. A Note II is good for this.’

‘For me, the joy of the journey is also about immediacy. The unusual characters and situations that you see and then
 capture, this can’t be done in the studio or at your desk.’

Paul steps off the train at Islington with over 40 pieces of artwork in his pocket, all created using the Note II.

Final thoughts

‘The ideas that I have and the things that I see are exactly the same, the Note II just gives me a 
new technique to capture these bits of inspiration. I found this to be challenging, fun and positive.’

Paul then added, ‘On a personal level, I really enjoyed my Note II experience because
I didn’t have to scan in my work, which saved me so much time. It is a great travel partner - easy to use, quick, 
and fits in your pocket.’

Paul has illustrated five reasons to use the Note II.

To see more of Paul’s sketches from his journey, simply visit our Art of Note Facebook gallery.