Around age 10, I had an embarrassing math-nerd phase where I would only use a ruler and a stencil of basic primitives for drawing. To me, all future cities had to be geometric and, well, futuristic-looking.

But this style crept into my representations of everything. Hexagonal apples and triangular pears. I was learning that the picture ≠ thing so it doesn't necessarily have to look like the thing. A bit of Magritte's Treachery of Images (This is not a pipe). I was also learning the freedom gained by letting go of illusion and truly living on the 2D page.

Although 3D imagery is sometimes part of my illustrations, I have always valued the boring honesty of non-illusionistic illustration and the careful use of iconography. When you throw away all the unnecessary gradients, highlights and drop shadows, there is so much room for everything else!