LINES
This is a virtual exhibition of my better artwork, a bit of an artists statement as well as a brief introduction and overview of my thinking when it comes to art. It's also a nice retrospective of my personal artwork from 2018-2021.
The theme of this exhibition, as well as most of my artwork is an exploration of line and form. The subject matter isn't as important to me as trying new variations of technique and seeing what I can do with just black and white lines.
DREAM IMAGERY. 2018. Sometimes I remember what I see in a dream, and frantically jot it down when I wake up. I only have a few minutes before it disappears, so a quick sketch or notes really help. It makes for good inspiration for later illustrations. This one is a gestalt of several dreams.
APSARA BY THE WINDOWSILL. 2018. This was while I was going through my G-pen phase, I needed to put down a lot of precise lines with different line quality. I was exploring how to use different lines to create a sense of transparency and lightness. The design was based on Southeast Asian Apsara, I like incorporating Asian culture into my designs.
I LIKE TO EXPERIMENT WITH LINE AND FORM
I remember reading in a inking manual that advanced use of line creates tone. And that's very true when it comes to hatching and shading. But lines are also able to make form, which can be figurative and non-literal. I really like mixing both and playing around with the idea of mixing realism, semi-realism and abtractions.
A SINGLE SUBJECT CAN BE DEPICTED IN SO MANY WAYS
RAINFOREST POOL. 2018. An experiment with a very figurative use of line, form and pattern. Inspired by those streams of cool water that I always find in the rainforest.
Women waist deep in water is a reoccurring theme (or cliche). I like how there are so many ways to depict water using line, from figurative to realistic. There's so much to experiment and explore form this single subject matter.
SWAMP MONSTER. 2019. An attempt to push my limits and use a variety of line to depict a scene more realistically instead of figuratively. Inspired by European woodblock prints from the late 19th century. I like how the water reflections turned out. I did this as a demo for something.
I DRAW IN BLACK AND WHITE BECAUSE IM BAD WITH COLOUR
I'll be the first to admit that I'm pretty shitty when it comes to judging color and values. Which is why I don't work so much in colored mediums anymore. This whole site is black and white because I'm terrible at picking colors.
BLACK AND WHITE. 2021. I used a lot of line variety in this, thick lines, thins lines, curly lines, straight lines, solid line, broken lines. The variety of if adds up into really nice contrasts. Don't read any deep symbolism into this piece, it's just a grab bag of things that I like to draw.
TOOLS: G PENS, PIGMA MICRON 0.1, 0.5, BRUSH PENS
BIO MECHA. 2020. I wanted to do a somewhat regal Mamoru Nagano-esque mecha design. The insides of bones was used as a motif to detail the inner frame, while the exterior is somewhat inspired by gilded porcelain. I was going through a hard time and drawing this helped to take my mind off things.
I really like drawing robots. But I don't think my mechanical design skills are all that good or that I'm up to the standards of better mecha artists. Most of the time these things sit in my sketchbooks.
2020 WAS A TOUGH YEAR WASN'T IT?
BALLPEN DOODLES. 2020. Looking back at 2020 I really didn't get much personal art done. When I first started drawing I used cheap ballpoint pens since I hadn't figured out which were good pens and I couln't get hold of any. This was going back to my roots, plus just drawing without any care or planning to take my mind off the global lockdown. Honestly I like how it's just a splash of raw ideas.
SISTERS. 2020. When I'm not seriously drawing or pushing my limits I tend to draw less detailed and more cartoony. This is probably close to a style that I'm most comfortable with drawing.
CITY LIGHTS. 2018. This is an attempt at rendering bokeh (out of focus lights) in line. Enough lines become tone, and the lack of tone simulates light. Tried to capture the exhaustion of people on the last bus home.
A lot of lines together become tones and values. Even a medium as high contrast as ink gains a lot of tonal range when hatching comes into play.
LINES CAN BE LIGHT AND DARKNESS, TONES AND TEXTURES
OUR LADY OF THE SEA. 2021. This has a whole lot of different influences from art nouveau to Tang dynasty ink paintings. Like pictographs, the shapes created by lines can carry meaning even after some level of abstraction. It's quite fascinating.
I'm currently looking into how mix abstraction with realism. Lines can depict the abstract, even the invisible. I'd like to see how the subjective internal world can be depicted once free from the constraints of realism or perspective.
Another woman waist deep in water. That's the forth one on this page alone. I might have a problem.
ABSTRACT LINES HAVE THEIR OWN SYMBOLOGY AND MEANING
END OF THE LINE. 2021. I've become aware that sometimes I try to add too much detail, so this was a practice in restraint. Using as little lines as possible to depict something as complicated as the folds in a sleeve. The shading on the face is just 4 short lines. 2 on the eyes, 2 on the lips.
LESS IS MORE
Proficiency in inking is to be able to place many regular lines and create tones and forms. But perhaps true mastery is to not have to draw a line at all. Maybe one day I just have to put down the pen and not do anything.
Changelog: Exhibition opened June 2021