Art of Wei

I just stocked up for my eBay store, the manga series titled Biomega. The artist is Tsutomu Nihei. I first learned of him after seeing his old manga series, Blame! What caught my eye was his incredible ink work and architectural vision (I’ve since learned that he is an architect). His black and white art is absolutely spectacular. It’s dark and mysterious, and at times, grotesque. It is definitely not for kids to read. His style is what others describe as cyberpunk. But whatever, I just call it bad-ass art.

The covers are much better on the Biomega series than on the Blame! series. It’s got some color work on the cover and the back, which is a nice addition. I haven’t read it but it looks very similar to Blame!, or his earlier manga, Noise. The covers inspired me to pick up my pencil; so I did a quick sketch from one of the Biomega covers. Here’s how the sketch turned out. Not anywhere near as cool as his.

For this drawing, I started without thinking too much about it. Once I had finished sketching in the outlines, I wasn’t sure how to shade it. After some back and forth, I ended up with cross-hatching shading. Then I used a 2H pencil for some light shading. It’s an odd combination, but whatever, my intentions were to just do something with his art. It didn’t matter what.

I wish Tsutomu Nihei would do some more work, because my online searches of him yields very little content. Looks like he did something involving Wolverine from Marvel, titled Snikt! The Tsutomu Nihei facebook page is rather sparse too. A “How to Draw Manga” series by him would be nice=). Anyhow, check him out for inspiration!

I am probably pickier than others when it comes to work areas. I need my drawing area and lighting just right. For the table I have the Safco Precision Drafting Table with a 60″ table top. That cost me about $700 in Costco. That’s the most I have spent on a drafting table, but well worth the price if you want a professional working area for your art creations. There’s nothing like a large flat area for drawing. The metal frame is extremely sturdy, which is another important requirement for a workstation. I like to stand when I draw so I raised the table up with some plastic extension legs from IKEA.

I bought this drafting table less than two years ago, and the only regret I have is not getting it sooner. Having a nice drawing area has definitely made me draw more as I am able to just step into it and start drawing without any additional setup. It enables me to transfer my ideas or sparks of inspiration into paper immediately. I also like to keep my work area clear; less clutter means less distraction. But I do reserve an area for displaying my latest statue for my collection.

Work Area Lighting
This is the current light setup for my drawing area. The main light is a large hanging light that I got at IKEA for $15. I use a CFL bulb that is equivalent to a 150 watt bulb. I have two hooks on the ceiling that allows me to hang the light and maneuver the light as needed. Setting it anywhere from 1 to 2 feet over my head, I have the light directed into the wall for a nice soft bounce light effect. Then I have two regular swing arm lamps that that serves as fill lights to eliminate any harsh shadows. Everything is just right for now.

Once in awhile, I like to look at my old artworks. This time I came across some really old artworks that were created in the early 90’s when I was in high school and starting college. It is crazy how time flies. I can’t believe it has been so long since I’ve created these. The reason I like to look at old artworks is for comparison. It gives me a sense of how far I have progressed. Unfortunately for me, not much (shoulders slumping). My artistic skills have increased greatly since those days, thanks to my real work experience, but not too much on the traditional side. On medium like watercolor, acrylic, and marker, I would be lucky if I’m 20% better than before. The only way to improve on the skill is through practice, and I have done little in those areas.

My career path was steered toward computer graphics, 2D and 3D. Even back in those days without, getting employment with traditional skills was tough. If you are going to major in Fine Arts, that really means you are not going to make any money doing it. You can make money in fine arts, but that’s the exception, not the rule. I am sure it is even harder now.

Though I use digital medium for the most part these days, my traditional artistic skill is still my strength. It carries through to all my computer graphics work. It is my foundation.

My Advice, for What It’s Worth
If you are just starting out in art, my advice to you is to develop your artistic drawing skills. Drawing to me is one of the most basic forms of art and I can’t stress enough the importance of it. For lack of a better analog, learning to draw is like getting your shoe laces tied before stepping into the basketball court. Don’t be tempted by all the cool and easy functions of digital graphic tools on Photoshop or any other graphics program. Your traditional drawing skill is the key. Through drawing you are going to develop your artistic eye and hand control. Those are fundamental skills that will enhance all your art endeavors. It has for me and I am sure it will do the same for you.

Here is the video for the Captain America drawing. The video shows the later stages of the process.

For this drawing, I primarily used the 2B, 4B, and a stump. The stump is not one of my favorite tools as it could get messy sometimes, but it does help to shade at a much quicker pace. If I know I am going to use a stump, I will just go in and start shading the darker areas first. Then I will use the stump to spread the dark graphite around to get the lighter areas. It’s great for creating smooth fuzzy rendering, which is another reason why I don’t like it too much. The sharper crosshatching texture, to me, is more interesting and dynamic. It’s all just personal preferences I guess. Anyhow, here is it. It’s a short video.