Q: If we consider the following aspects: artistic style, aesthetic sensibility, illustrator's professional experience, work attitude/cooperation, and personal reputation... and rank them, which qualities do you consider to be highly important, and how would you prioritize them?
①Aesthetic sensibility ②Artistic style ③Work attitude/cooperation ④Illustrator's professional experience ⑤Personal reputation
Q: In your experience, what kind of professional skills and qualifications does a newcomer need to possess in order to embark on a full-time career as a freelance illustrator?
I personally do not recommend becoming a full-time illustrator. It is more inclined that illustrators can have any social profession and rich secular life.
Q: When creating, I often fall into a state where I can’t seem to “finish” the piece. For example, the work I complete today might not look good to me tomorrow, leading me to make adjustments repeatedly. What’s your standard for a finished work? How can we develop a sense of “completion” for our works?
It’s all about building the overall atmosphere of a book, not focusing excessively on a single illustration. You need to review your work following the continuous rhythm of the entire book. The flow of the book will guide you on where to accelerate and where to brake.
Q: How do you usually overcome bottlenecks in your creation? Where do you get your inspiration from?
There’s no fixed method. Generally, I take a break, step away from the drawing desk, and look for visual stimuli in books unrelated to the theme or in nature. This helps to break through potentially rigid thinking or creative methods.
Q: After establishing your representative style, how do you enhance your creations with each new project? Do you struggle with “making a new breakthrough every time”?
I don’t seem to have a strong desire for “new breakthroughs.” Due to the differences in each project, the expression style will vary. Just like in acting, different scenes allow you to experience different character traits, leading to diverse ways of expression.
Q: For some newcomers (just starting out) participating in a competition for the first time, do you have any submission suggestions?
Choose the work that is most unique to you. There’s no need to guess the judges’ preferences or intentionally align with the styles of previous winners.
