Jessica's//Scatchbook: January 2011

Since we are stepping into a new decade, I think it's a good time for me to review what I have created so far and how much I have matured--as a 2D artist--from 2000 to 2010!
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2000:
During my brief visit in Hong Kong, I was introduced by a friend to a famous Japanese rock band called Glay. I fell deeply in love with their music as well as their vocalist--Teru--and guitarist--Hisashi. They became my key drawing subject for the rest of the year.

Since I wasn't too confident with my colouring at that time, I only drew with pencils.
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2001:
After listening to Glay for some time, I then discovered and fell in love with another J-rock band called Pierrot. I was particularly interested in their guitarist--Jun--and so he naturally became my drawing subject.

I tried to colour some of the drawings with pencil crayons--my all-time favourite art medium--and was very pleased with the results.

This year I created my first hand-drawn animation--Please Don't Scare Me--for an animation class. The making process was very painful because I partnered up with someone who couldn't draw (but she helped out with some colouring so it was good). I also remember I screwed up the boy's walk cycle and I felt extremely embarrassed when it was screened in the school's auditorium....
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2002:
I had a fabulous time taking Fine Arts 12 not only because our school just hired a new, young and enthusiastic art teacher, Kevin Dow, but also that I had the opportunity to try out different art media such as charcoal, acrylics, oil pastels and chalk pastels. While outside of school, I learned to use oil paints and markers.

Near the end of the year, I was encouraged by my teacher to attend Emily Carr Institute's Annual National Portfolio Day. I went in with full confidence but came out completely defeated. It was the day when I realized how little did I know about art and how much more did I need to work on before ECI would give a glance at my portfolio case...

I did three self portraits (top right, bottom right, top middle) this year and they all happened to share the same theme: Art Is My Life. I also did some illustrations for a children story that was written by a junior high student. I enjoyed doing that assignment a lot and was very proud of the outcome.
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2003:
After I was being rejected by ECI, I lost all my confidence and motivation in making art. I hardly sketched or drew at all... I was studying some random subjects at Langara College and had a hard time adjusting to my college life.

The two surreal drawings of a hand manikin on the top row were paintings that I saw in my dream one night. I would like to paint them on canvases someday.
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2004:
One day near the end of Spring, I suddenly felt like making art again. I inquired about the two-year Fine Arts diploma program at Langara and found out that it was super easy to get in (you only need to attend a tour and fill out a questionnaire). So I gave it a try and got accepted (for September)! EASY, right?

I really, really LOVE the Langara Fine Arts program. I learned a lot of fundamental stuff about art and met many amazing fellow artists.

When I was studying Western Art History, I was deeply inspired by Michelangelo's paintings in the Sistine Chapel. Therefore, I made an attempt to replicate his drawing of God with oil pastels. It was so much fun!
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2005:
I was bombarded with countless projects in the FA program, but I really enjoyed them. And though my passion for making art had been reignited, I still didn't much of a desire to sketch outside of school (or for leisure).

I met someone in the FA program who looked a lot like Hisashi, and that motivated me to draw Glay/ Hisashi again.
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2006:
My two year at Langara's FA program was over. I needed to decide where to go afterward. I applied for ECI again and this time I got accepted! So I began to study Visual Arts at my dream school in September.

This year I dropped my habit of drawing outside of school almost entirely. I didn't draw much in my school agenda either (the school agenda was kind of like my secondary sketchbook). Maybe I had too much stress from the final semester at Langara's FA program and the first semester at ECI?

My sense of proportion back then was terrible, just terrible...
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2007:
After studying VA for a year, I began to feel that it wasn't something that I truly wanted to do for the rest of my life. My heart was still yearning for anime/ cartoon. So I applied for an internal transfer to the Animation program at ECI. I wasn't too hopeful about it because I knew it's a very small faculty and hence, very hard to get in. But out of my surprise, I was accepted! Wohooo! Although this sudden change of plan delayed my graduation for another three years, I never regretted for my decision.

The girl in black long hair is a character that I created based on my friend, Cecilia. I often used her as my fashion model to wear outfits that I created at PoupeeGirl. *Yes, I love drawing fashion!* In addition, I stopped drawing in the school agenda ever since I entered the animation program. I guess I transferred all the drawings to my sketchbooks (which is good!).
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2008:
After all these years, I was finally studying something that was true to my heart. School was no longer a burden for me. I had never loved school/ studying so much! (I love my awesome classmates too!)

Ever since I entered the animation program, I began to sketch and doodle on a more regular basis. I would carry my 6"x8" sketchbook with me everywhere--which is something that I had never done before.

During the beginning of the year, I bought my first tablet and tried doing some digital drawings in Photoshop. It took me a while to get used to drawing in the computer, but once I got it, things became a lot easier and more fun! Can you believe I did the bottom left drawing in May and the bottom right seven months later? I was pretty impressed with my own improvement too!____________________

2009:
This is a critical year because I took a major shift in my drawing style. As I grew to appreciate the western drawing approach more and more, I began to drop the Japanese/ anime influence that I had taken up with me since I was a child. On top, I was greatly inspired by my dear friend Jing's art work at that time. She had a habit of drawing heads and I picked that up from her, too.

The two head drawings on the top left corner mark the beginning of the shift in style. I started drawing heads in unusual shapes and with various expressions. I didn't do too many digital drawings this year though. Instead, I re-picked up some of the traditional media, such as watercolours and pencil crayons. I also began to develop a habit of drawing with pens.
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2010:
There were many "firsts" in this year: FIRST animated short (with original sound recording), FIRST public screening of my work, FIRST business card, FIRST drawing blog and most importantly, I felt drawing is my life for the FIRST time.

During the first four months of the year I was so busy with my grad project, Tom & Toby (a 3.5mins animated short). But once school was over (for good), I began to spend more time on exploring different drawing styles. One particular style that I have discovered and grown to like is the combination of simple shapes, colour gradient and texture (all done in Photoshop). I think there is still room for exploration and improvement in that, so I am excited about where it will take me next!

I don't want to boast but my drawing skill REALLY DID IMPROVE a great deal after I completed my grad film! Seriously! Those thousands of drawing just did the job! Although nowadays I still struggle with human body proportions and forms, I think I am getting better at it--especially compared to 10 years ago.
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Afterthoughts:

I actually thought that year 2002 was the end of my art journey, and I was so ready to graduate from UBC with a major in Linguistic (Japanese). But thank God He didn't let me to give up just like that. He allowed me to wander off a bit just so that I could realize how much art meant to me. And then in His most perfect timing, He guided me back onto the artistic path that He had prepared for me long before I was born. Now that I know I was made to be an artist and I will not let go of this identity again.