Your Full Name
Ein Lee
Tell us about you
I was born in Taiwan and lived in many places while growing up, which to some degree has given me the freedom necessary to draw as I like. Just turned 19 recently and am still a student. I’m easily amused and find lots of things to be interesting, and I like to talk about pretty much anything but myself!
If you have a bachelor degree/education background; what is it?
I’m in my first year at college, and am studying foreign language.
Where are you located?
I’m currently located in Taiwan.
What do you do when you are not producing artwork?
I do all sorts of things! My interests are pretty normal for the most part; I spend a good amount of time collecting books with nice pictures, shopping (online and off), traveling, daydreaming…but come to think of it, some old hobbies like reading and playing sports have pretty much gone down the drain (thanks to the fact that most of my time has been occupied drawing).
What drove you to become an illustrator?
I don’t think of myself as an illustrator, it sounds like such a professional title, something really distant that I’m still striving for, haha. I’m not sure that anything really ‘drove’ me to become an illustrator; it just happened. I love to draw, so I did what I loved and was rewarded with some opportunities to make good use of my efforts.
How do you promote/sell/showcase your work?
DeviantArt was really what gave me the opportunity to show my works to a large audience. That was pretty much the only thing I did to promote my work–post it online. People will come to you if they like what they see.
One way I’d recommend to aspiring artists is to actively promote your art through taking advantage of popular social networks; though it’s not something I’ve done personally, I think it could help a lot with getting one’s works out there. Also, it’s good to have connections with other artists not only to learn from each other but also just to have fun! Like they say, you reap what you sow.
Do you work better at night or in the morning? Why?
I work better at night because I’m more alert and less groggy. I feel more creative at night too, probably because my brain’s less focused and tends to wander and think about weird things.
What is your strength as an illustrator compared to others in the industry?
Well, I don’t really know who or what I’m supposed to be comparing myself to in the “illustrator industry” but I definitely think flexibility is one of my strengths. There are lots of things I’m not comfortable drawing, but I’d suck it up and give it a shot. At this point in my artistic development, I’m confident enough to say when something I draw looks “right” or “wrong” and (in the case of the latter) proceed to fix it up to the best of my abilities.
Who is an illustrator that you look up to? Why so?
Aya Kato, because her artworks and style are out of this world! Not to mention she’s a true visionary.
What is the most challenging assignment/ project you have done?
My soon-to-be-published storybook illustration project was rather challenging, mostly because I’ve never worked on such a long-term project before. Lots of headaches and heart attacks with that one!
What do you think about the Internet and how it is affecting the visual communication business?
The internet can make an artist’s life really easy. Sharing art is a piece of cake, since practically anyone with a computer can become a part of your audience. There’s also a wealth of information online, whether you want to teach yourself about art, or look for references and inspiration for your own drawings, et cetera.
I think it’s having a positive effect on the visual communication business (hopefully I’m interpreting the term correctly); since virtually everything online takes some sort of visual form, wouldn’t it make visual communication more prolific?
If you can only draw one object for the rest of your life, what object would that be? Why?
An anime bishounen, because they never get tiring to draw!
How does the global economic recession affecting the industry, or the least affecting your business/ work?
To be honest I haven’t felt any of the recession’s effects. Taiwan wasn’t hit very hard, so that’s partially to thank. A lot of artists have been taking personal commissions to make some extra money to get by, but I’ve been so occupied with what’s on my plate to notice any real changes.
Name 3 of your favorite (art) books/ magazines.
- Computer Arts magazine is quite good for artists/designers, lots of tips and inspiration.
- Vivi (Japanese fashion magazine) is one of my favorites for keeping up with latest fashion trends.
- Too many good art books to name, but one of my recent favorites is the Lord of Vermillion (Black) art book which features a collection of illustrations from a TCG (by Square Enix) of the same name.
What is your definition of a great illustrator?
Someone who draws images that inspire others.
If you are using any software in producing your work, what are those? Do they make your work easier? How so?
I use a wacom Intuos3 tablet to draw directly on the computer, and my working programs include photoshop CS and easy paint tool sai. They’re pretty standard programs for a digital anime-style illustrator, since sai is capable of producing smooth, flawless lines and photoshop has always been the most efficient touch-up program. Having sai to ink images saves me the time of having to sketch on paper and clean up the scanned pencil lines in photoshop.
What do you like the sound of? Why so?
The sound of water flowing in a stream is really relaxing, and also the sound of rain falling. I also like the sound of people sleeping soundly (light breathing, not snoring!), because it’s comforting. Pretty much anything that can calm me and isn’t too noisy, I like to listen to.
If you have online portfolio, what is the URL?
My personal homepage showcases most of my works; the url is http://einlee.net
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