Chitchat: Shilin Huang
Your Full Name
Shilin Huang
Tell us about you
I am a Chinese Canadian, 22 years old. I came to Canada when I was 12 and have been living here since.
I have strong interest in music and illustration, and after my high school graduation, I took music beyond an extracurricular activity and studied music in a university. I continued to draw as a hobby, and now I am trying to venture further in this field.
If you have a bachelor degree/education background; what is it?
I have a Bachelor of Music in performance, with piano as principle instrument.
Where are you located?
I am currently living in Toronto, Canada.
What do you do when you are not producing artwork?
After my recent graduation, I’ve been working towards completing personal art projects and refining my skills on my own, so I’ve spent a large amount of my time drawing. The remaining bit of time is spent playing piano and video games.
What drove you to become an illustrator?
After having studied music, I’ve decided that art is the real occupation that I can feel completely dedicated to. I’ve been able to work on art for a prolonged period of time without tire or boredom and I have a number of artistic goals I would like to achieve, whereas I cannot say the same about music despite having similar appreciation for it. So I’ve decided to try my hand at art even though my post-secondary education is on music.
How do you promote/sell/showcase your work?
I promote my works largely online because I work solely in the digital medium. In the recent years, I’ve also attended conventions to sell prints of my illustrations since I draw in cartoon and anime style.
Do you work better at night or in the morning? Why?
I work best at late night. I was never a morning person, also I am able to focus better when my family members are away or asleep.
Who is an illustrator that you look up to? Why so?
I am always thoroughly inspired by the works of Linda Bergkvist. On top of her phenomenal painting skills, she also creates, with her brushstrokes and composition, a tale that encompasses much more than a still moment captured on canvas.
What is the most challenging assignment/ project you have done?
That would be an illustration for Adobe Creative Suit 4 post-production promotion. The theme of transforming something simple into something extraordinary, as well as the fact that I am creating it for the company that made my illustration program alongside other successful illustrator was pressuring. However, the people I worked with were very kind, professional, and motivating, and it was a great experience.
What do you think about the Internet and how it is affecting the visual communication business?
The Internet took the shackles off art. Without it, I would not have advanced to where I am today by learning from fellow artists online in my free time, and I would not have had any of the work opportunities I’ve had from companies and individuals afar. Cultural and stylistic trends are also no longer limited to local regions; it is much easier for artists to expand their visual horizon and knowledge base.
If you can only draw one object for the rest of your life, what object would that be? Why?
It would be the sky, if that is a valid choice. This is because the sky is never the same, has sentiments of its own, and is always beautiful no matter what form it takes.
What is your definition of a great illustrator?
A great illustrator is one who can tell a living story or invoke a deep emotion with his illustrations.
If you are using any software in producing your work, what are those? Do they make your work easier? How so?
I use Adobe Photoshop to draw. Since it is the only program I use, I suppose I can only compare it to traditional media. Photoshop–and all other illustration software most likely–allows room for mistake, compositional changes, and photograph-style editing on an illustration. It makes creating special effects much easier and speeds up the production process a lot in comparison to traditional media, if the user is fluent.
What do you like the sound of? Why so?
I like a lot of different sounds, but my favourite is probably sounds that echo in a large space, such as a choir singing in a grand cathedral, church bells, wind blowing through a hollow passage. These sounds are peaceful, relaxed, drawn out and slow paced, and they give me a feeling of being distant from the fast pace and chaotic world we live in.
If you have online portfolio, what is the URL?
http://ashen-ray.com and http://shilin.deviantart.com
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