March 20, 2007

  • //I really relate more to Flash...

       
                       

       

            Which one of the Justice League (cartoon) are you?   

       


    You're Batman!You keep to yourself a lot and act cold towards others, but you actually do mean well. You're a detective and great at figuring things out. You regret a lot of things and have had something tragic in your life, whether it was running over an animal with your car or something major. You don't try to make friends, but they always end up finding you anyway.
    Take this quiz!

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March 13, 2007

  • //The Interview - Pt. 4

    Looking back, would you have done things differently if you were in his position?
    I did do things differently. That was why we butted our heads so much. While I wanted to have control in the area that I have expertise in and let the editor handle what he was good at, he wanted to control everything even when he doesn't know anything about it. He was resentful towards the fact that I knew I was good and couldn't be pushed around the way he could with the ones that have lower self-esteem. That was why he later hired people that weren't capable to do things up to professional standards, even when I insisted him not to. He was essentially doing everything an unprofessional manager does: He deliberately hired people that I dislike to make me miserable, when one of the most important aspect about a team is chemistry; He blabbed about "working as a team" but thought he was above everyone; He told us to dress presentable but showed up in tank top and sandals; Of course, he hired people that are bad so he wouldn't have someone that out performs him.
     
    So going solo works for you better?
    In many respect, yes. But one can only take on so much work by himself, that's why you always hope to look for good teammates. I am teaming up with another artistic talent now. I stressed the fact that I am "teaming up" because there really isn't, nor should be, a hierarchy within a team. We are both happy to work with each other, help each other, and are honored that each of us can take part to put some good work out together. If I were still with my old team, this attitude would be deemed a sign of weakness, when in reality it's a sign of appreciation. You see, as a team, some members will do more creative work, and some members will do more grunt work. But no one should be considered better or in a higher position, because there's no final product without any of the integral members. I demonstrate my leadership by example. So instead of telling people what I can do and what they should do, I'll show them what I would do and that I am indeed walking the walk. My high school teacher taught me that a leader should do less talking, but more coaching and encouraging. A true leader has to remember that no matter how high up he climbs, he is still part of the team. Not above it. I am not thinking about how big I can get this team to be. I care about the quality of work we're putting out and the fact that we are doing work, even small ones like Nickelodeon's Sponge Bob or Avatar, that are to be seen by the audience and that are worthwhile of our time. I am not interested in these "practices" that takes away all your time in a day because someone wanted to give you something to do so he can justify his position without doing anything himself and the only result from the work is a beat down for not doing it good enough. At the same time, I am not gonna work with someone that isn't ready to generate artwork at the quality that is required for the paid gigs that I have. That person can practice on his/her own without me degrading his/her morale. I am not here to look for people to train, and then blame them for all the time they will hold be back while I try to get them to catch up.
     
    What do you say to those who want to learn from you but have to be turned down?
    I tell them the truth, and the truth is that I don't have enough work to hire people. But I will encourage them to sign up for an artist table at conventions that are local to them, and not hide in their room and draw all the time. As I've said earlier, how well your artwork is received by the audience can offer a good idea of your skill level, or if anything, how you should pick the subjects of the artwork base on the demand. The best part about the having a table at a convention, however, is being around other professionals and aspiring artists that you can talk to and seek advice from, which is something you can't do when you lock yourself in solitude.
     
    Is it just me, or does it seems like artists don't like to talk to people?
    No, it's not uncommon to see artists that are uncomfortable with socializing. I think it's mainly a confidence issue, which they don't really know how well their artwork may be received from the people walking by. Of course, there are artists that don't like to share what they know with others. But I make an effort to make myself approachable, because I know how hard it was for me to learn things without someone to seek guidance to, and sharing the little of what I know may help the artist community as a whole.
     
    So you're not afraid to create competitions by giving your secrets away?
    First, what I know are not my secrets. I learned it from somebody else and integrated with my own interpretation or whatever. Second, I may be giving up technical tips to people, but it is still up to these people to practice the techniques. And lastly, I am all about beating the competition fair and square, not eliminating them or preventing them.
     
    Good philosophy. So I have to ask: does your artistic ability get you more girls?
    Being an illustrator? Puh-lease. If I can pick a job title to get chicks, I'd choose to be a musician. Hell, I even get musicians attributing my "popularity" with girls. Musicians?! Come on! Girls love musicians. If you're a musician and you are blaming my pencils for cock-blocking you, then you should really look at other aspects of yourself and understand that it's not about the talent.
     
    So what DO you do?
    Oh, I listen.
     
    [Listen?]
    How hard can that be, right? You'd be surprised how few people listen to others in a conversation, though. When you talk to enough people in your life, you'll notice that 90% of them are just waiting for you to shut up so they can they go back to their own blabbing. Then the 9 of the other 10% just ignore you.
    You know that old saying about the smart monkey learns more from watching the stupid one than the other way around? It's pretty much like that for me, except I am not that smart. People that never shut up tend to talk outta their asses, and you can learn a lot about stupidity, ignorance and what NOT to do in your life.
    Socially speaking, being a listener gives others chances to lead a conversation, and that tends to have a more positive effect in any interaction.
     
    [Such as?]
    People will appreciate the fact that you actually care about what they have to say, that you respect their opinions, and that you're open-minded.
     
    [...And apply your people skills to your game and...]
    Would you really consider that as "having game"? It really is nothing more than me being genuine. When I talk to girls, people will say I am "trying to mack" on them. Well, first of all, I don't "try", I "mack". Second, "mack" is a word used by 8th graders. They can use that childish word to discredit me all they want, but they'll only look stupid as I have my conversation with the girls they couldn't figure out how to "mack on".
     
    [You do have everything worked out in your head, don't you?]
    Look at it this way: How many guys can walk away from a conversation with a girl they just met and say something about that girl besides she's a fun person, a nice person, a cute person, a hot chick? And I don't mean you can make up crap by guessing. I mean the things that the girl has said in her words. You're not gonna find too many of those guys. Even when you do, it's more because they don't know how to carry a conversation.
     
    [So you let them do the talking...]
    ...and help them carry on the conversation.
     
    [What do you say if you don't know much about the topic?]
    You ask them questions. Not questions that can be answered with "yes" or "no". Ask leading questions. Sometimes you can really learn something. Life is not math or physics. Just because you know an answer don't force feed it like the only answer. That only shows how one-dimensional of a person you are. Nobody likes to have a conversation with a know-it-all, so don't act like one. I am stressing the word "act" because I know a lot of guys talk things up simply because they don't want to admit they don't know anything about it. What is wrong with not knowing about the topic a girl is talking about? She's not gonna dismiss you because you don't know anything about girly stuff like... I don't know, horoscope. If she were that shallow, you wouldn't want to be around her anyway. But if you start to pretend you know about things you don't, and the conversation moves on deeper, eventually you're going to...
     
    [...Pull things outta your ass?]
    Yep, and end up looking like an ass to her.
     
    [Any other tips for the guys?]
    Timing is everything. Be aware of the atmosphere you're in: If everyone is teasing around and acting silly, don't go around saying things like "that's dumb" or "you're so childish", because the only dumb ass would be you for not getting it. Don't do follow-up jokes - Think of it like a baseball game: I go up to the home plate, joking opportunity flies in, I swing and hit. Next batter up. Don't walk up to the plate and repeatedly swing at a joke that already flew outta the park. You can also think of it like a "Yo'Mama" joke: Someone says to me "Yo'mama so fat blah blah blah..." And I would come back with "Yo'mama so fat... when she trips over on 12th street, she falls on the 14th." But then if you jump in and say "and she destroys all the buildings like Godzilla." Then your timing is WAY off. The punch line was already made by me, you're just killing it with the follow-up.
     
    [There's a person like that in every group, isn't there?]
    Unfortunately, yes.
     
    [So another vote goes to the "be yourself" section?]
    I never said I know anything beyond common sense.
     
    Since you meet a lot of people at conventions, are there specific type(s) of people you dislike?
    Not people. The things people do: I hate it when people lie. I hate it when they manipulate others. I hate it when they argue to win, but not argue to be right. I hate it when people chew their food with their mouth open. I hate it when they make a lot of noise when they eat. I hate it when they talk with their mouth full. I hate it when people think they can act like jerks just because they are driving a bigger or faster car. I hate it when people treat issues in life like mathematicians and thinks there's only one answer for every question...
     
    [Man, you just hate the world...]
    Yeah, pretty much.
     
    What are some of the big no-no's for you in life?
    I don't challenge people on things I cannot do myself. I certainly would not have put them down for those things. I don't dare people to do stupid things and I don't take dares. Most of the time, the person instigates the dare is setting up a lose-lose situation. If you take the dare, he gets to say you're stupid for looking like an ass. If you don't take the dare, then he gets to say you have no balls. It's juvenile, and retarded. I don't care how big my balls are comparing to his because I am not sleeping with another guy. But when he insists on the comparison constantly, it's showing that he's really the one lacking the security and wants to compensate for something that's lacking.
     
    Any last words, you know, for the aspiring illustrators that didn't get scared away by your harsh views of the world?
    Be flexible to the changing times. Survival as a pop culture artist requires the ability to adapt. As Bruce Lee once said, "Believe in yourself. Have faith in yourself. Do not look for an outside entity and replicate it." Express yourself honestly. Those are the words I live by. With a lot of hard work and a little luck, success will be just around the corner.
     

March 8, 2007

  • //The Interview - Pt. 3

    You've attempted to team up with others before to publish projects but went solo again soon after. What happened?
    Well, the short version of the story is that our philosophies were very different. I believed, and still believe, in building on my existing, developed skill and expand on those skills. My ex-teammates wanted to start me from scratch.

    "From scratch?"
    As in letting go my current styles and knowledge about this field of work, which I have some expertise in.

    That doesn't make a whole lot of sense...
    Not to me either. My intuition was telling me that everything is wrong with this. But my logic was telling me that these guys are friends, and they know the art of illustration and creative process BETTER than I do.

    And they don't?
    That's debatable.

    So you went along with their philosophy.
    I did. And I think one of my many flaws is that I am very trusting toward friends. I assumed that they really want the best for me, for the team, and would treat me with honesty, which is the way I treat people.

    So they were dishonest to you?
    Well, I certainly believe that there should've been more disclosure among us. After all, it was a joint venture and we were a team.

    Do you feel you were treated unfairly?
    I honestly did not feel like I was wanted when I was with the team. What really bothered me was that very often I would find out that the other two founding members had "important meetings" along with the rest of the world over their blog sites...

    They left you out? Deliberately?
    It seems that way. I mean, I was supposed to be the creative director of the group. But apparently my input wasn't wanted.

    [You were disrespected...]
    Very much so. The message that was being sent to me constantly was a conflicted one: "Henry, you're the creative director of the team. You NEED to take charge and be a leader. We want people who are just along for the ride." Yet my ideas and opinions were always met with "wrong" or "thanks but no thanks" attitudes. That basically told me that their idea of "creativity" is for me to be a garbage man to figure out how to deal with ideas they have no idea how to implement. The "leadership" is not so much of leading, but more like how effectively I can grow beanstalks outta not-so-magical beans they crapped out.

    So you feel that the "Creative Director" was an empty title...
    Yes. First of all, why was I left outta ANY meeting, if I was the foundation of the creative force? Second, I do not have a problem with working on their concepts. But I do need time. I am certain that in the meetings I was left out of, a lot of brainstorming was done. They would then sit on those ideas for days to weeks to digest and organize them. They kept that information from me, and expected me to come up with suggestions on the spot after hearing the same ideas for the first time. Then they criticized me for not having enough creative juice, and that I just failed "the test". I mean, honestly, thanks for slamming me for something that they couldn't have done themselves, either.

    Did you just say "test"? As in making you proving yourself?
    On a consistent basis. Yes.

    But did they not recruit you base on your ability?
    That was what I thought, too. Essentially, I was told that in order for me to get work, I needed to change the way I draw. As absurd and ignorant that attitude sounded to me, I thought I'd give it a try and see if I can learn from it. But I think it is ridiculous for anyone to say what the "right" way of drawing is. It's certainly subjective and it's totally ignorant to think one style works better than another.

    Why not hire someone that draw in the style they want?
    Good question. Even if the transition in this brainwashing process was successful, why would a big time publisher want to hire a me-too artist when they can hire the real deal, or someone unique.

    They wanted you to draw like someone else?
    Draw in "industry standard" was the exact lingo. The belief is ignorant in the fact that it limits artistic freedom and that it forces a "way" of drawing sequential art. The belief is also very short sighted, because the so-called "industry standard" changes every few years base on an artist's popularity. So should I be changing my style every few years just to be the next [big name]? I am never gonna be the first "Henry Liao" that way. It's the biggest oxymoron, considering that they constantly chewed me out about the needs to be a leader, but forced me to be a follower when it comes to creativity.

    Was that when things between the three of you started to fall apart?
    Let me put it this way: I've never met another person that wanted so much credit for doing so little. So the team consisted of the CEO, who has a track record with Image Comics and Marvel Entertainment. Me, who worked on various illustrative projects for Disney, WB, Sony and TokyoPop. Then there's the "Editor-In-Chief", who came from 20 years of experience in... swap meet management.

    [What?]
    It's not hard to recognize that if there was anyone that was handed a job title he was unqualified to do, it was the guy that had done nothing in the field of creative art.

    But he could still be good at it if he takes time to learn, couldn't he?
    And that's where we had our problems. His ego was too big to admit that his two teammates are more experienced and know more about the industry that we are in. There was somehow a need for him to "look good" in front of us when we are in discussions of technical stuff. So he would never ask questions publicly on things that he doesn't know about, yet are trivial. We were supposed to be friends. If you have to pretend to be bigger and better just so you can have some sort of advantage over your friends, you're not gonna have any friends.

    It sounds like a game of manipulation...
    For someone who brags about being a real man and a professional, he couldn't be anywhere farther from the words he preached. Knowing that he didn't have real skills in the creative process, he insisted on me talking to him, and never the CEO directly with my concerns, so he could stick a hand into everything that we do, without actually doing anything. There were many occasions where words were twisted to generate misunderstanding between the CEO and I, and who knows how many of my ideas ended up being his ideas when they were reiterated through his mouth.

    Going through your sketches, I see a big chunk of work that was done for one particular title while you were part of this creative team. What was it like working on this specific project with this editor of yours?
    At first, he told the CEO and I that he wanted to be the writer of the title. And since I was in charge of the title's character designs, him and I had to work together. The first thing he said to me when we were brainstorming was that "most of the time, writers don't write up character descriptions for the artists. It is up to the artists to do their own researches and come up with the characters..."

    [So if the writer is not writing, why is he a writer?]
    I called bullshit on him. You see, the problem with people like him is that they all think they can get away with lies, and talk to others as if they were borne yesterday. He was setting the scenario up to cover his own ass, so he didn't have to admit he can't write. There are indeed, writers out there that do not write detail character descriptions. Those writers also give the artists complete creative freedom, since they didn't set any parameters. However, they still point out clear directions on where they'd like to see the character designs are heading.

    What happened in your case?
    Well, a character "brief" was handed to me. Each character had about two lines of description, in which it would be an understatement to say the writing was vague. On top of that, the brief wasn't even written by him. The CEO scribbled it down.

    [So you had very little to work with.]
    The subjects were werewolves, but the brief didn't even tell me whether these characters turn into wolves that stood on all four legs or if they had human looking figures. I popped the question and was told to do my own research. Fine. I sketched the werewolves standing on all fours, just because it's a little different from most of the ones I have seen. A couple of rounds later, motherfucker decided to tell me that the wolves should be standing on two legs. He did the same thing with the human character counterparts: Gave me no clear direction, so I'd interpret the character brief and draw a pretty boy with long hair. Of course he emailed me back and said they should have short hairstyles.

    [He didn't tell you anything till after the fact?]
    We just kept on going in circles, because it was clear that he doesn't have any idea what to do with the character creation, or where the story should go. I kept on asking him to give me some for of directions. I would just get chewed out for being lazy and not doing my research. You see, instead of doing some work himself with that writer title, he sat on his ass and chewed me out for not doing his writing work with his editor title. The biggest bitch of a move that he did was that he claimed that he was done with the script for issue number one. But he wouldn't show it to me because it would distract me from my designs. How the frak would a supposedly clear written script about supposedly established characters be a frakking distraction, instead of help, to me?! Then... and THEN he went and told the CEO that he handed me the script already when the CEO inquired about the progress.

    [He sounds like on of those guys you know that talk outta their butt holes...]
    And this creative studio idea really went over his head. He started telling people how to draw, how to do layouts...etc. Keep in mind that this is a guy that has not done any sort of professional illustration work, or knows how to hold a pencil for sketching, even. And there he was thinking he has capability to enforce, not evaluate, but to enforce, how illustration should be done.

    I take it that he has pulled the same stunt while working with you?
    Where does one get off to completely disregard my work experience with some of the most respectable clients in the entertainment industry? Anyone can understand the idea that when a project is at the conceptual stage, everything drawn should be loose and rough, because they are bound for revisions. He came into the picture and wanted to see finalized clean lines that are prepped for the digital inking, which he claimed to be capable of doing. When I pointed out to him that it doesn't make sense to draw something so finalized, he snapped and told me that I needed the practice to prove to him that I can do the job. Practice?! Practice?! What the frak did he think I've been doing since getting my first professional gig when I was 17? And it was apparent that he never bothered to look at my website to see what I can do, had he wanted to see proof of such petty aspect of a creative process. Either that, or he thought of himself as so important that proving something to him will actually be of some importance.

    [You obviously thought otherwise...]
    Well, yeah. I've been doing work in this field a lot longer than he has. What would I get from proving anything to him, recognition of a no name studio with an editor that has nothing on his resume? C'mon. I wanted to do this my way because I knew how and what has worked for me before. But he came in and kicked aside everything and thought he can revitalize the comic book industry.

    Did you ever talk to him about compromising?
    Of course I have. The guy just didn't know how to take no for an answer. He would "assign" me to design a set of character from scratch, like I said, without doing any work himself. I would give him a breakdown of the time I needed for each step he asked for, minus the time needed to research, and then give him an honest assessment of the fact that I will need more time than he estimated. I even gave him how much time I use in a day for my full time work. He would shoot me down by telling me that he gave me "plenty" of time, and he would use how fast I can scribble a Pikachu as an argument that I should be able to draw finalized artwork that have never been drawn before just as fast. You know, it's simple for any lazy ass that works only twice a week to be talking how much I can draw AFTER working a full 10-hour day. Up to this point, he hasn't written anything besides a bunch of bullshit emails telling me how much I need to learn to compromise on one end for the writer and on the other end for the inker...

    [But... those positions are both his...]
    See what I mean about him setting things up to cover his own ass? On every piece of my work, he was the only "professional" that claimed my lines weren't ink-able. That was not it at all. He just never bothered to try to ink the lines. When I was working on a bunch of concepts for modification on cars, he was the only person that said the cars look no different than stock ones to him. I found out later that he didn't even know anything about cars, or anything about car culture. But there he was in charge of the project, talking outta his ass about how little body roll a car should have when they go through turns. He is such a typical manager who is full of crap that thinks he can just sit there and tell people what to do, then get all the credit since he can be the one who hand the final product to the clients.

    Do you remember when it was that you reach the breaking point of this partnership?
    By that time, we had already gone through rounds and rounds of revisions on juvenile changes that were really a difference of opinion in style, which he really has no say in. So he threw out a crap of a point to say that the characters don't have enough distinguishable personality in their expressions. OF COURSE NOT. He hasn't written jack crap about the characters, and I had been interpreting their reaction to different scenario base on my intuition. So I asked him to tell me more about the characters, only to see him throw me a list of what happens to a person's features when he's in certain moods, like "eyelids closed half way, mouth opening on the left side, eyelashes wiggle down...etc." From that he claimed that if he can come up with so many, I should at least be able to come up with a few for each of the characters. He insisted to have me write them down first, show it to him, and then draw them. It was a complete waste of my time because I was not the one that should be writing. Furthermore, I didn't frakking need to know what happens to an eyebrow when a person is in certain mood. I wanted to know what the person's personality is and how he/she reacts to situations. If making others do all his work for him was what made him a writer, I should be getting a Nobel Prize for doing my own work.

    In other words: They played you. They tried to break you and brainwash you. But you stood up for your belief, and so they fired you?
    With an email consisted of two written letters. An email?! Not even the balls for face to face, although both letters read that they really would like to speak to me. So, being professional, and thinking that I at least owe them the respect, I called them. Guess what happened?

    [Voicemail?]
    All three times.

    What was written in the firing letters?
    Oh, this is a good. The two of them told me that I am not ready to be a leader. But they didn't bother to mention that each one of the ideas I suggested were either taken over by someone, or ignored because my way just isn't good. They shredded me for not pulling my weight, without mentioning the fact that I did most of the preparation work at the shows we went to. I was the only one that worked 40 hours a week and still drew everyday. Every-Frakking-Day! If that's lazy, the two of them are pigs. They said that I talk to girls too much when I am working at local coffee shops. But that's just petty jealousy. And this one is the best: They told me that I don't have the heart to be in this field of work, because "all I care about" is being rich and famous, which isn't what being an illustrator is about. What a load of crap on top of a giant pile of crap. I was never the one that used my job title as a pick up line. I wasn't the one that use recruiting as an excuse to lure girls to be closer. Lying like that will only get you so far. At least I am honest about what my goals are and where I want to take myself with my ability, not pretending to be doing it solely for the love of art.

    Was that the end of everything between you guys?
    Honestly. I was gonna let it die. You know, I'll do my thing and you can go ahead and do whatever that it is you're trying to convince yourself to do, for the greater good of human kind or whatever. But like the brat that knows he frakked up and had to jump the gun to get people on his side, the editor started saying crap about me to make it look like it was completely my fault. He said I was lazy, when it was him that didn't do jack and gave me the unreasonable deadlines. He said that I was always negative about our work, that I don't have any confidence. But it was his inability and lack of experience that I had no confidence in. I mean, the guy is so out of it, he doesn't even know how to self-reflect.

    [Maybe he just plays dirty, the fact that he bad mouth about you after backstabbing you...]
    He does play dirty. As you know, I have a solid relationship with Anime Expo's Volunteer Staff Department. So every year I would do them favors, draw them t-shirt designs... you know, little things here and there to help promote my work. He went behind my back, using my name as bait to gain those opportunity I paid my dues for. My contact granted the studio the work in faith that I would be working on the designs. I only found out about it later when my contact asked me why my artwork wasn't up to my usual standards, was wondering if she had offended me in some way for me to do such a bad job. That was just one part of that big fiasco that the editor not only screwed with my reputation, but also ruined the reputation of the studio.

    [But you cleared everything up, right?]
    I did. Never underestimate the power of my interpersonal skills. I had pull some serious effort to get my rep back. And I did.

    Did you ever clear things up with your CEO and the friends that misunderstood you?
    Yeah. A long time after the all the damage is committed. It doesn't excuse CEO from the fact that he appointed this guy to the editor position, and just sat aside and watched him sabotage me for personal gains. Yes, we may be cool now. But there's not much you can do to repair the lost trust and the faith that I had in the CEO as a friend, no matter how much I admire him as an artist. I don't know what our mutual friends thought of me when the editor was bad mouthing me. I have to say, though, that I am grateful that Thomas Wu spoke up for me when everyone else was too intimidated by the editor.

    But you won this battle at end, though...
    I wouldn't say it's anything like a battle. I am glad my name is cleared. But who knows what the editor guy is thinking. I mean, this guy literally think everything happens around him because of him: I love wolves, but apparently I didn't know about wolves till I met him; There's no story about werewolves before he came up with it; No one used racks to hang up artwork before he did it; And I obviously didn't draw professionally before I met him. Chances are, if I fail at this line of work, he will go around telling people how he knew that I never had it in me. But if I succeed, he will likely to claim that he discovered me, or that it's the crap that he did that motivated me to succeed.

    [I can't believe you can still look at what happened to you with such a sarcastic attitude...]
    You know, you might be too depressed if you can't laugh a little at your own life.


    [To Be Continued]

February 28, 2007

  • //The Interview - Pt. 02

    So objectively, compare "honesty" to "working hard". Which is more important?
    Which is less important?
    [Nice come back.]
    You always have to be honest to yourself. Always. But living in an society, putting "working hard" in front of "honesty" is favorable simply because you can't always be honest.
    [Why not?]
    Do you think car sales people are honest? How would they make a living if they were?
     
    Good point. But you seem to be pretty honest in this interview, so you obviously hold that virtue at a high standard. Do you ever worry that your honesty can be hurtful?
    I take pride in being a genuine guy. Many people will say I am a dick, without realizing that I am only a dick because they don't like what I have to say. I don't criticize anything unless I am provoked to, meaning that I will be a dick to you if you say or do something that affects the harmony of the group I am with. If you said something stupid and try to act clever about it, I am gonna point it out to stop you from further embarrassing yourself. That usually makes me the bad guy, if you look at it on the surface.
    But you know what? Most of the time, it's just somebody complaining to me about having to pay for the consequences of doing something he/she knew better than to be doing. And when I agree with him/her, or ask if he/she thought that the punishment was wrongfully brought upon, all of sudden I am a mean person. I didn't even instigate the "dickness".
    I must clarify that, however, that being honest, isn't a free pass to degrade people with name-calling. "Being honest" is not an excuse to hurtfully make fun of people, because saying hurtful things isn't constructive. It just makes you feel better about yourself at other people's expense.
     
    You're quite a diplomat. Is that a talent?
    No. It's just interpersonal skills. The ability to recognize what situation you're in, and knowing when you should say what will make a difference.
     
    Do you think drawing is a talent, then?
    No, I don't. Drawing is a technical skill that may be cultivated and refined through learning and practice. Anyone can draw if given the desire and patience. Drawing dynamically and creatively, however, is another story.
     
    So do you believe that your talent is in the area of creativity?
    Possibly. What I have noticed over the years, and I am trying not to sound cocky, if that's possible at all, is that what differentiates me from the person next to me is my shaper observations. I can read people, recognize situations rather well, and remember the details enough to translate my observation onto paper. I can't claim that I ever came up with anything new. I can only claim that, from the handful of techniques that I actually know, that I can determine what may be best suited for a particular illustrated piece, then which line to be drawn and which to be left out. So I'd say that it's kinda like a quick decision making talent.
    [You make it sound so unimpressive...]
    Maybe it really isn't a talent, huh?
     
    Well, assuming that it IS a talent, do you think it makes you special?
    Hmm... how can I put this? To say that everyone is special in his/her own way is pretty much saying that no one is? Let's assume the constant that everyone IS indeed special, then I think it's not so much that who is more special, but whose specialty is more marketable, in demand, or well-liked by the general public that ultimately determines the success of an individual.
    [Wow...]
    Did I just make my life sound insignificant? Maybe you should've stuck to interviewing a regular designer?
    [No, I wanna major in illustration, so I wanted to talk to an actual artist.]
    So why did you come to a graphic design department?
    [My sister doesn't know the difference between artists and designers.]
    You mean kinda like people thinking that mechanical engineers can fix cars like mechanics, and electrical engineers can fix power outlets like electricians?
    [Yeah...]
     
    But if you're not special, why do you keep on doing what you do?
    We are all unique in some sorta ways. But we need to recognize that we are not that much special from one another. If you were to draw a circle around everyone's name, and each circle contains the likes, dislikes, abilities... etc. You'll know for sure that there are others that share something similar with you and that their circles will overlap with yours. The probability is high that there are many, many people out there that are very similar to you, which is totally okay.
    As to why I keep pushing myself to be a better person and a better illustrator: I enjoy being good at what I do. Having someone that does same thing better is not an issue.
     
    So how are you not-so-special?
    The most egotistical mistake a person can make is to think that he/she can be exempt from something that happened to someone else. Anything can happen to anyone at any given moment. People do the stupidest things, and it isn't because they don't know better. They do the stupidest things because they somehow believe that whatever happened to the people that came before them can't possibly happen to them. So each generation we get people that reinvent the wheel, because they can't put down their egos to admit mortality. Then there's me. Unlike most people who still believe in success stories or fairy tales, I accept the fact that I don't have control over everything about me.
     
    How does that affect what you're doing, career wise?
    I can accept the fact that working hard will not guarantee success. That sounds like common sense, but you have no idea how many people will claim success as a guarantee. Now, people and especially Christians will say that I have no faith. They cannot be more wrong. I have plenty of faith in my ability. I am just realistic enough to recognize that my road to success isn't solely dependent my ability alone. A lot of time it's who you know, not what you know, that counts.
     
     
    [To Be Continued]

February 27, 2007

  • //The Interview - Pt. 001

    Hi Henry,

    Thanks so much for giving me the opportunity to interview you for my senior project paper. Here's the first draft of the interview we did. I probably can't include every detail into the final paper, but I am certainly having a hard time scratching out your great answers. You're everything my sister said you are, and I feel like I know you better than she does now. Even my English teacher said that you're a gem in today's society, and he hopes you will succeed and have a legacy of your own.

    Thanks again!

    Love,
    Karissa


    In your own words: How good of an illustrator are you?
    Oh nice. You know that, if I told you that I am good, you might think I am cocky and full of myself. But if I told you that I am not good, then you know I'm flat out lying. Either way, answering this question becomes a questionable assessment of myself.

    But you have to gauge yourself in some way, don't you?
    Definitely. I believe you always have to keep yourself in check in the back of your mind. But the only thing I do is that I reflect on how I did things before compared to how I do things now. I'll leave the praising and the criticizing to other people, because as a commercial artist, "how good I am" is ultimately dependent on how willing my customers will spend on my work.

    Are you admitting that you don't actually draw for yourself, and that it IS about the money?
    I am not denying it. Many people would. Certainly, much of what I do is for self-expression. But if I am not doing for other reasons beyond that, why am I am showing my work to other people?
     
    Fair enough. How are you successful or not successful?
    Well, first you'd have to define the word in your question for me. Do you, like most people tend to most of the time, refer to "$uccess" with a "$"? If that's the case, then no, I am not successful. Unfortunately, our society tends to judge many human qualities base on how "financially successful" a person is. It doesn't make sense at all. I vaguely remember someone arguing with me about referring another person as a "genius" and faultily defined that ingenuity with statements such as the person being young, has the most money of all of us, has a house and his own business. You see, those statements proved that the person is financially successful. But it backs up absolutely nothing about ingenuity.

    Is being a genius part of your idea of being successful?
    Well, you can't control natural talent. So no, I wouldn't say ingenuity defines success, either.

    So tell me about your idea of "success".
    I must admit, that a financial achievement of some sort is part of the equation when it comes to my opinion of a successful living. However, it's not the money itself, but the stability that it brings that defines the success. Now, obviously life is so much more than that, and I follow a set of "guidelines", for the lack of a better word, that I believe in strongly which disciplines me to be a good person.

    Let's talk about one of your guides, and we'll move on from there.
    Okay. One thing I try hard to do is to be objective. I think it's just human nature to be selfish. But I can honestly cross my heart to say that I try to be fair, even when it puts me at a disadvantage. To me, it's not about winning against anybody in an argument. It's about what are facts and what are opinions. People often mix opinions into their statements to twist up facts in their favor, or to make them look better. I don't do that.
    [Example?]
    Well, it would be an opinion when I tell one of my friends that owning one newer and more reliable car makes more sense than owning three old cars. Pros and cons aside, that's an opinion, just as it was his opinion to say that with three cars for the same price of the newer car there's less hassle when one car breaks down because there's a spare car sitting around. Now, if the fact is that the three old cars just take turns to break down and goes into shops, can you still argue that you are saving money and having less hassle? So I supported my opinion with some facts, and the opinions and facts are well separated in my statement clearly. On top of that, I passively questioned the other opinion and didn't disregard it, because having a spare car for back up is not a bad thing.

    Okay. So what would be a not-so-objective way of saying something?
    If I tell someone who doesn't know about BMW M3s that E36 models are BETTER than the E46 models, and the only reason for that it's because I can drift the E36 model, then that would be TOTALLY opinionated and without regard for any other factors such as mileage, quality, and that E36 is an older model and more susceptible to shop-visits. After all, being able to drift a car is one factor that is, well, not a factor in daily driving.

    It sounds like you understand that everyone is entitled an opinion. But at the same time you’re differentiating that your opinion is more well thought of...
    Make your opinions count. That's all. If my point of view did take your point of view into consideration, while you can only say "I know what you mean, but…" which just means you heard me but you're gonna ignore me, then it proves right there that one of our opinion is indeed... well, better.

    There's efficiency in your logic...
    I believe in efficiency and I practice it. I just don't find the need to speak when I don't have anything constructive to say. Two of my closer friends have a tendency to make boneheaded remarks. One of them always realizes 20 seconds later that he said something stupid, but instead of pulling back and admit he's wrong, he says 88 more stupid things trying to back up his first stupid remark. I always tell them, but they never listen, that it is completely okay to not have an opinion if you don't know enough about the subject...

    Can you give an example?
    Well, just the other day my friend made a comment about a singing technique, which he doesn't really know a whole lot about. I told him, from having a few vocal lessons myself, that singing is not about the throat, but pushing with the abs while controlling with vocal cords. He ignored my words completely, and proceeded to argue that it IS a technique to sing with the throat, which is demonstrated by J-Lo and Paris Hilton. (Not true, by the way, because they actual still sang like the way I described. They are just not meant to be singers.) Let's roll with his argument a bit: If you haven't seen the irony already, those two names are not good singers. If they are not "singing correctly," how can you use them as examples and claim their so-called singing as "a style"?!
    [You can't.]
    No, you can't. That's like claiming drowning is a style of swimming.

    Yeah, it sounds like the faulty reasoning chapter I read about in English class. Can you give another example? Something not so humorous?
    Hmm… okay. Well, this is more like an everyday example with the same buddy I mentioned previously: We'd be watching a NBA game on TV, and he'd ask my opinion about a new player. A rookie...
    [It seems like your friend is... very talkative...]
    *Sigh* You have no idea. Anyway, say I had answer that the player shows promise and that he's probably gonna be a good player, and he would jump the gun and say "He's gonna be great!" and goes into a long, repetitive circle of a speech about how a rookie can be compare to a "great" hall of famer. I mean, never mind that his words was showing that he's too quick to judge, and left him no room to back up. HE AGREED WITH ME. He essentially didn't have anything to add to my views, yet he spent 20 more minutes of wasted breath on an opinion that… pretty much could've just been "I agree".

    Why do you think people like him do that?
    Well, it felt like an ego issue. I am no expert, but it seems to me that he finds the need to always beat the other person in a conversation, even when he agrees, so the opinion becomes more of his... or something. Wait, aren't you supposed to be asking me about my career as an illustrator?
    [...The LIFE of a commercial artist, to be exact. So anything and everything about you.]
    Okay...



    [To Be Continued]

February 21, 2007

  • //I... I am the night...

     
    This jacket weighs a ton...
     
    It's been a little cold riding my motorcycle at night, not to mention the lack of visibility makes it more risky. After numerous failed attempt to deal with an eBay seller online, I finally decided to just spent more money buying a leather jacket for riding at a local motorcycle dealership. While this jacket is not from a name brand, it offers quality protection to my spine, tail bone, shoulders and elbows. Most important of all, it keeps me well insulated.
     
    I took out the jacket to test out its reflective components with a camera, and just decided to take the photo while having it on me. It made me feel safer about riding already.

January 29, 2007

  • //再見了. 瑋倫

    再送妳一程   最後的一程
    就算千萬不捨   也留不住妳的靈魂
     
    再送妳一程   永別的旅程
    願妳聽見祝福妳一路順風的心聲

January 25, 2007

  • //Normal Folks Wouldn't Appreciate...

    It takes me about 30 minutes to sketch something in like the drawing on the left. But pretty much a whole working day to turn it into a vector art. The advantage of having a piece of work done in vector graphics is the ability to resize the artwork to however big of a size that it needs to be, and the artwork won't look pixellated. On top of that, vector artwork keeps the file size considerably smaller when compared to its bitmap counter part. The flexibility is printer friendly, network bandwidth friendly, and work friendly, to say the least.

    The down side is, with the lines so clean in the vector format, the artwork lost a bit of its original spirit that was generated by the rougher pencil lines.

    And no one really cares.

January 11, 2007

  • //January 10, 1986...

    ...was the date My family and I immigrated to the United States. So... that being mentioned, yesterday was the 21st anniversary of me putting down my feet on the American soil for the first time.

    No particular significance. I am doing this interview with this 18 year old highschool girl who has write some paper about her desire to be an illustrator. When she gets that conversation to me, I'll have more provocative entry(ies) for Xanga once again. Until then, this little blog will have to do.

January 9, 2007

  • //Sony Gets Emmy

    I was notified at work today by a fellow gamer that Sony's SixAxis Motion-Sensing Controller was awarded the Emmys earlier today. He was on a rampage about Nintendo not getting the award with its remote-like controller instead. My cowroker is a Nintendo fanboy. So naturally, he neglected anything that was ever negative about the Big N and will only talk about the "success" of Wii, Nintendo's current system. The success, however, is really a temporary lead created by a shortage of Sony's Playstation 3, and a gimmicky motion sensing remote, which every misinformed gamer out there is swearing that Sony ripped off Nintendo's idea.

    I believe, however, that the motion sensing ability alone is not what won the award for the Sony's controller. The overall ergonomics of the controller's design, from the dual analog stick to the comfort of holding it for a long period of time were all part of the award consideration. Afterall, it's not like motion sensing technology is invented for the first time or anything. As for the thought of Sony copying Nintendo with the motion sensing option for the controller: 1. Big N didn't invent motion sensing technology either. 2. One particular game, WarHawk, was in development for a long time, and it couldn't possibly be implementing motion sensing control at such a late stage. 3. Just because Sony revealed its finalized controller after Nintendo did with its controller doesn't mean Sony just thought of the use of it after seeing Nintendo displaying it. 4. When Sony first annouced the PS3, it announced that it planned to implement motion sensing technology as an option. Nintendo at the time had revealed nothing about their system.

    Just because we learned about B after A, it doesn't mean A came before B.