[Edited] Personal Statement: Otaku Huahua

Waltz Disney cartoons were the first series of cartoons that I was exposed to but it was the Sailor Moon manga that sparked my interest to develop skills in drawing. I enjoy drawing, especially during my free time. Doing so helps to relieve my stress and being creative also stimulates me to develop my own characters and story. I was inspired to draw when I was in secondary school, even though the market for games and media design was not very developed.

I invested time to improve my skills and build my confidence gradually. In order to keep up-to-date, I force myself to learn Adobe Photoshop and use it to colour my artwork. I had to learn certain drawing techniques from scratch, such as how to find the angle of light and where to shade shadows, entirely through my own effort. It was a slow learning process and only recently was I confident enough to present my artwork to the public.

I strive to improve my skills and will find every opportunity to challenge myself by creating personal web pages to derive satisfaction and recognition. Besides challenges, I collect professionals’ art books as reference and use them to try and perfect my style. Being actively involved in the arts also encourages me to attend art festivals, concerts and seminars, and this allows me to develop positive attitudes towards learning.

Even if the skills of a comic artist are still the infant stage in Singapore, I think it is something unique for me to gain and perfect. It has definitely shaped a distinct character in my style and myself.