Day 30 by I-Ming

“I go home from this journey,
changed in so many ways.
I’d tell you about the trip,
but then you were there too.”

it was fun. but i’ll have to tell you.
the process of how i came to develop
the graphic novel.

of how i was on a holiday with my family
last July that inspired me to produce this art.

________________________________________________

first, i went to Thailand.

i found this cool sketchbook at Bangkok:

The Death Book

it was fuckin cheap. i bought 2.
inspired by the cover, i found my theme,
and began to draft ideas for my 30dayartist run:

then i travel to England.
the weather inspired me:

Early design of Eron and 4

Early design of 4

Early design of Michelle

then i was in Brussel.
this is the first thing i saw when i arrived
Brussel:
then, 2 days later,
i found a comic store called Brusel.

this is the greatest comic bookstore that i’ve ever been
in my entire life. all the books were not wrapped.
they were free for browsing, yet, they were
all in mint condition. it shows how much everyone
appreciates the condition of these literate artforms.
strange indie-rock music ambience.
very silent browsing.
the combination made me feel like i was
in a library, but with music.
a very cafe-del-mar of indie rock music.

a comic art gallery upstairs.

strange weird titles i’ve never heard of.
friggin good arty-art. if you know euro art,
you’ll know what i’m talkin about.
think Moebius, Ulf K, etc.

i was so mesmerize being there.

graphic novels,

filled with literature ideas of life.

mostly euro stuff.

luckily for me, they were all in french,
or else i would have spend a fortune there.

____________________________________

i started generating thumbnail pages:

most of it are only 10% used.
but they work as an idea trigger tool.

the first draft.

i started scripting the plots:

they were 20% used. they stand as a guideline.
usually, on the day of producing the pages,
the story breaths it self.

i tried linking plots, and develop other characters.
this was my greatest struggle. i didn’t want him
to have anything to do with anybody.

once i arrived back home, on the 1st of August,
i quickly begin to work.
i do really-really small panels of the flow
of the story. like a storyboard.

this help me to see overall the smoothness of
the entire story:

mostly these small thumbnails are 80% used.

here are the tools i used:

i bought the good black Windsor & Newton ink
from England. i can’t find it here in Malaysia.

i do my drawings on a photocopy-script of Adaptation by Charlie Kaufman.
i’m inspired by most of his works.

the working area when everyone else are not using it for
consuming food:

and now, for those who hasn’t catch up to the story,
i’ve compiled all into one pdf:
(recommend you to right-click, then save to yr desktop)

(right click here)

and this is the trailer:

this has been really-really fun.
will continue finishing the graphic novel.

till then.

-chinyew

here are my older mini comics, free for download:

(right click here)

(right click here)

Day 29 by Jordan Tan

“Almost at the end,
I feel bit different today.”

i feel different.

more anxious.

happy.

excited.

tired, but fresh.

i’m almost at the finish
line. can’t believe i’ve
made it.

i’ve changed.

___________________________

ladies and getleman,
this 31st my country will celebrate
a 50th year anniversary of independence.

my country is a mutual living country
with 4 or more different races.

the peace has been there for 50 years
as of this 31st.

but lately things has been shaky.

a little. not too much.

my hope is, is not.

anyway, my synchro yesterday made
me watch TV. i mean broadcast TV.
not dvd TV.

anyway, malaysians,
do check out the local commercials
dedicating to our celebration of
independence. they’re not bad.

i’ve been critique of sounding
too much like an old man.

hmmm…

the following are the final pages
of the first part of my graphic
novel. i will continue to finish
it at www.30dayartist.blogspot.com

as for tomorrow,
“the making of”.

and the entire compilation of the
pages in pdf, for readers who
hasn’t been catching up.

till tomorrow.

(sleepy.)

-chinyew

Day 28 by Jerry Waese

“Continue beginning,
and begin to continue.”

i love this quote.

it brings me into trance
as i mesmerize on this painting
of a boy running into a full of
hopeful-fun-exciting experiences.
the painting is filled
with THAT emotion.

the emotions of a

“boy who are filled with hope of happiness.”

atleast to me it is.

jerry, you should copyright
this quote.

but for now, let me use it for today.

Jerry was the 2nd person after Brandi
that gave 30dayartist a shot.

he is my favorite of all.

he had a special theme for his run.
he was to rework/repaint on his
old paintings. a transform process.
almost a reborn for him.

Here are his exact words:

The theme for me must certainly be transition and transformation, movement and renewal, recycling, reversal – re-creation and change.

My intention therefore is to take 40 fine works that I had already finished in the past few years (yet not sold and luckily not become too attached to either); and to paint over these canvases using my usual Golden acrylic paint and plastic palette knives. This rigorous culling of the stash will be symbolic of the renewal process, of the general movement and excitement of this time.

renewing 40 canvases at the end of 2005 will be a rite of passage for me. – complexed with the instability of place and time and loss of memories etc…..

check out more of his work here.

i really-really like his style.
if i was granted a wish of to paint like
anyone’s style, i would like to
have his.
______________________________________________

anyway,

do you know what is the greatest thought
in a mind of a writer?

well,

it’s the thought to know that you
have a good quality of audience
reading you.

who appreciates you.

_________________________________

today, i lived a live of a real writer.

it was my synchrodestiny to
stay at home to do that.

let me explain to you:

1. mom synchro went out.
(yes, i’m 26 and i’m still living with
my parents. ((it’s normal in Asia.))
gawd, i’m almost hitting 30s. shit.

2. me synchro to stay at home to
write that blady 52 eps of scene breakdowns.

3. i suddenly felt like eating pizzas. (meat!)
(i’ve been cutting on meat since March. i even
ordered coke, which i’ve also try to cut down.)

so, the entire day, i was eating pizzas,
drinking coke, and typing on my laptop.

_________________________________

i have to write.

i can’t “not write”.

i have to write. (forced)

and that’s painful.

but yet it’s my job.

i have to write.

writing can hurts sometime.

writing is painful sometimes.

just like love.

i repeat too many things.

i relive too many things.

it’s all the ego’s mind.

now, i reach to you.

i let go of myself.

and shall concentrate on you.

living for you.

listen readers,

i’m dedicating my life,

to you.

for better,

or for the worse.

xxxxxx

“funny.

it’s weird; how i’ve lost track;

of what day is,

what day?”

______________________________________

(wait.

now let’s go back and see have i repeat

written anything.)

Day 27 by Verna Vogel

“Isn’t colour neat?
You think you know what you’re seeing,
but it’s all relative to the surroundings.”

isn’t life sweet?

bitter-sweet.

my eyes are half closed
as i’m typing this.

yesterday’s shoot lasted for 18.30 hours.

went back to work today at 1pm.

today’s shoot is underwater.

swimming pool.

cold like fuck.

got back to office after shoot,
was assigned to do scenes breakdown
for 2 concept with 2 season each,
and 13 episode per season.

so 52 episodes of scene breakdown,
in 24 hours.

the program will be broadcast
on national tv.

malaysia is a country that doesn’t
respect it’s own entertainment industry.

they have no idea how much tv affects
the mind of everyone.

and we, creatives, are force
to survive by catering to these ignorants.

producing poor-crap quality programs.

educative programs. yes, you heard
me right. children programs too.

this is how much they value
our future generations to come.

i predict in 5 years time,
tons of dumb-bells running around
the streets committing crimes.

the value of national tv,

in this country;

none.

and i’m ashamed to say,
i’m part of it.

colour is indeed neat.

colour tv!

yeah!

-chinyew

to read more about the affects of tv to our mind:

Effects of Television Violence on Children by Leonard D. Eron, Ph.D.

Day 26 by Anne Kullaf

“I love abstract art when it is done well,
but I don’t do it well,
so I sometimes take paintings that
I am not thrilled with as a whole
and try to find areas that can
become almost abstract.”

abstract. i first heard the word
when i was in art school.

i’ve always been drawing.
since when i was a kid,
mom brought be a full set of color pencils.

obsess with my scribbling since.

i love my mom.

she gave me this life.

and i’m thankful.

i always feel guilty of not
giving back enough for her.

like not living my life to the fullest.

positively.

i’m a bad person.

even evil sometimes. i think.

you can tell.

for today’s special.

i pre-typed this earlier.

i’ll be posting this when i come
back from the crazy shoot.

today, no pages from the graphic novel.

but it’s more.

a journey into my mind.

life.

this is as deep as you can get
into me.

i love comics since young.

i have memories of dad rushing into
my room and shakes his head in disappointment,
to see me drawing again.
“sigh. drawing again.”
i’ll pretend that he is not there.
a moment of silence.
and i’ll hear the door closes behind me.

every kid want his dad to be proud of him.

dad always wanted me to be a successful business
man, just like him. i don’t blame him.
he came from a dog eat dog world.
he worked his way up hard for us.
i’m thankful to him that i have this luxury
to be in this life now.

i doubt i can ever be as close as successful as he is.

i doubt i can even provide for a child as spoilt
as i, or as well as he has provided for me.

these are my early childhood comics.

80s circa:

i was always angry as a child.
my anger towards my father’s disappointment
in me, made me even wanting more to be
different.

i guess it was my childish revenge
towards him.

with my self-destruction mental state,
it was difficult for me to find love.

from my desperation of wanting to be
love and approval of self,
i seek love, desperately.

and this desperation was a problem.

it scared them away.

and finally,

it made me found none.

late 90s circa:

after years of seeking and falling,

i finally gave up.

i decide, i shall not need love.

and then,

when i least expected,

love found me.

but it ended as fast as it begin.

it survived a 2 years stint.

the losing of this love made me angrier.

you can pretty much imagine how much.

drawing strips was a way i release my pain.

i posted them on artistcrisis. my first blog,

till i was discovered.

ashamed, i stopped.

i had 200 over pages of strips posted.

and a couple hundreds more, unscanned.

which i plan to publish them someday.

(any keen publisher out there?)

2004-2005 circa:

as time pass.
i became darker.

and darker.

i spit at life.

yet fascinated with it.

i journey far into my brain.

questioning. theorizing.

still, i found only emptiness.

like many artist, i grew tired of myself.

enough of self-pity, and self-destruction.

i was tired of the darkness.

i wanted to stand.

i did 30dayartist on August 2005.

that was the first step.

2005-2006 circa:

second year was greater.

and now, i’m here again.

sharing my obsession,

with myself.

i still seek love.

but hardly lately.

i’m happy.

i hoped i’ve not gloom anyone’s day.

i doubt anyone will be going through
them anyway.

till tomorrow, back to the drawing board.

-chinyew

Abstract:

1. Considered apart from concrete existence: an abstract concept.
2. Not applied or practical; theoretical. See synonyms at theoretical.
3. Difficult to understand; abstruse: abstract philosophical problems.
4. Thought of or stated without reference to a specific instance: abstract words like truth and justice.
5. Impersonal, as in attitude or views.
6. Having an intellectual and affective artistic content that depends solely on intrinsic form rather than on narrative content or pictorial representation: abstract painting and sculpture.

Mike Beeman is a masterpiece artist.
Technically good.

His paintings are hung at walls round the globe.

his quality of work is very established,
i feel a little low esteem of even relating with him.

you’ll be surprise with his level of
quality in his work, he is still able
to commit himself to 30dayartist.

Day 25 by Mike Beeman

“This has been one of those days
where you feel really busy
but at the end of the day,
you wonder where everything is.”

i believe many artist or even workaholics goes
through this dilemma.

you spend the entire day in concentration.

till you lose track of time.

the next thing you know,
the sky has turned dark.

is time to call the day off.

just like that,
another day of yr life span,

gone.

have you put yours into good use?

i hope you have.

here are result of the time that
i’ve used carefully today:

(i reworked yesterday’s page.)

as for tomorrow.
i’m very sure i won’t
have the time to do any pages.

17 hours shoot!

yep, malaysia shooting production
is that crazy.

but rest assure.

i’ve prepared something else
to feast yr eyes.

till then.

-chinyew

okay. inspired by this quote;

this is what i will be doing for today;

listen.

carefully now :

i am experimenting with emotions.

only an ‘experiment’, pleases-please,
do keep this IN mind.

and

for now,

here goes:

(breath in)

i miss having someone to talk to,
is not that i don’t talk to anyone,
or i have no one to talk to,
i just miss having someone to talk to.

i catch.

havin me here.

is havin me here.

i put myself down.

i get myself there.

i pull.

pull.

pull.

pull.

pull.

pull.

wait.

and now, listen:

i love my work.

is not that i feel that they’re good,

but it is just a nature of me to like them,

of like any parent, loving their child.

it is yours. it belongs to you.

it IS you.

and this is,

me.

(breath out)

(breath out)

(breath out)

breath.

till tomorrow, folks.

-chinyew(phew. i survive yet another day.)

this is a really-really beautiful piece.

love the combination of colors and patterns.

readers, pls take time to observe this
piece. study the details. the colors.

love it.

“Thaneeya’s run is on March not April as stated on
the video.”

___________________________________________________

i’m nervous like fuck of not delivering
this comin Sunday.

i’ve got a morning shoot from 8am
till the next 5am morning.

probably when i reach home,
i’m already a half-dead-zombie.

this is what i plan to do.

in between my shoot, i’ll do the pages.
when i return, i’ll scan them, and post.

a plan which doesn’t sound much like a plan.

but still, it’s a plan.

Day 23 by Thaneeya McArdle

“I’m pleased that I’ve been so
productive this month.
And I’ve learned a lot by
having to spend each night
articulating and examing what
I’ve created during the day.”

this quote pretty much
summarize my feelings for today.

’nuff said.

-chinyew

Do check out I-ming’s latest endeavor:

www.artmakr.com

Day 22 by I-ming

“Everybody has one great story to tell
And spends his whole life telling it.
My story seems to be the story of a boy
becoming a man.”

there is an inner child within
everyone of us.

when we were a kid, we can’t wait to grow up.

and now, as we aged, we feel that we’re aging too fast.

too fast, too little time.

it takes a lifetime to tell stories.

for me atleast, i can’t stop telling.

i-ming dedicated his Day 22 to dad.

Dad, an icon figure. someone we look up to.

One day, we will be them.

we will be a man.

someday.

but always, always.

a boy will always live within me.

why? unfulfilled childhood?

regrets.
i wish i can go back in time.
so many things that i would want to fix.

words that i should have said.
things that i should have done.

why do we tell stories?

a psychology retreat to the past of
a writer?

to rewrite a could-have-been scenario?

i wish for many things.

time.

-chinyew

Day 21 by me

“Freakin pissed at myself that
I’ve wasted so much paint,
But the sappy-sing-along-chinese-music
encouraged me.
Thought of her again.”

Everything is linked together.

i am here today is due to a long chain of actions.
either by me. or by someone else.

and here i am.

today. again. now.

the large painting i did 2 years ago,
was a revisit of the 1st mini comic
i did. my very-very first self-published
comic. you can check out this site i built
5 years ago to download the mini comics.

if you really-really focus of seeing,
you can see.

how time repeats itself.
patterns reforming.
circles. circles.

again and again.

have i recovered?

pretty much.

i still miss my 1st ink bottle though.

nothing personal. just some sentimental values
towards it.

phew. survive another day.

everytime starting a page is difficult.
a fuckin struggle.
but everytime when i finishes them,
i feel a sensation of relief.

now, 9 more days to go for the
final sensation.

-chinyew

i swear to you that i had not planned
the last page to sync with this post.
the panel and the framing are ironically
similar to… well,
if you can see it, you can. but if you can’t,
well, guess it’s just my own sensitivity.