Alvin Fai

– I remember being deeply games and cartoons on tele ting to be able to draw the c saw. I’d look up images of th on my dad’s computer, and in order to copy them. Intera kids at school who shared th interests with me became a to draw these characters. I t observant kid in social settin felt like a comfortable way fo interests.

Bazar Masarin: Barnkonventionen

Intervju: Susanne SandströmWho is Alvin Fai?

– I’m an illustrator from Calif art at California State Univer Currently, I spend my time p games, working on persona freelancing.

How did it all began...how an start making art/illustrations?

What does your (creative) w look like? What techniques a portant for the process?

© Alvin Fai

– I spend a lot of time workin with a mechanical pencil, co pastels, or watercolors on p work with no more than two ums at the same time, and e ways of creating textures thr ums. Paying attention to the

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Alvin Fai

ornia who studied sity Northridge. laying video l projects, and

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traditionally, lor pencils, aper. I usually traditional medixplore various ough those meditextures I am

© Alvin Fai

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© Alvin Fai

Bazar Masarin: Barnkonventionen

creating while drawing helps me feel less anxious about my drawing’s end result.

For the most part, I don’t have a clear idea of what my drawings will look like before I begin drawing them. I think I work by sticking to a technique and then examining and responding to what is already on the paper. I then scan these drawings and add digital adjustments in Photoshop.

Where do you get inspiration from? What, whom are you influenced by?

– I get inspired by other artists and their art, music, video games, fantasy novels, personal experiences, and for the most part, the observable world around me. I draw a lot from my memory -- if I see something that I think I’d like to draw later, I spend some time to just stand there and really look at it. I like to observe things in life and commit them to memory, as I think the process of recalling and transcribing these memories helps me create emotionally

charged work. I don’t try to copy the image I see in my head, but rather pick and choose elements of what I remember and piece them back together.

Challenges? On an individual and Market level - Which are they?

– I think my biggest challenge is understanding where my work sits within the market of graphic arts. If I were able to stick to a more standardized method of artmaking, I’d have a clearer goal of where I want my art to eventually be. However, I like to explore my creative processes, and that often results in a style that changes quickly.

Which books from childhood/youth do you remember (cherish)? Why this specific book/ author/illustrator, do you think?

– I think I really enjoyed books like the Berenstain Bears, works by Richard Scarry, Captain Underpants, and Naruto -- especially the last

two for their impact on my artmaking in later years. Captain Underpants, for those who never read it, featured “Flip-O-Rama” sections, in which thereader would flip quickly between two drawings in order to create small animations. Seeing the Flip-O-Ramas and reading about the two main characters writing and drawing comic books inspired me to explore animation and create small comics of my own for my friends at school to read. Reading Naruto and other manga in Shonen Jump introduced me to an entire world of illustration that continues to inspire me today.

Do you have a favourite illustrator/artist?

– I don’t, but right now I really enjoy the illustration work of the multitalented Shintaro Sakamoto.

The best and the worst when it comes to being an artist/illustrator?

– For me, it is definitely the freedom of schedule that comes with being a freelancer. I have to find ways to secure my schedule or else I’ll feel like I’m floating between projects. However, being able to work whenever I want is a luxury I don’t want to take for granted!

Dream assignement – what would it look like?

– I dream of someday creating a children’s book or an independently animated film.

Have you ever considered making a picture book for children?

– Absolutely!What are you currently working on?

– I’m currently drawing a big, wrinkly, sloppy dog. I’m in the process of freelancing and discussing prints with a studio. A lot happening soon!

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© Alvin Fai

© Alvin Fai

© Alvin Fai