OKG Artist Greg Pogue Jr

OKG ARTIST

GREG POGUE JR.

| Drawings Greg Pogue Jr. Oklahoma Gazette: How did you get into making art? Greg Pogue Jr.:I started drawing at an early age. I use to draw Marvel comic characters and cartoons. I took a break so I could focus on playing sports during high school and college, and I didn’t start back drawing until I had a terrible knee injury in 2009.

OKG: What inspires your work? Pogue: My family and friends inspire me the most, them knowing I’m striving to be a great artist and critiquing my work when I ask for their opinion. Knowing that my art might touch someone’s heart, and when I do commission pieces, the joy I get when I capture all the detail in the portrait I’m doing.

OKG: How do you choose your subjects?

Pogue: Depends on the model, celebrity, athlete or public figure, how the person is posing and how the light is hitting them. Sometimes I look for a challenge if I feel like it’s going to be difficult portrait.

OKG: What’s your process? What is your workspace like? Do you listen to music while you work? Pogue: My process can be me just scrolling on Instagram and seeing a beautiful picture, or me just thinking of a celebrity to do a portrait of. In my art room, I have my art table with my iPad attached to it, and I keep my computer open on Photoshop, so I can zoom in to see all the detail in the photo. As far as music, just depends on what mood I’m in. Sometimes I like working in complete silence or I can have my stereo on, playing anything from rap, hip-hop, R&B to jazz (courtesy of my father).

OKG: Which of your drawings or paintings means the most to you and why? Pogue:The one of my parents, my father helped me with the colors, seeing that the photo was in black-and-white. He talked about his leather coat he was wearing for days and even pulled it out. With his recent passing, I would say that one means the most to me. My Nipsey Hussle drawing (“Nipsey Blue”) I did. I’ve been a fan before he hit mainstream. To see how his career was developing and taking off, it’s sad that his life was cut short for no reason. Last but not least, my Kobe and GiGi drawing. I’ve been a Kobe fan since he came into the NBA. It’s sad that his and especially GiGi’s life was cut short; I seen a lot of talent and potential in her.

OKG: Who is your favorite artist?

Pogue: Van Gogh and

Monet from when their exhibit that was at the arts museum downtown, Shana Levenson and Lena Danya, just to name a few.

OKG: What have you been doing at home during the COVID-19 pandemic? Pogue: I have been doing a lot

of drawing, watching a lot of movies and just working on different hobbies I have and helping my sister take care of my father till his untimely death in May.

Visit instagram.com/art_by_gregjr.