French painter Rosa Bonheur,
she is famous for her paintings
of animals.
It is said that in order to draw
realistic paintings,
she raised animals such as
lions herself and visited
various places to closely observe
the animal world.
The artworks, made with such passion
and effort, still evoke admiration
from many people as they contain
dynamic yet realistic images of
animals.
Artist @jake, who was selected for
December's Hall of Fame,
also shows the vitality of nature
through the images of animals.
Nature comes alive and breathes
in the artist's creations.
The animals, depicted with delicate
lines and vibrant colors,
convey a range of expressions and
emotions, exuding a robust vitality
that connects us with nature.
Moreover, new perspectives and
diverse imaginations are shown
through animals such as dinosaurs
and dragons that can only be seen
through imagination.
How did the artist come to paint
these art pieces?
Are you curious?
Now, let’s begin the interview
with the artist.
Q1. @PENUP
Hello artist.
This is PENUP manager.
First, congratulations on being
selected for the December 2023
Hall of Fame.
Please tell us about yourself.
A1. @jake
Hello, My name is jake.
I majored in engineering and am an
engineer who loves art and creation.
Also, I’m a father of three children.
The news of my selection came as
a pleasant surprise when I saw
congratulatory messages from my
friends on PENUP.
I am truly grateful for their warm
wishes and would like to express
my thanks to all of them.
Q2. @PENUP
The first piece was uploaded in
September 2020.
Since then, you have been constantly
uploading your work.
We are curious about how you came to
know about PENUP and upload your work.
A2. @jake
It's been a while so I don't remember
much, but I believe I discovered the
PENUP app through a news article
around the time it was first
released.
As someone interested in digital
drawing, I decided to give the app
a try.
It's truly enjoyable to explore
numerous beautiful artworks and
engage in meaningful conversations
with others in the community.
Q3. @PENUP
You’ve been expressing various
animals in your works.
We are curious about what devices
and apps these artworks are created
through.
A3. @jake
All of my works are created using
the Galaxy Note 10. I've used the
Sketchbook app for some of my
drawings, but I use PENUP for
almost all my drawings.
Given my preference for drawing
swiftly, I find PENUP, with its
intuitive and simple UI,
more user-friendly than other apps.
Q4. @PENUP
Your artworks are amazing with their
detailed expressions and realistic
feel.
What prompted you to draw
and why did you draw animals?
A4. @jake
My youngest son had a deep love for
animals, inspiring me to start
drawing them.
Whenever he mentioned the name of
an animal, I would search for it in
the child's picture book, study it,
and sketch it.
This process led to a variety of
animals appearing in my drawings,
gradually forming a collection of
animal pictures.
Creating a video of the drawing
process and watching it on TV became
a delightful way to discuss animals
with my son.
While his initial interest may have
diminished, this has now turned into
my hobby, and I continue to build
a collection of animal drawings.
My son is completely absorbed in
the fun of drawing pictures himself.
Q5. @PENUP
It felt like each of the various
animals had their own expressions.
Were the facial expressions
intentionally captured?
Also, we are curious about the mood
you infuse into drawing animals.
A5. @jake
Animals are living beings capable
of movement.
I believe that movement is the
biggest characteristic of animals,
and I make an effort to capture
their dynamics in my drawings.
There's something I feel every time
I draw an animal, and no matter how
well I try to draw, it seems
difficult to express the full depth
of the original beauty of the animal.
Every time I do that, I feel
the greatness and wonder of nature.
Through attentive observation and
drawing of animals, I find a sense
of achievement in uncovering their
concealed charms.
Q6. @PENUP
You have also included birds
and insects in your paintings.
How did you came to draw this work?
We’re also curious about what charm
it has as a subject matter for the
work.
A6. @jake
Insects are typically small and
challenging to observe, but when you
magnify an image of an insect for
drawing, you can appreciate its
beauty. Each part has a unique shape
and overall proportions are balanced.
The rigid segments work in harmony
with each other and can move in
practical ways.
These aspects, I find,
are captivating.
Q7. @PENUP
We also saw dinosaurs.
Why did you feature dinosaurs
in your work?
You also included situations in the
work where dinosaurs feel realistic.
How did you get the inspiration
for these scenes?
A7. @jake
Dinosaurs are a huge favorite of
boys, including my youngest son.
It was drawn with reference to scenes
from games or movies featuring
dinosaurs.
If I draw an animal portrait without
a background, I can focus my
attention on the beauty of
the animal itself, while if I draw
it with a background, I can embody
the situation the animal is in,
giving my child more things to talk
about, so I prefer drawing
the background as well.
Q8. @PENUP
We also saw drawings of imaginary
animals such as unicorns and dragons.
We’re curious how you came to draw
this piece.
A8. @jake
While I used a photo of a beautiful
horse as a reference for the unicorn,
I did not to use any references for
the dragon since they are all
someone else's creations.
I attempted to draw the dragon
without any reference.
As expected, drawing solely from
imagination proved challenging,
and I recognized the value of
having a reference.
Q9. @PENUP
We were also able to see works
that were decorated beautifully
with coloring.
We are curious how you came to draw
this piece.
A9. @jake
In the initial stages of my
digital drawing journey on PENUP,
I began with coloring and spent
a considerable amount of time
practicing with brushes.
As I grew more comfortable with
using brushes, I introduced fun
elements to the basic coloring
designs.
PENUP's coloring has a lot of empty
space, so it's good for practice
for beginner artists like me and
also good for creative decoration.
There was even a competition
among members to showcase creative
drawing skills.
Q10. @PENUP
Last question.
Please tell us if you have anything
you would like to improve or
the story you want to tell while
using PENUP
A10. @jake
The recent update to the PENUP app
seems significant.
I'm glad to see that the freedom of
expression has increased more than
before.
I'm currently experimenting with
a new brush to depict animal fur,
I think it would be useful to have
a dedicated brush that can express
animal fur or hair well.
I would like to thank the PENUP
management for giving me the
opportunity to show my paintings and
stories to many people.
I will use this as an opportunity
to gain more strength and use it
as a driving force to pursue my work.
How was the interview with @jake?
Rosa Bonheur is said to have been
so passionate about drawing animals
that she studied anatomy and even
visited a slaughterhouse to
experience it firsthand.
The artist also showed affection
and interest in animals by observing
various animals and expressing
their characteristics in detail.
For those of you reading this,
why not try putting animals
in pictures?
It might be fun to express your
interest in your favorite animals
or other beings that share this
planet through drawings.
We hope that everyone's work
will fill PENUP with paintings
full of vitality.
