[INTERVIEW] HOF MARCH 2025 @MADANG

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Suzanne Valadon is a French Impressionist painter.

She explored the effects of light and shadow, capturing sensual figures in her paintings that blurred the boundaries between color and form.

Valadon viewed her subjects as natural and realistic beings, approaching her work with a perspective that explored various aspects of the human figure, and by doing so, she strived to capture human emotions and inner worlds in her artwork.

In a similar way, @madang, the artist we’ve selected for our Hall of Fame this March, also depicts various individuals in their paintings, aiming to portray their inner beauty.

The artist's feed contains the diverse lives of different individuals.

She expresses the characteristics and charm of people observed through lines, and uses color to capture the varied expressions and situations of her subjects, making viewers curious about their stories.

Additionally, the artist paints landscapes featuring flowers and seasons, and showcases various inspirations through coloring templates as well.

We have to ask the artist how they came to draw these works.

So, let's start the interview with the artist.

Q1. @PENUP

Hello, @madang.

On behalf of everyone at the PENUP team, we’d like to congratulate you on being inducted into our Hall of Fame in March 2025.

Please briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your thoughts on selection.

A1. @madang

Hello to all PENUP user friends around the world.

I’m just an ordinary housewife living in a small city in Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea.

Knowing that there are so many people creating excellent works out there, I never thought I would be selected for the Hall of Fame.

Honestly, my joy was as great as my embarrassment and surprise.

I still feel that way even now as I'm being interviewed.

At the same time, I'm incredibly grateful and happy that the time I spent every morning coloring the PENUP's own templates has led me to this honorable position.

I’d like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all of the PENUP users who have supported my drawings with likes, reposts, and comments, as well as to the PENUP team who chose me for the Hall of Fame.

Thanks to you all, March has begun as a meaningful and happy month for me.

Q2. @PENUP

You first post dates back to September 2023.

How did you find out about PENUP, and what inspired you to share your work on PENUP?

A2. @madang

I have a daughter and a son.

A few years ago, during a holiday, my daughter decided to replace the tablet she had been using, and so we ended up with one spare tablet at home.

That’s when she introduced me to the PENUP app and taught me the basics, knowing how much I enjoy drawing.

At first, I was happy with simply appreciating the artworks of users from around the world rather than creating my own, and I also found it wonderful to interact with others through likes and comments.

After spending quite some time just observing, I gathered the courage to start with coloring templates, gradually learning how to use the pen, and step by step, I began drawing and uploading my works to the app.

Q3. @PENUP

You’ve created beautiful works filled with vibrant colors.

What kind of devices and apps do you use to create your artwork?

A3. @madang

The device I use for drawing is the Galaxy Tab S10,

which, as I mentioned earlier, is the one my daughter left behind.

For my artwork, I exclusively use the tools available within the PENUP app itself.

Although I sometimes wish there were more refined and versatile pen options for creating smoother and more detailed effects, I’m not accustomed to using all of the different drawing tools, and that’s why I stick to using only the PENUP app for now.

However, I plan to gradually explore and try out more apps in the future.

Q4. @PENUP

You’ve created works on various subjects, including portraits, landscapes, and flowers.

What inspired you to start drawing?

A4. @madang

I’ve never formally studied art.

The only experience I had with drawing was during art classes at school.

Throughout the years, I often felt envious of friends who majored in art or created impressive works, and I admired their talent.

From the moment I became an adult, I found myself constantly thinking about how wonderful it would be to capture not just in photographs, but also in drawings, all sorts of things like beautiful landscapes, scenes from movies set in places I've never been, and even the fleeting expressions of people passing by.

When I discovered the PENUP app, it gave me the opportunity to turn my desire to draw into action.

Q5. @PENUP

You’ve also created works that capture special moments of people.

Is there a reason behind that?

A5. @madang

As I mentioned earlier, I believe that even the smallest details of everyday life can be turned into art.

Whether it’s the sunset in the sky I happened to glance at one day, a clear blue sky without a single cloud, or a sky filled with fluffy clouds.

Each of these moments can feel extraordinary amidst the repetition of daily life, and I want to capture those fleeting, special moments in my drawings.

Sometimes, I even include myself in them.

But because I still feel that my skills aren't quite there yet to fully express those moments, I often draw inspiration from remixes done by other users or beautiful photos to help bring my ideas to life.

Q6. @PENUP

The characters you've drawn show a wide range of expressions.

Are any specific aspects you focus on when drawing these expressions?

Also, do you have a favorite expression to draw?

A6. @madang

In my character drawings, I try to make them more realistic and add some dimensionality to their faces.

I want to express each individual's emotions, but I still find this quite challenging.

I try to convey different feelings even through the way I draw hair.

Among the images above, the one on the right is a remix of helgi's work.

Personally, I like facial expressions that show contrasting emotions, like in that piece.

Right now, I'm focusing on getting the light and shadow right, but I hope to gradually progress to drawing a variety of faces, including natural wrinkles that come with age and the changes in expression when someone smiles.

Q7. @PENUP

We’ve noticed that you've captured the changing seasons in your landscape paintings.

Why do you paint landscapes, and are the places in your artwork locations you've visited personally?

A7. @madang

The country where I live, South Korea, has four distinct seasons.

The scenery in each season is indescribably beautiful.

Naturally, I have a strong desire to express these views through my artwork, so I often take photos of particularly beautiful places with the intention of painting them later.

Since I started drawing with PENUP, I’ve found myself taking even more photos of landscapes.

Among the landscapes I've painted, some are places I've visited personally, and in some, I've even included myself in the scene.

There are also paintings inspired by photos of beautiful locations I've seen online that were taken by other people.

Q8. @PENUP

Your artwork also features vibrant flowers.

Could you tell us why you paint flowers?

A8. @madang

Just as I enjoy drawing specific locations and landscapes, I also wanted to try focusing on a single subject and depicting it more realistically.

For me, that subject is often faces and flowers.

It's not that I excel at drawing flowers, but I love the happiness and positive feelings they bring.

Sometimes I use flowers in the background, but as in the piece above, I try drawing them in more detail from time to time as well.

The piece on the left is a remix of salt's work.

The original was so beautiful that I worked hard to add some color.

I've also drawn a few pieces featuring flowers I personally like.

Going forward, I hope to create more detailed works that capture the various expressions I find in faces and the beauty of flowers.

Q9. @PENUP

Your artwork includes coloring pieces that reflect your unique inspiration.

What type of coloring designs do you like to choose when you want to do some coloring?

What themes would you like to draw or paint in the future?

A9. @madang

It’s no exaggeration to say that my journey in drawing began with coloring on PENUP.

When I first came across the app, I was amazed by the sheer convenience it offered.

Trying coloring a few times transformed my initial perception of drawing as something difficult into confidence that I could do it too.

I found great joy in adding my own ideas to the templates updated daily and completing them as unique pieces of art.

The feedback I received through likes from PENUP users also gave me a lot of encouragement.

These are some of the reasons why most of my works are rooted in coloring.

I plan to continue working hard on coloring, just as I have been so far.

But at the same time, I want to create more refined and complete works that capture the beauty of each season and different scenes from daily life.

Q10. @PENUP

Last question.

Please let us know if there is anything you would like to see improved while using PENUP, or if there is anything you would like to say.

A10. @madang

While PENUP continues to evolve during my time using it, I believe there is one issue that must be addressed, which is the growing problem of art theft as more users from around the world join the platform.

Stealing artwork without any sense of guilt or conscious is something that cannot be tolerated by those who have put their heart and effort into creating their works, and I understand this all too well, having experienced my own artwork being stolen.

Another issue I’d like to mention is the "Popular Artwork" section.

While it's difficult to judge artistic value based on personal standards, I sometimes notice this section is filled with non-artistic content, such as text-based works like "follow for follow" or images containing just a few words.

I hope this can be addressed to better reflect the platform's purpose.

For beginners or those returning to drawing, features like coloring and live drawing within PENUP are incredibly helpful.

These features have also allowed me to experience the joy of being inducted into the Hall of Fame.

I believe these are some of PENUP's greatest strengths, and I would like to thank the PENUP team, once again, for their efforts.

Additionally, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of my PENUP friends who provided feedback on my drawings and congratulated me on this recognition.

Thank you.

What did you think of our interview with @madang?

Suzanne Valadon focused on visually expressing the emotions and personalities of her models.

Similarly, the artist has been showcasing the beauty of individuals' unique characteristics through her portraits.

If you're reading this post, why not start with drawing portraits of people around you?

You could have fun capturing yourself, your friends, your family, or other cherished individuals in your artwork.

We look forward to seeing PENUP filled with stories created through everyone's artwork, telling tales of the people who make them.

Thank you.