Today we’d like to introduce you to Yizhu Wang.
Hi Yizhu, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am an illustrator who is based in Atlanta. I graduated from California College of the Arts, and I just got my MFA degree from SCAD. I was born in a family of painters. My grandparents and father are both traditional Chinese painters. When I was young, I did not think I would pursue a career related to painting, but I was influenced by traditional painting methods and techniques. Since high school, I have started to study traditional Chinese painting techniques. I was thinking about the traditional Chinese culture that also can be combined with western culture. It’s going to be more interesting. So after high school, I came to America to study illustration. In my college, I studied how to use digital media. I started to put the linework from traditional Chinese painting into my illustration works.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
In my attempts to combine illustration and Chinese painting, I have been exploring a more optimal approach. I want to extract an element or a way that can both reflect the traditional culture and become a symbol of my illustration. if I always put too many cultural elements into my work, the audience’s attention will be distracted. Then i started to look around other illustrators’ works. After experimenting with various ways of drawing, I chose to use lines to build the structure of the illustration. The line is the main expression of Chinese brush painting. The twist of a line can express a skeletal structure, the boundary of a silhouette, or even a flat surface. The details of the line give more possibilities to my illustrations.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I prefer to use digital media for most of my illustrations. I also use traditional media like watercolor, oil, pen and ink. I am proud that I can use traditional Chinese culture in my paintings in conjunction with my personal experiences growing up. Combining line and color will enrich the visual experience of the picture. The thickness and sparseness of the lines can dominate the viewer’s first sight. The warmth and coolness of the color can express the emotion I want to express in the illustration.
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
If you want to know more about me, please visit my website yvettewangillu.com or you can follow my Instagram: yvette_illus. Also, please feel free to send me an email to zhu970925@gmail.com. I am willing to discuss with you about illustration or have a wonderful cooperation.
Contact Info:
- Website: yvettewangillus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yvette_illus/
