FEATURE BLOG: Singapore Artist
His real name is Tan Kwang Yang
Nick/Artist name: Tanky
When did you start and what makes you started?
I started drawing when I was a child, possibly around 6 or 7 years old. I remember drawing lots of Dragon Ball and Doraemon characters on my exercise books. You could say it was manga that triggered my interest in drawing.
Where does your Inspiration comes from?
I'm inspired by everything around me, but I’m always looking for that special angle that helps me bring out something extra from the subject matter. I will feel very upset when I create something that doesn’t have a satisfactory concept behind it.
What is your best achievement?
I guess it’s Civil Wok. Without it and the overwhelming response it garnered, I might have resigned myself to doing work I don’t enjoy for the rest of my life and given up on being an illustrator and comic artist.
Which is your personal favourite?
One (Inch) Punch Man and S!LENCE. The former marks a turning point in my art: I’m finally starting my journey towards understanding the fundamental properties of different lighting sources. S!LENCE is the start of an incredibly important journey: that of my comic works. The keyword here is “start”; I’m still an amateur who’s only just started learning.
Who inspires you?
The list is endless. But off my head I can think of FightPUNCH, KD Stanton, Nivanh Chanthara, Matteo De Longis, Koji Morimoto, Sonny Liew, Derek Chua, Calvin Chua, and many many more.
Advice for aspiring artist?
Perfection is an ideal that we all desire, but don’t let it stop you from progressing. What’s also important is the ability to bring an idea from start to end. Many people give up at the first sign of imperfection or criticism. As you keep on working you will naturally improve (unless you are not serious about it). So don’t worry too much about getting it perfect.
Never stop learning, practising and thinking. Fundamentals are the most important thing. Unless you really are at the master level, always find time to revisit the fundamentals. Be honest with yourself. You can put up a strong front in front of others but at the end of the day, you must be honest with yourself and work on the areas that need to be improved.
Devise a workflow for yourself. Different works may require different workflows; keep in mind that having a clear workflow will help with your efficiency and help build your confidence.
Don’t be satisfied with defining your ‘style’ based on your limited knowledge of a subject matter or inadequate understanding of the fundamentals. Always seek to improve and evolve by studying from real life and from other artists and assimilate the new acquired knowledge into your works. If necessary, unlearn and relearn.
Work out a detailed plan for your journey and understand that the key thing is to follow through with that plan, no matter what the downers (or even you yourself) may say to you along the way. Sometimes even people close to you may try to put you down. Tweak your plan for the better based on the constructive feedback you get. Make sure to have a set of rituals that you can rely on to lift you up at times when you are down - be it talking it out with your confidante, lifting your cat up and flying it around the house like a first person shooting game, or listening to Rocky Balboa telling his son that it’s not about how hard you hit but how hard you can get hit - and keep moving forward.
And last but not least, from Bruce Lee: “Don’t think; be~~~~~~~~~”.
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