Artist Paul Lung
Paul Lung is an internationally acclaimed photorealistic pencil artist who has practiced the art of the mechanical pencil for a decade. He sketches out a history of his career to Mark Yuen.
HK Magazine: So, is pencil art your day job?
Paul Lung: I have been working full-time at my own design firm [Comma Ltd.] for 20 years but I don’t have anything to do with design, as I’m responsible for the consulting and marketing work. I love drawing as a personal interest. I haven’t had any formal training but I’ve been drawing since childhood. When I was young, I went to City Hall Public Library to borrow books of famous art, and I mimicked the drawings. Nowadays the internet is more convenient and I prefer to browse artwork online.
HK: Why pencils, then?
PL: I used to draw using different tools including acrylic paint, water paint, airbrushing, color pencils… But as I don’t have a drawing room myself, it’s troublesome to use these tools as they take more time to set up. For the last ten years I have focused on pencil drawing because of its convenience; you can stop today and continue tomorrow, anytime you want. But there are still lots of possibilities to be explored.
HK: Where do you get your inspiration?
PL: I was majorly influenced by Egon Schiele’s quick sketches. I find his drawing special, particularly the use of distorted lines and colors. I take photos of the objects and draw them in pencil. I don’t have a specific concept in my drawing, as I draw merely for personal enjoyment. Put it this way—I draw what I like.
HK: What do you draw? Buildings? Famous people? Nudes?
PL: I keep many cats so I mainly draw cats. I have also drawn a few dogs and pandas. The dogs I’ve drawn are my friends’ pets: I thought they were cute, so I drew them. I’ve also drawn a few people as well, but I limit myself to people I know.
HK: Can you walk us through the creation process?
PL: I don’t do a full draft of my drawings. I start from the subject’s eyes, as it helps me to link the whole piece together. If I’m drawing on A2 paper, which I usually do, it takes me about 20-30 days, working for three hours a day. I post bit-by-bit progress of my artwork online daily. I also do quick sketches using brush pens from time to time, or when I’m travelling. They take me around 30 minutes to an hour to finish. Sometimes I draw on my iPad too.
HK: Is all that time worth it? Who do you show?
PL: I have been sharing my artwork in overseas forums and have made many friends. Through talking to them, you can actually feel their passion for drawing, and their appreciation of my artwork. I’ve kept in touch with some of them further through email. There are even some people who have almost passed away, but they keep in contact because of my artwork. They write long letters to me, which is really touching.