otlgaming:

ARTIST FOCUS: WILLIAM CHUA
We were recently introduced to the illustrations of William Chua. His use of ancient Chinese and Japanese art styles mixed with modern day references is as clever as it is subtle. Many of his pieces resemble ancient subject matter until further examination, when it is revealed that they are based on pop culture.

His 80s Warrior’s Record series for example (see above) is rife with video game references that the casual viewer may see simply as stunning art (see the caption for the name of the game) but the avid gamer will relish in the gaming fiction it is based upon.

Tell us about yourself.  Where are you from? Where do you live now?
I’m a kidult and a freelance illustrator/designer from Singapore.

How long have you been designing/illustrating? What got you interested in art?
7 years plus. Me, I’ve been interested in art since I was young, art is the only subject in school which I passed with flying colors. <laughs>

Who/what influences your art? Is there a particular person’s style that has influenced you?
Chinese and Japanese mythology, and culture. Utagawa Yoshitsuya & Katsushika Hokusai.

How would you describe your style?
A mixture of olden Japanese and Chinese style

What medium do you typically use when creating art?
Pencil, paper, Adobe photoshop, and illustrator.

What is your approach when creating new illustrations? Do you plan out the illustration ahead of time or do you just start drawing and let the experience guide you?
Usually I start with sketches on paper or directly in Adobe illustrator then refine the art work, save it as a jpeg file and lastly I will color the line art with Photoshop. Yes, illustration is usually planned.

What is your day job?
I’m a full time freelancer.

Tell us about your current projects.  What are you working on?  Any upcoming art shows?
I’m in the process of creating my personal project “80’s warrior’s record”, the mixture of games from the 80s with Ukiyoe style and if you are interested to find out more. Do join me on Facebook [to see].

Has video game art, concept art, or fan art influenced you at all?
Definitely yes!

Are you an avid gamer? If so, what are you currently playing?
Not really. I need to learn to control the “force.”

If you could be any video game character who would it be?  Why?
Yoshi, I think he’s too cute for a dinosaur.

What do you do for fun?
Hmmm, play some iPhone games.

If there’s one thing that you want people to know about you, what would that be?
My passion on art.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Want to keep in touch with William or see what he is currently working on? You can see all of his work, purchase prints, or contact him at:
Facebook || Etsy || Tumblr