In a previous post or two, I mentioned taking up drawing as a form of spiritual practice and as a means of coping with stress-related trauma. I am finding my new endeavor helpful in settling my mind and recalibrating my spirit. Drawing brings me joy and peace as well as helping me relax. When I am drawing I find myself truly experiencing Sabbath. It’s just me, a pencil, a pad, and quiet time with God. I am fully in the moment.
Because of my new undertaking, I am constantly learning things I didn’t know before, especially about artists and artistic forms. While they have been around, like a used car, they are new to me at least.
Am example of this is the artist Kim Jung Gi. Gi died unexpectedly from a heart attack early last month. He was only 47.
Why is Kim Jung Gi so famous?
Kim Jung Gi, a South Korean, was a renowned for his large, very detailed illustrations. As an illustrator, cartoonist and manhwa artist, Kim was known for his ability to draw completely from memory. He was highly skilled at drawing from his imagination without the aid of external visual references like sketches or photographs.
Manwha is a popular style of cartooning developed in South Korea. Cartoon characters feature realistic body proportions, but their faces are usually unrealistic. Drawings are very intricately detailed, especially in the attire of characters and the backgrounds of their environment. A manwha artist is typically referred to as a manhwaga.
For me, as a student learning to draw, Gi is interesting because he used primarily ink and brush to create his detailed illustrations. He also utilized and explored unconventional forms of perspective. Perspective plays a key role in any artists work, regardless of medium.
Another thing that differentiated Gi from other artists is his reliance on his intuition and ability to draw immense detail, typically rendering scenes sheerly from memory.
In learning to draw, renewing my awareness and sense of perspective is proving to be extremely helpful in many ways outside of drawing. When solving problems or while working with complex people, shifting one’s perspective is extremely useful and helpful.
Paying deeper attention to detail and improving my memory are skills that will reap long term benefits as I continue growing older. I am grateful that God, in His kindness, continues to graciously allow me to learn new things.
So, this will be the last post for a couple of days. Look for my next post on Sunday morning. After a marathon month of blogging in October, I want to let my fingers rest from banging on the letter tiles of my iPad keyboard for a couple of days.
Perhaps, you can take time to get caught up on reading any posts you may have missed. Give me a “like” or leave me a “comment.” I love hearing from you, the reader.
God bless,
The Devotional Guy™
The Devotional Guy™ 