Art share: A drawing by Bobby Chiu
I have been a fan of Bobby Chiu‘s work for a long time. He is an exceptional artist, as well as a wonderful teacher and successful entrepreneur. For many years now, he has been a steady source of encouragement and knowledge to me (and many others, no doubt). So you can imagine how incredibly thrilled I was when I had the chance to buy an original drawing during lightbox expo in 2020.
One of the reasons I like this drawing so much, is that it‘s done entirely with a ballpoint pen. You really, really don‘t need expensive art supplies to make great art. This is the proof! Also, try drawing a complex scene like that with a ballpoint pen - it‘s not easy. Ballpoint pens aren‘t meant to be used for drawing. There is no room for mistakes, and you have to work with a lot of precision to create lighter and darker tones. Another thing that is very skillfully done here, is the thoughtful design of light and dark areas. We have a very dark background, with the trees standing out a little, then the two very light figures, and then darker elements in the foreground again. I also love how the trees fade into the light on the left-hand side. If I ever get the chance, I would love to ask Bobby how much of this he planned beforehand, or if the design developed naturally like this.
The other reason this drawing spoke to me immediately (as a lot of Bobby‘s work does), is that it implies a story. Every time I look at it, I begin to wonder. Who are these creatures? Do they live in this forest? Travelling through? What are they looking at? The drawing doesn‘t answer these questions, it only prompts me to ask them. It encourages me to use my imagination. To me, that is one of the most important qualities of art - that it makes you wonder. What happened before? What happens next? What do I think this means?
There is one more element I want to share with you here - and that‘s the backside of the drawing. It felt like I had received a wonderful and unexpected gift when I turned it over the first time.
The back is full of little sketches. It feels like a glimpse into the mind of Bobby Chiu (and who wouldn‘t want to take a peek?!). It tells me something about where his thoughts were going when he created the series of drawings that this is a part of. Bobby is known for his whimsical and strange creatures, and you can see him considering various shapes and designs here. I really love looking at these scribbles - I even bought a special frame with glass panels in the front and back, so I can always turn it around and take a look.
