@omood.jpg

Instagram: @omood.jpg

1. What's your story? Where are you from?

Hi, I'm Omood. I'm drawing in Korea. I record the experiences and landscapes I experienced while traveling to various countries in illustration. I've traveled to Australia, the United States, Canada, the Czech Republic, and Taiwan, and recently I've been to South Africa to draw the country.

2. Tell us about your aesthetic.

I'm drawing a travel experience with illustrations. I try to capture the feelings I felt at that moment. It's not just a landscape. For example, an illustration of a house when the sunsets. At this time, a dog living in this house ran to us on the way home from a trip with my friend. The dog owner said sorry to us but we were so glad because of the dog. The illustration captures of sunset the warm atmosphere felt while smiling with the dog owner and my friend.

3. What is your favourite medium and why?

I like digital drawing the most. Although it is digital, I can draw with various textures such as watercolors, colored pencils, oil pastels, and oil paintings. In fact, when I attended an illustration fair, a lot of people asked me 'Is this drawn with the hand?' and I remember the face that people were surprised when I answered 'it's digital drawing'. I like the fact that it can feel free and warm like hand painting.

4. What is your artistic process like?

I try to take a lot of pictures while traveling. I think what I get used to while traveling gives me a lot of memories of that time when I come back from the travel. When I draw, I draw pictures taken when travelling, and express the feelings I felt in colors.

5. Who and/or what inspires your work? 

The people I met on the trip, the scenery, and nature inspire me. Especially, I feel inspired by trees, plants, and the sky a lot. When I see the sky, I think about a lot of things I go through and feel while traveling, and I think I get a lot of inspiration then. I usually try to look at the sky a lot.

6. What role does art play in your life? How does it change the way you view the world?

I think art is a way to share experiences. Especially when the picture and sound are delivered together, I think the experience is vividly transmitted. I hope the overseas places I went to will be a new experience or a reminder of memories for someone. I couldn't go to the beach this summer, but I felt like I was really on the beach when I saw a big picture of the beach at an exhibition. I felt like I could feel the cool sea breeze. I also want to be an illustrator who can convey such a vivid experience.

7. Where did you study?

I've never learned how to draw. Instead, since I was young, I naturally had painting tools. I majored in visual design at university. At that time the fact I didn't learn how to draw was my complex. But now I like it because I think I can express more freely thanks to it.

8. Where do you see yourself in five years?

I want to make illustration series books for each country by steadily drawing like now. And when I become a more competitive illustrator, my other goal is to be a person who can mentor with a few tips college students or those who have just started an illustrator.

9. What about ten?

I hope I could keep doing what I'll do in five years. That's why I'm working out at least 4 times a week. haha 

10. What do you hope to achieve with your art?

Rather than wanting to achieve something with art, I have always been together since childhood, and now I think painting is part of my life. So I want to be a person who draws for a long time until I grow old and become a grandmother.

11. Now, tell us a little more about you as a person: what is your favourite food?

I like Korean barbecue (It is called Samgyeopsal). If you're not Korean, I hope you try pork belly in Korea (with Soju!).

12. Favourite book?

I like . I say I'm a minimalist with effort. I'm trying to be as free from material things as possible. When I read the book, I emptied a lot of things, and after that, I can focus more on what I think is important in my life, so I try not to forget that mind.

13. Favourite genre of music? 

First of all, I like all music so much. I like especially acoustic music. If a song starts with a peaceful guitar melody, I fall in love with it first and then listen to it later.

14. What are your hobbies? 

My hobby is playing the guitar and singing. I used to be in an acoustic band club when I was a university student. I've been doing it steadily so that I don't lose this hobby since then.


15. If you weren't an artist, what would you be?

I've never thought that because my favorite things are all related to art, such as illustration, music, and photography. But if I'm not an artist, I want to be a teacher. I think I can explain well calmly and praise when I teach, so it suits me well. I think it will be worthwhile to teach and learn someone well.