@yuanchisart

Instagram: @yuanchisart Website: www.yuanchi.myportfolio.com

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

Hi, I am YuanChi from Taiwan. Like most of the illustrators, I love to paint since I was little. I studied western art in college, at the same time I did volunteer service in a contemporary art museum, that’s where I learned some new education methods and found out I’m interested in picture books. I created my first story in 2017, after I posted it on internet, a publisher noticed it and assisted me to publish it. Since then, I became a full-time illustrator and had 7 books published by now. 嗨，我是來自台灣的 YuanChi 元綺，現在是一位專職插畫創作者。 我跟多數的插畫家一樣，都是從小就非常喜愛畫畫的人。高中時在老師們的鼓勵下申請了美術系，唸了四年的西洋繪畫。在大學期間我也到美術館實習，接觸了許多不同於傳統的教育方式，並發現我對繪本很有興趣。在 2017 年我試著創作了我的第一部繪本作品，在網路上分享後收到出版社的邀請將它出版上市，從此成為了全職的插畫創作者，至今已經出版了 7 本繪本及圖像小說。

2. Tell us about your aesthetic.

I like to draw realistic, exquisite, colorful and brightly illustrations. 我喜歡畫具象、細膩、色彩豐富、有陽光灑落的圖。

3. What is your favourite medium and why?

I mostly paint with watercolor, I like the way that natural pigment appears, I also like the feeling to actually draw on paper, and the little imperfect which hand made works always have. 我最常用的媒材是水彩，我喜歡那些顏料自然呈現出的顏色及質地，也很喜歡實際在紙上作畫的感覺，還有手工作品總是會有的一點點不完美。

4. What is your artistic process like?

I sketch every thing that suddenly pop out in my mind, then find some reference on internet, like people’s postures, animal photos or color palette. After doing the line works on paper, I’ll roughly color it with photoshop to see how it looks, then finish the work with watercolor and colored pencil. 在突然有靈感的時候趕快速寫下來，接著上網找需要的參考素材，例如人物的姿勢、動物的照片以及配色參考。再來就開始在紙上打稿，完成乾淨的線稿之後會先用電腦軟體做色彩配置，最後再用水彩及色鉛筆完成作品。

5. Who and/or what inspires your work?

I followed over 900 artists that I like on Instagram, their artworks always inspired me to do more creations. Besides that, I draw things I saw in daily life, like my two cats, or something happening in society. 我在 Instagram 上追蹤了 900 多位喜歡的藝術家，他們的作品總是讓我充滿創作的動力。除此之外就是生活中看見的事物，我很常畫我養的兩隻貓，也會畫一些社會上正在發生的事情。

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

In Taiwan, because of some historical issues, many traditional arts and architectures were not well preserved. Also, the school regards aesthetic education as an unimportant subject, so many people think that art is something from the other space. To be an artist, being able to appreciate arts and create arts, it’s a very precious experience. It makes me more sensitive to beautiful things around me, and I’ll try to let more people notice it too. 在台灣因為歷史的關係，許多傳統的美術、建築都沒有保存下來，學校也不太重視美學教育，因此對許多人來說藝術是非常遙遠的東西。身為藝術領域的工作者，能夠懂得欣賞藝術並創造藝術品，我覺得是非常難能可貴的事。這也讓我更多加留意周遭美麗的事物，而且會想辦法讓更多人也看到。

7. Where did you study?

National Taiwan Normal University, Department of Fine Arts. 國立臺灣師範大學美術學系西畫組。

8. Where do you see yourself in five years?

Still creating illustrations and stories, with no less passion. 仍然在持續創作，而且熱情不減反增。

9. What about in ten?

Maybe in some of the book stores, there would be a full shelf of picture books that I create. 可能在某些書店可以看到整個書櫃都是我創作的繪本。

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

There will be two options, the first is a simple art that makes people feel comfortable to see, the other is to tell serious society issues with cute graphics and stories. 我想會有兩種，一種是非常單純的、讓人覺得欣賞起來很舒服的作品；一種是用可愛的圖像來講述嚴肅的社會議題。

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

That’s very hard to answer for a Taiwanese! Every food is great! If I have to choose one now I think it will be hotpot. 這對台灣人來說是個很難回答的題目！所有東西都太好吃了！硬要選一個的話現在很想吃火鍋。

12. Favourite book?

Au lit Miyuki by Roxane and Seng, a picture book with vey beautiful illustrations and words. 近期非常喜歡的是羅克珊與珊頌創作的《捨不得睡的夏夜》，是一本圖畫及文字都很美的繪本。

13. Favourite genre of music?

The kind that makes me feel lazy and relaxed. 那種愛唱不唱的歌，聽起來很慵懶放鬆。

14. What are your hobbies?

Watching movies, visiting exhibitions and shopping, things that can see a lot of new stuff. 看電影、看展覽、逛街，就是看各式各樣的東西。

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

Maybe working at a place with animals, and still love to draw. 可能會在有很多動物的地方工作，興趣還是畫圖。