The New Year is Coming
I was commissioned to get this piece of work done for a bus company in conjunction with the Chinese New Year 2018 that will be sometimes in mid-February 2018. I could not be more excited about completing this piece!
As you can see, the image below is the sketch from the client. From their sketch, I knew exactly what they want.
Malaysia consists of people of different races. The main race is Malay, Chinese and Indian and I try to capture the diversity of all the 3 races in my art. At the same time, since the theme is Chinese New Year 2018, I will try to incorporate a few things which are specific to the Chinese Community.
This is my 1st sketch, I arranged the composition in a way where we can feel the festive eve and the characters are celebrating and have fun meeting family and friends.
In my artwork, you will see the reunion dinner which is a must for all Chinese family where family members from near and far will gather and meet at least once a year. There is the lion dance which is believed to be able to usher in prosperity for the year and the lantern which is hanging at the top.
This is the same from my 1st sketch. The only difference is the angle of the bus. I wanted to show to the client the variety of arrangements they can come out using the layout that I designed.
You will also notice that the company that commissions me to do this piece, a company by the name of Scania is also prominently featured in my work. This is a bus company, and during this time, the company would be doing a brisk sale by fetching people from all walks of life back to their hometown.
My final composition. I flipped the visuals and they like it better.
I try to make this artwork a little special. It will not only be a normal piece, I want to capture it differently. I incorporated a fisheye lens, one that is sometimes used in photography or the film industry. In that manner, I capture more than just a flat spread, it tends to have a little more angle.
The entire drawing process in a GIF form.
Our Culture and Values
I believe that our art carries our culture and values. If our art merely portrays an empty picture, it would be very sad because we are a nation with a rich culture. Whatever race we are I think our culture and values dictate the following:
- Our families come first
- Our roots are important
- Traditional values are what makes us distinct and unique
- However diverse we are in terms of race, we are still able to live peacefully as a dynamic community.
I am proud to be a Malaysian and for as far as I continue to draw, I am proud to showcase my nation to the world.
To my Chinese friends in #steem-cartoon and #teammalaysia I can't name you guys but if I miss out any, it is not intentional. Happy Chinese New Year to 
