LEFT AND RIGHT
Talk was inspired by a
photograph that I took
in 2017 [shown here].
It served as a
reference for my
painting process.CINDY KANG
Freelance artist
Cindy Kang is an
illustrator and visual
artist based between
Seoul and New
York. Her colourful
illustrations are
inspired by various
stories around
the world.
cindysykang.comartist
insight
Yes, photos enable you to capture a moment in time,
but you can also use them for colours, composition,textures, or to simply trigger the imagination...
Cindy Kang on how photography
informs her illustration work
B
eing able to produce an artwork
based on scenes that only exist in my
imagination gives me a wonderful sense
of achievement. However, it’s a long journey
to get there even as a professional illustrator.
As much as I want to create a new piece, there
are moments when I sit down in front of a blank
canvas, not knowing where to start. Whenever
this happens, I take a step back and look
through the photographs on my phone.
I hope to share my insights on how photos can
help during each step of creating an artwork,
from visualising those initial ideas to adding
finishing touches.COLLECTING PICTURES AS HABIT
Even when I’m just going for a walk, I habitually
take countless pictures despite knowing that
I’ll often have to free up the memory storage.
My phone is full of images of urban and natural
landscapes during my visits to places near and far.
You don’t need an expensive camera or
smartphone, and the photo doesn’t have to be
a masterpiece. I simply take photographs of the