Introduction
I
love art. As soon as my pencil hits the paper, I’m lost in my own world. I don’t need to eat; I don’t need to sleep. Nothing gets me more excited than the thought of painting giant murals in my future house, or starting my own brand of designer guitars. There’s so much to explore in the world of art: illustration, graphic design, animation, sculpture, fashion design, architecture, film-making, advertising, industrial design... I just wish I could do everything! This book is a collection of some of my favorite pieces, from pencil drawings to painted bags, Sharpie illustrations to digital photography... In between you’ll also find famous celebrities, race cars, anime characters, dragons, fierce bearcats and even the philosopher John Locke. At the very end you’ll find a couple of step-by-step tutorials of how I draw, paint, or design things, information about my tools, and where to find more of my work online. My parents think I’m crazy for squeezing out hours and hours of free time to do art requests — be it a portrait of someone’s favorite celebrity, a poster for a club event, or a logo design for a sports team. I do it because making artwork for others is so much more fulfilling than just drawing something for myself. My biggest motivation is to see my artwork become useful and directly impact other people’s lives. When people express their joy, amazement, or admiration, it makes me happy, motivating me to work harder. Thank you so much to my family, friends, teachers, classmates, and all those who support and cheer me on. You guys are the fuel that light my passion. This book is dedicated to you. Enjoy! — Vivian Xiao
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