F.A.Q.

I get emails all the time asking me similar questions, so I've finally decided to put together a F.A.Q. (Frequently Asked Questions) section to answer them.

Do you accept paid commissions?

It depends on the project and my schedule, so I won't know until you give me the details about your project. I do commissioned work for both high profile clients (large companies that can pay a lot) to smaller personal commissions (individuals with a more modest budget). My fee is flexible, depending on the complexity and the time constraint of the project.

Would you like to help out with my non-profit project?

Can I have permission to use your artwork for signature tag, banner, RPG portraits..etc?

You don't have to email me to ask for permission ( I get way too many emails about this already), as long as you comply with the following:

1) You credit the source and provide a link back to me when possible.

2) The only changes you make to my artwork is resizing and cropping to fit your needs. Any type of editing that changes the appearance of my work is not ok.

3) It's for something non-profit.

You do a lot of different things--what exactly is your job?

I have worked professionally in various creative fields, and my career path seems to shift from one phase to another. I started out as a freelance creator/writer/artist in comic books, then worked as a songwriter/musician, then as an artist in the video game industry, then as writer/director/art director in CG animation/TV commercials. When I'm not working full-time for a studio, I'm freelancing for various clients, and when I freelance, it can be any kind of a creative gig--from writing, photography, music, illustration, design, to whatever else that'll pay me for my time and energy.

Will I ever settle on one career path? I have no idea. I really enjoy doing different things, so it's very hard for me to stick to just one. If I have to narrow it down, I would say that music, film, and writing are my favorites, even though art is the more lucrative one in my career so far.

What projects are you currently working on?

The News & Weblog section of the website is usually up-to-date on my current projects.

Are you self-taught in everything you do?

Yes I am. Other than the required classes in high school (elective classes), I tried to take art, film, and music classes when I was in college, but I got so bored that I dropped out of them very quickly. Some personality types learn more efficiently in a classroom environment, and some learn better on their own with books, DVD's, online tutorials...etc--I belong to the latter.

What camera, lenses, and lights do you use for your photography?

I'm currently shooting with a Canon 1D Mark II, which is a professional grade digital SLR (Single Lens Reflex) camera. You can find out more about this camera here, and here. I used to shoot with an Olympus C3030Z (consumer point & shoot digicam) before the 1D Mark II, and it was handed down to my wife and then retired when she upgraded to a Fujifilm F10 (and upgraded again to the F30). When small size and ease of storage is required during trips or daily outings, my wife and I prefer the Fujifilm F30, which is an amazing little compact point and shoot with industry-leading high ISO performance.

My lenses currently are:

Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 - I use this one for very shallow DOF(Depth Of Field), and when I want to capture low available light without using the flash. This is the lens you see in all the Canon advertising photos of their SLR cameras, as this standard prime lens is something Canon is quite proud of--even if it's not a professional L lens.

Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 IS L - This is my long-range lens, and since I don't shoot much wildlife or sports, this is about as long as I need to go. One of the finest professional zoom lenses ever made.

Sigma EX 12-24mm f/4.5-5.6 - I only use this one when I absolutely need to go ultra-wide angle--mostly for capturing the interior of an entire room, or majestic landscapes. It's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but it gets the job done.

Tamron SP AF28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di - This is my walkaround/bread n' butter lens. It's inexpensive, yet performs at about the same level as much more expensive lenses of equivalent range. Some photographers even favor this particular Tamron over the Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L, which is considered one of the best professional zoom lenses in that focal range.

My lighting rig consists of:

4 lights: one 1200 WS, two 600 WS, and one 400 WS.
3 softboxes: one 80x120cm, one 80x80cm, and one 150cm octagon.
2 reflectors: one small circular, and one large oval--both have multiple layers of white, silver, gold, and black.
2 brollleys: one transparent white, and one reflective silver on the inside.
3 sets of light accesories: 3 snoots, 3 honeycomb grids, 3 barndoors, and colored gels.
5 light stands: 3 regular stands, one with boom arm, and one lightweight stand that I only use to clamp the reflector in place.

For hotshoe flash, I have a Canon Speedlite 580EX.

Do you sell prints of your work?

I did at one point, but it appears the company that was selling them has run into problems. If you know a reputable online printing company, please let me know.

How do you make your paintings?

I use traditional (oils, watercolor, acrylics, patel..etc) and digital tools(Photoshop, Painter..etc). I only started using digital tools around 98', while I've been using traditional tools all my life. I have no preference in the tools--they all have strengths and weaknesses. The trick is to use them accordingly.

No, I meant HOW do you paint? What are your steps?

I have written tutorials. See them here.

What resolution do you work at?

I've settled at 300 dpi, 8.5 x 11 inches for all my artwork. If there's a need for printing at very large size (for ads or big posters), I might go as big as double that size. My monitor is 24", and set to 1920x1200 desktop resolution.

What kind of tablet do you use?

I use a 6x8 Wacom Intuos. It's the perfect size for me--easy to store, and sits on my lap comfortably.

Do you use references for your artwork?

Yes and no. For portrait type works, you have to either use a photo or a life model, or else it's impossible to capture the likeness. For imaginative works(sci-fi/fantasy), I sometimes do and sometimes don't. I'm not a fan of copying references like a human copy machine, so when I do use references, I always try to inject my own creativity. The differences from the finished work and the reference could be minor or major. On a minor scale, I would idealize the features, recompose the color scheme, change the background, lighting..etc. On a major scale, I would only have the reference as an inspiration, using the pose as a starting point, and then go totally wild with that inspiration. For example, a typical photograph of a woman standing next to a door could inspire me, and the end result could be a painting of a freaky witch standing in the entrance of an errie cave. Most of my illustrations are from stories I've written, so I prefer to shoot my own references, as I can control the lighting, direct the models, pick the camera angle..etc.

Can you tell me how to become a better artist, or use the tools more efficiently?

Thre are no secrets. It's all just collecting knowledge and practicing. Learn the basics, and then refine your observational/analytical/technical skills. Study the works of better artists and try to work from life when situation allows (looking at real people and real settings instead of relying on photos or other people's artwork as reference). Once you've done work from life, you're less likely to be misled by the mistakes common in photographs and other people's artwork. The camera lens distorts proportions, colors, values, depth..etc, so learn from reality first and you'll be able to spot those mistakes. Other people's artwork have other people's mistakes in them, so be careful about learning from them.

Books I recommend to artists of any level:

Alla Prima: Everything I know About Painting-- By Richard Schmid

Timeless Techniques for Better Oil Paintings-- By Tom Browning

Harley Brown's eternal truths for every artist - By Harley Brown & Lewis Barrett Lehrman

Drawing the Head and Figure-- By Jack Hamm

Any of the books by Andrew Loomis - Some of these books cost a fortune since they've been out of print for decades, so if you're smart, you should download them and study them (some places online have them--try google). Loomis is considered one of the greatest teachers in illustration history, and his books are gems of knowledge. If you are serious about being an artist, you really should read his books from cover to cover.)

These books will help you tremendously, regardless of what you think the contents are from the title. You will gain incredible amount of knowledge from them that could be applied to any form of visual art. Just because one of them might have the phrase "oil painting" in the title does not mean you only need it if you painted in oils. All these books contain very precious knowledge that applies to any medium or style.

To use your tools more efficiently, I can only say this: practice practice practice. If your tools are traditional, there are entire libraries of art instruction books in publication. If your tools are digital, there are not only books, but lots of online tutorials, not to mention the owner's manual that came with your software.

Internet forums are great for learning. Go to the "goodies" section of the site to see all the links to different art forums.

What published works have you done?

My resume is here. Published works, appearances, and interviews are here.

Your favorite artists/musicians/films/books..etc etc?

You can find out about my influences here.

Whatever happened to Promise, your CG short film?

I had gotten overwhelming amount of emails and forum messages about volunteering for my film ever since I announced it, and I was totally floored by the great responses, and also grateful. I had spent most of 2002 and 2003 working on Promise, and in September 2003, Steven Stahlberg invited me to go work with him at his company Optidigit/Android Blues. After visiting him in Malaysia, I said yes to his offer, and was a creator, writer, director, and art director there. My short film Promise was supposed to continue its production at Optidigit, however, Promise is currently on hold due to lack of funding. It is not a modest short film like many others out there--it was meant to be ambitious and epic in scale and quality--something that requires a full studio and a healthy budget. For now, there's no funding available for the film, so I'm doing other things I love in the meantime--like composing music, shooting photography, writing screenplays/novels..etc. Maybe one day the project will see the light of day. Maybe it'll forever remain my unreachable goal. No matter what, I won't stop creating--I'm always working on one thing or another.

Where do you live these days? You seem to move around a lot.

Yes, I do move around a lot, but I don't do it on purpose--I hate moving with a passion. In the last several years, I've lived in California, Kentucky, Malaysia, China, and now I'm back in California (since May, 2006).

Will you compose music for my film or game? How about using your music for my project?

Feel free to use my music for your project if it's not for commercial purposes--just credit me by name and URL (unless it's music that was done for a client. In cases like that, it'll be specified in the track description). If your project is for commercial purposes, then we can negotiate a fee for the use of my music. If you want to hire me as the composer for your project, then that's something we'll have to discuss in detail.

I've read the writings available on your website. Can I read more of your writings?

Most of what I write are not ready to be read, as most are unfinished. I'd rather finish the ongoing novels/screenplays and have them meet the public in their intended form. I can't tell you when that'll be, because I don't know either.

Would you be interested in:

Collaborating with me?

I do enjoy collaborating with people occassionally, but most of the time I'm too busy for it. However, if you have a compelling project, don't hesitate to contact me--I just might be interested.

Critiquing my work?

I don't mind critiquing someone's portfolio, and when I do, I won't beat around the bush. I give concise, to the point, honest critiques, and if you can't handle constructive criticism without the sugar-coating, then you're better off asking someone else. I do ask that you are above the novice level if you want a critique, because it's too hard to critique a beginner artist, since everything they do is wrong and needs to practice a lot more before anyone could give any helpful advice. For beginners, I would say that the instructional books I listed will help you more than any critique. Posting your work in various online art forums is also a great way to get critique.

Letting me use your work?

Yes, it's okay to use my artwork for non-profit/personal use only, and you should credit me and add a link to this site. When using my work, please do not alter them in any way, except resizing and perhaps cropping. This is proper etiquette on the internet and should be observed carefully. I frequent a lot forums on the internet, and there are literally tens of thousands of us fellow creative minds keeping an eye out for intellectual property theft. We are all familiar with each other's work, and we will immediately contact the person whoes work has been ripped off. It just takes one of us to spot the theft, and there will be hundreds of us writing hate-mails in a matter of hours.

Contributing to my online gallery?

I'm always interested in contributing to online galleries, but I do have a preference for ones that are somewhat established and of a decent size. Just provide me the info I need, but I do prefer to have to do as little work as possible. Most of the time, people just ask for my permission to use the images already on my website and they'd create a gallery section for me.

Linking with my website?

I have no problem with people linking me, but I don't "trade links" since it feels more like an obligation than something I'd recommend to others.

Send me a high resolution file of one of your paintings?

In the past, I would've gladly said yes, but now, I usually say no unless I know you. I've seen one too many artworks used for commercial purposes without the original creator's permission.