Strength like Water - Dongqiu’s Creative Path
Self Portrait by Dongqiu
1. How did you acquire your unique style?
In terms of technique, I have never stopped hand-drawing sketches and exercises, but I think the most important thing is to discover what I really want to express, cultivate and polish deeply, maintain trust and patience in myself, and continue to create steadily, and the style is naturally formed in the works one by one.
Illustration by Dongqiu
2. Looking back, are there any memorable moments in your journey as an illustrator?
It was the first time I had been commissioned for a movie poster, and I was still a new illustrator at the time, so I didn't expect to be selected by the project team to take on such an important task, which was both nervous and exciting. During the whole process, I was fully engaged and had no distractions, although the drawing process was a little hard, but more of a pleasure. The final result was also very good, and it was an important turning point in my career, which is still unforgettable.
Illustration by Dongqiu
3. How did your artistic style develop? What are some of your main sources of inspiration?
Look at yourself, figure out what you like and want to express the most, express it through painting, practice and consolidate your painting language, day after day, the style will be formed naturally. I was once asked why there are often elements such as hands, girls, and beasts in my personal creations, and whether I would bring them in. Some of my works are meant to be a counterbalance to the heart, and the beast symbolizes all desires and pressures, sometimes strong and sometimes weak. Many people think that repression is not a very good thing, but I feel that the other side of repression is restraint. Learning to control this power has only made me stronger. I crave that feeling of water that dissolves and transforms problems into strength. The hand in the picture is an extension of self-control, stretching out his finger and gently saying "shhhh In this state, the external distractions and inner disturbances seem to be invisible, maintaining tranquility and concentration. I hope that some seemingly or actually heavy problems can find easier solutions, and even turn them into sources of creativity. This kind of calm attitude is not only a power of artistic creation, but also a wisdom of life. I hope to incorporate this philosophy into my work, to convey that serene and powerful power through concrete images or images.
Illustration by Dongqiu
4. What’s a typical creative day like for you? How do you keep the ideas flowing?
I will record and collect some sentences and pictures that I am interested in, and I will also record the dreams that I find interesting, and when I have time, I will practice hand-drawn sketches or small creations, and I will keep the sketches that I think are good, and then further improve them into works.
5. Your work often conveys a sense of emotion or story—how do you weave that into your art?
In the early stages of ideation and sketching, I dig deeper within the scope of the commission, incorporating elements and styles that I am good at into the idea to achieve the best results. I carefully look for entry points where I can reach my full creative potential, and let my style flow naturally into my work, both in line with the needs of the project and in a unique personal way. At the same time, the communication during the process was particularly important, not only to help me understand the client's expectations, but also to ensure that every step of the way was in a direction that was satisfactory to both parties, and finally presented a work that matched the ideas of both parties.
Illustration by Dongqiu
6. In your view, what qualities make for a successful young illustrator?
Creativity and curiosity: Constantly exploring new styles and inspirations to make your work appealing.
Learning mindset: Constantly update your skills and adapt to industry trends.
Patience and tenacity: do not give up in the face of bottlenecks, and persistently polish your style.
Communication skills: Communicate effectively with clients or teams to ensure that the work meets the needs.
Self-discipline and professional attitude: complete tasks efficiently, pay attention to details, and establish a reliable professional image.
Unique perspective: Develop a personal style and make your work unique.
Illustration by Dongqiu
Illustration by Dongqiu
7. What is your working day like?
Work: drawing, meeting, docking, consulting materials, printing contracts,etc. Life: eating, walking, watching exhibitions, talking, washing, sleeping, etc.
8. As a young artist, how do you balance personal expression with market needs?
I think that personal creation is a hobby that can be adhered to for a lifetime, it is more emotional, subjectively free, and the content is more private and inward-looking; The business map is a work that needs to be taken seriously, it is rational, it needs many people to cooperate with each other to help compromise, the content will be more intuitive, more visual, and outward.
For me, both are indispensable in life, and they are complementary and may be mutually exclusive. If I have the chance, I would still like to recommend my personal style when working with me in business. Many estrangements and contradictions do not lie in the style or picture incompatibility, but in the difference in ideology and consciousness. In the work, personal preference is no longer the first priority, the most important thing is to complete the cooperation wonderfully, the work is brilliant and everyone is satisfied. As for my personal creations, I can create a period of peace of mind and nourish myself after work, or on the premise that I don't need to worry about my income when I have a secure life.
Illustration by Dongqiu
Illustration by Dongqiu
9. How do you handle stress and maintain a healthy mindset under the pressure of creating?
Try to focus all my attention on how to come up with better ideas and images, tell myself that this painting will end up well no matter what, all I can do is invest more time and energy, give up anxiety, and start writing right away, looking at more paintings.
10. Are there any artists or mentors who’ve had a big impact on you?
I've had a lot of favorite artists along the way, and when I was a kid, I copied A's illustrations, and I liked pumpkin seeds, Ueda Kazeko, Mobius, James Jean, Beardsley, Yuko Shimizu, Yoshitaka Amano, and so on.
Illustration by Dongqiu
11. Do you have a dream project or ideal collaboration? Could you tell us more?
I've worked with myself the most times so far, and I often come up with new themes and sets for myself from time to time. I'm trying to live up to my standards in the process of drawing, but I'm not sure if I'm living up to my expectations, but someday I will, because I'm going to keep drawing.
Illustration by Dongqiu
12. If you weren’t an illustrator, what career path do you think you’d be on?
Cartoonist or zookeeper.
Photo of Dongqiu