Happy new year to all!
First blog post of the year will be dedicated to this one...so I've been wanting to get my hands on this book ever since they revealed it online early 2023. The only thing holding me back is...the price + it's not easy to get! I could be wrong, but it seems like this is only available exclusively in Korea (and later at ComplexCon California), as it is a special collaboration with the South Korean imprint Kasina and Adidas. This is the same sketchbook as the 2022 Sketch Collection from June of 2022, just with a brand new yellow cover, and maybe a few extra pages of design drawings for this Adidas x Kasina x KJG project (click pictures below for some sneak peeks), or are they already included originally? Correct me if I'm wrong. This new yellow cover changes the game for me, because I'm not a big fan of the original purple cover. Haha. I know, I know...don't judge a book by its cover. But I'm a cover guy, so the cover really affects my interest in flipping through the book heheh. Also, I have a thing for master Kim Jung Gi (KJG)'s works and the color yellow.
THE GOD OF DRAWING
This is obviously not my first KJG sketchbook because, if you're an artist, you'll somehow own one of his famous sketchbooks as you journey down the path of drawing life. He is known as the god of drawing, the artist’s artist, the human printer with photographic memory, etc etc. He is a legend, an inspiration to many. I have the pleasure to meet the maestro a few times, and he first entered my journey while I was still a student in an art college back in 2012.
That was one of the most impactful moments for me and my peers, because witnessing such godly power as an art student is insane. Great job to The One Academy Penang for organizing that session for us; I think everyone was stunned after spending a few days with the walking god. His sketchbook isn't cheap, but I knew I needed it... so I kinda emptied my monthly savings to buy one, haha WORTH ITTT. So by then KJG is taking the art world by storm. Circa 2016, his first interactive museum launched in Malaysia, and everyone is talking about how this artist can draw without any prior sketch and so on and so on. My universe is basically surrounded by KJG because his work is almost everywhere! In that same year, I did the annual Inktober challenge (I failed to finish every year XD) with a bunch of friends, and it goes without saying that my traditional drawings became very KJG inspired.
YELLOW
Now, KJG uses a lot of color, so the color yellow isn't really his 'signature' color...but I believe he must have some special love for yellow since he kept using it and they look so great! Naturally, I *cough* borrowed that and spammed the yellow color in my own drawings, trying to channel his spirit. I felt like I drew better that way. Haha. At the same time, I was very inspired by another one of my art heroes; Puppeteer Lee's bike drawings, so I kind of combined KJG and Puppeteer and TADAAAA I'm now a king tralalala.
My instagram kind of blew up with this series of drawings, people love them! So now you see why I cant miss this yellow cover of his 2022 SKETCH COLLECTION heheh. Unfortunately, master KJG passed away one day before I get to meet him again in New York Comic Con 2022. I didnt get the chance to thank him in person for inspiring me so much. I still cant feel that he is already gone, maybe because every drawing he left behind feels like pieces of him. And there're so many pieces! Below is another example of the time I stole from the master XD
Somehow, these two sketchbook putting together side by side is soooo sexy. It's like they are meant for each other XD Anyway, if you're interested in getting this yellow edition of 2022 Sketch Collection and dont mind a hefty price tag...maybe try ebay like me, haha! 💛
Hope you all enjoy this blog post, and feel free to let me know if there's anything else you'd love to see me share, alright?
Till next time,
Peace out.
