When going through DeviantArt last year I came across an artist with a portfolio so massive I took almost an hour to enjoy all his work. Almost a year later and it now takes me about an hour and a half to fully appreciate all his pieces. And you can’t just click, scan, and move on to the next pic with this artist. That’d be unfair to you and to him, him being Wen Li.
Wen is an anime artist with quite an imagination. He creates original characters with imaginative garb and fantastic weapons. Each pic has many layers along with serious depth so one would be cheating themselves by not taking the time to soak in all the textures and colors. I can’t even start to think up the minute details he incorporates into his pieces. Not only does he create detailed pics with such unique flair, he creates many, many, unique works of art while not repeating himself.
Some of Wen’s pieces have a decidedly shrouded feel of menace to them, while others seem as sweet as sugar. While darkness is a theme in many of his pictures, light does shine in Wen’s art. He told me how he creates the dichotomy in his art.
Rachel: How old were you when you started drawing?
Wen: I started doodling my own characters when I was 14.
Rachel: Tell us why you started drawing to begin with.
Wen: It was a way to get attention.
Rachel: What kind of formal training do you have if you have any? If yes, where did you get formal training?
Wen:I had two very good art teachers during my high school years. I took some beginning art classes at City College of San Francisco.
Rachel: What platform do you use to draw with, Macintosh or PC? Which do you prefer?
Wen: PC. I haven’t used a Mac enough to compare.
Rachel: How did you learn Photoshop? Where did you take a class if you took a class to learn?
Wen: I learned from tutorials I found online and from my friends.
Rachel: What other computer programs do you use besides Photoshop if you do use any?
Wen: Exclusively Photoshop.
Rachel: You have a couple of awesome picture series on your DA page;“Anima: Beyond Fantasyâ€and “Anathemaâ€. What can you tell us about them?
Wen: They are both traditional RPGs but very different in vision.
Rachel: How are they different in vision?
Wen: Anima feels more to the “pretty” side when Anathema is rough and gritty.
Rachel: What would you like to see done with Anima?
Wen: That it becomes successful.
Rachel: Who else worked on Anima with you, if there was anyone else?
Wen: I am not familiar with the other team mates, as they are all over the world.
Rachel: Anima is a traditional RPG but will it be online or real life?
Wen: The main RPG can be played online I think…I am not too sure for I have yet to try it because the US version is still in translation phase. I do have the card game however, and that is played in person.
Rachel: All your pics can stand alone as works of art outside of your series. What do you draw outside of the series?
Wen: Whatever interests me at the time, today I sketched a few bikes for my small comic project.
Rachel: There are some pages on your site for tattoo designs and you also have people lining up to get ‘em. How did you set started with that and why?
Wen: Back in 2004 a couple of friends on DevianArt wanted a design for their personal signature, that’s what started me on the tattoo designs. Later on I find them interesting and I haven’t stopped since then.
Rachel: How would you like to use your mad tattoo designs outside of DA?
Wen: I had wanted to sell them to tattoo shops.
Rachel: The expressions on your characters are very emotive. How do you convey this through pen and ink? Where does it come from?
Wen: To be honest, I feel that my expressions are not good enough, so I can not answer this question…
Rachel: There’s quite an arsenal on your DA pages. What do you like the most about drawing weapons? Where do you get the inspiration for ‘em?
Wen: Weapons have a different silhouette that can sometimes be even more enjoyable than characters. I get my inspirations from seeing artworks or listening to music.
Rachel: What kind of music inspires weaponry?
Wen: Serene music would inspire the girly, feminine looking designs, while the
rock, heavy metal type would inspire the more vicious looking ones.
Rachel: Which do you prefer drawing; people or weapons?
Wen: I think I like drawing people more, just by a tiny bit.
Rachel: Going through your vast and impressive portfolio on DA I noticed several different styles. Your work on Anima, for example, varies from “Kiss on Arielle’s Ringâ€, to “OMG cell shadingâ€, to “Lucent with the luteâ€. What can you say about these differing styles?
Wen: They are a witness to my journey of finding a comfortable style.
Rachel: What would you consider to be a comfortable style for you now?
Wen: I was a lot more towards realism in 2006, with the new year, I want to go back to a little bit more anime-ish in design while the coloring stays a bit more towards realism. I think I have always wanted that style, but from time to time my work would ask different things so I had to follow those guidelines.
Rachel: Why do you draw so many angels? I think I saw the whole heavenly host on your site ^^. I also saw some of the un-heavenly host as well…
Wen: The angels and demon series is just one of the series that I enjoyed drawing, much like other series I had done in the past. I started that series simply because I have not drawn them before, no special reason.
Rachel: When you refer to series, could you describe what do you like about them that you produce so many?
Wen: As for the angels series, I love drawing them because they have wings, more space for me to go crazy with detail, and I drew the demons just so I can draw the opposite side of things, to exercise my design skills. As for series itself, I love designing different things, and I usually make a series so that I will work within the theme and vision. Again, just to exercise my design skills.
Rachel: About how long does it take to finish a drawing from start to finish?
Wen: A character with no background takes about 6 hours. A full scene can be anywhere from 25 to 40 hours depending on size and complexity.
Rachel: Do you make a sketch first and then scan it in or do you the whole process on the computer?
Wen: Yes, I sketch on paper first.
Rachel: Do you use models?
Wen: When the job situation calls for it.
Rachel: What would you say is your favorite style of art?
Wen: Art nouveau is one of the many that I like.
Rachel: Who is your favorite artist and why?
Wen: Alphonse Mucha, his Art Nouveau style had influenced me before I knew who he was and what the style was called.
Rachel: Where do you find your inspiration for your work?
Wen: I visit my local bookstores a lot.
Rachel: Which books do you peruse to for that reason?
Wen:Fashion magazines, often teen fashion because I am really not into the crazy $50,000 Vogue pieces. Teen fashion is practical, eye catching and usually easily appreciated by my audience, who are mostly teenagers.
Rachel: What kind of routine do you have when you draw? What kind of schedule do you have if you have any?
Wen: This is the usual routine: decide on subject matter, research if needed, concept sketches, revision on concepts, final sketch, ink and color. I usually don’t have a schedule outside of work deadlines.
Rachel: Just out of curiosity where do you work that you get to utilize your talents?
Wen: I work for Anima studio now, from home. =]
Rachel: Can you describe your work station at your computer or drawing board?
Wen: I use a Pentium 4 PC with 1 gig of RAM, Photoshop 7 with a Wacom intuos 2 Tablet. I have an HP1220 printer and a flatbed scanner. I sketch at various places.
Rachel: What do you do if you ever get “writer’s block†or in this case “drawer’s block�
Wen: I would stop drawing and figure out what the problem is, if my work schedule allows me to do so.
Rachel: What kind of artist would you consider yourself?
Wen: Anime style.
Rachel: What would you like to do with your drawing skills?
Wen: I draw what I want and what I do not have.
Rachel: What kind of art do you do besides drawing if you do other stuff?
Wen: I had wanted to learn sculpting but since I am still not happy with my drawing skills, I have yet to try that out.
Rachel: Where do you see yourself at 15 years in the future with your art?
Wen: Perhaps becoming an art teacher for a high school.
Rachel: What do your friends and loved ones think of your art?
Wen: My parents think I lack a lot of knowledge in realistic faces and I agree. My friends think my art has a lot of details…
Rachel: Your name on deviantArt is Wen-M. Real name or pen name and does it have any meaning?
Wen: Wen-M is a pen name, but not so far from my real name, since it is Wen. Back in 2001 I joined a local artist group called BAAU ( (Bay Area Artist Unite, for the San Francisco bay area). In the group is a girl also named Wen. To keep things clear, our friends invented the whole Wen-M and Wen-F business.
Rachel: You refer to yourself in your devious information as “Wen-monster†who is a “money hungry monster†Apt or do you just have a wicked sense of humor?
Wen: I was just being silly.
Rachel: You have excellent fashion sense when it comes to your character design. How do you feel your personal fashion sense compares to that?
Wen: I spent too much time on my characters’ fashion and left none for myself.
Rachel: What kind of anime and manga do you like, if any? What titles or genres?
Wen:Recently watched Samurai Champloo, I don’t follow any anime series. I follow a few mangas, one of them being Air Gear. I usually go for series that has good art.
Rachel: You’re working on a role playing game with Anima, yes? How big of a fan are you of RPGs in actuality? What kind of RPGs do you prefer; live action, video games, etc.?
Wen: I have actually never played a traditional RPG like Anima, so it will be interesting to try it when it comes out in the US. I prefer video game RPGs but I could be biased since I have not played a traditional RPG yet.
Rachel: What kind of games to prefer to play outside of RPGs and what are they?
Wen: My recent favorite is Sengoku Basara 2. Hack and slash with comedy.
Rachel: What type of music do you listen to?
Wen: Mostly J-pop and game soundtracks, with Chinese and US singers for alternative choices.
Rachel: Who’s your favorite band or musician?
Wen: Sarah Mclachlan, Josh Grogan, Aya Kamiki, etc.
Rachel: What’s your favorite food?
Wen: Pasta.
Rachel: Could you tell us what your fave color is?
Wen: Black.
Rachel: Name some of your hobbies for us.
Wen: Watching movies & playing Street Fighter 3.
Rachel: What do you do when you aren’t drawing?
Wen: Browse the Internet, talk to online friends.
Rachel: You mentioned that you draw “what I want and what I do not have.” If you had the power to draw anything and have it become a reality, just once, what would it be and why?
Wen: Money. There’s a lot of people, many of my friends included, that could use some of that.
We appreciate the time you spent with us for the interview Wen! To check out more of Wen’s art, you can go to his deviantArt gallery. To purchase his artwork, you can do so by visiting his deviantArt prints gallery.
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