Two Manga characters created by Clement and Sufian |
The comics most teenagers are glued to today are famous for their detailed illustrations of sword swirling heroes and demure but valiant heroines.
Two students who have been truly awed by such form of art proved their talents at a recent 24-hour ComixJam Marathon organised by the National Library Board and Funics Productions.
Many participants from all walks of life took part in this event, including two ITE College West students, Clement Ng Joo Seng and Mohammed Sufian Bin Abdul Rahman. The pairs’ love for the Manga arts and sheer hard work won them the prize in the Best Research Category of the competition.
The competition was held overnight at the National Library. During the day, the participants were gathered at regular intervals for short workshops given by professional comic artists. This aided in their comic creation process and raised their understanding of the contest’s theme. The participants were also able to use research materials in the Lee Kong Chian Library and National Library for their creation. When night fell, the participants started on the drawings and those who dozed off were disqualified from the event.
What made the two winners strive on?
Close-ups of Sufian and Clement |
Sufian: “I had done some practice beforehand and drawing is a passion of mine, it did not seem like a task. And of course a lot of chocolates and drinks kept us going throughout the night.”
Clement: “My primary school teacher inspired me to start drawing comic characters. Initially I copied existing characters for practice. Now I can conceptualise my own characters. I was just enjoying what I was doing at the Marathon.”
Both of them agreed that support from their friends and families spurred them on. Sufian cited his Mum as his No.1 fan. He is planning to take a step further and develop his character into a 3D animation with the skills he learnt in the DMD course.
A tip given by the young artists was that in order to have a great manga creation, a brilliant concept is firstly needed to begin the whole artwork.
Sufian receiving his award |
Mr Liow Hon Sang (LT/DMD/AMK) said: “Clement and Sufian, as WorldSkills students, are constantly tasked on doing research and the importance of paying attention to their physical environment as a means to a better appreciation and sense of design. They are also taught to understand the value of research trips to the libraries and even bookshops. Even a daily habit like reading the newspapers would enhance their understanding of the world. With this understanding, they are better able to articulate their message visually.”
It is great that our students have won this award. Most of all, it involves bolstering their confidence level and makes our students realise that with the right amount of determination, enthusiasm and perseverance, they CAN achieve success.
Congratulations to Clement and Sufian for acing at the competition. We look forward to seeing more of their creations!
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