The Versatile Master Artist

Chapter 68: Chapter 52: Colored Pencil Drawing

”A one million dollar illustration, that’s quite a big deal. Actually, my illustrations aren’t bad either.”

Uncle Sakai rubbed his hands together, expressing envy in his tone.

This is a million dollars, you know.

Although his exquisite works can also sell for a million dollars, it depends on the subject matter and time cost.

Previously, the Tokyo Tourism Bureau collaborated with relevant museums, wanting Yakai Ichiro to create a complete set of ukiyo-e in the style of the Edo Era for Tokyo Tower, Asakusa Temple, Tokyo National Museum, Imperial Residence, and other tourist attractions, as a cultural promotion for the Olympics.

Tokyo is a very wealthy city, almost a monster.

At its peak, the city’s metropolitan GDP was close to 200 trillion yen, roughly equivalent to half of the African continent or the total economic volume of all African countries excluding South Africa.

So the offer was quite generous, with the entire project pricing as high as 3 billion yen, approximately 23 million US dollars.

It set a record for the highest official hiring fee for a great artist in Tokyo.

But that’s for an entire set of over a hundred ukiyo-e.

Yakai Ichiro estimated that to completely finish this project and receive this full payment would take at least ten years.

Compared to oil paintings, Chinese paintings, ukiyo-e, and such, drawing a small illustration is much simpler.

”What’s all the excitement about?”

Koshiba Tarou, holding a Yangon specialty cane milk tea in a shopping bag, squeezed through the crowd from a distance.

Today, after a meal, Professor Yajima’s family planned to stroll through the art and calligraphy night market with the accompaniment of a translator from the Yangon Tourism Bureau.

Myanmar’s fine arts industry is quite renowned in Southeast Asia, and Yangon is Myanmar’s largest city and a center of contemporary art.

The calligraphy and painting night market here is similar to Pan Garden in Dongxia Capital City.

Compared to formal galleries, this place is more akin to a street market, much more accessible.

Not only are there various shops, but also all sorts of stalls selling snacks and drinks, with a lively ambiance.

The art market is mixed with all kinds of things, and Koshiba Tarou and the others were just casually wandering around today, primarily for tourism and leisure.

He had just gone to a nearby stall to buy a drink, and at this moment saw the Sakai family surrounding a phone, discussing some interesting news.

”To be able to invite Derong Fan Doorn, he’s a big name in the illustration world today. Zara has collaborated with him on many clothing items. I even have a T-shirt he designed.”

Yakai Gangchang was looking at a name on a Twitter page.

Being someone knowledgeable about art fashion brands, he immediately recognized Van Doorn’s name.

Van Doorn is a cross-disciplinary illustrator who is well-regarded not only for his illustrations but also in the fashion world.

It is said that he has maintained a good personal friendship with the editor-in-chief of the famous fashion godfather magazine ”Vogue”.

Several of Van Doorn’s ex-girlfriends were once supermodels who walked in Paris Fashion Week.

”Fan Doorn, the elder... he is more about selling an aesthetic concept. His fame is undoubtedly great, but... I really wonder if the audience can understand his art?”

Koizumi Katsuko reminisced about the artistic style of the artist Derong Van Doorn, pursing her lips.

Although illustration doesn’t have clear schools like oil painting, this illustration master is evidently influenced by the avant-garde art domain represented by Marcel Duchamp.

If one must categorize, then he would probably be classified as a Dadaist painter.

How to evaluate this art faction?

It’s about whimsy.

Even now, people don’t know where the word ”dada” came from, or why it’s called that.

Dadaism’s godfather, Duchamp, is indeed a milestone figure in art history, but not everyone can appreciate his pioneering art style.

How capricious was his art style?

Duchamp once drew a goatee on Da Vinci’s famous work ”Mona Lisa” with a pencil and wrote ”L.H.O.O.Q” underneath (pronounced Elleachaudaucul, meaning ”her butt is hot”).

If that isn’t crazy enough, Duchamp once bought a urinal at random, signed his name on it, and considered it a work of art.

This is probably the most famous urinal in modern art history.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art in the United States, the Maiyue Art Museum, France, and other renowned national museums are still proud to own an official replica of Duchamp’s urinal.

”I worry for Van Doorn, the elder.”

Koizumi Katsuko shook her head. ”If it were me, I don’t think I’d have the courage to participate in such a challenging competition.”

”Illustrators like Van Doorn don’t care how many people like him, nor how many people criticize him, that’s avant-garde.”

Uncle Sakai stroked his chin.

”This is a commissioned illustration, not a set of hundreds of creative illustrations. 100,000 US dollars is quite substantial. I’m not surprised they managed to get Van Doorn, as he’s still active in the illustration world.”

”And even if he’s avant-garde, Van Doorn is still one of the best illustrators today. His fluidity in using pens and experience in drawing illustrations is unmatched by those unknown illustrators, even the worst won’t be that bad, just that I didn’t expect—”

Professor Yajima shook his head, looking at the name Jean Arnou and that long string of honorary titles, the four layers of fat on his chin quivering.

”Even Mr. Jean Arnou is willing to put pen to paper.”

”Although, apart from a few works, the artistic value of illustration isn’t as high as other types of painting, in terms of influence alone, the elder could be said to be on the same level as Elder Cao as a painter.”

Whether it’s Derong Fan Doorn or Jean Arnou, they are truly great painters in every sense of the word.

Derong Fan Doorn has done posters for Pixar Animation Studio and designed clothes for the fashion brand Zara.

His illustration ”Eco Polar” has become the official illustration for an international snow environment organization, printed in countless textbooks.

As for Jean Arnou.

If Van Doorn is still limited to the realm of art crossovers.

This elder painter, born during the Cold War, has somewhat transcended the simple identity of a painter.

He is a famous international pacifist.

Not only has he been personally received by the leaders of the US-Soviet dual-polar system, featured on Time Magazine, but his illustrations are extremely warm, possessing master-level precision brushwork and childlike innocence, warm and loving.

He is even a recipient of the International Andersen Award.

This is the highest honor in the global children’s literature world, only awarded to outstanding writers and painters for children globally.

It’s considered the Nobel Prize of the children’s illustration world.

This is a world-class artist.

”I estimate that this video will undoubtedly cause a sensation within the circle.”

He wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve.

The strong clash between the two generations of artists, Fan Doorn and Jean Arnou, is a visual effect like Mars colliding with Earth.

Even if Uncle Sakai is not a professional illustrator.

As an outstanding worker in the field of art, Uncle Sakai had already broken into a cold sweat with excitement.

”Does anyone want to hear some insider information?”

Koshiba Tarou distributed drinks to everyone, bowing his head to use his phone while speaking.

”Can you get in touch with Elder Jean Arnou?”

Uncle Sakai was delighted to hear this, rubbing his fourth chin as he asked.

Even the Sakai siblings looked at Xiaosong with curiosity.

Although Uncle Sakai is also a great painter with extensive connections in the calligraphy and painting world, each field has its specialization, and it’s not comparable to running a large professional gallery.

The numerous agents and headhunters under his command earn high salaries just to do this kind of work.

It is said that art godfathers of Gagosian’s level can obtain any artist’s phone number they want within fifteen minutes.

Only in informal art competitions held by super internet celebrities like Mr. Hibernian, their information tends to be more closed.

In a formal art exhibition, various kinds of insider information would be rampant before the official opening of the exhibition.

Will there be any heavyweight works on display?

Which new artists are highly praised by curators?

You can also judge, based on past artistic styles and the themes of the exhibition, which famous artist is more likely to produce masterpieces...

Time is money, and information is US dollars.

Artist connections, golf buddies, beauty schemes, business espionage, or the simplest method—hiring a small reporter or paparazzi to rummage through nearby garbage cans to see if they can find any official documents.

To obtain firsthand information, the intrigue can be likened to a spy drama.

A variety of intelligence has already spread in gallery and buyer circles.

Make contact with those who need to be contacted, and sign potential new artists before they become famous.

For those they can’t sign, or those flamboyant rivals in other galleries, immediately hire art critics to prepare to bash them.

These are the professional ethics of agents.

If you’re too slow, you can’t even catch up to eating fresh shit.

”Well... maybe not possible.”

Koshiba Tarou shook his head, although he was eager to showcase his art connections in front of the Sakai family.

But Xiaosong Gallery is not a giant like Gagosian, and he is merely the young master of the gallery.

Jean Arnou is still a bit too high-end.

Even to contact Mr. Van Doorn, it would probably require his father to be personally involved.

”I’ve got a heavy message from Lady Louise, a friend of a professor at the British Royal Academy of Fine Arts. She’s very confident in her work.”

Koshiba Tarou said mysteriously, ”This time she chose a colored pencil drawing, and it’s in a realistic style.”

”Realistic colored pencil drawing?”

Professor Yajima thought for a while, nodded, and affirmed the approach.

”Not common... Well, clever, really clever... although a bit opportunistic... but... well... this could be the most crowd-pleasing painting technique.”

”Looks like a dark horse may emerge in this exhibition.”