by Natalie “Lee” Arneson
My name is Parker Wong, and I’ve been drawing for about 15 years. Most of my work is character and environmental design, as well as fanart. I’ve dabbled a bit in scientific illustration and am considering it as a career. Most of my art is viewable through Instagram, and I have an INPRNT page where I sell prints of my work.
CPJ: What was your first experience with art? Would you say this experience is when you decided, consciously or subconsciously, that you wanted to pursue art? Or did that come later?
I went to a lot of museums as a kid. My father would always hand me a pencil and his sketchbook and tell me to draw something. At the time I didn’t really like it; it seemed like busy work. For a while I only drew at museums. When I turned 16 I discovered printmaking, and that’s when I started getting really serious about the arts. I took the early practice for granted, but in hindsight those sketches were a big part of my development.
CPJ: How would you describe your art style as it is now? Did it go through transformations over the years, or has it been fairly consistent?
I like to think that I got most of the abstraction out of my system early. When I was still pretty young, my parents took me to the aquarium in Atlanta. I was really into the Spiderwick books at the time, and I wanted to create a bunch of weird creatures like the ones featured in those, so I used watercolors to twist what I saw into strange monsters.
When I began to draw more during my free time in high school I made copies of paintings that were influential to me. Most of them were related to anime or video games, and they weren’t even very good copies, but I still view that time as well spent. It was good practice and helped me discover my favorite mediums.
A huge part of discovering my style was just figuring out what I liked, and I’m still finding things. It seems cliche to say “an artist’s style is ever-evolving,” but I can’t name a single trait that makes an appearance in every single one of my pieces. There are materials and techniques that I use often, but I wouldn’t say I have a concrete style.
CPJ: Is there anything in particular—such as a place, a concept, or nature—that inspires or influences your art? What would you say does inspire your art?
I try to pull from a variety of inspirations. Film is a pretty big influence. I’ve been toying with the idea of making a comic book for a while now, but I think I need to get a lot better at drawing first. When I’m rendering a space, I try to think like a cinematographer.
Nature inspires me a lot, especially when I’m thinking of fictional technology. Nature often has really cool solutions for a lot of problems that could be twisted into something that seems alien to us.
CPJ: Is there a process you tend to go through or stick to when creating art?
Currently there is. I begin by compiling everything I think I need before I start. Reference photos, materials, music to listen to, etc. Then I do a layout sketch in pencil to see where everything goes. Once I have everything adjusted properly in the sketch, I copy it onto a sheet of transfer paper. Once it’s there I can transfer it to bristol for ink, or hot press watercolor paper for a painting, whatever surface will best suit the medium. Then I put my headphones in and start working. I try to finish things relatively quickly so that I don’t get burnt out on them. This can be a double edged sword, but it usually works out.
CPJ: What has your experience with art been like during your time here at Evergreen State College?
Very mixed. I’ve had some incredible art classes at Evergreen, and I’ve also been subjugated to the same Eurocentric lessons I’ve been taught for years that refuse to let me be happy. The art classes I love at Evergreen are the ones that don’t encourage you to think like an artist.
My favorite so far was called “Critical Vision, Art and Biology.” The class focused on artistically capturing certain phenomena in the realm of light and optics. We would learn the science of how humans perceive light, but the projects were open ended to the point where we could basically do whatever we wanted. I think that class was responsible for some of my best work.
CPJ: Is there a piece you are most proud of at the moment, or one that you just really love? Would you like to share with us a bit about it?
I think the best thing I’ve done so far is a diagram of the mimic octopus. It was painted during my time in Critical Vision, and broke me out of my comfort zone in a lot of areas. A lot of things that I learned while painting it have influenced the art I’ve made since then.
CPJ: What does your art mean to you?
Everything. Sometimes I feel like it’s all I have. The world might be in the shitter right now, but at least I can turn that into a picture. It’s a goal that I can run towards but never reach. Even if I spent every day of the rest of my life drawing I would never make anything perfect, and that excites me. Despite the realm of art being a convoluted mess, it’s one of the only things that intrinsically motivates me.
CPJ: Are there any last words or final thoughts you’d like to share as we wrap up this interview?
If you’re reading this, and ruled out making art as something to do, whether it be a hobby or career, I want to remind you of something. Art is fun. Oftentimes I forget this. Ignore every rule, concept, or criticism anyone has ever crammed into your brain. You don’t have to show your work to anyone. The only approval you need is your own.
Parker Wong can be found on Instagram under the handles @stealth_camo and @eqpt_osp, and on INPRNT @stealth_camo.
