Artist feature: Samuel Chang

Modern Languages student and self-taught artist

By Caroline Ho, Arts Editor

Samuel Chang has no formal background in art, but his bold, distinctive, polished style might convince you otherwise.

“I have zero training,” Chang said to the Other Press. “I’ve been drawing since I was three.” However, he does try to spend at least two hours a day practicing his art, as well as getting in plenty of doodling on the edges of his notes in class.

Originally from Venezuela, Chang came to Canada in December 2015 and is currently in his second year at Douglas, where he studies Modern Languages (French, Japanese, and Chinese). Rather than citing one dominant artistic influence, Chang draws his ideas for art from a variety of movies, designs, and other sources. Most recently he’s been inspired by the anime and movie Ghost in the Shell, although more so by the design than the story.

Chang doesn’t have any specific career objectives with his art, but he definitely wants to draw professionally, such as doing illustrations for comics or posters. His style certainly looks like it belongs on a graphic novel cover or movie poster. It captures the eye with crisp lines, vibrant colour schemes, and vivacious character designs. Some of his illustrations are also for his own novels he’s writing. Most of his works are sketched and inked on paper, then scanned and coloured in Photoshop.

His biggest artistic ambition is a relatively modest one: “I would just like to see one of my drawings on a billboard,” said Chang.

You can view more of Chang’s art on his DeviantArt page at: samyychang.deviantart.com.

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