CREATE IT YOUR WAY
The Art of Finding Your Niche
Name: Lyn-Hui Ong
Talent: Children’s illustrations
Creating since: 2014
Tools: Procreate, iPad Pro, Apple Pencil
Lyn-Hui Ong was 17 years old when she was told that she couldn’t draw by her Figure Drawing lecturer. While this criticism may have caused some to lay down their pencils in defeat, it pushed Ong to draw even more—in her own style—and she discovered she had a real talent for drawing cartoons.
As a child, Ong started doodling before she learnt to talk. Having grown up watching Disney and Nickelodeon cartoons, and then Japanese anime as a teenager, Lyn-Hui leaned into disproportionate bodies; humans with huge heads and small torsos. The art style that emerged is an amalgamation of her experiences.
After graduating from college, Ong launched ForReal Studio with her partner to work on creative design projects. She continued evolving her art on the side, working with Procreate on her iPad to refine her designs and posting her illustrations and fan art on social media.
One particular piece of fan art, of a character from a popular TV series, changed everything. “My notifications blew up,” Ong recalls. “The actor had reposted my art.” She started receiving lots of direct-message requests for portraits to be done in her unique style.
It wasn’t just Ong’s inbox that was getting flooded with messages, though. The actor’s repost was also gaining massive traction with Malaysians who were leaving comments to say how proud they were that Lyn-Hui was from the country.
Try not to be a perfectionist, just enjoy the creative process and start by drawing something simple.
—Ong Lyn-Hui
“It was the first time that other Malaysians started to notice me as a local artist, and I felt really appreciated,” she says. “It was then that I felt proud instead of ashamed of being an illustrator from a little town that no one had heard of.”
In the months that followed, the company behind the TV series that inspired Ong’s fan art offered her the chance to be part of a campaign alongside 17 other international artists. Her visibility, in turn, inspired more Malaysian artists to showcase their art on Instagram.
Ong still finds herself returning to children’s illustrations. “The one thing I love about being a children’s illustrator is the rewarding feeling when a kid adores my art,” she says. “Seeing the smile on their face and watching them interact with my art really motivates me.”
Her dream is to create a series of children’s books that address topics such as grief and loss. And if there’s anyone who understands how the things said to you when you’re young can shape you, it’s her.
Here are Ong’s top three tips for getting started with Procreate:
- Begin with the basics. It can be tough to come up with an original character, so why not import a selfie using the Reference Companion feature and start by drawing a self-portrait? Once you get the hang of it, you can start designing your own characters.
- Experiment. If you’re not into digital art and illustration, you can try digital calligraphy. Try writing your name using the calligraphy brushes in Procreate. Split View in iPad Pro is really convenient when you’re working with multiple references, such as a Pinterest board, or following video tutorials.
- Keep drawing, keep posting. You never know who is looking at your creations. Use Procreate’s Time-lapse Replay recording feature to share the creative process on social.
Inspired to start drawing? Download Procreate and put these expert tips to use. And if you’re struggling with creative blocks, Ong says: “Try not to be a perfectionist, just enjoy the creative process and start by drawing something simple.”