Junwei Li

artist statement

Hi there! My name is Junwei Li, and I am a fourth-year student at the University of Calgary. I love drawing. My dream career is to become an animation artist or a pirate. My artworks are mainly digital illustrations and character designs; you can find them on my Instagram (lori.4053) if interested.

My art is heavily inspired by the picture books and animations I read as a child. Beautiful Nordic illustrated picture books and Disney Renaissance animations were what I was exposed to and loved all year round. I often return to these artworks and am always inspired by them. These artworks are important to me for nostalgic reasons. They inspire me not only aesthetically but also emotionally. It is like going back to my childhood when creating and appreciating art was pure simplicity and joy.

Captain Haddock

As I mentioned, I am kind of a nostalgic person, so when I was creating this painting, Captain Haddock was the first character that came to my mind. He was my favourite character in my favourite comic book series Tintin. I created this portrait using Photoshop and oil paint brushes in the style of Rembrandt's self-portraits and his low-contrast, blurred edge