THE AGENT INSPECTOR-book cover

Title : The Agent Inspector
Media : Acrylic on Canvas
Size : 25.2 cm x 31.0 cm
Painted by : Azhan Year made : March 2009
Status : Private Collection, Digital image used for storybook cover

Description:
The illustration is about 3 good friends; one a chubby boy, the second a slim boy and lastly a short-sighted girl, who accidentally stumbled across an illegal money-printing syndicate.

Story:
About a month ago, a blog visitor dropped me an email requesting a drawing from Azhan for her fictional novel (age 10 -14 years). With her brief as the guiding principle, I asked Azhan to produce drawings consist the characteristics specified.

I must say it was not an easy task to make children draw within a certain boundary. It took almost a month for Azhan to come up with drawings which I think fulfil the specifications given.

It is a good advantage for Azhan to have a live assignment because it will train him to work within certain boundaries and restrictions. However before we take on the assignment I had to inform the client that I could not give 100% assurance that the artwork will be done on time or within the requirement.

One of the many reasons for this condition is because:

“One of the greatest creativity killers, however, is more subtle and so deeply rooted in our culture that it is hardly notice. It is has to do with TIME.” D.Goleman, P. Kaufman, The Art of Creativity 1992

“one ingredient of creativity is open-ended time,” Ann Lewan, Director of Capital Children’s Museum, Washington D.C 1992

Although it is good for Azhan to be able to meet the requirement but what matters most is the pleasure, not perfection.

Having said that Azhan did manage to sketch 3 drawing using his own imagination about the storyline of the book. One of them had been chosen by the client to be coloured.

Preliminary sketches

Typically, the client soon asked for some changes on the finish painting. Well, I would never bother to ask my son to change it because this will put him under pressure and worry about others' judgement (another main creativity killer). Luckily, it's been agreed that the real painting is not for trading or selling but only permitting the client her copyright to use the drawing, therefore I manage to fulfil the changes by the magic of “Photoshop”!. At the end the client was satisfied without Azhan losing interest in art. Finalised artwork

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