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Last June, we sent our Designerd to another creative conference. This time, she went to the SEA Connect – The Rise of Creative Economy, an annual South East Asia’s Creative Conference, that was held in conjunction with Adobe Certified Associate (ACA) Championship Malaysia 2019 Grand Finale in Kuala Lumpur. She shares her experience here:
Hello! I’ve been out and about, scouting for new inspiration. Recently at SEA Connect, I’ve gained some valuable insights and advice from leading speakers in the creative industry like artists Bert Monroy and Ronald Ong, and Malaysian director Adrian Teh.
Be the Jedi Master in Your Craft
Bert Monroy impressed me most. This American artist is known as an early Photoshop expert in the industry. Initially a painter using traditional medium, he switched to digital in 1984 after he was introduced to the Macintosh 128. He showed his amazing portrait art piece (first photo below) done in Macintosh using different patterns. How cool is that!
He talked about his process of turning a comic from plain black and white background graphic into a fully coloured visual (photo above, right). Understanding his process made me appreciate his artwork more even more. He also gave a brief Photoshop lesson where he shared some tips and tricks using its tools. The Photoshop shortcuts are mind-blowing!
Keep Going, Keep Creating
PASKAL: The Movie is probably unheard of in most parts of the world. It’s a Malaysian film directed by Adrian Teh and produced by Asia Tropical Films and Golden Screen Cinemas. The true-to-life story follows an elite unit in the Royal Malaysian Navy who embarked on a mission to rescue a tanker that was taken over by Somalian pirates in 2011. Currently, PASKAL: The Movie is the most expensive Malaysian-made feature film with a budget of RM10 million.
Adrian shared his journey and experiences throughout his directing career. It started in 2010 when he became the executive producer for Ice Kacang Puppy Love, a Malaysian-Chinese film directed by Malaysian comedian Ah-Niu. That experience gave him the motivation to pursue filmmaking and since then he has directed various films. His most recent and also successful work to date is PASKAL: The Movie.
He is truly inspiring with his passion for directing. He urged creatives to never give up and always go for what you’re most passionate about.
Practice Makes Dreams Come True
Magical and dreamy – these are the words to describe Ronald Ong’s art. The 21-year-old medical student is a self-taught artist who uses Photoshop as his medium. He learned through YouTube videos and hours of dedicated practise. He has a strong passion in photo editing, and it’s evident in the stunning works he created.
Ronald began creating dream-like images as a hobby and shared his artwork on Instagram. His artwork received a lot of attention and a huge following. Today, he has more than 270,000 followers on Instagram. One of his artworks (photo below) was also selected as the loading screen for Adobe Photoshop software as well.
He is happy that his work has inspired others. He encouraged creatives to be brave and proactive in pursuing what they want and enjoy the process. A good reminder for creatives like me to do what we love and love what we do.
Now, let’s go forth and create!
