Hello dear readers!

If you have been reading my previous posts, you may be aware of the series of art advice I have been sharing. As early as it seems to take a break, I would like to take one by writing about my favorite artist- someone who has inspired me to start painting. Who also introduced me to this genre of watercolor painting- ones with mystical characters, beautiful girls, and patterns that all create this flow across the canvas. And also because I hit writer’s block and, with no exaggeration, was staring at my screen for hours trying to brainstorm ideas. It didn’t help that I am currently on vacation, and my work mode is off. It was until I remembered Kelogsloops and looked through his paintings. Immediately, being filled with admiration for his works, leaving me eager to share his beautiful art with everyone else.

Hieu Ngyung AKA kelogsloops

I first encountered kelogsloops’ art in my freshman year of high school- of his sketchbook tour. Soon after, I binged watched all of his videos only to realize I had run through all of them. I loved his art so much that I kept rewatching the same hand full of videos as I waited for more.

The way he used minimum colors, with a beautiful composition always had this sense of flowy-ness, creating an otherworldly feeling.

I’m sure anyone who has seen my works can notice how heavily his art style has influenced mine, from the color palette to the organic shapes and fabrics with geometric forms. The mixture of soft curves of the body and flowy-ness of the hair, along with the patterns and abstract background, gives his painting a uniqueness I have never seen in any other. They all share compositions that give a clear idea of the main focus and tell a story. It feels like something out of a fairy tale. Each piece can be interpreted as its own abstract story depending on the person looking. Hieu’s paintings really sparkle through his use of gold flakes and finishing touches of white ink.

The way he depicts the skin so dimensional with softness that you can feel through the other side is contrasted with the almost flat illustrative patterns and decorations that run across the surface. Often he has animals in his work, commonly birds. I wonder why he includes birds so often in his paintings; does it perhaps have some symbolism to him?

His color scheme is something that gets him so easily recognized for me. The cool tones, slightly contrasting to a warm earthy color, clearly speak kelogsloops. A beautifully chosen variety of blues ties his paintings together. It is no wonder his paintings also consist of water and water-like elemental designs- again recreating this sense of flow. My favorite series of his, “The Dream,” evokes a feeling of calmness and familiarity just by looking at it. It just all seems so ethereal and beautiful.

I can get lost in his art, just admiring all the small details and imagining his thought process. His paintings really sparkle, both hypothetical and literally: Through his use of gold flakes and finishing touches of white ink.

This is definitely becoming more of a ‘fan post’ than an introduction to an artist and their techniques, isn’t it? As I previously stated, he is mainly known for his mastery of watercolor, but it doesn’t stop there. He is skilled with digital media as well as markers and pencil colors. I highly recommend looking into his tutorials if you are interested in dipping your artistic toes into watercolor. I’m sure many can agree how complicated and intimidating watercolor seems at first since I felt the same way before. This is why I found Kelogsloops to be the most helpful in helping me see the medium differently. He has beginner-friendly tutorials as well as the behind the scene of his professional works. Watching him paint motivates me, too, so I always go back to rewatching his videos- Precisely what I’ll be doing after Finishing this blog post!

Thank you very much for reading; see you again next time!

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