In this year’s Inktober we are keen to collaborate with the top artists in illustration, animation, and design, allowing the participants to have a constructive experience, coming from the leading artists in the local scene. It was also important to host fully-fledged workshops, starting from the opening talk to the hands-on exercise, followed by feedback.
Hani Mahfouz
“Draw your soul out.” – Hani Mahfouz.
From opening with a talk about the subconscious mind to discussing the art scene and the commercial needs, Hani Mahfouz took us on a roller coaster.
Mahfouz explained, it is vital to let your soul be the compass to your creations, and allow your subconscious mind to lead this process, otherwise, the produced work wouldn’t feel in tune with your mind and gut feeling. He added, what’s interesting about the art of abstraction is the ability to go beyond the rigid technicalities of still-life and the possibility to put more of yourself into the work because, for the most part, you’re not abiding by any rules. And he added, “A good artist knows when to stop.”
The most exciting part of the workshop is when Mahfouz offered the participants to collaborate on some of his work, resulting in the most diverse outcomes that truly shows the distinctive style of each participant.
Mahfouz was also keen to talk about artists that significantly influenced and inspired his work, in which he mentioned Matisse, Miró, and Picasso.
George Azmy
"Style is the way you see things, not the way things are." – George Azmy
Azmy added that style is the way you see the world, the way you interpret it, and the way you transform it into a visual form, in regards to having an observable style in your work.
The workshop had a critical element that allowed all participants to reflect on each other's work, opening up numerous interpretations and discussions. It brought about the datum that the difference between a successful and unsuccessful artist is the persistence to keep on practicing after a failed attempt.
Azmy's work is influenced by some of the greatest names, from Egon Schiele, David Hughes, Tomer Hanuka, to James Jean and Mike Mignola.
We adopted one of the old times school themes "Under the sea", but with our interpretation of how this world appears to us now. followed by thorough and constructive feedback by Azmy and the participants.
Artworks By: F. Nasry - G. Azmy - Moiraadell - A. Aboudouma - N.Adel - N. Samra - M. Atef - M. Ahmed
Hany Rashed
“A good painter is like a good musician, one who can dance around different notes, creating a multi-dimensional work.” – Hany Rashed.
In three hours Rashed was able to pour his heart out about every single aspect in his practice, work process, experience, inspiration, and personal drive. His whole being was focused on passing over his experience to every participant, so he could get the most out of them.
Photography, collage, and identification are three defining elements in Rashed’s work, sustained by his keenness to always make his trials and productions fast, to eliminate the distance between his conscious and subconscious decision making, resulting in, spontaneous work closest to his heart.
He conversed the importance of enriching the research process with visual elements, information, and triggers, besides, practicing and constructing your perspective on the subject, throughout the whole process.
The workshop resulted in tens of artworks, dissimilar in technique and subject. All challenges the participants’ ability to show versatility in feelings, lines, textures, and patterns.
Ahmad Nady
“Choosing the right pen is as important as picking the subject of your piece.” – Ahmad Nady
From Digital sketching to digital painting and the technicalities behind it, Ahmad Nady hosted a well-rounded workshop with a hands-on exercise, challenging the participants to break off the fear of ruining the work by setting two important rules, first, the sketch shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes, second, they can’t use graphite traces, so they must start with inking from the start. Additionally, he was loyal to the prompt of this year ‘Wild’.
Prior to the exercise, Nady gave a tutorial on digital sketching, with an explanation of the various tools and approaches that an artist could utilize.
*Stay Tuned for more blogs coming up.