From brand logos to book decals, digital art is undeniably prevalent in everyday life. One such home for these comes in the form of webcomics, often made—unlike the rest of the art world—by budding artists and hobbyists who seek to hone their talents through creative expression. Among these is senior Graysin Oh.
His traditional art style (pen and ink) was inspired by his two sisters, who were always drawing. Oh’s fascination with their work motivated him to copy what they were doing, but eventually, he found his own style in the digital art world, where he is completely self-taught.
“I hate reading directions, so for about a year I just tried to feel it out and do it myself. Then, I started watching tutorial videos online. Honestly, it was just a lot of trial and error… I just watch people [doing their own thing] and try to replicate it myself,” Oh said.
Oh immersed himself into the digital art world and began his own Webtoon series, which has garnered over 500 views since its release in mid-October. Webtoon is a South Korean platform where independent artists can share their digital creations, mainly comics.
His series revolves around fictional protagonist Donnie Im, “a regular high schooler,” who meets his new roommates: 20 ghosts. Though he first struggles with paranoia from these ghosts, he soon discovers they are actually… nice?
“I got the idea from when I first moved into my new house. I felt like the place was a little haunted. I noticed that my dogs would bark and stiffen up at nothing…. I wanted to make a story about a boy who lives with ghosts, but instead of the usual horror tropes and fear he kind of just learns to deal with them as roommates,” Oh said.
Oh devotes several hours each week to his craft to ensure each chapter gets published on time.
“As far as commitment goes, there isn’t much you can do to get around it. It’s a very demanding project and you really do have to be very good at self discipline and scheduling to publish on a consistent basis,” Oh said.
He finds solace in creating works other people can enjoy. In the future, Oh hopes to make a career in comic-writing and perhaps as a Webtoon creator.
“I think the best part for me is being able to see my ideas in full color and life. Putting them into visuals really do the concepts, humor, personality, etc more justice than just talking or thinking can,” Oh said.
