Following on from our feature of Lap Pun Cheung’s Final Fantasy VII speedpainting series, we have been lucky enough to put together an interview with the man behind the masterpiece.
How did you get started with digital art and art in general?
Sounds cliche but I was always into art since I was really young, I didn’t get into digital art until late in high school though, I was amazed you could draw straight onto a PC without scanning in an image. But before all that I was very much into pencil drawing and oil painting.
What inspires you to create?
Everything can be an inspiration to me. Usually it’s when I play a game or watch a film, the combination of the audiovisual cues spark something in me when it’s done well. I should also mention music is a big inspiration because listening to some also brings out images in my mind.
How long does it take you to complete one of your pieces?
It depends, speedpaintings can take between half an hour to 2 hours whereas a full painting can take upwards of 10 hours if it’s super complex.
What made you decide to recreate the entire Final Fantasy VII game in digital art form?
I tend to watch Let’s Plays of a lot of games while I work, keeps my mind noisy, I like that. Silence does not help me at all. So last year I got round to watching a Final Fantasy VII one as it’s been around ten years since I played it myself!
What are some of your favourite pieces from the Final Fantasy VII series and what other pieces are you most proud of?
I like the sweeter moments, ‘017 Flowers Blooming in the Church ‘ and ‘122 Under the Night Sky Once More’ are two of my favourites. The flowers piece turned out much nicer than I thought in terms of what it shows of the two characters. And overall it felt like such a journey for me in creating the pieces that when I did early pieces like Tifa and Cloud in their flashback, scenes towards the end of the series felt like a huge payoff for me as I closed the circle on their story.
What else can we expect to see from you in the future?
I work on a lot of personal projects in my free time, currently that includes a Metal Gear Solid speedpainting series and a short animation. I feel like the ‘speedpainting series’ would be a great way for me to create fanart which also suited my styles.
Are your pieces available for people to purchase in physical form?
Yes, you can purchase a few of my pieces at:
http://society6.com/lappuncheung/prints
What advice would you give to young artists out there?
Don’t give up. Find your own path, one that you are really passionate about and then follow it. It isn’t always immediately obviously which direction you want to go but persist, work hard and you will get there.
