Cecil Kim, a famous artist in CG industry, pays great attention and support to Share One Planet competition. Invited by the Organizing Committee, he painted the poster artwork of Prey and Preydator Category for SOP.



Cecil Kim is well-known by his powerful concept for the videogame “God of War”; the poster he creates for “Share One Planet” Competition is no exception. With an evident sense of symbolism, the image depicts a brutal tiger carrying a dying Siberian white crane in its mouth. The elegant long neck and legs of the crane helplessly drag along the ground, still white feather glowing almost sacredly, showing the audience its final struggle for survival.
 
Tiger and crane are distinct species. In this scene artist presents us, we may find two totally different kinds of beauty: the tiger leaped to tackle its prey, at this moment it’s gorgeous, fierce, dominating and strong; meanwhile the crane is elaborate and swift, even at the very last moment the bird’s life, we still detect an deniable sense of innocence. The rule of universe allows only the strongest survive, sacrifice of individual guarantees the cycle of a whole functional ecosystem. The tiger hunts for its own survival, unlike man take the environment for granted and only offer damage back. The beauty of our own planet may put to an end by our limitless exploitation.


Poster artwork of Prey and Preydator Category of Share One Planet competition,
by Cecil Kim

Next is the interview with Cecil Kim, from SOP Organizing Committee:

1. You started out as traditional artist, what brings you to draw digitally and become a successful CG artist?
Although I studied traditional art most of my school years, once I started working in Entertainment industry (games and films) after art college, it was inevitable to adapt digital art tools mainly to improve production speed and convenient factor. People who hired me saw strong layout and drawing skills from my graduation portfolio drawings, then they showed me how to use computer programs to quickly edit and finish my design and art. Since then I have been using both medium to finish my work. However I always tried to remind myself not to forget the importance of traditional painting practice from observation of life to accurate color mixing procedure and so on. Also it becomes more obvious that my work would have stronger voice if I understand more of traditional art. So I am trying to learn to be a better painter every day. That’ my lifetime mission.

2. The theme of "Share One Planet" poster is rather different from what you usually do. How you seek inspiration for this piece? What message you are trying to convey?
I think it’s a great theme for any artists to challenge their artistic skills. It suggests simple and basic narrative and I had to strip down some of the normal design procedures I usually think about. I am not designing game art or marketing illustrations!
This is about them, animals and their nature. So this painting has to be simple. Not some fantasy world we are creating with creatures and visual FX. I wanted to convey there is striking beauty in every moment in wild life even with dying prey’s last breathing seconds. We can’t see them close at all however us-human can record them in our paintings and they will live through our imagination and we are telling their stories.

3. In game design imagination is a critical element. When it comes to depict wild animals, how you manage to be imaginary yet stay realistic?
Just like how we all start learning how to paint portraits or figure studies, if we know more about the subject, we can tell their story better. I am not used to paint wild life and this was “new” to me, perhaps that’s why it helped me to think simple and try to convey deeply who they are to me instead of creating an awesome illustration. They are already beautiful and interesting as they are. So all I had to do is think of their moment in nature’s law.

4. Why you choose tiger and red-crowned crane as your focused species? The monster is strong and powerful meanwhile the birds are swift and elegant, how you manage to capture different features of these two kinds of creature?
Tigers are known for their skin and have been killed for it. The more I look and studied them, I can’t believe how skin patterns are so elegantly drawn. They are too perfect to be real, maybe that’s why they reign at the top of food chain. Tiger rules.
I wanted to portrait how both species has different elegant beauty in contrast. Cranes have gracious white feathers almost like an innocent virgin. However where I grew up I was told so many scary folk tales about tiger, in my dreams, tigers always were hidden in red velvety shadow and always had glowing eyes. Crane draws sympathy out of me knowing it’s almost impossible to sight them anymore. They are weak but they migrate thousands miles long. Cranes and tigers are widely depicted in classical art paintings, theatrical art, and folk music in Korea. So they lived through my childhood. So I choose them to be in this painting.

5. As a game artist you've created so many astounding creepy environments, but what's your comment on the environment we are living in now? What's your understanding of environmental protection?
I never thought about any connection between the world I have been creating in games with the world I am living in. Maybe I should… The environment we are living in now really shows how humans are trouble to the world. Nature itself can fix and heal itself while it’s keeping its beauty under its law of nature. Humans are parasite, breaking the food chain, we are filthy and selfish. That’s how I can describe where I am living in. 

About Cecil Kim