KQED Art School is thrilled to announce the winner of our cartoon drawing contest, Ms. KC Pamintuan, a 13-year-old student from Glendale, CA. Our esteemed contest judge, artist Sirron Norris, and all of us at KQED were impressed by KC’s excellent rendering of her favorite historical figure, Johannes Gutenberg. Check out this interview with our award-winning artist.
Congratulations, KC! How did you learn about Johannes Gutenberg?
I discovered Johannes Gutenberg by reading about him and how he made it possible for us to read wonderful works of art, which are books. Because reading has been essential throughout my life and helped me escape demanding reality, Johannes Gutenberg became my favorite historical figure. And he got exiled from Mainz in 1462, but then this plot twist happened three years later where he was given a fabulous title and a yearly salary for inventing the printing press. This guy is impressive—being banned, then suddenly being Mr. Popular in just a matter of time.
What are your favorite books?
Some of my favorite books are, well, I have too many to mention! But my all-time favorite novel would be The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo. It’s just such a beautiful book; it still brings tears to my eyes. Another one I would like to mention is The Little Prince. A close friend of mine recommended I read it, and boy, am I glad that he told me about it.
Have you been drawing all your life?
I remember drawing fan art instead of drawing the sun and the sky and the one single green line called “grass” when I was four. I watched morning cartoons a lot, so I would get obsessed with one character and end up drawing it every time.
I had no technique and skill back then whatsoever. I would just draw people how I would like them to look, but then one day, my first grade teacher complimented me while I was drawing a girl, and BAM! I started becoming more serious and began to read tutorial books. I honestly didn’t find them at all helpful, so I stopped and just continued to draw my way. Over time, however, my right hand somehow picked up random artistic skills. Perhaps it was because I would observe people and how they draw, or maybe I just watch too many cartoons. But I did learn something from that tutorial video that Mr. Sirron Norris did, and I am thankful for that.