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.

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Is art an important part of your life?
Art is an essential part of my life. The way I see it, everything is art. A dull wall with cracks on it is art. Coffee stain rings on a table are art. We are art. We were a blank canvas until two painters (our parents) joined together to create one magnificent masterpiece—us. So I believe art is life, and life itself is art. Because of this, I enjoy making my own art. Honestly, drawing itself is already an enjoyable past time.

Do you enjoy working with colors?
If truth to be told, I hardly ever color my drawings. So it’s a huge wonder for me that I have actually won the contest because I have awful coloring skills. Black and white suits me just fine. I work wonders with just a pencil. But using color digitally, that’s a different story. I enjoy mixing them and finding the perfect color for my artwork.

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?
It’s coincidental that you have asked this question because I have been working on a novel these past few weeks. It’s nothing serious, though, just for laughs and giggles. It’s about a girl who strongly believes she can see with her “third eye,” and this boy being skeptical because he can actually do so. There’s going to be this huge plot twist that I won’t be giving away because, well, what fun would it be if I just give out spoilers?

Who are some of your favorite artists?
My favorite artists are people who create amazing fan art of book characters (unsurprisingly). Then again, I like anybody who can create any form of art. Therefore, everyone is my favorite artist. A legitimate one would be Leonardo Da Vinci, for obvious reasons—he painted Mona Lisa. But a current one would be none other than Mr. Sirron Norris. I don’t mean to sound like I’m “brown-nosing” or anything, but I am honestly impressed by his skill of drawing/painting all those wonderful murals—the way they create this warm atmosphere and how they are unique in every detailed way. I find his art style captivating as well. The blue bear is really adorable!

Thanks for your terrific drawing, KC! Congratulations on winning an original signed painting by Sirron Norris.
I would like to give a shout-out and an honorable mention to my history teacher. Without his email suggesting that I join this contest, well, I wouldn’t have this amazing opportunity of receiving a painting done by a marvelous artist! He has also helped me throughout the process of sending my submission and the form, so he deserves my word of acknowledgement.

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The Art School Contest Winner, KC Pamintuan!

At Adobe Books with Chris Johanson

The KQED Art School Contest

In the Studio with Wendy MacNaughton

Graphic Novels with Thien Pham