KUCHING: Qasrina Kassmadi Abdullah has been expressing her ideas and thoughts through drawings since she was in kindergarten.
The 10-year-old pupil from Sekolah Kebangasaan Semerah Padi started with drawing anime characters or fictional characters from Japanese animation before she tried her hands at drawing portraits during the Movement Control Order (MCO) last year.
“I draw a lot of anime characters, such as those from the Demon Slayer, especially Nezuko,” Qasrina told New Sarawak Tribune.
“I decided to learn something new during the MCO since we couldn’t go out as much as we used to.”
“I stayed home most of the time due to various restrictions. Hence, I started to draw portraits and learnt (some skills) through YouTube channels,” she said.
Qasrina said she learnt from several Youtube Channels, including Lazy Arts by Florian Erb, an illustrator and muralist based in Germany as well as RapidFireArt, Bradwynn Jones and Makoccino.
One of her artwork has recently gone viral on social media, which was the portrait of Tourism, Arts, and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
She said it took her about four to five hours to complete a portrait.
“A pencil, an eraser and a drawing block – these are all I need before I start drawing. For now, I only sketch portraits from a photo,” she said.
Qasrina also managed to make a side income from her drawing, where each portrait is priced between RM10 and RM15.
“I do not charge a high fee as I am a beginner and still learning to improve my skills,” she said.
“I do it as a hobby while making some money to buy school supplies (things I need in school) and help to ease the burden of my parents,” she said.
When asked about the most challenging part of drawing such art, she said that she sometimes ran out of ideas on what to draw or produce.
“Besides, there were times I was not satisfied with the result… Sometimes, I worry if people do not like my drawing,” she said.
“But I am glad that my family keeps encouraging me not to be afraid to try but continue to learn and do better,” she added.
Qarina, who wants to be a doctor, also expressed an interest in honing her artistic skills in painting, hoping one day – she has the chance to showcase her artwork at an international exhibition or event.
“Who knows, maybe I’ll be a part of a Hollywood movie or an animator for Marvel or StarWars,” she said.
She planned to further enhance her skills including producing some coloured portraits.
“I’m still a beginner when it comes to colour mixing and matching. I am also still learning how to sketch landscapes and other subjects.”
“But I’m confident that one day I’ll be able to create an impressive painting,” she said.
