The Versatile Master Artist

Kelly’s fingertips lightly glided across the plastic protective film on the book cover.

She really didn’t expect that participating in an internal survey for the publisher would allow her to see such stunning works.

”Enough to be used as teaching material for an oil painting class.”

This thought flashed through her mind.

Painting Knife Painting is a very small circle, there may be fewer than twenty renowned professional painters worldwide, and even fewer full-time professors.

Except for rare cases like the Brooklyn Art Academy, where Professor Boggs, dubbed the ”first person in Painting Knife Painting,” uses knife oil painting as the school’s signature for publicity.

Even the Royal British Academy of Arts, one of the world’s top four art academies, doesn’t offer a Painting Knife Painting course.

Usually, there’s no need.

Ninety-nine percent of art students’ careers won’t even involve content like this.

However, not engaging with Painting Knife Painting doesn’t mean its techniques and thinking can’t be applied in regular oil painting processes.

The oil painting knife is the most commonly used tool in any art student’s oil painting process.

The paintbrush and oil painting knife are like the left and right hands in oil painting study.

Using the knife to scoop paint, modify lines on the canvas conveniently, or create special texture blocks that soft brushes can’t, are all very common practices.

The illustration before her eyes seems like a delicate sample.

Straight blade, side edge, smudging, flat scraping, the knife’s spine creating hard zigzags...

Kelly can almost find every conceivable usage of the oil painting knife on it, all handled very skillfully.

”If only there was a teacher who could teach me how to use the oil painting knife.”

Kelly felt somewhat wistful.

Unfortunately, volunteers like her had signed confidentiality agreements before participating in Scholastic Group’s marketing department survey.

Electronic products like mobile phones weren’t allowed to be carried.

Kelly couldn’t even secretly take a photo of the illustration cover to share with her university roommates.

Regretfully shaking her head, she picked up this stunning piece and walked toward the sofa in the bookstore’s rest area.

As for Townesman’s deluxe edition of ”The Little Prince,” with its more exquisite printing compared to the paperback version and gift box included, Kelly didn’t even glance back before leaving the shelf.

Her mind was now thoroughly occupied by this captivating piece, having completely forgotten she initially came for the deluxe edition gift box.

”I’m in no hurry to leave!”

Kelly wanted to seize the limited time to savor and appreciate this illustration a little longer.

Even simply gazing at the cover gave the girl a sense of ethereal, dreamy fairy tale feeling, very comforting.

”Detective Cat?”

Seated on the sofa, she glanced at the illustrator’s name on the book cover, somewhat undecided.

Illustration is a vast industry; novels need illustrations, advertisements require them, newspapers, magazines, game companies—the demand for illustrators is consistently high.

Globally, the total number of practitioners in related fields might not be exaggerated to say it’s in the millions.

Yet, those truly worthy of the title ”illustrator” might only number one in a thousand or even one in ten thousand.

Those able to collaborate with Scholastic Group and share the cover’s prominent space with the original author and translator, each occupying a line for signature, are undoubtedly seasoned industry leaders.

Among these artists,

Ordinary people might recognize names like Andy Warhol, with his pops valued over billions of US Dollars, as exceptional.

Yet, half-professionals and seasoned illustration enthusiasts like Kelly are familiar with the top illustrators in the industry.

For instance, upon seeing Vellein’s name, she could immediately recall his résumé and identity, being very familiar with his past works.

”A predecessor capable of creating such stunning illustrations... shouldn’t be obscure.”

Kelly furrowed her brow.

She vaguely remembered hearing the name Detective Cat somewhere before.

Wait!

After pondering for a while,

she finally linked the creator of this illustration with the internet-famous video that was circulating recently within the circle, where an online artist instantly shot to fame.

”It’s actually her?”

Kelly pursed her lips, feeling a mix of astonishment and realization.

”So, it’s a newcomer artist.”

Sketching and Painting Knife Painting both executed so stunningly—such a genius is likely to give birth to many classic illustrations in the industry soon.

Scholastic Group must have found a gem this time.

At that moment, Kelly wasn’t the only person on the sofa; there was also an African-American lady with her daughter.

The lady and the little girl seemed to be the volunteers invited by the publisher this time.

Their task cards were placed nearby, though the scenario setup was different with ”select gifts for children with a budget of 20 Pounds” as the theme for the housewife.

The lady now had no interest in paying attention to any survey tasks anymore.

She accidentally spilled some hot drink on her daughter’s arm when getting coffee at the bar.

The young girl, still at the age of changing teeth, missing a front tooth, was sitting on the sofa, silently sobbing with her arms, her cries slightly leaky.

Staff members with a medical kit had already rushed over,

The girl’s burn wasn’t serious, her arm slightly red, already treated with medicine.

Yet she continued to cry very mournfully.

A uniformed staff member with a publisher badge was squatting on the floor, holding a croissant and small cake from behind the bar, trying to comfort her.