One of the biggest benefits to come from the internet has been the increased access to art. As consumers, we are now exposed to so many mediums, styles and messages without needing to visit museums or purchase expensive books. It has also opened the door to being able to watch artists like Sulaiman AlZhuhair create interesting, out of the box and thought-provoking work.
Sulaiman AlZhuhair is a freelance artist, designer and a creative consultant who considers himself not just an artist but a creative in general. And while he has formally studied art, he has also pushed himself to delve deeper into areas that may not have been offered at school. “School is overrated though. Don’t waste your time and money on it,” he explained.
A quick browse on his Instagram page, and you will notice that the body of his work is stylized and unique. He has a clear yet varied and diverse voice that is consistent throughout his illustrations and animations. He attributes this to a lot of exploration and drawing comic characters as a child.
AlZuhair comfortably switches between still drawings and moving images. “I like both. Animation is more challenging obviously because it’s more work. When I’m feeling micro I like illustration. When I’m feeling macro I like animation,” he says. A challenge isn’t something that stops him, he actually enjoys it as much as he enjoys bringing a character to life. Yet he does acknowledge that it is very time-consuming and requires better drawing skill.
Another common element in his short video animations is collaboration. He works others for things like music or typefaces. AlZuhair jokes that working with other artists means that there’s less work for him.
But he is also serious about it, “No honestly I think the best work can be brought out in collaborations. Not forced ones of course but when it clicks and you get in the zone a nice collab or partnership can be very inspiring,” he explains.
He’s also quite happy and excited about where the art community in Kuwait is going. He finds that a lot of it inspires him and feels that “we’re getting there”. He also finds inspiration in everyday life, the things he sees, reads and hears. But his real trick, is how he stays motivated, “By not reading the news,” he confesses.
To get more technical, his animations are also labor intensive and can take weeks to complete. And he uses different tools and techniques to finish what we as viewers consume in 30 seconds to a minute.
“I animate on Procreate on my iPad, then I export the footage to Adobe After Effects for compositing and other details. I don’t recommend it for serious animation though. It’s a good tool to start on or teach yourself on but eventually you want a Wacom and a proper animation program like TV Paint or Toon Boom,” AlZuhair describes his process and tools. He is very interested in constantly trying new things skills especially to prove to himself that he can do it.
AlZuhair is also community minded, which can be seen in the free Art Club that he hosts on Telegram. There he shares his thought processes and explains all the steps he takes and answers questions. So far, he has been doing most of the sharing but would love to see it become a place where people show all shorts of work and get direction and useful feedback from other artists, not just emoji responses.
If you’re into art, want help or guidance or to want to be part of an online art support community, check it out. You can find the link in his Instagram bio below. He hopes to add a premium tier to this for members who wish to be more involved.
When we asked him what his favorite piece was he told us that he doesn’t think he has created it yet. We know that he would like to get back into games and also wants to produce a mini animated series that he has had on the shelf for some years. Who knows his favorite thing might be one of those. Currently, though he is focused on creating an entity for his branding consultancy service. So, stay tuned for that and hit him up on Instagram in the meantime if you are interested.
To budding artists and animators he says that their best weapon is practice! “The more you do it the better you get, the less u do it the rustier you’ll get. It sucks but it’s really that simple. Also use the internet to your advantage. Find artists you like and see what they offer in terms of courses or tutorials. Or just learn for free on YouTube like I did. People are literally giving away free information in exchange for your attention,” he says. We can’t wait to see more of his lively and dynamic work.
UP CLOSE & PERSONAL QUESTIONNAIRE
What do you most value about your friends?
Honesty.
Which living person do you most admire?
My parents.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Vacation with the family.
What is your greatest extravagance?
Rib-eyes.
What is your most treasured possession?
My cat.
What is your greatest fear?
The world permanently becomes a Black Mirror episode.
What is your most marked characteristic?
Temporarily obsessing over things.
Which talent would you most like to have?
Music.
What is one trait you have that you are most grateful for?
I’m a quick learner.
What is the human trait you most dislike about others?
Entitlement.
What is it that you most dislike?
Wet socks.
Which words or phrases do you most overuse?
Innit.
What are your favorite words to live by?
Don’t be a bit$#.
Where would you most like to live?
On an island or mountain top somewhere secluded.
If you could have any job, what would it be?
Those guys on YouTube that travel the world and eat everything.
What would you consider your greatest achievement?
Selling my art internationally.
What do you hope for the future?
A mountain or island to retreat.
To find out more about Sulaiman and his art follow @salzuhair on Instagram.
