Minkyu Lee / Animation /

Film Writer, Director and Artist

[minkyuanim]

The Merman Issue #0 : Prologue

"Soon came the age of the Sorcerer Kings."

My web graphic novel "The Merman" is available to read now on OutofTownComics.com

Out of Town Comics, Merman, Character Design by Minkyu Lee

[minkyuanim]

You can read the prologue issue of my web graphic novel, The Merman, online now:

Excited to share something I’ve been working on:

I created Out of Town Comics so that I could house and share my own comics and graphic novels (and other projects). You can visit outoftowncomics.com if you wanna check it out, and read the prologue issue of my web graphic novel, the Merman. Best viewed on Desktop for now, as I optimize for the phone.

[minkyuanim]

Some problems only witches can solve.

Character Design by Minkyu Lee

[minkyuanim]

do you have an online page with more of your works?

Yes! 

You can view my work on minkyulee.com

and also my instagram: instagram.com/_minkyulee

[minkyuanim]

WITCH.

[minkyuanim]

https://www.instagram.com/_minkyulee/

Hey all! :)

Just a little reminder that I changed my username on instagram to @_minkyulee, in case any of the links below aren’t working!

[minkyuanim]

I made a website! Along with my work in animation, it’ll be where you can check out my webcomic, and I’m hoping to sell prints and books as well! (Updates will be posted here in my instagram) It works best when viewed on a desktop. The iPhone view is not great :/ 

[minkyuanim]

Thanks to everyone’s encouraging response to the post below, I’ve decided to make the “half-elf and mermaid” story as a webcomic! I’m aiming to release first issue in summer.(for now🤞🏼) I’ll be sharing the process here on Instagram, hoping it to be a natural and organic development process. Can’t wait to share this story with you all!:) #graphicnovel #webcomic#storytime

[minkyuanim]

Went to a concert a little while ago, and I wanted to recreate what I saw looking down at the crowd from the balcony.(Fonda Theater, Hollywood) 

// I have a few announcements that I’m very excited about coming in the near future so stay tuned!:)

Character Design by Minkyu Lee

[minkyuanim]

One of the stories I’ve been developing in the back of my mind. He’s a half-elf and she’s a magic-wielding mermaid, and together as the last remnants of their species, they journey in search for their kin and the mysterious place they’ve disappeared to, while protecting themselves from the dangers of the humans that hunt them.

[minkyuanim]

Who said all sage-type wizards need to wear weathered robes and have long beards with hair coming out of their ears? I had a character idea I wanted explore about a Gandalf-type wizard who cares about detail and finesse- an idea I found quite charming. Black sued wizard’s hat hand-stitched in Italy.. Wool cape trimmed with velvet mohair.. And a Palisander Rosewood Staff with woven natural leather handle and silver plated shoe. Plus he’s a sass-atronic shade-machine. Might be developing more of him.:)

[minkyuanim]

So... I did watch Phantom Thread and I did love it.

[minkyuanim]

Hello. Mr. Lee! I was wondering what movies you would recommend for people to watch or What movies you like. I know that the preference or the taste of it always changes as we grow, but I was curious. Thank you so much for reading this question, and Have a wonderful day!!

Hello its-tj-bae,

Thanks for the fun question. I’m actually going to try something new, and instead of just sounding off my fave film list, I’m gonna just go stream of consciousness and see which movies comes up that are stuck in my consciousness right now.

Meshes of the Afternoon (Deren, Hammid), Andrei Rublev (Tarkovsky), Marie Antoinette (Coppola), Pierrot le Fou (Godard), Cleo from 5 to 7 (Varda), La Jatte (Marker), Encounters at the End of the World (Herzog), Hedgehog in the Fog (Norstein), Hedwig and the Angry Inch (John Cameron Mitchell), Wild Strawberries (Bergman), Fantasia (Disney), La Belle et la Bete (Cocteau)

Enjoy!

[minkyuanim]

I did a drawing of some random, totally normal high school girls.;)

[minkyuanim]

Hello! I am an art student, and also a big fan of your art. I was wondering if you could give me some tips and pointers on how to give my character more personality. I always can tell what your characters feeling at that moment. Which is a really awesome thing! Haha! Happy holidays!😊 -Gwynne

Hello Gwynne,

thanks for your kind words. 

I try to first envision the characters I’m drawing as real people. And try to think and feel what they may be thinking and feeling in that moment.

In order to do this to the extent that the drawing is “strongly felt” by the viewer, I believe that the artist needs a large visual vocabulary for human behavior. And to do that, it’s my belief that people need to be very empathic. That means, you need to be able to see other people and be very sharp-eyed and aware of their thoughts, feelings, and attitudes, and really understand it. I’ve seen many solid draftsmen who can communicate complex forms in dimension very well, but not those unspeakable human nuances or subtitles. And it’s my personal belief(subject to change as I grow) that it is because they don’t have the same sensitivity or empathic observation capacity as they probably could if they were aware. 

I try to observe other human beings as much as I can, and try to understand them as much as I can. I do believe my appreciation of my own empathy toward others, however big or small it may actually be, helps me create characters with believable personalities.

[minkyuanim]

Moana Visual Development, Part 3

The vignettes. 

Here are some story vignettes that I did for Moana-- Moana sailing off to sea, The bioluminescence of the sea rescuing Moana, and a take on the “Underworld”. Fun fact: There used to be a totem sculpture/tiki-inspired character in the early stages of development, that you can spot in the third underworld piece.

[minkyuanim]

Moana Visual Development, Part 2 

“The Brothers”.

At one point in the story development, Moana had 9 older brothers, who sailed off leaving Moana behind, and who Moana eventually had to rescue!

Designing them, I thought it would be a fun idea to give them each a distinct personality, and to have their personalities reflected in the way they wear their lavalavas (The garments around their waist).

Bro No.1 = The leader, most like his father.

Bro No.2 = The warrior.

Bro No.3 = The artist and dreamer, and who Moana feels closest to.

Bro No.4 = The easygoing lovable big guy.

Bro No.5 & 6 = Twins who were amazing at rowing in synchronicity.

Bro No.7 = The lady’s man who was a great dancer.

Bro No.8 = The annoying loud one.

Bro No.9 = The aloof weird one.

And Moana’s the 10th child of the chieftain, and the first daughter.