Launch of The Pepper Project Art Book at AFA08
The Pepper Project, an art book dedicated to Pepper, a popular female character created and made popular by digital artist Artgerm, will make its debut at Anime Festival Asia 2008 which opens to the public on 22 November 2008.
Published by Imaginary Friends Studios (IFS), The Pepper Project art book features a comprehensive gallery of Artgerm's many recognized and admired Pepper drawings. It also showcases works by well-known artists invited to contribute pieces paying homage to the Pepper character, in addition to 100 winning entries selected from more than a thousand submissions by fans and art enthusiasts.
The 220-page hardcover book encased in a stylized sleeve is a treasure trove of art by professional artists and budding talents from many countries from Asia, Australia, the Americas and Europe.
Always looking to grow and develop his artistic abilities and inspire greater creative output, Artgerm used the concept of a female wearing headphones and dressed in red and replicated her in a variation of styles, settings and poses using different digital mediums. Pepper eventually became a cult mascot and acquired her own faithful following.
Pepper had become such an icon in her own right, so a book devoted to her seemed like a great idea? said Artgerm, "with fans creating tribute art almost from the beginning, I knew she had a huge following and that's why we opened it up to the public and other professional artists to submit their concepts of Pepper." This book includes much of my best and favourite Pepper pieces, and pieces done by IFS?artists and our friends, so it's a lot of premium art work that has been put together. Add to that the entries by the fans, which we were pleasantly surprised to find was not only of a high caliber but also really varied and innovative! Artgerm, key founder and Creative Director of IFS, will be on hand at their booth to meet fans and sign copies of The Pepper Project. As an added bonus, visitors at AFA 08 who purchase their copy of The Pepper Project at the IFS booth will get a free exclusive art print of Artgerm latest Pepper creation, signed by the artist himself.
Also to be on sale at the IFS booth is two of the Studios' other art books, Redux and Imagine PRIME, which is a second edition hardcover with a brand new jacket cover drawn and designed by Artgerm. Other art prints of the many works IFS has been commissioned to create will be on display and available for sale.
Throughout the 2 days of Anime Festival Asia 2008, various artists from IFS will be conducting live art demonstrations at their booth, showcasing their artistic skills and creative abilities. Aspiring artists can also have their portfolios reviewed by Artgerm and the other key founders and Senior Art Directors of IFS, Kendrick "Kunkka" Lim and Kai "Utikumuki" Lim.
About Imaginary Friends Studios
Imaginary Friends Studios (IFS) is a local homegrown concept art and illustration studio. Established by a group of established artists in 2005, IFS currently employs 30 artists from around Asia and Europe. Its headquarters is based in Singapore, it also has another satellite studio in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Many of the artists working in IFS grew up under the influence of animation, games, films and comics from both the East and the West. The artwork by the many artists boast a diversity of styles - from manga-inspired line art to Euro-fantasy paintings - a blend of elements from all ends of the cultural spectrum. Working primarily in the digital medium, IFS artists create works that are Asian in essence but mixed with Western influences that result in creative output that is both cosmopolitan and international in appeal.
IFS provides concept art for games, comics, cards, entertainment, film and animation projects. The studio counts Square Enix, Sony Online Entertainment, Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, Animax, DC Comics, Marvel Entertainment, Top Cow, Radical Comics, Games Workshop, Upper Deck, WizKids and many others on their ever-growing list of prestigious clients. Besides service work, IFS also created their own original content, one of which titled "FREEDOM FORMULA"is slated to be made into a live action, sci-fi film produced by Hollywood's Bryan Singer (X-men, Superman Returns).
IFS is the first of its kind in Southeast Asia and is the place-to-be for industry professionals and talented artists from not only Singapore but from around the world, allowing them to realise their dreams of becoming a professional concept artist.
Artgerm, otherwise known as Stanley Lau, is a key founder and the Creative Director of Imaginary Friends Studios, a digital art and illustration studio with offices in Singapore and Jakarta, Indonesia. Artgerm's online portfolio where many artworks and numerous depictions of Pepper are displayed, has garnered more than 5 million hits, and some of his more notable Pepper artworks have been featured in magazines, web articles and published in art books. A professional artist for the past 10 years, Artgerm has also worked as the Art Director for a major advertising agency and has an extensive background in graphic design.
Artgerm's mantra - "Art is my lifestyle"
To see more of Artgermî–¸ artworks, please visit http://artgerm.deviantart.com/
