Self Interview

Tell me about yourself

Hi, I’m Puuung. My real name is Dami Park. I was born in 1992 in South Korea. I've loved drawing since I was very young. I'm quiet and shy, but I was quieter when I was young. I think it was easier to draw than to speak. When I drew a picture, I felt like I was saying what I wanted to say more calmly, which was very good. I liked moving pictures because I was usually static. So I loved animation. Naturally, I went to university in an animation department, but my school life was not just fun. I wasn't very good at drawing. I knew that I wasn't good enough, so I think I worked hard on whatever the professors told me to do. I drew when they told me to draw, and I thought when they told me to think. I couldn't even refuse the excessive outsourcing foolishly. I stayed up all night drawing to finish my work somehow. This kind of life was repeated, so I ended up in a slump, and I hated the drawing that I had liked with all my heart. After I hated drawing, the whole world seemed to lose its light, as if it had faded. I thought I shouldn't live like this. So I decided to draw a picture for me even once a day. Since it was a picture for me, it was filled with things I like, such as cozy spaces, love stories, and cats. This is why I've drawn little moments of love. I started making this series into animation with the idea of doing more things that I like. Thanks to this, I'm still busy working these days.

 

How old were you when you first started digital art?

The first time I drew on a computer was when I was around 14. I don't remember how I got the tablet, but that was the first time I had one. I was so into drawing on a tablet with my school friends. I used the tablet all the time until high school, but it broke at some point. However, it broke down very vaguely; it wasn't possible to draw, but it was possible to color, and I had to draw on paper and color with a tablet. Even after I bought a good tablet, I have continued that method. This work process is unique, but it has become my own characteristic that reveals the sensitivity of pencil drawing well.

 

Do you any other hobby?

I like games. Since the Corona Pandemic, I have rarely left the house due to restrictions on outside activities, and I think I usually played games except during working hours. Not long ago, I used to enjoy Monster Hunter, and I'm enjoying Steam Games these days.

 

What does Puuung mean?

Puuung is an onomatopoeia that comes out when something bursts in Korean. Actually, it doesn't mean much, and I don't remember exactly when and how it was named. It's PUNG if you can spell it in English according to the original pronunciation. When I made a new ID somewhere, I entered it with PUNG, but it popped up as an already existing ID, so I made the ID by putting in a lot of U without much thought. If I had known it would continue to be used like this, I would have thought harder and built it nicely. But on the one hand, I like the pronunciation because it's cute. The word's meaning is also meaningful, but there is an atmosphere that the intonation gives. In that sense, my name is good, and it's also lovely that foreigners pronounce it awkwardly. As I have used this name for a long time, I have a lot of affection.

 

Where do you get inspiration?

When I think about what to draw, I first look at the background references. In the past, I used to read many architectural books and interior magazines, and these days, I look up a lot of materials through Pinterest or the internet. I think the place is essential. I believe the story that will unfold changes depending on what space the characters are in. For example, the characters' behavior depends on whether they are in the bathroom or a cafe. I determine in advance what to draw while imaging what the characters are doing in this space. I also get inspiration from daily life. I am a simple, often moved by little things. For example, I eat chocolate, stare at the beautiful moon, and talk with people I love. I get inspiration from little scenes that make me happy. It also contains my stories, things I want to do with my loved one someday, and experiences of friends and family.

 

Is the main characters inspired in your real life relationship?

All the characters in my work are virtual. However, I think the main characters, D, M, and Garfield, resemble me. M's innocent and playful appearance, D's sweet personality, and Garfield's laziness. It's all about me. That's why they were named after my initials. It's Dami's D and M. The reason why the two jobs are architects and scientists is a little simple. When I set up the characters, I was interested in that field. I designed M's job while listening to the stories of my architect friends. I also designed D's job with the advice of a scientist friend and a science YouTuber. B and E's jobs were also designed while making D. I wanted to show you comfortable and lovely little moments of a couple through D and M. I wanted to draw the pure appearance of falling in love for the first time through F and P, and I wanted to draw the appearance of blooming love among old friends through E and B. Many people expect that my work is my real life, but it's not true. I am not married yet, and I don't have a great house like in my drawing. Almost all backgrounds in my drawings are from my imagination.

 

What software do you use to produce animations?

I use Photoshop, TVPaint, After Effects, and Protools as software to make animations. To explain in more detail, I sketch the background on paper with a pencil, scan it, and then color it with Photoshop. And I make animations and color them with TVPaint. Also, I use Protools to add sound effects to the video and use After Effects as the last step to edit and complete the animation. I also use a tablet, Wacom Cintiq, as a device, and sometimes I use Procreate to draw and color on my iPad.