Anthony TungNing Huang

This interview has been edited for understanding and condensed.

Anthony’s Instagram: @nirvana.chaos

Anthony’s Website: anthonyhuangtn.com

Daniel: How long have you been printmaking and how did you get into it?

Anthony: Well, I been getting into printmaking since the start of 2020, when COVID actually started. It was a time when I was working on my masters of illustration in the Savannah College or Art and Design. I was trying to explore different kind of mediums, besides only doing illustration.

I took a intro to printmaking class, and that’s how everything started. Since then I have been working on it, and fell in love with it immediately. Then I felt like everything just made sense, and I felt I wanted to do more printmaking. At the time, it was at the end of my journey, in getting my masters of illustration. I thought I don’t want to restart everything why not just apply for another master, this time in printmaking after I finish?

So, I applied for school and I got into the University of Tennessee Knoxville and that’ my journey of being a printmaker. Wait, oh my god, it’s only been two years and a half. It just feels like I learned so much during this time. Even on half a year’s time because of quarantine and the pandemic, I still can’t not believe it!

Daniel: That is pretty awesome! It makes sense to me know, because when I was looking at your work I was amazed at your drawing skills. I would tell myself “He has some solid drawing skills”. You really are a great artist and draftsman. Your composition are so delicate and so well thought out.

It is amazing how you transfer your drawings into your prints. This is what led me to reaching out to you, I was nervous and wondered if you would even agree to talk!

Antony: Its funny because I am a starting printmaker, in comparison to other established artist. Also I started doing art, or being a trained artist in 2018, around the time I started my education on my art degree. Before that I was a journalism major in college, and I worked in theater for several years.

I always feel like “Dam its so weird”, to start doing art, it’s still like the magic of doing all this. Like talking to you, or about my skills. I always feel I am not that skillful, I need more practice. I always feel I compare to other artist or student with an art major. I feel like a starter, but I started getting better recently. I am ok, its ok, I’m getting better.

Daniel: You are very humble Anthony! If this is the beginning then its going to be amazing what is coming! Giving you the compliment because it is so true!

Moving on, what printmaking techniques do you currently work and what would you like to start working on?

Anthony: Well I play with a lot of mediums like a lot for artist do. I started with relief, I do a lot of woodcut. I also do a lot of litho and monotype. These different process are part of my major, I also do some etchings. I feel there is a lot of different kind of things through all these process and it fits who I am. It allow some different ways to make work, while allowing me to feel like I am still myself.

Daniel: How do you combat burn out or creative block? Do you ever get to a point where you don’t know what you are going to do next? Or just to overwhelmed to create?

Anthony: I think that every artist has this moment. It’s about your brain, you are doing things from your brain that you are constantly thinking all the time. For me I overthink all of the time, this happens to me in all of my projects. I think that is something that I was a little frustrated abut before, I like having a certain working flow. With printmaking you need to keep thinking, from the beginning to end.

Personally, I think that it is a very common thing. If something makes you feel you are a human being, this pains. It makes you appreciate when things happens, because otherwise you are doing the same thing. These things make you challenge yourself.

For me, this challenge and kind of suffering makes you a better artist and human being, it makes you develop. I am not sure how other artist think, just like doing different process. When you start learning you suffer, when you start doing a new process you suffer because you have no idea of what you are going to do next. You may have a certain idea, but eventually you burn out.

What I do, when I get to that point is just to keep going. Even when you do the same thing, just keep working. One time I reached out to my professor and I told him I keep doing the same thing, he told me to just keep working. Just keep working you are not a robot, just keep working. I am still suffering from, that I think as artist we all go through periods of that≠

Daniel: Thank you for answering that question, because when I get this question myself I respond with what has worked for me. However, that does not mean that it will work for everyone else.

Anthony: Exactly. When I was teaching all the things I have notice is comments regarding my style. If you don’t have a style, for if you feel something is not your style it just mean you have not worked enough. Even the greater artist have always changed their style. You will change the way you work.

Daniel: It is very true, I feel it is something I se often. Trying to imitate someone, or trying to create an esthetic when they have not worked enough yet. I remember when I was taking a drawing class our teacher told us that after our 50th drawing that is when we would begin to see our style or esthetic.

Anthony: Yeah, I think that a lot of beginner artist are too impatient with things. They forget the basics, even talented people learn not only an idea, but the why something happens. With my background as an illustrator I think that having foundations is very important, I was trained with drawing a lot on sketchbooks when I was doing my illustration degree.

That has thought me the way I work the way I am, it might not be a certain style but at least I began noticing there are different qualities that start on my sketchbook that guide me a lot. That is something that I have found in general about doing art, not just printmaking, is having a foundation because that will help you further in your development.

Daniel: What is one studio hack you can not live without? One of those things that if you don’t have it you don’t feel complete?

Anthony: I think the clean up system! Having an organized clean shop is something very important. I like certain thing being clean and organized, and starting from there I will have a fresh mind. So that means that I have to understand when I have a new studio or shop I can start with a flow. A flow. A nice clean up system is something that I have to have when I enter into a new studio.

Daniel: it is so funny you mention a cleaning system because you are the first person who brings that up. Folks I have talked with before always mention something like a a favorite pencil or gouge. I like hearing how important a cleaning system is for you.

Anthony: Well I don’t know of other artist. I also have my favorite gouge, I don’t want artist to hate me. If it is a messy shop I can’t work. Portably it’s a translation between English and Mandarin, but I want to explain this first. Don’t hate me people if I did not say I have a favorite gouge, because I do!

Daniel: Don’t worry at all. I totally get what you mean when it comes to saying things and figuring out if it makes sense or not. My first language is Spanish and I still find myself in that situation too.

We are getting close to the end of this interview. Next question I have is what piece of advice would you give a beginner artist or printmaker?

Anthony: Give printmaking more chance. Because personally I was lucky when I started printmaking I fell in love with it. I feel a lot of people start to not liking it. Some people don’t like carving and hurt themselves immediately holding gouge. That makes sense, because different people work different ways. With printmaking there are so many different process, that can fit different people.

I have notice that if students hate woodcut they love screen print. Give them a different chance, because it will help you do a lot of thing. It will change the way you think of printmaking, understand more. Also lot of beginner artist they got impatience of doing things.

They may say “oh I saw this artist, their print is so pretty so detail” and then start doing it, but the thing is they are not trained. They are beginner, they can not do the exact same thing, and they think “its so difficult I am going to quit” or ‘I don’t like it” and that is it.

Just like drawing you need more practice, no one is going to be great the first time you try. Personally I feel you have to trust yourself, and trust the process. Everything will be fine. Also, it is ok if you don’t like it, there are more process you can try. Personally for me printmaking is the best, its ok, just give more time.

Oh, also another advice, is be careful with your fingers, so you don’t cut it. Wash and clean thing carefully, if you are in a shared place wash things. Just think about it.

Daniel: Thank you! Yes, especially when you are in a shared studio, clean up your space!