Inside Kim Jung Gi's mesmerising sketchbook

Kim Jung Gi's virtuoso drawing skills have made him a YouTube sensation. His time-lapse videos show the art and design graduate covering vast canvases in intricate freehand sketches. His work has appeared in numerous short stories and comic books, including the six-volume Tiger the Long Tail, as well as his own exhibitions.

Here, he opens up his Moleskine and shares some incredible sketches, each showing how the South Korean spins a complex web of interwoven images ...

My new book

This drawing shows me receiving delivery of my 2013 sketchbook collection. It's the third one I've released. I hope it sells well.

Thoughts from abroad

This drawing is also based on real-life events. It shows me shopping for souvenirs in Malaysia, where I recently visited. It's a really nice country.

Unseen forces

Like all men in South Korea, I had to do national service. I was in the Special Forces section, where I memorised an amazing number of vehicles and weapons. I've always enjoyed drawing mechanical parts. This is more of a military dream – I'd love to be part of a history-making operation.

My world

I was born in Goyang-Si, in the South Korean province of Kyongki-Do. This is part of a comic series about my neighbourhood. This is what it's really like. I saw it with my own eyes!

Career path

I'm the oldest son of the family, so my parents didn't allow me to choose art as an occupation. It's kind of a Korean tradition that the oldest son tends to be the bread winner. But I was always doodling with my pencil, and eventually they realised that I was never meant to be a scholar.

The humble pen

I often draw using a ballpoint pen, which I really like. But I also use felt pens. It depends on the sketch. My advice: have fun while you're drawing. Don't force it.

Speed drawing

I have a lot of fun sketching at speed. This drawing, for example, took me just 40 minutes to complete.

Words: Kim Jung Gi

South Korea Kim’s virtuoso drawing skills have made him a YouTube sensation. His work has appeared in numerous short stories and comic books, including the six-volume Tiger the Long Tail, as well as his own exhibitions. This article originally appeared in ImagineFX magazine issue 104.