The Versatile Master Artist-Chapter 74 - 66: Double-Edged Sword

"So, who do you think Detective Cat really is?"

Last night, Gu Weijing was dealing with messages until the wee hours, and only got up today around lunchtime.

At the dining table,

as expected, Gu Weijing heard the family’s focus of discussion was also the new video from [Mr. Hibernian’s Channel].

The art circle is so small,

any news spreads like wildfire.

But in the past, the table talk was mostly about which Art Academy professor had an affair again, whose wife went to the office to make a scene, or whether a local painter’s new work might break through the ten thousand dollars threshold for low-tier international painters.

Now with such groundbreaking news, it’s naturally a hot topic.

"His sketching skills are impressive."

Gu Tongxiang took a sip of soup, looking at the wall-mounted TV in the dining room.

Their home has internet TV capable of streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney, so naturally, it can play the currently trending new video on YouTube.

At this moment, the video was giving a close-up of the mysterious artist Detective Cat’s work.

"Tsk tsk, look at that technique. Look at those muscle lines, tsk tsk..."

Gu Tongxiang tapped the table: "Weijing, look at that, solid fundamental art skills. Way ahead of you, not just by a small margin. You might have drawn a decent sketch of a model, but compared to a master, there’s still a huge gap."

Gu Weijing glanced up at his grandfather.

"?"

Although Gu Tongxiang spent a lifetime painting conscientiously,

his level indeed lagged behind that of great painters like Yakai Ichiro.

Part of it is due to the local art environment in Yangon. Another part is that Gu Tongxiang’s talent is limited.

He is a typical mediocre person as Anna would say, can recognize excellence but struggles to discern the difference between excellent and outstanding.

Moreover, Gu Tongxiang, like a typical Eastern elder, always emphasized strict discipline over encouragement in educating his children, fearing they would become complacent and waste their lives.

"What? You disagree?"

Gu Tongxiang accurately caught the strange expression on his grandson’s face.

"Not really, I think my painting is quite good too. Before his fame, Detective Cat was just an ordinary online illustrator." Gu Weijing shrugged.

"You, kid, seriously..."

The elder, like all parents admiring other people’s award-winning children, advised earnestly: "You say Detective Cat is just an ordinary online illustrator, yet he earned praise nearly on par with Master Jean Arnou in front of the judges of the professional ’Oil Painting’ magazine, can you do that?"

"You can’t; you don’t have the ability."

"Never mind matching Master Jean Arnou, if you can get on any oil painting magazine before you’re thirty-five, I can die in peace."

Gu Tongxiang was haunted by the fact that despite a lifetime of painting, he never appeared in any reputable art magazine’s ’Buyer’s Guide.’

It’s not solely because his international art market reputation is too low.

From the magazine’s perspective, the elder’s paintings are mediocre, and he’s old.

He was born in an art wasteland.

Such painters really don’t provide any investment advice worth writing.

They fall into the category of ’buy if you like them, but don’t have high hopes.’

"Art, to put it bluntly, is made stroke by stroke. Seeing others succeed, don’t get jealous, don’t envy. They paint well, but who knows how much hard work they put in. It’s just about practice. If you practice thousands or tens of thousands of sketches, you can have those skills too. The worst is being worse than others yet not admitting it, and becoming complacent just because of a few compliments."

"How much do you think Detective Cat’s paintings sell for now?"

The aunt, with her accounting background, was clearly more concerned about the numbers. Artistic skills worthy of masters also require market recognition.

In terms of recognition and background value in the art circle, Detective Cat is worlds apart from Van Doorn and Jean Arnou.

A couple of outstanding works may not determine the market, and as the judges said — this is ultimately just a viral competition, where the prices of those high-end illustrations are quite inflated, largely depending on fame and hype.

Master Menzel himself left nearly ten thousand sketches.

The truly circulating works in the market, some not well-preserved, can be bought for just a few thousand dollars.

Ordinary premium-level colored pencil drawings or sketches — at typical Sotheby’s or Christie’s art auctions, these are usually warm-up pieces, with starting prices around a thousand dollars.

Illustrations are at the bottom of the painting hierarchy, and colored pencil drawings are not highly regarded even among illustrations.

The piece mentioned in the video, that solely with brilliant brushwork, sold for fifty-eight thousand dollars at the Himalayan Art Auction — the Indian illustration ’Fairy in the Forest.’

Apologies, that is actually a legitimate mid-sized oil painting.

"Hard to say, illustrations, after all, are the art forms most influenced by traffic; fame equals money. Though he was unknown in the art circle before, just relying on this video, with some marketing by an agency for Detective Cat, his value could easily multiply by one hundred times."

The uncle thought for a moment and roughly estimated.

"It’s quite a bit of money. Painting one oil painting, even at a slow pace, is enough time to draw a hundred pencil sketches. This leap from the industry’s lowest-tier illustrator to the wealthy class is truly fortunate."

The uncle sighed.

"Indeed fortunate, but also a pity. With such a solid foundation, yet starting out selling illustrations online. Although Detective Cat has become famous, his artistic ceiling is just there. The ten-dollar online illustrator tag is both a blessing and a curse."

Mr. Gu patted Gu Weijing’s shoulder.

"Our family isn’t lacking the money to support your studies, if you need pocket money, just tell grandpa. What I want you to learn is the level of sketching from others, not to sell anime illustrations online. Your prospects in art are bright, just don’t mimic Detective Cat by selling art online to make money. We’re counting on you to become famous and make a name; if you had Detective Cat’s skills naturally, it would be okay too.

But you don’t have them. With your current level, selling art online could easily ruin your future reputation."

Mr. Gu earnestly advised.

"Uh... sure."

Gu Weijing quietly put down his bowl.

He knew what his grandfather meant.

His dream is to become a great painter, not a great comic artist, that’s a huge difference.

If it weren’t for the money needed to enhance his painting experience, it certainly wouldn’t be his grandfather’s pocket money.

He wouldn’t think of selling anime illustrations online.

It’s not that he looks down on illustrators.

It’s just that art also emphasizes circles.

A large number of works by an illustrator can significantly dilute one’s future market value.

Take Da Vinci for example, even though there are hundreds of works out there, once you remove those in museums, the ones remaining with private collectors as family heirlooms.

The works truly circulating in the market are only 8.

No one can claim Da Vinci’s sketches are superior to Menzel’s sketches.

But just two playing-card-sized sketches can sell for a million pounds, and those are the pounds of the millennium.

Rarity makes things precious, this is an objective economic rule.

An objective rule is considered objective because it’s effective in any field, even in the emotional realm of art, there are no exceptions.

To speak purely from a utilitarian perspective.

If Da Vinci had thousands of works circulating in the market, with a dozen special auction events every year, no matter how well he painted, they wouldn’t be valued as much money.

And painters aren’t gods hovering in the sky, they also have human longings, and everyone values connections.

That’s why mentors are so important.

Because brothers and sisters, seniors and juniors, colleagues from the same gallery naturally prefer to support each other.

It’s not only in Asia, European and American galleries, especially pedigree-focused British ones, also emphasize this, with their fair share of workplace undercurrents.

The background of online cheap painters is akin to the laymen in the scientific community, at best equated with research dogs from low-ranking schools of second-rate majors in academies.

It’s difficult to secure a full professorship, and beyond that, unless you’re really exceptional...

For a painter, being regarded as an illustrator is akin to being seen as a pretty-boy in the entertainment circle.

In some people’s eyes, your ceiling is set.

Xiaolizi’s acting is so good, but because he debuted as a pretty-boy, he wasn’t favored by the judging bodies and chased after the Oscars for years.

There are unwritten rules in the art circle, creating works with serious subjects is akin to playing classical music, while drawing illustrations is like singing pop songs.

Even if every album goes platinum, the Golden Hall in Vienna is unlikely to welcome the latter.

Whether illustration is a form of art, or just being hired like a taxi driver by employers, it’s a question without an answer.

But the reality is that top great painters on the rich list of artists almost never originate from comics or illustrations, that’s the actuality.

Pop singers make more money, but illustration indeed can’t fetch high prices.

Mr. Jean Arnou is already a pinnacle figure in the illustration world, purely from the perspective of social influence, he’s comparable to Elder Cao.

Yet Miss Elina’s review still is "Spending a million dollars commissioning is not a wise investment."

The ceiling in the illustration world is still illustration, the upper limit is just there.

Needless to say Elder Cao, any of Elder Cao’s current disciples’ paintings sell for more than Mr. Jean Arnou’s.

This is the disdain chain in painting.

For small painters, it naturally doesn’t matter, no matter how low the ceiling of illustration is, it’s not something anyone can reach.

Whether it’s Cao Xuan or Jean Arnou, most people in this world see them as distant figures.

The identity of a web painter is certainly beneficial for Gu Weijing in the short term, but in the long run, once he steps into the art market, it might be a double-edged sword.

Taking orders online is one thing, just best not to let people associate themselves too much with you.

"Where are you going?"

Mr. Gu asked strangely.

"Oh, I’m going to the gallery to take down my painting draft, having seen Detective Cat’s master level, I feel my work isn’t fit for display in the gallery."

"Hmm... In front of masters, having a modest heart is a good thing, well done."

Gu Tongxiang praised.