I Became an All-round Artist

On his way home after school, Lin Yuan reflected on the new knowledge he had acquired. This time, he had gained professional-level drawing skills.

However, those who truly understand art know that the term “professional-level” is far too broad to describe one’s abilities. There are so many different styles and techniques in the world of drawing, each requiring its own set of skills.

Just by categorizing the types of art, you can see how complicated things get. There are ink paintings, oil paintings, printmaking, watercolors, gouache, sketches, and countless other styles. It becomes even more intricate if you break it down by medium or materials used.

So, let’s just focus on the most influential art forms on Blue Star. In terms of popularity and impact, the top categories are traditional Chinese painting, oil painting, watercolor, gouache, and sketching.

On Earth, oil painting holds a higher international standing compared to traditional Chinese painting, but on Blue Star, where Eastern aesthetics dominate, traditional Chinese painting ranks at the top, with oil painting coming in second.

As for Lin Yuan’s professional-level drawing skills... it’s not that the system’s description was too vague. Instead, Lin Yuan’s new abilities spanned multiple popular categories! He now had expertise in Chinese painting, oil painting, gouache, watercolor, and sketching.

“Let’s put it to the test tonight,” Lin Yuan thought as he passed by a stationery shop. On impulse, he stepped inside.

He bought paints, a drawing board, brushes, and paper. Professional art supplies are notoriously expensive, and Lin Yuan spent over a thousand yuan on just the materials for watercolor, gouache, and sketching.

“I’ll save the materials for oil and ink painting for later,” Lin Yuan decided. He wanted to start with something simpler, since sketching, gouache, and watercolors are more common in everyday life.

After leaving the store, he hailed a cab—there was no way he could carry everything home by himself.

Back at home, Lin Yuan set up his drawing station on the balcony. He began by sharpening his pencils, preparing to start with a sketch.

Most art students need to practice by copying existing sketches, but Lin Yuan, at a professional level, didn’t need any reference. He could rely purely on his memory and imagination to complete a drawing. His first sketch? A self-portrait.

Many sketch artists begin by drawing themselves.

However, a single pencil won’t suffice for a sketch. Different pencils create different kinds of lines, so Lin Yuan sharpened a dozen pencils in total.

First, he used a common 2B pencil to sketch the basic outline. In sketching, this is often used to create the large framework, or the “three parts of the face and five eyes” technique. Though other artists might have their own preferences for pencils, 2B is a staple for the foundation.

Once the framework was complete, Lin Yuan began fleshing out the details. Sketching is about building upon the basic structure by outlining and shading. Lin Yuan was, of course, familiar with his own features, so it was easy for him to capture the nuances of his eyes, nose, and other characteristics with precision.

“The smoothness of these lines...” Lin Yuan murmured to himself.

Linework is one of the most crucial aspects of sketching. Many beginners struggle because they can’t master the lines. But Lin Yuan could effortlessly draw dozens of parallel lines, identical in thickness and length—something a novice could never achieve.

Next came the shading. The direction of the light determines the shadows. Whether in gouache or sketching, the emphasis is always on shading to create depth and realism. What people often refer to as “3D effect” is primarily driven by shading, which in turn depends on the quality of the lines. Dense lines clustered together form the shadowed areas of the sketch.

“Phew...” Lin Yuan exhaled after two hours of work, finally completing his self-portrait.

The speed at which he finished was only possible due to his high level of skill. Even for experienced artists, completing a detailed sketch can take several hours. Quick sketches, which are done in 15 to 30 minutes, are a different category known as "gesture drawing." Though gesture drawing is technically a type of sketch, its level of detail is far less than what Lin Yuan had just produced.

Taking a few steps back to examine his self-portrait, Lin Yuan nodded with satisfaction.

The professional-level drawing skills didn’t disappoint. The self-portrait had both the form and spirit of its subject. If Lin Yuan were to show it to others, it would surely earn praise. Sketching is a direct, realistic form of art, and even those without artistic knowledge can appreciate its beauty.

“It looks just like me!” he thought.

For most people, the accuracy of resemblance is the main criterion for judging a good sketch. Although that might be a bit simplistic, it’s an adequate measure. To capture an accurate likeness, an artist must already have mastered shading and linework.

“Time for a shower and some sleep,” Lin Yuan decided. After confirming his skill level, he headed to the bathroom to clean up. His hands were already smudged with graphite—a common occurrence for any artist.

And that was just from sketching. While drawing, Lin Yuan had occasionally used his thumb to smudge areas for a softer effect (tissue paper can also be used for this). If he had been painting with gouache or oil, he would’ve likely gotten paint on his clothes too.

Anyone with a cleanliness obsession would struggle with such a messy process. Those who have practiced calligraphy may have a sense of this.

After washing up, Lin Yuan lay down to sleep, but the system suddenly reappeared:

“Congratulations on completing your first piece of artwork. A new task has been assigned: Achieve 1,000 fame points in drawing within three months!”

“I accept,” Lin Yuan responded without hesitation.

The system seemed aware that earning fame in art isn’t easy, so the target was set relatively low. Reaching 1,000 points would be enough for now.

[Task Name: Path of the Artist]

[Task Objective: Achieve 1,000 fame points in drawing within three months. Method is up to you.]

[Task Reward: One silver chest, one bronze chest]

Lin Yuan was surprised. The task didn’t seem too difficult, yet the rewards were generous, including a silver chest! He realized there was no way he could ignore this task.

“The system seems to want me to develop in a well-rounded way,” Lin Yuan mused.

Finally, he understood why it was called the "Art System." Painting, music, and literature were all important pillars of the arts.

“Tomorrow, I’ll look into ways to earn some fame. I should probably also learn digital painting. With my professional skills, it shouldn’t be too hard to incorporate technology,” Lin Yuan thought.

Though the system had given him professional-level drawing skills, it didn’t include digital techniques, so he’d have to learn that part himself.

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