011: Francis Labrador

Francis Labrador, also known as Mad Studio Productions, is an art teacher for the Guam Department of Education and a freelance artist.

His life as an artist began in high school through his late teacher Ms. Zucker. While he learned mostly through independent studies and observation, the opportunities that Ms. Zucker provided him exposed him to the joys of competition and self-expression. In college, his professors’ critiques helped him elevate himself to his fullest potential.

Nowadays, He is working on his comic book, using an illustrative style that combines elements from both American and Japanese comics. Using this unique art style as a mold, Labrador takes inspiration from manga, comic books, landscapes, and history to harness his creativity and construct a commission or block out the storyline for his comic book.

To read Francis’ interview, continue reading below. Also, check out his Facebook page!

Describe what you do.

I am primarily an art educator for GDOE for over 22 years. Prior to that, I did freelancing as an artist. I have learned to balance my work as a teacher and freelance artist over time. Not only do I teach art, but have also done murals, commissioned works, caricatures, illustrations, storyboards, logo and shirt designs, digital art, menus, and graffiti art.

How would you define art?

Art is our unique stamp to our humanity and imagination. It is that one element that makes us different, much like our fingerprints.

Why did you choose your art form?

I chose to primarily become a visual/digital artist because it is the form I am most comfortable with. Since my childhood, I practiced drawing and painting on paper and on walls.

How has your ethnicity/race affected the type of art you make?

My ethnicity has no effect on my art. At a young age, I grew up in a melting pot of culture. So, I became adapted to American culture by being exposed to comic books like X-Men, Avengers, and Spiderman. I was also an 80s baby, so I got into its cartoon culture as well, such as Transformers, He-Man, and Ninja Turtles. I only started to get exposed to my Filipino culture when I was tasked by the Philippine Embassy to showcase a series of work at their office. Although it was a wonderful experience, it did not veer me away from what I usually do as an artist.

How did your high school/college years affect the work you make today?

I didn't learn much during my high school years, except painting. I learned most of everything through practice and independent research and observations. However, I was exposed to opportunities from my late teacher Ms. Zucker. Because of her, I valued competition (winning many art competitions) and the need to express myself to the public. Being recognized for my art is very intoxicating even until now. In college, I started to learn more about art. The difference between high school and college is that in high school, the teachers do not focus on your technique or mistakes. As long as I achieve the minimum requirements, they are happy with my work. However, in college, the professors were vicious. They made me, at times, question my abilities and want to quit doing art. But, I began to realize that their negative criticism was a technique to force the best out of me and help me escape the delusion that I am one of the best artists in the world who does not need to be corrected. Only through them did I realize my full potential.

Who do you idolize?

Jim Lee was the person I idolized even today. He not only perfected his craft, but was able to produce interesting storylines for his characters. I am always attracted to his art style.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I get my inspiration from so many things; from anime, manga, and comic books, to the unique landscapes and history of the world. I guess, I get drawn to something that is often not mundane.

What do you do when you're stuck on an artwork or lacking motivation or inspiration?

This is the hardest part as an art educator. My professor Mr. Babauta once told me there are two kinds of artists; the starving artist and the art teacher. The difference is that although starving, your passion continues on until you complete your goal. Only then will you be satisfied with the results and no longer starve. But, as an art teacher, your passion will come up then dissipate after a while because of your extra responsibilities of your profession. Even though you have financial cushion, you can never complete your artistic goals and often feel empty or defeated at times. With that said, to maintain my sanity and motivation as an artist, I give time to do art by accepting client jobs. Rather than just produce personal work, I become more satisfied getting the praises from a client and having my art exposed and accepted by others through them.

What do you like incorporating most into your art?

What I like to incorporate most in my artwork is my creativity. I have been praised countless times from my clients, as well as colleagues, relatives and friends on how creative and unique my works are.

What is something that you add to your art as your signature?

I do have a logo that I leave on most my works, usually the Mad Studio stamp logo. One example is the public library mural in Agana. But, I think I have developed a unique, illustrative style in my art that people can recognize. It is a fusion between anime and US comic book-style drawing.

Take us through your process for making art.

When I do art, my work process differs when it comes to a client or a theme. However, when it comes to personal work, the first thing I do is read my storyline. Since I am currently working on a personal comic book, I began creating panels and sketches to illustrate my storyline. After I finish one storyline full of panels, I go back to the beginning of it and start drawing/inking my characters. After reaching the end, I go back again and do the backgrounds in each panel. After reaching the end, I go back and do shading and shadows. The process continues on from coloring and lettering. I do this because trying to complete a full page before going to the next feels like a slow process. I also start to lose motivation if I barely see it going anywhere. At least, with my current method of doing things, I know that each step brings me closer to completing my comic book.

What do you struggle with the most when making art?

Time is my greatest struggle. As a teacher, I am overwhelmed with lesson planning, grading, and secretarial work. So, often times I would try to complete a weeks lesson in two days, so I can have time for personal art.

What role do artists have in society?

Because artists are more exposed to imagination and creativity we become magicians. We are able to create fascinating images in our environment, whether it be a sculpture in a garden, a mural on a wall, or a painting at home. Having these individuals in our society will never be boring and can be motivating and entertaining for others.

What characteristics do you think all artists share?

All of us have this innate characteristic of competing. Since high school and until now with my colleagues, we all agree that we have this sense of competitiveness within us whenever we see each other's artwork. It is like, "I find it cool, but I think I can do better" mindset.

What’s your favorite place in Guam?

I don't have a favorite place, but I do go to places that I feel comfortable working in such as Infusion, Subway Tamuning Mobile, McDonalds Tamuning, my classroom, and of course, my living room. It depends on my mood.

How has your artwork evolved over time?

I have been able to develop an illustrative style between American and Japanese style comics. In high school, I was very much like a Marvel comic book artist. Then when I was exposed to Dragonball and manga, I started drawing that style. However, over time, I managed to fuse them together to create a personal and distinctive style.

Why did you choose to become an artist?

I chose to become an artist because I am good at it. I would never choose a profession that I am not motivated in, proud of, or good at. Being an artist motivates me to wake up each day and breathe life.

Do you have any tips for aspiring artists?

My advice is trace. Tracing is often looked down on as a cheating technique, but it is more like learning how to bike with training wheels. Keep tracing until you develop the muscle memory to draw things on your own. When I was young, I would trace my favorite cartoon characters by waiting for them to pop up on my tube television, then overlapping paper to trace them before they disappear. People who look down on tracing are those who are uncomfortable with their skillset and often jealous that someone is doing something better than them because of tracing.

Is your art geared towards a specific audience?

My art style can change at any time. What I mean by that is, I can easily shift to expressionism, french impressionism, minimalism, etc. But, I believe my main art style is more geared towards my age group (30-40) to teens and youths.

012: Yeon Sook Park

010: Lae Morales