In this installment of “Burlington’s Got Talent,” we are spotlighting Beck, an artist with a keen eye and unique talent for animation and storytelling. From a young age, Beck had a passion, gift — and competitiveness — for art. He actually started his journey in art when his best friend began to draw. “My best friend got really good at art, my competitive side kicked in and I wanted to be better than her, so I started drawing too,” he explained. He stated that he would sit for hours in his room and even in school, sketching different pieces and characters, and making his own unique artworks. He would draw on the corners of his worksheets, the backs of his tests; anywhere a pen or pencil could make a mark was a canvas to Beck.
Eventually, what started out as a competition between two best friends turned into a true passion for Beck. On Beck’s birthday that year, Beck’s parents took him to get his first sketchbook. Since then, he has owned and filled many more with his artwork.
Here are a few of the sketches found in his sketchbooks:
As a movie and comic enthusiast, Beck has also taken a lot of his inspiration from the movies, TV shows, and comics that he has watched and read, like Lord of the Rings, Marvel’s offerings, and many more. One of his favourite things to do is actually take scenes from his favourites, and recreate or redraw them by hand.
A major inspiration for Beck is currently The Sandman, a fantasy and mythical comic series by Neil Gaiman. The story follows a godly being named “Dream” and his journey to restore order to his realm after escaping from decades-long imprisonment. Beck explains, “The storyline is cool and unique and the art style is also very edgy. It’s not like the traditional comic art that we see, which is super interesting!” Below are some of Beck’s recreations of scenes in the series.
Beck’s creativity even spills into his regular schoolwork. For instance, for a philosophy assignment during the previous school year, Beck decided to create a comic of the “pirate version of The Ship of Theseus, but with a funny twist at the end,” which he titled “Westerly Wind.” He spent over forty hours drawing and shading each individual frame by hand. He even took the time to format it into a real book. Have a read of the story below:
When asked what his current projects are, Beck excitedly revealed a process photo from a self-portrait inspired by the style of fantasy artist Tim Hildebrandt, which Beck is working on as an art class project.
Beck knows that art is and will always be a big part of his life. He has developed his own unique style by pulling features from the classic comics we all know and love, and incorporating a modern twist along with his own unique edge. In fact, Beck plans to go into animation next year at Sheridan College to pursue his talents further and later go into the film industry. He nodded to this industry’s challenges and competitiveness stating that it is very connection-based and tough to get into, especially for new artists. “Getting a contract and job security is definitely going to be a challenge,” he explains, “But I just want to work with film and art, the two things I love the most.”
Interested in learning more about Beck’s journey in art? Make sure to give him a follow on Instagram at @sherlophocer, where he posts his artwork and processes.
“Burlington’s Got Talent” is a newly developed column where we will be featuring a multitude of talents and creative projects from different people all across the cityBurlington. If you are a local artist, storyteller, or have a unique talent you would like to share, please send an email to talent.localnews@gmail.com for an opportunity to be featured.
