About Chung Hsien Tsai
Second place winner of Hobby/ Model category
My name is Tsai Chung Hsien, and I live in Taipei, Taiwan. I've loved playing with model kits since I was a child, but I only assembled them without painting. I majored in Japanese in university, and after graduating, I became an ordinary office worker. However, I wasn’t happy with the typical nine-to-five lifestyle. Later, I decided to quit my job and open a restaurant, but in 2021, the pandemic forced me to close it down. After closing the restaurant, I started a full-time career in model building on a friend's recommendation, and it was then that I began airbrushing models. I've been fortunate, as I quickly established myself in the model building community by working on garage kits (GK) of popular virtual YouTubers (Vtubers). Now, I have a steady stream of orders. I'm very happy to be able to do this work, as it allows me to manage my time freely and gives me a sense of accomplishment that I never had as an office worker.
Winner’s Interview
1. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself, what is your background? When did you start airbrushing and what was the learning process like for you?
I am 40 years old, and I don’t have a background in art; I majored in Japanese in university. However, I’ve been interested in drawing since I was a child. Building model kits became a hobby of mine after I started working, but at that time, I only assembled them without painting. The real opportunity to start airbrushing models came in 2021, the year when the pandemic hit Taiwan the hardest. I had to close down the restaurant I was running and was left with time on my hands. It was then that a friend asked if I would be interested in doing model painting as a service, and that’s when I began seriously practicing airbrushing.
2. Can you tell us a bit more about your winning entry piece? How / why did you choose it? How long did it take, and what inspired you?
I decided to submit this piece because I had just finished it and I was very satisfied with the result. Also, I didn’t have enough time to complete a new project before the submission deadline, so there wasn’t any particular reason beyond that. This character is a very popular virtual YouTuber, and since I like her a lot, working on this model was enjoyable and never felt tiresome. The entire process took about three weeks.
3. What challenges did you encounter during the creation of this piece? What is your favorite part of the work, and why? What airbrush techniques did you use in this creation?
Airbrushing and brush painting are quite different. When using a brush, you can feel the feedback from the surface, making it easier to control techniques like line thickness and shading. With an airbrush, you can’t directly see where the paint is being applied, and it takes time to get used to controlling the pressure. However, once you get the hang of it, it's easy to create gradients and layered shading effects. Compared to brush painting, I believe airbrushing has an advantage in terms of versatility and speed. Nowadays, I actually prefer airbrushing over touch-up work with a brush.
"I hope that the models I airbrush can be recognized as works of art rather than just toys."
4. What does airbrushing mean to you and what drives your passion for airbrushing and creating art? Also, how do you find the ideas for your other works?
My works are all garage kit (GK) blank models based on an original design or artwork, and most of them come with pre-set color schemes. My job is mainly to use techniques like shading and layering to ensure that the finished product doesn’t look as cheap as mass-produced PVC figures. For the few projects where clients give me creative freedom, I like to experiment with bolder color schemes. My inspiration for these often comes from other people's work I see online or from observations I make while out and about.
5. What are your goals / targets for airbrushing? What do you want to achieve?
For many years, two-dimensional (anime) art has not been regarded as a legitimate form of art in my region of Taiwan. I hope that the models I airbrush can be recognized as works of art rather than just toys.
6. Do you specialize or prefer to work on a specific surface?
I specialize in airbrushing on CAST (resin), which is currently the most commonly used material for GK kits.
7. How would you describe your style(s) in airbrushing?
My technique is distinguished by a more prominent translucent and delicate skin tone effect compared to other GK painters.
8. Any advice to beginners looking to start airbrushing? What would you tell your young self?
Beginners often worry that their airbrushed work will turn out poorly, and that's completely normal. The key to improvement is to consistently build up the number of completed pieces and find a painting style that suits you.
If I could talk to my younger self, I would try to convince myself to start building a foundation in art earlier and enter this industry sooner, rather than wasting time on meaningless jobs.
"Beginners often worry that their airbrushed work will turn out poorly, and that's completely normal."
9. Do you have a website or blog? How can people reach you on social media?