In 2005, her parents, who were under financial pressure to send their two other children to college, bought her a laptop for 6,000 yuan (around 889 U.S. In 2004, she was deeply unhappy with a painting she had spent six months working on, and this crushed her confidence and dreams.įor the next few years, Zhang stopped drawing comics.
Paintbrush cartoons professional#
Gradually, she found that she was unable to paint many scenes she had envisioned as she had never received any professional training. Zhang has since determined to become a professional cartoonist, hoping to change her life by drawing cartoons. "Since I became ill, my mother was in low spirits and I aspired to make her feel proud of me. Zhang's parents were thrilled, showing off her work to colleagues, neighbors and relatives. Unexpectedly, her work was published in a local sci-fi magazine. She still runs into difficulties occasionally when she draws long lines, even after more than 20 years of practice.Īs a fan of animated films, Zhang was drawn to the stylized eyes, hairstyles, and costumes of the characters, and replicated them on her canvases. "I was disappointed and often burst into tears when the canvas was spoiled by my inability to control the paintbrush," Zhang recalled. As her joints and hands were largely paralyzed, she had to use her left hand to hold the paintbrush like a sword, placing her left hand over her right, which was supporting the canvas at the same time. She racked her brain, eventually deciding to practice drawing with her left hand. Used to lying on her right side, Zhang found it hard to reach her paintbrush to the lower left corner of the canvas as she was unable to move the canvas at will. Zhang's joints and fingers were entirely stiff and she could only wedge the brush between her thumb and index finger, angling her shoulder and adjusting the pressure she applied to the canvas. The journey to becoming an artist was not easy. "I realized that the most miserable life is not being occupied by endless work but idling the days away," Zhang said.
![paintbrush cartoons paintbrush cartoons](https://cdn3.vectorstock.com/i/1000x1000/80/97/paint-brush-construction-kawaii-cartoon-vector-18408097.jpg)
With worried parents and growing tired of being confined to her bed all day, Zhang decided to take back her childhood hobby of drawing. Zhang, 44, was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of six and lost most of her joint functions by the time she turned eight. I wondered if I was also a sea princess," Zhang Junli laughed, recalling the time when she was able to walk.
![paintbrush cartoons paintbrush cartoons](http://www.clipartbest.com/cliparts/zyT/koB/zyTkoBbiE.png)
"Every step I took was as if I were treading upon the points of sharp knives, which was a feeling shared by the little mermaid in Hans Christian Andersen's story. Zhang Junli views paintings during the exhibition of her works in Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, July 26, 2022. A visitor views a painting during an exhibition of Zhang Junli's works in Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, July 26, 2022.