Through the internet’s increasing prevalence in the last century, social media has evolved into a melting pot of ideas and personalities, allowing users to find others who share their own special interests, banding together and forming online communities. One of these special interests is art—from comics, to paintings, animations, fan art, original characters, and everything in between. Many artists use forums like Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube to showcase their talents and grow a following from those who are inspired by their works, and some of these talented creators come straight from Mililani High School.
“It’s just something I like to do, I like to post things and I like attention,” said junior Eoghan Charlery. On his Instagram account, Charlery posts original works daily for his 1,300 followers.
Charlery started out with 50 to 100 followers and was amazed to see his account grow when many gave attention to his fan art of the TV show “Clone High.” In addition to his pieces on originally created characters, his fan art has helped Charlery’s account to nurture a larger following as many people can relate to their shared interest in the show. Charlery, like many media artists, is also open to commissions, selling drawings that his followers request for $10-$15 apiece. For many artists, these commissions have the capability of becoming sources of income to pay bills or put into college savings. Full-time artists can be seen charging up to $50 to $80 for the time and effort they put into their creations.
In addition to his account acting as a source of income, Charlery has utilized Instagram’s archives to chronologize his works and view his own progress over time. In the future, Charlery would like to become a historian focusing on the American 1950s, continuously pursuing art on the side as a freelance job.
Another student on campus who has a passion for art is senior Skye Hoopai, creating both digital and traditional drawings to share with her followers. She is also the Art Club president, leading her members in new projects every Friday after school.
“I just wanted a place where I could put what I made out there, and show it to people,” said Hoopai. “I always wanted that, to show people what I do. And maybe growing [the account] could benefit me later in the future.”
She grew up inspired by her mother to become an artist, who drew during high school and college, looking through her sketchbooks later on. Starting out with original content, Hoopai began to shift into character and design concepts on her account to understand the principles of these types of art. Similar to Charlery, Hoopai hopes to generate an income from her account in the future, using her skills to create for other people.
“I want to go to college and study it, and I want to get good because I want to keep drawing- because you never know what could happen, you’ve got to keep going, and trying, and creating,” she said.
Hoopai’s account can be found on Instagram @nooglesdoodles, with a collection of 3,200 followers. Her account features character designs as well as work she has done for projects like Onigiri Action 2021, creating posters for the Japanese National Honor Society (JNHS) at Mililani High School.
Sophomore Grace Sullivan, posting content on her Instagram account @graceoartyo, is yet another prominent example of a student on campus whose pursuit of art has been presented clearly through her work online. In addition to @graceoartyo, Sullivan can be found on Instagram at @graceocomicyo, @graceopaintbro, and on YouTube at Graceo Cakeo. These four accounts include traditional and digital drawings, paintings, comics, and animations all done by Sullivan. Her main art account hit 2,000 followers in the fall, continuing to grow with daily story and main grid posts.
“It was because I started making fanart for a brand new show that was getting a lot of hype,” Sullivan said, in reference to her recent gain in followers. “But, those people stuck around after I stopped making that fanart and it was just, really cool. Like, I wasn’t as small as I used to be anymore.”
Her account features drawings from shows like “My Life as a Teenage Robot,” “Amphibia,” and “Yonder Over Wander,” ranging from pieces that focus on character design to scenery. In addition to her main account, her comics display an original story storyboarded and drawn both traditionally and digitally by Sullivan.
She also plans on pursuing a career in art in the future, but currently does not take commissions. Sullivan has considered participating in both the animation industry and storyboarding, but for now will continue to create for her accounts on Instagram and YouTube.
Online forums have consistently been present to provide a platform for anyone to express their thoughts, feelings, and showcase their creations. The exposure these forums can allow to creators have shown to often be beneficial if used correctly, and can even provide a stable job to those who were able to find a way to use their art to help or provide for others. Our students at Mililani also use their talents to share with others what they are able to do and even provide for some of them. Aside from financial gain, though, these artists continue to draw, paint, and create due to their own personal passion and interest.
“I think that art is literally the ace of everything. Like, everything that you see here was drawn by an artist,” said Charlery. “People need to be able to visualize things for things to come to life. So, I feel like people who have that school to draw the things that are on their minds, especially since the brain is such an abstract is a confusing thing, it’s really important and should be encouraged.”