Frequently Asked
Questions
What nationality are
you?
Vietnamese.
How do you pronounce
your last name?
NOO-yen,
or simply, “silent G.” It’s Americanized, not the
fresh-off-the-boat “Win.”
Did you go to school
for art?
Not
specifically for art, no.
Can you draw
caricatures?
Yes.
Do you use Photoshop
to do your paintings?
No,
just traditional media.
Do you
lightbox/trace your pencil art before you ink and/or paint
them?
I
have done it before, but generally no.
How do you get these
hot girls to model for you?
They
either come to me or I just ask them (if I like their
look). My credentials and caliber of models speak for
myself.
How much money do
you make?
Geez,
people...!
What
are your other hobbies?
Bodybuilding,
playing guitar, playing baseball, eating, and sleeping.
WIll you show some
of my stuff to the editors at DC?
No.
I’m an amateur
looking to pitch an idea to Marvel or DC. Want to pitch it
with me as a writer/artist team?
No.
How much will it
cost for you to do me a drawing?
Please
see the “STORE” page.
Why do you paint
some models for free, and charge others for your ridiculous
prices?
Aside
from providing free art to the winners of the Mrs. MN-,
Mrs. IA-, and Mrs. WI-America pageants, the only models who
don’t pay to get their paintings done are rare ones who
meet the “Nguyen Standard.” :) These “Noo-Grrlz” have
special benefits and priorities in opportunities and
publishing. Other than that, literally anyone can
commission me for a painting.
I’m a model/aspiring
model, and would love to work with you...how do I
apply?
Send
photos and a quick bio and/or resume to
ArtistTom@gmail.com
If I have a need for your look, then you will be contacted.
I inquired about
being a model, but haven’t heard back.
Why?
I
am either swamped with work and haven’t had the time to
respond, or I don’t have a need for your look at the
present time.
I heard you painted
nudes. Why aren’t they on this site?
They
do exist, but I feel I should keep this site cleaner for
the younglings. If you know where to look, you will find
them.
What
is your “nude rule,” and why do you have
it?
Put
simply, the only way you’re not
modeling
nude (provided you have “the look”) is:
--you are an active pageant competitor
--you hold some other special status (i.e., NFL
cheerleader, anchor woman, etc.)
--you are a minor
I have this rule because nudes are always high-demand with
the fans. There are very rare exceptions to this rule,
however.
Is
it true that you don’t like tattoos and body piercings on
models?
Yes.
Will it hurt my
chances if I have tats and piercings?
It
certainly won’t help, although there have been rare
exceptions with exceptional models.
How come you don’t
return my phone calls?
Did
you leave a phone message?
--No...
Then
that’s why. If it’s not important enough to leave a
message, I will assume it’s not important enough to call
back.
What’s your favorite
process: pencilling, inking, or
painting?
Pencilling,
which kind of ties in with painting since I must draw the
image first anyway.
I heard you hate
inking...is this true?
Yes.
Who’s your favorite
superhero?
Spider-Man!
How long does it
take you to draw a page?
About
a day (6-12 hours generally, depending on the page)
What kind of
airbrush do you use?
Iwata
Custom Micron CM-B, with Comart paints.
A runner is on first
and I’m at the plate (I’m right-handed); the coach gives me
the hit-and-run sign. How should I swing in this
situation?
Try
to slap it into right field.
What’s the fastest
you can ink a page?
I’ve
inked a single page in as little as 2 hours, although these
jobs are extremely rare and usually quite simple in nature.
The most pages I’ve inked in one day was 5. And boy, it
wasn’t pretty!
Who are your
favorite artists?
Hajime
Sorayama, Drew Struzan, Doug Mahnke, Adam Hughes, Art
Adams, Ed McGuinness, Chris Wahl, Frank Cho, and I’m sure a
few others I’m forgetting at the moment...
I know you have
other paintings not shown here...why?
They
either contain nudity or the model(s) who is in them is on
my Shit List and booted.
What’s your favorite
food?
I’m
quite fond of the Blizzard line at Dairy Queen at the
moment.
Can you do me a
quick sketch for free? C’mon, you can just whip that out
pretty quickly; it doesn’t have to be that
good!
No.
What’s the best part
about summer?
Those
bikini fundraiser car washes.
What’s your favorite
movie?
It
changes every year, but I really like The Dark Knight, Iron
Man, and Transformers.
Can
you critique my work over e-mail?
I
hate typing so badly; add the fact that I get so many of
these requests over e-mail, your answer is most likely
“no.” Your best bet is to catch me at a convention for a
personal critique. Or just come hang at my house...
Did you get my text
message?
--Yes.
--Why
didn’t you text back?
--I hate
typing on the computer badly enough (see above); texting is
even more tedious. Seriously, isn’t it easier to pick up
the phone and call? You should be ashamed of
yourselves...especially you males who do this.
Can you write up a
workout routine (and possibly a diet plan) for
me?
LOL
no. You don’t have the willpower to follow my fail-safe
program, and I would have wasted my time. Ok, I might if
you’re really hot and will train in a bikini.
What’s your most
requested sketch at conventions?
It’s
usually a female character, and usually Wonder Woman or
Power Girl.
Do you take on
assistants?
Only if
you meet these three criteria:
1. You're good at inking
2. You'll work for free (but the experience is priceless,
they say haha)
3. You're a hot chick.
Seeing how a combination of these factors is rarer than
winning the lottery, I think it's safe to say that I'll
never have an assistant.