Olo Max Komarake a.k.a OMK on his Facebook page and TikTok account is a 22 year old from Unggai-Bena District in Eastern Highlands Province who is sketching his way to pursue his dreams.
With a following of over 8K on TikTok, Olo Max started drawing different types of pencil and colored pencil drawings and the type of drawing he loves sketching the most are modified drawing or mostly known as ‘Realistic Drawings’.
“I love drawing the human figure or portraits only but there are also other types of drawings I can also draw,” said Olo Max.
“Drawing is my hobby. I started doing it since I was a kid and I improved as time went by,” added Olo Max.
Mr Komarake has a lot of techniques but mostly uses ‘Grid Drawing’ to come up with a colored pencil and pencil portrait.
“I do equal amounts of grids from the reference picture and the sketch sheet, the grids acts as the guideline to guide me put every details and lines on where they are supposed to be”, explained Olo Max.
“I then erase the grid lines from the sketch sheet and lay off the final shadings or colors and for pencil portraits, it normally takes me three days to a week at the most because I’m studying as well and for colored pencils, it usually takes a week or two”, he further explained.
So far, Olo Max has not drawn any portraits for sale as yet. However, he started getting paid for his artwork in 2019.
“It happened when I drew a portrait of Ragga Siai which he came across on Facebook and was very happy with what he saw,” said Olo Max.
“Ragga Siai told me that I could at least earn something using my talents whilst at school and he eventually found a client for me which was when I started to monetize my drawings for revenue,” he added.
Mr Komarake said when he was in Grade 3 in Sigerehe Primary School in Eastern Highlands Province, he drew a picture of John Rambo (Sylvester Stallone) and showed it to his friends.
“My Grade 3 teacher at that time saw the drawing and punished me. I stood on one foot in front of the till recess break”, said Olo Max.
“She said this exercise book was not for drawing unnecessary pictures and to make it worse, she showed the drawing to the whole class who made fun of me. It was a terrible”, said Olo Max jokingly.
Mr Komarake proved that from that moment, he was going to be a good artist in the future to prove his class and teacher wrong.
”And that was what made me fall in love in drawing human figures”, said Olo Max.
Olo Max said that he also had his fair share of challenges, some of his friends, teachers and relatives discouraged him saying he would not go anywhere with his portraits.
“They said cut down or stop it completely and focus on your school work so you can get a good job in the future. That sometimes discouraged me but I kept on going because it became part of me and I will not stop”, added Olo Max.
He said the lack of money to buy proper drawing equipment’s was another challenge he faced.
“Prior to the commission artworks I do for my clients, I use ordinary A4 and A3 papers and normal HB pencil to do the drawing most of the time but results in poor work in terms of details and overall view”, he said.
Olo Max completed his Grade 12 last Year at Sogeri National High school and is currently studying at the University of Papua New Guinea studying Creative Arts to enhance his skills and talents in Art.
He is the first born in family with five siblings (two boys and three girls).
“I was adopted when I was a baby and raised by my adopted family but I am glad I get support from both my families”, said Olo Max.
Mr Komarake has plans set to start up a little drawing business service where people can pay for their portraits to be drawn.
“I started receiving payments from clients all over the country and already did a lot of drawings but I decided to make it a little bit formal”, said Olo Max.
“The 2022 National General Election is just around the corner so my plan is to do pencil portrait posters for Candidates who are running for elections so I can at least earn something from this”, he added.
Interested clients willing to get a portrait drawn professionally, Olo Max is charging K100 for an A4 size portrait and K200 for A3 size.