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International Student at Sketching the Line Exhibition


Sketching the line illustration

The International Centre would like to congratulate international student Fabio Luiz Silva for wining a spot in the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Sketch the line exhibition. Sketch the Line is a public exhibition showcasing the work of artists who capture transit commuter moments in the form of drawings.Fabio is currently studying the 3rd semester of 3D animation and is from Brazil.

For you all interested in knowing a little bit more about the Sketch the Line project and Fabio’s work we conducted an interview. Have a look.

When did you start drawing?
I was barely 5 when I start to draw things. My father gave me a bunch of blank paper and a pencil. I guess this happened after one day that my mother needed to leave me with a neighborhood’s old couple to take care of me during an afternoon. I spent the time drawing with a pen on their sofa. They did not accept any money to repair the sofa. Instead they kept the sofa and always were wonderful with me, treating me like their own child.

Did you always wanted to be an artist?
Actually, it is not something that you want to be. Everybody needs to do something to express itself. For me, art is a way to show my thoughts, ideas and inspirations through diverse Medias. Obviously, I do art all the time. Even when I worked on different roles in my former jobs as an engineer (I have a degree in production engineering in Brazil), my goal was to create something to show my ideas and projects using art in a different way. So, being an artist is how I understand life.

How did you get to know about the “Sketching the Line” project?
I have seen the drawings on the subway cars and buses since me and my wife arrived in Canada last year. Sketches are simple traces to show an idea. It is not so complete but contains the thought. I wondered about how I could have one drawing there. On January I saw that the submissions were open but I did not have time to give much attention to that due to a number of college assignments. So, I managed the time during the day before the due date to draw some pieces during my trips. I made five drawings that day (20 minutes or less each) observing people and trying to see something, to notice a moment, that is my goal, to catch the moment with no prejudice of privacy or interaction.

What did you feel when you were invited to be part of it?
I am still feeling the same, that I have time! When I decided to change my career from engineer to an animator, moving to another country, my friends tried hard not to say "you are too old for that". I am 47 years old but I’m still young to draw. When I received the e-mail saying "congratulations" the sensation was relief about it and that something start to change in my life. I can do it. I can do a lot of things, and I will!

Which advice would give to someone how wants to be an artist?
Observe, spend time watching movies, people on the street, your friends and parents, try to do a drawing a day. Let your hands work, simples gestures explain a lot. What kind of movement a person does when calling a cab? Things like that are around us and deserve a moment of attention.

Get to know Fabio’s work:

  • In his portfolio you can find the works he submitted for Humber when applying for his program, 3D Animation
  • In his Tumblr page you can find other sketches he submitted for the Sketching the Line exhibit