Titled Hi! Mituan!, the sequence depicts his first actual pet as an grownup. And provided that Aaren has spent numerous time and vitality together with her since she got here into his life, it is sensible that MiTuan would turn out to be an cute topic of research. “She was there for me throughout many tough occasions,” says Aaren. “She was an emotional assist for me, which made me wish to draw one thing for her.”
Unlike a standard drawing, although, these illustrations play with scale. Aaren himself shrinks down whereas MiTuan balloons up. This displays the truth that whereas in actual life, MiTuan depends on her personal, Aaren’s internal world is definitely intricately tied up in her well-being. “In the illustrations, the tiny me usually lies on her physique and attracts vitality.”
Bought from a doghouse in 2017, MiTuan is now six years old. Although, as Aaren suggests, she didn’t have the best of begins. “When I first met her there, she was being stepped on by her siblings and had a helpless look on her face, so I took her home,” he explains. “As she has gotten older, my associates suppose she has a really comparable persona to me, which I now suppose is great.”
Perhaps this similarity is unsurprising when you see how shut MiTuan and Aaren are of their each day life. Everything from each day walks to video games of tug and battle is documented within the illustration sequence, in addition to how she stares at him whereas consuming and patiently waits for him to go to the lavatory. “I want I might doc extra of the small print and emotions of my life together with her; they’re cosy and gently wrapped up.”
Another a part of the success of the illustrations lies in Aaren’s artwork type. Although he finds it onerous to outline himself, his associates are fast to reward how distinctive and flowing he seems. “My kinds usually change from venture to venture, as in the event that they had been customised for every one. But when it comes to the temper beneath the picture, they’re comparatively uniform, most likely as a result of I need my work to convey a way of peace and enjoyable.”
Beyond these illustrations, Aaren has additionally created a comic book strip themed across the seasons. “Instead of documenting actual life, the comedian sequence takes on a regular basis life as a place to begin and provides some creativeness to make the tales extra pleasing and attention-grabbing to observe.”
When creating his illustrations and comics, Aaren usually writes down some key phrases for a scene in a memo. These then flip into drawings when he will get the possibility. “I additionally take many images and movies of MiTuan after I spend time together with her, similar to her actions and gestures, to reference after I draw.”
However, one key aspect of MiTuan is curiously lacking from the illustrations: her eyes. “I feel the eyes can specific numerous emotions, happiness, disappointment or one thing else altogether,” says Aaren. “I used to be attempting to not restrict the viewer to the picture, and I hope they’ll perceive them based mostly on their feelings at that second.
“I’ve additionally obtained numerous feedback from individuals saying that they really feel peaceable and joyful after seeing the venture, and most of them who’ve dogs really feel that they get numerous empathy out of them.”
With the sequence happening so properly with canine lovers, Aaren is eager for the sequence to proceed. In truth, he sees it happening ceaselessly. “This is as a result of it’s based mostly on my love for MiTuan and the reminiscences of residing collectively.
“I hope to have the ability to develop the story in additional kinds and let extra associates be a part of within the get together. It would even be nice to leap away from on a regular basis life and hopefully prolong it into one thing extra fantastical. I wish to draw for comics, a type of expression I’m actually having fun with proper now. And for the Hey! Mituan! sequence, I’ve already made some merchandise similar to self-published zines, calendars and prints.”
