Oruh Samuel became a Social Media sensation when he drew a picture of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo with his pen. Since then, he has become well-known in the social media space for his artworks. The 19-year-old artist spoke with Chika Mefor-Nwachukwu of THE WHISTLER about his art and how it all started.
Who is Oruh Samuel?
I am a native of Ebonyi State Nigeria but I live in Anambra State with my mom and three siblings. I finished my Secondary School Education in 2023. I am looking forward to further my education in the university.
How and when did you start drawing?
I started drawing in 2020 during the COVID-19 Pandemic. I got inspiration from some artists whom I saw work with. Their works were fascinating. That was how I started practicing. You know during the COVID, everywhere was grounded. So, I just used those times to practice. My first drawing was Broda Shaggi and I can’t even look at that drawing now without laughing at myself. So, based on the fact that drawing is also my passion, I practiced it daily, and when I say daily I mean I dream about it and wake up very early to start sketching. Fast forward to 2022, I became better and better.
How did you start getting recognition on Facebook?
It was a drawing I did of Cristiano Ronaldo. The drawing went viral on Facebook and got me a few thousands of followers. It got me about 15,000 to 20,000 reactions on Facebook which I considered viral then. I mean, I get 100,000 reactions now.It was quite an encouragement for me.
Apart from pen sketching, do you do other types of art?
Apart from pen sketching, I also do pencil drawings. In 2023, I realized that in order to continue being an artist, I had to make a living with it, and in order to earn as an artist I had to explore more drawing mediums. So, I took to the streets of YouTube to learn how to draw. After about six months of practice, I became what you can call a realistic pencil artist. However, I could not have done all these if I had no passion in art.
Were you drawing for fun, fame or money?
At first, I started drawing for the love of it. It was so easy and less stressful for me then. Eventually, I added fame to it. I mean I started pursuing fame. This made it a bit harder to work. Now, I’m at the third stage, money. I mean everyone works to earn money but trust me, if your real focus is on the money, it will be harder for you.
I wish I could get back to the days when I made three drawings in a day without feeling the hassle.
But don’t blame me for drawing for the money. It is inspired by responsibilities on me.
How has social media helped your work?
I will say that 99.9 per cent of my clients are from social media, with 60 per cent from Instagram, 30 per cent from Facebook and 9 percent from Tiktok. If I can call myself a professional artist today, it’s because everything I’ve got and was able to afford came from it through social media. Also, recently, my Facebook Page was recently monetized.
What is your advice for young people like you who want to start drawing?
My advice to them is that their work might not look good enough today and it might not look like they are improving. I’ve been there, trust me but once you love what you’re doing and have passion for it, you won’t care about any other things but how to improve your next artwork. Remember it took me two years to get my first remarkable drawing. Yours can be earlier or late but just don’t give up. Watch a lot of YouTube tutorials too, especially mine. YouTube has got everything. I also teach on YouTube for free.
Where do you want to see yourself in the next five years?
I want to have my art gallery in the United States. It is not that I am not patriotic. I’m still a patriotic Nigerian.
