WATCH: Tweed artist's extraordinary talent

Ambidextrous artist shows off his amazing ability.

Murwillumbah artist David Lovegrove with some of his vibrant work. Picture: Scott Powick

BEING able to draw is a gift which many of us envy. Being able to draw with both hands at the same time seems simply ridiculous.

But Murwillumbah's David Lovegrove makes is look easy.

The artist's unique ability got him a gig on a national television ad for Qantas, and while it's something he is proud of, Mr Lovegrove would rather be creating comic books.

He has a passion for manga, a form of comic book that is hugely popular in Japan and has a growing following around the world.

Images in manga can be either in black and white or full colour, and can cover everything from historical figures to futuristic characters, while often carrying messages far deeper than your run-of-the-mill cartoons.

It's a form of art Mr Lovegrove is using to encourage schoolchildren to develop their artistic skills in workshops and classes.

He's also used his talents to create posters for Emirates Airline, cochlear implants, and to illustrate part of a Japanese course book used in Australia schools.

The artist has also been recognised on international art programs for cable TV.

"My love of manga could be seen as a natural progression from my love of martial arts and kickboxing," Mr Lovegrove said.

"I first came across it more than 20 years ago when I was living in Sydney and going to art school.

"I had scored a job doing the cover of a book, A View From Bondi, which at the time was a blessing because I didn't have much money.

"While doing that, I came across manga which seemed to be popular around Bondi, and really developed a love for the style.

"Since then it has been a great way of inspiring young artists, especially schoolkids who get very enthusiastic about it because they are into manga far more than I am."

Murwillumbah artist David Lovegrove in the studio. Picture: Scott Powick

Mr Lovegrove is now turning author and has been working on his first novel, Daruma, a sci-fi fantasy which features cosplay, kung fu and of course his illustrations.

"I would love to see this develop into a series but that will depend on how it is received," he said.

"In the meantime, I am aiming to develop workshops and classes on the Tweed and Gold Coast working with schools and libraries to help people of all ages develop their artistic skills.

"Because manga can be so varied in style, from rough sketches to very detailed full colour drawings, there's plenty of scope for people to develop their own style.

"I have found girls are into it a little more than boys because of the nature of manga stories, they tend to be all about relationships amid the chaos that goes on."

And while Mr Lovegrove can help young artists with their skills, that doesn't include teaching people to draw with both hands at the same time.

"That all came about a bit by accident," he said.

"I'm naturally right-handed and was sitting and drawing and got tired so I just thought, 'Why not try drawing left-hand?'

"What I was doing didn't seem that bad so I just continued to work on that and now it comes just as naturally with both hands."

In his starring role on the Qantas ad, Mr Lovegrove was filmed drawing a number of items in duplicate as part of a double points promotion for the airline.

"There was another guy in Washington who can also draw with both hands like me but when the offer came, I wasn't going to let an American draw for Qantas ad," he laughed.

To find out more about Mr Lovegrove and his art, visit his website or Facebook page.