TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — To celebrate Taiwan's National Day (Oct. 10), a Taiwanese artist drew this intricate illustration of an M1A2T Abrams tank.
Thomas Chen (陳安平), 25, who is a Taiwanese citizen although he was born and raised in the Philippines, told Taiwan News that he created the piece in response to the Inktober 2020 art challenge. Chen, who works as a freelance illustrator, said that since the theme that particular day was "hope," he "figured it was fitting."
Chen (Instagram @thomchen.art) says he used photos of the tank online for reference and included a food delivery driver on a Gogoro electric scooter next to it to give a sense of the immense size of the tank by comparing it with "something everyone can instantly recognize." As a late addition, Chen included a CH-47 Chinook heavy-lift helicopter carrying a Taiwanese flag, as that was part of the celebration in Taipei that day.
The illustrator said his inspiration was Taiwanese artist Mr_Dom (陳博詳), with whom he says he shares the common interest of drawing military art. Chen said that he had created the work simply with pen and paper.
In 2019, the U.S. government approved the sale of 108 M1A2T Abrams tanks to Taiwan for the price of NT$40.52 billion (US$1.416 billion). The tanks, along with 14 M88 recovery vehicles, 16 M1070A1 transporters, 16 M1000 trailers, and ammunition, are set to be delivered between 2023 and 2026.
M1A2T tank. (Instagram, @thomchen.art illustration)
