TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — An American artist's intricate crayon drawing of a scene at New Taipei's Jiufen has quickly become popular on social media.
The illustrator, Sarah Coleman (孔詩芮), told Taiwan News that she started the drawing in May after a short trip to Jiufen while living in Taichung. She said, “Its dim yet vibrant alleyways have always left an impression on me."
Coleman said she used a few photos she took there to create the piece. She said that she did not get around to finishing it until she moved back to the US.
The artist said that when she is away from Taiwan, she tends to draw and paint the country the most. “It’s kind of my way of coping with missing the island as much as I do when I’m away from it,” said Coleman.
On her Instagram page, Coleman said she has an obsession with Caran d'Ache Neocolor I crayons. She said she purchased them at an art store in Taiwan on a whim and fell in love with the bendable, versatile crayons.
Early Friday morning, Coleman uploaded a photo of the piece, simply titled “Jiufen,” to the Taiwan subsection of Reddit with the caption, “My drawing of Jiufen using (fancy) wax crayons.”
The post has since gained over 550 upvotes and 20 comments.

