Interview about Horyukaku Illustration, winner of the A' Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design Award 2023
Inspiration for the illustrations come from Japanese classic literature Nanso Satomi Hakkenden. Horyukaku is a popular scene in Kabuki. The theme of designs is harmony of traditional Japanese and European designs. Traditional Japanese motifs were drawn by incorporating the styles of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. First hand-drawn painting was made and then colored in Photoshop to get closer to the quality of a real vintage design. Even though people who see the design didn't live in that era, they can feel familiarity and nostalgia.
View detailed images, specifications, and award details on A' Design Award & Competition website.
View Design DetailsWhat led me to my current style was an attempt to draw women in kimono and flowers with a touch similar to Mucha's.It went better than expected.One reason is that kimono, which is made up of straight lines, can develop complex wrinkles as people wear it and move around.This goes well with Mucha's style.Also, much of traditional Japanese literature is depicted in ukiyo-e, and Mucha's lithographs and Japanese ukiyo-e have one thing in common: they are drawn with clear lines.This is probably one of the reasons why the cultural fusion was so successful.In particular, Yoshitoshi Tsukioka's ukiyo-e prints depicting kimono fluttering with delicate lines have had a great influence on me.
When I decided to draw this scene, I had several poses in mind.I thought this pose of him climbing up while holding the sword in his mouth was the perfect way to convey that he was desperate.I was also particular about expressing the bloody hand grasping the roof.
Like ukiyo-e and lithographs, it takes a lot of effort to actually create prints, but digital coloring can easily add the texture of printing on paper.I don't work toward a fixed final design from the beginning, but I try out various ideas to get better while creating. I later came up with the idea of adding a frame to the illustration of Horukaku.Digital coloring also allows me to try and compare different design ideas, which is very important to me.
There are many types of scenes that you can imagine in detail, such as areas where blood flows from a wound cut by a sword, areas that are stained with blood from returning during a battle, and hands that are dirty from holding a blood-stained sword. I drew the bloodstains using many kinds of brushes.However, the purpose of this illustration is not to scare the viewer, so I was careful not to overdo it so as not to detract from the overall beauty.Regarding the kimono fluttering in the wind, I learned how to dramatically exaggerate it from the works of great ukiyo-e artists such as Yoshitoshi Tsukioka, whom I admire.
I am very inspired by the labels of products exported from Japan to Europe during the Meiji and Taisho eras.They depict traditional Japanese motifs using cutting-edge European design at the time, and there are many outstanding Japanese-Western designs.However, when drawing each element, I refer to earlier Ukiyo-e and Japanese painting masterpieces.By drawing traditional Japanese motifs with a thin pen, I can create a European atmosphere.
At first, I started drawing simply because I wanted to combine things I liked to express the world of Nanso Satomi Hakkenden well.However, it was not just a matter of self-satisfaction, but being recognized worldwide as an excellent design gave me great confidence.I would like to continue to take on many more challenges.
I often refer to catalogs that collect commercial labels from the Meiji to Taisho eras.Each element that makes up the design has been inherited from an earlier era.Therefore, I often search for images of traditional crafts on the Internet in order to draw them.Furthermore, this illustration has detailed elements arranged to match the world of Nanso Satomi Hakkenden.For example, peony and plum blossoms have important meaning in the story, so they are drawn inside the frame.It's not just because it's beautiful.I like to add meaning to things that only a few people notice.
I try to express the characters' emotions directly, like a Baroque painting, so that even if you don't know the details of the story, the situation and emotions can be conveyed.It is expressed using not only the facial expressions of the person, but also all the elements such as the pose and movement of the kimono.This is useful not only for Japanese people who are not familiar with classical literature, but also for showing it to foreigners.
Regarding the color palette, I am not particularly conscious of the color palette of ukiyo-e.This is because the colors of ukiyo-e itself are quite different between new and old ones.I use color combinations as a reference, but in the end, I place colors that feel comfortable to me.The advantage of digital coloring is that it is easy to make fine adjustments.The compositions are also inspired by many works, both Western and Eastern.
This is one of the successful examples of the challenge of expressing classical Japanese literature in combination with Western design.I would like to continue this challenge forever.However, there are many people other than me who are trying to convey the wonders of Japanese classical literature, so I want to feel free to draw my favorite stories, centering around Nanso Satomi Hakkenden, without thinking too m
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