Friday, November 30, 2012

Lucia's Light

An illustration drawn for a story in mind about St. Lucia's Day in Denmark. During Nazi Germany's occupation of Denmark in WWII, "[t]he tradition was directly imported from Sweden by initiative of Franz Wend, secretary of Föreningen Norden, as an attempt 'to bring light in a time of darkness'" (Wikipedia). St. Lucia herself is a saint from Italy, apparently, who was to be married to a Roman man (meaning he wasn't Christian) and she refused, and died being faithful to her belief. I looked up a little bit, but it seems a little iffy how this Italian saint became so popular in Europe.

In either rate, I thought this could be a cover of a children's story, based on this true story.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

"The White Wolf" revised

"The White Wolf" illustration without the title and revised a bit.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

The White Wolf

Cover for "The White Wolf," a fairy tale from Andrew Lang's "The Grey Fairy Tales."

The story is kind of like the frog prince. The King is asked for a wild flower wreath for his princess, and found a white wolf with one on his head. When the King asks for the wreath, the wolf asks the King to give the wolf the next thing King sees when he is going back to the castle. The King ends up seeing his youngest daughter, and the wolf takes her away... But the wolf ends up being not what he first seemed...

If you want to know more, you can probably look the story up online. :)

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Dog Sleigh


Done for an assignment to draw something I love, and something I hate. This is my "love" illustration. I love snow, so it is winter scape. I thought it would only make sense if my "hate" was a direct contrast with the one for love, so I chose "humid hot summer."

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Sketch of dog from dog sleigh. From a photo

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Napoleon on a donkey

Parody of "Napoleon Crossing the Alps." The painting shows Napoleon gallantly riding his horse on a stormy day crossing the Alps, but "In reality the crossing had been made in fine weather and Bonaparte had been led across, mounted on a mule, by a guide" (from Wikipedia). 

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Working on a piece with Napoleon in it! Above is a little part from the whole piece. :)

Wednesday, August 29, 2012


Just a sketch. Aimed to draw the headphones.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

daily again

She looked so unhappy... not like "I hate my life" unhappy, but more like "why the f#$* do I have to go and be outside right now" or something like that...

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Bali dance sketch

Sketch from a Balinese dance festival and a picture

Sunday, July 15, 2012

A drawing based on a theme given at Illustration class "Palette Club." The theme was to illustrate "Jiberugu and I." Jiberugu was a made up word, so I thought it was title of a story about a Highschool girl who is a falconer, and her falconer's name was Jiberugu (Ziberg).

Monday, July 9, 2012

Sunday, July 8, 2012

Juniper Tree

The finished version of one page of Juniper Tree for Palette Club!

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Juniper Tree Test

Image I created for a test print for Juniper Tree. It will be printed on a old printer, color printed one by one by hand.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Another update on my self portrait!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Ardea



bit inspired to do something

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Saturday, March 17, 2012

drown


Heidi from blog here gave me an award!
Thank you Heidi!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Thank You



First, I want to thank everyone who has donated or helped Japan, or were concerned about Japan due to the earthquake and tsunami that had happened on March 11th, 2011.

I personally would like to look back at how it was being in Tokyo on that day and onwards. I have forgotten how it felt like back then. Or, moreover, I probably have intentionally tried to forget.


As everyone probably had said, it was a normal day. Just another work day that had no special meaning. First when it started to tremble, we didn't take notice. It was another earthquake. But it went on. And on, and on... And it got stronger. We ran under the desk, but soon one person suggested perhaps it was safer to run outside. While the earth was still shaking, we took the emergency stairs, and got out to the street. We stood in the middle of the road since we were scared something might come down from the buildings near us. We huddled together there, seeing other people being out in the streets like us (which oddly makes you feel reassured and feel safe), and watched as a nearby building swayed side to side and seeing smoke coming out from one of the construction site.

Of course this was NOTHING compared to what was happening in the Tohoku region of Japan, but we did not know anything at that point.

From that day, nothing became normal. But I tried to act normal, everyone tried to act as though things were normal. I even know that I convinced myself, that I felt normal. But now when I look back, I know In truth, I didn't feel normal at all.

But in this time of uncertainty and fear, some stories made us smile and brought us hope and feel thankful. The ones that touched my heart the most was all the help and warm support Japan got from other foreign countries.

Although they were many ways people helped and cared (including friends and people I know who sent me e-mails, or asked on facebook if I was okay), some like how New Zealand sent their rescue workers even though they just suffered a quake themselves about a month before, made me feel thankful. And an articles from foreign countries praising Japanese people for not looting or having chaos at this trying hour (there were, in the end, some looting that happened in the really devastated area, but Tokyo with all it's people and possible chaos that could have happened with seismic intensity of 5, was mostly at peace). And the fact that there were all these fundraisers for Japan, and how many and how much celebrities gave to Japan. Such as Lady Gaga, who, although known in Japan from before, gained much respect when she quickly donated money, started a fundraiser selling "Pray for Japan" arm bands, and came to Japan for concerts while other foreign artists canceled due to radiation.

Along with that, there was this one song that healed me. When I was still feeling very wary and the future seemed so unsure in April, I listened to it over and over again, overlaying it's lyrics with how I felt at the time. It was Imogen Heap's song, "Just for Now."

"It's that time of year,
Leave all our hopelessnesses aside (if just for a little while)
Tears stop right here,
I know we've all had a bumpy ride"


It was that time of year: the season of sakura (cherry blossom), and it's beauty made me -for awhile- forget the uncertainties. I wanted to leave the hopelessness aside, something I have been feeling ever since the disaster happened. And I wanted the tears to stop.

So here is a girl, who, one year ago was praying with the expression of pain in her face ( here ), this time smiling with the cherry blossoms. And to tell the truth, the initial sketch was done last year near April, with the same intent of saying "Thank you" but I could not finish it. I recently came back to it by accident and started working on it again. Today being exactly one year after it happened, it seemed like the best time to finish and post this image on this day.

I live in Tokyo, where there was a earthquake with seismic intensity of 5, where there certainly were and are radiation coming from Fukushima. But I know that I don't know what exactly has happened and what people felt, how people feel to this day, in the really devastated area. And one year after the earthquake, there are still many things that need to be dealt with, and nothing is really over yet. So maybe I do not have the right to say this, but still I would like to say to all those that have helped, I thank you, and Japan thanks you.

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

doodles



My life is quite boring right now, so here is a doodle! Like back lit situation :D

Saturday, March 3, 2012

China Now



Went to see two exhibition's that had to do with graphic design world in China now. And it was very inspirational. One of an exhibition in Diesel Art Gallery in Shibuya (on the same floor as the men's section), and an exhibition at G8.

"GLAMOROUS FUTURIST" by Chen Man showed pictures by China's super star photographer.

"Ju-chu- Bakuchiku", a group exhibition by 10 different Chinese graphic designers showed the lastest design from China.

Seeing both of these exhibition has made me realize how much Chinese design and art is so cool. The thing that was in common with both, is that they mix the tradition with the new, and mixes the Western idea with the Eastern idea. I felt very inspired by them both. I think Chinese art/design will be something to look out for.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Monday, February 27, 2012

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Sunday, February 19, 2012

catching up..



So I've been here for more ten 3 years and I've been shown around by Cole who has ust been here for few weeks. Just shows how much I don't go out XD



I love to sleep :3

Saturday, February 18, 2012

coming back...



Finally healing from my back pain!

Friday, February 17, 2012

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

still Frankfurt update



The danke schon thing is so true! I think I need to learn more German...

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

self portrait



Just playing with the idea of scarf that is alive.

Monday, February 13, 2012

Sunday, February 12, 2012