Cygames Calendar, October 2022: Cheer Squads
Liven up your PC or smartphone with the Cygames Calendar! We have one of our illustrators create a uniquely themed image each month and ask them to tell us about their creative process. The theme for October is Cheer Squads!
Personalize your device with the finished piece, available in horizontal and vertical resolutions.
Click here for this month’s calendar image.
- Illustration TeamK
- In high school, K painted with watercolors and created digital illustrations, eventually going on to study character design at university. At Cygames, they are in charge of stand-alone character illustrations and character designs for both new and existing titles. They consider character design their specialty.
Go Team!
A Fiery, Young Squad Captain Cheering on Athletes
What inspired you to choose “Cheer Squads” as the theme for October?
- K
- In Japan, the fall is considered a prime season for sports, and you often see cheerleaders rallying around athletes. I wanted to draw a handsome male character and also express the season in some way, so cheer squads seemed to me like a fitting theme.
His energy definitely jumps right off the page! Could you tell us about this character?
- K
- He’s the hot-blooded leader of the cheer squad. The kind of guy who’d always try to go for the first strike in a match. (laughs)
Is there anything you focus on specifically when drawing male characters?
- K
- Since I usually draw female characters, it was hard for me to get him to look “cool”—I had to think a lot about how to make male characters look handsome. After I decided on his confident facial expression, I tried focusing on accentuating his “coolness” using his pose and hairstyle. Out of all parts of the picture, I think drawing his face came the most naturally.
Now that you mention it, his face really does pull you in.
- K
- Actually, I planned out the composition to intentionally draw the eye to his face. For example, I gave him long hair and drew it in such a way as to make the eye gravitate naturally to his face. I gave his hair a sense of energetic vigor by making it look like it’s moving.
A lot of thought went into even just his hairstyle.
- K
- That’s right. It was also the part of the image that was the most difficult for me. There are many different options when it comes to hairstyles—long, short, etc. I spent a lot of time thinking about what hairstyle would both draw out the character’s charm best and make for a more energetic image.
His vigorous pose makes a particularly strong impression—it looks like his right hand is coming right at the viewer.
- K
- I deliberated having him do a different pose, where he was standing upright and putting on gloves, but I felt that didn’t do a good job of expressing his personality or showing that he was cheering someone on, so I decided against it.
So you decide a character’s pose from their personality?
- K
- Yes. For illustrations where the character is the focal point, it’s important to get across the full charm of the character to the viewer—who are they, and what are they like? For this piece, I did preliminary research on two main things: the kinds of poses cheerleaders often make, and where to extend his arm to make for the most dynamic angle possible. Afterwards, I applied all the information I found and settled on a pose and arm angle for him.
Have you always enjoyed drawing?
- K
- Yes. When I was young, I would often draw animals, plants, and scenery. It was only after I got a bit older that I started drawing people.
Did you specialize in art at school?
- K
- I was a part of the art club in high school, where I did watercolor and acrylic painting. I drew digital art at the time as well. I went on to attend a university of the arts, where I took courses on character design. The curriculum involved more than just that, though, and included drawing and editing manga. It was a very extensive program.
What made you want to pursue illustration as a career?
- K
- I’ve loved drawing ever since I was young, so I decided that I’d like to make it a part of my career going forward. I first started thinking about making a living specifically as an illustrator around the time I entered university. I had always liked video games, so I opted to go for the games industry.
When do you feel most glad you chose to become an illustrator?
- K
- Whenever I see players appreciate and get excited about a character that I created.
Are there any habits you’ve picked up from being an illustrator?
- K
- Everything I look at, I think to myself, “I wonder if I could fit that into my drawings somehow…” For example, when I’m out window shopping, I always think about how I can incorporate certain outfits into my character designs! (laughs) I suppose I just subconsciously pick up good designs I see around me.
Is there anything else you want to share with our readers?
- K
- I hope looking at my art brightened your day and made you feel more positive about life.
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