Cygames Calendar, November 2022: Roasted Sweet Potatoes
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 November is Roasted Sweet Potatoes!
Personalize your device with the finished piece, available in horizontal and vertical orientations.
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- Illustration TeamAkira
- Akira majored in fashion design and theater arts in university. At Cygames, he illustrates various monsters and characters for our games. His specialty is drawing monsters.
Autumn has arrived! Let’s roast those spuds!
Feel the winter wind as it blows in from the mountains.
What made you decide on roasted sweet potatoes as a theme?
- Akira
- I’ve always wanted to roast sweet potatoes in a pile of autumn leaves, but I never have, since my family doesn’t live in the countryside… So I decided to depict a scene I’ve longed for since I was young.
Creating such personal depictions is one of the charms of illustration. Could you tell us more about the story you’ve portrayed?
- Akira
- A young boy from the city is visiting his family’s hometown. One of his cousins shows him how to make roasted sweet potatoes, and now they’re both having a good time.
The boy’s sleeves and his cousin’s gloves give off a unique futuristic vibe.
- Akira
- That does seem out of place in the countryside, doesn’t it? You see, I wanted to show what the countryside might be like in a parallel world.
You certainly put a lot of thought into the setting. What would you say was the most fun part to illustrate?
- Akira
- I’d have to say the background. I usually do illustrations focusing on the characters themselves or in-game portraits—not backgrounds—so I put a lot of effort into finding just the right references. I had a hard time figuring out how to make sure the characters didn’t blend into their surroundings.
And how did you achieve that?
- Akira
- I made the characters’ faces the focal points, placing them in a way to draw the viewer’s eye. For example, background details such as the fence and smoke are positioned around the boy’s face, creating emphasis with visual contrast.
By the way, I used some of Satoshi’s drawings as reference when illustrating the characters’ eyes and balancing their faces. He was the artist featured for the February 2022 Cygames Calendar illustration. I’ve studied everything about his work—from character design and composition to use of color—for a long time now.
Were there any parts you struggled with?
- Akira
- I would say color choice.
I decided to express the cold transition from fall to winter by using mainly cool tones, but then I used warm tones for the maple leaves. In order to connect these two palettes, I made the boy’s coat and the girl’s pants more neutral, like a roasted sweet potato, and accented their outfits with light blue and green accessories.
Have you always liked drawing?
- Akira
- Yes, ever since I was in preschool. I especially enjoyed drawing monsters. Which hasn’t changed much, considering that’s what I draw now (laugh). With monsters, you don’t have to worry about whether something is biologically possible, so there’s more freedom in the design, which I enjoy.
What made you want to pursue becoming an illustrator?
- Akira
- I think it was a game I played when I was in second grade. I really loved the illustrations in the instruction booklet.
Did you major in art at school?
- Akira
- Yes, I went to an art school for university, as I wanted to major in a subject that allowed me to continue drawing. My first two years I did fashion design, but in my last two years I switched to theater arts, where I studied prop and costume design. Both areas really help me when developing characters and bringing out their personalities.
When do you feel most glad you chose to become an illustrator?
- Akira
- When I am able to think of something and then draw it just as I imagined.
Are there any habits you’ve picked up from being an illustrator?
- Akira
- I try to memorize the details of man-made objects when I’m finding design references. This is especially true with machines since so many of them have such unique designs (laughs).
Is there anything else you want to share with our readers?
- Akira
- Not only was I able to draw a world I’ve never experienced, but I was also able to add my own sci-fi twist to it. I hope people like me, city folk who haven’t roasted sweet potatoes, will still feel a sense of familiarity when looking at my illustration.
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