Cygames Calendar, January 2023: The New Year
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 January is the New Year!
Click here for this month’s calendar image.
- Illustration TeamShoukun
- Shoukun majored in animation at university. At Cygames, he’s in charge of character designs and stand-alone images. He’s especially good at designing characters that balance a strong fantasy flair with cutesy aesthetics.
2023 is the Year of the Rabbit!
Hop to it! Preparations for the New Year abound!
What prompted you to decide on this theme for January?
- Shoukun
- Simply put, I wanted to draw something festive.
Could you tell me a little more about what’s going on in this artwork?
- Shoukun
- The rabbits are making preparations to usher in the Year of the Rabbit. The previous year’s representative, the tiger, is watching over their toils.
It’s not as common to have animals as the featured character in the Cygames Calendar series. Do you get the chance to draw animals in the course of your work?
- Shoukun
- No. I draw people quite often, but don’t really get to work on animals. When plotting out this month’s art, I didn’t necessarily want to draw people with animal-like features. Rather, I wanted to focus on the inherent aspects of the animals, like the adorableness of the rabbits or the coolness of the tiger.
Where can people see your personal touch in the art?
- Shoukun
- I’d say the bold strokes of color and the efficiency with which I completed this piece reflect both my personal and professional styles. When I draw for fun, I tend to use bold strokes. At the same time, I incorporate line art and coloring on one layer, so making corrections can take up a lot of time. For work-related art, I separate each process on its own layer. For this particular piece, I combined my personal drawing style and the more efficient approach I use at work.
Did you compile references when working on this illustration?
- Shoukun
- For this artwork, I looked up torii (a gate marking entrances to Shinto shrines) and clothing references. For the patterning of the clothes, I didn’t want to draw from a specific culture, so I went through my mental stockpile of “fantasy” and “folk art” references, combining them to create original fabric designs.
What was your favorite part when you were working on this image?
- Shoukun
- The illustration as a whole, really. I liked capturing the lively movements of the animals, the bright colors, the original fabric patterns… There are so many elements in play here, so it was tricky turning it into one cohesive piece, but I feel satisfied since I was able to play on my strengths and create this cutesy, fantasy-filled world.
Have you always liked drawing?
- Shoukun
- Yes. When I was in elementary school, I used to draw a lot of machines by hand—as opposed to drawing digitally.
What set you on the path to becoming an illustrator?
- Shoukun
- While I didn’t know what I wanted to do specifically, I knew I wanted to draw. Then I read a book by a certain illustrator, and that ignited in me a desire to hone my skills in creation and character design.
Did you major in art in school?
- Shoukun
- I specialized in animation at university. At the time I graduated, I was creating my own character designs and insert images.
When do you feel most glad you chose to become an illustrator?
- Shoukun
- When I create an illustration that’s beyond even what I imagined. I get excited thinking about how people will react to the work.
Are there times when being an illustrator bleeds into your daily life?
- Shoukun
- Whenever I look at another artist’s work, I subconsciously think about how I would choose to draw it, and other times, I get inspired by new ways of presenting and thinking about art.
Is there anything else you want to share with our readers?
- Shoukun
- I’m guessing the pandemic will last a while yet, but I hope this art, with its adorable animals, gives you the energy and passion to kick off a wonderful new year!
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