Cygames Calendar, February 2023: Valentine’s Day
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. February brings us a Valentine’s Day-themed piece.
Click here for this month’s calendar image.
- Illustration TeamJun
- In university, Jun specialized in 3D computer graphics. At Cygames, he’s responsible for creating game stills. He’s particularly good at representing three-dimensional space through the placement of backgrounds, objects, and characters.
“What should we make for Valentine’s Day?”
A delightful scene between three besties
Why did you choose Valentine’s Day as the theme for February?
- Jun
- February is known for Valentine’s Day, so it was a natural choice.
Could you give us a guided tour through your illustration?
- Jun
- It’s set in a fantasy world where a trio of best friends are making Valentine’s Day confections. The idea is that all three have different personalities, but they still click as friends.
They’re all definitely cute in their own way! Do you have any tips or ideas that you find useful when working on character illustrations?
- Jun
- I’m fond of drawing slice-of-life scenes that portray a sense of drama. So I find it important to focus on a character’s expression and movement.
More specifically, it’s all about exaggerating everyday gestures and silhouettes—the viewer should recognize what the character is doing with just a glance. I believe that it’s easy to love characters when their inner personalities shine through.
Speaking of shining through, your realistic backgrounds are beautiful. What’s important to keep in mind when doing backgrounds?
- Jun
- The most important thing is creating a balance between light and dark areas. Although it’s also important to render objects as faithfully as possible, any objects placed in darker areas won’t necessarily draw the eye. To remedy this, I tried to imagine how a viewer’s gaze would move along the image and placed alternating shadows throughout the piece to guide them. Hopefully this helps showcase the detail in the objects and keeps the viewer entertained while they’re engaging with the picture.
Did you compile references while producing this illustration?
- Jun
- Oh yes. I began collecting references before I started drawing. Things like clothing, accessories, costumes, rabbit ears—anything that would help with the illustration. I even watched cooking videos showing how to make white chocolate treats.
What was the most difficult part of the illustration process?
- Jun
- I had a lot of trouble deciding what kind of objects to include. It’s a fantasy setting, but if I went full fantasy for all of the small items, it would hurt the viewer’s sense of realism. So I chose to depict common things like a jar of jam, bars of white chocolate—stuff we all see in our real lives—to help preserve that sense of realism.
Have you always liked drawing?
- Jun
- Yes. I often copied pictures of weapons and armor from strategy guides.
Did you major in art at school?
- Jun
- I studied 3D computer graphics at a technical school.
What made you want to pursue becoming an illustrator?
- Jun
- In order to create pieces using 3D computer graphics, you need the skills and sensibilities of a 2D illustrator. I’ve always enjoyed drawing, and I found that I was most inspired when creating full-fledged illustrations and seeing the illustrations of others. That’s why I decided to pursue a career as an illustrator.
When do you feel most glad you chose to become an illustrator?
- Jun
- I’m at my happiest when my art inspires joy. I love it when people imagine what types of personalities my characters have, or what types of lines they would say.
How has your occupation infiltrated your daily life?
- Jun
- Well, whenever I see a really nice cut while I’m watching an anime or movie, I watch the scene over and over again so I can learn from it.
Is there anything else you want to share with our readers?
- Jun
- I believe illustrations are created by both the artist and viewer. The cherry on top of any illustration is the imagination of the viewer. I hope you all have a lot of fun imagining how these characters might interact with one another.
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