Bronze Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design · 2023
Horyukaku Illustration
by Nico Aihara
- A' Design Award 2023 Bronze Winner in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design
- Awarded April 15, 2023
- CLIENT: Nico Aihara
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 12,286
- Verification code E1B921F297 · Verify this award
About Horyukaku Illustration
Inspiration for the illustrations come from Japanese classic literature Nanso Satomi Hakkenden. Horyukaku is a popular scene in Kabuki. The theme of designs is harmony of traditional Japanese and European designs. Traditional Japanese motifs were drawn by incorporating the styles of Art Nouveau and Art Deco. First hand-drawn painting was made and then colored in Photoshop to get closer to the quality of a real vintage design. Even though people who see the design didn't live in that era, they can feel familiarity and nostalgia.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The theme of designs are harmony of traditional Japanese and European designs.
Traditional Japanese motifs were drawn by incorporating the styles of Art Nouveau and Art Deco.
The flowers drawn on the frame are peony and plum, which are often used in traditional Japanese patterns.
It is also based on the commercial design of the Meiji and Taisho eras in Japan (1868-1926).
During this period, many excellent designs inspired by European design were produced in Japan. - Dimensions & Packaging
- Data size : 4556 x 6891 pixel, 600dpi, RGB.
It can be printed on paper of any size. - Tags
- samurai, traditional, Japanese art, kimono, kabuki, fantasy, vintage, classic,
- Production Technology
- These works is produced through a unique process.First hand-drawn painting was made and then colored in Photoshop. This way makes it possible to get closer to the quality of a real vintage design.
- Design Challenge
- The kimono is intricately turned over to show that wind is blowing on a high place.trails of blood indicate heavy fighting.It was hard to draw them, however they create a dramatic effect.
- Project Duration
- The project started in January 2019 and finished in April 2019.
- Operation Flow
- This illustration can attract people's attention and lead them to a world of fantasy. It may also be an opportunity to come into contact with classical literature.
- Research
- A clear outline like an ukiyo-e.
It also creates a taste like an old Western picture book. - Inspiration
- Inspiration for the illustrations come from Japanese classic literature Nanso Satomi Hakkenden.This work depicts a scene where the cornered hero fights on the castle Horyukaku.He is desperately climbing on the roof to survive.A popular scene in Kabuki.
Japanese classical literature is becoming unfamiliar even to the Japanese.However, its charm has not faded even today. - Image Credits
- Image #1-5 : Illustrator / Aihara Nico
Colors of Horyukaku Illustration
Design Interview about Horyukaku Illustration
Inspiration for this illustrations come from Japanese classic literature “Nanso Satomi Hakkenden”.
This work depicts a scene where the cornered hero fights on the castle Horyukaku.He is desperately climbing on the roof to survive.
This is a popular scene in Kabuki.
The frame is decorated with peonies and plum blossoms, which are important motifs in Hakkenden.
Classical Japanese literature is becoming unfamiliar even to Japanese people, but I have been familiar with it since I was a child.
Classical literature not only from Japan but from all over the world provides a lot of inspiration for my illustrations.
This work depicts a scene where the cornered hero fights on the castle Horyukaku.He is desperately climbing on the roof to survive.
This is a popular scene in Kabuki.
The frame is decorated with peonies and plum blossoms, which are important motifs in Hakkenden.
Classical Japanese literature is becoming unfamiliar even to Japanese people, but I have been familiar with it since I was a child.
Classical literature not only from Japan but from all over the world provides a lot of inspiration for my illustrations.
What I wanted to achieve most was to express the tragic feeling of the main character.
This scene is often depicted in ukiyo-e, but I wanted to depict a more realistic figure than just posing on the roof.
I think the idea of climbing up the roof with bloody hands while holding a sword in your mouth worked.
This scene is often depicted in ukiyo-e, but I wanted to depict a more realistic figure than just posing on the roof.
I think the idea of climbing up the roof with bloody hands while holding a sword in your mouth worked.
I would be very happy if it leads to work related to Japanese classical literature.
I made it as a private project in between work, so I don't remember exactly, but I think it probably took about 20 hours.
There are many scenes in Nanso Satomi Hakkenden that I would like to draw, and I have tried many times since I was a child.
This work is one of them.
This work is one of them.
This illustration was created as a private work, but if there is an offer to use this illustration in a product, I am ready to discuss it.
As you might expect, I respect Alphonse Mucha. I also love other illustrators from the era, such as Arthur Rackham. I also have great respect for the ukiyo-e artist Yoshitoshi Tsukioka.
I owe my illustration style to these great creators.
I owe my illustration style to these great creators.
It is a harmonious blend of traditional Japanese culture and European design elements.
The clear outlines reminiscent of ukiyo-e and the taste of old Western picture books make my work very unique.
The clear outlines reminiscent of ukiyo-e and the taste of old Western picture books make my work very unique.
The title of the work, “Horyukaku” is the name of the building the main character is climbing, and is also used in the title of Kabuki and Ukiyo-e.
I use Photoshop to color the hand-drawn line drawings on paper.
I think there are few people who draw illustrations in the same style.
I've been using Photoshop for over 20 years, but I only use the basic functions.
I think there are few people who draw illustrations in the same style.
I've been using Photoshop for over 20 years, but I only use the basic functions.
Actually, the roof tiles were the most difficult to draw.
Because I had a hard time finding detailed photos.
Because I had a hard time finding detailed photos.
This work is very inspired by the labels of products exported from Japan to Europe during the Meiji and Taisho eras.
They depict traditional Japanese motifs using cutting-edge European design at the time, and there are many outstanding Japanese-Western designs.
So, I looked at a lot of materials and came up with ideas for the design.
They depict traditional Japanese motifs using cutting-edge European design at the time, and there are many outstanding Japanese-Western designs.
So, I looked at a lot of materials and came up with ideas for the design.
Grand Interview about Horyukaku Illustration
What led me to my current style was an attempt to draw women in kimono and flowers with a touch similar to Mucha's.It went better than expected.One reason is that kimono, which is made up of straight lines, can develop complex wrinkles as people wear it and move around.This goes well with Mucha's style.Also, much of traditional Japanese literature is depicted in ukiyo-e, and Mucha's lithographs and Japanese ukiyo-e have one thing in common: they are drawn with clear lines.This is probably one of the reasons why the cultural fusion was so successful.In particular, Yoshitoshi Tsukioka's ukiyo-e prints depicting kimono fluttering with delicate lines have had a great influence on me.
When I decided to draw this scene, I had several poses in mind.I thought this pose of him climbing up while holding the sword in his mouth was the perfect way to convey that he was desperate.I was also particular about expressing the bloody hand grasping the roof.
Like ukiyo-e and lithographs, it takes a lot of effort to actually create prints, but digital coloring can easily add the texture of printing on paper.I don't work toward a fixed final design from the beginning, but I try out various ideas to get better while creating. I later came up with the idea of adding a frame to the illustration of Horukaku.Digital coloring also allows me to try and compare different design ideas, which is very important to me.
There are many types of scenes that you can imagine in detail, such as areas where blood flows from a wound cut by a sword, areas that are stained with blood from returning during a battle, and hands that are dirty from holding a blood-stained sword. I drew the bloodstains using many kinds of brushes.However, the purpose of this illustration is not to scare the viewer, so I was careful not to overdo it so as not to detract from the overall beauty.Regarding the kimono fluttering in the wind, I learned how to dramatically exaggerate it from the works of great ukiyo-e artists such as Yoshitoshi Tsukioka, whom I admire.
I am very inspired by the labels of products exported from Japan to Europe during the Meiji and Taisho eras.They depict traditional Japanese motifs using cutting-edge European design at the time, and there are many outstanding Japanese-Western designs.However, when drawing each element, I refer to earlier Ukiyo-e and Japanese painting masterpieces.By drawing traditional Japanese motifs with a thin pen, I can create a European atmosphere.
At first, I started drawing simply because I wanted to combine things I liked to express the world of Nanso Satomi Hakkenden well.However, it was not just a matter of self-satisfaction, but being recognized worldwide as an excellent design gave me great confidence.I would like to continue to take on many more challenges.
I often refer to catalogs that collect commercial labels from the Meiji to Taisho eras.Each element that makes up the design has been inherited from an earlier era.Therefore, I often search for images of traditional crafts on the Internet in order to draw them.Furthermore, this illustration has detailed elements arranged to match the world of Nanso Satomi Hakkenden.For example, peony and plum blossoms have important meaning in the story, so they are drawn inside the frame.It's not just because it's beautiful.I like to add meaning to things that only a few people notice.
I try to express the characters' emotions directly, like a Baroque painting, so that even if you don't know the details of the story, the situation and emotions can be conveyed.It is expressed using not only the facial expressions of the person, but also all the elements such as the pose and movement of the kimono.This is useful not only for Japanese people who are not familiar with classical literature, but also for showing it to foreigners.
Regarding the color palette, I am not particularly conscious of the color palette of ukiyo-e.This is because the colors of ukiyo-e itself are quite different between new and old ones.I use color combinations as a reference, but in the end, I place colors that feel comfortable to me.The advantage of digital coloring is that it is easy to make fine adjustments.The compositions are also inspired by many works, both Western and Eastern.
This is one of the successful examples of the challenge of expressing classical Japanese literature in combination with Western design.I would like to continue this challenge forever.However, there are many people other than me who are trying to convey the wonders of Japanese classical literature, so I want to feel free to draw my favorite stories, centering around Nanso Satomi Hakkenden, without thinking too m