Mural Animations at Seed Studio

Now I can finally share my last half year projects with you hooo! 

As seen in the last blog post, I did a mural painting at Seed Animation Studio and that project expanded further more beautifully and unexpectedly. They asked me to animate the mural painting with my voice over to make their Ident. Under the great creative circumstances over 14 weeks, I have learnt a lot from their art direction. Now the animation is fully decorated with mysterious flued sound and ready to be on air! 

The project details are online at Seed's website here. 

The Magic Seeds Ident

Back in Summer, Seed was taking thousands of photos of me painting on the wall and here they made a video time lapsed over 2.5 months. Thanks a lot for this great work, I really enjoyed looking at this upbeat super quick drawing! You can also see my hair growing and all clothes from my wardrobe...

The Magic Seeds Mural

Mural at Seed HQ

This is one of the things I was working on last year. The mural painting at Seed Animation Studio HQ in London Soho hooray! Have a look at my website (the Mural & 3D Crafts chapter) for more close up photos!




Days and days ago before the summer in 2011, I think I sent my CV to Seed as an animator as I liked their cute but edgy character based animations. Instead of a desk and a chair, they gave me a 3x6 metres wide blank wall to cover with my illustration and I thought yeaa sounds delicious. I spent whole 2 months sometimes painting till midnight because it was great fun indeed :)




The drawing is based on this poem about seeds, referring to the name of the studio.




The Magic Seeds

There was one old woman who sowed a corn seed,

And from it there sprouted a tall yellow weed.

She planted the seeds of the tall yellow flower,

And up sprang a blue one in less than an hour.

The seed of the blue one she sowed in a bed,

And up sprang a  tall tree with blossoms of red.

And high in the treetop there sang a white bird,

And his song was the sweetest that ever was heard.

The people they came from far and from near,

The song of the little white bird for to hear.

(by James Reeves)




-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

去年やっていたことをやっと報告できます！

ロンドンのソーホーにあるSeed Animation Studioというアニメーション事務所で描いた壁画。私のサイトの英語の方にもっと写真アップしました。日本語の方もあとで更新します。




Seedのアニメーションはキャラクターが可愛くてちょっとエグイのがとても好みで、去年の夏前にアニメーターとして履歴書を送ったところ、アニメの仕事よりまず壁をくれたのでした。3mx6mの壁って思ったよりでかいです。結局２ヶ月かかりましたが、プロデューサーと好みがとても合ったので、始終ノリノリで描けました。おばあちゃん最初はちゃんと可愛い顔あったんだけど、「もっと気持ち悪くなんないかなぁ、例えば顔が触手に侵食されているとか」とのご指摘を受けたので、喜んで顔をつぶしました＾＾

イラストは、上記のMagic Seedsという詩を元にしています。もちろん事務所名とかけて。

The Bizarre Adventure Exhibition

Me and my friend who is an art director of the art and design collective "Vicious Sabrina" are having a small quirky exhibition on the corner of East End London. If you are around, please feel free to pop in :)

Date:               1st ~ 8th May ( 7th closed for a Bank Holiday)
Open:              11.00 ~ 18.00
Private View:  Thursday 3rd, 18.30 ~ 20.00
Venue:             Luna & Curious  / 24–26 Calvert Avenue, London, E2 7JP

The poster above is a part of our collaboration where I made the drawing and my friend did the design and layout work. The illustration is of an old tree decorated with the Vicious Sabrina's art works and looking like a man in a portrait. As you guess, inspired by the work of Giuseppe Arcimboldo...


イーストロンドンの一角で、友人且つアート＆デザインユニットVicious Sabrinaのディレクターでもあるセキ君と、小さな奇妙な展示をします。上のポスターは、私がイラストを描き、セキ君がデザイン・レイアウトをしてくれました。イラストは、Vicious Sabrinaの作品に着飾られた肖像画風の古木です。アルチンボルド作品も参考にしながら…

以下、展示詳細と２枚めの画像の日本語版です：
『The Bizarre Adventure』展
日時：5月1〜8日（7日休館）11:00 ~ 18:00
プライベートビュー：5月3日 18:30 ~ 20:00
場所：Luna & Curious  / 24–26 Calvert Avenue, London, E2 7JP

『The Bizarre Adventure』展は、アートブランド『Vicious Sabrina』 とアーティスト西村夕貴がロンドンで出会い生まれた、シュールな妄想のかたちです。
『Vicious Sabrina』 は、「架空の女性である " Vicious Sbarina " の存在を制作物と通して形成することを目的に、" グラフィック　映像　ウェブ　プロダクト　空間 " あらゆる領域で作品を制作する、アート＆デザインユニットです（V.S.ホームページより）」。西村夕貴は、フリーのイラストレーター兼アニメーターであり、これまでナンセンスな詩や文学を、独自の視点でビジュアル化することに取り組んできました。
昨冬このふたつのアートが出会ってから、今回が初のコラボレーションになります。ダークで詩的な空間とシュールなユーモアの織りなす『奇妙な冒険』を、お楽しみください。

Catty Portrates

It seems that I'd better to keep confidential for a little bit more about the work I did for one animation studio last year, so I'm going to hide the last blog post until I can officially put it on the air. But thanks for leaving a comment :)

So I can show you something else but tiny for the tea break. These are the paper craft portraits of me, my dad and my mum that I made for my dad's birthday last year. My dad loves cats, so I turned my family into cats referring to individual personalities and body shapes. That's why me-cat looks chubby and slow, and by contrast my mummy-cat looks boney and nimble.

Hm, maybe I can open a small business of making people's Catty Portraits, or even in different animals depending on the person...? hehe

REALMS by UHFD

Here is one of the work I did in 2011. Another CD cover for the American band UHFD (I did their first album jacket as well). It's their second album called "REALMS" based on the thought of afterlife in Eastern religions and mythologies...

This is a long corridor covered with the mandala pattern which is leading to the afterlife. I characterised a boatman of the Sanzu River (aka the River Styx in Greek mytholoy) and six Realms in Buddhism.When you get there, they guide you to the next world waiting behind the door at the bottom...

2011年発売、アメリカのメタルバンドUHFDの、セカンドアルバム『REALMS』のジャケットです。東洋の宗教や思想にある「死後の世界」をイメージして作られたアルバムなので、イラストにも、三途の川の渡し守や仏教の六道を、私なりにキャラクター化して描いてみました。ピンクとブルーの長い廊下は、バンドのリーダーのイメージに基づいた、死後の世界へ続く道です。

My Showreel's done!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuPSADR0jWc

When you don't have anything to do for 1 minute and a half, please click on this link to watch my new showreel for 2007-2011 animation work!

２００７年〜２０１１年分のアニメーション作品集ができました。１分３０秒です、ラーメン待ってる間にでもどうぞ！

SMILE JAPAN :D*

Finally here is the announcement of our charity activity for Japan Earthquake Relief, named "SMILE JAPAN", which was established quietly and passionately by three Japanese London-based illustrators, Kazuko Morishita, Nanae Kawahara and me. Please visit our blog to see the details.

http://smile-japan311.blogspot.com/

ようやくのお知らせですが…東北関東大震災からの復興を願って、ロンドン在住のイラストレーター河原奈苗、森下和子と私の３人で、小さなチャリティーグループを立ち上げました。SMILE JAPANといいます。上の赤いまるっこいキャラはスマイルちゃんです。活動内容の詳細は専用ブログの方で是非ご覧になってください。

http://smile-japan311.blogspot.com/

Even we poor little artists can raise money for those who suffered in Japan by selling our old art works, prints and cards we won't use anymore, and also some second-hand jumbles at the London's popular market stalls. Not only three of us but also other artists donated a great number of work to our stall, and the 1st trial at the Backyard Market in Brick Lane made an amazing success. Thanks a lot for all those people who helped us, visited us, bought our goods, donated coins and notes, and gave us warm cheering. We can only show you our appreciation enough by carrying on the activities. Please keep your eyes on our upcoming charity sales, come visit us anytime you can. Things are cheap on our stall anyway!

こんなちっぽけなアーティストである私たちにも何かできるはず、と考えた末、ロンドンの人気マーケットで月１くらいの頻度でお店を開こうということに至りました。過去に刷っていらなくなったポストカード、印刷物や昔の作品、ついでに古着や中古品などを安値でどばっと売って義援金にしちゃえ！という企みです。第一回目は先月ブリックレーンのバックヤードマーケットにて開いたのですが、私たち３人以外にもいろいろなアーティストの方が作品を寄付してくれ、おかげでとても成功に終わりました。今回の活動に尽力してくれた方、ストールに足を運んでくれた方、商品を買って行ってくれた方、お金を寄付してくれた方、そしてあたたかい言葉をかけてくれたみなさん、本当にありがとうございました。どうお礼を言ったらいいのか分からないので、感謝の気持ちは活動を続けることで見せていこうと思います。次回も是非、よろしくお願いします！

Below, our little flyer.

下は、当日道で配り歩いたフライヤー。次もがんばろーー！

UPside Exhibition

Here is the link of the upcoming exhibition called "UPside" by me and my ex uni-mates from the illustration, book art and printmaking class. The show is from 13th Sep until 7th Nov in a cafe and its gallery called Medcalf at Exmouth Market.

http://upsideart.wordpress.com/

We all created something new under the theme of "UPside of life" aka "the reasons to be cheerful". Please have a view and enjoy how each of us visualized the theme. When our aim comes true, the show will make you happy for sure!

The image above is a part of my work for the show, titled "UPworld". I connected this UPside concept and my ongoing "Depicting Poems" project, and ended up drawing 2 zeppelins inspired by this old nursery rhyme:

“What is the news of the day,
Good neighbor, I pray?”
“They say the balloon
Is gone up to the moon!”
(anon.)

It's a simple rhyme but very uplifting for me, and for you, too, hopefully! :)

and from today, I kind of decided to write articles in Japanese as well... when I feel like...

９月１３日から１１月７日まで、ロンドンのMedcalf というギャラリー付きレストランで "UPside" という展示をします。メンバーは、キャンバウェル大学院のイラスト、ブックアート、版画コースの面々。去年の卒業以来展示しようって言い続けてようやくその一部が実現しました。

展示詳細：http://upsideart.wordpress.com/

テーマは"UPside of life" 、「楽しくなる理由」（私のこのド直訳もどうかと思うが…）。日常のひょんな出来事だったり、自分の好きな物だったり、もっと大きな目で「人を楽しくさせるもの」、だったりを描いて、自分も来る人も楽しませられるポジティブな展示をしようと、そんな考えです。

上の絵は私の作品の一部です。展示のコンセプトと普段やってる詩シリーズを絡ませて、UPという言葉が含まれる詩をベースに描きました。元の詩はこの飛行船を唄ったマザーグース。たった四行で随分楽しくなる詩だなぁ！

“What is the news of the day,
Good neighbor, I pray?”
“They say the balloon
Is gone up to the moon!”
(anon.)

UPside展、全体的にはイラストベースで、難しく考えすぎないマイペースな展示だと思います。でもメンバーによってはコンセプトアート寄りだったりして、小規模なりにバラエティに富んだ楽しい展示になるんじゃないかなぁ。みんなの見るの楽しみです。レストランもあるし飲めるし、近くに来た際には是非覗いてやってくださいね。

そして今朝、人生で数度目かと思われる「ごはんですよ」を食べて感動しました。え、こんなに美味かったっけごはんですよ…！！ちっちゃいころの苦手意識払拭か。しかしお茶漬けにかけて食べたのは失敗だったと思いました。味が相殺したあげく二倍濃くなった…まずった…

Where Angels Fear Contemporary

Now I belong to this online contemporary art gallery called "Where Angels Fear Contemporary". They are the newly established organization, and "committed to the promotion and selling of original affordable art by emerging artists" as it's said on their website. Please visit their website and have a look at my page, and of course, enjoy the other great artists there.

http://www.whereangelsfear.org.uk/

They also made each artist's youtube video which features their art works. Thanks a lot!!! Here is the link to mine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SceOGI64rKg

OTOUTO US Tour Poster!

Here is the poster for the Australian music band OTOUTO, and their Final North American Tour 2010. I love their twinkle surreal sounds with childlike spirit, so what I imagine from their music are such as a shiny piece of glass bottle, toy box, blue minerals, mysterious living things in a grassland, planets and the outer space... And here it is.

These are mineral forming typography saying OTOUTO, and each letter has the key word I came up with by listening their new songs. From the top left, it is "Chewing Gum with a Finger Turtle", "Human-like Plants", "Fatty Mineral Man", "Moon Harp", "Mad Scientist", and "Embroidery on Minerals".

I made 2 versions as above, and the white one is now uploaded on their myspace. Listen to their lovely songs and become a fan! Good luck for the tour :)

http://www.myspace.com/hazelbrownmusic

Pen Pusher issue 16

Here is what I was doing since the last post. My illustrations are now published in the "Pen Pusher magazine Vol.16", where they gave me 6 pages to showcase my work. Pen Pusher magazine is the London based literary magazine where new born writers can raise their voice of pens, such as short fictions, poetries, columns and so on. They also have 1 artist featured in each issue, and this time, in the issue 16, that is me :)

Respecting to the concept of this magazine, I made a series of drawings inspired by one one poem, called "Eaka Neeka" by Walter De La Mare. I love this old nonsensical poem and tried to depict its insanity. The second illustration is the old couple, Mr.Neeka and Mrs.Lee, who possess the things either one doesn't have. For example, as it's written in the poem "Here is a door without a handle,", Mr.Neeka has a door without a handle, and Mrs.Lee has a handle without a door. This is why they are drawn like that.

The third illustration is the house they live. I thought, the house should be nonsense and unlivable because the residents themselves are incomprehensible.

These illustrations were actually short listed in the art competition featuring the Barbican Surreal House Exhibition. I'm one of those 10 runners up.

http://www.jotta.com/article/v2-published/933/barbican-surreal-competition-winners-announced

Pen Pusher is such a lovely magazine and I'm sure the lover of literature will enjoy its fresh collectives. You can find it in Foyles bookshop, Rough Trade CD shop in Brick Lane... and many other bookshops in London.

http://www.penpushermagazine.co.uk/

Finally it's done... the new illustration inspired by 2010 Iceland volcanic eruption (ages ago!). I wanted to draw the power of nature, unknown creatures and fossils hidden beneath the earth, infinite expansion of outer space (including our planet), and its whole chaos... bra bra bra...

My work always gets messed up with over work in the end, and my concern is if it's good or not, and if it's called 'Yuki's style' or 'un-matured disorder'...mmm. Maybe I'm gonna move on more simple stuff from now on.

Anyway, I'm glad I got the new characters such as the thundering ammonite, the Trilobite with primitive village on its back, and the nose drill scull rider. They will appear again somewhere in my work.

onion

I bought a big onion today.

Featured in Amelia's magazine blog :)

http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/art/spotlight-yuki-nishimura/2010/04/14/

Thanks to Amelia and Amica at great Amelia's Magazine, my work was featured in their blog. Thank you so much, I love what she wrote in the article, I didn't realize my work had "Peyote like delirium inherent" in it. haha It means a lot to me because that's exactly what I want to represent through my work. (ah but, in case you doubt, please note that I'm not taking any 'real' cactus...)

Submarine Dock Whale

Another quite big drawing I am gonna move on in parallel. An imaginary whale "Submarine Dock Whale". I'm looking forward to drawing those gems in his body. Let's see.

Some sketches I found in my notebook. Whatever...

Portraits of World Pioneers/ Newton

A sketch for Isaac Newton, a part of my personal project "Portraits of World Pioneers". Newton discovered lots of things indeed, so I will combine his representative achievement in one illustration. Hopefully it's gonna be the next big work. Today I decided to think that it would be nice to keep drawing personal stuff when time allows even during a bloody job hunting. It could keep me being myself, and avoid the insanity of artless life.

My work will be in jotta's show "SPRUNG"

Tomorrow is the private view of jotta's one month term illustration show where my work is one of those 12 participants. Although the submission of mine is the one some people already saw in MA graduation show in Camberwell... It will be still great :)

Go to their website, the thematic poem of the show is beautifully nonsense!

http://www.jotta.com/magazine/outabout/704/sprung

2D flowers for Barcelona

Cards for my friends in Barcelona. If a new comer tourist Paul can remember well, they should be delivered by door to door service, thanks! Ah I really want to visit Spain...

The first card is for my illustrator friend who is a book worm, and the second one is for my dancer friend whose life is always in chaos :) I miss them a lot.

today, still emailing out my work to magazines... even if there won't be any outcome, I believe it's worth doing...

and I've got a thousand of my business cards delivered today, even if there won't be any chance to hand out all of them, I believe it's worth having... I feel stupid to have ordered that much, but it'll be useful when I run out of toilet paper...

scrap2

The left half is the trashy vision which often comes up in my mind when I go to a tea shop. gross...

A little portrait of my friend Arina and her brother.

Ah... today started very well with lovely weather, and now it's 20% gray of photoshop colour...

scrap

a sketch inspired by 'Elephant Gun' / Beirut

I remember, it was when me and my friend found nice wooden animal toys at a toy shop in Tokyo. We enjoyed placing animals on a shelf, then eventually ended up by locating a lovely chick whose bill was sticking to a horse's xxx... We felt sorry for the shop and children who were playing around the shop innocently, but forgot to replace them as they were... :P

drumman