Draw with love and challenge yourself, urges Japanese animator at SAC

ورش فنية يحتضنها مؤتمر الشارقة للرسوم المتحركة في نسخته الثانية

SHARJAH, 5th May, 2024 (WAM) – “Young artists should start their career in manga and anime art the traditional way with hand-drawn sketches, and not digitally, because the latter provides tools that help you edit and manipulate while the former helps you develop the senses to get the proportions right,” advised master animator Junichi Hayama at the “Drawing Masterpieces” workshop during the Sharjah Animation Conference (SAC) at Expo Centre Sharjah.

The Japanese freelance artist, renowned for notable projects like Phantom Blood and Sakigake! Otoku Juku, drew three fictional heroes – Kenshiro from the iconic Fist of the North Star, Yu Gi Oh, the boy gamer who solves the ancient Millenium Puzzle and Jotaro Kujo from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure – during his interaction with anime enthusiasts at the Sharjah venue. With 30 years of experience in the field of animation, Hayama delighted the audience with his down-to-earth approach and hands-on skills.

Hayama, who honed his craft under the tutelage of Masami Suda, said he had no formal training in the art and joined a studio in Tokyo through reference from a friend. He added that he had originally wanted to be a manga artist but could not win a contest for the role.

The focal point of his drawing was the exaggeration given to the anatomy of characters, especially their muscles and long jaws; he had found the jaws the most difficult aspect initially. Famous for his brush strokes, Hayama said he used three basic brush pens for suzume sketches; his preferred tools are a brush pen, a special lead pencil and a water brush to spread colours.

Hayama’s advice to aspiring manga artists was to draw with love. “Be it the anatomy, the action poses or the face of the character, start by drawing what you know and challenge oneself especially if there is difficulty in drawing something like the face. He revealed he had found drawing the big eyes of Yugi particularly difficult.

Junichi, who was actively involved in works by prestigious studios such as Toei Animation and APPP throughout his illustrious career, said Masami Suda was his greatest inspiration. He went on to serve as a character designer and chief animation director of projects like JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure and Animation Director for the acclaimed movie One Piece Film: Red.

During the session, moderated and interpreted by animator Yasmeen Sinan, Hayama said he found Sharjah amazing. The Japanese artist also signed prints of anime art for his fans later in the day.

Organised by the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), SAC has emerged as a pioneering platform in the UAE and the world for animation enthusiasts, providing a platform for industry luminaries, aspiring artists, and creatives to converge, exchange ideas, and create meaningful connections. SAC 2024 came to a close on May 5.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).