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| IIn this page, we interview past DCA award winners and ask them about their art production processes and techniques. The first interviewee is Ms. Akiko Itagaki, an illustrator residing in Kanagawa Prefecture , Japan. She has an attractive resume: During our Digital Creation Award contest, for which we have received an incredible number of entries every year, she has won the Excellence Award two years in a row! The interview will focus on her world of creation. |
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The 1st Interview:
Ms. Akiko Itagaki - - Winner of the Excellence Award, 2000&2001
[kawariyuku...]Subject:Setsu-Getsu-Ka |
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[Comments on the prize-winning work]
This artwork was born out of an inspiration I got from the beauty of different colors, when I was walking on a carpet of fallen leaves. Not only the beauty of flowers, but also leaves falling off from trees, are so attractive to me. The phrase "Momiji-gari" ("fallen leaves hunting") shows that its attractiveness is universal. Further, when the winter arrives and the leaves are slightly covered with snow, the scenery is so beautiful that I can hardly step on leaves. |
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What was your first motive to start working on CG?
Firstly, I started CG about 5 or 6 years ago, influenced by my husband who had been working in CG. My first commercial work was to create a cut illustration for a how-to book. Prior to this work opportunity, I was hand-drawing pictures. I was curious about CG, too, but I was too busy caring for my child to take any paid work doing it |
Didn't you have any feelings of hesitation regarding starting CG?
Well, it took much time for me to get each work done. Something that I can do quickly now, took forever in the beginning. But trying different things gradually got me hooked on the CG world. I think one of the attractive parts of CG is that a certain kind of work can get done very quickly, while if you hand-draw it, it would take a tremendous amount of time. CG also allows you to create something that you really cannot create by hand-drawing, which is another attractive part of it. Yes, in the very beginning, I really didn't like the fact that I would be drawing pictures by using a computer.But now I realize that there will be great differences in each artwork, depending on who is making it, even though it might have been made by the same computer. |
What motivated you to enter the DCA?
I kind of knew there were a variety of CG contests out there, but, back then, I didn't think my skills and techniques were not mature enough to enter any of them. Since my paid work had been mainly creating cut pictures, I felt my level of work was sort of stuck at a certain degree. I didn't feel that my skills were good enough. It was like I was creating some pieces of work, and that was about it. So, I was doing what I was told to do, while being paid. But then I started feeling I would like to draw the kind of illustrations that I always wanted to, outside of my paid work. Also, I thought I would like to be recognized for it. It was when I saw an announcement on the DCA that called for entries. |
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Then, you won the Excellence Award on your first try.
I was stunned. I said to myself, good thing I kept working hard! It was a great encouragement, and made me feel I would like to work even harder. I had been working on things, but I was always wondering, if what I was doing made any sense. Now, winning the award encouraged me to try out for more variety of things. |
Ms. Itagaki, you actually won the Excellence Award for the second time, for your artwork which was highly praised by the screening committee for its colorfulness and warmth. Did you have any specific theme while working on it?
I did not really have a specific theme in my mind, but I do always pay attention to colors to use not only for the image I have for the entire work, but also for the parts precisely. As for this particular artwork, the time I saw the announcement of call for entries,was in the autumn. That was when I found so many very beautiful fallen leaves on the streets, and brought some home. They became the motif for my work. I used to learn how to do flower arrangements. I always liked plants and flowers. First I didn't know which thematic category to enter my work, Color,or Setsu-Getsu-Ka.. After all, I decided to enter it for Setsu-Getsu-Ka,because I thought this theme would better suit the kind of artwork I was going to create. |
Which part of the process of creating this work did you have the most trouble with?
I think the hardest part of it was to actually create the work exactly as I had already imagined in my mind. I tried different ways, by paying attention to the subtle differences in colors, and to achieve the very atmosphere of fallen leaves I had in my mind. I ended up figuring things out along the way. The process of computer drawing is quite different than hand-drawing, and so I got a little frustrated when my computer didn't seem to cooperate with me in the way I wanted it to. Also, it took a lot of effort not to crash the illustration of a tiny snow crystal on a leaf, when I had to reduce it to the size specified by the contest's rules and regulations. |
Has anything changed in your life since you won the DCA award?
The biggest change is how I feel about my work. Winning the awards was a great encouragement for me. It has pushed me to seek new challenges, too. Actually, now I would like to also try out 3D work. I'm sure there must be something you can express in your art only with 3D techniques. I also realize that it is important not to become complacent with your own work. The fact that your works are seen by the public keeps you from feeling this way. |
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What kind of artwork are you planning to create from now on?
Right now, Iam mainly working on cut illustrations, but I would like to start working more on graphics which create an entire picture as artwork, rather than on the ones cut into small pieces. |
Can you offer words of encouragement to those who are planning to enter their work for the next DCA?
If you have 100 people entering the contest, it means there are 100 different approaches and finished designs for artworks. That will stimulate you tremendously. The way you look at your own artwork will be different, once you enter the contest. First of all, you should start with creating one piece of art. Just go for it and enter! |
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The 1st- - Winner of the Excellence Award, 2000&2001
Name : Akiko Itagaki
Sex : Female
Occupation : Illustrator
E-mail : aki@wildcat.co.jp |
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| Click on each picture to enlarge it. |
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| She is roughly giving texture to each leaf, using Adobe Illustrator. |
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| She is converting graphic data into Adobe Photoshop, and casting shadows with the DROP-SHADOW function. |
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| She is creating and arranging snow crystals with Adobe Illustrator, and enhancing the texture, by converting it into Adobe Photoshop. |
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| She finishes the work by coordinating the number of leaves, coloring, and its entire balance. |
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