Japanese storytellers
Emphasising the storyteller behind the art by creating posters for a speculative Storytellers conference
Company
Personal project
Timeline
2021
Scope
Graphic design
Illustration
I am passionate about Japanese animation, particularly the timeless, long-form classics. In my free time, I was eager to embark on a project that resonated with this passion.
I came up with the idea of crafting a series of posters for a fictional event. This event would bring together the directors of my favourite animated movies, giving them a platform to share their creative processes.
design
My process
I had two goals behind this project: I wanted to emphasise the artist behind the art, and I wanted to apply my illustrations to a speculative art event.
sketches & lineart
These were based on photos of the two, which I stylised and simplified to better fit a poster context. I then re-drew the sketches digitally to refine & polish.
Typography & colours
I found the font Japanica, which was perfect for the feel I wanted to give off from this poster. It was a nice blend of playful and "Japanese-feeling". I paired it with a clean sans serif, and finished up by picking a harmonious set of colours.
The final design
Satoshi Kon — The underdog in the Japanese animation industry. A creative genius that left us too early.
Hayao Miyazaki — Known world-wide for his imagination, I couldn't help but include him in this project.
Unused sketches
I had originally intended for this project to be about artists I admire, so had at first included a bunch more artists (as seen below). I didn't end up going with this idea. Partly because of time, but also partly because I liked the focus of "Japanese Storytellers".
View next project
