In my latest video, I answered some of the questions I got from viewers on Instagram the other day. It’s a cozy “draw with me” video, so check it out it you’re interested! Despite my rusty English, I didn’t put subtitles in the video…Sorry if you had difficulty hearing it. Below’s my script for the Q&A part.

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When did you become aware of illustration as a job you could do and when did you decide it?

I studied designs for animation in art School and didn’t know anything about the field of illustration at that time. Back then I was working on a collaborative project with a bunch of people from school and one of my friends who was from the illustration major and also working on the project had just signed up with an illustration agency and introduced me to the world of illustration. After I researched, I found out that there were many artists in animation working on children’s books, so I thought maybe I could do it? 

As I wasn’t getting much work straight out of school, I was desperate to seek an opportunity, so I tailored my portfolio to submit to an agent and got one soon after. I have to admit that I didn’t even know the difference between a literary agency and an illustration agency…

Did you find your art improved quickly early on in college or was it more gradual?

I don’t think I found my “art” until my last year in art school. As I mentioned in the previous video about my art journey, I was lack of drawing skills of any kind and didn’t have the foundation to improve upon. During the first 2 years, I had to take basic classes like figure drawing, color theory, and oil painting, so my improvement was more gradual. Once I felt that I could draw what I wanted, I spent more time on my personal project and honestly, I was so excited to finally work on my own stuff, so from there I think my skills had gotten better more quickly.

Do you think you’ll move back to the US if the opportunity arises?

First of all, it’s not easy for me, a foreigner, to move to the States because of visa, but putting visa issues aside, I think I’d definitely consider moving back to the States if there’s a right opportunity at the right time. If I were to move back to the US, it would be when I get hired as a full-time artist in an animation studio. As I have been a freelance artist for my entire career, I’ve always wanted to work in-house and work together with my team and colleagues. It’s something I’ve dreamed of forever.

What I mean by the right time is that it depends on the circumstances. I’m in my 30s and actually turning 34 next month. If I were in my 20s, I’d grab whatever opportunity that is so fast without thinking, but as I’m getting older, I realize that I need to think about my future more realistically, for instance, my health, cost of living, and more importantly the current economy of the industry. You’d probably know that, in animation, most working artists have to hop around gigs in a short amount of time these days, so it concerns me in every way. I really hope we won’t have to worry about that in the near future…

As an artist in college financial security post-college is a concern for me. Has it been difficult for you?

Yeah, it has, and I think every artist in the entertainment and publishing industries probably has had the same feeling when they started out. Fortunately, I graduated from art school debt-free thanks to my parents, but even so, the first couple of years after the graduation was a bumping road financially. I didn’t get work straight out of school, so I said Yes to almost every opportunity that came my way back then. Some of them low-balled me since I was a newbie, but I was eager to break into the work environment and I have no regret because it all worked out nicely eventually. Now that I think about it, getting an agent right after graduation was the best move to this day. Even though I didn’t get much work through the agency the first year, after that, the projects came my way more constantly, which gave me a bit more stability in finance. So branching out might be a great way to support yourself financially.

What do you recommend to people who want to start a YouTube channel but struggle with balance?

I’d say, Go for it! Just make videos that you want to make. There’s no right way to do it when it comes to YouTube, so just be authentic to yourself. I have client work in animation and publishing, so that’s my priority and always will be. Even though my channel is monetized, there’s still a long way to go, and I won’t be able to rely on it unless it gets 100k subs or so, so I guess my advice to you is that don’t do it for money and don’t be pressured to make videos. Just enjoy what you can do with YouTube and if that ended up making money, that’d be great, you know! 

What illustrators are you most influenced/inspired by?

There’s a countless number of artists that I’ve been inspired by. But I think many of the artists who impacted my work have an animation background. Just off the top of my head, Jon Klassen and Christian Robinson. Jon’s work has been such a huge influence on my work and his way of storytelling through shapes is just amazing, Christian’s work is so unique and it’s one and only, everyone can notice that it’s his work. His work feels somehow traditional and yet very graphic and simple. Every work he creates warms my heart.

Do you have some tips to build a portfolio?

There are hundreds of thousands of portfolios flowing on the internet nowadays, and I think what matters the most when it comes to portfolios is your voice. Your inner voice and personality. What People and aspiring students ask and talk about often is “style.” Of course, style sometimes plays a big part in projects. In animation, some project requires you to have or draw a specific style, and in publishing, book covers and board books may require you to have a different style. However, what it’s called style, is something you could improve and develop over time and the same goes for your drawing skills. For example, I didn’t have a foundation of any drawing skills or design skills for that matter, but I spent my energy and time and made countless mistakes for a few years, then I finally reached a level that got me a client work, so these skills could be achievable from scratch. 

On the other hand, your voice, what you can bring to the table,  this is your uniqueness. It’s not something that other people can steal from you. It’s based on your experience, life experience that you’ve built up throughout your life so far. This is what differentiates you from other artists and this is how your work stands out among others. So I’d suggest, just be authentic to yourself and cherish your life and memory. The work you put in your portfolio could be based on your personal story, which would often draw great attention. So focus on storytelling and most importantly have fun!

Have a lovely weekend!

Warmly,
Toshi