Illustrator | g_g.g

Soon after the Japan trip I found the illustrator @g_g.g on Instagram and instantly fell in love with their work. I don't think I'd seen anything quite like it, it's a new idea to me which is always executed beautifully with perfect posing, colouring, outfits and character design. The facial design of their characters is so distinctive, its is possibly an acquired taste but I personally love the originality.
Often it is hard to stay constantly motivated but what's wonderful about this style is that you can instantly be inspired by the surroundings for the foundation of an idea; it mainly focuses on character design which is the area I intend on working on in the future. This would be a great kind of style to focus on for me, improving my character design over time but being able to incorporate it in a photograph will also practice my composition and understanding of lighting and texture.

Select work by g_g.g

A Trip to Tokyo!

Tokyo and Studio Ghibli

The only pictorial evidence that we went to the esoteric Ghibli Museum

Just the other week we went to Tokyo and this still seems like a surreal phrase to say; it has been a dream destination for me and the whirlwind trip leaves it to feel like only a fleeting dream too. I hope to one day return on a much longer trip than three days, the jet lag left lots to be desired but the short stay has made me hungry to go back and indulge in even more of the culture and the sights to see. 

I have to say that the highlight of the whole trip was visiting the Ghibli museum. It exceeded my expectations and had me grinning the whole day at every inch of the mysterious palace that holds Ghibli secrets. It is certainly the perfect place to visit as an animation student and a fan of the films. Upon arrival it was amazing to view an original short film, which despite there being a complete language block, we still found ourselves laughing at all the right places alongside the Japanese speakers. I think this is a testament to the strength of the characters and skill at story telling. It was incredible to have an insight into the work of the animators; we walked through rooms with every last inch of them embellished with initial drawings and ideas, the research and reference drawings. It was fascinating to have a greater understanding of their studio practice, seeing the storyboarding, keyframing, the process of colouring and the stacks of drawing paper left me undeniably inspired. I could immediately imagine myself working in such a creative space and I think I should hold an everlasting memory of this place for whenever I am uninspired or doubting my future in animation.

Just one of the beautiful gardens that we had the chance to visit