Shopping Guide
Questions from Overseas Fans!
Question 1: When distinguishing between cute characters and cool, mature characters, what thought process do you go through?
redjuice: Well, everything is different, isn't it? It's not as simple as flipping a switch to differentiate between them. Within the category of characters I can draw, there are images of cute, cool, and mature characters. Although there are differences between them, there are also aspects that overlap. It's quite a difficult topic to discuss.
If I were to answer with just that, it might come off a bit mean.
If I were to consciously differentiate characters, when drawing cute, beautiful girls, I would make their faces less three-dimensional and more flat and symbolic, while still maintaining balance.
When it comes to male characters, their noses and mouths become more defined, so I become more aware of creating a more three-dimensional form. And when drawing older characters, like middle-aged or elderly people, I don't need to focus too much on the symbolic cuteness. Instead, I focus more on character traits and the anatomical muscles of the face, wrinkles, and the balance of facial features, emphasizing their humanity. For example, I might create a face using triangles, squares, or teardrop shapes, incorporating my experiences and knowledge of drawing into the process. Just talking about this could fill a whole book, haha.
Question 2: What was the reason behind choosing your art style? We appreciate the differences from common styles.
redjuice: I haven't consciously chosen my art style. While I can somewhat imagine what people might consider a "redjuice-like" style, I think part of being redjuice is improving with each piece rather than sticking to a specific style. In fact, I enjoy learning new tools and techniques, so for each project, I often research, practice, and create to learn and adapt as needed.
For example, when working on a Japanese period drama, depicting a kimono can be quite challenging due to its complexity. In such cases, I delve into researching the historical background and elements required for the project. I believe it's an artist's job to thoroughly investigate and understand each element needed for a project.
Questions 3: We imagine that you use various tools when drawing. What was the most challenging tool or software to master?
redjuice: Learning how to use tools itself is relatively easy since instructions are usually available in the manuals. Nowadays, there are even Japanese manuals available, but in the past, most 3DCG software was only available in English. While readers of Tokyo Otaku Mode may be proficient in English, many Japanese people, including myself, struggle with it (laughs). In that sense, I had a lot of trouble with 3DCG software that was difficult to use without understanding the underlying programming and backbone. If I were to pick one, I'd say the old 3DCG software I used to use, Softimage|3D, was particularly challenging.
Question 4: When you experience a creative slump or your brush stops moving, how do you break out of it?
redjuice: Well, sleeping is usually the best solution, haha. There can be various reasons for feeling stuck, but for me, the most common cause is mental fatigue, so at times like that, sleeping is really the only option.
I also try to find ways to relieve stress. Taking a walk, doing some exercise, maintaining a healthy daily routine, eating something delicious, etc. I believe health is an essential issue for creators.
Another aspect is what people commonly refer to as a "slump." Personally, I'm not fond of the term "slump," so I don't use it, but it essentially means hitting a wall in some way. It could be feeling unable to draw what you want to draw or feeling like you're not progressing.
Actually, being unable to draw what you want to draw can be a sign of growth. As a result of growing and seeing things you couldn't see before, you may struggle with the gap between what you think you should be able to do now and what you're actually capable of. When facing such situations, I think it's about finding what you can do and improving yourself, which is my way of dealing with slumps.
Question 5: When designing new characters that fit the world of GIRLS FROM HELL, do you usually have a perfect idea before you start drawing, or do you make changes along the way before settling on the final design?
redjuice: It depends on the situation for me. Sometimes, I write down settings and ideas spanning several pages before I start drawing, and sometimes I start with a blank slate and just let the lines flow to shape things. If you want to create a good character, whether you start from visuals or not, it might be interesting to start with some sketches and then develop the character with logic and flesh it out. For me, I make additions and changes along the way as I create.
Question 6: What is the most important thing you pay attention to in character design?
redjuice: First and foremost, there's the premise that you have to draw a person. Then, it's about finding my own fetishes or favorite points and focusing on them. Personally, I like depicting bones, like fingertips, so I tend to focus on bones rather than muscles or fat, and then I build the character from there. However, character design isn't just about focusing on one aspect, so it's important to show the character's individuality in various aspects such as bone structure, leg length, neck length, and so on.
Question 7: When did you start using Blender or other programs to create backgrounds?
redjuice: Actually, I started with 3D art before illustration. When I quit my first job and moved to Tokyo, it was specifically to pursue 3D-related work, but at that time, I couldn’t draw illustrations at all. I couldn’t draw character illustrations for 3DCG movies, which was kind of ironic, haha.
People who went to specialized schools could draw like professionals, and my drawings didn’t even come close to the examples in magazines and books that said, “This is what a character design looks like!” So, I realized I was really bad at it. At that time, I wasn’t particularly focused on getting better at drawing.
In the end, I didn’t fully master 3DCG techniques and gave up, but the software I learned at that time, Softimage|3D, was back in around 2001, so I think I started using 3D software 20 years ago.
Question 8: What was the most challenging project you have participated in so far?
redjuice: It’s hard to narrow it down to just one, but… if I had to pick, it would be the trilogy by Itoh Project.The schedules were tight, and I had health issues in the middle of it all, which made it difficult to gather references and have meetings with the directors. It might be hard for others to understand, but having three different worlds coexist within me simultaneously was extremely tough.
Question 9: What did you want to be when you were a child?
redjuice: I wonder. I don’t think I wanted to be an artist, at least not initially. Since I was good at drawing, my elementary school teacher used to tell me that I might become a manga artist or a painter in the future. But I also thought being a painter might be tough to make a living from.
So I ended up going to a technical school10 and got a job at a machinery manufacturer, becoming an engineer. But becoming an engineer wasn’t really a dream of mine. There was this technical high school with a high entrance rate, and tuition was cheap because it was a public university. So, I just went there because I could get in, without any real ambitions. I was a pretty dull and unambitious kid, to be honest, haha. It’s almost unbelievable that I’m drawing now. I didn’t even tell my classmates from technical school that I draw, so when I told them at our reunion ten years later that I draw, they were like, “Seriously?” and were quite surprised, haha.
Question 10: How long does it usually take you to draw something?
redjuice: According to the logs on my YouTube channel where I upload my live drawing sessions, it can take as short as from waking up in the morning to going to bed at night to finish a piece. For doodles or fan art, it might take around 6 to 8 hours, but for more detailed work, I spend 2 to 3 days on it. So, generally, I'd say about 20 hours for a single illustration. However, for longer pieces, it can exceed 100 hours. For things like 3D work or illustrations with many characters, it tends to be around 100 hours or more.
Tokyo Otaku Mode: Personally, I'm curious, which illustration that you recently worked on took over 100 hours?
redjuice: The recent one was for the music video of “CRaZY” in Project Sekai. It involved multiple characters, each with a unique style, so I had to gather a lot of references, which took over 100 hours to complete.
We're not done yet! redjuice dishes the details on his favorite games, manga, and more on the next page! Go on, keep reading!
This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article translated by K Riley.
Interview conducted by A. Morris, T. Morisawa
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