Fumio Obata's Blog, page 5

Illustration Exercise - Property Ladder

This one took me absolutely too long...Property Ladder.I think I'm rather getting influenced by printmaking such as woodcut and screen printing, just simply because there is a printmaking facility and a brilliant print maker/technician right next to where I teach.So I'm getting confused in a good way!This is a massive advantage, I know!

Illustration Exercise- Evening drinks

A bit more closer to comic book approach.Although I used my tones here.

Illustration Exercise- Slippers

Like I mentioned before, I'm starting to regard differently how an illustration should be like.It's a jigsaw puzzle with all sorts of elements(colours, forms, typography) being put together in a good balance.However, what counts is hummour with a personal touch to it.My latest shows a fine example of my character depiction and movement being involved.

Extracts from my latest reportage about one hospital in Fukushima

I've been dying to show my latest reportage from Fukushima, but I can't show it until it's published properly.Here are extracts of drawing from it.The hospital has set up its own independent radioactivity research centre.Here is the link.

Quake News from Elsewhere- Tokyo, Fukushima, and the unknown relation

New episode over Tokyo’s relation with Fukushima.Here is the original English version for anyone to read.Don't forget the rest here.

Falmouth University MA Illustration Forum March 2014

It's a late report on my trip to Falmouth University in the beginning of March this year.I was invited, as a guest speaker,to talk about my cartoon reportage over 2011's Tusnami and nuclear disaster for their MA illustration forum. This event brought those big names including my former tutor Anne Howeson from the Royal College of Art and it was a great pleasure to meet up with her after 10 years since my graduation.
The guest speakers also included: Lucinda Rogers Jenny Soep Anna Cattermole and via Skype from the US, Sue Coe hosted by another cracking illustrator/tutor from the University of the West England Gary Embury.I really had an inspiring time.

  
I was in fact quite ill at that time, one of the sketches I did during the forum.A few days after this I went back to Japan to research on the 3rd year anniversary of the disaster, which is now turning into new strips.

Snow(Black)White and her seven dwarves(inspired by Miles Davis's Bitches Brew)

In the last few days I went back to my passion for Miles Davis's music and somehow these images came up in my head.I decided to sketch out and here they are.The question is shall I turn it into a short story or not?Packed with adventures and backed by Miles's 70's funk electronica albums such as Bitches Brew and Big Fun?

Speed up drawing- Jungle Coffee

Well,I penciled out the background. Anyway I started putting colours into my drawing..It was inevitable.Just any images coming into my head I need to realise rather than putting off.

Speed up drawing - The Cat & I

With relatively less pencil layout beforehand.The exercise continues.

Cartoon reportage- The aftermath of 2011's disaster, Kesen-numa and radioactivity inspection centre in Fukushima

These are small teaser of my new pages concerning the aftermath of 2011's Tsunami and the Nuclear disaster.This one is about the port-city of Kesen-numa, and one man's fight and struggle of continuous supports for the residents in the temporary housings. It will be published by the news magazine in Italy, Internazinale.

This one is about a private clinic in Fukushima, about 29miles away from the damaged plant.This clinic offers free Whole Body Counter examination for anyone, and also Thyroid ultra sound check up for Thyroid cancer.The clinic is called Hirata clinic and they set up a reaserch and inspection centre for radioactivity.I'm looking for a UK publisher for this.