Pushing the limits of expression with Wacom's liquid tab --- I asked the contestants of the competitive digital art "Limits"!

In front of the audience, complete digital art with Wacom's LCD pen tablet "Wacom Cintiq Pro 16" within a limited time, and compete for the performance of "Limits World Championship-World Grand Prix 2019". With the event just around the corner, let's deliver an interview with one of the participating players, Eiko.

"This is a soft screen and easy to draw. It feels like the pen tip is sunk into the campus."

Eiko, who got the Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 for the first time and said such a straightforward impression. I was surprised at the difference from the commercially available tablet terminals that I have used for practice. She has been accustomed to analog art materials since she was a child, but when she jumped into the world of digital art at Limits, she made an outstanding appearance and was finally selected as the representative of Japan to challenge the world competition in June. ..

Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 is the latest version of the series that has evolved both the liquid crystal display and the pen sensor. The feature is that the drawing comfort is further improved compared to the conventional products. Eiko said she was also impressed with the Wacom series, which didn't require a pen to be recharged.

"On the tablet I was using, I had to charge the pen as well, but when I was facing the display for 8-9 hours a day, it was out of charge when I wanted to draw, and I couldn't draw. Things also happen. I was talking to an artist I knew before that I didn't like the time lag when I couldn't draw with a pen even though I was drawing comfortably. "

It seems that he is also curious about the different thicknesses of the pens.

She smiled, "I've been suffering from tendonitis so far, but a thin pen may not get tired." Having a digital tool that allows her to do more creative work raises expectations for her future success.

This time, I asked her how she interacted with art and her thoughts on limits.

When asked about the motivation for drawing illustrations and pictures, he said, "When I was little, I was drawing pictures when I realized it. So I don't remember the reason I started drawing. For my mother, I used paper and pencils. I was told that it was easy to grow because I was drawing pictures all the time if I gave it to him. " She used to draw a story-style story on a piece of paper that she didn't need.

She said, "I was able to talk to myself and draw it. I feel that the Limits I'm working on now are a continuation of that story."

I grew up in an environment where art is always close at hand.

"Since I was a kid, I used to go to museums with my mother. There were paintings of Modigliani, Monet, Manet, etc. all over the house. My grandfather is doing oil painting as a hobby, and Japanese painter Fuku Akino. I was also a sponsor of the museum. Because of that, the house is decorated with a shaft drawn by Fuku Akino on a monthly basis. I always see works with new themes such as cranes, peacocks, and Mt. Fuji. My grandmother was a grandmother and had the qualification of an art flower teacher who cuts cloth and dyes colors to make flowers. "

After graduating from high school, Eiko went on to art college.

In her painting class, where she is currently working, she teaches elementary, junior high, high school, and adult students what they are good at and what they like. She has a wide range of genres such as watercolor painting, drawing, oil painting, stamp making, and batch making.

"I also teach elementary school students how to draw something that I couldn't teach at school. For example, when drawing a cloud, instead of just drawing an outline with a pencil, first use light blue paint to create a gradation from top to bottom. How to draw by making and removing the color with a pencil. It may be similar to how to draw a Japanese painting or the background of an animation. "

At the final tournament in Osaka in April, she said, "I want to continue drawing the pictures I want the students to see, rather than winning or losing," when she was asked to comment on the winner. Is talking. When I asked him again about his thoughts, he said, "Of course, if I lose, I'm depressed, and if I win, I'm simply happy, but even if I win, I don't think I've won the opponent's picture at all. The theme at that time was close to my world view. It was a long way, and I have some luck, "says Eiko. She says that she has something more important than a game.

"I'm telling my students that I don't have to be good at drawing, I just want to draw my thoughts about what kind of picture I wanted to draw now rather than drawing well. How much can I express my world? I think that's right. "

I think that some children will not be able to draw pictures if they chase after their poor skills, saying, "I am jogging every morning, but I hope I can enjoy running at the latest. I want to send out a picture that will be fun for me and the people who are watching it because people will see it. I want to draw such a picture so that the audience can be the main character. "

I met Limits through an acquaintance of art.

"My acquaintance Hirofumi Mochizuki was participating in the tournament. I heard that the audience will be voting for the competition, so I went to cheer with my friends. After that, when the world tournament is over, I can see the work up close. There was a limit exhibition, so I thought I should go into battle. "

What are your memories of your first participation?

"I was so nervous that I couldn't see the surroundings at all. About two weeks before I participated, I had been waking up at 3 o'clock in the middle of the night. What would I draw if this theme came out? How would I draw it? ? …… It doesn't come to my mind at all. I'm still practicing using a roulette app that can randomly extract two keywords from a large number of given themes. “Vegetables” and “Dreams” …… What? Is it a picture? I'm at a loss (bitter smile) "

However, it is said that each person has their own measures against the limits.

"Some people keep inputting information until the tournament starts. Even before this, my friends who participated in the tournament said,'I've found a good picture, so I won't sleep tonight.' What's the correct answer? I don't know, but I'm in trouble if I can't draw the theme that suddenly came down. I'm practicing to draw there. When I'm watching TV or a movie, if there is a good scene, I pause and draw. Kotomo "

If you take the time, you can draw a good picture, but you can't win the tournament.

"I used to draw slowly with analog painting materials, but with Limits I couldn't make it in time. I started thinking about how to show things with less effort. For example, don't stack unnecessary layers. However, if I don't have time, I tend to draw pictures from the angle from the front or the side as a safety measure. Then the composition becomes pencil. There is no depth. After all, I have to draw from the bird's-eye view and the angle of the tilt. Needs practice. If you don't practice, the lines will go wrong. So, first of all, I practice with a pencil in the sketchbook. "

It is interesting to start practicing in analog to draw digital.

What are the points that even people who are not familiar with digital art can enjoy watching?

"One is the artist's technique. I hope you enjoy the process of creating the shape, saying that you should draw like that, or that there is such a way of drawing."

Within the time limit of 20 minutes, there are mountains, and there is also a transfer. I'm thrilled in a short amount of time, which may be similar to watching a sports game.

"It's a daily occurrence that I'm still putting in elements when I don't have time anymore. On the contrary, from the contestant's point of view, I've finished drawing everything I want to draw, and the time limit is still over 3 minutes. The situation is cold sweat. 3 minutes is very long. I have also failed with extra effects there. I have to pace. "

This is my idea, but if you study the style of the participating artists a little, it will be more fun. For example, Eiko's style is fantastic with blue as the base color. Girls stand in vast spaces such as the ocean and space, and large creatures such as whales and dolphins are often drawn dynamically. One of the ways to enjoy it is to expect "when, where, and what kind of whale will be drawn?"

"In my case, I first draw the character that will be the main character so that the viewer can easily empathize with it. I hope that the person who sees it will replace it with me. Then what will that person encounter? That's the element of storytelling. I hope you enjoy it. You can't erase what you draw with analog painting materials, but with digital, you can erase what you draw for a moment and then bang it. You can attach it to it. That's the appeal of digital. You can hide what you want to show and change the color at the end. I also pay attention to what the audience expects and the order in which they are drawn. "

“I want to attract the beauty of nature to the people who see the paintings. I hope it warms my heart,” says Eiko. The Wacom Cintiq Pro 16 I got for the first time, even though I wasn't used to it yet, completed one work in about 15 minutes. Looking at it, Eiko's unique view of the world is expressed, with an impressive blue and purple gradation. I look forward to her good fight with her first digital tool at her first world competition.

World Grand Prix 2019 will be held at Shibuya Hikarie on June 1st and 2nd (free admission). It will be delivered live on YouTube, so please check it out.

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