Shopping Guide
Recently, we interviewed illustrator mitarashi, whose work has a refreshing and eye-catching style that is sure to put a smile on your face. Read on for the interview!
Creator Introduction
- Name: mitarashi
- Experience: About six years
- Creator's Mypage: http://otakumode.com/mitarashi/posts
“The day after I decided to become an illustrator, I quit my job.”
TOM: How did you get into illustrating?
mitarashi: It all began when I was in the third or fourth grade of elementary school. At that time, my older brother was into drawing Dragon Quest four panel comics. I was influenced by him and also started to draw. I joined a manga club at my school, and I remember drawing so many things with my friends. I liked to read the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump. It had a series that I liked called Dragon Ball. I often put a clear sheet of paper over the color pages and traced them with a magic marker.
TOM: How did you become an illustrator?
mitarashi: When I was in high school, I didn't have friends to draw with, so I stopped drawing. After graduating from high school, I went to college and learned how to do rough sketches in art classes. Although my passion toward illustration seemed to resurge, I got the idea that designing homepages was related to illustrating, so I decided to start working at a company and began working on web shops.
However, I didn’t find it rewarding to work for the company, so I often spent my free time drawing anime on a website called Takamin, where I met an animator. One day, while chatting, the animator said, "Why don't you come down to Tokyo and make a living by drawing?" He might have casually said it, but it really struck me. I realized that I was just building a wall that made me think that being an illustrator was very difficult. Somewhere inside, I think I might have been waiting for someone to encourage me to break through that wall. It was then that I decided to become an illustrator.
After making the decision, I immediately quit the company. Just a few months later, I started a new life in Tokyo because I wanted to challenge myself as an illustrator.
Click here to read part two of this interview:
http://otakumode.com/news/514c0473ec6efdf70700565a/Creator-Interview-mitarashi-2-2
