41 Comments
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Elisabeth Joy's avatar

It was so interesting to read all the different steps you went through in this process. The outcome was as beautiful and charming as anything I have seen in children's picture books... and that is coming from a school librarian and kid lit enthusiast. I am glad you are finding your way to meld the best of both worlds, making the most of traditional and digital.

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Thank you, Beth, for your encouraging words! I'm glad you liked reading about my process. I'm sure it will continue to evolve but for now, it's working for me, and I'm really enjoying it!

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Valerie Parizeault's avatar

I really enjoyed your step-by-step run through of this piece! That texture is so rich, I love it! :D

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Aw thank you so much for your kind words, Valerie! It took me a while to finish writing my post since there were so many steps. I’m glad you enjoyed it :)

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Sherry's avatar

Thank you for sharing your process! I really enjoyed reading about it!

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Thank you for taking the time to read my post, Sherry! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it😊

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Georgia Camden's avatar

These are soo beautiful Yumiko! I love that you are doing them traditionally they are just gorgeous

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Aw thank you, Georgia! It’s so nice to hear from you. You inspired me to create traditionally :) Hope you and your family are doing well!

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Georgia Camden's avatar

Aw Yumiko that is so lovely to hear! I am finding everything you are doing so inspiring for me to start making again!, and can’t wait for a catch up once Bo is a little more settled into life!

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Jennifer M Potter's avatar

We have a similar process! And the same scanner. Thanks for sharing the ins and outs. I especially love that you shared the feedback from your mentor and how you addressed it. It's so meaningful to get direction and clarity when you're knee-deep in the process.

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Thank you for reading my post and writing a comment, Jennifer!

I’m glad you liked it. I love reading other artists’ process and I really enjoyed yours. My mentorship was so valuable! You are right! My mentor could see my piece from different perspective and notice things that I couldn’t. Small yet intentional details can make a big difference sometimes :)

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Jennifer M Potter's avatar

We artists have to balance soooo many possibilities with each piece we draw. Even with the post I shared I can think of a thousand things I could've paid more attention to. Having that outside perspective can really help you let go of all the noise and just focus on a few specific things that really matter. Sometimes I think about getting a mentor (and about mentoring) so it's really nice to hear about your experience.

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Your piece is perfect to me! But I know what you mean. We have to make so many decisions when we draw (even before we start drawing) I think having a great mentor is a wonderful thing. So is mentoring someone too!

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Gunja Bhatt's avatar

Thanks for sharing this here in the post, muje is similar if I choose to work traditionally illustrating. Many congratulations on the achievements! 🥳

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Thank you so much, Gunja! So cool your process is similar to mine when you work traditionally! I love your sketchbook work💕

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Megan's avatar

So helpful to see your process. I’m curious about your sketches—do you sketch in ink and not pencil?

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Thank you for reading my post, Megan! I'm so glad it's helpful 😊 To answer your question, it depends. I like sketching in ink because it keeps me loose, since you can't erase like you can with pencils. I sometimes use colored pencils too. For this piece, I sketched in ink. I've been using Neocolor II water-soluble wax pastel for my current sketchbook project, and I love them. So when I'm just playing around, I tend to use ink or other loose materials. But when I'm working on specific character designs or a book dummy, I usually use pencils so I can erase as needed.

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Kayleen Sokol's avatar

Wow so much to learn from this! I might have to try some things myself, thanks for sharing!

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Aw, I'm glad you enjoyed reading it, Kayleen! It's so fun to try out new creative process😊

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J. Pearce's avatar

It’s wonderful seeing all the ways we all work so differently!

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Thank you for taking the time to read my post! I enjoy seeing other artists' processes too😊

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Melissa Mwai's Creative Life's avatar

Congratulations! This looks lovely!

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Thank you for taking the time to read it and for your kind comment, Melissa!

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atom's avatar

So cool seeing behind the scenes! :)

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Thank you for taking the time to read it, Atom!

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Dani Williams's avatar

I love everything about this drawing! It makes me want to use coloured pencils (despite the many times I've tried and decided against them). I'm also in the middle of a 6 month mentorship with Giuseppe and did the same 5/10 minute animal/people sketch assignment. From that, I got a whole book idea so it just goes to show the value in keeping a sketchbook! I look forward to seeing what else you create with this hybrid approach.

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Aw, thank you so much, Dani❤️ It's one of my favorites. I LOVE your work! It's so wonderful. I really miss the mentorship and wish it could keep going..I can't wait to see your book idea turn into a published book in the near future!

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Dani Williams's avatar

Aww, thank you so much ☺️ yeah the mentorship is great. It’s intense and I’m ready for a break, but I’ll miss it when it ends.

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Dunja Popin's avatar

So interesting to read about the whole process so much in detail! Thanks!

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

I'm glad you liked it, Dunja! I enjoy reading about other artists' processes too, so I decided to give it a try and share mine as well.

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Dunja Popin's avatar

And this illustration has something really magical in it!

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Aw, your comment made me happy😊 Thank you!

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Melinda's avatar

Thank you for showing us the process! It is fascinating! You have incredible talent!

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Aw, I'm glad you enjoyed reading it, Melinda! Thank you for your kind words❤️

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The Rogue Crow's avatar

Thanks for sharing all the different stages of your illustration work - it is so fascinating to a beginner like me.

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

I'm glad you enjoyed reading about my process, Alice! I love your sketchbook work! You line work is really beautiful.

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The Rogue Crow's avatar

Thank you so much ☺️

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Milena Milak's avatar

What a beautiful illustration! And those textures are *chef's kiss*! Loved reading about your process. I'm very tempted to get a scanner and try it out for myself.

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Yumiko Kitazono's avatar

Aw thank you, Milena, for reading. I really appreciate your kind words! Your 'chef's kiss' comment made me smile😊 Your traditional work is fabulous too, so yes, you should definitely give it a try!

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