"When in doubt, find the line that best suits you and draw it." Interview with Shitaryo

With its cute characters, cruel depictions of the survival of the fittest, dazzling morning light and eye-opening blood, the calendar of "Sleepless Wolf," popular on Twitter, is now on sale.

Purchase the calendar here.

We asked the author, Shitaraya Ryo, how he creates the illustrations, one of the major attractions of "Sleepless Wolf."

(Interview and composition: Hiroyasu Yamauchi )

--The illustrations on the calendar are wonderful. Your works, along with the stories and worldviews, are very impressive. What do you keep in mind when you draw them?

SHITARA: I had fun drawing each picture on the calendar. I like pictures that you can look at for a long time, letting your eye wander around different parts of the picture, and I want to draw pictures like that myself.

--How do you create a painting that people can look at for a long time?

Sara: First, you need to create a place where the viewer's gaze will go first. From there, the gaze will scatter in all directions, but ultimately return to the point where the gaze first went... It would be good if you could draw in a way that encourages that kind of movement of the eye.

It's a bit like a puzzle, but I drew it with that in mind, so I'd be happy if you could see the ingenuity in it from the calendar illustrations.

--You draw with the sensibility of a painter... But even so, it's interesting that you're trying your hand at "manga."

Shitarashi: Manga consists of pictures and a story, and if you don't do both well, it won't be interesting. I know that, but if I had to choose between "the ability to draw the best pictures in the world" and "the ability to write the most interesting story in the world," drawing good pictures seemed like the shortcut, so I started with that.

--You have strong feelings about art.

Shitarashi: Drawing is something natural for me, and it's almost like a basic need, like hunger or sleep. Even if it's not work, and even if it doesn't lead to anything, I just love drawing, so I've been drawing for a long time.

I think many people became aware of my work through "Sleepless Wolf." That style of drawing is my current style, but I was influenced by many different authors to get to that point. Tove Jansson of "Moomin," Hergé of "The Adventures of Tintin," and Akio Chiba in Japan... The strongest influence I've had is the French comics style "Bonde Dessinée." I particularly like the drawings of Nicolas de Crécy, and the colors may be similar to his.

--You've been influenced by a wide variety of works from all over the world, past and present.

Sara: Yes, but I try not to end up with mere imitation. If I think "this picture is good," I think carefully about what it is that resonates with me and why it looks good, and try to extract the parts that I can use. However, even when I'm not sure what to do when drawing a single line, I choose to draw the line that is most like me.

--Lines that are unique to you... What do you consider to be a "unique drawing"?

SHIRATA: The most obvious thing is probably the hunched back. The silhouette of the characters is hunched, with raised shoulders, making them look somewhat foreign. This may be because I have been influenced by a lot of foreign art.

My own style also comes out in the amount of omission. I'm not the type to draw backgrounds and other things in detail. Manga is a genre that has developed the expression of omission and deformation, so I try not to draw too many lines and draw too much. However, I draw the important parts carefully in detail. In this way, I want to create a picture that is made up of attractive lies by adding contrast.

--Indeed, the work features detailed depictions of vegetation, as well as bold use of the colors of the sky, and the contrast is very appealing.

Sara: This time, I made sure to carefully depict seasonal plants in the calendar, which helped me to better capture the atmosphere of each month.

Come to think of it, I realized that I usually depict the changing scenery of nature when I express time. For example, I draw a sunset at dusk, a deep dark sky at midnight, and a whitening sky at dawn. I think that time can only be expressed with colors unless you draw a clock directly.

--The idea of ​​expressing time with the colors of nature is interesting. Finally, please say a few words to the fans of "Sleepless Wolf."

I have poured all my artistic talent into this calendar. I would be delighted if you could take a look at the actual calendar.

Purchase the calendar here.

For information on Shitararyo's artists and works, click here.