Otama-Shimai Creates Amusing Illustrations Of Hamsters In Ancient Japanese Art Form

Otama-shimai uses digital art to bring to life Nihonga – an ancient Japanese art form. Her illustrations depict playful hamsters engaging in various mischievous activities. Each beautiful piece centres around a jovial hamster or more that delicately emulates the painstaking brush strokes and colour palettes of the Nihonga style. The talented artist told DeMilked, “I work on an LCD tablet from draft to completion. Sketches and drawings are done on paper with pencil, pen or brush.”

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The Japanese designer has been working on these paintings for “only about three years”, she tells us; further explaining, “When I was a student, I studied Japanese paintings because of their unique painting materials and production process. Although the possibilities of incorporating digital elements into Nihonga were alluring, it would go against the teachings of my mentor, so I was reluctant. But one day, stuck in a creative rut, I decided to begin drawing digitally. It was just April Fool’s Day, so I decided to go out on a limb and do something against my will, and I had a lot more fun painting than I thought I would. That’s how it all began.”

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