Manga inspiration
Need some extra inspiration for your manga illustration? Get inspired by the work of these amazing manga artists!
@morixanne
Roxanne Lucker
Roxanne is a comic artist and illustrator from the Netherlands, and when asked what inspires her the most in manga she answered: ‘’I get the most inspired when I read manga volumes or graphic novels which include dynamic poses, dynamic page layout and if it includes the fantasy & supernatural genre. I love to study those bits and find ideas in it for my own work. For this illustration I used Sakura KOI watercolors, Pigma-sensei fine liners, and some KOI coloring brush pens. The watercolors can blend perfectly and recreate the colors I had in mind for this illustration which I could touch up with the brush pens. The fine liners are waterproof, and it was a joy to work with!’’
@weronika.sobczyk.art
Weronika Sobczyk
Weronika is the winner of the 100 Years of Sakura contest which was held in 2021. Last year, in 2022, she was finally able to redeem her prize and went on a trip to Japan! Read more about her expierence and her inspiration for this illustration below:
"I wanted to create something more dynamic this time - just as dynamic as Japan itself. During my trip to Tokyo I admired how its unique and enthralling history intertwined with people's daily life in this highly futuristic city. The contrast between traditions and modernity that you can experience at every step in Japan got me inspired to draw this artwork in a well known manga style! For this illustration I used black and grey sets of Sakura Pigma Microns mixed with KOI brush pens and watercolours. Microns are waterproof - it allowed me to mix them with paint. In addition, the blackness of the ink and a hard tip makes them my favourite tool that I use everyday to draw and sketch everything."
@kamerim11
Kamerim
Kamerim is a Sakura ambassador and manga illustrator! Read below to find out where she gets her information from:
"I find my greatest inspiration in my colorful collection of artbooks from various manga artists, especially those who work with watercolors and inks. I truly admire their experience and knowledge, and how they can create a whole different worlds with lines and colors. My favorite art materials to work with are vibrant and clean watercolors, various Sakura Pigma Micron fineliners and KOI Brushpens. I was so excited to create a package for grey Pigma Micron fineliners last year. Now these pens are always must haves in my pencil case."
@that_manga_guy
Mustayaki
Mustayaki is a very experienced manga artist! For this illustration he used the following products:
- A4 Manga paper
- Sakura127 mechanical pencil 0.7 for sketches
- Pigma microns (from 003-1) for lineart
- Pigma MB - for filling black
- Gelly roll white - for corrections and white
- KOI Watercolor set with water brush for colouring
Read on to learn more about Mustayaki as a manga artist:
"I love working with Sakura materials. They are my go-to when drawing traditionally. Starting with the paper, it's just right for me - it's not too smooth and not too rough - that way I have much better control over my line work with my drawings, as if it's almost effortless. The paper's structure is 250 g/m2, which makes it feel thick, sturdy and of high quality, and it works well with watercolor.
I work very detailed when it comes to my manga drawings. The different thicknesses of the Pigma Microns give me the freedom to play with that. It isn’t a surprise that the pens are also being used by professional manga artists. Colouring with the Koi watercolour set always gives me pleasure. The quality of the colours are vivid and concentrated, which allows me to decide how much water I use to soften the colours. Mixing the colours also works fantastically. For my work, it's important to be mobile, and this set is perfect for that.
Manga and anime are very expressive styles, as an artist I become one with my work to feel and understand this expression and try to bring it to the surface to make it visual. It’s life and the people that inspire me. For this artwork, I was inspired by the ensemble posters where multiple characters often promote a film such as in Marvel films where you see the heroes together. But this is also often used for anime posters. The artists who participate in the manga competition are the heroes this time. They fight with each other, it is after all a competition, but the biggest fight is their inner battle with their own creativity. Their dreams, fantasies, and thoughts crafted on paper. I also found it important to bring diversity so that it can appeal to every artist, but especially fans of manga and anime."
