【Interview】COPIC AWARD 2021 Judges: Oh! great (Ito Ogure)
Again this year, the entries for COPIC AWARD will be judged by renowned creators from various genres of art..
We have received messages from the judges for those who are considering applying for this year's AWARD, and we would like to introduce them in the form of mini interviews.
Please read the interview, and you may find some ideas or discoveries that will help you in your work.
COPIC AWARD 2021 JUDGES
Oh! great (Ito Ogure): Manga Artist
Kota Nezu: Designer
Chiaki Harada: llustrator/Manga artist
Kei Matsushita: Art director/Professor of Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
Tomoko Yabumae: Curator of Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
Our first mini-interview features manga artist Oh! great (Mr. Ito Ogure). He is admired by many manga fans and Copic fans. We are sure that many of you may have learned Copic techniques from his works. We can't wait to see what kind of entries Mr. Ogure will be attracted.
|
Oh! great (Ito Ogure) Manga Artist（website/Twitter） Ogure (also known as Oh! great) has been working not only on manga creations but also on character designs for games and anime. He is best known for his manga series Tenjo Tenge, AirGear, and Biorg Trinity with Otaro Maijo. Currently, Bakemonogatari (the adaptation of the novel series by Ishin Nishio) is being serialized in WeeklyShonen Magazine. |
- Were there any of the COPIC AWARD 2020 winning works that caught your attention?
I was very interested in Mr. 魚pH's work, "ばばば (Bababa)". While most entries used Copic markers to color the surface of objects and characters, this method of drawing three-dimensional illustration with lines reminded me of the style of manga. Like Mr. Obata, a member of the judging panel of the 2020 AWARD, I strongly felt that I would like to draw this kind of artwork.
小畑健 審査員賞「ばばば」/魚pH
- What do you always focus on when you see the artworks? What do you expect to see in this year's AWARD?
Of course, technical aspects such as the composition of the work and how well the artist uses the art materials are very important, but the most significant thing to consider is what the artist wants to convey through the work, or what part of the work the artist wants to show off. By focusing on these kinds of things, the artist's values and insights will emerge.
I have always admired "artworks I want to draw but cannot". Whenever I encounter such a piece of art, I feel like I have been hit on my head and want to disappear somewhere. I look forward to seeing entries that have that kind of impact.
- Please tell us what to look forward to as a judge for the COPIC AWARD 2021. Also, do you have any message for those who are thinking of applying for this year's AWARD?
It‘s a great honor to be invited to be a member of the judging panel, as the past judges have been incredible.
I'm sure I'll have a lot of trouble evaluating the entries and making a final decision, but I'm going to look at the works from the perspective of a manga artist.
- Do you have any memories or episodes related to Copic?
About 15 years ago, I was involved in the planning and development of new Copic colors. As a result, several new colors were launched, but I heard that Y28, the gold equivalent, was very popular among customers. Even now, Copic fans sometimes say to me, "Thank you for making Y28". I only requested developing a color that looks like gold, but it’s still a good memory.
