【Interview】COPIC AWARD 2022 Judges : Yuki Suetsugu

For our 4th interview, we talked with Yuki Suetsugu, author of the popular manga "Chihayafuru," which is loved around the world and has been made into an animated TV series as well as a live-action movie.
Ms. Suetsugu, also a Copic user, answered our questions about how she came to know Copic and her message to applicants for COPIC AWARD.

YUKI SUETSUGU（website / Twitter） Manga Artist Suetsugu is a famous Japanese manga artist most known for her hit manga Chihayafuru, published by Kodansha. She debuted in 1992 in Kodansha's Nakayoshi magazine with Taiyo no Romance. She won Manga Taisho Award in 2009, and in 2011 she won the 35th Kodansha Manga Award, Shojo (girls) category. As of September 2021, 47 volumes of the Chihayafuru series have been published, with more than 27 million copies sold.

ーAre there any entries from COPIC AWARD 2021 that you particularly liked?

Title：Orașul zeilor
Artist：Bădescu Maria Alexandra

「Orașul zeilor」/Bădescu Maria Alexandra
 

I was most eager to see with my own eyes the piece that won the Next Generation Artist Award Grand Prize.
The techniques used in this piece are kind of new to me, so I wanted to take a closer look at the original artwork to see what type of paper was used and how detailed the drawings were, and to find out if it would be possible to recreate it myself. I think it is a brilliant, profound piece.

ーWhen you look at an artwork, which aspects do you pay attention to? Also, what kind of entries do you expect to see at COPIC AWARD 2022?

t's something that I always pay attention to when I draw, but if I don't think carefullybefore proceeding, I often end up just "applying colors".
Through COPIC AWARD, I imagine I will no doubt see many well-thought-out piecesthat aren't simply just applied with colors.

Suetsugu's workspace: You can see many Copic Sketch, Ciao, and old model Various Ink are in use.

ーPlease tell us about your first encounter with Copic. Or do you have any special Copic memories?

I was late in getting started with Copic, and I started using Copic seriously about five years ago.
So, I'm still inexperienced, but the more I use Copic, the more I learn how it is a versatile drawing tool that can do so much. When I meet a kid who likes to draw, I recommend a Copic beginner set to parents often.
I myself give it to others as a gift. In the community of "people who like to art/illustration", I feel that using Copic has already become a common language.

ーCould you please tell us about your enthusiasm as a judge for COPIC AWARD 2022 and your message to everyone thinking about submitting a piece for the AWARD?

If you are thinking about submitting your entry for the contest, I believe you are an art lover in the first place.
I really hope to be captivated by your originality and passion put into the artwork.
I look forward to seeing works that will amaze and remind me how the world of Copic is deep, broad, and never-ending.

Thank you for yourmessage, Ms. Suetsugu!