Totoro Forest Project Blog » Artist File

Artist File # 28 ——–Yoko Tanjji

dice — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:23:16 +0000

Most of you already know her work. She is one of the leading illustrators in Japan. She does editorial illustrations, book cover illustration etc.
She does most of her illustrations digitally and THAT”S what makes her TOtoro piece so special. This is one of her VERY FEW original art work. It still has the same sensitive Tanji world but it is beautifully painted in acrylic. Wow… This is special..

Artist File #27 —-Shino Arihara

dice — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 07:01:11 +0000

Shino Arihara was born in the U.S., but spent most of her childhood in Yokohama, Japan. She graduated from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Her illustrations have appeared in publications such as Seventeen, Time, and the Wall Street Journal. She has also illustrated three children’s books, and runs a letterpress greeting card company with her husband. She lives in Altadena, California.

I love this piece!!

This is such an amazing collection of artists, and I’m completely honored and intimidated to be a part of it. I hope it makes lots of money and keep the forest alive for many generations of Totoros. Thank you so much to Dice and all of you who put this project together!!

Artist File #25 ——– Matt Forsythe

Enrico — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 03:24:17 +0000

I’ve been a fan of Matt Forsythe‘s work since he started posting his amazing Ojingogo comic online. I am so happy Drawn&Quaterly is now publishing it in book form!!! And it just got launched, what a treat for all of us. Matt’s piece for the Totoro Forest is also one of my favorites, such an amazing palette. I want this one on one of my walls, I’ll be bidding on this baby!

“Miyazaki pretty much sums up everything that is great about art to me: a sense of fun and love for life, balanced with a deep respect and reverence for all of the other living beings in the natural world. And it’s such an honor participating with so many great artists who share these values.” — Matt Forsythe

Artist File #24 —-Kyle MacNaughton

dice — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:06:07 +0000

Let me tell you about this talented artist I worked with at Blue Sky Studios, Kyle MacNaughton.

He is another one of those crazy talents who many of you may not know because he has no blog or website. He is responsible for the beautiful jungle design of Horton Hears A Who. Of course, with Blue Sky Studios not interested in publishing Art of ~ books to showcase their incredible talents, we may never get to see beautiful drawings Kyle did for Horton Hears A Who. I remember when we were struggling to get the look of Dr.Seuss’s jungle in 3D, he came up with such a wonderful solution. It was my honor to be able to have a brief time together with him on the production.

I don’t need to say any further! His idea for Totoro was very similar to mine where you glance where this world is heading. And what a beautiful pencil rendering this is. I am so glad he was able to show the world what he’s got. Thank you Kyle!

“This opportunity was impossible to pass up… collaborate with like minded people, get inspired and initiate some thought and momentum towards a great cause.

Although the overall theme of my piece is fairly ominous, I hope the spirit of it comes across more optimistically. In the piece I included animals that are native to Japan, like the Sika deer, Japanese crane and Macaques monkeys to represent the struggle of the Sayama forest to co-exit with its demanding neighbor – us! . The intent was to illustrate a story of one place, but the overall theme and message could be applied to many places.

I am grateful to Dice and the Totoro forest crew for inspiring the opportunity to make a small contribution to a much larger issue.” ———Kyle McNaughton

Artist File #23 ——– David Lee Doung

dice — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 21:18:47 +0000

We were talking about Patrick Awa going 2 inches over the size limit in our earlier entry but man, we had one submission that went over 4 feet longer than our size limit!

David Lee Doung is this amazing young artist whose work blew me away when I first came across it. Check out his drawings and illustrations and you’ll be amazed by his line work too!

When we saw his gigantic art, we didn’t care it was 4 times bigger than the size limit. we just took it!

5.5 foot long pen and ink drawing!

Artist File #22 ——Scott Morse

Enrico — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 04:30:03 +0000

Scott Morse is a force of nature. He’s the most prolific artist I know, hands down. In the time I’m trying to put one book out he’s just finished publishing three wonderful books. Really amazing. I can’t wait for one of his upcoming projects, an autobiographical comic I’ve seen him hard at work on in the last few months: Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!

“TOTORO wasn’t the first Miyazaki film I’d seen. In high school, a friend gave me a copy of NAUSICAA and I fell in love with it, carrying around a cassette tape of the haunting soundtrack. Joe Hisaichi’s music continued to haunt me, and the soundtrack to TOTORO has worked its way into the life of my 3 year old son. We pull out our ukuleles and play together, embracing the spirit and message of TOTORO, refusing to grow up and become blind to the magic of the world around us. This feeling inspired the OTTORO piece I did for the auction. The quiet pace and reflective, atmospheric world of TOTORO, the forest, the surrounding fields, the mysterious bus stop and ruined temple, all creeped into the inspiration of the second piece I contributed, URSALO, a bear who stands stoic and proud atop her chopped down home as it’s carted off to help build a nearby village. You’ve got to give a little in life, and Ursalo somehow knows that. But to give a whole forest does more harm than good. I hope TOTORO’s forest stands, and stands proudly.” — Scott Morse

Artist File #21 ——Kendal Cronkhite

dice — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:57:38 +0000

Kendal Cronkhite is a production designer at PDI Dreamworks and was another big name talent in animation who generously contributed to Totoro Forest Project. She is the one responsible for the distinct design of the blockbuster animated film, Madagascar.

I won’t say much because her comment below says it all so nicely. I just love all 3 beautiful paintings. Thank you Kendal!

“I was a young girl with a strong need for imaginary creatures in my life. I saw them everywhere. Interacting with them filled my days.

I had an imaginary albino monkey named “Snowflake” that walked with me to school. I found “Sparkle Creatures” inside rocks that I’d cracked open. And Fairies flying on the fluff of dead dandelions. Dew drops on spider webs, were to me, water creatures that appeared at night and disappeared during the day. There were even little people in the toaster, painting my toast brown. Infact, there were creatures everywhere when I was growing up. Then slowly, as I grew, they disappeared.

It was the movie, My Neighbor Totoro, that brought all those memories back to life for me. I related to Mei’s imagination, and to having the responsibility of the oldest child, like Satsuki.

The beautiful spirit of the film and the gorgeous images were heart stopping. And even though it was situated in a land and culture very different from my own, it still felt like me, like my experiences as a child.

This is why I felt so honored to be able to create my own Totoro for this great cause, the Totoro Forest Project.

I’ve come to learn during this experience that there are many, many adults and artists out there, that were children just like myself. Children who imagine another world at work.

Children and creatures who need Forests to live.” ———–Kendal Cronkhite

Artist File #20 —–Katsuya Terada

dice — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 03:26:06 +0000

So many people who found out Katsuya Terada was doing a piece for this project asked me “how in the world did you get him to do a piece!!!????” Indeed, how can we get lucky to get a superstar illustrator from Japan involved with this project?

It was thanks to two other superstar illustrator friends of ours Tadahiro Uesugi and Yoko Tanji who introduced Katsuya Terada to us! How lucky!!! Weeee!

Katsuya Terada is probably best known to most of you as the character-designer for the animated film Blood: The Last Vampire. His totoro is absolutely wicked!

“The wind blows. The weed swings. Totoro is standing. ” —katsuya terada

Artist File #19 ——–Soosa Kim

dice — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 18:20:51 +0000

Soosa Kim is this crazy Japanese artist friend of mine. He works for Namco as a concept/CG artist. He’s a pretty well respected artist in the Bat Area but he’s too modest to admit that. He’s a man with stories. Anyone who knows him would know what I mean. Next time you go out with him, ask him about his Yakuza experience and the stories from his male host days. I heard his stories so many times but I still laugh my head off.

This is a pretty interesting piece that so many people mentioned they are drawn to. There’s something pretty intriguing about this piece. Hie poetic story attached to this piece will suck you in to his world!

Twins blow beautiful seeds from their golden hair.

Hat man only knows the way they go.

Night falls dark, so, we will be in bed.

Tomorrow’s berries are good too.

—-Soosa Kim

Artist File #18 ——Jillian Tamaki

Enrico — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 00:29:16 +0000

Jillian Tamaki’s blog has been one of my favorites to keep tabs on, it has wonderful daily serving ranging from pencil sketches and watercolor studies to finished illustrations. Her drawings have a great feeling of looseness, she really makes it look easy. If you haven’t read Skim the fantastic graphic novel Jillian illustrated and her cousin Mariko wrote, you really are missing out, but here’s some help. Lastly here’s her stunning Totoro Forest piece.

“My Neighbor Totoro” is one of my favourite Ghibli films. I think because it’s so gentle and, somewhat paradoxically, “real”. I love that the movement of the children in Miyzaki’s films is so nuanced and observed and that the natural world is subtly pushed and pulled, becoming a character unto itself. I derive a lot of inspiration from his vision.” — Jillian Tamaki