Behind the scenes with illustrator Kerno! How does he create compelling concepts?
On Artist's Spotlight, we interview artists around the globe who are active on pixiv to shed light on their work and how they create their illustrations.
These interviews often discuss topics related to the business of illustration, such as how to take your skills to the next level as a creator and things to keep in mind as a professional, making them a valuable source for both aspiring and professional illustrators.
- Kerno
South Korean illustrator.
He is the cover song illustrator for StelLive VTuber Tenko Shibuki and also conducts illustration workshops incorporating practical know-how, such as how to run booths at offline events.
His style is characterized by his use of point colors, as well as light and composition, to depict everyday emotions.
Introducing Kerno and his illustration work
── Could you briefly introduce yourself and your work?
Kerno's favorite illustration and its creation process
── What’s your favorite thing you’ve drawn recently?
── What made you draw it and what was the inspiration behind it?
I was inspired by my own love of playing the bass as a hobby and the anime “Bocchi the Rock!”
I couldn’t help but think, “If a character was going to play my bass, what would they look like? What would be charming about them?” And then I designed and drew this original character based on that.
── What do you like about this particular image?
── What was the most fun part of the process?
▼ Here's a little behind-the-scenes!
── On the other hand, what was the most difficult part of the process?
── Was there an aspect that you paid particular attention to?
What to pay attention to when creating
── You’re especially good at keeping up with trends and incorporating them into your work. There are so many aspects to consider before starting a piece, such as what kind of character to draw and what concept to follow. Do you have any insider tips about how you come up with the composition for your works and how you keep up with trends?
Most of my references come from anime, games, movies, and similar media, though I also use Pinterest and Google often. If there’s an aspect of my art I want to improve or explore new creative approaches to, I make sure to spend time researching relevant materials. For example, if I wanted to create a composition using a bold angle or experiment with color schemes I've never used before, I would conduct thorough research tailored to my specific goals.
Exploring opportunities to interact with fans
── As you continue your creative work, do you have any unique ways of branding that help you generate income and connect with your fans?
── Finally, please share a message for your loyal fans and everyone reading this article.
── Kerno, thank you so much!