Behind the scenes with illustrator NAKDI! How does she bring characters to life and why does she like sharing works-in-progress?
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.
This time we interviewed Korean illustrator NAKDI about the behind-the-scenes of her recent works and how she expresses her characters’ emotions and personalities through her art!
- NAKDI
South Korean illustrator.
She has illustrated for the Taiwanese editions of Debut or Die, Virtual Strangers, and The Hunter Wants to Live Quietly, in addition to creating concept art for various VTubers and collaborating with multiple media outlets, including CLIP STUDIO. She is currently active as an art director in the field of animation, overseeing art direction for numerous projects such as serving as chief director for Moon Shark’s Moonlight, animation director for PLAVE’s The 6th Summer, and ending animation director and poster designer for LINK CLICK: Brindon Arc.
By blending a captivating atmosphere into sophisticated character portrayals and skillfully manipulating light and shadow, she creates compelling characters that are both multi-layered and visually striking.
Introducing NAKDI and her illustration work
── Could you briefly introduce yourself and your work?
NAKDI’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?
── What do you like about this particular image?
I really like compositions where lots of objects are crammed into a single canvas. I’m not especially good at decorating my planner or journal or anything, but I’ve always loved seeing other people’s takes on this kind of layout.
I actually even separated the characters and objects into layers and sold them as separate stickers. Someone actually used my artwork to decorate their own planner, which made the piece even more memorable for me.
▼ Here's a little behind-the-scenes!
── Which part of the process was the most fun?
── On the other hand, what was the most difficult part of the process?
── Was there an aspect that you paid particular attention to?
I paid particular attention to the color palette. My goal for this illustration was to achieve a look that wasn’t too saturated, yet didn’t appear muddy either. I think I was able to achieve this goal during both the base-coloring stage and the final color correction stage.
Conveying the character’s emotions and personality
── Your characters always contain so much life and expressiveness. Could you tell us what you focus on when drawing those captivating details that draw viewers in at first glance?
Ever since I was a kid, I’ve loved watching shounen anime. Due to the nature of the genre, the characters' emotions are very direct and easy to understand. Characters often have thick eyebrows, distinct eyes, and large mouths, making their facial expressions naturally very expressive!
Many of my drawings tend to follow this style as well. I make a point of emphasizing the characters’ facial features, and I think that when these elements come together effectively, it clearly conveys what emotions this character is feeling right now or what kind of personality they have!
Having your own process is key to helping others get to know you as a creator
── As you continue your creative work, do you have any unique methods of branding that help you generate income and connect with your fans?
Looking at recent trends in the creative field, I personally feel that we’re no longer in an era where only the final piece counts. Of course, when compiling a portfolio, it’s important to showcase finished works, but when you want people to get to know you as a creator on your personal social media, I believe it’s important to show what you’re trying to do with your work and share your creation process.
That’s why I try to communicate with my fans by making speed-painting videos and, at times, sharing updates on my progress or little tips along the way.
── Finally, please share a message for your loyal fans and everyone reading this article.
As the world changes at a rapid pace, I, too, am working hard to take on all sorts of new challenges. After several years of work, I feel like I’m gradually starting to see the direction I want to head in.
Personally, I’d like to continue doing things that allow me to interact more with all of my fans. There are still a few things I need to prepare for, but I’d be so happy if you’d continue to support me and watch over me. Thank you so much for your continued support!
── NAKDI, thank you so much!
