We Asked Illustrator rurudo How to Balance Sexy and Dainty - ”I used to think pale colors were my weakness."

── First of all, what is your background?

── You posted your first illustration on pixiv in May 2018. How did your creative life look like before that?

── The first work you posted looks a lot like your most recent ones. Did you always have this drawing style? Or was there a time when your illustrations looked different?

── The lines are getting thinner, the colors are getting lighter... It seems like your illustrations are evolving to become more and more delicate.

── Your illustrations often feature some striking motifs, such as demon girls, pretty girls who seem to never smile, and the theme of bondage.

── When it comes to this kind of impactful motifs, is there anything that you pay special attention to?

── Still, sometimes the artist's tastes clash with the tastes of the public. In that sense, I guess you must have been nervous when you first published your bondage illustrations.

── Are there any other elements of your work that were surprisingly well-received?

── The girls in your illustration often wear very revealing outfits, yet no one would doubt that they look absolutely beautiful. They're not too sexy, so anyone can look at your works and appreciate them.

── How do you come up with an overall idea for your illustrations?

── For example, how did you come up with the main visuals for PLAYROOM?

── Besides your recurring original characters, do you come up with special settings for the other girls that you draw too?

── I think that these behind-the-scenes settings you create give the characters an appeal that makes the viewer not stop at thinking "oh, she's cute." I heard that when you were working at your previous company, you learned from your seniors that a good illustration is the one that makes you want to jump into it. A fascinating girl is one of those elements that makes you want to enter the illustration's world, isn't it?

── What are you the most particular about when drawing illustrations of beautiful girls?

── The face and the body... So basically everything?

── What do you think makes the face of a 2D character "cute"?

── What is the most cumbersome part of your drawing process?

── Your work is characterized by subtle colors. What do you keep in mind while painting?

── Light coloring means that if even the tiniest mistake in color choice can mess up the whole illustration. How do you pick colors?

── From what you've told me, there's a lot of trial and error going on behind the scenes of your delicate illustrations!

── Thanks to your efforts, the illustration you posted the other day ranked first in pixiv's daily ranking.

── What were the highlights of your solo exhibition?

── What matters the most when designing VTubers?

── Do you feel that your fan base has grown since you took charge of VTuber design?

── Last but not least, what are your future plans?

── You want to reach even higher! What are some of the things you do to improve your skills?