What goes behind the scenes of the sorrowful crying faces drawn by illustrator Oshioshio.

Illustrator and manga artist Oshioshio is holding their first solo exhibition, Aobikari, at pixiv WAEN GALLERY in Omotesando, Tokyo until September 21st, 2022. Around 100 of their works are on display, including original illustrations as well as previous images they’ve worked on related to VTubers, light novels, and other projects.

Oshioshio is renowned for their illustrations featuring characters expressively conveying their emotions through their crying faces. Just what goes through their mind when drawing such engaging expressions? We sat down with the artist and got a behind-the-scenes look at their illustration process.

Oshioshio
Illustrator and manga artist hailing from Kanagawa Prefecture, Oshioshio primarily works on illustrations that overflow with and convey the emotions of their characters, including those with crying faces. Oshioshio is also well-known as the artist behind the character designs of VTubers Kanata Amanae from hololive and Kirame Sorahoshi from NIJISANJI, as well as their work on "My Deer Friend Nokotan", currently published in Kodansha’s Shonen Magazine Edge. They are big fans of cats, dogs, and all animals in general.
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The road to becoming an illustrator was paved with doujinshi

── I understand that you graduated from an art college. Did you always have the idea of making art your career?

That wasn't even remotely the case. I've always loved drawing, but I never thought I could do it as a career. So, I actually enrolled in my art college's design department thinking I could at best become a designer. From there, I got a job at an advertising company, but it didn't suit me at all and I ultimately quit after just a year. I did some reflecting and realized that my passion from childhood was never design or advertisement, but drawing itself. So, I decided that I’d give illustration work my all for one year and if it didn’t work out, I’d give up and look for another job.

── What sort of things did you do to make your debut as an illustrator?

I thought that improving my skills and having my work seen by many were the most important things, so I just started publishing doujinshi one after another.

An illustration posted in 2015

── Did you have any experience with doujinshi at that point?

I did. I first released my first one back in junior high. Back then, I’d handed out photocopied books of my art, letterheads, and laminated illustrations at local events. (Laughs)

── Ah, the bittersweet lives of the otaku of yesteryear, eh?

Once I tried my hand at making doujinshi, I discovered things like the sense of being on a schedule and my own work speed, which made it all a real learning experience. When money is involved, your enthusiasm for drawing grows exponentially compared to just doodling normally. For those who want to improve their skills, I'd suggest you try making gradient letterheads! (Laughs) Above all, it's extremely pleasing and exciting to have your work published in a book.

私は紙に印刷された絵を見るのが好きなので、同人誌を作る為に絵を描いてるみたいなところはあるかもしれん🤔
— おしおしお@9/2~21初個展開催 (@oshioshio_info) April 27, 2019

Oshioshio’s tweet expressing their love.

── You were able to publish your doujinshi, catch the eyes of publishers and make your debut within your year deadline, is that right?

That’s right. I was approached by an editor of Houbunsha and was able to make my commercial debut with "Kamisama to Quintet". Serialization of "Sakura Maimai" began at that time as well.

Something about my own brand of silly material made something click for me.

── You aspired to be an illustrator, but did you have any doubts when you first made your commercial debut as a manga artist?

I was surprised when they reached out to me but since it was a great opportunity, I honestly thought I should give it a try. As a result, I was able to receive illustration jobs through my manga connections.

── So, you decided to just go for it.

I did. Serialized work was a fun experience but I did have my worries.

── What did you worry about?

I got too caught up in the so-called “moe” 4-panel comic style. I thought to myself, “I have to make heartwarming conversations for these cute girls!” But, that never really sat well with my style… And when I started to include more spontaneous material, I began to get a better sense of myself and I think I was able to make my presence felt in the magazine.

“Kamisama to Quintet, Volume 1” (Houbunsha) p.107

── Your manga “My Deer Friend Nokotan”, serialized in Shonen Magazine Edge, is a comedy manga that revolves around a high school deer-girl. A lot of your illustrations depict sadness but the manga you write are pretty out-of-pocket in comparison, aren’t they?

People who know me from my illustrations are often surprised, like "I thought I'd bought a comic by a different author." I smile when I see that kind of feedback. (Laughs)

“My Deer Friend Nokotan (1)” (Kodansha) p.17

── Please tell us some series or authors that helped create your foundation as a comedy manga artist.

I love Riko Yuki (Also known as Yu Kiriko)...! The manga they release has tons of slightly off-kilter gags, and I think that’s the root of what I’m about. It’s not only the gags, though. Their illustrations have influenced me a lot, too. I used to copy all sorts of things like how they drew locks of hair and the gradient-like way they colored their drawings. My characters’ hands and legs being a little on the bigger side is Riko Yuki’s influence, too. Sometimes I’ll get comments like, “The hands are too big.” But I’d just reply with, “No, they’re cuter like this!”. (Laughs)

There’s also Arina Tanemura. When I was a kid, I was always tracing “Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne” characters. Both Riko Yuki and Arina Tanemura have their own style of drawing chibi characters, even now they’re still cute and have a fresh design.

── Is there any work that has recently left a lasting impression on you?

Lately, I’ve been influenced a lot by Kiyohiko Azuma’s “Yotsubato!” I can almost hear people yelling at me, “Now? After it’s been out for so long?”...(laughs). When I told my editor that I’d never read “Yotsubato!” Their first response was, “Unbelievable.” Then they ran to the bookstore and bought all the volumes for me. When I read it, I was impressed at how Mr. Azuma could depict everyday, ordinary life so interestingly, drawn with so much care and love. It’s since become my personal “manga textbook”.

Drawing “manga-like lines” took trial and error

── As someone who originally aspired to become an illustrator, what keeps you drawing manga even now?

Illustrations can capture a moment in time, but unlike manga, it’s hard to tell a story with a lot of depth. You can express different things in both and they each have their individual joys, so I want to continue down both paths in a, “I want to alternate between eating something sweet and something salty” kind of way.

── Does your drawing style change between manga and illustrations? Like, do you ever think things like, “A pretty picture might make it hard to laugh at a gag.”

Since I think that my characters doing strange things in this drawing style is more interesting because of the gap it creates, I don’t do anything to change my style. But drawing “manga-like lines” required trial and error.

── Manga-like lines?

With illustrations, I can erase any lines that stick out and redraw until I’m satisfied. But if I do that with manga, I won’t ever have enough time. Before, if one page had six frames, I’d draw each one like they were individual illustrations and would end up exhausted each time. But my editor now told me, “Your lines are pretty stiff, so don’t you think you can soften them up a little?” And I thought that they had a good point. That’s why with each chapter of “My Deer Friend Nokotan”, I like to try new things such as changing the pen settings and the way the solid color is applied. As a result of trying things out, I purposely leave raw or unedited lines. I think that this makes it easier to read a gag manga rather than if each frame was too tight-fitting.

“My Deer Friend Nokotan (3)” (Kodansha) p.11

── It sounds like it would be interesting to re-read “My Deer Friend Nokotan” while paying attention to the line changes!

I want to create illustrations that viewers can immerse themselves in

── Your crying expression illustrations have garnered popularity. What inspired you to start drawing them?

I don’t exactly remember what started it all, but crying girls have always appealed to me. In 2017, I released the crying-themed doujinshi, “Don’t Cry, Shelly”, which was well-received, and since then I started receiving more commissions for work of that kind. That book was a personal project because I thought it would be nice to compile those sorts of drawings. Since releasing it, however, I became known by many people as “an illustrator who draws crying faces”. This helped me realize just how important it is to release compilations of one’s work.

── Please tell us what you pay special attention to when drawing crying faces.

I don’t think I have anything I’m particularly picky about, but when I draw something where the expression is the main focus, I imagine the circumstance behind that character’s expression and try to solidify some semblance of a story.

In this piece, titled Let’s Break Up, I depicted a girl breaking up with her boyfriend despite not really wanting to. However, it’s a choice they both made out of consideration for each other. That’s why even though she’s made her decision, she’s looking away. Even though she’s crying right now, after the boy she’s talking to walks away, I imagine she’ll burst into sobs.

── To think that there’s such a backstory! Because of the well-developed settings, even just the phrase “crying face” has plenty of variations, doesn’t it?

I don’t want to make tears mere accessories. People cry for various reasons so I want to imagine that context properly. I try not to draw crying faces for vague reasons. I think this will make it easier for those looking at the drawing to become emotionally involved with the piece.

── Does that mean you spend a lot of time drawing out the expression?

But it’s not just the parts of the face, I consider everything, including the hand gestures and the way hair moves as part of the “facial expression”. That’s why I’m careful when I draw, making sure that there’s an emotion that can be conveyed when glancing at the whole picture.

夏が過ぎても、消えたくないなぁ pic.twitter.com/agyIIapJcB
— おしおしお@9/2~21初個展開催 (@oshioshio_info) September 7, 2021

Being aware that VTuber designs will become fan art

── What’s your workstation like?

I use an iMac, a Wacom Cintiq that’s probably 22HD for my LCD tablet, and Clip Studio Paint for my software.

── You’re in charge of the design for recent VTubers like Kanata Amane and Kirame Sorahoshi, right? What do you keep in mind when you’re designing their models?

A lot of the time when they’re streaming, it’s usually from the bust up, so I try to make the areas around the face impactful. Also, there’s a culture in the Vtuber community where the listeners and viewers draw fanart as a way of showing their support. I try to keep the design simple while including trademark elements so that it’s easy to draw even for those without much experience.

── What are things you’re careful of when interacting with clients? It seems like it would be difficult in both illustration and design to capture and produce the image the client has in mind unless you’re used to it.

We try to agree on the image down to the smallest detail in the early stages. What kind of character they’re going to be, how tall they’re going to be, what components are needed, etc. On the other hand, we also discuss what kind of things are a no-go. It would be very difficult to remake things later and I try not to move on to the actual creation phase until I can share the general outline of the project with them.

The feelings packed into “Aoibikari”, the exhibition’s title

── Let’s discuss your first exhibition. Is there a special meaning behind the title Aoibikari?

I’ve liked the color blue for as long as I can remember and I told myself that if I should ever have an exhibition one day, I would give it a blue-based title. The color blue can also represent “youth” and “a lack of experience”. As an artist, I’ve continued to illustrate the glimmer and light as only a fledgling artist can so I coined the word “Aobikari” (blue light) to express these things. For a young illustrator like myself being able to hold this exhibition in “pixiv WAEN GALLERY”, where so many artists I admire have had exhibitions, makes this solo exhibition that sort of “blue light” for me. It’s a little embarrassing to say that but those are my feelings behind the name.

── You’ve put a lot of thought into the title, haven’t you? Its key visual is an illustration with a sorrowful mood typical of your style.

I thought that drawing the image of a crying girl would please the people who know me and my art. There’s actually a reason why I included the forget-me-nots and blue anemones. Looking up the meanings of these flowers should give you some deeper insight into the image and why the girl is crying.

── What are some of your exhibition’s highlights?

Since people are going to the trouble of coming to the gallery, I wanted to make the experience of seeing my artwork in person a meaningful one, so pieces I created using special materials and methods are also on display. I also chose the background music that plays in the venue so I hope everyone enjoys the space’s overall atmosphere. I also made all sorts of suggestions for the merchandise, so I hope everyone takes a look at them as well.

── Lastly, could you please tell us what your goals are going forward as an illustrator?

I'd be thrilled to work in animation, whether it’s one of my works getting an anime adaptation or me being put in charge of character design. Recently, I’ve been enjoying creating things from scratch so I hope I can participate in any new project that’s just getting started. On top of that, I’ve been talking with my editor about whether I can create the same heartbreaking worldview in manga as I do in my illustrations. I want to, one day, draw crying faces in manga, too.

Oshioshio’s solo exhibition, “Aobikari” is open through September 21st!

pixiv WAEN GALLERY by Twin Planet x pixiv, a gallery jointly operated by pixiv and Twin Planet, is currently holding Oshioshio’s solo exhibition Aobikari until Wednesday, September 21st, 2022.

An astounding number of Oshioshio’s illustrations, roughly 100, will be on display. Each work shows their attention to detail regarding the materials and creation process used, so please be sure to drop by and see them.

Dates: September 2nd (Fri.) to September 21st (Wed.)

Days closed: None

Free Admission

Address: Tokyo, Shibuya City, Jingumae, 5 Chome-46-1 TWIN PLANET South BLDG. 1F

Hours: 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

>>pixiv WAEN GALLERY Official Page<<

>>Official Twitter<<

*Please be advised that we may stagger admission via numbered tickets on crowded days

*Countermeasures against COVID-19

Oshioshi’s solo exhibit, Aobikari, is currently intended to run until September 21st (Wed). We will continue to monitor the situation, but there is a chance the exhibition dates may be subject to change due to the spread of the virus. You can find more information about products on sale, reaching the venue, etc., on the pixiv WAEN GALLERY official website and Twitter. We thank you for your understanding.

Merchandise is also available online!

Some of the merchandise sold at the exhibition will be available on BOOTH. We hope you take a look at the merchandise lineup created with Oshioshio’s input.

>>Check out BOOTH<<