Painting the Studio Ghibli Way: The Art of Yoichi Nishikawa

Studio Ghibli Sequence Art Director Yoichi Nishikawa has worked as a background painter since 2004 with many of his credits for the films of Hayao Miyazaki. This video introduces some of his personal artwork along with a look at his process and craft.
Yoichi's Art
www.gallerynucleus.com/artist...
Yoichi's Prints
www.gallerynucleus.com/artist...
More Yoichi
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[@reynardthefox9072]

I often find myself day-dreaming in ghibli landscapes. i hope one day i can paint like them and create my own worlds

[@AwesomeNumber5]

Me too. I want to live in those paintings. I want to live in a small cottage near the woods and be surrounded by a feild of flowers and trees. Also, love your profile pic. Duolingo?

[@reynardthefox9072]

@@AwesomeNumber5 hey, thanks, yes I'm a language addict but mainly because she looks like Alice from the Magicians 🦊

[@starlite4811]

Me too.

[@MatrixEvolution17]

same

[@marcusmadden3482]

3 years later the new film is an oscar winner

[@BoomZhakalaka]

I really love handpainting backgrounds it creates more emotions, space and its very organic..captivated. The ghibli magic.. ✨

[@colinlpeace]

It's amazing how the paintings go from simple outlines to beautifully detailed masterpieces. It's magical.

[@energeticstunts993]

I'd love to have a room filled with these kinds of art works. I was never much of an art geek, I tried a few times but ultimately gave up but there is something about these anime art pieces that always give me a feeling of comfort that I cannot explain. It's a calm after the storm, when everything feels fuzzy and blurry, I stare at the brush strokes of a beautiful landscape and suddenly the world feels so much more prettier and beautiful.

[@StudioArtFX]

I seriously expected this video would have way more views, and much greater audience engagement.

[@11equalsfish]

It's near 10,000, which is no small number. This video is quite specific, so it might be hard to find?

[@illustratoraurelie5015]

Such a wonder; a piece of beauty, so profound, nature cannot be captured yet in a painting, such a spark of jewel. Such a wonder.

[@leacortez1606]

I'm so in love with his works, thank you for sharing!

[@LinhNguyen-oc4sm]

Can’t believe that’s a painting oh my god

[@geokorf]

this was very important and helpful, thank you!

[@stingfly974]

Beauty of Ghibli!

[@bizzybee852]

Really enjoyed your video, thanks!

[@valasafantastic1055]

Great stuff, thanks!

[@vacantly]

there's at least still studios like Studio Pablo who specialize in this sort of painting, and anime TV series like Ranking of Kings that carry on the tradition. i hope there will always be studio productions utilizing poster paint. nothing trains you like a production environment.

[@cafemir]

Thank you very much

[@Rintintin42069]

Amazing vids! Thanks!

[@himboden5478]

Mini coffee, ofc

[@gallerynucleus]

Thanks for all the likes and comments. New video coming soon...in the meantime we wanted to let all the viewers and Ghibli fans know about Yoichi's latest exhibition. www.gallerynucleus.com/events/869?more_info=1

[@danhol5032]

Excuse me. Could you comment on where you located YOICHI NISHIKAWA’s process art? It’s truly fascinating. Thank you!

[@goodguybuy7961]

Thanks for the resources and for sharing your thoughts! The first 2 links in the description don't work for me though, but the others do and they are awesome.

[@gallerynucleus]

Thanks for the heads up on the links!

[@geokorf]

Forver live the Analogu!

[@PKTama]

wow

[@pennycandyys]

To the OP. Thanks, love this, and always happy to see new content. I’ve heard it said that Nicker paints are used in all Studio Ghibli backgrounds. Can you tell me what paint is used in the foreground then? Is it gouache? Or is it also Nicker paint and the sentence implied a difference that doesn’t exist?

[@awakenwithoutcoffee]

Nishikawa reminds me a bit of the great russian painter Savrasov. I actually like him more now!

[@simoneribeiro6760]

so cool

[@leorainard2731]

How do they animate the characters interacting with the background? Like if a character wants to open a gate, or if they want wind going through the trees and moving the leaves, the backgrounds are rarely static, so how do they animate them if they're paintings?

[@brednjam3425]

Very interesting question I also want to know!

[@imlando93]

Anything that is animated would not be painted on the background layer, it would be painted on a separate layer, whether that be a digital layer or a cel in traditional animation.

[@vietzscheallagard2129]

They overlay drawings onto of the paintings, by illustrating the animated characters on thin clear sheets called "cels". Then they take a picture for every frame. Then editing it together, they hold onto frame twice; IE the same frame plays twice. There are 24 frames a second. 12 drawings on cels onto of the painting every second. Or they scan the painting and digitally animate it.

[@fruhlingsbilder]

The problem with crafts dying out is that no one will finance your training since fast commercial success is more important than sustainable progress in artistic ability. 99% of viewers don’t see a problem with the hideous 3D that has become the norme today.

[@pat4005]

Great video. ☺️ But I don't know why you suggested that the painting method was a hybrid of Chinese brush painting and oil painting, and then said, "wet-on-wet", when the video shows that he is painting with poster colors, which are water-based opaque paint (more like a student-grade gouache. Gouache is opaque watercolor, aka Designer's gouache} The video itself shows poster colors with the title of "poster colors" over the paint tubs, and also shows the mixing saucers with water and brushes he is using, which are also watercolor brushes.

[@pennycandyys]

Wet on wet is used. You can search Nicker paints and Studio Ghibli and see an expert at work. Yes they are poster paints, but I think they’re a decent quality, and I understand they are the paints used in the backgrounds of all Studio Ghibli painted backgrounds. I think you would be hard pressed to tell they aren’t gouache, but I don’t know that for sure.

[@morningbear3794]

great video audio was kinda wierd though

[@spino1219]

what is this music? could anyone give me the title because it's so relaxing

[@joey6761]

not sure the name but the instrument is a kalimba :) hope i helped

[@spino1219]

@@joey6761 I found it finally :D it's called "The spring" by Chad Crouch

[@filipe.goulao]

What kind or brand of paint does he use?

[@gallerynucleus]

nicker-enogu.com/en/

[@gabriellefox5724]

I prefer the analog style

[@DeaLenihan]

Ghibli like GIRL

[@CamelliaFlingert]

it's impossible to draw like that

[@pat4005]

It's not a drawing. It's a painting. ☺️ The painter is both highly skilled and has a great sense of how to capture the essence of a location and impart a beautiful wistfulness that draws the viewer in. He is a real artist because he uses hands, head and heart to create his paintings. Yes, you can learn the skills to do great paintings. (The head and hands). But to bring out people's emotion when they see your paintings, it requires that you also impart that emotional connection into your painting (the heart).