Making Wani-Kun!

Creating my own set of Line stickers has been an exciting and ongoing project for me. From brainstorming ideas to refining designs, every step of the process has been an opportunity for me to express myself creatively and connect with others who share my interests.

As I was brainstorming ideas for my Line sticker set, I knew I wanted to include a character that would stand out and be instantly recognizable. I thought about different animals that I could use as inspiration and ultimately landed on an alligator. I loved the idea of creating a hip hop-loving alligator character that would be both unique and fun.

Once I had my character design finalized, I began to think about how I could incorporate him into a sticker set. I decided to create a series of stickers that would show the alligator in different situations, such as eating, dancing, running, or chilling with friends. Each sticker would have a different pose or expression, but all would have the same distinctive style and attitude.

At the same time, I also thought about other themes and interests that I wanted to incorporate into my sticker set. Since I'm a big fan of Japanese culture, I knew I wanted to include some anime-inspired characters. I also wanted to include some other animal-related characters, as well as some that represented my favorite hobbies, like video games, music, and craft beer.

To find references for my character designs, I turned to Pinterest. On Pinterest, I was able to search for specific keywords related to my theme or interest, such as "anime character design" or "crocodile illustration". From there, I browsed through a wide variety of images and saved the ones that caught my eye to a board. This helped me to stay organized and easily accessible when I needed to reference them later.

Once I had my character concepts finalized, I roughed them out on my computer and began refining them using a painting software called Clipstudio Paint. I experimented with different colors, textures, and shading techniques until each character looked exactly how I envisioned them.

Creating the alligator character was one of the most enjoyable parts of the sticker-making process for me. It allowed me to push my creative boundaries and come up with something truly unique and original. Plus, it was just plain fun to draw a hip hop-loving alligator! Overall, creating Line stickers is a multi-step process that requires creativity, organization, and attention to detail. By following these steps, you can create a set of stickers that truly reflects your interests and personality.

Published by chrispiatkowski_4xhq01 in Uncategorized

February 21, 2023 — No Comments

Why Am I Here? Part 2

The second reason is really because of my dad.

My father was never really stuck out the crowd for the most part, never was the loudest, or the strongest, but still his influences on my life still remain to this day. My father had his own interests of coming to Japan before we did as a family, leading him to learn the language & to learn Japanese jujutsu as a young man.

He was quiet about his accomplishments, but I remember him having his office and seeing the many all of his Japanese artwork he would hang, his certificates in Japanese from his training days, and the many practice weapons he kept in his garage. For years, I was not allowed to really touch them, which grabbed my curiosity. I wanted to learn about these weird images and weird weapons he had. Which began my interest in the martial arts.

To be fair, my interests really began with all the media in Japan I was seeing, and also having been a TMNT for years before, the hooks were already in me. But the disconnect for years from what I saw and what my father showed me in play thoughts or mischievous applications of technique throughout my youth. Keep me searching, a search that would ultimately have me learn the style he was taught, weapon arts, and finally coming to Japan to learn as much as I can.

These two things are really the basis of why I’m here, but to be honest, I just feel more comfortable here.

I’ve grown up on military bases most of my life, and most in other countries. By the time I was 12, I had moved 4 times with 3 them being outside of the USA. I didn’t have the typical American childhood, I didn’t have the best friend from kindergarten that I still know, I didn’t root for the home team, none of that. In fact when I came back to the states as a young teenager, I found most of American life to be more or less boring. It didn’t have all the things that “I” grew up with and nor was American life really interested in finding out more than what was already there.

So in 2014 I left the states, first for China and then Japan, and here I’ve remained. I do miss family and some food, but ultimately I’m happy here.

And that’s it! Hopefully this isn’t too long winded, but this is just a little peek into the reasons I’m here. In the future, I’ll share specific posts about my process, projects, and anything I find interesting.

Published by chrispiatkowski_4xhq01 in Uncategorized

February 11, 2023 — No Comments

Why Am I Here? Part 1

If you're reading this blog post, you are probably wondering the same question.

"Why is Chris living in Japan?"

It might seem counter initiative for an American artist, to move across the world to a country that does not speak his native, nor follows the same conventions, to pursue an art career. The many hurdles of just getting to Japan alone would cause the average artist to say, “Eh, it’s too hard, I’ll do something else.” But for me it was always my desire to come here. Why? Well there are a couple reasons for that.

For starters, I grew up here.

Yep, at the ripe old age of 9 years old, I moved to Japan with my family due to my fathers military service in Japan. My parents met in Tokyo in the 80’s and wanted to share the culture with their small family. I had no knowledge of Japan at the time, no interest, no desire, all my main wants were pizza and cartoons. But would be just another routine trip to somewhere for my dad’s work, would be a proverbial life changing experience for me.

I arrived at the height of what some might consider Japanese culture and anime, the mid-90’s. I was exposed to it all, Dragon Ball Z, Ruroni Kenshin, Detective Conan, Super Sentai Senshi, B-Fighter, Doraemon, and so much more. All this led me to wanting to create these characters, whenever I had the chance. Soon I was at my local library looking for ways to draw better, and which led to my 4th grade teacher telling me that I could be an artist for a living. Which set me off on my creative journey.

Even after I returned to the states, I was still enthralled with the level of craftsmanship and variety that could be found here. So much so, that I went to college pursuing an animation degree just so I could do it. And eventually work here.

Published by chrispiatkowski_4xhq01 in Uncategorized

August 2, 2022 — No Comments

Welcome!!

Welcome to my portfolio!!

Here you can find my work as an animator, illustrator, story artist, and other related work from global brands to small local businesses. I've have had over 10 years of professional experience working as a graphic designer, storyboard artist, and motion designer.

In this blog I will share some interesting insights to my design process as well as thoughts and reflections on art that inspires me. Also, as an expat living and working as an artist in Japan, I want to share my thoughts about being an artist aboard.

Looking forward to what the future brings!

Sincerely,

Chris

Published by chrispiatkowski_4xhq01 in Uncategorized