Updates - Archive - Yuko Shimizu

July 20, 2010

Thank You Mexico, Thank You LA. I Am Now Back To My Studio In New York.

It felt like I was constantly on the way to places. New York to Mexico City to Xalapa to Mexico City again to Los Angeles, then finally back to New York in one trip during 10 days. I am not jet lagged, but it sure feels that way… Today is my first day back in the studio and I am completely out of it. Important work stuff has to wait till tomorrow to get started. (Thank you for your kind understanding, dear clients!)Thank you everyone who came to the workshop and/or exhibition opening at Amarillo Centro de Diseño in Xalapa, Mexico. The show is up till September 3, so please please go stop by and say hi to all the nice and friendly Amarillo people (+ a doggie).Also, thank you everyone who came and/or organized ICON 6 (Illustration Conference) in Los Angeles. It was a quick 24 hour stopover, but hope my talk was at least useful in some way.

I will make a blog post about Mexico within the next few days, but for now here are some photos from the show and the workshop. (and see cool guerilla posting of my fake lucha libre posters on the top page.)

July 8, 2010

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YUKO SHIMIZU STUDIO IS CURRENTLY CLOSED

I am away to Xalapa, Mexico to teach a workshop whole next week (please see the post on July 1) and a show opening, then fly directly to LA to ICON Illustration Conference to speak on the last day. I am back to my studio on July 20th.

Till then, stay cool (ah, thank god the heat wave is gone for now in NY!) and enjoy your summer.

July 1, 2010

Xalapa, Mexico Amarillo Centro de Diseño Illustration Workshop And Show

Right after July 4th weekend is over, I am heading back to Xalapa, Mexico for illustration workshop hosted by Amarillo Centro de Diseño (Amarillo Design Center).I had a lecture and show there in March 2009, which was a wonderful experience. They are inviting me back again this time to their brand-new space for 4 day intensive illustration workshop from July 12th to 15th. I have posted this show and workshop on my blog. And, I am really excited to have my birthday in Mexico. This year’s birthday party is the opening party for the show!I just finished making this invitation poster which Amarillo people are silk screening in large format. (If you visit Amarillo store, you can purchase this poster while supplies last). For those who cannot visit Amarillo, we made the poster into computer wallpaper for fun, and giving it away free for the limited time.

Wallpaper size: 1440 x 900 fits perfectly to your MacBookPro. Please adjust if you have PC or screens in different sizes.

¡¡Queridos amigos en México, esperando a ver en menos de dos semanas , ya sea en la exposición o en el taller!!

And, last but not least…. this workshop is intended for Mexican illustrators only, but if you are interested in attending a summer workshop with me, I have another one coming up in Venice, Italy, which is open to participants of all nationalities. Please see the post of June 24th for more details.

June 30, 2010

Venice Illustration Workshop Date Change!

We have decided to change the date because the original date fell on the peak tourist season which may cost a lot more for the participants to travel. And, we announced it late this year, which doesn’t give participants enough time to arrange the travel. Besides, the hottest season of Venice may be done by then (well, hopefully), and maybe my favorite enoteca is back open because Italian vacation season is over. (I always go there at least once for lunch with my students.) Also, for Americans, you can take advantage of the long Labor Day Weekend in Italy.

June 24, 2010

PLEASE NOTE: THIS YEAR’S WORKSHOP IS CANCELED – It’s Official!!: Come To Venice Illustration Course 2010

I am really excited to announce that illustration workshop in Venice, Italy is officially coming back this summer!It is a six day long workshop for illustrators and aspiring-to-be in any level, takes place in Venice, Italy. Yes, one of the most beautiful and magical cities in the world! And last two years I had been teaching, I just had a complete BLAST. So much fun.The Course is limited to about 15 students. I teach, advise and guide each student according to your level, interest and personality. It is a workshop with specific assignment(s), but there is also a lot of one-on-one personal advising.

I met some wonderful people over the past two years, but what was even better was that a lot of the students found friendship that would most probably last for a long time.

If you are interested, please read the details on the organizer Teatrio’s website and contact them for enrollment and questions.

You can also learn about last year’s workshop, and see the students’ fantastic works and photos on my blog. There are some comments from the happy students, so please check that out as well.

I hope to have another memorable summer, with you!, in this beautiful historic city.

June 19, 2010

MOBY For Illustration Magazine Japan

The highlight of past week: interviewing musician MOBY to write an article in イラストレーション,a well respected illustration magazine published in Japan. I have been a regular contributing writer for more than a year now.I normally interview illustrators (you can read about past interviews on my blog here), but after my studio mate and Moby’s former art collective member Sara Varonand I saw him speak at WNYC last month and learned about his passion for art, comics and illustrations, we came up with an idea of interviewing him from a visual art point of view.I have a huge respect in him. All I could think of while I was there was to not do or say anything stupid. He was VERY nice and had some great stories to tell. The article, along with features of three of his former artist collective members (Sara Varon, James Kochalka and Alex Eben Meyer) will come out as a big feature in イラストレーション at the end of July. I am currently working on editing the story.

Photo by David Neff.

June 19, 2010

New Book On Your Summer Reading List

I just received a sample copy of Ryunosuke Akutagawa’s The Beautiful and The Grotesquein mail from publisher WW Norton. I have contributed to this book with wrap-around cover as well as six black and white interior drawings.Ryunosuke Akutagawa (1892-1927) was one of the most celebrated writers Japan has ever had. Many of you may know his work, Rashomon, through a world famous film by Akira Kurosawa. This book includes some of less known, but just as powerful, short stories by the author.The book is not out yet, but will be out sometime over the summer. Please add this to your summer reading list: ISBN 978-0-87140-192-2

One of the best things about working on this project (other than that I drew a cover for Akutagawa!) was that I was able to work with one of the most talented contemporary book designers: Rodrigo Corral, whom I have been a big fan of for a while. Also, big thank you to nice and sweet Albert Tang, my art director from WW Norton.

This cover has won Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators this year. For those who are interested, you can read more about it here.

June 15, 2010

Summer (+ Fall) Event Schedule

First of all, I have updated SHOWS & EVENTS section and added some upcoming summer and fall event schedule.

If you are interested in joining a workshop in Xalapa, Mexico or in Venice, Italy, or come join hundreds of other illustrators for Illustration Conference in LA, or maybe waiti for a comic con in England in October, all the organizer links are all up! So, come join me at one of those events? That would be fun 🙂

I have to apologize again that last two to three months were so busy and everything feels like a big blur to me…., so I have missed posting some fun events that’s already ended, like Heiti relief charity show in Baltimore and my debut in Bogota, Colombia in an illustration exhibit. But I will back post those past events and links there too.

June 15, 2010

The Unwritten Issue #14 Cover Talk….

DC Vertigo monthly series The Unwrittenissue #14 came out last week.

I am hoping to blog about it at DRAWGER soon. This is probably the most time-consuming cover I have done so far (and I am about to finish up #18 as I write this).

The team (my editor, writer and interior artist) wanted “Where is Waldo” for this. Yap, Where is Waldo. When they came to me with the idea I said “Ummmm…..Let me think about this… I am not an artist who does great drawing small people everywhere on the page, so I have to come up with my own style of Where is Waldo”. And this was my answer. My images don’t work well unless there is depth and interesting camera view. So, the result is the main character: Tom in the middle and fill up the rest of the space with pretty much almost every single characters who’s ever appeared in the series. I personally don’t love “busy”. I think I pulled it off by limiting the color palette.

If you are a loyal Unwritten reader, enjoy the game of guessing every single one of them, including some obscure side characters I threw in. Oh, and there is one character who is NOT from the series but from the team’s former iconic series from Vertigo. Can you guess? Even Mike and Peter took a while to figure everyone out. 🙂

June 15, 2010

Earth: Fragile Planet Show At The Society Of Illustrators

I was at the Society of Illustrators earlier today to give lecture to SCAD students who were in NY for school trip. I had missed the opening for current Earth:Fragile Planet show that’s currently on view, so I decided to check it out on the way back. It is, a really strong and beautiful show. Lots of original works by illustrators. (I have one piece in this show as well.) So, please go check out. This summer show will be up till end of July.

Award winning Japanese illustrator based in New York City and instructor at School of Visual Arts.