When I'm in front of a white sheet of paper,
I wonder how I will stain it. Add in colors, shapes...
How can I phrase it? It's not a pain for me,
on the contrary it's a pleasant process. This is the case both in my work or when I draw quick sketches. For people to see and appreciate my work is a bonus. It makes me want to draw even more. That was already the case when I was a child,
and it hasn't changed ever since. When I was 14 years old, my best friend moved to Tokyo
and I came to visit him. As the Tatsunoko Pro animation studio was closeby,
I went there to show my drawings, after which I received a job offer. I joined the production team, first as an animator. One of Tatsunoko Pro's characteristics was
that they made original series. This is how I ended up creating characters
for them until my late twenties. My drawings were used as a base by animators
for various series that were late aired on television. However, I wanted people to look directly at my drawings, which is why I became an illustrator. Even though I'm Japanese, I like western fantasy a lot. I wanted to draw knights, etc. I started to draw book covers. This allowed me to draw worlds that didn't exist. I enjoyed it a lot. Video games weren't around too much at the time,
I didn't know much about them. I received an offer from Mr. Sakaguchi from Square, as he was looking for someone to draw a fantasy universe. It sounded interesting. This is how I started with Final Fantasy, it feels strange to me I'm still working
on the series to this day. When I hear video game, I always think of Final Fantasy. There are various mythologies,
such as the Greek one for example. Here too, I had to imagine new universes
that include fantastic elements. I was free to draw anything I could think of. In the end, these universes feel somehow real to me,
they are beyond plain fairytales. It's as if those mystic worlds could exist
through video games. I created characters, monsters,
also illustrations and various game visuals. At first, I thought I had to draw in the game's pixel style, but I was told I could make
realistic illustrations and characters. For me, it was as if the drawings I would usually
make were materialized inside of a video game. I never really struggle, you know. I don't think too much,
I just keep drawing following my instincts. For example, if I'm told to create 10,
or 20 characters within a fixed deadline. I would just draw them one after the other without thinking. This is how I work. I never really had trouble in that field. Fine art is the field where I get to express my emotions. It now makes about 90% of my current activity, however all the work I made in illustration or
for Final Fantasy is also expressed one way or another. The only difference is how my drawings are used. But deep inside me,
there isn't a clear line between the two. The difference resides in the medium that is used. Currently, I enjoy trying to make
myself a place in the art scene. As opposite to illustration or video games,
I'm not a veteran in the field. which is why I really enjoy evolving in that scene. My career started with character design,
part of which is to create graphic identities. When I started illustration, I didn't know what
my style was, although I had to express it in my work. This is why I watched the works of artists like Gustave Moreau, Mucha and many others such as Da Vinci. As I tried to mimic them,
my style gradually started to define itself. This is how I got to express myself in a way. Today, I still don't know what my style is,
nor what defines the "Amano" touch. but I keep drawing what I like nevertheless. Perhaps this is what my style is.
Thank you for this OP. Yoshitaka Amano's art style I feel isn't the most universally praised, but it's instantly recognizable and makes me feel such a sense of nostalgia. His artworks for FFVI was always what I wanted to see come alive when FF finally went 3D. Not that Square's current style isn't also beautiful but Yoshitaka Amano's designs always took my breath away. Colors that really pop out, designs that really look like another universe's. I love em all.
Amano has such a great art style, I love the designs and color tones he uses, it's really unique and eye catching, and when it comes to Final Fantasy artwork it's the best in my opinion. I'm really happy when it comes to the Dissidia games, the characters from the NES/SNES games use Amano's artwork for their base designs rather than their sprite work, with many of the post-VI characters having alts based off his work. Even some of the characters designed by Nomura were altered slightly to include Amano-esque elements (Sephiroth, Squall, Tidus).
Great video. I've always loved how "ethereal" his art looks. What I wouldn't give to see him do FFXVI.