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Houden's Debut in Comic Illustrations

-What made you start a career in comic illustration?
An editor at MediaWorks found my Web site and e-mailed me, offering me a chance to draw an illustration for "Dengeki hp". That was first work. Then they saw my final drawing and called me later, saying, “Is it possible for you to draw illustrations for a novel?” These two occasions happened almost at the same time, so I believe they started my career in manga.

-Have you liked drawing since your childhood?
It was not like I was aiming only at becoming an illustrator for anime or the manga industry, but I had a vague dream to make my living by drawing pictures, so I learned drawing and went to an art college. Later, I made up my mind to become a manga artist, and as I was wondering how to do it, a guy asked me to start a drawing group with him. My story goes on from here.

-Were you involved in a drawing group?
No, actually I was about to. I really wanted to do it, though. At that time, my friends and I formed a group and opened up a Web site; the editor saw the site and called me.

-You use your name Houden Eizou on the Web site instead of your real name. Why did you name yourself Houden Eizou? Is it a nickname.
Well, I originally used the words neon vision for my e-mail address. I came up with this name randomly while I was reading a magazine, and I was going to translate it into Japanese to use it for the title of my Web site. Neon is a phenomenon of lightwaves (Houden), and vision refers to image (Eizou). Then I noticed, when I was filling out the application form for a drawing event, that I didn’t actually have a pen name. At that time, I thought, Fine, I’ll use this, and that was when I wrote my name as Houden Eizou.

Later, when I started to work as a professional illustrator, I didn’t have time to think about my real pen name. When I finished an illustration, my colleagues asked me, “What are you going to do about you pen name?” But I couldn’t come up with a good one. I thought it might be better to use that than to regret using a funny name that I just think up randomly. This is also a funny name, but many people can remember it.

-If you could change your name now, what would you call yourself?
Well, I have no other name at all in mind, I advise everybody to dicide on a pen name that can by used forever.

Houden Eizou as Illustrator

-What painting materials do you use?
I use a 0.3 mm mechanical pencil, erasers, and Photoshop.

-Photoshop for everything except for lines? I think that you also use Painter.
No, I don’t use Painter at all.

-So did you draw pictures digitally before you started you professional career?
When I was in college, I drew pictures digitally, just a little bit, but after that, I didn’t have a computer at home. So, it was not until I bought my own computer that I really started using the digital method.

-What painting tools were you using? One of your most attractive drawing features is your particular layering technique. And I thought such a layering method cannot be done unless you have experience in using various painting tools.
I used to work with mainly acrylic paint, but I was not really good at handling paint or analog painting materials, so I’m not confident enough to say that I use them often. I’m not so skilled at layering either. I personally think that you can easily spot works that are painted with Painter, don’t you think? I like such pictures, but I don’t think I’m skilled for that medium. Anyway, I do my work my own way. My top concern is to find my most efficient method and to paint beautifully.

-You really like drawing, don’t you?
I prefer showing pictures to others rather than drawing pictures. That motivates me. But there are people who actually like drawing. I always feel I’ll never be able to beat those people. To me, it is not a pleasure to just draw every single line; I also have no special feeling towards drawing, but I have complaints while I draw like, “Oh, I have stiff shoulders.”

-Do you use Photoshop to draw monochromatic illustrations, too?
Yes, I do use photoshop for that. I first sketch a picture with a pencil, trace it to make a line drawing, then I scan it for the purpose of coloring. For a line drawing, I don’t use the computer so much; I would rather hand-draw as much as possible. When drawing on the computer directly, if the monitor is distorted, everything will become distorted, right? I draw by hand because I ‘m worried about that. But I am also curious about drawing directly, too.

-When you clean up your line drawing, don’t you use ink?
No, I don’t/ I draw it boldly with a mechanical pencil, I’m not good at inking. Of course, you can’t redo when you make mistakes, and I personally don’t like that. I think it’s a big problem if you are not good at inking, but so far, I haven’t had any problems with that.

-What is your work flow like?
The first step is, can the hand-drawing, then process it with a computer. In relation to the proportion of my working hours, I spend them completing rough drawings and line drawings. I can finish color-painting in about a day, and I take lest time with drawing that’s monochromatic. But it takes more time to finish a line drawing – I thinks too much.

-So, once you start coloring, you work all the way to the end in one sitting?
You can finish coloring while thinking about something else. Once you decide the direction of the light and the color scheme, the rest of the work is simple. Rough drawings require energy or tension. I get stuck for a long time at on place where I’m not satisfied. There are always reasons for not being satisfied. One time, I wasn’t satisfied in any way with the raough drawing I had submitted, and I asked the client to give me chance to redraw it. The compositions and the postures were the same, but I didn’t really like the previous drawing.

-Do you have a vision you maintain until the completion of a line drawing?
That’s right. I have rough ideas in my mind at that point. I am not really conscious about them because I draw with my artistic sense, and it is haphazard. I can change colors as much as I want later on, so I’m not worried about the result. However, I feel the accuracy of my vision is improving recently. Yet, when you don’t feel good about you line drawings, your vision does not work. For me, it is impossible to make up such a sensation by doing a better job coloring; I have never felt that way.

-It seems there are more people who suffer in coloring, one step after line drawing.
Of course. I have such problems, too. But I can make corrections as much as I want with Photoshop. The flip side is I am not good at coloring. I make changes when I don’t know if I should do this step or not. Each time I make a change, I save it and make comparisons later on. While working on the computer, if you draw a picture directly, you can easily make changes in the composition. In that sense, I totally rely on the completeness of my line drawing, so I guess this is my weak part. Actually, there are people who have the ability to decide everything precisely from the beginning, and I think that’s wonderful. I’m totally hopeless in that respect since I can’t be on either side.

-While drawing, do you have some moments of regret, thinking, “Oh, I should have done it this way”?
Oh, that’s miserable. Indeed, you can lose your drive. That’s why I try to correct everything clearly in line drawings to avoid such misery. While drawing, I have to feel that I’m a genius.

-Some people schedule the time to leave their picture overnight. Once it is done, they later elevate it to perfection, don’t they?
Oh well, I do the same. When I’m done with a line drawing, I leave it and sometimes I go take a bath or eat something.

-You do that to change the atmosphere, right? What else do you do for this purpose?
Well…maybe sleep?

-Do you have any hobbies?
I love music and listen to any kind. I also do that to change the atmosphere from drawing. However, I cannot draw a good rough picture while listening to music, so I don’t do that so often.

-Is it because you tend to be influenced by the music?
That’s right. It’s fine when I’m coloring and finishing up line drawings, but when I’m thinking about the compositions, I tend to get more or less influenced by the music I’m listening to.

-On the contrary, doesn’t music inspire you to come up with some images? Does that happen?
That is very likely and can happen frequently. I think that either you look at other people’s works or listen to music to take in certain information, then you see the result of your drawing.

Mangas, pictures, and movies are visual. Music isn’t, but it is easy to convert it into other forms. I am not biased when I listen to music. I guess that’s why I like it so much. I like converting atmosphere or abstract images into concrete forms.

-Then, what would you do if you were asked to choose which you prefer, drawing or music?
I can’t choose. Drawing is connected to my livelihood so it’s a little different from a hobby. I sometimes start to hate something I don’t simply do for a hobby because I feel pressured. I love music because I consider it a hobby, and drawing is something else. If I had encountered music earlier than drawing, I would have been holding a musical instrument. Who knows? Being successful in music is another story though.

-What kind of music do you listen to specifically?
I recently had a chance to get a record player, and I go to record shops to find good records. Record shops are goldmines. The age of progressive rock has arrived.

Book Illustration Works

-In working on book illustrations, a book already has a story, so there are some restrictions in expression, compared to drawing your own original picture. Do you draw the characters first?
That’s right. I’m sometimes instructed to draw a picture with a certain image, but I’ve never been told to create characters with detailed settings. My clients say, “You can do whatever you want,” and I rarely receive requests for corrections of rough drawings of character settings that I submit.

-So editors don’t ask you for corrections so often?
Well, that’s very rare. When I submit my rough drawings, most of the time they say that they look fine. I always prepare myself to be told something, but so far, that’s rare occasion.

-That’s great.
It’s possible the client doesn’t have time to ask for redrawing because I submit m works too late…

-Do you have any pints you pay special attention to when creating a setting?
I can’t explain it properly, but I’ve never had a hard time creating characters. If I read a story well, I think of good images. That doesn’t mean my pictures are well drawn, but I think the image you come up with when you first read the story is important. Sometimes I overlook some parts of the setting, so I read again and again or read very carefully, but I try not to forget my first impression of the story. I’m just an ordinary reader, so I also try to think of images that other readers can visualize.

Also, people don’t read novels so many times in a week, like ten or a hundred times, unlike a manga. In that sense, first impressions are more important than the images you form after reading frequently.

-What things do you care about when you actually shape ideas into concrete forms?
I’m not good at drawing a robot or a machine since I don’t have so much experience in those elements. I’m also not good at drawing clothing either, so I know I have to study more.

-You made your debut with “Asobiniikuyo!” which is a genuine science fiction.
I was completely amateurish back then, thinking over and over before finally forming my images into a shape. I was desperate.

-That was your first work, right?
Yes, it was. When I think back now, I feel I was not good enough to work as a professional. I know I can’t do anything but attempt to do my best, so I try to work hard.

-If you had a job request with specifications that you felt uncomfortable drawing, what would you do?
Well, they let me work rather freely, so I struggle only when I can’t draw as I want. I think I may not have drawn cars. I remember cars didn’t look like cars when I tried to draw them. Also, my energy level changes when I draw a girl, rather than a man. I know I should draw both on the same level, but I work really hard on drawing the breasts. I’m not consistent.

-What part of the body do you really care about when drawing?
The hair. Of course, the hair style is important, but I would also like to draw the flow of hair beautifully, to make if appear soft and silky. But if you try to draw more parts more precisely, it takes more time and effort, and you have to care about deadlines, right? It’s very difficult to maintain balance. I actually want to draw softer-looking hair in black. I don’t like hair that is colored monotonously and looks like a typical animation.

-Do you love shampoo commercials?
Of course. I love them.

-What do you care about when you draw a scene?
I don’t necessarily think that my sense of depiction is really good, but I care about the first impression and I try to draw a picture that readers can easily imagine. Such images, which are pictured in people’s minds, depend on the author’s ability to express them, and I also depend on the readers’ ability to visualize them.

I always try to draw a picture with an interesting composition, but I frequently feel I don’t draw well due to my lack of technique. I’ll try to improve if from now on, but I know I should draw the best picture I can do for now and not be too confident. It is also important not to misunderstand the settings and descriptions of a story.

-Do you feel any dilemma about your ability to draw and to create an image?
Yes, I do. I want to be better at drawing, and I’d like to be quick in making compositions. If you do this as a job, you have limited time before submission. So, I think I will be able to do more things if I can shorten the work time. In that sense, I’m not at all satisfied with want I am now.

Comfortable Compositions

-Is impression more important for designing a cover than the description of contents?
The greatest assumption is to draw a prominent picture for anything. It’s nice to see that people pick up my books among others on the store shelf. The important thing is to have people pick up your work. I’d be happy if someone who is interested in my pictures took a look at them for a little while. I put a lot of energy into drawing a cover illustration.

However, I have little knowledge of what’s particularly effective for covers, so I just care about where to put the letters and characters, and to place the face of the character in a good position.

-How do you compare the cover with the illustrations inside the book? Is the cover more difficult to work on because you don’t have an original image?
The cover is more difficult to do when I’m not informed about the contents of the book; I’m worried if the image is good or not. You want to find out the story for a book cover as well. So, honestly, I don’t think I can draw anything if I’m told, “Draw an illustration for the cover,” without being informed about the content of the story.

-Any particular points that you care about for compositions?
I care about feeling comfortable. Then, I consider the positions.

-“Feeling comfortable?”
There is a good technical proportion for a compositional layout, right? I draw it with natural intuition, but I feel uncomfortable when characters are positioned in odd places. I don’t like oddness. I like a managed dirty room or the trash positioned reasonably, for example. You can even place wrinkles of a shirt in comfortable positions. I don’t know a good way to position these elements, but I know my placement is not good, so I try to avoid this awkwardness when I draw a picture. I think positioning of elements depends on your experience as an illustrator.

Now to the Future

-It has been five years since your debut. Have you had any particular thoughts about your career up to now?
I still feel, Do I fit in this place? How can I live with this job? Why am I interviewed? Of course. I am directing all my energies to this job, but I haven’t been satisfied with my own work so far.

-As an illustrator, do you have any particular goals?
My goal is to improve my ability to draw. I am grateful that I can currently dedicate myself fully to my drawing. If you have to do another part-time job, you have a limited amount of time to draw; I feel I get a better response now that I’ve started to work solely on drawing. So I have improved slightly. I do the best I can.

-It seems that such a stoic mind directs you to good results.
Well, I don’t know about that. In my case, I don’t have any escape route, so I guess I drive myself to a corner, but I like not having an escape route. If my parents had a family business, I guess I would take that over with no hesitation. Since I didn’t have such a escape route, I had to be an illustrator. If you look for success in this field, it might be better to have an escape route, but I can’t tell you not to make one just because I don’t have one.

I just try to do what I can do. I haven’t done anything big, but it feels like I have been walking along the edge of a cliff with my eyes close. As I look back, I feel the path has been scary. I don’t think I could handle it well if I went back to the time before my debut in a time machine, for example. I feel like I humiliate myself when I say that I’ve been successful.

-What are your future plans?
I’d like to continue drawing manga and possible hire an assistant.

-Does that mean you want to write your original manga, not book illustrations?
I do have that dream obviously. I want to create something on my own, whether I can do it or not. I’d like to be involved with movies as well. However, I think I still want to create manga and finish my work in a high-quality way. I know I have to learn more about skills and technologies.

-What would you like to say to amateurs who are trying to be professional illustrators?
Well, it’s been only a few years since I made my debut as an illustrator, so I don’t have much to say, but I guess you shouldn’t be satisfied with that you are at this moment. I feel that the level of my drawing quality at the time I started this career was too low for a professional. In that respect, I feel lucky to have succeeded at an early stage, but I don’t think I should be satisfied just because of my early success. You shouldn’t close yourself and be withdrawn, thinking that you’ll never be satisfied; you should be positive to show yourself to others. It doesn’t pay to be too proud of yourself and be satisfied with what you have.

You also have to input a lot of things in your life. Earlier, I mentioned that I listen to music while drawing, but I also look at many other drawings, mangas or watch movies. I think you should determine your favorite fields in life. You could actually list them. It would be good for you to draw many pictures after doing that. I believe that output does not exceed input.