Japanese artist Yumi Kitagishi is known for her overwhelmingly cute illustrations, which she shares on her Instagram page. Based in Tokyo, she studied graphic design at Nihon Designer Gakuin Kyushu College and worked at a design studio in Fukuoka, before transitioning to illustration.
A self-taught illustrator, Kitagishi made an illustration every day and posted it on Instagram for a whole year – a practice which pushed her creativity forward. “I often draw characters like cats, owls, rabbits, girls with bobbed hair and men with mustaches,” Said Kitagishi in an interview with Flow Magazine.
Her Inspiration comes mainly from children’s picture books. “I love the bright colors you find in them!” she exclaims. “And from the fairy-tale books of my childhood. But I also find pleasure in my daily life, like eating delicious food, chatting with my friends and family, and coming across cute cats in my neighborhood.”
But her illustrations aren’t just drawn on canvases. She also paints careful illustrations on her nails. “I love drawing, and I draw on any blank space I can find,” she says. “So one day, I l decided my nails were just a good a canvas as any. When I started, I soon realized that it’s just like drawing on paper. I haven’t studied anything specific about nail art; I simple learn a little more each day through trial and error, and the details get better all the time.”
Follow her Instagram page for more.
