Entry 3 - Insights and Findings

Here are some insights and finding about both artist I had discovered in my research.

VOFAN

His interest in drawing started from reading manga when I was young.

He loved a game called Virtual On, and the fact that I’m a big FAN of the game… I did not put much thought into coming up with a pen-name so I just used VOFAN.

A self taught artist

Found his current visual style around 10 years ago. Before that, he would draw and illustrate in the style influenced by my favourite artist at the time but as I kept on drawing, I managed to develop my own style and I stopped following in the shadows of other artists.

Recent inspirations are Okama-sensei and Makoto Shinkai.

His works are based of the feeling and personality he desires

He was graduated in Department of Architecture

Pastel colors with no outlines utilising shades to denote depth and different objects

Most images use soft and natural lighting and compositions are similar to photographs (likely because of his initial works in photography) with clean cropping, lots of background and interest perspectives.

Learnt photography for drawing at first, but photography have become one of his hobby now.

Skills learnt from camera are useful in illustration, such as the composition and the skills to color.

SHOJI MEGURO

Given his passion for technology, it was only natural that his interests extended to electronic musical instruments

He was encouraged by his mother to learn the Electone organ and also went on to learn the trombone

As a kid he was interested in Classical music

During his highschool years he became interested in

T-Square, jazz fusion band

Casiopea, jazz fusion band

Herbet Alpert

Graduated with Fluid Dynamics

Joined Atlus, suffered from lack of creative freedom

Casted aside his ego during work

Crucial point of his career came was the creative freedom on one game Digital Devil Saga

Popularity came from the Persona series, staple song "Aria of the Soul"

Continued to produce more Jazz mix Rock music as his central focus

Directed the port over version of one of the games

Cites T-Square, Casiopea, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky as some of his musical influences

Musical characteristics are good, smooth linked tunes