Hatsuhana (by Horimatsu)

After a two year absence Viktor from Stockholm returned for in order to make progress on what  has to be one of my favourite pieces, depicting Hatsuhana doing pennance under the Tonowaza waterfall. During three days and the equal amount of four-hour sessions we touched up some of the shading on the back and started work on both gobu (5/10) sleeves.

 

This is the painting I did back in 2005 which forms the basic for this piece. Seven years is a long time when you constantly work to refine your work, and its interesting to see ones own development. This especially applies to the design of the background.

Above are two of the original woodblock prints (Ukiyo-e) that inspired me for this painting and they are still among my absolute favourites. Especially the lower one, designed by Utagawa Kuniyoshi.

Taira Tomomori completed (Horimatsu)

This is a piece that I finnished in the beginning of summer but for various reasons I haven't gotten around to posting it here yet. This piece required a lot of work because of all the detail, but was nevertheless completed within a single month. Ludwig was determined to have it done as fast as possible, so we aimed for long sessions, sometimes two days in a row.

The story of Taira Tomomori is an itriguing one, and a favourite theme for myself as well as the Ukiyo-e designers of Edo period (1600-1868) Japan. The image of general Tomomori himself is adapted from an early Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861). I have posted an image of here below.

Print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi

Suikoden hero Kumonryu underway. (Horimatsu)

Some shading and the color is all that remains now. Soon.

Peter's Kintaro back getting extended into Donburi. (Horimatsu)

Kintaro

Finally, a real photograph of Peter's Kintaro piece. It was finnished about a year ago but things have been very busy lately with our book publishing effort, Kofuu-Senju Publications, and just keeps slipping. We have started his front as well and are way ahead on that one.

Kintaro Finally Finnished!

So, we did it! Saturday morning, and in the usual strange anticlimax way, like it's really just the beginning of the rest, we completed Peter's backpiece. He's proud and so am I! Now awaits healing and a proper photoshoot, before we roll him over and get to the Ryu on the front.

Kintaro Wrestling a Koi by Utagawa Kuniyoshi.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) is perhaps the most influential Ukiyo-e designer used as reference in Irezumi. This particular print, depicting the young Kintaro (Golden Boy) wrestling a black Koi, is fairly uncommon in publications on Kuniyoshi. It caught my client Peter's attention immediately and I agreed it was perfect for his backpiece.