The E-Boredom Interviews are a series of interviews I conducted from 2003-2005 with various game designers and writers. I recently stumbled upon these articles again and am republishing them here at Sequelcast. Enjoy!
From the very first Final Fantasy game up until Final Fantasy VI for the Super Famicom (released as Final Fantasy III in the US for the SNES), Squaresoft used famed artist Yoshitaka Amano for their concept illustrations. His watercolor illustrations are far from the normal anime style of Japanese drawing; they have a wonderful free-flowing sense of motion through them, conveying emotion in a way that simple pixelated graphics of the time could not. Amano is also known for creating paintings for the series of Vampire Hunter D novels, which has spawned two anime movies, Vampire Hunter D and Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.
Amano’s has also worked on costume design, original paintings, and prints, which have been featured in exhibitions around the world. He also contributed concept illustrations for the earlier entries in Squaresoft’s Front Mission series. Recently, Amano has collaborated with Neil Gaiman of Sandman fame on a number of short stories, providing accompanying paintings which elevate Gaiman’s sensuous prose to a new level.
Interviewing Amano was a absolute honor. I have been touched by Amano’s artwork since first snatching a glimpse at his Final Fantasy VI character sketches in a Nintendo Power strategy guide for the game. Thanks go to Yoshio for translating my questions into Japanese, and, of course, for Amano-san for agreeing to do the interview in the first place. In this intriguing interview, Amano reveals his method of drawing, differences between working with traditional 2-D and CG 3-D art, and an early artist who inspired him. You can visit his website, Amano’s World, to sample generous samples of his art, order his latest art books, and learn about his current projects– it’s available in both English and Japanese.
E-BOREDOM: What was the first piece of art that emotionally moved you?
YOSHITAKA AMANO: A picture book of Peter Max I saw when I was quite young. Some images were animation-like and some were plain visual-design-like. I was really impressed by their simple appearance which conveying multi-layer of different styles and messages.
E-BOREDOM: Were you ever frustrated doing concept illustrations for the earlier Final Fantasy games, knowing the graphical limitations of the Famicom & Super Famicom?
YOSHITAKA AMANO: My design work and the actual game graphics design goes side by side simultaneously– same as the way it was done when I was working for the animation company. I knew the limitations imposed by the media and have gotten used to it. For me, my design is done when I finish the drawing, so I don’t feel frustrated by the end result when it appeared through the medium.
E-BOREDOM: Do you have a favorite Vampire Hunter D novel that you illustrated?
YOSHITAKA AMANO: Since the settings are different every time, it’s hard for me to choose a particular one. For me, it’s like being asked which of my children I like most. The one that has the strongest impression on me is the very first one. Not because of the works I did for it, but because it was the first one and everything was so fresh.
E-BOREDOM: Did your approach for drawing mechas for the Front Mission series differ from your approach for drawing characters and locations for the Final Fantasy series?
YOSHITAKA AMANO: I’ve been drawing mechas since the days I was working on animations. I like mechas, especially the ones with somewhat biological features. When I was working on G-Force and Kashan, the design team had mecha specialists. My job was to design the characters, so I didn’t really press it.
My approach to the design doesn’t really differ according to whether it’s a character, a landscape, or a mechanism. First, I have to build up a concrete image of the world those characters or mechanisms inhabit, until I feel as if I can actually touch things there, then the rest follows more or less naturally. Well, not always, but more or less!
E-BOREDOM: How did you start collaborating with Neil Gaiman?
YOSHITAKA AMANO: I was asked to make a poster for Sandman’s 10th year anniversary. Neil liked it a lot and that led us into the collaboration.
E-BOREDOM: Which of your various projects have meant the most to you?
YOSHITAKA AMANO: For illustrations, I’d say Vampire Hunter D. For the games, Final Fantasy Vl, and for animation, Angel’s Egg.
E-BOREDOM: Do you find it easier to express emotions with drawings in 2-D or 3-D?
YOSHITAKA AMANO: When I’m imagining the design in my mind, it’s always naturally 3-D. CG is a tool to visually realize that image. The most important thing for me is that image itself. I can’t say either one, 2-D or 3-D, is better suited to express my intentions or emotions.
It also depends on the ability of the graphic designer or the animator. A good 2-D work can convey more of the original intention than a bad 3-D work. That said, I’d agree that 3-D has a great potential.
E-BOREDOM: What current projects are you working on?
YOSHITAKA AMANO: I’m currently working on a new game that will hit the market next year. It’s in a category I haven’t worked on in the past. The original comic book will be released at the same time. Please look forward to it.
