Environment - Invisible Cities - Who's Who?

 Makoto Shinkai

I'd like to talk about an Artist who's work I admire. Makoto Niitsu, also known as Makoto Shinkai is a Japanese Animator, Filmmaker and Manga artist. He is best known for directing the highest grossing anime film of all time, Your Name (Kimi No Namae Wa). He is also known for directing 2019's, Weathering with You, as well as other works such as, The Garden of Words, Children Who Chase Lost Voices and 5 Centimetres per Second. He has won Japan Academy Film Prizes for Screenplay of the Year 2017 (Your Name), Most Popular Film 2017 (Your Name) and Animation of the Year 2020 (Weathering with You).

Shinkai studied Japanese Literature at Chuo University where he made picture books and discovered Manga and Anime. His favourite movies are directed by artist Hayao Miyazaki, a Japanese Animator director, producer, screenwriter, author, and Manga Artist. Miyazaki is a co-founder of Studio Ghibli. Shinkai has been labelled 'The New Miyazaki' in multiple reviews and by Anime advocates.

I adore Shinkai's scene art for Anime he has created. He creates scenes that really attract viewers. The scenes look dreamy and make you wish you could visit the place he took inspiration from for the scene so that you can feel enveloped in the story that is told in these gorgeous places. 

In this image I love the way colour is used to display the sunset. The mixture of purples oranges and yellows is extremely pleasing to the eye.

Another thing Shinkai portrays so beautifully is trees. Any tree he draws really helps finalise the scene. I also enjoy the way he created the shadows for the trees on the buildings and ground.

               

This is art taken from Your Name. The way he portrays the comet in the sky passing through the clouds is really pleasing to see. Also the light beaming from the centre of the city adds a nice extra bit of colour to the already beautiful image he has created in his mind and captured for us to see on our screens. 

Here are a few more of Makoto Shinkai's pieces.