A Tweet by Kosuke, the author of the manga "GANGSTA." goes viral in Japan.

She was unable to draw her ideal drawings due to blindness in one of her eyes.

What gave her "the joy of drawing" again was the new function "An adjustable 3D head model," which was implemented in Clip Studio Paint Ver. 2.0 released on March 14, 2023.

CGWORLD(CGW): Please briefly introduce yourself.

Kosuke: My name is Kosuke, and I am the author of the manga "GANGSTA".

A few years ago, I suffered complications from an intractable disease called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which caused blindness in one eye, internal organ disease, and paralysis in my arms and legs. Since I cannot work like a normal person, I am currently receiving illustration jobs and writing cartoons only when I feel well. (I am waiting for your job offer! )

*About Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

CGW: I assume you have had a lot of trouble since you lost the sight in one eye.

Kosuke: In my case, the most difficult thing was that I could no longer see the balance of the character's face and head. I thought I was drawing the same way as before, but when I finished the drawing, the balance was not right. It was hard to notice small drawing mistakes. I had to draw, erase, and correct my work, and what used to take only an hour now takes several hours.

I was also troubled by the fact that I was originally nearsighted and astigmatic, and the strain on my eyes, which still had some vision, was quite heavy, making it difficult for me to work for long periods of time.

CGW: How did you draw during the period when you could not draw as you had imagined?

Kosuke: I had no choice but to compromise or just keep redrawing until I was satisfied. Sometimes I would show the manuscript to my assistant and ask him to point out the parts of the drawing that were not right.

CGW: After a lot of hard work, how did you end up using Clip Studio Paint Ver 2.0's 3D drawing doll head model?

Kosuke: When I saw that some of my favorite illustrators were using other 3D applications such as "HANDY" and "Human Anatomy Atlas" to create their works, Then I realized, "Yes, I can use these auxiliary tools for myself! 

Around that time, Clip Studio Paint, which I use for my work, had just received a major update in the 3D area, so I became even more interested.

CGW: How has the use of 3D models changed your work?

Kosuke: It is overwhelmingly "time-saving".

When I want to quickly finish drawing a composition I am not good at, or a character in an unimportant panel (that readers don't pay that much attention to), or when I cannot break through the drawing because I am in a bad condition, it turns "I can't draw" into "I can draw anyway" in a short period of time. I really appreciate this.

CGW: How did the 3D aids help you to bring the facial expressions, structures, and lines closer to the ideal state?

Kosuke: You need a proper ground to bring it to the ideal state, but I have lost my sight and the ground itself has become wobbly. I feel that 3D supports this instead.

CGW: How did you feel when you were able to draw a picture in a near-ideal state for the first time in a while?

Kosuke: The first thing that came to mind was, "This might make drawing fun again," and "I might be able to continue working on my drawings and comics for a while longer.

I think most people start drawing characters from the head, but I was struggling so much at the beginning of drawing that even a change of pace rakubaki broke my heart and I gave up drawing many times. I think the fact that this has become less of a problem has been a great relief for me.

CGW: Do you think that by using 3D assistance, you are able to reproduce the ideas and visions you want to express as illustrations in the same way as before?

Kosuke: It cannot be exactly the same as before.

In reality, I have adjusted the data many times to make it as close as possible to my own design, and if I do not ignore the aids, there will be many parts of the picture that will not look the same. Although they are only "aids," I feel that they play an important role for people like me who have handicaps or who want to draw various characters and poses in the future.

If the demand for this kind of 3D assistance increases in the future, and if we can create an environment in which 3D creators can more easily contact us to request the production of "models for assistance that specialize in their own patterns and hand habits," I hope that all creators will be enriched in terms of both technique and money... I am waiting for it with my wallet in my hand (laugh).

”GANGSTA."... Monthly Comic Bunch Editorial Department (Shinchosha)
”GANGSTA." official page... https://kuragebunch.com/episode/13933686331620143166
Twitter... https://twitter.com/go_kohske