There’s an Onoresyo (a playful Japanese brush-lettering/art style) class held at “Kissa Hajimari,” a cozy café in Ozone, on the 2nd and 3rd Fridays every month.
This time, with an exhibition coming up in mid-November, we decided to jump the gun and tackle Christmas-themedpieces.
Santa, a quiet conifer forest, a fir tree… I picked subjects that would brighten up the year-end and started drawing away.
More Students Are Joining
It seems the Ozone class is steadily gaining students; a new person showed up to pick up the brush today.
Our teacher went full-throttle with passion, as always, toward the newcomer.
“That’s good! Really good!”
The voice is fiery, yet the vibe is gentle. Such a mysterious teacher.
“Have You Drawn It a Thousand Times?”
The teacher told us a pretty funny story.
Back when the teacher was learning from the grand master, there was a shape they just couldn’t get right. So they finally asked for advice. The grand master said:
“Have you drawn it a thousand times?”
…And the teacher was speechless.
I was surprised to learn even a teacher with such brilliant brushwork had weak spots—and even more shocked to realize that for people at the grand-master level, doing something a thousand times is just standard practice.
Well, no wonder they get good. A thousand times.
I’ve got to do it too. If I shout “Nope, can’t do it!” after a few failed tries, of course I won’t improve.
Let’s keep this little revelation between us—I won’t tell the teacher.
The Magic of Seigaiha (Blue Wave)
Every Onoresyo class gives me a fresh “discovery,” and that’s what makes it so fun.
Today’s big catch was a single brush that creates a blue which shoots straight into your heart.
Its name: Seigaiha (青海波, literally “blue sea waves”). It’s a special brush made exclusively for Onoresyo, and as the name suggests, it holds a blue reminiscent of gentle waves.
When you draw a line with this brush, a deep-indigo-ish color comes out.
Add water to let it bleed, and it transforms in an instant. Deep blue, pale blue, even near-black—complex layers of color spread across the paper.
As I bled that blue around Santa, sometimes it looked like the deep sea, other times a clear blue sky—then again, like a slightly overcast day. Once the water starts moving, control goes out the window. And that’s the best part.
When a glass-clear blue suddenly floats up, I get goosebumps. Even when it muddies, those duller patches make the other blues pop by contrast.
In other words, no matter the result, it lands on a “good blue.” A totally magical brush.
Decision made: I’m buying this brush.
Time’s Up—Hello, Copic
While I was lost in that world of blue—“Wait, it’s already two hours!?” Time was up before I could color Santa’s red outfit.
Losing track of time is one of my bad habits.
“No worries, I’ll finish it at home.”
With that, I decided to try a different medium for the red parts. Instead of watercolor, I went with Copic markers (alcohol-based markers popular among illustrators).
The seamless, streak-free fill of Copics plus the watercolor gradients created this unique pop and atmosphere.
A brand-new discovery in my book.
The Heart of Onoresyo
“In Onoresyo, you draw as your heart leads—and enjoy it.”
The teacher always says that, and it’s absolutely true.
What a luxurious way to play.
I can only feel grateful to a teacher who opened this door for me. Thank you!!
