Yuko Shimazu Yuko Shimazu Yuko Shimizu

Award winning Japanese illustrator based in New York City and instructor at School of Visual Arts.

one day drawing workshop in Calgary, Canada

UPDATE: The workshop is now sold out. Thank you for all your interest. Participants, see you at the event!
I will be coming to Calgary, Canada to speak at CAMP Festival, part of FITC family (I previously spoke at FITC Toronto and Amsterdam). We collaborated on the first workshop during Amsterdam event in early spring, and it was a blast, so we have decided to do this again!
Since many of the attendees of CAMP/FITC are not illustrators, or previously learned how to draw, this one day workshop is open to ALL LEVELS. You don’t know how to draw, or you don’t know how to draw well, but always wanted to learn (to be better)? NO PROBLEM.
You also don’t need to attend CAMP Festival itself to attend this workshop, as long as you can physically be there. Limited to about 18 participants.

Read more about the workshop here Tickets are now available

workshop in Vienna, this fall.

UPDATE: The workshop is now sold out. Thank you for all who applied. There are still small number of slots available with the other three wonderful instructors. Please apply soon to secure your spot. 
Come spend four fun days with me in beautiful Vienna, Austria this fall.
The new workshop PLANET HOME just got announced.
It is more than a couple of years since I did a multi-day workshop. Four days sounds short, at the same time, we can get a lot done in short intensive workshops like this, which I know from experiences in past. I am super excited to be back doing this.

This time, the workshop is catered toward intermediate level (and above), and we will focus on your idea developments. The course will be very intimate, only about 12 participants. There are also three other illustration workshops to choose from, run by Aad Goudappel(The Netherlands),  Peter Diamond (Austria/Canada) and Cone the Weird (Germany).
You can learn more about our workshops and apply on MCAB website.
Hope to see you in November!

SAMURAI! show opens at Worcester Art Museum

Very excited to announce exhibit SAMURAI! opens at Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts today. The show runs till September 6, 2015.
This exhibition was guest curated by Eric Nakamura, editor and founder of Giant Robot, and conbines historical Japanese arms and armor with works by contemporary artists ainspired by samurai and their enduring myth.
Some contemporary artists featured in the show include: Moira Hahn James Jean Audrey Kawasaki Kozyndan Mu Pan Katsuya Terada Kent Williams and myself. Thank you Worcester Art Museam and Eric for including me to be a part of it.

More information about SAMURAI! on the museum website. If you are in the area, there is a big Samurai party tonight you shouldn’t miss.


my piece blown up to the size of a wall, and the actual samurai arrows placed to look like they are attacking the superheroine
my Zatoichi piece in front of Katsuya Terada’s drawing

painting in front by Kent Williams
Zatoichi, commissioned by Criterion CollectionPanda Bear Girl – the first Asian American Superheroine –


James Jean
Moira Hahn
Mu PanKozyndan

Netherlands and Belgium in 12 days: 4 cities, 2 lectures, 3 days of workshops, and many more FUN

Just got back from a 12 day business trip (includes a short weekend getaway) in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The main reason of the trip was to speak at FITC Amsterdam conference and to run one day drawing workshop.
Then the trip got expanded to visiting art school HKU in Utrecht for two days of workshops and one free event after FITC was finished.  Then at the end, I added a few days to travel with a friend down to Antwerp and Ghent in Belgium, mainly to catch acclaimed picture book artist Carll Cneut‘s solo exhibition In My Head where the artist moved his studio in the museum during the duration of the exhibit, and to meet him.
Here is a quick photolog of the trip.

AMSTERDAM

One day drawing workshop during FITC Amsterdam with 18 enthusiastic participants. Some of them came all around Europe, some even from US and Chile! We just drew all day long, non-stop.

lecture at the main room during FITC AmsterdamSome from my slides from the talk

 UTRECHT
Utrecht is a small canal city near Amsterdam, which has a different, more low key charm. HKU is an art school located here, where I had two full day workshop and an evening of open-to-public free talk event. 

Ghent, Belgium
when I started planning the trip to Amsterdam last fall, I realized illustrator Carll Cneut was having a large show In My Head in Ghent starting December. I had known his work for years, since I bought one of his picture books in France during illustrators’ annual new year trip about 7 years ago, and had been taking the book to show to my SVA students every school-year since. I asked him if I came by to his show he would be willing to meet with me (I made sure to tell him that I am not a stalker), and he said YES!
A good friend in Amsterdam has been telling me for years she wants to come with me to Antwerp (because we both love Antwerp Six), so we decided to take a trip together to both cities over a long weekend.
It turned out to be the best decision I made. Ghent is a picturesque medieval town, but not a tourist trap like some other similar cities. We got to see Carll’s show, and he took us around to a long walk during sunset.  (oh and, of course got my books autographed!).
If you are interested in the exhibit, it is still going on till May 10th.

the photo above was taken during my long morning run. The town was just so beautiful, I ran much longer than I normally would in a morning.

Owning Carll’s book for about 7 years, then planning this trip since September, I finally met him in person. Yay.
He has moved his whole studio to the museum during the duration of the exhibition. Which is great for the visitors, but in reality, he said he can’t really work with constant visitors, so end up working after-hours at home. That is so generous of him to do that, considering I won’t even accept studio visits. I can’t really work with people around.
Many of Carll’s original acrylic paintings and drawings are on display. After I planned this trip, I read on internet: ‘if you have to choose between Ghent and Bruges, go to Ghent’. Now I know why. It’s just a picture perfect gem.and, as we were leaving, I couldn’t help myself taking many pictures of amazing-looking train station ceiling.

 

Netherlands business trip: studio is closed.

I took off to The Netherlands, and the studio is currently closed till March 4.
Main purpose of the trip is to participate in FITC Amsterdam as a speaker as well as conduct a one day drawing workshop. I will also be teaching at art school HKU Utrecht for two days next week. (and a weekend getaway at the end of the trip to Belgium with a friend.)
I believe FITC tickets are still available in small number. Not sure if the workshop tickets are, but if you are interested, you can check with the organizers.
There is an evening lecture at HKU Utrecht, which is open to public, but need RSVP. Please check the flyer below for details if you are interested.

Society of Illustrators’ ILLUSTRATORS 57 exhibit part2

The second of the two-part annual exhibition just opened at The Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators (New York), and will be up till February 28th. The opening reception and award ceremony is tonight (February 6).
I have seven pieces in this show, in Book and Editorial categories.
List of all the medal winners here. Congratulations to former student Peter Diamond for his first Silver Medal!
Buy your ticket to the opening reception (Friday, January 9th) here. Hope to see you on the opening night.


The Unwritten Apocalypse cover (client: DC Comics AD: Gregory Lockard)


As Good As New (client: Tor Books AD: Irene Gallo)


The Melancholy of MechaGirl (client: VIZ Media AD: Nick Mamatas)


Monstrous Affections (client: Candlewick Press AD: Nathan Pyritz)


Blackberry Hunting in Fijord (client: Asset International AD: SooJin Buzelli)

Igloo and the Big Kid (client: Asset International AD: SooJin Buzelli)


Il Grande Torino (client: 8×8 AD: Priest+Grace)

One day drawing workshop. Tickets available.

Let’s have a whole day of fun drawing, and learn how to draw (or how to draw better if you already know how to draw)!
I will be conducting a ‘drawing boot camp’ as part of FITC Amsterdam conference where I will be participating as a speaker.
I have done a lot of different workshops in past, but I have never taught a drawing workshop. This is something I have been wanting to do, as, um, I think one of my strength is drawing, and most importantly, I love teaching it! (I used to teach a full year drawing class for SVA cartooning students.)
You don’t have to be attending FITC to attend this workshop. And it is open to ALL LEVELS. Beginners welcome.
Workshop date is February 22 (Sunday) Early bird discount tickets are currently available (for the  next few days.) Workshop is limited to 18 participants, so please act fast!
See you in Amsterdam!

Some pictures from past workshops, Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina, top two) and Venice (Italy, bottom)

and…, here is a little note of me planning the upcoming workshop right now. It’s gonna be FUN!!!

Society of Illustrators’ ILLUSTRATORS 57 show opens

The first of the two-part annual exhibition will open at The Museum of American Illustration at the Society of Illustrators (New York) on January 7th, and will be up till January 30th. The first segment is Advertising, institutional and uncommissioned categories.
I have one piece in this show, in Advertising category. This was a poster image created for Tokyo Night Show, a music festival in Tokyo, Japan.
List of all the medal winners here.
Buy your ticket to the opening reception (Friday, January 9th) here. Hope to see you on the opening night.

Criterion Designs event at Society of Illustrators

Known for their beautifully designed special edition DVDs and blu-rays, Criterion Collection just came out with a coffee table book of their original package illustrations.
To celebrate the release of Criterion Designs, Society of Illustrators in New York will be hosting an event on December 3, 2014. With Eric Skillman, art director of  Criterion Collection, as the host, there will be a panel of 6 contributing artists (Greg Manchess, David Plunkert, Leanne Shapton, Adrian Tomine, Ron Winberly and myself) discussing our experiences.

There will be a book signing, followed by reception at Society of Illustrator’s famous bar upstairs.
Admission is $15 for non members, $10 for members, and $7 for seniors and students with valid ID. Please read more and reserve your tickets here

Looking forward to seeing you on December 2.

Some of the projects I worked with Criterion Collection below.

my contribution to Zatoichi box set
Zatoishi big box set package was designed by Ron Wimberly

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