“Red is the colour of passion, and it’s one of my favorite colours. People are naturally drawn to red. It can be shocking, and it infuses an image with excitement and brightness.” — AI KAWABATA
With each new release, Illustrator commissions artists to create work to help showcase the new features in the release. For the release of Illustrator CC, it was exciting to work with Ai Kawabata, a talented designer from Japan, a country famous for its distinctive, sophisticated design aesthetic.
“Scarlet Peony & Courtesan (Oiran)” by Ai Kawabata
Ai Kawabata has loved drawing since she was a child. Looking up at the play of colorus in the late evening sky, Ai would wonder how she could express the depth and richness of what she saw. She layered colours on her drawing pad in an attempt to recreate the experience on paper. Her grandfather provided her with inspiration too, telling her that if she was passionate about drawing, she should use her gift and become a designer. Ai took his advice to heart, and now works as a designer and illustrator in Tokyo.
You can find our more about how Ai created this image by viewing the “How To” PDF.
