Animals in my work always have someone beside them. It may be a parent, a child, a brother or a friend. I always have family as a theme for my art. Animals care for their children, brothers, and friends, just like us humans. They are on alert in front of us ,so those feelings may not show, and some of us may see them as enemies or as special beings. But once we know their love towards their family, and look at our own families and love towards our children in that light, I believe that our perspective toward animals will change, and that we can live together.

Kentaro Nishino

Until the art work "Fmily Time 2" is completed...

The mediums are acrylic colors, a watercolor canvas, an air brush and paint brushes and I usually take a couple of monthes to complete each my art works.

Splay colors by Air brush lightly for a number of times, looking over the whole picture.
After finishing the background, I start to paint the animals.

To draw the hair of the animals, I use paint brush along with the Air brush.　Drawing only with Air brush will make the picture plain, so I use paint brush to add richness.

After using paint brush for the hair, I use Air brush to make it soft. Air brush is a tool to spray paint using compressed air, with your finger controlling the amount of air and paint.　When you press the trigger on the Air brush, the amount of air is controlled, and when you pull it, the amount of paint is controlled.　It is very difficult to adjust the strength of the finger, but once you master it, expressions beyond imagination will become yours, and it a lot of fun.

The eyes of the animal are the most important part in my work.　Drawing the sparkle of an eye is a tense moment, because it feels like breathing life into the picture.

Until the art work "Tree's Memory" is completed...

From the annual ring, I feel memories that the tree has watched animals for many generaitons. I want to express what the tree has seen in it's long lifetime. I see tree as a mediator between mankind and animals, and I am careful at handling them, so they can convey my thoughts through my work, and can talk about the animals.

I buy unpeeled logs and boards, and carve them with a saw or drill. The shapes vary from lumber to lumber, but I try to decide the shape of the canvas to go with the annual ring of the tree. I then try to get inspiration from the tree.

Splay colors by Air brush lightly for a number of times, looking over the whole picture. After finishing the background, I start to paint the animals.

I make a draft based on a sketch, then copy it to a thick paper to cut them out as a template.　Then I place the template onto a canvas and spray colors over it by Air brush.　In this way, the colors neatly stay without being spattered all over.　I make about 100 templates for one piece, so it takes a lot of time.　The technique is similar to that of the silk screen, with the difference of applying color over color by Air brush, and not by print.

To draw the furs of the animals, I use paint brush along with the Air brush.　Drawing only with Air brush will make the picture plain, so I use paint brush to add richness.

After using paint brush for the furs, I use Air brush to make it soft fur. Air brush is a tool to spray paint using compressed air, with your finger controlling the amount of air and paint.　When you press the trigger on the Air brush, the amount of air is controlled, and when you pull it, the amount of paint is controlled.　It is very difficult to adjust the strength of the finger, but once you master it, expressions beyond imagination will become yours, and it a lot of fun.

The eyes of the animal are the most important part in my work.　Drawing the sparkle of an eye is a tense moment, because it feels like breathing life into the picture.

"Family Time 2" 50.0×72.7cm, Acrylic on canvas