One of the Artist's that Joel has mentioned in his interview, was Masamune Shirow. He is a Japanese Manga illustrator. His best known manga is 'Ghost In The Shell'.

I find this work also interesting, as I enjoy looking at Manga and Anime drawings. Shirow has created more Manga then Ghost In The Shell, but it has been the best selling from his work.

Masamune Shirow isn't really his name. It is a pen name, that is based on a famous swordsmith from Japan. His work has been turned into Anime's.

I think I may use style of drawing for my final piece. But make sure it's different for my own style. I really enjoy looking at Manga and Anime pictures. I find them alot easier to draw as they have all the detail and they are easier to form. Also, I find them very interesting to create, because at times it could turn into anything.

The Anime version of his work can be seen that it's been made on a computer. The way there is no brush strokes, just bold colours with the shading that has been added, can be done with alot of practice on a computer. I have tried using a drawing tablet to create drawings like these on my computer, and I've found it is extremely hard to do when you haven't had much practice with it. They also use black outlines, which I find makes pictures more defined and bolder in contrast to their backgrounds.

This picture is made by Stephen Shankland. He has used Oil and gold leaf, and it is 60cms by 60 cms.

I like this piece, mainly because of the cat that is in it. I find the way it's been painted and created shows all the detail needed in this. It almost looks like the man himself is in the fishtank, while the cat is watching the fish, but also the owner.
Looking closer into the back of the painting, behind the man, there is a very intregate design of what looks like a Japanese dragon. Making the illusion more that the man is inside the tank, because some fish tanks I have seen, have had patterns on the back.

The way the man is seen in this picture, it looks like he is in the back of the fish tank. This may be because, during his life he may have become really attached to certain pets, he may have become an animal lover and was most fond with gold fish and cats. Having him in the back of the tank, could also suggest he's looking over creatures that people use for pets. We have cats and fish as pets to make ourselves happy, some of us having pets to make ourselves feel less alone. This could also be a reason why he's been placed in the back, to show his focus on the animals infront of him.