Bird’s-eye
illustration
Stories of towns, painted from the sky.
Hand-painted watercolourShrines, towns and places to visit.
From shrine precinct maps to tourist guides, each one painted in watercolour.
Todai-ji and Nara ParkNara
About the work
A whole town,
as a bird sees it.
Shrine roofs, stone lanterns along the approach, trees along the river. Seen from above, the lie of the land, its buildings and even the feel of the season come together in one picture. Everything, from the underdrawing and inking to the transparent watercolour, is done by hand.
Fields
- Shrine precinct maps, goshuin and ema神社境内図・御朱印・絵馬
- Guide maps of places in Japan国内観光地案内図
- Guide maps abroad海外観光地案内図
- Watercolours, illustration and postcards水彩画・手描きイラスト・ポストカード
- Line drawings線画
From line to colour
From a single line
to a whole landscape.
The painter’s own line drawing and the finished colour original of the same picture, laid exactly on top of each other. As you scroll, the lines are drawn and the colour seeps in.
- 01Drawing the linesRoads, rivers, buildings, every single tree. First the pen lines set out the bones of the town.
- 02Laying in colourTransparent watercolour goes on a little at a time, for the running water and the colours of the trees.
- 03One finished mapMishima, Shizuoka: a town of spring-fed streams, from the station to Mishima Taisha shrine in one picture.
Look closer
The closer you look, the more there is.
Every line of the shrine roofs, the stone lanterns, the stepping stones in the pond, even the name boards. A precinct map guides worshippers, so every detail is drawn in.
Atlas
Places painted
From Nikko in the north to Shuri in the south, and towns abroad too. Tap a number to open the work.
- Abroad
Also painted (images coming): Tsukagoshi Shrine (Warabi, Saitama), Hokkaido, Kamakura, Yokohama, Las Vegas.
Coordinates give the approximate location of each subject.
Works
Works
Grouped by the painter’s own categories. Tap a work to open it full screen, then pinch or double-tap to see the detail.
In print
A town, opened on the page.
In the magazine column “Ichigo Ichi’e” (一期一絵), each issue introduces one town through a bird’s-eye map.
In place
A painting that stands in the precinct
The maps become precinct boards, leaflets, goshuin and postcards, and end up in visitors’ hands.
(portrait, 4:5)
The painter
About the painterDraft
Painter’s name (to be confirmed)
[Placeholder, to be replaced] Paints bird’s-eye maps and watercolour illustrations by hand, mostly of shrines, temples and places to visit. Work includes precinct maps, tourist maps, illustrations for the magazine column “Ichigo Ichi’e”, and designs for goshuin, ema and postcards. Works with Persiss on guide maps for shrines, local governments and venues across Japan.
The signature and seal on each work
The desk, and an original in progress
Commission
Commission a bird’s-eye map
For precinct boards, leaflets or keepsakes. Tell us the use, size and deadline, and we start with a composition proposal.
- Shrine and temple precinct maps
- Tourist maps and leaflets
- Maps for shopping streets and venues
- Goshuin, ema and keepsakes
- Magazine and advertising illustration
Email: info@persiss.com
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