All processes of Tegaki(hand drawn) Kyo-Yuzen start from “drawing designs”.
We do the processes such as glue contouring, masking, painting designs and gold placing based on this design. If we make a mistake for the designs, that will have an effect on the next processes. In order not to make mistakes, we need to tell what we want a designer to do or be careful in advance.

How we design

We roughly tell a designer what we want to make and idea of the products that we are going to make.
Then he draws a rough sketch(wireframe) with a pencil. While we have several meetings, the rough sketch gets brushed up. After drawing the rough sketch is done, he draws the design with a brush.

Draw a rough sketch

He always thinks of that “where and how he draws designs and caring about a composition” and “imagine how you look when you put on this iPad bag/case/shoulder bag”.

The designer and we can get the same idea of designs through a several meetings. Every single pattern is a bit different because it is drawn by hand. Having it handmade gives the final result a good “human touch“.

Draw a design with a brush

After making a rough sketch, he draws the design with a brush.

There are many different kinds of brushes to draw. The brush is chosen depending on what he draws.

When he draws a rough sketch, the eraser lets him to correct his mistakes. However when he draws the design with a brush, he is not able to correct it easily because he uses an ink.

The rough sketch is literally “Rough”. It’s not still perfect.
When he draws the design, it means not only he trace the rough sketch, but also he draws lines or patterns which he doesn’t draw on a rough sketch and he modifies or adds them on it as the complete design.

The design is done

It’s finished. This is only the very first one of over 10 processes.
Hope you enjoy our iPad bags/cases/shoulder bags which the Japanese craftsmen made.