Traditional art of the week: COTOH

COTOH (aka Cotoh Sumi) has been an illustrator since 2017 and transitioned into contemporary art after collaborating with musicians and apparel companies. By using mass production techniques, COTOH challenges the traditional perception of commercial art in Japan.

COTOH uses a mixture of oils and acrylic paints to create their striking portraits. If you want to try traditional art, read our advice in how to mix traditional art and digital art techniques. We've also found some good deals on Moleskins for sketching. See more art and learn about upcoming gallery exhibitions on COTOH's Instagram.

NO.1510_A

“The French movie La Femme Nikita, released in 1990, was the model and inspiration for the character in this artwork, along with her Desert Eagle.”

NO.1423

“I drew a character fighting a kaiju. Many buildings were destroyed during their epic battle. This piece was shown as part of the Art for LOHAS Exhibition in Hong Kong last year.”

NO.1462

“As an illustrator shaped by consumer society, I express its distortions in my work. Like Warhol’s famous Campbell’s Soup Cans, my characters differ slightly, which reflects the fragmented and superficial choices that we make in modern life.”

NO.1499 and NO.1497

“​​Does she wear her accessory without discomfort, is it forced upon her, or is it a part of her head that she’s born with and dislikes? Exploring the blurred lines between reality, the digital world, and the two-dimensional to question transformation and identity.”

This content originally appeared in ImagineFX magazine, the world's leading digital art and fantasy art magazine. ImagineFX is on sale in the UK, Europe, United States, Canada, Australia and more. Limited numbers of ImagineFX print editions are available for delivery from our online store (the shipping costs are included in all prices).