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Sanae Ishida

A crafty little atelier in a grey city

Cloudy

September 26, 2012

I think I will always love drawing with black pen the best. I've been feeling a little cloudy lately...not sure why. But after finishing this little sketch, my mood lifted significantly. Sometimes, a bunch of stylized rainy clouds is all it takes. ... Read more

Filed in: black and white, illustration, ink • by sanae • 2 Comments

Kid Fashion

September 19, 2012

Today I sketched some imaginary outfits for K. I love miniaturized grown-up clothes using sophisticated colors, shapes and fabrics. It's so easy to end up with garish and overly cutesy when it comes to kids' clothes, and that's probably why I gravitate toward patterns from Japanese craft books. The models are styled so simply and evoke a sort of nostalgia. Very lovely. I also love Oliver + S, and I recently discovered Figgy's, featuring fun, modern patterns for kids. I have a few patterns in ... Read more

Filed in: black and white, illustration • by sanae • Leave a Comment

Pen drawings – part 2

August 16, 2012

giraffe

More from my sketchbook from the last few weeks. Previous sketches here.         ... Read more

Filed in: black and white, illustration • by sanae • Leave a Comment

Making do

August 7, 2012

floral caped hero and me

There is a photo of me and my brother in a photo album that is tucked into one of my mother's overstuffed closets. It is yellowed with age by now, tinted like an instagram. I am probably four or five; my brother a year younger. In the picture, we are both sporting identical rice bowl bangs, and I am wearing a handmade powder blue polyester coat with shiny white buttons. My white tights are slightly too big and rumpled around my ankles. My brother -- without a shred of self-consciousness -- ... Read more

Filed in: black and white, illustration, life • by sanae • 1 Comment

Pen Drawings

August 3, 2012

Every day, I whip out my sketchbook and doodle with my new favorite pen (0.4mm is the best). These are the ones I like from the last few days: ... Read more

Filed in: black and white, illustration • by sanae • 1 Comment

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The holidays are upon us!! 🎄🎁 I’ve posted The holidays are upon us!! 🎄🎁 I’ve posted this year’s free printable holiday tags on my blog - link in bio! Can you believe I’ve been creating these printable tags for over 10 years?? This year I included outtake illustrations from my book SHIBUI so these tags and bookmarks could be used for gifts all year round. I also painted a few holiday-ish ones too! Enjoy, and have a lovely and celebratory season! I’m taking my usual winter social media break, and I’ll see you back here in 2026 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡
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