Some art prints are now on sale, please check the following URL out!
https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/toshihiro/
More are under construction or are being updated.
These prints appear in relatively strong contrast compared to physical arts and give more vivid and intense impacts. However, depiction is not as detailed as physical art. There’s a very delicate aspect to physical art.
Added the new Biography in the following page.
https://toshihiroegawaart.com/about/
New Biography
I started my career in 1999, drawing cover arts for death metal bands. For more than 20 years, I have worked with numerous bands from all over the world. I focused on realism and taught myself how to portray people anatomically during this era. I proceeded to draw based on iconographies of death and pictures of dead bodies. Furthermore, I lost my wife to cancer, experienced cardiac arrest, and was saved from death. These things made me think about “Death” evermore. Naturally, “Memento Mori” became the central theme for my fine arts. I draw only using white pencils on black paper. It is like finding light in the darkness, releasing from negative feelings and pressures that accumulate in society. It is a fundamental method for me when I try to express the deep darkness of “Impermanence” that no one can dispute. It is also a question about the value of life and existence in society. I was influenced by many historical drawings, predominantly Christian paintings in western Europe, surrealism art, Gustave Doré, Francis Bacon, Francisco de Goya (Black paintings), Caravaggio, and Zdzisław Beksiński.
The frame shows the painting to a good advantage. I created this ready-made frame by painting it by myself. The glass cover is taken off for the shooting. It’s up to you to have it on or off. I hope this photo helps you imagine how the painting in the frame looks. Framing is recommended to protect the paintings. But of course, you can decorate the artwork on the wall without a frame. The painting is made of paper and is fragile: please be careful not to drop it or shock it. The papers are somewhat fragile and deteriorate over time compared to canvases. That is “the impermanence of all things,” which is one of the essential concepts I seek in my creation.
Updated for the info about shipping.
Please check the URL below to see if your region accepts international deliveries. Please check the EMS section of your region. We don’t have problems shipping when it has a checkmark (Acceptable). Due to the ongoing reduction in transportation capacity to various countries and territories, there may be delays in delivering posted international mail. Thank you in advance for your kind understanding.
https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/information/overview_en.html
It might be possible to deliver internationally using other private mailing companies. If you wish to use this method, please contact us. Although shipping fee usually costs twice as much. Some countries and territories do not even accept deliveries from private mailing companies. Please check the link below.
https://toshihiroegawaart.com/contact/
Currently, these countries are not accepting deliveries from Japan.
Canada
India
Mongolia
Paraguay
Brazil
Venezuela
Saudi Arabia
Belarus
Ukraine
Russia
Afghanistan
(According to data March 22, 2022)
【Please read before you purchase】
I specify details and prices of contents on the delivery slip upon shipping. Please check the tariff rate of your country before you purchase my art. The customers shall bear the tariff cost.
※Contents and HS code will be written as below
(Contents=Pencil drawing HS code=9701.10)
I specify contents as “Merchandise,” please do not ask me to write false names such as “Present.” Thank you for understanding.
For example, the current (January 2022) USA tariff rate of 9701.10 is 0%. I recommend you search for correct information on the internet.
Thank you
Toshihiro Egawa
Please check the URL below to see if your region accepts international deliveries. Please check the EMS section of your region. We don’t have problems shipping when it has a checkmark (Acceptable). Due to the ongoing reduction in transportation capacity to various countries and territories, there may be delays in delivering posted international mail. Thank you in advance for your kind understanding.
https://www.post.japanpost.jp/int/information/overview_en.html
It might be possible to deliver internationally using other private mailing companies. If you wish to use this method, please contact us. Although shipping fee usually costs twice as much. Some countries and territories do not even accept deliveries from private mailing companies. Please check the link below.
https://toshihiroegawaart.com/contact/
Currently, these countries are not accepting deliveries from Japan.
Canada
Paraguay
Brazil
Venezuela
Saudi Arabia
Russia
(According to data December 27th, 2021)
The “about” page has been updated.
My pencil arts are products of inspiration coming from my own thoughts, feelings, and personal memories. I draw them when I’m driven by an urge. Therefore, I can not accept any kinds of commissions.
For the same reason, I am currently not taking any commissions of pencil arts for album covers, band merchandises and tattoo designs. I have taken commissions for artworks of death metal bands for more than 20 years. It has been great and satisfying and I am thankful for being able to do that. However, from now on, I’d like to focus on making my own art. I still make a few artworks for bands, but they are all limited to CG arts using editors such as Photoshop. For the pencil art, I strongly wish to draw freely without any limitations.
Some clients ask for pencil-like drawings for CG arts. That’s not acceptable either. My CG arts and pencil arts are two completely different things. Please understand that my pencil arts are created by my free will.
This is my brand-new piece!
This artwork is also made using only white pencils on the wet black paper stretched on the cradled panel. None of any black coloring materials is used. I use several types of white pencils from different makers. For instance, a highly bright white pencil is used to create the highlight for eyes.
A layer of acrylic paint is spread antecedently to preserve the board. That is the reason why some black paint is visible on the back side of the board. Once it is dried, the wet black paper is stretched onto it. I’m using the blackest paper I can find in Japan for this.
The watercolor tapes are applied to cover stapled parts to make the surface even. In this way, even the back side of the product looks clean and beautiful.
The special fixative spray is repeatedly used to make erasure traces inconspicuous. This results color to shift slightly so I repeat the process of drawing and spraying until it reaches the degree of perfect color development.
The artwork is drawn with much more details than it appears in these photos. However, these are the best pictures I can make so far. Please note that it is extremely difficult to take a photograph of something black at close range. The camera mistakes the black color to a night scene or something and it causes the picture to whiten and blur entirely. To avoid that, I hang my artworks on the white wall and take pictures from distance. If you know any better ways to take dark pictures good, please let me know.
Toshihiro Egawa
