Yokai Poster – Kitsune

So, I decided to design some posters, because it’s something I feel is missing on my portfolio, and the theme I picked to start with is Japanese Yokai Posters. I really like Japanese art in general, and, in this case, I’ve found inspiration on Japanese Pop Art and Japan’s folklore.

Poster with an illustration of a Kitsune.

妖怪 or Yokai are supernatural monsters, spirits and demons in Japanese folklore.

狐, キツネ or Kitsune, is the Japanese word for fox. probably the most well known Yokai outside Japan. According to that country’s traditional legends, the more tails a fox has, and they can have as many as nine tails, the more powerful it is. These nine tailed foxes acquire the ability to hear and see everything happening in the world, at all times, ant they’re also credited with infinite wisdom. The pearls on each of the Kitsune’s tails are called Hoshi no tama, and according to tradition, they represent the Kitsune’s soul.

This artwork was created with Photoshop and Illustrator (which I used to draw the sunburst in the background). Below is the final rough, after many iterations, for this design.

The next Yokai creature on this series is going to be the Furi, and after that, the Mujina, so check my updates if you’d like to see it. Thank you for stopping by!