Known for his distinct style that can blend the energy of Japanese manga with Western aesthetics, illustrator Acky Bright has already made a name for himself. From live drawing events that emphasize improvisation to character design projects across fashion, food, and games, Bright continues to push creative boundaries on a global stage.
Following his appearance at Anime Expo 2025, we asked Bright about his artistic roots, live-drawing experiences, as well as his opinion on AI and future plans.
Q: You’ve said that artists like Akira Toriyama and Katsuya Terada have influenced your work. How do you see their impact in your current style, and how has your own voice evolved from those roots?
A: My artistic style tends to lean heavily into black and white visuals, often centered around drawing as the core medium. In my case, I would say my roots are deeply connected to Japanese manga.
Q: Your characters often balance “cute” and “cool,” a style even referred to as kawakakkoi by Yusuke Murata. What design principles help you strike that balance, and what makes a character feel uniquely yours?
A: When designing characters, I place a strong emphasis on their silhouettes. I don’t consciously try to balance “cute” and “cool,” but if I had to describe what makes my work unique, it would be the fusion of Eastern and Western styles. I believe that stems from growing up during the golden age of Japanese manga and anime while also being heavily influenced by Western works like American comics, Pixar, and Disney.
Q: You often work in black and white, including in your B/W artbook. What draws you to monochrome, and what does it allow you to express that color might not?
As I mentioned earlier, I have a foundational background in manga. I believe the strength of black and white lies in its ability to make edges more pronounced and to bring out the beauty of line work. Even today, much of my personal work is done in monochrome.
Q: You draw complex pieces freehand during live performances. How did you build the confidence to work that way, and how do you deal with surprises or mistakes in real time?
Drawing freehand on large canvases comes down to familiarity and experience. I’ve created artwork under various conditions and in many different countries, and that accumulated experience has become a great source of confidence for me. In 2021, I had the opportunity to do a live drawing event with Katsuya Terada, which was easily the most nerve-wracking experience of my life. But ever since then, I haven’t felt nervous no matter where I draw. Making unexpected mistakes and covering them up on the fly is one of the joys of live drawing — it’s a spontaneous part of the process that I’ve come to enjoy.
Q: At your Japan Society exhibition, you turned the show into a live drawing experience. What inspired that decision, and how does creating art in front of an audience affect your process compared to working alone?
My artistic journey began with live drawing. Of course, using social media is one way to get people to notice you, but when it comes to reaching a broader audience, drawing large-scale illustrations at physical events tends to capture people’s attention in a powerful way. That’s why, even now, live drawing remains an important part of my promotional approach. Creating art in front of an audience is entirely different from working in the studio. It’s all about keeping viewers engaged — surprising them, entertaining them, and sometimes even making them laugh — all while drawing continuously without stopping. I’m constantly thinking as I draw. I don’t plan what I’m going to create ahead of time, so often the final piece ends up being completely different from what I had at the beginning.
Q: Your “3 Deck Challenge” at Anime Expo highlighted improvisation. How much of your usual workflow includes that kind of spontaneity?
The key is how well I can capture that very first idea that pops into my mind. I don’t usually spend much time overthinking or deliberating — I tend to draw what comes to me spontaneously. However, with panels like this, where the live element is a core part of the experience, I try to incorporate surprise and humor into the piece as I go. By the way, the idea for this “3 Deck Challenge” was inspired by a form of traditional Japanese performance art called rakugo, in which performers build improvised stories from three randomly selected words. That concept gave me the spark to develop this idea.
Q: You ran your own design company before becoming a full-time illustrator. How did that experience shape your approach to your art career?
Earlier in my career, I worked at a design company where I was involved in marketing and planning for various clients. That experience has been incredibly valuable in shaping what I do now. I believe that being an artist who is equally capable in both art and marketing is quite rare on a global scale.
Q: You’ve worked on everything from personal characters to brand collaborations across games, music, fashion, and food. How do you balance passion projects with commercial work, and where do you find the most creative freedom?
I have the ability to turn any project into a passion project. I’m fortunate to work with clients who often say, “Acky, just do it your way.” That gives me the freedom to approach every single project as if I’m creating my own original IP. I think this is largely thanks to my previous career experience, but ultimately, anything produced under the Acky Bright name is, without exception, a passion project for me.
Q: Working on Western franchises like DC’s Blue Beetle meant adapting your style for a different audience. What challenges did that bring, and did it influence how you approach your art?
For example, I intentionally shift how I express my work depending on whether it’s manga or graphic novels (American comics). If you look through my portfolio, you’ll notice I work across a wide range of artistic styles. Rather than adjusting based on the audience, I select and apply the most suitable style for each individual project. There aren’t many artists who take this kind of approach, so I understand it may be a bit hard to grasp. But my style is one of constant transformation — freely evolving and crossing every imaginable boundary.
Q: For the McDonald’s Japan campaign with Ado, YOASOBI, and Hoshimachi Suisei, how did you bring each artist’s identity together in one cohesive design?
Since this was my third year working on this particular project, there was already a shared understanding of the “tone” of the series between me, the director, the team, and the client. I had creative freedom again this year, and rather than doing anything especially unique, I focused on tuning the overall direction to match the worldbuilding — drawing in ways that brought out the individuality of each artist involved. I simply had fun working on it.
Q: You’ve also designed for Perfume. How did you approach that project?
Perfume is a Japanese trio of artists.
In this project, I designed characters set in a cyberpunk/retro-futuristic world. It was my first time working with live-action footage, but I think the result turned out well. I remember drawing the designs while staying in a hotel in the hot summer of Texas
Q: Your career gained momentum internationally before taking off in Japan. How do you navigate the differences between working with global and domestic clients?
I don’t think I felt anything particularly different.
I’m not the type of person who approaches projects based on the size or nature of the client. Of course, there are differences in processes between Eastern and Western teams—especially when it comes to language—but my team always supports me, so I’m able to approach everything the same way. There were even times when I deliberately chose not to use an interpreter. I actually enjoy moments of imperfect communication and see them as part of the creative challenge—that’s one of my strengths.
Q: You’ve expressed interest in developing your own original IP. Are there any plans to create a serialized project like a manga or animated series based on your characters?
This project is scheduled to be announced this fall.
Q: As AI becomes more common in the art world, what’s your perspective on these tools? Do you see AI influencing your own creative process or the industry more broadly?
If I were to compare myself to a chef, I wouldn’t be able to satisfy customers who come to my restaurant by serving them ready-made meals or dishes prepared by someone else. As symbolized by my live drawing practice, I truly enjoy the entire process—from creating the recipe to preparing the dish. That’s why, at this point, I would say that there simply isn’t a part of the creative process where I personally find AI useful. That said, on a broader industry or societal level, AI has already become infrastructure. I think it’s practically impossible to avoid it at this stage. While I may sound cool and composed saying this now, I’ll admit that when I first learned about generative AI, it was quite a blow. I believe that’s a common reaction. It made me realize we’ve entered an era where how we engage with art—on a daily, personal level—has become even more important.
Q: Social media helped build your international following. How do you approach sharing your work online, and what advice would you give to young artists starting out?
In the early stages of my career, I did place a lot of emphasis on social media. But over time, I found it exhausting to think about algorithms and similar concerns, so I’ve since shifted away from relying on it too heavily. These days, I use social media more as a communication tool to connect with fans who already know me. Whether my followers increase or decrease, or whether I get lots of likes or not, I don’t tie those metrics to my sense of value or self-assessment. So, if there’s anyone out there feeling stressed or discouraged by social media numbers, I want to tell them: “You don’t need to worry about that stuff at all.”
Our thanks to Acky Bright for sharing his insights on art with us. Keep an eye out for his upcoming original project, set to be announced this fall, and check out more of his work on his official YouTube channel.
You can also find a lot more of Acky Bright’s work on his official website.
© 2021-2025 Acky Bright
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