Ayami Kojima

Ayami Kojima (小島 文美, Kojima Ayami) is a Japanese game and concept artist that is most well known for her work on the Castlevania series of video games with Konami. She is self-taught and enjoys reading shōnen manga and is known to be a fan of the popular Uzumaki Naruto x Uchiha Sasuke pairing from the popular anime/manga franchise Naruto.

Style and media

Media which Kojima has often employed in paintings include the use of molding paste, Conté Crayon, acrylics, India ink, gloss polymer medium, stumps and finger smudging.

Generally speaking, the sketch and composition is laid out using the Conté crayon. Shadows are darkened monochromatically using both Conté and India ink. The color composition is then blocked in using diluted acrylics. The three dimensional textured aspects in the majority of her paintings are created using molding paste and a palette knife. During the addition of stronger colors additional water and the artists' fingers (smudging) are used to create the glowing gradiation which is apparent in much of Kojima's artwork. Once the base paint is finished, metallic paints are applied with a palette knife. Glows and highlights are enhanced using a gloss polymer medium.

Games credited

• Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (Konami, 1997)
• Söldnerschild (Koei, 1998)
• Castlevania Chronicles (Konami, 2001)
• Castlevania: Harmony of Dissonance (Konami, 2002)
• Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow (Konami, 2003)
• Castlevania: Lament of Innocence (Konami, 2003)
• Castlevania: Curse of Darkness (Konami, 2005)
• Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles (Konami, 2007)

External links

• Vampire Killer: Castlevania Gallery and Translation Resource
• Naïmoka: The Artworks' Sanctuary - Ayami Kojima (currently under reconstruction)
• La Villa di Cauchemar - Ayami Kojima
• Kelesis Home Page - Ayami Kojima
• Creative Uncut - Artist Profile: Ayami Kojima

References

Color Kingdom 3, featuring Ayami Kojima