
Imagine my surprise, when standing in line at the Chichu Museum on a faraway Japanese island called Naoshima, I saw my illustrator/designer friend Craig Frazier and his wife Suzanne. We were waiting to get into this exclusive, subterranean art museum designed by Tadao Ando. Craig just lives down Highway 101 from me in Marin County. He, like me, had been traveling through Japan posting drawings on Instagram. Both of us were inspired in different ways by this country. But now that we’re back, I figured we should have a talk about what each of us experienced and what we drew.
Craig‘s approach and drawing style is different from mine. Certain themes are unique to each of us, but there are some commonalities. We are both left with a profound appreciation for Japanese culture and a reverence for its art and design. Here’s our conversation:
Bill Russell (BR): We're back from a trip to the Land of the Rising Sun, and I wanted to check in (now that we’re over our jet lag) about your thoughts, and the great drawings you posted on Instagram. What observations did you make in Japan?
Craig Frazier (CF): First off, I was struck by the cleanliness of the country and the kindness and civility of the people. The product and package design has a simple and beautiful aesthetic. I love the quality and integrity of Japanese craft. We purchased a couple handmade brass tea canisters from Kaikado, a ceramic tea pot with cups from Poj Studios and handmade fans from a craftsman in Kyoto.
BR: I wish I had purchased a kyūsu, the traditional Japanese teapot used for brewing green tea. That and the Japanese tea ceremony represents zen and hospitality so beautifully.
BR: Do you prefer to work from your photos?
CF: I'm not so confident in drawing in public, so I take photos in the moment that I will use to draw from. On this trip, I usually drew in the morning before we'd go out.Â
BR: I like to draw on-the-spot. But I'm still a little shy about it. Often people were looking over my shoulder and offering an appreciation…or at least I think they did. I would let them take a photo of the drawing or me holding one.
CF: Drawing is about observing. I notice the design details, from roof lines on traditional buildings to the clothes people wear. Everything in Japan is considered…the signage, the cars, the bikes.Â
BR: In comparing our drawing styles I would say you have a kind of clarity of line and formalism to your compositions. It seems perfect for your subject matter…a kind of Zen practice, perhaps. My drawings seemed rushed and overworked in comparison.
CF: I can’t escape the designer in me. I don't want to over-render my drawings. I think I secretly wish I was as gestural and loose as you are! The Japanese aesthetic lends itself to my design inclinations.
BR: You use a Micron pen. There’s a precision to your linework.Â
CF: I usually draw with a Micron but this time I bought an incredibly sharp Pilot .4 Ball point pen at the Itoya store in Tokyo and used it exclusively. These drawings were done in a very small Japanese sketchbook that I bought at TopDrawer in Berkeley. The scale of the pen line and page size work perfectly.
BR: I use a small cold press sketchbook from Etchr Lab, so the heavy weight, textured paper handles wet media and my vigorous line work well. I customize Pilot Parallel Calligraphy pens by chiseling off the nibs a bit. It produces a fairly coarse line.
BR: You’ll often draw people looking at art.Â
CF: I drew my wife Suz looking at art on a couple of occasions this trip. I have drawn her for years in galleries and museums and this is the first time I’ve drawn her in a temple!

BR: You drew a lot of Japanese people doing their jobs.
CF: I appreciated the respect people have for their work, like a cleaning lady on the (Shinkansen) bullet train or the mail carriers delivering mail. I couldn't help but wonder what their lifestyles are like. I’m interested in their uniforms and in many cases their modes of transportation, like their scooters and cargo vehicles.
BR: When you draw someone you honor them and you want to tell their story accurately. What stories do you want to tell through your drawings and handwritten text? They almost seem like poetic New Yorker cartoons.
CF: I tend to see a figure isolated in the environment, like this bicyclist riding head on in the crosswalk with a Marimekko print in their basket. Between her bike, her clothing and the crosswalk, there is a perfect graphic quality that I notice. It wasn’t until I looked closely at my photo that I realized she was carrying a bolt of Marimekko fabric…the store we had visited earlier.
BR: The story I enjoy telling people is about the night in Kyoto when we went out to a tiny restaurant for dinner and the chef had invited his friend who was a geisha. We asked about her susohiki (kimono), her makeup and how she painted her eriashi (neck lines). The chef translated her answers. She poured us sake and played drinking games. I was enchanted by the naturalness of her service.
CF: The food we had at many of the most unassuming restaurants was presented so beautifully, and tasted equally divine. Dining was certainly one of the highlights of the trip.
BR: Did people bow deeply and wave goodbye to you?
CF: Yes, almost every time. They welcome and bid you farewell as if you are family.
Drawings © the respective artists
More to Know:
See more of Craig’s Japan drawings on his Instagram.
More of Bill’s Japan drawings are here.
Check out Craig’s new monograph here.
Read about Bill’s traditional ryokan meal here.
I've known and admired Craig for decades, but Bill is new to me. I love both of their styles of seeing and rendering. What gifts they have!
Two happy travelers. I appreciated your conversation on Japan and seeing both sketching styles, and your honoring of the subjects. I was surprised to read, Bill, your being a little bit shy still while sketching in public.