I believe that 80% of the act of drawing is about deeply observing the subject. I start by touching it with my hands, smelling it, and observing it using all five senses. Sometimes I even take it apart to examine its internal structure.

After gaining a firm grasp on the subject, I gaze at it intently and then shift my eyes to a blank white cloth (or sketchbook). In that instant, a vivid "afterimage" appears, its colors inverted like an old negative film. I use this shimmering illusion as a guideline to create the preliminary sketch.

The space between what is visible and what is invisible—this is a record of the "in-between" space that my eyes have captured.