Kyoto Prefecture-based pen artist Tomoaki Murayama recently visited an elementary school in Nantan, a city northwest of the prefectural capital Kyoto, to talk about his works. Pupils were in awe of the 34-year-old's detailed drawing of animals and plants.

Murayama, who is based in Nantan, is well known for his artwork in which he uses just a pen to create detailed drawings of animal fur with rich texture renderings. He has well over 70,000 followers on Instagram. He visited Tonoda Elementary School on Oct. 6 at the invitation of the school.

Tomoaki Murayama answers pupils' questions during a visit to Tonoda Elementary School in Nantan, Kyoto Prefecture.

During a class for older pupils, Murayama showed a tanuki raccoon dog made of fiber-reinforced plastic whose fur he had created. He also showed a salamander that appeared almost alive. The artist conveyed to the pupils that drawing lines sparsely in layers can recreate the texture of an animal's coat.

A sixth-grade girl who participated in a flower drawing workshop marveled at Murayama's fine detail work. "It was fun learning that you can express softness by how you draw lines," the 12-year-old said.

Murayama said, "People say the area where I live has nothing at all, but I never get bored with seeing deer and other animals. I want children to examine what this area has to offer and find joy in drawing."

The Kyoto Shimbun

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