Toshinho is a freelance artist from Japan. He majored in fine art and began his creative career in video game development, working on titles including Metal Gear Solid 5, Final Fantasy Tactics and The Eye of Judgment. For the most part now he is trying to establish a genre called “Virtual Concept.”
Virtual Concept works much like video game and animation concept design but without a video game nor animation to speak of. He creates characters, develops worlds, and then repeats, slowly developing an entire universe. It is a process that is enhanced by viewers interaction and has led Toshinho to spend much of his time researching design and historical clothing. He has called the project “BOSS CONCEPT.”
I actually stumbled on Toshinho’s artwork when his Red Sonja pin-up stopped me in my tracks. Toshinho’s supplied the linework and Pedro Figue added a background and really brought it to life with colour. A collaboration that, I am sure, many would love to see more of.
Toshinho is both a traditional and digital artist. When working digitally, he seems to favour PaintTool SAI over the more popular Photoshop. Though, he does use Photoshop, as well as Clip Studio Paint. You can watch him work in real-time on Twitch. Those who become a Toshinho patreon are privy to all of his BOSS CONCEPT development, art tips, process videos and hi-res artwork. The BOSS CONCEPT project is a very interesting approach and I am very curious to see how it develops.
You can keep up with Toshinho via his Tumblr and Twitter.
