How to Paint Like Hayao Miyazaki

If you’ve ever seen Miyazaki’s watercolor sketches, like the one above, you already know how extraordinary they are. He has an uncanny ability to transform rough pencil marks and washes of color into lively, energetic drawings that practically seem to move. Miyazaki has been working in this style for decades—going back at least to the 1970s, well before Future Boy Conan (1978).

So, when he shared a peek into his methods, it naturally drew a lot of attention.

In the 2000s, the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka released a “sketch kit” with an irresistible appeal: it included the very tools Miyazaki used himself. Along with the kit came a small foldout in which Miyazaki explained how to work with watercolors—and how he personally approaches them.

If you’re lucky enough to find one unopened, the original set contained a pencil, a brush, a pencil sharpener, a sketchbook, and a palette, along with 24 Holbein watercolor paints handpicked by Miyazaki. It was intended for beginners and children, and his guide reflects that—humorous, approachable, and full of tips for those just starting out.

Yet, it also reveals his unique, personal way of creating art, which is why these foldouts have circulated online for years. The Ghibli Blog shared scans as early as 2015. Today, we’re presenting a rough English version and exploring the insights Miyazaki shares.

The Core of the Foldout

Miyazaki emphasizes throughout the guide that he isn’t precious about his materials—he’s a self-described cheapskate who values practicality. He praises Holbein paints simply because they are “affordable and long-lasting.”

(This approach mirrors that of Studio Ghibli’s famed painter Kazuo Oga, who also favors simple, low-cost paints in his work.)

Miyazaki leans into a slightly old-fashioned, stubborn tone, noting he’s been using the same techniques for over 40 years and praising the convenience and economy of his tools. Yet he undercuts himself by admitting that this is just what he knows how to do.

Despite this, his method is practical and grounded. He shares small tips, like singeing stray brush bristles with a lighter (without worrying about burning too much). He also advises keeping paint on the palette to reduce tube handling and arranging colors to minimize cleanup.

One of the most interesting parts of the guide concerns pencil sketches. Miyazaki draws freely and “scratchily” (シャカシャカ), considering every line part of the final piece. There’s no eraser, and unsurprisingly, none is included in the kit.

Other simple but effective advice includes creating highlights by using very diluted paint instead of white watercolor and avoiding heavy layering, which can muddy the work. For dense layers, he suggests switching to a medium like oils. The goal is to help beginners avoid the common watercolor pitfall of muddiness.

Additional Notes

Miyazaki does not present himself as a master in the guide. He pokes fun at his own handwriting, and when a character questions the quality of his work, the Mitaka mascot Poki insists that the looseness is intentional—a stylistic choice, not a flaw.

Still, the artistry and taste are undeniable. Miyazaki can breathe life into the roughest sketches, making them feel effortless even when the technique is deceptively simple.

To show what the kit can produce, Miyazaki included two concept sketches he made with these tools. These were from his Let’s Eat at Home commercials for House Foods, which aired in Japan between June and August 2003. It was his first time directing a straightforward commercial for a general company.

The commercials evoke nostalgic imagery of 1950s–60s Japan, enhanced with subtle computer effects. Yet they all started from Miyazaki’s rough pencil and brush sketches. The two foldout sketches correspond to scenes in the commercials, retaining the same vitality as the original paper drawings.

The Big Takeaway

Like Kazuo Oga, Miyazaki shows that the tools themselves aren’t what matter most. He chooses simple, functional materials so they don’t interfere with the work. The focus remains on creating and experimenting.

It’s fitting that these House Foods sketches originated from a kit simple enough to be sold to children. And yet, the resulting images—and the animations based on them—stand with the very best of his work.

Looking back at recent months, we’re very pleased with our January issues. Many had been in the works for years—some even since 2021. The workload was intense but well worth it, including:

An exploration of “frame-rate modulation” (members)

The Low-Key Power of The Portrait Studio

On Jiří Barta’s stop-motion classic The Pied Piper (members)

The Bomb That Is The Bath

A look inside The Hand by Jiří Trnka (members)

The Surreal Whimsy of Tortov Roddle

Exciting projects are planned for February, including a long-running translation project begun in September 2022. Stay tuned!