The allure of croquis. Expression of the female nude as "Mode Croquis."
- Dec 18, 2025
- 4 min read
Croquis for the first time in a while, in winter at Enokojima.
Sunday, December 14, 2025.
Contrary to the clear, sunny sky, the wind was strong, and it was a day where the perceived temperature felt quite low.
On such a winter day, I participated in the "Little Croquis Session" hosted by Mariko Sagami ( https://www.ma-sagami.jp/ ) at the Enokojima Art, Culture and Creative Center in Osaka.
Ms. Sagami was a fellow art student during our school days and is actively working as an artist. I feel very grateful that she still reaches out to me like this today.
This croquis session is attended by a truly diverse range of people, from complete beginners to those already active as artists.
While everyone's goals and levels vary, there is a common thread unique to a session hosted by Ms. Sagami.
That is, simply: "croquis with a sense of liveness."
Croquis of a "female nude" for the first time in a while
The motif this time was a female nude. And my personal theme was "Mode Croquis."
Having not done croquis in a while, to be honest, it was very difficult. Drawing the nude is never easy, but even more so after a long break.
In croquis, the goal is not merely to draw accurately.
Dynamic, living, and beautiful lines
Mode-driven fiction with an awareness of proportions
Coolness, stylishness, and visual impact on the page I draw while keeping these elements constantly in mind.
Elevating contradictory elements simultaneously.
If you focus too much on the drawing (dessin), the energy vanishes from the lines. Conversely, if you prioritize only energy and touch, the piece remains nothing more than a "moody" sketch.
The goal is to bring these contradictory elements together at the highest possible level.
That is where the fascination of croquis lies, and I feel that when you add that "+α Mode essence" and personal obsession, it becomes a truly compelling croquis.
Mode Croquis: Drawing the nude through the "bones."
To be honest, clothed motifs make it easier to create an atmosphere and offer more freedom. In that sense, I really love clothed croquis.
However, when drawing the occasional nude—especially a croquis nude with an awareness of Mode—it will never be stylish unless there is a conscious effort to draw through the "bones," not the flesh.
The essence is the same even when clothed, but because a nude allows no room for deception, it confronts you directly with your own lack of understanding or drawing (dessin) skills.
That is exactly what makes it both painful and fascinating.
Keep drawing until the very last second.
Once the session with the model ends, for as long as time permits, the participants split into "models" and "artists," drawing each other in rapid succession for short intervals of 3 to 5 minutes.
By the end, your concentration inevitably begins to fray, yet the desire for "one more" and "just a little longer" is palpable in the hands holding pencils and in everyone's posture. That pure enthusiasm—the collective urge to keep drawing until the very last second—was deeply impressive.
The same motif, a completely different world.
Once everything is drawn, we conclude with a critique session where everyone's work is lined up together. Though we were drawing the same model in the same space, the compositions, the touch of the lines, and the rhythms are all completely different.
The croquis lined up there each possess a totally distinct expression.
It is fascinating how the artist's perspective, physical sensations, and even the concentration or hesitation of that moment are manifested directly as lines.
It was a time that once again made me feel the profound depth of croquis as an expression and the sheer richness of the act of "drawing" itself.
The reason I want to keep drawing.
I truly love croquis (specifically, Mode croquis), after all.
That is precisely why I want to keep drawing regularly and continue to update my expression even further.
The lingering resonance followed me all the way onto the train ride home.
After the croquis session, I went out for a meal with the other participants, which also served as an early year-end party. We talked about how we used to practice croquis during our student days, and I headed home immersed in nostalgia.
On the train back, suddenly remembering those student days, I decided to try doing some croquis (while being careful not to disturb those around me, of course). Inside the carriage, the "models" move in a matter of seconds, and you cannot stare at them. Because of that, you truly have to draw in an instant.
A proper drawing (dessin) might not be possible. However, that actually allows me to concentrate on capturing the overall essence, and the fleeting impressions and emotions are reflected directly in the lines. There is, of course, no luxury to think, "This is a failure, I'll erase it."
After all, croquis is fascinating. It was a day that made me realize that all over again.
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