Japanese artist Kotetsu blends illustration photography and kirie (Japanese traditional paper cutting) to create beautiful works of art that bring anime heroines into the real world.

Instead of using ink or colored pencils to color the outfits of his illustrations, Kotetsu cuts out the paper canvas and juxtaposes his creations against various backdrops, thus letting Mother Nature do the coloring for him. The result is stunning, often-times bordering on breathtaking. From autumn foliage, and fields full of flowers, to picturesque sunsets and starry night skies, Kotetsu uses nature’s most beautiful elements to complete his artworks.

Photo: @kotetsu_of/Instagram

Kotetsu starts out by sketching an anime-inspired female character on a sheet of white paper, using thick black outlines and small colored details, like the eyes, hair or various accessories. He then carefully cuts out large sections of the illustration, most often the characters’ garments, but sometimes parts of the background as well. Finally, he looks for the right natural backdrop to color his artwork with.

Although Kotetsu’s art may seem simplistic at first glance, it requires a mastery of multiple art forms, from illustration and kirie, to photography, with the latter playing an important role, as the angle and lighting are key to obtaining the desired effect.

The talented Japanese artist first made headlines online back in 2018, when Japanese news website SoraNews24 featured his creations. He has built a healthy following of almost 10,000 people on Twitter, where he routinely posts new artworks.

For more anime-inspired art, check out the insanely detailed pancake portraits of Keisuke Inagaki, or the impressive transformations of Malaysian cosplayer Hakken Ryou.