The Art of Yoji Shinkawa

Character Design Art Work

If you are a fan of video games, it is likely that you have either played, or at least heard of the well known third-person stealth series, Metal Gear Solid. If you are a fan of this specific franchise, you are probably aware of its' incredible artwork done by Yoji Shinkawa.

Yoji Shinkawa is Japanese art director in Kojima Production located in Japan. He is known for his character designs in the Metal Gear Solid series which show his dynamic and energetic brush strokes that have become a key component of his style. Yoji Shinkawa favors the use of Pentel’s Japanese calligraphy pens and correction pens in order to obtain his artistic style. Both of which are available in America. He was influenced to use calligraphy pens by Japanese animator and comic artist, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, who also use brushes for drawing.

His execution of sketches has lead some to believe that he is only capable of achieving rough, or abstract drawings. However, Yoji Shinkawa is able to execute highly detailed and clean paintings, especially for mech designs.


Not only is he a talented illustrator, but he is also an experienced and diverse designer. Yoji Shinkawa is known

to create tangent models of his designs as well; instead of sketching them out beforehand, proving that he has multiple skills that are useful in the world of concept design.

His career started in 1994 at Konami Digital Entertainment in Japan and is still working for them. Other than the Metal Gear Solid series, he worked as a mech designer in the Zone of the Enders series, and a character designer in the Busou Shinki series. He is currently working on the newest installment to the Metal Great series, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain.

- Manami -