Artist Uses Geometry To Create a Japanese Family Crest With Three Cranes

Crane Drawing Design by Zak Korvin

It's not always easy to understand how certain drawings are made. Unless you're watching the artist at work, it can seem daunting to try and replicate it for yourself. Fortunately, many creatives will offer “behind-the-scenes” looks into how they achieve striking and sometimes “perfect-looking” effects, using traditional methods. Peru-based artist Zak Korvin shared his process for creating a beautiful three-crane design, utilizing a compass, a pen, and some geometry.

Originally from England, Korvin is completely self-taught. His drawing changed after he began incorporating geometry into his style. “I discovered mandalas about nine years ago and was so fascinated by them that I had to try creating them myself. That's actually how I discovered geometry, I was never interested in it before I saw it from a creative point of view,” he explains to My Modern Met. “Everything in the universe is geometric, there's a mystical formula to all matter and I try to apply that to my art.”

One of his most recent creations features three flying cranes that create a perfect circle with their wings. It is so neatly organized and precise that it is hard to imagine drawing it by hand, but Korvin shares photos and even a video of his process so people can see how it's done. The key, of course, is using a compass to create proper measurements. Afterward, he simply has to go over the sketch with his pen. “I like to deconstruct ancient symbols and then put my own spin on them. For this design, I was inspired by a Japanese kamon,” Korvin says. “Kamons are Japan's version of a family crest. I believe they're always made geometrically with organic elements like leaves and animals. They're really simple, almost like a logo or a stamp to indicate a family's lineage.”

Follow Korvin on Instagram to keep up to date with his latest artwork, and subscribe to his YouTube channel to see more cool drawing videos.

Artist Zak Korvin creates his own version of a Japanese family crest.

Crane Drawing Design by Zak Korvin

Crane Drawing Design by Zak Korvin

He used geometry to render three flying cranes, which create a perfect circle with their wings.

Crane Drawing Design by Zak Korvin

Watch this video to see how Korvin rendered the three-crane design:

Zak Korvin: Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Zak Korvin.

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Margherita Cole

Margherita Cole is a Contributing Writer at My Modern Met and illustrator based in Southern California. She holds a BA in Art History with a minor in Studio Art from Wofford College, and an MA in Illustration: Authorial Practice from Falmouth University in the UK. She wrote and illustrated an instructional art book about how to draw cartoons titled 'Cartooning Made Easy: Circle, Triangle, Square' that was published by Walter Foster in 2022.
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