In Jin Kitamura’s minimalist drawings you’ll encounter cute dog bottoms and rotund geese

In the vast world of illustration, sometimes focussing on smaller, seemingly ‘insignificant’ things is most compelling. Many of our favourite illustrators find the most beauty in simple moments and expression; like Morgane Fadanelli’s drawings of slow living, or Shiori Tamura’s adorable depictions of cake and ketchup. Now added to that lovely list is Jin Kitamura, an illustrator who revels in capturing the quotidian.

With bright crayons Jin keeps things minimalist. Simple shapes and block colours almost give Jin’s work a graphic feel, but look a little closer and you’ll see the slightly uneven edges of the crayon. Jin has a particular penchant for animals, with fuzzy cats, bemused dogs and dabbling geese all making an appearance, made even cuter by the inclusion of cute bottoms and rotund bodies. Born in Tokyo, Jin studied at Tokai University, before beginning life as a freelance illustrator in 2006. For the past five years the illustrator has lived in Kamakura city, “surrounded by beautiful nature”, which sometimes pops up in works like Winter Afternoon, where three buildings are mirrored by three trees, the dusk sunshine’s pinky hues and long sweeping shadows.