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Japanese art Harumichi Shibasaki posing with his finished watercolor in a shrine in Isumi.
Harumichi Shibasaki was in his 70s when he started creating art tutorials on YouTube from his nonviolent home in the Japanese countryside. Five years later, it has 1. 4 million subscribers.
Unlike the captivating antics of the top YouTuber, Grandpa won hearts with his calm and soothing manner, which fans say makes them feel “warm and at peace. “
He has also gained a worldwide following thanks to the English subtitles of his videos that demonstrate portrait techniques and sketches, in which his grandchildren and two cats appear.
“Hello. Here Shibasaki. How are everyone?” said in Japanese the gray-haired art with glasses and mustache, preventing him from smiling and waving.
The 74-year-old films everything himself for his “Watercolor through Shibasaki” channel with tripods, lighting and a smartphone or DSLR camera.
He’s also active on Instagram, TikTok and Twitter, and says being connected to the global is “like a dream. “
“We didn’t even have a television at home when I was a child,” Shibasaki told AFP near his home in a rural domain of Chiba, outside Tokyo, where birdsong fills the air.
“As of my generation, I didn’t expect there to be a moment like this. “
His videos range from shooting cherry blossoms to snapshots of life, such as cooking bamboo shoots dug up in his garden.
Like many successful YouTubers, their clips are dotted with banners and video ads, while big enthusiasts can send live streams in cash or pay to access members-only images.
It was Shibasaki’s son who first encouraged him to post on the site, an opportunity for the instructor with decades of experience to succeed in a global audience.
“I like to teach, I like to talk to everyone. I can communicate five, six hours!” said Shibasaki.
kind voice
During the darkest days of the pandemic, Shibasaki’s subscriber base soared.
In an April 2020 video, he showed the audience how to draw a spotted, fluffy cat, and said he hoped drawing in combination would feel better when they were stuck at home.
A flood of comments in other languages called the video “calm and relaxing” and said Shibasaki’s “kind” voice left a “warm and peaceful” impression.
“Viewers say I have a very smart voice, but I don’t know why,” he laughed.
People tell her that her slow, smooth delivery puts them at ease, and some even view Shibasaki, who has undergone surgery at the center six times, as a dying uncle.
Because of his physical disorders, “death has a concrete intellectual image,” he said, meaning he can “really understand” the disorders that other people entrust to him.
Shibasaki liked to paint from an early age, but as the only child of a circle of farming relatives in Chiba, he hoped his parents would ask him to take back his land.
However, overcome by the preference to move to Tokyo and art at 18, he rushes to ask his parents for permission while they are at work.
“They looked at me in the rice box and told me I had to leave. I am very grateful to them. “
Shibasaki then became an art instructor and went out of his way to make his recommendation easy to understand, just like in his videos.
“Painting is a pleasure,” he said. It is a war with myself to reach perfection. It’s attractive and a sense of accomplishment. “
Shibasaki to stay portrayed as long as possible. As artists age, “their eyesight deteriorates, their hands tremble,” he said.
“I’m going to be 75, so I’ll only be able to draw well for another five years. But in the meantime, if I can make paintings to leave behind, that’s what I need to do. “
Agence France Presse