Go Tokyo Your Experience
Do you have the habit of following artists on social media? If so, perhaps you can recall whether the doodles and illustrations shared by those artists recently had white or gray backgrounds? Recently, some Japanese netizens have noticed that Japanese artists seem to prefer white backgrounds, while foreign artists tend to choose gray backgrounds.
Where do these cultural differences actually stem from? Is it due to racial differences, or is it more influenced by their upbringing? Let’s take a look at the opinions of Japanese netizens!
A Japanese netizen with the nickname “Burnt Biscuit” recently discussed on social media the differences in background color choices between Japanese and foreign artists. She noticed that gray backgrounds seem to be quite common among foreign artists, which she found quite interesting. What kind of cultural differences lead to this variation in background color usage?
Most Japanese people tend to choose white as the background color.
Most foreigners tend to choose gray as the background color.
This discovery has sparked lively discussions among netizens. Some attribute the reason to racial differences, while others believe it is due to the influence of the environment in which one grows up. Many Japanese netizens have also expressed that they actually prefer a gray background.
Japanese netizens generally believe:
I have a friend who often uses a gray background; he thinks white is too harsh.
Using a gray background allows for drawing white lines without making the picture too dazzling, which can better protect the eyes.
I’ve heard that people with lighter-colored pupils are more sensitive to light, while those with darker-colored pupils have a harder time recognizing things in the dark.
I think it’s just because the white background is too glaring, while the gray is more friendly to the eyes. In addition, the gray background seems to create a special atmosphere.
Some netizens also believe that:
Using a pure white background makes it seem like the brightness is set to the highest level, while opting for a middle color makes it easier to express. This may be related to the influence of Western artistic techniques (such as oil painting).
To be honest, using a middle color background makes it easier to adjust brightness and can prevent the artwork from being too bright or too dark. Therefore, designers often choose a gray background.
It may be due to the difference between Japanese paper and parchment… Having been accustomed to yellowing paper, after getting used to it, even digital drawings will take on a layer of gray filter. In addition, the gray background is more difficult to crop, perhaps partly to prevent image theft. Or it might be due to the structure of the eyeball, leading foreigners to find white too dazzling… There are really many possibilities.
It may be because Japanese artists are accustomed to depicting shadows, while foreign artists more often depict light, hence they set the background to gray. When I first practiced sketching with a gray background, I found the work very intriguing and felt very happy.
Similarly, some netizens discussed:
Although I’m not sure if there’s a direct connection, it seems that those who are accustomed to painting based on shadows tend to prefer gray backgrounds, while those who rely on lines prefer white backgrounds.
So, what background color do you usually use when painting? What is the reason for that?
