We were so amazed when Nicolas (aka Grass) told us that he majored in Geography — he follows his heart to nature, and now to the illustration world where he can draw things people love. Both Grass’s drawings and personal stories are incredibly relatable, we especially like to hear how his foodie pup Curry doggedly begs for food when he tries to get a bite!

AWW: What do you say to your dog most often?

Grass: “Not for you.”

My pup (her name’s Curry) is such a greedy eater. Even if I hide from her in order to open food package, smash an egg or bite an apple, she would definitely know and come begging for food at once. “Not for you.” would be the words I keep telling her while I am having my food. But of course, eventually I just give in and let her have some of my food every time.

AWW: If you could bring Curry to a place that you have been to, where would you bring her? 

Grass: When I was studying at Utsunomiya-shi in Japan, there was a river in the city. Although it is not a typical tourist spot, I always wanted to bring Curry there, walking along the riverside. This idea came to my mind every time I walked by the river.

AWW: Can you recommend a dog-related item? 

Grass: I like the Korean illustrator Jin Young Choi (Instagram: jychoioioi) very much. You could always find cat and dog illustrations on her Instagram. I love the fluffy cat and the dog who argues at the park the most.

AWW: We are thankful to have you illustrate the comics section for us in AWW N1 and N2! What is the most interesting and difficult part of the process?

Grass: Both the most interesting and hardest part lie in the comics section. I am not good at writing story, for a laid-back person like me it was difficult to organise the many thoughts in my mind into a story. But I’m really glad to have the editors’ suggestions that help perfect the comics.

AWW: What tool did you use for the illustration work?

Grass: I used Acrylic Gouache to create the comic strips. It was really exciting to draw the whole story by hand on a large piece of paper. I felt tremendously satisfied with the work.

AWW: Please describe your life as an illustrator in 3 sentences.

Grass: I still wouldn’t regard myself as an illustrator yet.

I am happy to spend some time drawing my thoughts amid my hustling life.

I do not know where my life would lead me to at the moment, but taking good care of myself and drawing harder are what I focus on now.