My Kawaii Design Toolkit: What I Actually Use

Everything you see in the shop is hand drawn by me, so I wanted to share the tools that make it all happen. Here is an honest look at what I use every single day.

The Hardware

iPad Pro + Apple Pencil — that is all I have ever used and honestly I could not imagine it any other way. It lets me draw in bed, on the couch, at a cafe — wherever the inspiration hits.

The Apps

• ✦Procreate — for all my illustration and pattern work
• ✦Inkscape — currently learning it for SVG work (a work in progress!)
• ✦Canva — for mockups and listing images
• ✦GoodNotes — for jotting down ideas at 2am

My Favorite Brushes

My go-to brush in Procreate is the Monoline brush for linework — it gives me those clean, sharp lines I love. Beyond that, the brushes I use really depend on the drawing. Sometimes I reach for something from a brush set I picked up through a course or workshop. Half the fun is experimenting and finding what works for each piece.

The One Color I Use in Everything

Hot pink. Specifically #FF1493. It is actually my favorite color — and it just so happens to fit the whole sweet kawaii vibe perfectly. It goes into every single design somewhere, even if it is just a tiny heart or a small highlight. It has become the thread that ties everything together.

My Favorite Books & References

I love having physical books to flip through for ideas and techniques. These are the ones I keep coming back to:

• ✦Manga for the Beginner: Kawaii by Christopher Hart
• ✦How to Draw Cute Stuff: Draw Anything and Everything in the Cutest Style Ever! by Angela Nguyen
• ✦Kawaii Doodle Class: Sketching Super Cute Tacos, Sushi, Clouds, Flowers, Monsters, Cosmetics, and More by Zainab Khan (creator of Pic Candle)
• ✦Kawaii Kitties by Olive Young (creator of Bich Mao)
• ✦Kawaii Doodle Cafe by Faith Varvara
• ✦365 Days of Kawaii: How to Draw Kawaii Cute Stuff Every Day of the Year by Mayumi Jezewski

If you are just starting out or looking for fresh inspiration, any one of these is a great place to begin. I still reach for them regularly even now!

If you are building your own kawaii illustration style, my biggest advice is to pick one signature color and commit to it. It will make your whole body of work feel cohesive even when the subjects are totally different.