What Happened After I Revealed my Typewriter Art of Evening in Tokyo

Evening in Tokyo is Watched by Millions

Hey everyone!

Just very quickly, I would like to give a very warm welcome to the many new readers who have recently signed up to my newsletter! It is wonderful to have you here.

I hope you enjoy reading this special glimpse behind the scenes into my world of typewriter art, and learning a little more about the process behind each piece.

What began as four weeks of typing in my studio has now been watched by millions of people around the world. Evening in Tokyo has now reached 3.7 million views and over 390,000 likes on Instagram. On TikTok, the video has reached 7.9 million views and over 1 million likes. I am honestly astounded.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to watch the video, leave a comment, or share a message about your connection to Tokyo. I have really enjoyed reading your messages and am very touched by the lovely comments.

And of course, thank you to everyone who has purchased a print so far. Nearly 75% of this limited edition has already sold.

A Behind the Scenes Look

I thought this would be a good moment to share a little more about how this artwork was created. The image attached above shows a digital scan of the artwork two weeks into the process, when the drawing is still in its skeletal stage.

I began typing Evening in Tokyo on 4 January, my first day back in the studio after the New Year. The artwork took four weeks to complete, which equates to roughly 250 hours of typing. The most challenging part of the process is always the beginning.

During the first two weeks, I focus purely on building the linework and outlines of the composition. These are typically created using simple characters such as the following typed below:

. _ i * / I = %

Characters like these are incredibly useful for forming horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines, allowing me to gradually construct the framework of the scene.

At this point, I am usually working with a very old, heavily used typewriter ribbon that has almost no ink left in it. The goal is not to produce visible marks, but rather to leave a faint embossed impression in the paper.

The pressure of the keys leaves subtle indentations on the page, almost like an inverted Braille effect. This allows me to map out the proportions of the scene without committing fully to the final drawing.

It is a small trick of the trade!

Unlike working on a computer, there is no undo or delete key on a typewriter. If I were to make a mistake using a fresh ink ribbon during the early stages, it could easily mean starting the entire artwork again from the beginning.

Once I am confident that the structure of the piece is correct, I then swap the old ribbon for a fresh one and begin committing to the final marks. The @ symbol is my most commonly used key as I use it for shading. It’s large surface area makes for even soft shading.

Adding Colour

One of the questions I have been asked most often since revealing this artwork is how I manage to type in colour.

I am very fortunate to know a lady on Etsy who hand-makes colour typewriter ribbons, and I purchase these whenever I need to introduce colour into a piece.

The colouring stage is always the final phase of the artwork, and usually the most enjoyable. It is also the messiest part of the process, as it involves repeatedly removing and replacing ribbons inside the typewriter.

I keep a plastic glove nearby specifically for this job because the ribbons can become extremely inky. Once the colours are complete, the final stage is adding the hidden typed messages and miniature stories throughout the scene. These can include historical facts about Shibuya Crossing or tiny “speech bubbles” from pedestrians moving through the crowd.

More Original Artworks Coming Soon

Since the Evening in Tokyo video went viral last week, I have had the pleasure of welcoming many new readers to this newsletter. A number of you have asked when I will be releasing more original artworks.

The good news is that several will be available very soon and newsletter readers will be the first to know.

When Does the Print Drop End?

Thursday, March 12th at 12:00 midday GMT

Limited to 400 prints and is available in five sizes.

Each print is signed and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Listed below are the size options:

A4 – Small, 170 editions, measuring 8.3 × 11.7 in

A3 – Medium, 160 editions, measuring 11.7 × 16.5 in

A2 – Original Artwork Scale, 110 editions, measuring 16.5 × 23.4 in

A1 – Large - 40 editions, measuring 23.4 × 33.1 in

A0 – Extra Large, 20 editions, measuring 46.8 × 33.1 in

Floating Frame A1 (limited to just 5 editions) measuring 23.4 × 33.1 in

All dimensions are listed in inches.

The original artwork was created at A2 size (23.4 × 16.5)

Exempt from Tariffs:

An important notice. My prints are exempt from all US tariffs that have recently come into effect. This means the price you see at checkout is the final price, no additional tariffs or surprise fees.

Thank you again for the incredible response to Evening in Tokyo. Seeing the reaction to this piece has been deeply rewarding after the many weeks spent typing it.

Until next time,

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