Etegami FAQs

What tools and materials are included in the Etegami Course?

• In the Etegami Course package, all the tools and materials necessary for creating Etegami are enclosed along with an account information with lifetime access to the tutorial videos and texts.
• Tools & Materials:
• Gansai Paints Set of 4 Brushes
• Ink
• Inkstone
• Letter Stamp Set
• Palette Brush Washer
• Dropper
• Pad
• Tracing Sheets
• Cards (40 sheets)
• Envelopes (20 sheets)
• Practice Paper (20 sheets)

• Videos:
• Primer "What is Etegami" 18minutes
• Complete explanation of each of the 20 sample motifs 2 minutes x 20
• Texts:
• More than 150 pages

Please tell me about the assignment.

• With the Etegami Course tutorial videos and texts, you can watch every step from start to finish to complete each of the 20 sample motifs. You will be asked to submit the image of the designated three motifs once you create each of them. Our course instructor will give constructive feedback to each of the submitted motif. To make the best use of the assignment, read each of the feedback then start making another Etegami.

I'm clueless about drawing.

• In the Etegami Course package, all the tools and materials necessary for creating Etegami are enclosed along with an account information with lifetime access to the tutorial videos and texts.

How is Etegami different from calligraphy?

• While both calligraphy and Etegami use sumi-ink and brush, calligraphy had been indulged among upper class and intellectuals while Etegami was started and developed by everyday people. As folk art being free from abstruse conventions and rules, Etegami is an art form anyone can enjoy casually.

What does "Etegami" mean?

• The Japanese word Etegami literally means “a letter with a picture”. Your drawing does become a type of letter once you add a phrase to it, but this letter is not necessarily something to be sent to someone. Your Etegami can be used to decorate your home, as a new way to keep a diary, or for an Instagram post!

What are the basic steps to create Etegami?

• First, decide what you are going to draw. The subject can be an everyday object preferably items that reflect the season, but anything can do. Observe closely and draw simple, bold outlines in black sumi ink. Try to make the drawing big as if it won't even fit the card. This will give a lively and dynamic feeling. Then fill them in with Gansai paint. Finish to add an apt phrase in the blank space. 

About the course instructor Sachiko Hanashiro.

• Based in Tokyo, Japan, Sachiko Hanashiro is a famous Etegami figure. She has made numerous TV appearances, written more than 15 Etegami - related books, and have done food packaging design with her Etegami works. She has also been our Etegami course supervisor for over 20 years in Japan. In 2000, she was recognized with an award from the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications for her contributions to the letter-writing culture in Japan.