the art behind osume: chatting with @kalonsugi
posted on 02.06.26
for february's spotlight, we’re doing something a little special and going behind the scenes to chat with our artist katie, also known by @kalonsugi! from the intricate novelty designs to the adorable characters, she's the one behind all the artwork you see for osume. she's here to show us her creative process and give a little insight on what it's like making art for us. welcome, katie!
from idea to illustration
what first inspired you to start creating art, and how has your style evolved over time?
art has always been a part of my life. it was my first hobby as a kid and also one that has stuck with me. i did everything from sculptures to portraits to still life. basically anything that i could get my hands on. i was originally hyper-fixated on realism but began to develop my own style over time. my journey towards illustration began when i moved out from home for school and left all my art supplies there. i was only left with my iPad and decided to take up digital art. i didn’t know then that it would end up being my main form of media.
i was studying medical science at this time, and illustration was a way for me to visualize and plan my imaginary escape from the endless nights of studying far away from home. most landscapes i draw are places i want to be at that moment, which are bright, cozy, and hopefully bring as much comfort to the viewer as it does for me. being part of osume helped me translate these same feelings into more intentional, minimal pieces.
what first inspired you to start creating art, and how has your style evolved over time?
art has always been a part of my life. it was my first hobby as a kid and also one that has stuck with me. i did everything from sculptures to portraits to still life. basically anything that i could get my hands on. i was originally hyper-fixated on realism but began to develop my own style over time. my journey towards illustration began when i moved out from home for school and left all my art supplies there. i was only left with my iPad and decided to take up digital art. i didn’t know then that it would end up being my main form of media.
i was studying medical science at this time, and illustration was a way for me to visualize and plan my imaginary escape from the endless nights of studying far away from home. most landscapes i draw are places i want to be at that moment, which are bright, cozy, and hopefully bring as much comfort to the viewer as it does for me. being part of osume helped me translate these same feelings into more intentional, minimal pieces.
the evolution of my work before osume
how did you start creating art for osume?
it’s actually quite an interesting story. at the time, osume was being run with the help of a contracted artist who wasn’t always available. during that period, my sister mentioned to the founder (who is also our cousin!) that i was still doing art and shared my instagram, which she was really surprised by. that conversation eventually made its way back to me, and not long after, we started talking about working together. i was still in school studying medical science at the time.
growing up, she was actually the one who inspired me to draw. she used to sketch pokémon for me when we were kids, and i remember being completely amazed by them. art was one of the first things that connected us, even if we didn’t realize it back then. more than a decade later, without much planning, we found ourselves collaborating on the very thing that bonded us in the first place. in a way, it feels less like starting something new and more like returning to something familiar.
can you walk us through the creative process of creating art for osume? how do you go from concept to final piece?
every project starts a little differently. sometimes there’s a strong emotional pull toward a theme, and the creative lead and i build the artwork outward from that shared feeling. other times, a colourway comes first alongside a clear vision, or with enough context to guide the direction while still leaving room for exploration. in those moments, sitting with the colours helps me translate that intent into something visual. like looking at the first renders of mori, i immediately knew i wanted to make a blobby, forest-y mushroom character.
from there, i move onto the sketchboard, creating small thumbnails to explore how different ideas might live on the page. once something feels worth building on, i share it with the team and gather feedback, alongside reference images that help reinforce or gently redirect the concept.
after the general direction is agreed on, the artwork goes through multiple rounds of refinement. even the simplest drawings are revisited through drafts and renders, with ongoing back-and-forth around colour, form, scale, and composition. throughout this process, i’m always keeping in mind that each piece needs to feel distinctly osume—cohesive with its collection while still standing apart from similar themes—before it’s finally prepared for sampling. then the sampling process begins, and i typically make additional changes from here as well. seeing my artwork on a physical form actually looks vastly different from when i see it on my 2D screen. consequently, changes can be big or small, or the idea might get scraped all together.
a funny story, there was a time when we ended up with 15 complete versions of the matcha special edition novelties, but we decided that the standard novelties suited the set better. behind every novelty kit, there are at least 50 rejected designs. it’s an endless game of trial and error until we reach the final piece.
can you walk us through the creative process of creating art for osume? how do you go from concept to final piece?
every project starts a little differently. sometimes there’s a strong emotional pull toward a theme, and the founder and i build the artwork outward from that shared feeling. other times, a colourway comes first alongside a clear vision, or with enough context to guide the direction while still leaving room for exploration. in those moments, sitting with the colours helps me translate that intent into something visual. like looking at the first renders of mori, i immediately knew i wanted to make a blobby, forest-y mushroom character.
from there, i move onto the sketchboard, creating small thumbnails to explore how different ideas might live on the page. once something feels worth building on, i share it with the team and gather feedback, alongside reference images that help reinforce or gently redirect the concept.
after the general direction is agreed on, the artwork goes through multiple rounds of refinement. even the simplest drawings are revisited through drafts and renders, with ongoing back-and-forth around colour, form, scale, and composition. throughout this process, i’m always keeping in mind that each piece needs to feel distinctly osume—cohesive with its collection while still standing apart from similar themes—before it’s finally prepared for sampling. then the sampling process begins, and i typically make additional changes from here as well. seeing my artwork on a physical form actually looks vastly different from when i see it on my 2D screen. consequently, changes can be big or small, or the idea might get scraped all together.
a funny story, there was a time when we ended up with 15 complete versions of the matcha special edition novelties, but we decided that the standard novelties suited the set better. behind every novelty kit, there are at least 50 rejected designs. it’s an endless game of trial and error until we reach the final piece.
creating the world of osume
all the little osume friends are adorable! what are your thoughts when creating a mascot for a specific concept or set?
when creating a character, i make sure it matches the overall vibe of the set. for example, i chose a cozy bear (named kopi) for a warm set like dalgona, and less silly characters for a more somber set like rainy day.
there are usually various candidates for the mascot of a certain set, and sometimes we decide that not having a mascot at all will fit the overall vibe of the set better. original candidates for lilac dreams included whales, manta rays, jellyfish, and a white fluffy original character. these ideas weren’t bad, but the lilacs and clouds just suited the atmosphere of the set so much more. dalgona at one point almost centered around otters, due to my obsession with otters at the time. i believe a bear was the right call, though, because kopi undeniably suits dalgona perfectly.
once i decide on a direction, i draw a single character multiple times with different characteristics. i change the mouth, the ears, add different features… i play around with the character until it is something i am happy with! we had countless variations of saku, the main mascot of osume, before the design finally arrived at the character everyone is familiar with.
when creating a character, i make sure it matches the overall vibe of the set. for example, i chose a cozy bear (named kopi) for a warm set like dalgona, and less silly characters for a more somber set like rainy day.
there are usually various candidates for the mascot of a certain set, and sometimes we decide that not having a mascot at all will fit the overall vibe of the set better. original candidates for lilac dreams included whales, manta rays, jellyfish, and a white fluffy original character. these ideas weren’t bad, but the lilacs and clouds just suited the atmosphere of the set so much more. dalgona at one point almost centered around otters, due to my obsession with otters at the time. i believe a bear was the right call, though, because kopi undeniably suits dalgona perfectly.
once i decide on a direction, i draw a single character multiple times with different characteristics. i change the mouth, the ears, add different features… i play around with the character until it is something i am happy with! we had countless variations of saku, the main mascot of osume, before the design finally arrived at the character everyone is familiar with.
do you have a favourite design you've worked on?
my favourite always changes to the most recent artwork i work on. currently, it is the rainy day special edition deskmat! i learn and improve with every design, so i tend to like the most recent projects i work on the most. i do have a soft spot for tsukimi, though, since it was the first set i’ve ever worked on. my favorite novelty key is the one with two bunnies gazing at the moon.
with more and more keycaps releasing, how do you come up with such new and fun designs each time? what are your main sources of inspiration?
i believe that all ideas come from some sort of input. this could come from books, films, music, travelling, or even artwork from other artists. i try to squeeze ideas from everywhere around me. most of my ideas come through my travels, especially when i visit asia, which explains why most of the artwork i do has some sort of asian element to it.
the most memorable moment since i started taking illustration seriously was when i visited the ghibli museum in japan. i’ve always been a big ghibli fan and it has always been a big influence in my work, but seeing the thought process, the sketches and the effort that goes into breathing life into each ghibli film felt surreal. i think their biggest strength lies in appreciation for the simple things in life.
my greatest takeaway is to always look for inspiration in simple, everyday life. i think by doing so creates something relatable and brings comfort from familiarity. when these ideas come, i always jot or sketch them down immediately. my notes app and notebooks are filled with random brainspills and sketches of ideas i want to incorporate with our products.
with more and more keycaps releasing, how do you come up with such new and fun designs each time? what are your main sources of inspiration?
i believe that all ideas come from some sort of input. this could come from books, films, music, travelling, or even artwork from other artists. i try to squeeze ideas from everywhere around me. most of my ideas come through my travels, especially when i visit asia, which explains why most of the artwork i do has some sort of asian element to it.
the most memorable moment since i started taking illustration seriously was when i visited the ghibli museum in japan. i’ve always been a big ghibli fan and it has always been a big influence in my work, but seeing the thought process, the sketches and the effort that goes into breathing life into each ghibli film felt surreal. i think their biggest strength lies in appreciation for the simple things in life.
my greatest takeaway is to always look for inspiration in simple, everyday life. i think by doing so creates something relatable and brings comfort from familiarity. when these ideas come, i always jot or sketch them down immediately. my notes app and notebooks are filled with random brainspills and sketches of ideas i want to incorporate with our products.
the artist journey
were there any unique challenges you came across when creating art for osume?
creating artwork for osume was a huge learning curve for me. my canvas was suddenly reduced to the size of a keycap, which forced me to be intentional with every choice i made. early on, many of my ideas felt lacklustre in execution, constrained by line width, scale, and colour.
it’s funny looking back, because i went from drawing intensely intricate illustrations to working with just a few lines on a keycap. it became a running back-and-forth between the creative lead and i, where i’d bring in something detailed and she would be like “katie, it’s too detailed!”. through that process, i learned how to strip things back and communicate more with less. over time, i became more comfortable letting go of excess detail and focusing on what truly mattered. when creating artwork for osume now, i prioritize softness, warmth, and minimalism, aiming to say as much as possible with as little as necessary.
were there any unique challenges you came across when creating art for osume?
creating artwork for osume was a huge learning curve for me. my canvas was suddenly reduced to the size of a keycap, which forced me to be intentional with every choice i made. early on, many of my ideas felt lacklustre in execution, constrained by line width, scale, and colour.
it’s funny looking back, because i went from drawing intensely intricate illustrations to working with just a few lines on a keycap. it became a running back-and-forth between the founder and i, where i’d bring in something detailed and she would be like “katie, it’s too detailed!” through that process, i learned how to strip things back and communicate more with less. over time, i became more comfortable letting go of excess detail and focusing on what truly mattered. when creating artwork for osume now, i prioritize softness, warmth, and minimalism, aiming to say as much as possible with as little as necessary.
can we have an insider look at any new concepts you're working on?
we have a couple of new sets that we are working on for 2026. one is centered around a yeti who lives in the forest in the mountains. i wanted this character to have a playful, adventuristic personality, and thought it would be cute to give him a little small bird friend to juxtapose his size—giving him a gentle, kind characteristic. if you couldn’t tell, it’s the same small bird from mori. this bird is actually a recurring character i made for the mini “osume world” i created. you can find him in different prints and postcards as well. it’s my subtle way of hinting that all the characters in different sets are connected!
we have a couple of new sets that we are working on for 2026. one is centered around a yeti who lives in the forest in the mountains. i wanted this character to have a playful, adventuristic personality, and thought it would be cute to give him a little small bird friend to juxtapose his size—giving him a gentle, kind characteristic. if you couldn’t tell, it’s the same small bird from mori. this bird is actually a recurring character i made for the mini “osume world” i created. you can find him in different prints and postcards as well. it’s my subtle way of hinting that all the characters in different sets are connected!
another set explores a breezy, warm vibe. while making art for this set, i envisioned what a perfect, sunny day would look like. i aimed to create a scene you would visualize while listening to some light-hearted, feelgood music. i think this set will bring a lot of warmth and good vibes to any setup.
we also have a koi theme in mind! unlike kanagawa, which also has a koi, this set will have a more dreamy, whimsical atmosphere. i would describe this set to be tranquil and soothing. we combined elements from the sky and the pond to create a dreamlike atmosphere.
another set explores a breezy, warm vibe. while making art for this set, i envisioned what a perfect, sunny day would look like. i aimed to create a scene you would visualize while listening to some light-hearted, feelgood music. i think this set will bring a lot of warmth and good vibes to any setup.
we also have a koi theme in mind! unlike kanagawa, which also has a koi, this set will have a more dreamy, whimsical atmosphere. i would describe this set to be tranquil and soothing. we combined elements from the sky and the pond to create a dreamlike atmosphere.
do you have any advice for fellow artists that are looking to do what you do now?
although quite obvious, my advice would be to keep practicing and working on your personal art style. art is an endless learning journey, and i am still learning everyday. i’m a “self-taught” artist, so just last year i went back to the basics and started learning everything i thought i knew from scratch again. i’m currently working to improve my understanding of composition, form, and colour theory.
if you’re looking into creating artwork that will eventually turn into a product, constantly train yourself to visualize what your work will look like in its final form. in my case, for example, i consider that artwork on deskmats will be greatly blown up in size, so i must adjust accordingly so everything doesn’t look uncomfortably gigantic. if i’m animating for the play75, i make sure the movements are not too grand or sudden, because i don’t want the constant looping of the same animation on your keyboard screen to be irritating over time. being involved in the process of product design means always considering what the end product will look like.
do you have any advice for fellow artists that are looking to do what you do now?
although quite obvious, my advice would be to keep practicing and working on your personal art style. art is an endless learning journey, and i am still learning everyday. i’m a “self-taught” artist, so just last year i went back to the basics and started learning everything i thought i knew from scratch again. i’m currently working to improve my understanding of composition, form, and colour theory.
if you’re looking into creating artwork that will eventually turn into a product, constantly train yourself to visualize what your work will look like in its final form. in my case, for example, i consider that artwork on deskmats will be greatly blown up in size, so i must adjust accordingly so everything doesn’t look uncomfortably gigantic. if i’m animating for the play75, i make sure the movements are not too grand or sudden, because i don’t want the constant looping of the same animation on your keyboard screen to be irritating over time. being involved in the process of product design means always considering what the end product will look like.
connect with the artist
you can find more of kalonsugi's art and content on instagram @kalonsugi!
looking to integrate osume products into your setup? get inspired with some of kalonsugi's favourites
