![t-shirt Calligraphy kanji Ikusa Byzantine battle Chinese Character japanese](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/a9bb4987749141.5dc28d3c5aa96.jpg)
Year: 2018
Client/band: Turisas
Country: Finland
Mediums: T-shirt
Official release date: May 2018
Concept: Byzantine, battle, for Japan tour
Client/band: Turisas
Country: Finland
Mediums: T-shirt
Official release date: May 2018
Concept: Byzantine, battle, for Japan tour
Design for a limited T-shirt of Finnish 'battle metal' band Turisas' Japan tour 2018.
It's a simple design, but its concept is meaningful for the tour. The style of the band have Byzantium and battle elements strongly. So I made the main part of the design into a Byzantine-style typography with one Chinese character '戦' (ikusa/sen) meaning 'battle' and 'war' in Japanese.
This design is just limited for the Japan tour and Japanese fans of the band, but was a challenge how to use a Chinese character (kanji) on T-shirt for Japanese people nicely. Because, to us Japanese people, a T-shirt with any Chinese character and Japanese letters looks almost like a joke or weird foreign-designed item, especially designed with common typefaces.
I have always though that it could be interesting and cool if the band uses the Chinese character '戦' for something. Finally the chance came, I came up with this design. And after the last show of the tour, thankfully I heard from the band that the T-shirts were sold out.
F I N I S H E D D E S I G N
FRONT
![t-shirt Calligraphy kanji Ikusa Byzantine battle Chinese Character japanese](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/9451b387749141.5dc26b5773a1c.jpg)
BACK
![t-shirt Calligraphy kanji Ikusa Byzantine battle Chinese Character japanese](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/7826e487749141.5dc26b5773365.jpg)
P R O C E S S
![t-shirt Calligraphy kanji Ikusa Byzantine battle Chinese Character japanese](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/eee69287749141.5dc96090d0581.gif)
Sketches for the main part of the design,
a Byzantine-inspired typography with the Chinese character '戦' meaning 'battle' and 'war' in Japanese.
I made it look not too elegant, and not too easy-to-read.
I made it look not too elegant, and not too easy-to-read.
![t-shirt Calligraphy kanji Ikusa Byzantine battle Chinese Character japanese](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/46995287749141.5dc96090cffd6.gif)
The final version of 戦 keeps the hand-drawing -looking for antique-feeling.
I also created the alphabetical letters for 'JAPAN TOUR 2018' in the back design, based on the style of the 戦 for the front.
I also created the alphabetical letters for 'JAPAN TOUR 2018' in the back design, based on the style of the 戦 for the front.
![t-shirt Calligraphy kanji Ikusa Byzantine battle Chinese Character japanese](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/9d346587749141.5dc97e8ff41ba.gif)
For the front design, I added a 'Byzantine battle' image; Varangian guards in a war.
Red is one of the symbolic colors of the band. So I thought many Japanese fans of the band want a tour T-shirt having the color. And the color scheme of red and green is what the band's old merch doesn't have.
![t-shirt Calligraphy kanji Ikusa Byzantine battle Chinese Character japanese](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/7ef66e87749141.5dc9769968393.gif)
For the back design,
I made an emblem having more visual elements of 'the battle metal band coming to Japan'.
F I N I S H E D P R O D U C T
![t-shirt Calligraphy kanji Ikusa Byzantine battle Chinese Character japanese](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/1400/86e25587749141.5dc28d3c5b190.jpg)
![t-shirt Calligraphy kanji Ikusa Byzantine battle Chinese Character japanese](https://mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net/project_modules/max_1200/49a3bc87749141.5dc981282e782.gif)
Thank you!