Gaku Tada is a visual artist, illustrator, and software engineer based in New Zealand and Japan, renowned for his pioneering 'deep painting' technique. This method utilizes a grease pencil within 3D software to impart a stylized, painterly effect, adding depth to traditional brushstrokes. Through this approach, Tada brings his sketches and drawings to life in three dimensions, immersing viewers in the fantastical and idyllic worlds he creates. His childhood experiences watching Japanese cartoons by creators like Hayao Miyazaki, as well as influences from Tove Jansson's 'The Moomins,' inspire his work, aiming to capture a sense of childlike wonder, magic, and imagination.

Tada began his career as a VFX artist at Digital Domain, later moving to Weta Digital and ILM. Currently, he focuses on creating stylized 3D illustrations and animations, and also works as a university professor and offers online classes in his deep painting technique. In 2024, he released the 'Deep Paint' add-on for Blender, a user-friendly tool designed to create watercolor-style 3D renders with Grease Pencil, featuring new brushes and a stroke-to-3D-mesh tool. In so doing, Gaku shares and democratizes his innovative artistic practices with new generations of artists.