When drawing the characters, Kishimoto consistently follows a five-step process: concept and rough sketch, drafting, inking, shading, and coloring. These steps are followed when he is drawing the manga and making the color illustrations that commonly adorn the cover of "tankōbon", the cover of "Weekly Shōnen Jump", or other media. The toolkit he uses occasionally changes. For instance, he used an airbrush for one illustration for a "Weekly Shōnen Jump" cover but decided not to use it for future drawings largely due to the cleanup required.