Kobayashi's approach to mixed-media emphasized texture and materiality amplified by patterning. His characteristic tin strips run strategically across the works' surface to create direction— for example, on Kobayashi's busts, the tin recreates lines on the subjects' faces and clothing. The artist uses both nail heads and exposed nail holes to build facial features, stamping out lips and mouths in a pointillist pattern. The tiny nails, the hammered surfaces, and the placement of the tin form abstract patterns to be admired aside from their subject. In these works, Kobayashi underscores the importance of material— the artist's hand, as well as the tin's origins, is prominent, reminding the viewer that these works are an echo of both Kobayashi and his beloved Little Italy.