Entropy

Then And Now: Senior Project

2011-02-27T23:42:00.000-06:00

I love it when artists wait a few years then re-do something they put a lot of time and effort into to judge their degree of improvement. So I totally did just that!

Above is the new version. I took the same concept sketch (rather then several other concepts I had done at the time) and reworked it. I am pretty satisfied with the results! It was a good learning experience if anything, and that is really invaluable. I liked working this way a lot and would like to continue working this way in the future.

Below is the old version, from 2009. It was part of my senior project. I'm actually revisiting the whole project.

Time to dust off this blog.

2011-02-08T14:03:00.006-06:00

You know what I need to post in more? This blog.

Here's a sample of work that I've done since I last updated!

(February 2011)

(December 2010)

(December 2010)

Couple of things I've been working on

2010-07-22T23:51:00.001-05:00

Some product for conventions.

Gillian and Ty

2010-05-02T10:40:00.003-05:00

Happy May!

A $15 commission done for some friends. (:

Got some catching up to do!

2010-04-26T01:31:00.003-05:00

It's been a long time since I last updated! A lot has happened since February, specifically in the art department. I didn't update too much in March seeing as I was finishing the buffer for my webcomic, and didn't have too much to share. At the time of my last update I had about 30 (of 43) comic pages yet to draw, ink, and color. I didn't finish that until the middle of April, pulling all-nighters near the end, but I did some other art in tandem with the comic.

This art was all posted on my private blog from the beginning of March through earlier today. Most of it is convention product; the top being a series of original characters to be turned into pins. I started the process of making them into charms today, and they look great! They all have names and a "story", but it's not all that important; just an extra tidbit for me to use as inspiration for their appearance. The bottom two Pokemon are preliminary artwork for a series of "animal mascot" buttons. Of course there the obligatory self-portraits that I do as warm-up and as a means of starting conversation. Warm-up sketches are a lot of fun! Maybe one day I'll post more of them.

As the convention season is gearing up, a lot of the artwork I'll be doing is product for those shows. That doesn't mean I won't be doing other art, though, and I look forward to posting more then once every other month! (:

Happy Valentines Day!

2010-02-14T00:40:00.005-06:00

Valentines promo-type of thing for Into The Orchard. Since I long ago removed all traces of romance from the story and haven't exactly introduced many characters yet, it was a little difficult to come up with something. Tabby is a notorious lady-chaser, so I'm sure he would love this holiday.

An older version of him, because I'm sick of drawing him as a kid. This picture caused me a lot of agony. :I What was supposed to be simple and easy kind of turned out to be more of a project then I had expected. I'm frustrated with the results, but it's just a motivator to try hard next time!

Short Challenge #2 - Thanks To You

2010-02-10T14:57:00.006-06:00

"Thanks to you, I'm not alone."

Another weekly prompt from the original work community. This week's prompt was a photo of a puppy.

I've always been a cat person. At the same time, I've always been just as fond of a dog's loyalty to the people it loves. Stories like that of Hachiko or Balto make me cry because, let's face it, I'm just that awesome. Now that I think about it, this is a pretty angsty picture. I didn't draw it with the intention of it being a sad thing, if that makes sense. The grayscale doesn't really help... but I don't have time for a color picture this week.

Short Challenge #1 - BAND X

2010-02-07T20:21:00.004-06:00

Work for an original prompt community. Their winter event has a weekly challenge, and this past week's prompt was the song, "I Like Your Girlfriend" by The Planet Smashers.

These guys were a lot of fun to draw! :)

Into The Orchard

2010-02-01T16:00:00.002-06:00

Alright, so since I promised, here's the link to my webcomic: Into The Orchard. It updates Mondays and Thursdays for now. There's not much to see right now but feel free to give me your thoughts/criticisms as the story progresses.

As an extra tidbit, the theme song for the first chapter is "First And Last Waltz" by Nickel Creek.

Marni speed paint test

2010-01-29T11:38:00.004-06:00

I just got both a new PC and Paint Tool SAI. I wanted to try both of them out, so I did a little one-hour drawing of Marni. Hm, I haven't done anything with The Cercyon lately. I should remedy this.

SAI is really cool!!

Evolution of Tabby

2010-01-28T14:20:00.008-06:00

Well, I've been working pretty diligently on getting Into The Orchard ready to post. Of course in doing so, I've been thinking a lot about the characters! As I have some free time waiting for inks to dry, I figured I would share some behind-the-scenes of the project (mostly because I really love talking about it). The content of this blog is inconsequential to the actual story so I don't mind sharing!

Maybe you won't be as interested in this as I am, because you're far more unfamiliar with the character. However, I love going back and seeing how my characters have progressed throughout the years! The main character for Into The Orchard has had a very steady but very fun evolution from his creation in 2004 to the premier of his story on Monday.

Tabby started out as being an 'image' character - a subject to draw certain scenes with but who didn't have a story. The only depth to his character was "someone who really likes women". His purpose was to use as a subject for romantic or sweet scenes, as seen here (Summer 2004):

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There must have been some drawings of him done afterward but for the life of me I can't find him. Between the above drawing and the next one, he was given his name and was given a different hairstyle - his characteristic cow-lick. Tabby continued to be an optimistic, head-in-the-clouds romantic (April 2005):

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I think it was after the above picture that I decided I didn't like him obsessing over romance or relationships, and he became a lot more selfish and a lot more optimistic. I tried to figure a story for him, but it ended up going nowhere. I don't remember much of the story anymore, other then it had to do with ghosts, haha. I think the ghost had to help Tabby finish certain goals in order to get to heaven. It was something like that, and it was stupid. So out the window it went (April 2005):

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This next picture is recovery from throwing out the above story, but I don't remember the details. All I remember was being very unhappy with the result since it doesn't portray his character well, so this has actually never been shown publicly until now (June/July 2005):

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The following drawing is the only image that will ever exist of him being sad. It's not in his nature and I no longer remember why this was drawn or why he was chosen as the subject. Some kind of throwback to his romantic days? That seems most likely considering the red string in the picture. This is a pretty misleading image in terms of his personality, but I still find it interesting how I drew him throughout the years (October/November 2005):

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After that picture Tabby more or less didn't get drawn until last year when I decided to revamp his character and give him a story. He's still a horrible skirt-chaser but everything else about his personality has changed - he's not a dreamer, he's definitely not a romantic, and he's selfish to the point of intentionally ruining other people's lives to get what he wants. But he's so much fun to write and draw!

The current Tabby looks like this:

This is more or less his appearance in the second chapter, and is a very good visual depiction of who he is. Now only if there was a girl he could shark in that picture, it would be the Most Accurate Drawing Ever.

Onto a brief ramble about music before I end the entry. For those of you who don't know, I usually make soundtracks to all my stories and projects so I have some sort of appropriate ambiance and motivation. I'm very much in love with my soundtrack for Into The Orchard. I just added some Americana to it and it's feeling more and more complete.

I'll make sure to share a link when the comic gets posted.

Sketches 1/23/09

2010-01-23T15:29:00.006-06:00

Fancy!

Just a few things I've been working on. I'm working on costume design and a logo for Into the Orchard, and plugging out as much fanart as I can when I need a break from my personal projects. There's not much else to say. I wish I had more work to post, but since a lot of the more formal things are in mid-production, this is it for now!

What projects is everyone else working on? :)

Improvement Meme

2010-01-09T18:00:00.005-06:00

(Click for a larger view)

Usually I don't subscribe to (or advertise for) the website "Deviantart", but I really liked this "improvement" meme. I usually don't do this kind of thing either, but it's been very nice to see the gradient of my art.

I lost all the digital copies for my artwork from 2006 except for a few things, and the only reason I have those is because they were uploaded various places. Most of it was schoolwork, though, and I have all the originals. But wasn't about to scan them for a meme.

2009 seriously was 50% my Senior Project. I obsessed over it. When I wasn't doing the actual work for it, I was doodling the characters. When I wasn't doodling them, I was making soundtracks for the series. When I wasn't doing that, I was making their clothes (no, really). So I made a lot of art and things for that, but not much else that was 'complete' - everything else I did has been uploaded here.

The second half of 2009 is kind of difficult to explain in an artistic sense. I went through a disruptive personal experience that kept me from being emotionally involved in my art - those moments tend to be when I do fanart, so I did more of that this year then I have since about 2002.

I've also been working on a webcomic with nearly the same vigor I had with my senior project. I draw the characters often, make soundtracks for them, doodle their world, etc. I've been refraining from putting much about it online for two reasons: fear that I won't commit, and the desire for the entire project to be a surprise.

Layout update

2009-12-31T18:41:00.005-06:00

Entropy's layout will conform to the look of Cellar Skylight from now on. Feel free to suggest improvements or additions, and let me know of any bugs you might come across. I look forward to your help!

Regular art posts will commence after the holiday! May everyone have a peaceful new year.

Merry Christmas Meowth

2009-12-14T21:59:00.004-06:00

Made for Facebook's "Pokemon Month". You're supposed to turn your profile picture to your favourite Pokemon. It was a hard choice, but I've always been fond of Meowth! :) One hour speed doodle in Photoshop CS4.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Mele Kalikimaka

2009-12-02T23:29:00.001-06:00

Christmas card for this year.

High In The Firmament

2009-11-23T23:11:00.002-06:00

Well this was quite the learning experience! I completely forgot to check my working size - more like since changing computers I forgot to set my defaults. So this is the actual size of it. Poo. This was done in Photoshop and was my attempt at breaking completely free of my comfort box. Didn't work quite as well as I would have hoped, but I learned and that's important too. :)

This is fanart for Spirited Away (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi) for those who don't recognize it. This movie, as well as most of Studio Ghibli's work, had a massive impact on my life, and so I really enjoyed doing fanart for it.

Factoid: "High In The Firmament" is actually the title for a short comic I'm working on. :C

Little Secrets

2009-11-07T16:21:00.002-06:00

Some cutsey fanart as I try to ease myself back into digital art. I think I put up some sort of subconscious wall after my senior project ended in regards to working digitally, because it's been so hard for me to do it lately. Oh well, that's why I practice!

(For future reference, slapping some textures on top of a drawing is not actually quality.)

Work from the what?

2009-10-22T16:50:00.005-05:00

While I was going through my files to pick out some stuff I'd sell for MCAD's annual art sale, I found some old stuff! Just a few things that I don't think ever got any attention, but I'm really fond of. For some strange reason. :)

I don't think this ever got any attention, but it's one of four pieces I did for a final two years ago.

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This was an exercise in one of my notebooks for class. I really have no idea what's happening here, but I'm pretty sure that's Sirius Black chewing on Taichi Kamiya's arm. His hair's not big enough to be Tai, though. Oh well. This is also from two years ago.

On another note, I'm finally going to make some prints of Colonal J. Fox's Map from The Cercyon. Email me (katy.a.farina@gmail.com) if you're interested.

Spirit of Autumn

2009-10-08T13:42:00.003-05:00

I might end up turning this into a series. Either way it'll be on my portfolio soon. :)

Finally, some art!

2009-09-16T14:28:00.006-05:00

Okay, well, there's really no excuse for not having scanned these sooner. They've been sitting in my sketchbook for more then a month. They're character studies for a few of the main characters from my up and coming webcomic, Into The Orchard (or just Orchard).

Forgive the quick-fix colouring effect. The colours used are each character's "colour schemes", coordinating mostly to their personalities.

This is Tabby, the Main Character (as of now he has no last name). In short Tabby is, to coin a term a good friend of mine used, "mono-polar". Basically what that means is he lacks the capacity to be anything other then upbeat, even when he's upset. That's not to say he's unjustly optimistic; he's pretty realistic (if not often childishly so) and has a serious side that makes him a good leader.

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Salvador (Sal) Moralez, sort of a resident loner. He doesn't have too much a memory for his time before living with Tabby and Burman (Tabby's father), and treasures his home life immensely. Though he's mute (for now) that's never really been a big disability. He has no problem speaking his mind or getting his point across. Sal is exceedingly expressive and probably the most honest of the characters in this story Despite him looking uncharacteristically sad here, he's not a sad person at all.

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This girl, whose name I haven't decided on (somewhere between Emily and Alexis), is probably my favourite character right now. She takes herself very seriously, is smarter then she wants you to believe, and knows much more about everything then she's willing to let on. She's a little cold-hearted, but she doesn't like distancing herself from other people and takes great pride in the fact that she has more friends then she can keep track of.

Artists I'm In Love With

2009-07-27T13:24:00.003-05:00

Well, in light of recent events I haven't been doing much in the ways of art. Grieving takes a lot out of you, believe me. However, my free time has been spent researching, reading and plotting about my next project - a comic series! I've discussed it here in the past, and as the project progresses I'm sure there will be tons more!

However I don't know when I'll be posting artwork here again. Hopefully soon, but I'll be traveling a lot and wont' have much access to scanners for a while. :)

Considering these two factors, I figured I'd update about, well, something. Just so you know I'm alive and that I'm watching you. Aaaalways watching.

This time it's artists I'm in love with! They're probably much less known to some of you, others of you have heard me gush about them before. Or are awesome enough to know them for their own merits!

First is Sumomo Yumeka. I love her comics. Something about the pacing is totally admirable and is definitely something I strive for in my own work. She's especially good at slowing down a moment and making the reader really feel for a character in a story that's only 10 pages long! I feel connected to all of her works. "Sumomo Yumeka" is the alias she uses when she does BL stories, though she has several other aliases and isn't limited to one genre. Though if you don't know what "BL" is, you may want to pass on looking her up.

Suzuki Tsuta, another BL comic artist. Her way of drawing is so organic, I just love it! All of her characters feel so animated and lifelike. She's a little limited in terms of subject matter and composition (in my opinion at least) but makes up for it with her adorable characters and wonderful style! She's a recent influence and I'm sure you'll see some of it come through in some of my work.

Lois van Baarle, arguably my favourite illustrator. My favourite thing about her work is her colour palette. No other artist really renders the way she does in the colours she uses. Every single piece of work she does is interesting to look at even if at first glance it may seem like an ordinary portrait. She's one of the biggest inspirations for me and I definitely recommend looking at her work!

Tracy J. Butler, illustrator and comic artist. I've been following her work for almost 12 years now. She was one of the artists who made me want to draw and made me want to write stories! I'm still impressed by the work she did 12 years ago in the media she used, and it should go without saying that I'm impressed by her current work. I'm so happy to see her be so successful, but also a little sad! Only because I like having niche artists to admire. :)

I think that's it for this installment! Next time I'll have some male artists to show you. Promise!

Gorebyss

2009-06-28T00:35:00.002-05:00

I've been offering $10 commissions lately, and this is the first one of them. The character is based off the Pokemon Gorebyss. I think the design is really cute, and I ended up having a lot of fun drawing this.

I swear to god I've been drawing, really!

Sora + Zack = Inevitble Chaos

2009-06-17T13:51:00.004-05:00

What is that you saaayyyy? Fanart, from me? Odd. Anyway, this is a textless panel from the beginning of a short "chaos will ensue" KH/FF7:CC crossover comic. Non-shippy. I'm really having fun drawing this, which is odd for fanart. Usually I prefer drawing my characters, but I love Kingdom Hearts, and everyone loves Zack. So I guess it works out well enough. Honestly I don't think Zack has a domestic bone in his body but it's fun anyway.

Though this is the style my next project will be drawn in, so I guess this is also practice for that. I'm sure no one can tell but me (especially with this panel), but it's actually much looser then the way I normally draw.

Well, this is just something to show that I'm not actually dead. D:

Liese Moralez

2009-06-01T19:43:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the radio silence, haha. Lots have been going on in my life that have detracted from me uploading all the work I've done. I'll be starting a series of prompts through the month of June, but they won't be posted here.

This is the beginning of character designs for an eventual webcomic, tentatively called "Orchard". This character is named Liese Moralez (first name pronounced lee-say). It may not look it seeing as I just decided this a few hours ago (and this picture is about a week old), but she and her brother are half Colombian, half Chinese. She's the "love-interest" character and was probably the easiest to design.

The younger vignette is of her at about 7 or 8, when the style was to wear your hair in a side ponytail. Obviously when she's older she dyed her hair. Her personality hasn't changed, though, and she's much nicer looking in these two drawings then she actually is. She's a very flat, shallow character, but they're fun to evolve. :) And boy, does she change.

Dramatically. *jazz hands*

The Cercyon and the Battle for New Tuesday (Book 1)

2009-05-07T14:04:00.007-05:00

Finally, the cover for the whole project. It was the last thing I did, and it really felt like closure to me. I'll be uploading the entirety of the project to my website once I revamp it so I'll post a link here. The illustrations have changed a little. :) But the cover remains the same. I'll probably post details later, because there's a lot that got lost from the sketch phase to the final.

I learned a lot over the course of the semester. Not only with working digitally, but with my lifelong quest to find a self-satisfactory way to interpret the written word as illustration. I'm much more comfortable using Photoshop and Illustrator.

Eventually I'll be finishing all the illustrations to this story and pitching it to various publishing companies (unless it gets picked up soon!), but for now I move onto other projects. The big project over the summer is a comic. :)

Children's Bedding

2009-04-16T20:32:00.002-05:00

A change of pace from my months of uploading senior project! An assignment with our product design class to create a partial set of children's bedding. This is the version I'm using for portfolio day tomorrow. I'll probably touch it up before class on Monday.

And because it's hard to see the icons used in the pattern, here's a close-up.

Chapter 5: East and West Grannigar

2009-04-12T23:21:00.004-05:00

This kind of situation is pretty often reoccurring. The Captain gets it in his mind to go off and find a certain treasure then forces his crew to do all the work while he stands there looking stoic or contemplative. Of course, the younger mates end up, you know, not doing anything. So basically just Anne and Heights do the work. And get sunburned by the look of it.

Kurori is back on the ship (first mate duties and all), Oren is anti-social, and Rook is probably off getting into trouble. Anne, being the only real confrontational person aboard the Cercyon, often ends up lecturing Nathan when this kind of thing happens. She's been venturing with him for 12 years. It has yet to sink in.

I noticed a lot of similarities between this illustration and this one from early production. I don't really mind similarities, especially since the older piece isn't "official art", and it just means that the personalities are solid enough.

Chapter 15: Cercyon

2009-04-12T15:21:00.003-05:00

A longstanding grudge between Nathan Redgoose, our absent-minded captain, and Lysander Rush, East Grannigar's top general, escalates as New Tuesday burns. Looks like Nathan is in trouble...

I'm happy with the effects that happen in this illustration, though the composition is a little bare. Hopefully that will be remedied when I finish all the graphic design. :)

Last Spot Illustration

2009-04-06T15:41:00.004-05:00

There are 16 total for the entire project, but I'm not going to upload them all here. They'll be available on my website eventually. Incidentally, this one is also the last in the book, and is arguably my favourite.

Some More Spots

2009-04-05T11:48:00.005-05:00

A few more spots from the project! Ah, of course, I still use the term "spot illustration" quite lightly. These are meant to be half-page illustrations at the very least. Some would take up more space then others. :)

(Above) The crew of The Cercyon from left to right: Heights (top), Simon, Anne, Rook, Nathan, Lucas, Kurori.

(Above) The door to The Four Whiskers, a rather mysterious tavern that Tanner and his friends return to often throughout the story.

(Above) The Mera queen giving Tanner and Oren a treasure they'd been looking for. In case you were wondering, the Mera queen is a mandarin fish.

Chapter 6: The Mera King

2009-03-29T20:19:00.003-05:00

Oren was actually a member of the 1st School, but due to circumstance he was unable to retain his post. As a result he had his rank markings tattooed over as a solid band on his upper arm, and was doomed to a fate not unlike that of an outcast. That doesn't mean he's a pushover, though, and goes back to the Mera cities whenever he needs to. Oren is a red-tailed shark.

How is Tanner breathing underwater? Well, the reason that's given within this story is explained as unique skills the Mera can pass along to others at their whim, and that's the only explanation you get for now. :)

I'm not sure how I feel about this illustration, so if you have any comments or critiques, I'd be happy to hear them!

Chapter 7: A Dark Tomorrow

2009-03-29T14:12:00.007-05:00

Due to certain spoilery reasons, Tanner and Oren had to flee from the Mera city of Nortemps. They were aided by Farren, a rather grumpy octopus, and Eria, Oren's wife. Despite the rather negative outcome of their visit to Nortemps, Eria will always have a reassuring smile for her husband, even when saying goodbye.

Eria is an eastern blue devil fish, while Farren is an easern pacific red octopus. They're placed in the military based on the type of animal they are; certain species have certain skills. Eria is from the 5th school, Farren from the 1st school. He also has tattoos on both his arms, but it's covered up by his cape in this illustration.

Actually, way too much thought went into the practicality of mermaids and underwater warfare. Honestly I'd be happy never to think of it again. I'm really pleased with how Eria's tail came out, but it's hard to see details under the water. I'll talk more about Oren in a later post.

The Captain

2009-03-17T14:12:00.002-05:00

Nathan! I was reworking a sketch to give him a more dynamic pose, but I'm not sure whether or not I'm going to use this one. I liked the way this came out anyway so I figured I'd upload it.

Music that makes me think of him (and the whole project in general) - "Wings" by Yoko Kanno, "Sky Ferry" by Alexandre Desplant, "The Orange Tree" by Philip Glass, "Sons and Daughters" by The Decemberists, "Alchemy" by Johnny Hollow, and "Dim Allentown Cove" by Humanwine. If you get a chance to listen to these songs in better quality, I reccomend it!

Chapter 9: To Turrodel

2009-03-16T00:46:00.007-05:00

Having been more or less given the furnace room of the Cercyon to his choice in maitinance, Tanner was quite annoyed to find Marni stowed away amidst his supplies. Since he more or less owed her his life, he kept her secret and began sneaking her food. During their lunches, Marni would tell him stories about her country, and they grow to be fast friends.

This illustration is just about as finished as the last. If I can get most of them to this point I'll be happy. I also realized that the colours got really washed out making the switch from CMYK to RBG, but them's the breaks.

Fun facts! This one took me less time then the other one did for some inexplicable reason. It was also done without the grunge at first, but for as cleanly as twelve-year-old Tanner is, he's not good enough to get all the mess off a 20 year old ship. Especially when that ship belongs to Nathan...

"Spot" Illustrations

2009-03-15T14:12:00.009-05:00

A few spots from the project. I call them spot illustrations, but technically they'll take up about half the page.

From chapter 1. Jettie, Tanner's [young and weird] grandmother and her butler, Rufus. There's a reason why Rufus is so young, but you don't find out until the second or third book. Not the story my senior project encompasses. Also, yeah. Jettie is a weirdo (at least to Tanner), but she's so much fun to write! :)

From chapter 2. The mysterious library door Jettie usually keeps hidden beneath those curtains. She left it open, though, which of course invites trouble.

From chapter 5. Oren, the merman character, poking his head out from the water. Tanner is really creeped out by him at first, being that he is not a terrible fan of the ocean.

More to come!

Chapter 2: The Forever Library

2009-03-12T23:09:00.009-05:00

Thus begins my slow but inevitable posting of my entire senior project.

First up is Tanner messing around at his grandmother's house.

Fun facts! The file for this is over a gig, is 32 layers, and it took me roughly 20 hours over the span of 3 days. Pretty short amount of time all things considered!

This one is at about 89% done. I need to add some detail to the border as well as the text for the chapter, so I'll probably post this again when it's done. I'm just excited to upload my first "finished" (non-half spread) illustration for this project. :)

That being said, any comments or critiques are welcome! I'd love to hear everyone's thoughts. This blog should be open for non-members to comment.

Baby shower invitation

2009-03-10T16:57:00.002-05:00

Wow, it's been a while since I uploaded stuff. I've been busy with senior project, to no real surprise. I still need to take photos from my apparel project - it came out great! I just lack access to a decent camera right now.

In the meantime, have some bunnies! The invitation is for a baby shower, but it can be used for anything, really.

Skateboard!

2009-02-21T22:21:00.005-06:00

For a 15-25 year old girl who is interested in the sport of skateboarding, but is not really into it, and who wants to keep her sense of femininity.

Middle detail.

Top detail.

It still needs a little touching-up, but overall I'm really happy with it. :)

Costume site is up and running!

2009-02-20T01:55:00.001-06:00

Hello! I'm sorry this post is lacking artwork (some tomorrow, I promise), but I felt I'd share the link to my costuming website. Within the next couple of months I hope to add two more costumes to the repertoire, assuming I can find time between working on my senior project. I'll most likely be adding a casual clothing (non-costume) section as well. Right now it's rather bare, for which I apologize.

Regardless, you should all take a look at it here! Make sure to let me know if anything isn't loading right. Right now I'm not taking orders for anything due to overload in work schedule, but I'll be taking pre-orders beginning on April 1st, and will start production of orders mid-May. I hope to do business with you in the future. :)

Uhm, main characters of..?

2009-02-03T21:26:00.003-06:00

Oh man, this project seriously needs a title.

Well anyway, this is another thing that's been sitting around from back in December. It features most of the characters of my senior project (missing main characters are Kurori, Jettie and Lysander, but they didn't fit).

I figure I'd use this mostly as a base colour guide while working on the project, but some colours may change in the future. :P There are a lot of missing details, I realized as I was working on this, such as Rook's scarf and multiple "rank wings" on characters' jackets... But if I'm the only one that notices (and cares) then I guess it's not a big deal. :P

This is printed out and hanging in my studio, much as the character sheets I did last semester. My studio walls are almost covered already, all with stuff for this project. I guess that's not bad, I have plenty of references to look at!

Children of New Wednesday.

2009-01-29T22:40:00.003-06:00

Ohh, this one has been sitting around for a while but I'm probably not going to finish it. I like where it is right now, at least, and I need to do other stuff. It's the very beginning of an effort to push my default style away from anime.

Top to bottom - Anne, Nathan and Lysander as teenagers, probably right before Anne and Lysander get married. I like drawing them as kids. :) New Wednesday is the town where they grew up. This was a fun character study!

Manna sketch

2009-01-17T00:06:00.005-06:00

This has been sitting on my hard drive for a month or so, but I didn't take my tablet home with me this time and thus didn't work on it at all. Oh Manna. I used to draw her all the time, now if I draw her once every three months it's lucky. No one draws her anymore, haha. That doesn't matter to me, though. She's one of my earliest and certainly most dear characters. Even if she no longer has a plot or purpose, she's still adorable and probably my favourite to draw. :)

Speed paint; 1.5 hours. Exercise in digital techniques and drawing stylized animals.

Snowy hugs

2009-01-15T20:03:00.005-06:00

Over the next few days I'll be posting some stuff up from winter break. :) Enjoy!

Well, I wanted to draw something sweet. And I wanted to draw Wyatt. ....Unfortunately the two don't really go well together, hahaha, but I guess he's allowed to have sweet moments too. This was an exercise in black and white drawings, thin lines, and character interaction. I don't know if I'd classify it as a success, what with the poor anatomy/nonexistent gravity and all, but it was fun to draw regardless. :)

Adelle and Wyatt have a very passionate, tolerable love. I don't think I'd ever classify it as "sweet", more.. violent and comfortable. But I don't know a couple that doesn't get cutsey like this at least once. Maybe this is their 'one', haha. I also really love drawing them in non-canon clothing! I wonder why...

Links To Love

2009-01-09T10:48:00.003-06:00

Alright my friends, I know a number of you are big D.I.Y. people, or at the very least have a [not-so] secret desire to make your own clothing. In that case, head over to Threadbanger for a lot of awesome tutorials and photo archives. If their D.I.Y. episodes can't help they'll at least point you in the right direction. Threadbanger has a lot of steampunk tutorials as well, so if you are - like me - interested in that scene, go enjoy!

If you haven't been following Cakewrecks, you really must. Much like Failblog, it has a really horrific display of cake-baking mishaps that will have you either laughing or recoiling in horror. It's not all bad, though, as every Sunday promises an array of more-beautiful-then-you-can-imagine cakes.

Coilhouse Magazine has a web blog with a lot of off-beat imagery and going-ons. I have yet to find an article that isn't unbelievably interesting... or really, really odd at any rate. And if the off-beat thing isn't your scene, they at least have a lot of fantastic images that will inevitably serve as inspiration.

Not art, but some cool stuff anyway.

2009-01-05T20:05:00.002-06:00

Sorry that I've been lacking in posts. I have a number of things to post, but unfortunately will not be able to do so until I make friends with a scanner. In the mean time I felt I'd share some of the non-art discoveries I've made lately.

Most of the time spent away from the computer - a rather good amount actually - has been to work on my senior project. It has a bit of a steampunk-y feel to it, which you may or may not be able to tell from the two posts prior to this. It's fine if you don't, though, since those are the basis for the future steampunk awesome and not the actual style that'll be used.

While working on the project I was listening to the musical compilation "An Age Remembered", which is available for free at Post-Punk (along with a number of other awesome compilations). A good number of those songs serve as inspiration to the mood that the story takes on.

That compilation lead me to both the soundtracks from The Illusionist, The Golden Compass and Laputa: Castle In The Sky - all of which I've heard in the past, but never applied to the theme of my own work. Maybe it doesn't come out so much to others but a lot of this music - especially the more energetic/action based ones - serves as huge inspiration for the story and my direction in the art.

I'm a super visual person and never see illustrations in my head statically. The story I'm using for my senior project plays out like a movie behind my eyes, and various songs from that are definitely good soundtracks to the story I want to tell. One of these days I'll actually make a compilation available to download. ^^'

But my musical adventure does not end there. Due to my awesome friend Ali, I've been introduced to the cello work of Zoe Keating. A lot of her work is on youtube, so you should definitely look her up. I put her music on when I need something to zone out to, but don't want to put up with the distracting beats of techno. Her work is trancy and enticing, and definitely worth every bit of money you will inevitably have to pay to listen to her.

Another awesome artist/comedian also introduced to me by Ali would be Tim Minchin. Words do not do justice to how amused I am by his work but you should look him up on youtube as well. Do it!

I'll eventually be commissioning these fine folks for a tavern sign for The Four Whiskers. Their work is amazing, and you should totally go check it out!

Another really fantastic supply store for old-fashioned thread craft is Reconstructing History. They have a really wide range of historical patterns for relatively good prices, and a lot of old style notions, lace and ropes. Excellent if you're sewing a period piece or if you want a good pattern to make alterations to.

And one more awesome clothes-based site would be Urban Originals. Another site that Ali showed me, this one has some amazing boots for really low prices. Cheap, blank boots can easily - and guilt free - be modified into something steampunk or lolita, or any sort of period-style shoe. Much, much better then spending $200 on them. :P There are also some pre-made designs on there that could serve as awesome boots, also for very low prices. If you're ever doing costuming, check that out for sure!

Colonal J. Fox's map

2008-12-08T18:13:00.004-06:00

Map of the world that Tanner's story takes place in. A better quality image will be posted once I actually have time to scan it. But that won't be for quite some time. :P The countries are (East/West) Grannigar, Calidon, Argaria, Turodel, Truvalu (which is pronounced "Troo-va-loo"), Inados and Lazaran. The oceans are Mertemps, Merdi, Merest, Merte and Merost.

Ahhhh, um, several cities and ports are put on the map, but there'll be more info on them when I make the actual guide book. So you'll have to wait until then. Or ask me in person, because god knows I can babble on endlessly about this project.

Character Sheets

2008-12-06T17:10:00.011-06:00

Wow, it's been a while since I updated. I was busy writing my novel for National Novel Writing Month. The following character sheets feature the characters from the novel and future Senior Project. They also double as part of a final for this semester. For those of you who know the full range of my characters and mythology, there are a number of easter-eggs hidden within these designs. Can you name any of them? :)

Tanner Fox (12), the main character. He's shy around new people but eager to learn, especially when it comes to mechanics.

Marni Praharaj (13), something of a princess where she comes from, and very much acts like it. She's technically not part of the Cercyon's crew but often tags along.

Captain Regoose (28), captain of the Cercyon airsea ship. He hates his last name and does not like to be called by it. The Captain is often outspoken but is actually a huge coward.

Kurori Cadassi (22), first mate of the Cercyon. He is dedicated to his work and usually takes over for the Captain.

Anne Matthews (24), quartermaster for the Cercyon. She challenges the Captain's cowardice often and does not mind speaking out of her rank; this is acceptable only because of her and the Captain's (non-romantic) history. She hates giving out money on paydays.

Edward Heights (31), carpenter and boatswain of the Cercyon. He usually goes by his last name. Heights is very serious when it comes to keeping the Cercyon in tip-top shape and was annoyed when the Captain assigned Tanner as his assistant.

Lucas DeMar (20), master gunner of the Cercyon. He's not the biggest fan of authority (in this case, Kurori), but knows when to be serious. He also very much loves The Four Whiskers' signature drink (it's non-alcoholic).

Simon Cadassi (15), doctor and youngest decorated crew member of the Cercyon. He's Tanner's best friend. He frowns a lot and Tanner has a hard time telling when he's joking around. Simon's past is immensely complex and mysterious for someone as young as him.

Rook (??) is the Cercyon's Corvid ambassador, and is used for reconnaissance missions while they're at sea. Not much is known about him.

Oren (26) is the Cercyon's Mera ambassador. He can walk on land if he feels the need, and comes to think of Tanner and Marni as his siblings. He is the only member of the Cercyon who is happily married, to his wife, Eria.

Things from around the block

2008-11-02T18:37:00.002-06:00

Two page assignment about unrelated text and imagery. The purpose was to find the places where the text still links up to the pictures.

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Doodle of Manna after I decided to write her and her cohorts out of the story. SAD. This is probably one of the only times I've drawn her seriously this year. :(

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Well. I don't think I could have drawn a more appropriate image of him if I tried. That's... that's really all there is to say. I like dressing him up in current trends, considering he doesn't usually wear much. And is from a story set six hundred years ago. ...Ssh.

Autumn '08

2008-10-21T23:44:00.003-05:00

Here's the final product of an image I've been working on. Is it easier to understand? I hope so. :) Adelle and Kurori (who hasn't been drawn in such a long time!) in modern clothes.

The Tragic Tale of Mr. Sneezes

2008-10-15T19:51:00.004-05:00

Homework assignment from mid-September. The story is an excerpt from Stitches, altered in order to meet the requirements for the assignment - the dog doesn't die in the real story. :)

ValleySCARE 2008

2008-10-14T18:57:00.002-05:00

Hahahaha, so I love standing out front because this is pretty much how I imagine guests' image of our maze enterance to be. I'm not very good at caricatures, though. :P

Some Stuff that Doesn't Suck

2008-10-13T10:33:00.005-05:00

More Kama, from that day when I couldn't stop drawing him.
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Adelle with her hair down! A rare sight indeed.
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Some characters from a story called 'Stitches', one of whom was featured in comic homework that has not been scanned yet. :P
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"Lolita Butterfly", a dress I am working on. It's part of a series of lolita bugs, the other three being Lolita Moth, Lolita Ladybug and Mr. Dragonfly. I haven't found anyone yet to be the Ladybug, but I will eventually. :)

A different kind of snake.

2008-10-06T20:24:00.004-05:00

Um, recovering from last post... Have something a little more normal.

It's a snake, Form-Z-newbie style. :)

The Mask (NSFW)

2008-10-04T15:23:00.005-05:00

HAHAHA, oh god don't think I'm a weirdo. Enjoy this!

(Yeah, he's a reoccuring, absolutely batshit insane character of mine. This is tame.)

And now for something completely different (ha! I am witty)

2008-09-27T11:45:00.010-05:00

So one of the four classes I'm taking this semester is a ten week crash course on digital modeling using FormZ. It is QUITE POSSIBLY the hardest thing I've ever done. Our assignment this week was to make something organic (though it didn't have to be an identifiable object), so I decided to try and make a fishy.

It was super hard and it's not at ALL what I set out to make, but I felt I'd share anyway. I learned a lot which I suppose is the most important thing, haha.

It was initially going to be a koi, but I could not get the dang body to move right. So it's just a pill fish. Or torpedo fish, if you want. It's also probably hard to see (the lighting effects are agony), but all the fins curl a lot. That was the hardest to do, actually, and what I'm most pleased with even though they're still pretty stiff.

I'll post something with substance eventually, but I want to show off the torpedo fish since I'm pretty proud of myself for finishing it without throwing my computer out a window. :D

Happy Autumn! 8D

2008-09-23T00:10:00.004-05:00

...Yuuuup. >_>

Kama. He's a jackass who really would wear that shirt... and then push people down the stairs all day. He basically just loves his boyfriend. Though he'd probably push him down the stairs, too. Japan teaches me about healthy relationships! 8D

I adore him. I've been drawing him in various situations all day. D:

Septembermas Terror 08...??

2008-09-16T01:40:00.009-05:00

Hahahahahahaha... So this happened today. >_>

(even ~~bigger~~ better version here)

In case you missed it every other year, it's a demi-sequel to this - part one (NSFW), part two and part three.

Nooo, I'm not actually letting my Christmas-loving alter-ego run free just quite yet. The deal was November. Today was just an isolated incident (mostly Stars's fault). Lets see if I can hold out till Turkey Day. >_>

A couple of things~

2008-09-09T21:04:00.005-05:00

First off I wanted to share Magnetosphere, which is a huuuuuge file, so be patient. It's a beautiful video, though. Puts me in a trance. :D

Then I wanted to give you links to the texture sites I use for my digital work. Mayang's Free Texture Library was my main one, but they're down right now and don't look like they're coming back any time soon. Keep an eye on them, though, because the textures they have are great. The other one is CG Textures, a huge library with images in a variety of resolutions. Totally worth hitting up.

Also, the place I use most for reference images and textures..? Deviantart. I know, I know, it's a horrible trolling ground for tweens who think they can draw anime, but it's also a great resource for stock images and has surprisingly been a huge help when looking for references. It's a bit easier to navigate now, too, which is a plus.

Anyway, on to arts! Make sure you click to see 'em bigger. :D

A birthday gift for my very best friend Rini, who turned 20 on Sunday. :3 It has gold all over it IRL and is really shiney.

Here be my comic homework from this week. I was really surprised with how well it was received. o.O I didn't think it was that great at all... but I really appreciated all the compliments. :3 The characters are very loosely Adelle and Wyatt, but I don't think they'd ever be this, um.. cute? Either way I was in the mood to draw them.

Aang Commission

2008-09-04T15:29:00.004-05:00

Whoo, today I feel the chill of autumn! Huzzah!

So here we have a commission for a friend of mine. ...Started this one in December and only just finished it. >_> ....There was a lot going on..

I'm only vaguely happy with it. The drawing itself, as well as the colouring for Aang and the sheep, is from December. There are a number of issues overall, but the full size image is like 6000x8000 or something obscene like that and my computer can't process it that well. I eventually lost the will to fight. D: It's so large because she wanted a big poster of it. ^^'

Also, all the green of this illustration hurts my eyes against the red of the layout... I'm sorry if you have the same problem.. >.<

Something New I Found

2008-09-03T21:43:00.005-05:00

Uuunnngg, I have some things from summer to upload but I'm too lazy to scan them (and am busy with a commission right now).

So until then, here's Gunnerkrieg Court, a webcomic by Tom Siddell. Absoloutly fantastic, go check it out!

My list of costumes is growing, but I don't have a sewing machine yet... Still, it's really fantastic when I figure out how to go about something (in terms of making my own patterns, that is). Problem solving is my fave; I should have been a scientist. D:

Speaking of new things, Sam and I discovered Bounen no Xamdou (or X'amd: Lost Memories), a new anime that's animated by the same people who did the Fullmetal Alchemist series. The animation alone is fantastic, but the story is mesmerizing. Very melancholy, but worth a download. They're only on episode seven thusfar.

Wy-not? (sorry.. horrible pun..)

2008-08-31T00:46:00.003-05:00

Something new! Wyatt.. He is amusing to me, all sittin' in the sewers glaring at nothing. OR IS HE GLARING AT SOMETHING?! I just don't know.

Critiques appreciated. :)

Exploding Box Kitties

2008-08-28T16:49:00.004-05:00

Hah. An hour-long in class assignment; "What's In The Box?"

I have no freaking clue where this one came from. Oh well, people seemed to enjoy it. Characters are spontaneous.

Otakon 2008

2008-08-13T14:26:00.009-05:00

Yaaay, Otakon 2008 was a huge blast! :) My friends and I are planning to go next year.

As I promised, here are some photos of my outfits. The first is my EGA (Elegent Gothic Aristocrat) costume, which got a lot of compliments and flattery. A lot of people thought I was from something in this dress.. :)

I'm the Pikachu... obviously. :3 I also made my an Ash vest for one friend and the accessories for an Azurill costume of another friend (both not photoed).

I'd love to make more costumes for next year, and some friends and I are planning a Tusbasa/xxxHolic cosplay. :) I also have some more original designs I'd love to do; those are infinitely complex and I'm looking forward to making them.

Likewise, I want to start taking costume commissions. Not on dresses, because I don't have enough confidence in that department... but I'm planning on making "mini hats" and "character ears" to sell next year along with the traditional 'magnets, badges, key chains and prints'.

I started working on some "things to sell" already, since I know I'll have less and less time as the year drags on. Here's a Pikachu from the 3-character Pokemon keychain/sticker set (the others are Shaymin and Mew).

Best years of our lives~

2008-07-17T15:15:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been a while since my last post; I've been busy with my internship, vacationing, and costume-making. All of which are going great. :) Though costume making is taking a while. It ended up that I need three costumes for Otakon, but that's fine.. haha. I just have little time to do them all in. :) I've actually been ungodly busy every day since coming back to Jersey. It's been really fun, though!

I though I'd take a break between internship work and costuming to draw something fun. I'm going to Hawaii on Sunday, huzzah!

If only I actually got this tan.... though my hair really does get super blonde in the sun. My aunt told us to basically just bring a swimsuit and shorts as that is what we will be living in for the ten days we're there. I find little wrong with this plan.

If this vacation is anything like our trip to San Diego/Disneyland, there will be a steady amount of drinking. Again, I find little wrong with this.

After 200 hours, it does this to you.

2008-06-18T13:40:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure when I'll be posting next, due to a multitude of vacationing and costume-making, so have this little sketch. :)

Webcomics for all!

2008-06-17T20:29:00.002-05:00

Hi! Sorry, no art today!! :( I've been busy moving and.. and also playing Pokemon. I have only a few of 'em left to catch.. Only about 50. Bwah ha ha. I've been very distracted by upcoming summer plans. Expect to see some costumes and cosplay popping up in here within the next few weeks!

Anyway, in lieu of having art, I thought I'd provide links to the amazing webcomics that I read.

This Is Not Fiction! - Amazing art, very funny, also a little slash-tastic (so tread carefully if you don't like that stuff).

Better Days - This one is.. probably well known in certain circles, but I do not run with them so it's on the down-low to me and mine. Anyway, Jay Naylor has probably some of the most touching story lines I've ever read. Bring a tissue. It's made of furries, so if you have an ish with anthromorphs, you may wanna avoid. It's worth sucking it up for the stories, though.

Alternate - ..Yeah I'm pretty sure if my brain could be a two-dimensional experience, it would read something like Alternate. I haven't laughed this hard in a while. Quite possibly my new favourite. Made of crack! :D

Honeydew Syndrome - Fantastic art, fantastic characters, a lot of slash, and a bittersweet story line. Definitely one worth following!

Minus - Another webcomic with beautiful, simple art and touching stories. Read it, it's all I can really say.

Some art before the move

2008-05-31T18:09:00.005-05:00

Hello everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates. Lately my time has been poured into catching all 493 Pokemon rather then drawing. Yes, yes, I know this is a vast waste of my time. Regardless, I want the bragging rights, so there you go. I have 360 so far.

Whatever remaining time I have has been put into my internship or to moving. We're moving about 10 minutes away from where we are right now, and we're moving tomorrow. It's a much nicer neighborhood. Our new place has a tanning room, lol.

Anyway, have some art! Lately my scanner has been picking up scratches and eraser marks that have bruised the paper. I cleaned up the digital versions as best I could, but I couldn't get them all. My scanner is just about to die, and our other one is already packed up. My poor scanner. It's lived a nice, healthy life of 7 years! I'm gonna miss it when it's gone.

Comments are under each picture.

These guys are all characters in my senior project novel. I still have about 3 more to design, and I'm not happy with the design of the kid in the lower left-hand corner. :/ He's a toughie. You may recognize him from the previous post, but his personality has done a complete 180. I'd go as far to say that they're really not the same characters anymore. Pyaan, the kid from last post, is going to be set aside to just be a functionless character of mine. This 'new' kid is named Tabby.

I've also been having a tough time naming characters. I need a name for the shaggy looking guy in the middle (who is far more happier here then he usually is), as well as a good pirate captain name, and I need a name for the villain. Other then that the majour characters and places *finally* have a name to them. I'd been working on names for a good two weeks now. Usually it doesn't take me that long especially when I like the characters.

Par usual, they're vaguely based on people I know (personality wise)... but I won't tell anyone who is whom! :)

I'll happily take any suggestions for names if you have them!

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In the spirit of playing too much Pokemon, I started working on some things for cons. Well, for when I start doing cons again. I think I'm going to make these keychains.. or stickers or something. Anyway, the only one I really like is the Pikachu. I'll figure out which other ones to do later.

Whoo!

2008-05-14T16:56:00.013-05:00

Huzzah, sketches! I tend to ramble about my work but hopefully I'll keep a lot of this stuff short. Most of this was drawn over the course of the past week-ish, but I've been messing with characters and character designs for the past two days. Expect more character things soon! :)

Comments are underneath each picture.

Adelle and Kurori, who are absolutely crazy for one-another. It's a little annoying actually. But it's also a good opportunity to practice drawing things like this. :P

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Greylock... I was trying to decide what his 'good' and 'bad' sides look like, but decided to scrap the whole thing and make him a 100% baddie. He's deceptively fun to draw!

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In the middle is Pyaan... Sorry for the boring pose, I was trying to figure out his character. :P Anyway, he's a cabin boy of sorts. His character got changed around a lot, but since I still am bent on eventually writing a love story with him in it, he needs to exist. However, in the story I'm focused in on right now, I don't actually think he plays a part. Pardon my doodles of Manna and real!Kona-bunny.

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The beginning of a character sheet for Adelle. Since this is a style I'm sort of "new" to, I haven't quite figured out how to do expressions with it. I'm sure expression sheets will come along shortly. :P There are 19 characters sheets for Temerity I want to do, but once again that has bee put on the back-burner for another project. Oh well.

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Fanart? From me, she who despises such displays of fangirlism? So it would seem... Um. So I totally love Gretta, except for the fact that she speaks in the third person. I guess they were playing hide and seek or something but after a while when her fathers didn't find her, she went to find them. :P The bunny is something that Gretta made in one of the OVAs.. Some how it seemed appropriate she'd give it to Wolfram. I may just finish this one day.. Maybe.

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It's Oannes! :D He's a new character, and this was me messing with his character design (don't mind the flaws; this is all subject to change). Part of a new thing.. Something I want to use for my senior project. :) I've already started writing it... exciting! :D He's not a main character, though. Well, not really. He's named for a Babylonian merman lord or something like that. The arc from his arm to his side in the small profile is just to measure where his fingertips would fall.

Hello World!

2008-05-13T19:49:00.002-05:00

Yo-ho! I will be adding sketches shortly! :) And hopefully I'll actually update this thing more then once in a blue moon. Hope the red isn't too blinding!