Showing posts with label anime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anime. Show all posts
8.30.2010
Art: o Red o Gaia Commission
Was asked on Gaia to do a commission of someone's avatar in the style of this collaboration with Melinda:
7.08.2009
Art: Fanart Sketches
Long time, no post, huh? Well, I need to get back into the habit. The only thing I can say is that con season has started, so there will be fan art and badly photographed commissions ahead. Although, the latter will be in another post.
This is? was? for a collaboration with Kheleksul. I don't know where she is on it right now.
I did a Harry Potter picture, based on the final book. I'll post the finals in another entry. As you can see, when doing crest-style work, I draw each figure separately and piece them together on the computer. Harry is holding all three Deathly Hallows (and the Snitch from his first Quidditch game). Hermione has "Beedle the Bard" and that Bag of Holding. Ron has the sword of Godric, and the Deluminator. The bird-like thing is Fawkes which represents Dumbledore, and the four heads are the four ghosts Harry walked to his "death" with.
Oh, this was something I came up with back in January. It's a Steampunk Alternate Universe Romance for Mondigan, titled "The Bow and the Rose."
The world is made up of floating cities - divided into two classes, those that power the engines and those that live on the ships. Ari Kovalev (Rivek) is a the son of a mechanic who lost his eye, arm, and his father's life in the engines. A romantic in the chronological sense of the word, he takes his revenge by becoming a vigilante. But why use a bow in a world full of guns? For the message, that is hearkens back to a more peaceful time when everyone lived, equally on the ground. Wilhelmina Solaris (Willowren) is a rich girl, sporting no visible body modification as a symbol of her purity. But her desire for a more exciting life has drawn her inevitably towards a particular one-eyed bowman, and she leaves roses on her doorstep, hoping he will come. Baron English (Bohren) is her lifelong friend and guardian, head of the royal guard, who cannot help but worry about what her head full of fantasies has gotten her into this time.
Samuel Jenner (Sorian) is Wilhelmina's power-hungry uncle who has nearly replaced his entire form with mechanical parts. He murdered Kovalev's father and thus, is the prime target for revenge. Jerry the Hand (Kaiaden) is the leader of a street gang of teenaged boys who sell mechanical parts and body modifications in exchange for modifications on themselves. He works directly for Jenner since no one suspects the young. Jhiri (Mirab) is one of Jenner's experiments, a princess from another island whose 'ghost' has been imprinted on a mechanical body, so she will stay beautiful forever. It is unclear whose side she is on - or if she has the emotional capacity to even chose a side anymore.
Back to fan art, though. I friggin' love D. Grayman! The character designs appeal so much to me. Lavi is one of my favorite characters, but I admit I dig eyepatches in general. I did another bas-relief style picture with them. Here are the initial sketches:
I decided my style wasn't "animu" enough for the next fan art pieces I wanted to do (pieces I have wanted to do for a long time, characters which I will put to rest once this is accomplished). So, I looked at ProdigyBombay and Korilin's work for some visual reference. I don't think I got it, though. I need to keep trying.
I went on and did the sketches anyhow.
The only organ not removed from the body during mummification was the heart. Therefore, I thought it would be very appropriate to do a Bakura piece, since his trademark card is the "Change of Heart." I really loved YuGiOh when I was in high school. It was the only reason I would wake up so early on Saturday morning (and simultaneously do my chemistry homework while watching). I want to re-draw everyone except Bakura and the Millennium Items. Yugi looks like a plant.
Finally, this is a piece I've wanted to do for ever, but could never find a decent way to do it. EVA is one of my favorite series, and for his seventeen minutes of screentime, I absolutely adore Kaworu. I need to draw a lot more elements for this, though. The seated Rei and Asuka are the ones I am not using in the final. Upon further analysis, the piece should center on the (much more popular) girls, rather than Shinji.
Anyhow, I was happy with my art when I made the last post, but now I'm not. I feel obligated to move into digital color for the wrong reasons - to please other people, not to better my own skills.
This is? was? for a collaboration with Kheleksul. I don't know where she is on it right now.
I did a Harry Potter picture, based on the final book. I'll post the finals in another entry. As you can see, when doing crest-style work, I draw each figure separately and piece them together on the computer. Harry is holding all three Deathly Hallows (and the Snitch from his first Quidditch game). Hermione has "Beedle the Bard" and that Bag of Holding. Ron has the sword of Godric, and the Deluminator. The bird-like thing is Fawkes which represents Dumbledore, and the four heads are the four ghosts Harry walked to his "death" with.
Oh, this was something I came up with back in January. It's a Steampunk Alternate Universe Romance for Mondigan, titled "The Bow and the Rose."
The world is made up of floating cities - divided into two classes, those that power the engines and those that live on the ships. Ari Kovalev (Rivek) is a the son of a mechanic who lost his eye, arm, and his father's life in the engines. A romantic in the chronological sense of the word, he takes his revenge by becoming a vigilante. But why use a bow in a world full of guns? For the message, that is hearkens back to a more peaceful time when everyone lived, equally on the ground. Wilhelmina Solaris (Willowren) is a rich girl, sporting no visible body modification as a symbol of her purity. But her desire for a more exciting life has drawn her inevitably towards a particular one-eyed bowman, and she leaves roses on her doorstep, hoping he will come. Baron English (Bohren) is her lifelong friend and guardian, head of the royal guard, who cannot help but worry about what her head full of fantasies has gotten her into this time.
Samuel Jenner (Sorian) is Wilhelmina's power-hungry uncle who has nearly replaced his entire form with mechanical parts. He murdered Kovalev's father and thus, is the prime target for revenge. Jerry the Hand (Kaiaden) is the leader of a street gang of teenaged boys who sell mechanical parts and body modifications in exchange for modifications on themselves. He works directly for Jenner since no one suspects the young. Jhiri (Mirab) is one of Jenner's experiments, a princess from another island whose 'ghost' has been imprinted on a mechanical body, so she will stay beautiful forever. It is unclear whose side she is on - or if she has the emotional capacity to even chose a side anymore.
Back to fan art, though. I friggin' love D. Grayman! The character designs appeal so much to me. Lavi is one of my favorite characters, but I admit I dig eyepatches in general. I did another bas-relief style picture with them. Here are the initial sketches:
I decided my style wasn't "animu" enough for the next fan art pieces I wanted to do (pieces I have wanted to do for a long time, characters which I will put to rest once this is accomplished). So, I looked at ProdigyBombay and Korilin's work for some visual reference. I don't think I got it, though. I need to keep trying.
I went on and did the sketches anyhow.
The only organ not removed from the body during mummification was the heart. Therefore, I thought it would be very appropriate to do a Bakura piece, since his trademark card is the "Change of Heart." I really loved YuGiOh when I was in high school. It was the only reason I would wake up so early on Saturday morning (and simultaneously do my chemistry homework while watching). I want to re-draw everyone except Bakura and the Millennium Items. Yugi looks like a plant.
Finally, this is a piece I've wanted to do for ever, but could never find a decent way to do it. EVA is one of my favorite series, and for his seventeen minutes of screentime, I absolutely adore Kaworu. I need to draw a lot more elements for this, though. The seated Rei and Asuka are the ones I am not using in the final. Upon further analysis, the piece should center on the (much more popular) girls, rather than Shinji.
Anyhow, I was happy with my art when I made the last post, but now I'm not. I feel obligated to move into digital color for the wrong reasons - to please other people, not to better my own skills.
3.28.2009
Writing: Anime Convention, Social Norms, and Identity
I chose to discuss the Eron Rauch photo essay because its content intrigues me most. After struggling with the convoluted words and lengthy sentences, I realized there was no point in searching for a clear thesis statement. It is the opposite of an academic essay: a personal musing about experience with subculture. Thus, even though it provides no conclusion, it calls a very interesting point into question: what is the relationship between fandom and identity?
Most anime conventions cater to fans rather than industry. When members of a subculture gather, they become comfortable enough to express their interests, to the point where they purposely alter their behavior to breach social norms, which in turn forms new social norms. For Rauch and tens of thousands of others, anime conventions create bonds of eccentricity, and otherwise improbable events, like cosplay sex, can occur. The irony here is that, at the convention, fringe behavior becomes the main stream. When groups form, they begin to cultivate their own ideals – like cat ear headbands – and reject others – like business suits, an “us vs. them” situation. Take, for example, the 2008 commercial released by Sakura-con. It asks, “What if, for one weekend, the tables were turned?”
I feel this may be tied into American attitudes towards individuality. As we have learned, in Japan, cosplay outside of certain locales is frowned upon, and boys’ love forms only a fraction of the anime and manga market. However, here in the United States, cosplayers purposely wear their outfits at ordinary eating establishments to see how locals react, and boys’ love readers ridicule those who prefer heterosexual couples.
Personally, as an artist, I go to conventions with business in mind. I straddle the alley with one foot in fandom – because all anime relies somewhat on art – and one in reality – because I cannot give any series the same dedications as I do my own creations. While Rauch is accepted in this fan world, I am silently rejected. My work has been criticized many times over for having a visual style far more realistic than most manga and anime. However, as an outsider with no romantic or sexual intentions towards conventions, I felt Rauch’s essay gives a decent glimpse into the mind of another integral member of convention structure: the entrenched fan.
Sakura-con Advertisements: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEUcxGhl9Rk
Most anime conventions cater to fans rather than industry. When members of a subculture gather, they become comfortable enough to express their interests, to the point where they purposely alter their behavior to breach social norms, which in turn forms new social norms. For Rauch and tens of thousands of others, anime conventions create bonds of eccentricity, and otherwise improbable events, like cosplay sex, can occur. The irony here is that, at the convention, fringe behavior becomes the main stream. When groups form, they begin to cultivate their own ideals – like cat ear headbands – and reject others – like business suits, an “us vs. them” situation. Take, for example, the 2008 commercial released by Sakura-con. It asks, “What if, for one weekend, the tables were turned?”
I feel this may be tied into American attitudes towards individuality. As we have learned, in Japan, cosplay outside of certain locales is frowned upon, and boys’ love forms only a fraction of the anime and manga market. However, here in the United States, cosplayers purposely wear their outfits at ordinary eating establishments to see how locals react, and boys’ love readers ridicule those who prefer heterosexual couples.
Personally, as an artist, I go to conventions with business in mind. I straddle the alley with one foot in fandom – because all anime relies somewhat on art – and one in reality – because I cannot give any series the same dedications as I do my own creations. While Rauch is accepted in this fan world, I am silently rejected. My work has been criticized many times over for having a visual style far more realistic than most manga and anime. However, as an outsider with no romantic or sexual intentions towards conventions, I felt Rauch’s essay gives a decent glimpse into the mind of another integral member of convention structure: the entrenched fan.
Sakura-con Advertisements: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEUcxGhl9Rk
12.09.2008
Site Critique: White Rabbit
http://www.geocities.jp/yoshidameme/My artwork has a lot of Japanese influence, so when designing my website, I the portfolios of Japanese painters in the video games industry. My friend sent me a link to White Rabbit. Good design shows through when I am still able to navigate the pages without understanding any of the language.
Effective portfolio sites have a limited number of pages. It lets the viewer focus on the work. White Rabbit is no different. The grid layout mainly does not change. There is a nicely drawn header image made from the artist’s work, but it has an obvious Photoshop feather on the edges. The image is also very large, so the content page gets pushed down and, on very small resolution, has a change of being pushed under the fold. The menu is on the left sidebar. The words are in English, but they are direct, so Japanese users can understand them. They are small, but they are easily seen because they are red. However, their size also makes them hard to click. The only item that I do not understand is “Clap,” and the following page also does not help. I feel it might be a comic book the artist worked on or a contact page since there is a form. There is no way, other than by content, to determine what page the user is at. I cannot say too much about the typography since it is in Japanese, but the links style is consistently red, matching the menu and the header image. Headers are denoted by a “>” symbol. Using icons that are relatively plain, similar to text, keeps them from getting visually overcomplicated. I also like the form for e-mail contact because it does not open any new programs.
Similar to Jason Chan’s site, from my previous review, the “Work” link takes the user to an entirely different page. However, these visually inconsistent pages still allow you to return to the home. The gallery page maintains the menu from the previous page, but it runs vertically down the right, alongside the thumbnails. Paginating the thumbnails frees up space for the actual images which are so big, they are usually made of tables of smaller images. The background color sometimes changes to complement a picture. This would bother me on some sites, but the White Rabbit gallery is simple enough that its usage here is artful. I enjoy the descriptions of materials with images of her tools. In addition, tutorials would be nice as well. White Rabbit is a simple page, and it will display on almost any browser because of the pure HTML format. Some of the visual design aspects are cheesy, but the site is effective without to may bells or whistles. It lets users truly focus on the artwork. I enjoy the page, but I have doubt about how well American audiences would receive this because the URL is not very easy for American users to remember. Furthermore, it is hosted on Geocitites which is considered a amateur mark here in the United States.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
