Art: Anime Expo 2009

I forgot to take my camera to AnimeNext, so I don't have any photos from it. So, we have to skip right to AnimeExpo. I raised my commission prices here. I got some color work to do, which was exciting, but no one wanted full bodies, which is a shame. I need to adjust the psychology of my commission prices.

Someone wanted her OC with Kiba from Naruto. I couldn't remember where his headband went, so I had her hold it because I thought that would be cute. I was warming up and praciticing the anime style, so it looks a little off.


Her friend requested Ulquiorra and Orihime. She spent a long time deciding between that and another pairing.


Melinda said the girl's face was nice, which was a super compliment because I think faces are the major turn off on my pieces. She told me that I do eyes too close together when drawing anime. Upon further analysis, it was pretty obvious. Usually, I match eyes to the edges of the nostril. When I distort the anime nose to make it smaller, the nostril distance obviously shrinks so the eyes get too close together! Man, I'm an idiot some times! I've done that for years!


I was intimidated by the reference I got of this original character. It had a lot of detail, so I kind of wanted to do it regular, but they wanted chibi. :( I think it turned out good, though. It's better than my A-kon ones.


I like how this chibi turned out, too! It's meant to be Kiba from Wolf's Rain, but I think the clothing is inaccurate. Adding ears and tails to chibis increases their cute proportion.


Ritsuka! He's so adorable. Argh, I spilled some ink on the other side of this - just when I had finsihed inking, so I traced it onto the back and started again. That was depressing. I felt so bad because I was already taking a long time.


I think this was one of my favorite's from the convention. I like how the cybernetic arms turned out, as well as the scar. I was worried the girl had forgotten since she got it on Thursday, but she came back on Sunday to my relief.


Ah, then again, I liked this one, too! Somehow, original characters pose so much more of an intellectual challenge to me. This girl was really nice and had art from a lot of people. I hope I did her character justic.


Some girl asked me to draw her with Marth. She was carrying a Marth print I had favorited on DeviantART. I like Marth. Unfortunately, when drawing late at night, my proportion sense goes wonky, and I don't realize until I upload it to my blog.


Another OC chibi. I think the commissioned liked it. Two-colored eyes are very fun.


Another original character, based off the Cheshire cat. I think this was my favorite sketch style one. I think I over-shaded the face too much. It didn't leave me enough time to...


... do this piece justice. It was an elven (?) sky pirate, so I was really excited. Unfortunately, I think I could have done better, but I was particularly rushed. Awkward hand is awkward. I shouldn't attempt the long, CLAMP, spaghetti-finger, style.


Chibi Michael Jackson! Yay! I'm a little conflicted about his passing. I am not a fan of his voice (falsetto is not for me), but I like individual songs of his (Smooth Criminal, Beat It). Nevertheless, there's no denying he was a huge influence.


I like the guy's face on this one. I think the "anime" thing finally clicked. His proportions are a little weird, but the commissioner (whose original character is the girl) was happy, and that's the important part.


Gah, this was the one that I thought had the most potential, but I screwed up on the most. I love Mekania. She is one of those characters whose design isn't too complicated but still remains likable and radiates personality. And I know her owner knows I can do a better job than this (specifically on that arm and the face proportions). I just hope I didn't charge too much. I think it was a matter of burnout. If I had gotten the job on Friday, it might have been better. Mek, if you're reading - I'm really, really, really, embarassed, and I hope I can do you something nicer next year.


Another one which had potential, but I got too rushed. It seems like something about spacing gets lost when I don't concentrate. I thought these two characters were really cute. I wondered if they were twins.


Another one of those original character commisions. I had actually forgotten if they wanted a bust or a chibi, so I had started a bust on the back. That wasn't correct. He was cool, so I guess I just subconsciously wished to do him in my style. That, and I think I'm faster at busts...


So, that was AX in a nutshell. Less commissions, but of higher quality. I didn't do as well as last year. I"m not sure why - whether it was location factors, time factors, or competition factors. But it was fun, and I laughed until crying on multiple occassions. That said, I'm also glad Toby wasn't hit by a car.

Art: Akon 2009

A-kon came and went with minimal profit. Either I've been miscalculating the other years I've done this, or my profitability is getting worse. Anyhow, I did a huge number of commissions at this con. These are just the ones I managed to remember to photograph.

This is someone's bard OC. She also commissioned my table partner, Korilin. I feel I could have done better, but I was undercharging since I panicked.


A chibi commission. They sold like hotcakes at only $5 each. I'm beginning to regret making my commissions less than my prints.


Another one. This guy was dressed as Wario, so I went for a different style.


The next two were commissioned by two people I knew from Gaia, who commissioned me the year before. I liked how these ended up. Enough that I wish they had bought color so that they would turn out better. It's two gay couples.


They had some nice reference art, too. The lady seemed surprised I recognized and remembered her characters names - I'd drawn them in high school before! Man, I don't suck nearly as bad now. Just somewhat.


This guy never came to pick up. Every time I called him, he sounded half-asleep. He said it was his first con, so U wonder what trouble he got into.


One thing, is when someone brings me a moe ref, I get really confused and I tend to draw something out of my comfort zone to try and recapture that moe feel whether the client actually wants that or my style. I feel my prices sometimes lend myself to being a commission Wal-mart, that people aren't getting my work for my work - they're getting it because it's inexpensive. So, commissioned, if you were reading this - a) nice Lelouche costume and b) I apologize if I misinterpreted your reference.


Okay, then is gets kind of ridiculous but kind of awesome. There were identical triplets at A-Kon, and the first day, one of them bought a chibi from me (not displayed). The next day, they all came back again - each one wanting one, and then one of all three of them together! Then, they came back again on Sunday and each bought another one. So, effectively, I drew the same character eight times. T




Someone wanted herself with Roy Mustang. I like the short, dark, hair, types, so I was happy to oblige. I am trying to post my chibis is less boring manners.


This is more ridiculous than the triplets. Someone asked me to draw McCoy from Star Trek (not pictured). Someone else then asked if I could draw Spock - shirtless. Someone else comes by and is like "OMG"... and asks for their own shirtless Spock!



Someone wanted an angry Pikachu. This was ridiculously fun, even though it took around ten minutes.


At A-kon, I tend to get a lot of parents asking for portraits of their children.


Finally, this was another oneof my favorites. It was an original character commission, and I was working from text description. I hadn't gotten many OCs, so I went a little over the top. My forte, if I do say so myself. She was very happy with it and even used it as a reference to commission Allison! I was honored.

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.

Sketches: Tailors Daughter, Mondigan, Gore & Pokemon

With finals, soon followed by my grandfather's passing, followed by my grandmother's epic quest to get into a nursing home, I haven't had the chance to post. But I've been drawing a lot of the sketchbooks I'll be selling the convention season.

Drawn in the hospital when my grandmother fell and broke her arm. In story, Rivek gets thrown into prison and nearly executed. Bohren is the one who pulls his wretched body from the fire. I really like how Bohren's face turned out.


"One perfect summer." The vacation after Bohren and Rivek's "junior" year and Willow's "freshman" year of secondary school, they spend some time in Cordelain - Rivek's mother's city. It's a quaint beach port. Bohren is the kind of guy who shows off how strong he is by giving girls piggy-back rides. Rivek thinks it's stupid.


"Psittacinus" means "parrot" in Latin, so my friend tells me. A symbolic piece, trying to show the pseduo-homosexual relationship between Bohren and Rivek, one that Rivek is blind to. Rivek's throat is garrotted, and Bohr's lips sewn together - a dual symbol of silence. The channeling beads - what Bohren uses to amplify magic - are tying them together but in the same process, binding Bohren's arms or ability to do anything about the situation.


I tend to draw Bohren topless. This is just a posing, pretty shot of him. Fun fact: He's named after chemist Niels Bohr. I am such a nerd.


Mirab, Rivek's elder sister of four years, is a legendary leader and warrior amongst her kinsman. Equal to, maybe even more, powerful than her brother. They call her, "The Gloves," because she ends up with so much blood on her arms. She is a tall, hot, sexy, skinny, small-breated blonde who can kick your butt.


Drew this in the funeral home while discussing stuff. What an arduous process. I was trying to come up with a (mildly) heavier, not-cloth, armor for Rivek more along the lines of traditional fantasy.


More Pokemon on the way. I don't know if they're cute, but I colored the first set here.


And finally, some Tailor's Daughter stuff. I didn't do as well as in the course as I had hoped, but I got whe I deserved given that I pooped out on the project from taking so many other classes.


I settled on their character designs. Nothing too fancy - this is the small-time romance between the daughter of a tradesman and a youthful sailor. Tried something odd for the cat, though, and I'm not sure I like it.


Also, just some random shit sketches.

Sketches: Dancers and Pokemon

A few weeks ago, I saw my friend Nirav in his swing dancing show. They wore newsboy caps, collared shirts, and suspenders. It hasn't left my mind since.

If Rivek and Bohren lived in the 1910s/20s, they would have gone off to the Great War, lost a few fingers, and then come back only to work as street sweepers. Sucks.


Along the same lines, I wanted to do some ballroom dance pictures. I've had this idea since high school where it's kind of like their prom. Rivek's a guard and technically on duty for the night, so Willow asks him to follow her outside where no one will see, and they dance in the moonlight as the music wafts through the windows. Pose is woefully stiff because I drew it while watching Wolverine in the theatre (Ironiceally, it's the only movie where I find Ryan Reynolds attractive. I bet it's the swords.).


Here are some Pokemon I am making into con season keychains. Again, some are going to need re-drawing. When I work, I need to draw the same thing over and over before it's just right.


Oh, and sometimes, I forget how to draw my own characters... I had to practice to figure out how to draw Rivek's face again. I still can't do it in three-quarters just right.