My Inner Mangaka - Part 4 :)

The art work today is from Fruits Basket. It's really unlike me to like touching family dramas, but I love this manga because it gives me quite some food for thought :)

Today, I tried a bit of outline sketching to bring about a systematic way to actually recreate a manga. The point here is that we often jump to the last step, that is, drawing the main characters. I figured this isn't the right way to do it, even if we are simply copying the art. Scaling the figures, positioning them, and shading them appropriately is very important. This can only be done accurately if we create some outline sketches, and play along with them for a while. 

My drawing today isn't very good, but then again I'm not very good at drawing more than two people in a scene, since I tend to get distracted by the presence of any third party. And as a result (you will notice this later), I have completely destroyed Sohma Yuki's character. 

Firstly, I draw some weird figure outlines, like here - 

Then comes the drawing, dark outlining and detailing, carefully avoiding facial features which need to be drawn with an extremely light colored pencil. (Yes, I've skipped quite a few steps)

The eyes and nose should set in with the correct proportion. 

Followed by, some colors! I'm just testing the waters here, and I usually like starting from the right. =) The medium is a 6-color pencil (water soluble) set. It's really simple :P

And finally we are done! This looks exactly like random fan art, thanks to the many inaccuracies my inexperienced hands have cast upon this pretty scene. No thanks to the damaged Yuki-kun (guy at the left) for looking like an old man. #hurtconfidence :P

Okay, so a little bit, as promised, about today's art work. The picture depicts one of my favorite anime artist's primary creations, Natsuki Takaya's Fruits Basket. In this picture, the characters present are (from left) Sohma Yuki, Honda Tohru and Sohma Kyou. This scene is really precious to me, because it doesn't happen in the manga. It is actually a cover for Chapter 10 of the series. 

Yuki and Kyou aren't really the best of friends, and seeing them smiling together in one frame is impractical. But I love the friendship between the two Sohmas and Tohru, because it is reminiscent of the friendship I have in college. It's truly an unbeatable bond, albeit being quite unrealistic. I mean, one overly virtuous girl meeting two impossibly hot guys, what are the freaking odds?!?!

Anyways, I'm really happy I could do one colored art work - now I'm looking forward to buying a 24-color pencil set to actually work a few more wonders. 

Also people, please read this manga. It's one of the most heartwarming (and heart-wrenching ) reads. You can find it at >>> Fruits Basket @ Mangareader

My Inner Mangaka - Part 3 :)

Hello everyone! Here's the third drawing I decided to post about! So, I started off with these few materials - it's quite simple really. Have a look at them. 

There's a couple of pencils for sketching and drawing, a charcoal pencil for the darker shades, and a monolith pencil for smoother shading. For inking I just use a normal black marker, with both thin and thick tips. I use a brush for smudging and blending the charcoal. It works pretty well! 

SO, no need to spend tons of money on those expensive manga pen kits when you have a few of these handy pencils.

Today, I decided to draw someone I don't like. Honestly, what's up with me and the characters I don't like? I guess I'm just afraid to draw people I really love because I'm afraid I'll never do justice to them. Anyways.

Here's Kamiya Kaoru from Nobuhiro Watsuki's Rurouni Kenshin - before inking, of course. 

Pale, incomplete - in short, this is the stage of the drawing when I start to reconsider many things. Like for instance, why is the nose so small? Or did I do the curvature of her face correctly? Well, apparently not. Nobody can aspire to be as great as Watsuki. But I'm in awe of his art work. So I cannot stop dreaming, even if it's for a bit. 

Here's Kaoru, complete. 

A bit of inking can really do wonders. There isn't much shading in this drawing. The detail is in the eye and the hair. They've kept this form of Kaoru really simple, in fact it is so simple it actually manages to capture her beauty, a quality that lies hidden beneath her mad temperament and her colorful kimonos. 

I chose to draw Kaoru, and Kaoru alone, because unlike most of the female characters in the story, she is unusually ordinary. She lies in contrast to Yukishiro Tomoe and Takani Megumi, both of whom are mature and possess the genteel characteristics that are expected of a woman. Kaoru however, is hot-headed, reckless and always getting stuck in some or the other problem. I find her irritating sometimes, and I only really appreciate her in the first episode because she utters some important words - words that are integral to the development of the plot. 

The only thing I actually admire about her is her likeness to modern women. She is independent in her opinion, unafraid to act and decidedly emotional. That's what sets her apart from the others. Her past isn't highlighted much unlike the other characters, maybe because Kaoru reflects the life of an ordinary girl, faced with ordinary challenges. In all her naivety, she seems to be the perfect balance for someone like Kenshin. So despite all my dislike for her, I must admit, drawing her made me appreciate the essence of a woman. Not a woman who is perfect, but a woman who is flawed and weak, but at 

the same time, a woman who is dignified because of her strong faith, courage and belief.

So......that's all for today. Until the next time! :)

My Inner Mangaka - Part 2

Chibi is a type of Japanese comic art that directly translates to "small" or "physically deformed". This depiction of characters/people is so amazingly cute, I simply cannot. xD

There's a complete guide to actually drawing chibi and it's absolutely fascinating so check out this video if you are really interested in this form of animation!

However, all talk aside, I decided to draw a chibi for Tohru Honda from the popular manga series Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya. Out of all the shojo anime I have watched, I love her style the most (after Clamp) because it's very natural but yet so ethereal. I actually think that Fruits Basket was an anime written specifically for me. I mean, if someone, anyone, can explain the animal situation in this manga to me logically, I will be in awe of that person for the rest of my life. 

Just to clarify, Fruits Basket is not drawn in the chibi form. Anyways, here's a little Tohru (with Kyo) everyone :) 

(PS: I cut out Yuki because he would just be a wheel.)

My Inner Mangaka :)

Recently, I have restarted my manga drawing sprees, thanks to binge watching a lot of anime all at once. I'm not great at this kind of a thing, but I just love drawing them because I can never get enough of this amazing art form.

Or, you could say it's a childhood thing. I don't know, whatever. :P

Today I decided to draw a scene from Nobuhiro Watsuki's famous manga, Rurouni Kenshin. (Once I start revisiting stuff it's kind of hard to stop myself and I've been stuck on Kenshin for almost, let's see, a month already!)

This is perhaps one of the best fights in the whole manga; the fight between Hajime Saito and Himura Kenshin. Both of these characters are fascinating in their own ways. Hajime Saito actually existed (check this out ->http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sait%C5%8D_Hajime) and he is probably the most badass character in this series. Oh well, and a couple of others. 


Anyways, here's a rough timeline of this sketch and how it came to be =)

 

                             

And Finally added some much needed colour to this would-be bloodbath.

So, until the next time I post a work of art :P Hope you liked this!

Lunch Break

So, this really is a lunch break post. And I have nothing much to say, but I felt like writing, so naturally, I shall go on.

Today is quite a beautiful day, and I have many beautiful thoughts inside of my head. It's strange how even the most poignant of thoughts seem to have an element of beauty in them.

I thought I'll share some of my thoughts with you today in this tiny blog post.

I'm thinking of flowers quite often nowadays. Not just any flowers, nor the cliched rose with its multifold symbolism. I have been thinking of lilies and oddly enough I've been thinking of sakura. It's a bit too late in season for the latter, but even though I've never seen a real one in my life, I can always close my eyes and imagine them. It is truly such an amazing sight. The sakura always remind me of my school in Singapore. There used to be a huge tree outside on the field, that turned white during April. The flowers resembled snowflakes atop a mountain and that particular scenery will be painted in my memory forever.

I've also been thinking of music. A recent event (The Lord of the Rings Orchestra) exposed me once again to the music of films. As much as I love music, the dialogue has always held importance for me. But that day, I realized the impeccable feat which Howard Shore accomplished with those films; and I'm sure nobody can recreate it. I have been gathering the soundtracks of all the shows and films I've watched and I'm listening to them again. I daresay it's bringing back a thousand nostalgic memories - of the days I sat in front of the TV at home, when I was just eleven, so carefree - relishing the taste of happiness in the form of magical fiction. When I think back I can even see the glittering dust on the carpet, the crystal showpieces on the wall and the aroma of my mother's cooking floating out to me. And this is indeed a beautiful thought.

I've been trying to think of 'love'. Not love in a personal manner of course. I've been thinking about the love others have portrayed. It gets me thinking. How can someone love so deeply? It truly is a rare miracle to be able to find that one person to grow old with. But it's an even bigger miracle to find that one family - not the blood-related ones - the real ones with whom you can die if need be. While most say that friendship is the basis of all loves, I disagree. I think love is the basis of all friendships and it makes me really happy that I have such friends to love and care for.

While most of us think that to fall in love is a big adventure, I don't believe this. I believe that the day we meet the special someone will be no different from the day we meet everyone else. In fact the transition from a lonely person to a happy pair will be so smooth it will be unnoticeable. I guess that may be how it is, because the most important person to you will complement everything in your life so perfectly. It won't be like in the movies when you realize something is different about your life. But rather, it will be so very ordinary, so very magnificent in it's own way - it will be like you have loved them all your life.

That's all for my thoughts. I think I should write down thoughts more often (?) because really sometimes it gets boring talking to your inner self. Or maybe, it's just me and my obsession with putting everything into words. Lunch break is coming to an end and so is this blog post. So, until the next post everyone! :)

A Letter to Authors

Look at that, Mrs Hudson. Quiet. Calm. Peaceful. Isn't it hateful?

That's a quote from The Great Game for the Sherlock-illiterate. But that's precisely how my brain feel sometimes. I am so used to the chaos of a story raging inside of my mind, that when it all stops and my entire being is suddenly faced with nothing to do, I find it frustrating.

Right now, I'm figuring out what kind of story to read. It's times like these when the authors aren't writing to me, that I think I should write to them. 

And today, I have finally decided what to write. 

Dear Authors,

Or should I say blood thirsty murderers. Torturers. Horrible traitors. Today I shall speak my mind about something which has been annoying me for the past ten years of my life. Here I am, your loyal reader. I invest my soul into your writing, and what do I get in return? No, seriously. This time I SHALL SPEAK AND YOU WILL LISTEN.

All those nights your books kept me wide awake, staring at the ceiling - wondering. In agony. There I was with the book in my hand, reading on and all of a sudden you decide to kill off someone who I had grown to love. 

...You gave me death, and pain and suffering. 

You are authors, you would know. If you aren't most attached to your creations then who is? Aren't they like children to you? To a person like me, (who spent most of their childhood making friends with books rather than actual people), these people you created were my best friends. I went to Hogwarts with Harry, I walked Middle Earth with Bilbo, and I flew to Never Never Land with Peter. But what could I do when I saw them crumbling apart? I actually felt their pain. Written in ink, but imprinted with blood.

I haven't cried as much for real people, as I have cried for these friends.    

You ruthless bastards. You killed off not one, but many, many of my favorite people and sometimes it happened so suddenly, you left me depressed for days. Not out of sadness, more out of disbelief. How could this man or this woman, who went through so much crap, just die like that? You authors modeled heroes out of dust, to save human lives, to restore faith in the common man. You strive to prove that the weak are not meant to die, but to be protected. Then how can you simply wield a pen and kill them all? This pen truly is a strong weapon, much more dangerous than the sword. It kills swiftly, and it does not need you to move more than a finger to do so. 

And I know some of you overtly rational people will ask me why I choose to bring up such a foolish point. After all, the death of a character is sometimes imminent and necessary for the plots of stories. Besides, they are fictional. But a true storyteller creates characters out of love, and when they die in his magical web of twists and turns, I know he cries. Because, it's a bit like a mother losing her infant. It's a complicated, unconditional kind of attachment.

I've spent too many days lying anguished, hoping the dead come back to life. Why do the good people die? But it's needless to say, whether the writers are mortals or God himself, every time a great man/character dies, we are reminded of how excellence, for the sake of excellence alone, cannot live for long in a world with so many flaws. An Elysian lawn awaits the arrival of the souls of such people, who have done much good, and who need to rest. I believe someday, when I'm near the edge of life, I shall see those friends again. Even if they never existed.  

The truth is, dear authors. You hurt me. You betrayed the trust of my best friends...and you crafted their death. But at the end of the day, you taught me something really important - you taught me to live. In your own way, you taught me to face my fear of death and live on. You showed me a path, where the people I had grown to love were nothing but a reflection in the waters of time. And with a swish of your enchanted pen, you immortalized them.  

You have created characters which are so beautiful, that I wish they would exist in reality. I applaud the authors for giving birth to such wonderful (albeit tragic) creations. It truly is a sacred process. To disintegrate this process, with a few words for death must definitely be hard. 

After all those accusations I just threw at you, you must be wondering where this letter is going now. Well, I'm not content, but I'm not unappreciative either. Now that I've scolded you, I must also share with you a few words of gratitude. 

You weren't just authors to me, you were my mentors. I learnt from you many things no school could teach me. Your words made me build dreams, such awe-inspiring dreams which floated like fireflies on the ceiling every night before I fell asleep. You showed me worlds where the impossible happened, you showed me how the different rose out of darkness to stand out and shine. You paved a way for me to BELIEVE in love and happiness and joy. For every crazy ambition, for every ray of hope, for every healing act of kindness and for every love letter I have written...you were the men and women who inspired me. 

In short, you have made me what I am today. And without you I am nothing. You gave me friends when I was alone...you literally raised me up to walk on stormy seas. You did not teach me to simply hate the evil and love the virtuous. You taught me to recognize and admire a person for their ideals, and their personalities. Perhaps that is why most of my favorite characters have been villains, or conflicted anti-heroes. There is beauty behind scars, and an attractive quality to intelligence that surpasses the plain attitude of a traditional superhero or the cocky humor of a protagonist.

As much as I'm angry at your ill-timed betrayal (you usually kill people when I'm least expecting), I cannot deny that I am thankful to you. Every Enid Blyton, every Hans Christian Andersen...every Oscar Wilde has been a story worth recollecting for the years to come. I shall never forget how your words, the sweet music to my ears, made me fall in love a million times and over with the great romances, the wondrous classics that you wrote. Whether you are authors, or script-writers...or even playwrights, you have shared with me a piece of your soul with every book you've written and for that I'm eternally grateful to you. 

This letter really has taken an emotional turn. See what you did there to me?! You made me start off like a wasp, and now I feel like an absolute saint. So before I end this (with the usual courtesies), you better watch it ! Don't you dare kill someone I like anytime soon! Sigh. With your mind like a devil's workshop, how can I even trust you there. 

Turds.

Much love, and forever waiting for the next book,
A fiercely attached reader and an ardent admirer.