2005? Karl and Vasek

I started this comic several years ago about two brothers named Vasek and Karel inspired by the works of Czech brothers Karel (writer) and Josef (artist) Capek.  I drew the comic in a whimsical style borrowing some elements from Josef Capek. The story was based on a dream I had about a magical princess who could change her shape.  Well, I shan't say more lest I ruin the story!  Actually, I have only finished four pages and am at a stand still.  But I am quite found of this little story and the pages I have inked and lettered so when I find the time I will try to finish the rest and try to make my first comic book in three or four years (?I'm not really keeping count) after I redraw and revise the pacing in 'Finland Sardines'.  The book will be comics that children can read.

The challenge thus far has been trying to keep the story interesting, but after a period of some odd years, I would like to believe that my drawing skills have improved so perhaps it will not be as diffiult as it was several years ago to finish the story.  I hope to pick this up someday soon since I believe wholeheartedly that it can be something beautiful once I complete it.

2005/10/16 Butterflies of the Night

My favorite part of this sketch is the guy making that girl drink a can of some liquid.  Is it soda?  It is juice?  Is it medicine? It is hard liquor?! LOL  Can you guess why this is called butterflies of the night?

I've been so tired recently that when I wake up I have to take a nap after breakfast. D:

Anyway, I realized that my last entry wasn't so clear.

The Ogata book will come out sometime this August!  I'm so excited about it!  I need to prepare a few more materials for the book, but I haven't found the time or the energy to do so.  There's so much to do. >_<;  It looks like there will be five people or more working on the book, so I think that it will be something very wonderful and awesome!  Please look for it when it comes out! ^o^

Also, I realized that I wasn't so clear on how I work.  Usually what happens is I try to immerse myself in the mindset of the characters.  I don't usually write a script because it tends to be very stiff.  What I do is think of scenarios and various ways in which they can play out in my head.  I like to draw funny things, but I don't know if what I do can even be called comedy. Anyway, I run through these situations over and over almost to the point of obsession until I find one which maximizes the situation to hilarity or absurdity (but do I succeed?).

I then think about what I would like to happen on each page and plan out about two or three pages in advance. I also think about what the characters should say even though I never write down the words. I do the pencils in detail the first time, and these are what I use for my inking. I love using the light box, but to use it during the day I have to close my binds in order for the light to shine through well. Recently it's been getting hotter so I try to restrict my inking to the evenings when it's cooler and there's some wind.

Looking at the way I draw comics, I'm not surprised that I can't draw anything epic. Maybe my pages seem to have poor planning and the transition isn't that well done. Still far far far far away from being any good. Yet! I continue to draw. I guess we can't help ourselves!!!

2005 / 2006 Dearest Emily

I just realized that I haven't updated in two days!  Oops.  Sorry about that. D;  I've just been working on comics and playing Odin Sphere so I haven't been turing on the computer at all.

Today's update is about Emily, a character I met one day about two or three years ago when I managed to draw a profile of a pretty girl with a mysterious face.  I used this actual sketch when I created the shoujo kurabu screenprint.  I was supposed to give this sketch to my friend Guiseppe as I was drawing it for him to include in a letter.  But I was so captivated that I decided to keep Emily to myself despite dedicating the drawing to him.  I am sorry!  But perhaps someday I will give Emily to you. ha ha

Here is Emily with another fond character named Borgia who is quite odd indeed.  Always doing things that are weird and surprising other people and "scaring" them.  This is Borgia's personality.  But she is quite a compassionate person as well.  Emily at the time was still a delicate girl and often cried thinking about sad and romantic things.  Here she and Borgia are making a Christmas garland.

I don't like this sketch very much, but I'll include it here since I scanned it earlier.  Emily is quite a carefree girl despite her sentimentality and weak constitution.

However, gradually I find that Emily has gotten stronger and stronger.  She is no longer the meek girl I had seen those many years ago, and I find that I can't draw her as such unless it is to show her past.  How odd to think that she can grow.

And an extra. Ogata laughing evilly.

On the comics front, I think that things are going at a decent pace.  I've only done pencils (Ogata 3 pages, Gilles and Sylvie 3 pages) and have not gotten to inking yet.  Losing a bit faith on the Gilles and Sylvie (and Louise) story, but I suppose I should tread on!

2005/11/02 Near the cliffs

After quite a while, here is an older sketch from 2005.  It's kind of weird to look at this sketch.  I can't tell you why it's weird but yet...  Anyway, here they are standing near the cliffs over the ocean, enjoying the sunset as the wind rushes by.  They seem so happy.

2005 - Ma banni

This is the little girl that makes random strangers hold and play with her bunny.  The bunny has had quite enough of it you see.

2005 Yum yum beet time!

Another one from the sketch book!  I remember that I drew this using these color markers I bought at Barnes & Nobles, one of those large "mega-" bookstores.  Like Chapters it also sold a lot of stationary.  Could you imagine how excited I was to find markers with thin tips that were inexpensive that were not Crayola?!  I love the expression of the guys face in this sketch.  He looks like he thinks it is truly revolting!

I think beets and toast wouldn't be that bad.  It depends on what the toast is and also how you prepare the beets though.  If they were like a cold salad instead of an entire beet boiled whole (LOL), then it might be very good!  Now I just realized that I haven't eaten any beets AT ALL in the past year and  a half (except in that small cup of left over vegetarian borscht I was given this summer).  Well, this won't do at all!  I'll be sure to get some beets in my diet either this week or next.  I love beets!  I can't imagine why I don't eat them more. :-(

It's funny how recently I've been talking about food so much. XD

2005 Yum! Croquettes!

The other day I was cleaning my desk and the surrounding area, and I found this small Moleskine book I used to draw in from 2005.  There are some nice sketches from the book, so I suppose this will be the focus for this week.  I've said before that I don't own a sketch book, but I suppose that this was the exception. (^^;

Anyway, these kids are getting all excited about croquettes.  I don't eat them usually because they are fried, and fried food makes me really sick.  I did have some potato croquettes once, and they were really good.  Pie and sushi were also on my mind when I drew this.  I guess I was hungry at the time, and I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!  Man, I could sure use some pie.  There was one time that I went to this farm that was somewhat near the sea, and I bought the most wonderful boysenberry pie there.  The crust is excellent and really a crust can make or break a pie.  I can still taste the boysenberry filling, even now!  After remembering this, I think I drew this sketch around the same time that I had bought the pie and shared it with a few friends.  None of them wanted to keep it, so I brought home more than half a pie for my parents.  Ha ha.  Those were the times.

2005/11/17 Oh no...

It was drawn using green ink.   Yummy...  I like to use a lot of plant motifs in my drawings even if I don't get a chance to be out in nature as much as I would like.

2005/10/10 Dear Emily

Oh!  I am quite terrible!  I just realized that I haven't updated the past week.  To be truthful, I've been under the weather and quite busy as well.  I'm going to keep trying to update on a daily basis.

Anyway, today's drawing was done in 2005.  I really like it though especially the expressions of the three people in the drawing.  I wish I could draw comics that looked as nice as this.  I wonder if I can still draw like this.  Recently the people I draw have smaller and oval shaped eyes.  The style I drew in 2005 seemed to make the people more optimistic and dreamy perhaps?  The words say "Itoshii Emily" or "Dear Emily," but she isn't in this picture.

Recently I participated in this wonderful project called Kissybook, which is a book about kissing.  If you have a time please check out the site and the gallery.  I never drew kissing before so it was an interesting challenge.  I think you might be able to recognize which two submissions were mine.  I had so much fun drawing them!  They only took me a few hours to complete.  I think it's just because I haven't drawn in so long that it just poured out.  I'll put up the version I made for myself on the saicoink website when I have the time.

If you read this blog please make a comment sometime!  It can get lonely out here. (^^;

2005/10/02 The Birds Love Josh

Josh looks lonely, but he really isn't.