Suggestions for 2011

Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 9:29 pm

Anthonyllt wrote:

DancingFeather wrote:

THis just reminded me - there's a room at Auckland Uni under Shadows that they just opened up fro free event bookings by students Cool

Thanks for this useful information, DancingFeather. At least we have some more meeting place options. How do we apply for the booking of that room?

Uh, details were in the latest Craccum, which I gave to my brother XD Basically it was just ring/email someone, I think (first time it has been announced) and there's a $200 refundable bond.

Samourai Joined: 31 May 2009 Posts: 166

"Not to mention, they need to like my drawings and even better, help me fix them or they listen to me whinging all the way haha XD"

Simply change your designs to bland mainstream style and you're set. Make sure to use as little detail as possible and don't be stingy with the huge heads and saucer eyes.

This reminds me of what happened to Saint Seiya *shivers*

Ronin Joined: 18 May 2005 Posts: 19 Location: Auckland

Anthonyllt wrote:

You could start from making parody from your favourite anime/manga/game in the form of 4-panel comic strips.
(Like those you may have come across at the last few pages of comic books)
As you only have 4 panels, your plot can be quite simple. Besides, you know well about your beloved anime/manga/game, it's quite easy for you to come up with an interesting joke on certain characters.
When you get more confidence later, you can start to create something longer, say 1 to 2 pages long comics.
It will take some times to master, but these are good trainings to get yourself more familiar with comic production from steps to steps.
By the time you want to do some much longer comics, you could either do your own plot or collabrate with writer(s) to create the unique fan-base praody or original comic.

Oh, I've seen them often in a lot of Japanese art sites but I've never thought about doing it. I kinda just thought of making a full doujin already ._. but that makes a lot of sense. They were extremely helpful ideas, thank you heaps!!

Anthonyllt wrote:

You will never certain who likes your drawing styles until you put them out to the public.
Only you start to show them, then you may have the opportunities to get feedbacks.
Also, you will get the motivations to improve yourselves when you realized what you lack.
So... don't be shy and scared. Just start from something small and simple at the beginning.
(Besides, your drawings aren't too bad. Smile

)

Not so much my style (since it's still pretty generic, even as it changes from time to time, by itself too) what I meant was more was my drawings for the comic. I tend to be bad at poses/action/expressions and I hardly ever do linearts, and they're what the comics are.... Hold on, actually I realized just now, I might've misinterpreted your comment, rereading Only you start to show them, then you may have the opportunities to get feedbacks. could probably mean my comic style since I've never shown it xD I don't know where the point of this paragraph is now.

I think I've realized a bit of stuff that I'm lacking, it's just figuring how to fix it and achieving it... or even get motivation to since it seem to do the opposite. Although to be honest, I am on the lazy side. It'd be cool to have a writer, then they can motivate me lol

When it comes to my drawings I just can't help but get shy and scared. I like most of them, I enjoy doing it, I have confidence, but whenever it comes to other people.. it's different. Any tips for that?

(Ah~ Thanks >w<)

Shine Spark wrote:

Simply change your designs to bland mainstream style and you're set. Make sure to use as little detail as possible and don't be stingy with the huge heads and saucer eyes.

That's too bad I have little control of my style and how it turns out.

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 3:41 pm

kalizuta wrote:

Shine Spark wrote:

Simply change your designs to bland mainstream style and you're set. Make sure to use as little detail as possible and don't be stingy with the huge heads and saucer eyes.

That's too bad I have little control of my style and how it turns out.

t's funny to say that ^^ You have more control than you think, but it's what you want to get out of your art. What's most important is if you love it. Screw the audience. If you like it, someone else will too Smile

Mainstream is overrated.

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 3:45 pm

Hi Kalizuta-san.
Reirei noted the first year of DO that a lot of us complained during the creation of our doujinshi but many felt a sense of achievement after that.not only that but a lot of us admitted many mistakes in our first work and made marked improvements on our second yr

The thing this person is prob suggesting is, if you can get friends or interested people to support you that will be good but if you have to do the hard journey on your own, don't be afraid of making mistakes.

Also, if you want to meet others, just ask. Face to face is usually easier, but this assumes you are in Auckland.

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 3:52 pm

Reireisan/003 wrote:

The thing this person is prob suggesting is, if you can get friends or interested people to support you that will be good but if you have to do the hard journey on your own, don't be afraid of making mistakes.

This is true. I've made a few comics now, and although I still make mistakes, I learn from all of them, and I'm now starting to get pretty efficent at making them. If you are in auckland and want to make a comic, I can help out Smile

I can give you tips I've learnt over the years

Posted: Sat Jul 31, 2010 4:03 pm

Arkillian wrote:

This is true. I've made a few comics now, and although I still make mistakes, I learn from all of them, and I'm now starting to get pretty efficent at making them. If you are in auckland and want to make a comic, I can help out Smile

I can give you tips I've learnt over the years

Arky is one of our more experienced artists so her advice would be good to listen to. Reirei makes plenty of mistakes too and does not finish many things, but it has learnt through the years as well.

It wishes that artist meetings were easier to arrange but to be honest reirei has not been active for eternity misguided.

Ronin Joined: 18 May 2005 Posts: 19 Location: Auckland

Arkillian wrote:

t's funny to say that ^^ You have more control than you think, but it's what you want to get out of your art. What's most important is if you love it. Screw the audience. If you like it, someone else will too Smile

Mainstream is overrated.

I don't care about the audience much at all in the sense that I don't think about who are going to see it when I'm drawing XD Even so, I don't really get how I got my style since it's not at all what I'm aiming for. That's kinda what I meant when I said I have little control over how my drawings turn out. Most of the time they surprise me hahaha they can be too pretty for my taste..

@Reireisan/003 Hi! The only thing about doing the journey alone is that it's pretty boring at times xDD I had my first year as a table this year alone and I did feel disappointment for not getting ready earlier and have made better stuff. But like you say, I think I know how to improve next year, hopefully with a doujinshi >w<

I'm definitely keen for meet ups! Casual artist meetings regularly would be so wonderful. I'd love to get to know people who likes anime/manga around here.
I'm not too good with one on one unless you're fine with a nice awkward company (: orz but it'd be so cool to get some of your tips.
Yep, Aucklander here!

Banned Joined: 05 Oct 2005 Posts: 1661

Great, sure.

Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 2:29 pm

kalizuta wrote:

I don't care about the audience much at all in the sense that I don't think about who are going to see it when I'm drawing XD Even so, I don't really get how I got my style since it's not at all what I'm aiming for. That's kinda what I meant when I said I have little control over how my drawings turn out. Most of the time they surprise me hahaha they can be too pretty for my taste..

The other thing is to try out something new that you don't normally draw and see how that turns out. A new genre or something. I use to be medieval fantasy only which was ok, btu I've found I really like noir and more saucy genres too while my audience also love. What is it that you're aiming for anyways? If you know what your goal is, that can help achieve it.

Ronin Joined: 18 May 2005 Posts: 19 Location: Auckland

Arkillian wrote:

The other thing is to try out something new that you don't normally draw and see how that turns out. A new genre or something. I use to be medieval fantasy only which was ok, btu I've found I really like noir and more saucy genres too while my audience also love. What is it that you're aiming for anyways? If you know what your goal is, that can help achieve it.

True, Noir sounds fun to try out! Thanks again, you've been really helpful~ Time to research on genres then since I don't know very many hahah

I'd like to be able to draw with a similar feeling as ookiku furikabutte, one piece, air gear, ttgl, baccano and the early volumes of reborn. I suppose most are pretty shounen/action based. My current style, in my opinion, looks girly.. almost shoujo and I know I could definitely make it shoujo if I wanted to xD Just going the opposite way is much harder.

Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 6:53 pm

They look feminine because they're doing feminine activities mostly, and BL generally fits them straight into the shojo column by default when they look as pretty as your boys do.

'Digital Manga Techniques' (yes, I have SOME manga how to books XD ) says this about the two styles :-

Shojo-

Has emphasis on relationship, emotional struggle, complex plots, elegance, drama, and charm. Characters tend to be drawn with long slender physiques, soft elegant features, and a slightly androgynous look. Lineart tends to be delicate with long flowy lines. Shojo uses visual abstraction to give feel to a scene with flowers, feathers and other similar effects. Hair is delicate with curls and are perfectly groomed. Detail is put on being well groomed and fashionable.

((This is a generalisation of course))

Shounen-

Emphasis is put on types being heroic or painfully plain. Stories tend to be action based, eg, ordinary guy is thrown into a heroic role with the inspiration of a pretty female. Poses tend to be dynamic, and very dramatic. Characters are usually face with social or physical battles and major obstacles. Lots of speed lines are used. They use heavier inking, drawn with more realistic proportions, and heroic men are manly and have a military feel about them.

Hah! I just realised why DO doesn't like me- I have a more Shounen styled art. No wonder I can't sell Sailor Moon fanart... >.> Shojo sells alot better at DO I've noticed.

Anyways, if you want to borrow it for a while, you can

I learnt alot from the book. It is Americanised, but if you can see through that and pick up the real info it has ALOT on character stereotypes and colouring etc... I think you'd get alot from it Smile

Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 8:45 pm

Shounen is rather 'rough n ready' whereas shoujo prefers a softer, more delicate, pastel like approach. Moe likes gradients and shine.

Ronin Joined: 18 May 2005 Posts: 19 Location: Auckland

@Arkillian What are feminine activities? Lol most of my drawings, they're not doing anything at all, sadly, unless it's BL XD Hahah, I love and enjoy BL completely way too much.. but I'd like to to tone down the prettiness of the way I draw them, as much as I like looking at them done by others'. Though, there are many BL drawings I've seen that doesn't look girly, which I wish I could be able to do. Then again I'm not aiming for my drawings to be all BL.

I'll keep those generalisations in mind when I draw Smile

>heroic men are manly
I need to learn how to draw that. LOLL

>Hah! I just realised why DO doesn't like me- I have a more Shounen styled art. No wonder I can't sell Sailor Moon fanart... >.> Shojo sells alot better at DO I've noticed.
Really?! I always thought shounen is more popular. But I suppose for DO.... *looks at the the stuff I bought*..I can't actually tell whether they're shoujo or shounen for most of them OTL
I thought you've been doing really well in DO, for it to not like you ^^;

I've never read a manga how to book, I always find them boring when I flick though, but I'd really love to try it out properly to learn something from it too. If it's not too much of a hassle, of course.

@JKL OMG That clears it up!
...I-I think I draw moe ._.
lol and that shounen column, i will fail at, no doubt about it. I want a new category!!

Posted: Sun Aug 01, 2010 10:41 pm

Arkillian wrote:

Hah! I just realised why DO doesn't like me- I have a more Shounen styled art. No wonder I can't sell Sailor Moon fanart... >.> Shojo sells alot better at DO I've noticed.

There is definitely a huge absence of that kind of art.

Why? Is it old fashioned? Is it considered uncool?