1998-1999

Above drawing belongs to my sister until I can find where mine are.

Starting from 1998 up to now is a long time to share about. So I'm going to divide the topic by year and provide samples of my drawings I did during each of the mentioned year.

Although my evolution may be improving or in the passing years.^^;

I've already shared the topic of the Graphing method, which started it all in 1998, so I'm going to jump to the next step of what I did to help improve my drawings, but I was still dependent on graphing for help most of the time.

~o~

1998 - 1999

~o~

Each character usually has a certain appeal that makes you like them. I tried coming up with a few, adding personalities and characters that would make them special. The more I tried the more stereotypical they became.

The heavy influence of popular anime characters also make them seem like stage prop when compared and it was harder to concentrate on originality when you have friends and classmates requesting you draw them in like manner to their favorite anime character, and of course, next to their anime crush.

During that time in our school, when someone know you can draw anime style, you can count on having to be asked to draw them. Sort of like a gift art as its called now.

I failed! LOL^^;

And not because I tried.

But I did try something else that was a closer attempt to their requests. It was the term animized, or some other word, that I went on to practice.

As can be seen, I still relied I still relied a lot on graphing for help and just changed some parts like the hair and eyes. >>

I drew more characters again, this time in the likeness of my friends. It came out in one bizarre combination because all my friends that time were rather eccentric. It was easier to remember certain details or characteristics that way, and you can better understand the kind of personality you wanted since they'd resemble you're own friends more.

It was like thinking, this character is like Friend A, the best friend should be like Friend B, the rival must be more like Friend C, and so on and so forth. See what I mean? Not to mentioned those friends also had numerable requests added to having their own selves drawn-- things like make the eyes bigger or sharper, lengthen the hair, add more mass to the chest area (big boobs aren't that great, you know. XP ), add accessories to the hair, make the dress longer, etc.

When I became satisfied of my progress I did what other eager new artists would do once they think they were good enough-- I proceeded to do a comic.

I realized at that moment that the months I spent practicing to be enough to cover the severe lack of knowledge in storyboard, paneling, backgrounds and effects. There was also the matter with perspectives, foreshortening, body positions and movement where the only one I knew was to place the characters face front with the hands hidden, and that I didn't know any other expressions than to curve the line I considered the mouth.

Several crumpled papers later, I finally gave up and continued practicing the parts I seriously missed. First thing I did was do the side view of the head and learn the distance of the eyes from the ears and all it involved.