The picture is actually done very oddly. Like last week's, it was originally drawn fairly large on a piece of graph paper. Then, I accidentally made it VERY large. So large in fact, that the version in the gallery is 25% of its working size! Also weird is that the lines (though you can't tell, due to how small it is) were done with black crayon and the colouring is done by airbrush. All in all, I think it turned out fairly well though not quite up to the previous few weeks'.

And next week, a new title plus the WWWH update. (Oops.)

I've been working on a WWWH update as well as the next Title CG. However, I am out of time right now.  Everything will have to go up next week, then. (Sigh. The WWWH update is really late...)

This week is a special occasion! The last three (including this week's) CG have been good quality! This beats my previous record of two in a row. I wish I could be more consistent. At least, I think they're good. They're also all experimental pieces. Maybe I like the creativity. I've already started work on next week's CG and I think it's good, too.

Okay, so this week's CG's not perfect. The lines aren't stellar but I tried a bunch of new techniques. First off, the camera placement is very unusual for me. I also tried cross-hatching and a better colouring method. The picture, I have to admit, is a bit rough. The sketch I was working off was a VERY rough sketch. I basically did it in 5 minutes. So, of course it wasn't very clean. This CG was pretty much sketched as well. It's in the colouring that I put the most work. I started out by watercolouring everything very generally with the default large brush. Then, I switched to the medium brush for more accurate colours and then to the small for more detailled areas. I think it works well. However, it is a bit time consuming to go over the picture three times...But that's okay. :} Mata raishuu!

The title is supposed to be rabbit-influenced. If I decide to dislike it any more, I'll have to replace it. Anyway, it's an airbrushed pen sketch.

I also did 3 new, small WWWH pics. I think I did too much this week.

Beyond interaction, I also altered my typical hair-drawing style, as you can tell mainly by Dawn's hair. She's pressing against Atéo's arm because I liked the way I drew her hair too much to erase it! I also modified the way I draw profiles. It's a little better, now. Clothing has a simpler look, as well. I also feel that my colouring is better than previous hasty-colourings. I had wanted to colour this carefully but the computer crashed and I lost that work. I was impatient and annoyed, so I gave up trying to stay within all the lines.

Actually, when I was planning for this week, I wanted to do a 'Lincoln's Birthday' CG, rather than a Valentine's CG. Then, I tried to combine the two. I ended up dropping the Lincoln CG because this seemed much more touching. (Pun?) This is 100% of working size, which is 200% of the original size, if I recall correctly.

This was a very time-consuming picture. No new techniques this time but the picture is actually twice as large as the one available here. Deistar's skintone is weird and he's a bit out of proportion but I like the picture overall.

I tried to work on the Title but I ran out of time. It'll be up next week, if anyone cares. I'll also redo various WH pictures.

Argh. This is actually the second copy of today's CG that I made. I had the computer seize up while I was saving. So...I was a bit sad but remade the picture. I'm not as happy with the linework this time around but I like the realism of the colouring.

The lines were done with a smooth ink pen, which is challenging because if I'm too slow, the ink pools. (That's why the lines are so uneven!) I think this looks nice sometimes, so that's why I used it. Additionally, I used simple crayons for the simple crayon-looking effect. :}

I think I shall make a new Title soon. Hmm.

Ooh, the Mac version of Painter Classic is much nicer than the PC one. For one, the pencil lines are much more realistic. Secondly, Mac mice are much easier to aim. :}

This is just a picture I thought of in 5 minutes. I tried for about an hour to come up with some way to show that Kain likes winter and Tiff doesn't. There were various sketches of snowmen and ideas of snowball fights but finally, I ran out of time and decided to show simply how they dress outside. I once again, carefully coloured and I think it looks nice, except perhaps for the way I coloured Tiff's coat. Well, it's not too bad. I also tried to use more realistic colours than usual, particularly for hair colours. Notice they're not as bright as I usually make them.

Stuff left out: a background, again. I tried really hard to get one but I'd have needed to use Photoshop and I really didn't want to sit around waiting for the thing to load.  I also forgot to add steam for the coffee.  Well, maybe they've been walking for a while.  (Another reason for Tiffany not to look happy; her coffee's cold. :) ) I also think I got their relative heights close to accurate.  Close...

Well, there's always next time.

I tried to do something new, which is...rain. Well, I tried...other than that, I don't often draw hoods on people. So, it was all-around a trial. I also tried to do all the typical rain-type effects of water darkening colours and the shimmer-effect. Careful colouring, too.

I'm tired of doing my CG on a PC. It's too limited. Next week, I'll go back to using a Mac.

(63?!)

Amazingly, this year, I've managed to keep it straight in my mind to write '99 instead of '98 (or other years...).  Let's see if I can keep this up...

This week's CG is a return to careful colouring and gradients. This picture of Rachel is actually based off a sketch I drew on 12/18/96! As I coloured it, I noticed a few details were wrong with her outfit but couldn't fix them. Surprisingly, the details were present in the '96 picture. The errors were introduced in my translation. :\

I used a smaller pencil size (1.1 vs 1.6) in order to make finer lines. I think this really made a big difference.  Other than her hair, the picture was done with gradients. Because of this, I had to use a higher quality factor or else the artefacts would make the picture look really ugly. I rather like it. It's simple but decent. (Other than her left arm angle, jeez.) In case you were wondering, in order to do her shoulder pads, I simply flat-filled the areas in with a colour and then faded the action 50%. (Painter users will know what I speak of.) I really chose different browns for her gloves, pants, and bag. Unfortunately, since they were based off the same scheme, they're pretty similar. But I guess that makes them match more?

Oh, I'm tired.  See you next week.  Hmm.  I don't have a CG in mind yet. <Sigh>

Ooh...not a good way to start the year. :\ I tried for a whole week to get myself to draw the CG but didn't actually until a few hours ago.  On top of that, the other pages have been sadly neglected.  I've been trying to sort thousands of pictures I happen to have and various sundry other menial computer-organizing tasks.

Well...the CG isn't too bad, I think.  I kept trying to resize or shift Jason but he never seemed to fit in the picture properly.  I also had to rush the colouring due to time restraints caused by my icky time management lack-of-skills.

Gosh, it's weird writing '99.

I managed to cook the dinner and get the CG done in a sort of okay manner. Amazing. (I have to start earlier...)

Nothing terribly unusual done with this CG.  I cut off the bottom to make it smaller because it really isn't anything too special.  I thought the sketch was all right.

Yes, today is the 25th of December. Today, we celebrate the birth of the commercial retail season. It is a special day, indeed. Hopefully, you had a happy Seasonal Gift-Giving Day.

Well, school was too hectic for me to do the CG there, so I did it at home.  Is it just me, or does the 2B pencil make VERY dark, heavy lines on the PC?  Sheesh...

This week's CG was done differently from usual.  After I 'pencilled' it, I softened the lines.  Then, I overlaid the original rough sketch at 50% opacity and watercoloured it, fairly carefully.  There's a story behind the picture but I still can't say. :}

Argh...I should have pencilled the outer shirt line for Will's upper right sleeve.

Hmph.  Alex doesn't look quite as good this week as last week.  First of all, the lines just aren't as dark.  It's weird.  Not only that, the lines aren't as dynamic. :\ Well, it's all right, I suppose.  I had a mishap with the markers being a bit too eager to overlap but that's okay, too.  I typically don't use markers, of course.  The background was lightly airbrushed in.  I didn't try shadows much.

Title notes: It's 50% of its working size, as planned. This isn't the one I originally had an idea to do so long ago but it's seasonal and appropriate. It's entirely CG. The lines were drawn with pencil and the colour was lightly airbrushed on. As I sketched with the pencil, oftentimes, I'd leave my errors in and just erase them. This gives it more of a hand-drawn feel.

CG notes: This week's was supposed to be Alex but...when I saved, the system crashed and took my picture work along with it. I was too sad to redo it (1 hour...poof) and so, Alex will probably be next week.

I then sat down and drew the Title CG. After that pleasant breather, I went and sketched the CG in much the same way. Those brown strokes are supposed to represent the floorboards. Really. I also didn't know they celebrated Chrispmas on Zeroin but what do I know? I like this week's pictures. They're the only good to happen in the last two weeks...

21 days, hmm? (Oh, that means I'll have to do an actual Chrispmas CG...)

Gee, I just looked at last week's CG. Now, that's out of proportion. I hate rushing.