My apologies

March has been an insane month for me and I thank you for your patience.

I haven't had a whole lot of time to artwork due to working so much at my job last week. I'm hoping to have some sketches done tomorrow so I can update.

I'm having company later this week, followed by my birthday, then I am moving next week.

I will try to update within that time period, even if it's just a tiny sketch. After the 2nd week of April my updates will be more regular again.

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING! <3

~Mandy

stereotype sketches

Done for body language exercises I had too much fun with. Enjoy.

Sketchwork

As I said in my previous update, my parents came to visit this past weekend. We had a great time! :]

Because of their trip, though, I hadn't had a whole lot of time to draw, so what I did today was put together a collage of sketches I may or may not finish eventually.

Up top left we have a silly sketch of me, and below me is Devin. I meant for these to be our dA IDs, but I doubt that will happen. Top right is perspective Sikris tossing a cigarette butt (smoking is very, very bad!). Underneath Si is Oserin having her morning coffee before her run. This may be finished eventually. Aside from Os is the human version of my horse char Lucia. I'm still working out her design and this was just my first sketch. I very much like the marking over her nose. Below Lucia is a quick tablet sketch of Oserin. I mentioned in a previous update that I may be doing some character makeovers and this was the first sketch. I was also trying out my new tablet!

My birthday is coming up soon, and since my parents were here to visit early, they gave me my present early. It was a new Wacom Bamboo pen tablet. I absolutely love it!!! My first tablet was a Wacom Graphire 4 which worked really well. I kind of wanted to upgrade though, just to see how it would effect my work.

I recommend this tablet! More details on that, later, though ^_~

Until then!

~Mandy

P.S.: If you didn't know, you can click the image to make it bigger!!!

doodle

Well, I've been a little bit busy because I just started a new job, so I haven't had a whole lot of time this week so far to concentrate on some artwork. Tonight I just decided to doodle a bit.

I attempted to focus on color and a random background. Plus I'm trying to improve my raw tablet work. My first design of a new char. Her name is Sasha and I'm not sure how often she'll show up on deviantART. I know for sure that her hair will not ever be that blonde again.

Anyway, just practice! Enjoy!

BTW, my parents are visiting for an extended weekend, so I'm not sure if I'll be updating until next week! Just a heads up!!! :]

Annabeth Process

This was initially a marker practice drawring gone really, really well.

Since I've drawn my first set of the Scarf Series I've noticed that my marker work is really lacking something. As of late I've been looking at a lot of marker tutorials to see what I could find. I noticed the work that used a lot more color looked more attractive than using just a base color and different shades of the base.

So I sketched up a bust of Annabeth from the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series because she's one of my faves. I sketched it in my Strathmore sketchbook and scanned it in. The sketch itself is only about 5 1/2 inches long so it's pretty tiny.

I inked the sketch with a .03 black Micron and a .01 black Micron for the finer details. I waited for the ink to dry, then erased my lines. I scanned in the image again. I cleaned up the sketch a tad in Photoshop using this tutorial which has been insanely helpful! I decided that the sketch was a little too small for me to work with for practice, so instead of coloring the original I decided to print out a copy. I had recently gotten some Matte paper to print off some of my work and stick it in my portfolio so I tried that first. Yeah, don't use Matte paper. The colors did not blend well at all. I didn't really want to print it on regular printer paper because the markers bleed quite a bit. I decided to rip out a piece of my Aquabee Manga paper (which is recommended for Copics ^^) and stick that in the printer. Though it took a really long time for the ink to dry, it worked really, really well.

I switched up my method a bit with coloring. I had read in a random tutorial (I'm sorry, I don't have the link) that if you don't leave a little bit of white left on the skin your image will look flat and boring. Instead of coloring the base color over the entire face like I usually do, I started by just shading in the shadows with the base color (Copic: skin white) and moved in from there. Fortunately you can't really tell, but the printer ink smeared a little bit. It actually worked well and gave the skin a little bit darker tone for some of the shadows. After I finished with the base color, I layered with a darker shade. From there I used a darker layer for the really dark shadows. I decided to use a lighter shade of purple for the really deep shades. After I finished I used the base color again to blend the color a bit better.

Her hair was just plain fun. I first laid down a really light yellow base (it was either Prisma: deco yellow or blondewood) and I went from there. Her hair has so many colors in it. There's goldenrod, light blue, lilac, sienna brown, deco pink, and even some fuchsia! Again, to blend the colors I used a lighter yellow. I felt so happy using so many colors that I would have never thought to use in hair and having it turn out so well! I got lucky!

Speaking of luck, I was lucky enough to find this amazing colorless blender tutorial. Let me tell you, it actually works. I used it for her eyes. I first took a light grey and applied the colorless blender ink to it, making a nice soft gradient. I used a few more greys just for some depth, and I used my darkest gray as the outline and the little dab in the middle. I would have never guessed that that was how you used a colorless blender and I'm so glad I found the tutorial! I think I would have benefited more if I added a little bit more depth in the eyes, but I ran out of greys ^^.

The shirt has a base layer of yellow orange. Like her hair, there's a ton of colors in here too. I used the colorless blender some with her shirt and it worked out really nice.

After her shirt I moved on to her lips. I actually used a Photoshop tutorial as reference for them. My scanner definitely took away some of the color, but it still looks nice scanned in. Deco pink was used the most for the lips. Sienna brown and lilac were the deepest shades. Blush pink and pink are in there as well. I blended the colors with the deco pink base color.

The accents were the most fun. I used the colorless blender on the deco pink and added blush along her cheeks, chin, and nose to give her a little bit more feminine color. Then I took my wonderful white gel pen and applied shine to her lips and eyes. I used dots for her cheeks, nose, and if you can see, her upper ear. I decided to highlight her jawline and add a few dabs to her eyelids/lashes. Instead of the normal squiggle hairshine I apply with the white gel pen, I used strokes as highlights. I admit, I got the idea from using highlights in Photoshop. I'm actually a strong believer that using what you learn in Photoshop can be applied to your traditional work as well. You just don't have the handy dandy "undo" button ^^.

From start to finish, this piece took me about 3 hours. I'm pretty sure that's the longest I've ever spent on a traditional piece of work. I really think it paid off quite a bit! Expect to see more traditional work like this from me! :]

You can see just the finished piece here!

Materials

I don't have any sketches to post today, nor do I really have a whole lot to talk about. So today I'm going to talk about the materials I use for my traditional art and why I use/recommend them!

Firstly, now that I've moved to Pennsylvania I get all my art supplies from Blick Art Materials in Allentown, PA. They are cheap and they have a lot of everything. It's fantastic. If you don't have a retail store near you, I recommend their online store. Their prices are often cheaper than their retail stores and a lot cheaper than their catalog. You have to pay for shipping, though. So if you have a retail store near you, I suggest you check it out! If not, go online! Their supplies are ENDLESS. And their prices are great! :]

Just so you know, I'm rather picky when it comes to my supplies.

Paper:
+ My sketchbooks have to be spiral bound. Lately I've been using Strathmore Sketch premium recycled sketchbooks. I've also tried their Drawing sketchbooks. Both of them are good for pencil/other dry media.
+ I also use Strathmore Bristol vellum. It's fantastic for marker/colored pencil. The marker doesn't bleed through to the other side and the paper itself is thicker so it stays straight. When I did a set of 5 commissions for Devin's Mom, I mangafied her niece and nephews and all the pictures went in frames. I used Bristol for the strength and smoothness.
+ Another paper that Devin turned me on to is Aquabee Manga Paper. It's specifically for manga artists and it's recommended with Copic markers. I have to say it's the best paper I've ever markered on. The color was ridiculously smooth and it didn't bleed over the inking lines. This picture here was done on said paper. What really impressed me about this paper, though, is that it left hardly any residue from the initial sketch after inking. When I erased the pencil lines you literally couldn't tell there were pencil lines ever there. I highly recommend this paper if you use Copic markers, or any markers in general.
+ I have also used regular printer paper, ect. the aforementioned supplies are what I prefer.

Pencils/Pens/Erasers:
+ I only use mechanical pencils. I've tried using different grades of pencils for sketching/drawing/shading/ect. but I just can't do it. I haven't tried in quite awhile...so it might be something I'll have to try again. Just to see how I feel about it now. I use either Bic #2 0.5mm or Bic #2 .07mm mechanical pencils.

+ For inking I use Sakura Micron pens. For me, they are the best. Then again, they're all I've used other than Sharpie. I would like to try Prismacolor and Copic liners just to see how they handle. I've tried Faber Castell once or twice and I'm not a huge fan. The Micron sizes I usually use range from .05 to .3. I also have .5, .8, and a brush pen. All which have never let me down when I've used them :]. The different sizes are good for different things. .05 is great for insanely tiny details. I find that just a .05 line won't scan in very well. .1 is also good for a lot of detail, as is .2. I enjoy .3 a lot because it's perfect for me. The line is thick enough to scan in well and it's not thick enough to look super chunky. .5 is okay, but a little thick. It's hard to distinguish line weight. .8 is very, very thick. Unless you want an extremely chunky line, I recommend something smaller. The brush tip is interesting. It's thick, but because of it, line weight is transferred with every stroke. Anya was inked with a Micron brush pen. Depending on what YOU want from the pen will decipher what thickness you use. MAKE SURE YOU LET YOUR INK DRY BEFORE ERASING YOUR SKETCHLINES. THE INK WILL SMEAR IF STILL WET.
+ Gellyroll white gel pens are what I use for finer details in the eyes and some highlights. I definitely recommend having one of these around! I've tried other white gel pens and none of them seem to work as well as the Gellyroll brand for me.
+ I've also tried a Sakura Permapaque opaque pigment marker as seen in the Anya picture again. I liked it and I thought it was a good investment, I just need to practice with it a bit more. I believe it's a good tool to have!
+ I've tried a ton of erasers. Depending on what you want from the eraser will help you choose which one to use for what project. For charcoal and pastel, I recommend having a kneaded eraser around. What I use for my artwork is a Staedtler Mars plastic eraser. They are wonderful for getting rid of sketchlines after inking. I've also tried clicky erasers which were pretty good as well. Staedtler is cheap and good quality. I bought one for each student on the first day of class when I taught a How To Draw Anime/Manga class.

Colored Pencils:
+ Ever since I had to use Prismacolor Premier pencils in my high school senior art class I haven't used anything else. Prismacolor is a wonderful company which offers a good quality product. Their prices might seem a little high, but it's worth it once you've tried the pencil. Premier's have a softer lead which makes blending smooth and easy along with a gorgeous, brilliant color. I will recommend these pencils to anyone and everyone.
+ Prismacolor also offers Verithin pencils. I've tried them too. The color definitely isn't as brilliant or smooth. The lead is harder so they look more like a Crayola pencil. Not my cup of tea.
+ Please, please, please invest in a colorless blender! The lead is soft like the Premier which makes it smooth. The possibilities are literally endless with this tool depending on how much pressure you use and where you use it (the harder you press continuously, the glossier the area gets). This drawing here you can see the difference between the characters, who have had the blending treatment, and the border, which has not. See what a polished look the blender gives? It's amazing! I also bought one of these for each of my students when I taught my How To Draw Anime/Manga II class (coloring).

Markers:
+ Prismacolor markers were the first kind of marker I tried artistically (besides Crayola). It took a lot of getting used to, but they did the job. And they did it well. Prisma's WILL bleed if you don't control them correctly. If the paper is too saturated, watch out. Each marker is double ended with a broad and a fine side. The fine side is easy to get caught up using. Unfortunately, the alcohol based ink dries really fast, so there is a possibility for unhappy layer lines. I recommend practicing with the broad side and learn how to maneuver it so it can get in the hard to reach places. Trust me. It's possible :]. It just takes practice. I love Prismacolor markers. They're bold, they dry fast (which can sometimes be a disadvantage when coloring large areas), and they come in all sorts of colors. Again, the price is sort of high, but the quality is pretty good. One of the only downsides is the fine and broad tip do not eliminate the same amount of ink...so there is a possibility with a slight saturation difference in color. It's just something you have to get used to and play around with in order to use it to your advantage! I would gladly recommend this product to anyone.
+ Blick Markers. I just recently tried a few out! They're good! Nice and smooth with a few of the same issues as the Prisma. They're not as expensive, but just as good. They don't have as much as a color variety but it's definitely the same quality.
+ Copics. Ahh, Copics. My marker of choice. Like Prismacolor, they are an alcohol based marker. Unlike the Prismacolor, though, they dry less quickly there are no unhappy layer lines if used correctly. Most Copics are also double edged. You can get them ovular, with a broad side and a brush tip side, or square, with a broad side and a fine side. There are also very large one sided markers that are available for large areas. Also unlike Prismacolor and other alcohol based markers, each end of the marker eliminates the same amount of ink so there is absolutely no saturation difference between ends. Some people say the shape of the marker is awkward and hard to get used to. I luckily didn't have that problem :]. The colors are brilliant and even. And there are a variety of colors available! Each color will always, always be the same. Where as some Prismacolor markers will slightly change their color over time. Copics are also refillable! So you don't have to buy a brand new marker in order to keep artworking! The major downside to this product is it's price. Copics are ridiculously expensive. You get a fantastic product though. If you are serious about your work and are willing to spend a pretty penny I definitely recommend this product! It's so worth it if you know you'll use them!
+ All of these markers have a bit of an odor. It's something you get used to fairly fast.

--

These are the products that I use the most and have the most knowledge about. These are my opinions that I've gathered based on my experiences with these products. I encourage you to try different products to feel out what's good for you!!!

I hope this helped and feel free to drop a line if you have any questions/comments! I have it set up so anyone can leave a comment~try to add your name, though, so I know who I'm talking to! :]

Until next time,
~Mandy

P.S.: Whoa. that was a whole lot longer than I expected it to be! O_O

testing testing

My wonderful bf, Devin, bought the upgrade to his Manga Studio so I could have Manga Studio 4.0. Oh man, it is 100% amazing. When using any of the tools it automatically steadies the line...which makes a crisp and clean well-weighted line. Now, I have a tablet so it makes it easier to get different line weights but this works with a mouse, too.

There are pre-toned brushes too...all of which blew my mind away. Seriously, this makes everything SO much easier, especially if you're starting a manga/comic book/web comic. I know me + backgrounds don't always go well together and this program eases my mind about backgrounds! (at least simple, random background)

Here's my quick practice picture of Chase:

The image itself was super huge so I had to save it as a Photoshop file (.psd) and resize it in Photoshop. Saving was a little bit of an issue for me. Devin had to help (he has a tad bit of experience with the program. Tonight was the first time I ever touched it!) Instead of normal Save As I had to Export the image file in pixels which allowed me to change the format. Then when I got it into Photoshop it was as a bitmap...so I had to change it to grayscale (Image -> Mode -> Grayscale) before I could resize it correctly without distorting the pixels.

All in all, Manga Studio 4.0 gets an A+ from me so expect more from it! :]

Other than that my mind has been racing with artwork ideas. Firstly, I had Bad Romance by Lady Gaga playing in my car on the way home...unfortunately, the image that came tom my mind was my geeky gamer character Nolan dancing in sequined boxers trying to grind up on Oserin, who looks as if she might kill him (but then again, when does she not?). Sikris might walk in...that I am undecided. If he does he's going to walk back out and then burst out laughing, I know that much. Haha.

Another idea I had was drawing lots of Shady. You see, I want to learn some yoga so I had the idea that I would draw Shady in each position that I learn! It could be fun :]

I'm also debating on giving a few characters a makeover. Chase has looked the same for the last four years. I might change it up a tad...just to see what he looks like. I don't have to keep the changes, but it might be fun to do. Os is still a relatively new character still but I was thinking about giving her a cute little pixie haircut instead of her longish short hair. We'll see. I might makeover some other chars too :]

The Scarf Series is going to get going sometime in the near future. The finished pieces will be posted on dA. Would you like to see progress shots as I go?

Okay, I've rambled enough for tonight! Until later!