Yukinoshita Touma

There was a contest going on in Youtube where the objective is to combine two of my current favorite anime/manga characters into one. After much thought I came to a realization that I had way to many favorite characters so I took “current” to heart. In which case I chose Kamijou Touma from the To Aru series’. I like him a lot because despite being a “normal” human in a world where everyone is pretty much stronger than you, he does what he can to stand up for others and go into danger no matter the situation if it means justice. The second character is Yukino Yukinoshita from the “Yahari ore no seishun love comedy wa machigatteiru” series which is one of my favorite new animes. It’s just such a great series that really touches the human element of what happens at the high school age, and what our choices can bring to us. Yukino is definitely my favorite female character from the series. The writer really thinks about the elements that make her, well, her. She is really deep, despite having the qualities that we all know from most animes, she really stands out because of her character. Despite having her own problems and having strong thoughts about what people should do in order to do better in life, she does what she can to help them out in any situation.

In that way both Yukino and Touma are a lot alike. But of course they do have some differences where Touma is a bit more true to his feelings and Yukino is a bit more conservative with them. This creates a great character that has depth and secrets but will open up to hearing about your problems anytime.

For the character I noticed that they both used dark uniforms so I tried to blend some elements from both (can you find them?). I added a couple of details that showmark some of their interests and special skills. Also since Kamijou is known for his MISFORTUNE, I have Yukinoshita Touma with scraped knee socks. Both are very sure of themselves but not cocky. So I wanted a very serene and reassuring gaze coming from her (my character). The hair was something I really had to think about. I wanted Touma’s spiky hair, but since it is a girl I also wanted the silky hair of Yukino. So I went with a combination of both that makes her both really cute and like a bit of a tomboy that can get into action at any time.

I seriously like the way she came out. I might use this design for something else at a future date.

Hope you guys like it,

-XERO

July 10, 2015 0

The final update on the “Draw Our Mascot” contest entry 7/2/15

I finally finished that drawing I was talking about. Here is a link to the contest just in case you guys want to join, theres still 18 days left: http://anime-x-life.deviantart.com/journal/Draw-our-Mascot-CONTEST-18-DAYS-LEFT-533616298

There’s another contest I will enter which will end in 8 days on Youtube, more on that one later. I also have a commission I will start soon and another contest, but that contest will end in December.

I will write a bit about this drawing tomorrow and what I was thinking when drawing it.

July 2, 2015 0

Working on a piece for a contest on DeviantArt

One way to increase my level is to compete with other artists head on, so I decided to start working on pieces for contests. I will explain on this a bit more later.

Anyway, here is some updates on what I have so far.

July 1, 2015 0

Artist Project Update 2/28/2014

I missed posting on Monday again. But just like last time I was working on another contest that appeared right after I had finished writing last Friday. This time the theme was for the new film The Wind Rises (Kaze Tachinu), which will be Hayao Miyazaki’s last film. It still requires that weird format, but this time I had last competition’s experience under my belt. This is what I assumed would happen if I kept joining contests since it forces one to produce quality artworks in a small amount of time that requires one to keep a deadline in mind at all times. I felt I could do even better, but this was a big leap from the last entry. With this format (2000 x 550) it was still a bit annoying but surprisingly I did better. I decided on a theme that touched upon the harsh past that flowed to a brighter future because of their meeting each other (sadly judging by the trailers the woman protagonist will most likely die from tuberculosis). I could only come up with so much by seeing the trailers and reading the extremely short synopsis given by deviantart.

This time I decided to work with my small collection of Copic markers I bought a couple of years ago, I was hesitant in using them because of how expensive they were. As well as my struggling ability to work with color (though I have been getting much better). To my surprise, using them was extremely intuitive. Mixing, blending and just coloring was much faster and effortless than with color pencils, which require a lot of work to have the colors stay on the paper and meld with the picture it self. There is this new technique I have been thinking of using for quite some time now, and seeing just how much I can bring out of the markers and color pencil (though I still need to work more on the color pencils) I can see the vast possibilities I can bring to my work.

The drawing and design for this piece was definitely better than last times, sadly my camera was not able to capture all of it’s greatness. The end sides got distorted because they bend up, making the drawing and colors blur. I just might have to invest on a big scanner. It’s a pain but it will be worth it if it shows my work in it’s original intended form.

In any case this is my entry:

Until next time,

-XERO

February 28, 2014 0

How to Draw Challenge: The Fifth – Yuka-Pon

I had stumbled upon Yuka-Pon a while ago and could not help thinking, “She’s Cute”… I was thinking of making a drawing of her but because I had a lot of requests in my old account I was not able to do so. Luckily for me a contest of who could draw her best emerged. I chose to do this drawing because since it is a Valentines day theme, I sort of pictured her picking out her one and only out of a crowd of fans and admirers. Although I had a bit of a hard time capturing her beauty along the way for some reason. This drawing took me an unprecedented three hours. Usually it takes me about an hour or less. Nevertheless I had a lot of fun drawing her and really enjoyed my time. I hope to draw her again someday.

You can find her youtube page here: http://www.youtube.com/user/NyappyChocoChan?feature=g-user-f

For this video I recommend listening to: “Strobo Night”.

Hope you enjoy it,

– XERO

January 22, 2012 0

I AM A CATALYST FOR HOPE! Design a T-Shirt Contest!

So I have decided to start applying to competitions and this one really caught my eye. Not only will there be a price but it’s for a great cause that I truly believe in. If anyone reading this wants to take part in it follow this link: http://catalystfoundation.org/archives/2972

This organization does a lot of things to help stop human trafficking and poverty in Vietnam, if you have the chance please check them out and if possible help them out in what ever way you can. I know this isn’t the usual “just art” stuff but I believe art can be a tool for change and thats something I want to use my abilities for.

-XERO

September 22, 2011 0