In commemoration of the new Dragon ball movie that has just recently been released in theaters (sadly only in Japan), I present to you my rendition of the newest Super Saiyan form… Super Saiyan God. I really like it, specially because of it’s simplicity. I had seen many renditions on the internet, some had Goku with really really long hair (probably taking Super Saiyan 3 and Super Saiyan 4 as inpirations). I wouldn’t doubt it if Toriyama sensei saw any of these, and because he likes to go against others and be different I’m sure really wanted to make a really simple design but still make it different from anything done before. And so with that we get a form that’s between Goku in his normal form and when he becomes Super Saiyan with the big difference that his hair, aura and eyes all becom red. Because of all the expectations many fans had, many were of course dissapointed with this design. But again to each his own. Its just how some hate Goku’s Japanese voice (which seems strange to me) and others love it (I have had the pleasure to grow up with the Spanish English and last but not least the original Japanese voice, and despite all the hate I absolute love the Japanese version). I really hope I can get my hands a copy of the movie soon. I’m sure it’s going to be great.
Once again, I seem to be late in uploading this. It’s really starting to get pathetic… Sure this time it wasn’t a whole month, but still. In any case I seem to be posting this two days late, so I’m sorry about that.
As the title states, this time it is Linlin’s turn. The second of the only two Chinese members of Morning Musume. She was definitely one of the funniest, if not the funniest of the members. Her energy was always high, and her way of viewing the world was inspirational. I remember seeing an interview where she said that she would laugh in front of a mirror in the morning in order to get more energy. I found that to be an amazing habit.
I would most likely get along best with Linlin since she is crazy about anime and Japanese pop culture. Plus since were are both foreigners (to different countries of course) we would have a lot to talk about. And we are actually about the same age, she’s just a couple of months older than me.
It seems that she will also be debuting this year as a solo artist, which I am extremely happy to hear. After hearing the song that she composed and wrote the lyrics together with Ai chan, I know for certain it will be successful.
It also seems that she is continuing with cosplay, which brings me to why I decided to draw this drawing the way it is. Since anime and cosplaying seems to be a big part of her life, I find it only natural that I draw her as though she was an anime character. Which is why I chose to do a cute but cool outfit, reminiscent of what you usually see in an anime. I feel that a cute but kind of punk style would suit her well.
So far this has been the hardest drawing (of a Morning Musume member) that I have done. The reference that I chose was probably the culprit (since her left side of her face was darkened by shadows making it hard to apply the right amount of contrast). I guess I’m still not as good as I should be… Plus she look rather different these days, she is most likely using circle lens? I hear those things make your eyes look really big.
After the first two “If they were real” videos, I feel like going back to drawing some more anime themed drawings. For this video I decided to draw characters from one of my favorite animes: TORADORA. It’s a really fun, serious, inspirational and emotional story. If you have not seen it yet I highly recommend it. For the most part the animation and art style are definitely really good. But I feel they could have made it even better. Truthfully the only reason I complain, is because of the time a certain side character dyed his hair (I really thought it looked a bit…).
In any case, this drawing took about five and a half hours to complete. But that was to be expected since I had to color it after all. Over all I wanted to try and bring out the feel of a certain artist I have talked about before, Banpai Akira. This time though I made sure to not look at any of his works and see if I could pull it off on my own. I had to do quite a bit of experimenting, and I really don’t feel I did too bad. The only complaint I have is with Aisaka’s hair. Maybe I should have done it a bit darker (more on the brown side, instead of the light golden hair). But oh well.
This was probably the hardest one to draw. Not because of the difficulty but because of not knowing how Bulma would look like in real life. In my view she could go either way in terms of looks (Asian or Caucasian). So I decided to do some research to help me decide. Much to my surprise that added more to my confusion. As it turn out it seems that Buruma was meant to represent Xuanzang, the Chinese monk (and protagonist) from “Journey to the West”. One would think that it would all end like that and I would just draw her as a Chinese girl, but after examining the original drawings for what would later become Buruma, I found out that he (Akira Toriyama) had a Western girl in mind
So, did that image still carry over to the Buruma that we all know? I was really contemplating and reaching the same conclusion that it could go either way. And since I pretty much imagine Trunks as seeming Caucasian for some reason as well as seeing her family which is made up of one blonde mom. At the very least she could be half and half. But to not complicate things, I will just make her a white girl. With that in mind I’d say that was probably the only character I feel they casted right in that horrible live action movie (too bad they did not give her the full light blue or in some eyes light purple hair). Of course since it was supposed to be based on the original Dragon Ball then they would need a younger actress (or at the very least, make her look , girlier). Not that the right casting would have changed the outcome of the film…
I also tried to pinpoint the source of the name. That of course would lead me no where. After all, as most fans know, Buruma means Bloomers. And again this would not give me a definitive answer since these are/were widely used in both Japan and Western countries. The origins of the garments would not help out much either. So I scrapped this as a deciding factor.
Any way, that is how I came to the conclusion of how to draw Buruma. I infact did use a model to draw this interpretation (from a picture I found in the internet of course, after searching for hours…). Here is the picture of said cosplayer:
As you can tell I borrowed greatly, and mostly just added the bunny suit, as well changed her hairstyle. I’d say she fits the part perfectly. She not only looks like her but also has that youthful look that reminds me of the early days of Dragon Ball.
I also had some other images in mind of course. Some that I personally preferred and would have used if I decided to go the other way. here are the links:
pic 1
pic 2
And so, there you have it. What do you guys think?
Let me start off by saying, that just like JunJun’s mother I seemed to have messed up JunJun’s birthday by a whole month… (yeah, really smooth…) But better late than never, and in a way this is kind of like her Morning Musume birthday (yeah, I’m just making excuses now). Now back to the description.
JunJun is one of the only two foreign members on Morning Musume (would that also include all of Hello! Project ???). I really feel she along with LinLin had it tough. For one, they both had to master a new language, adapt to a new culture away from their families, go through the difficulties of adjusting to the hardships that come from being a Momusu (learning how to; sing, dance etc), and to top it all off, also trying their best to over come and tolerate some of the hate that came from some of the racist fans. Truly a lot of hardships. It really is easy for one to not pay attention to such details, specially when some girls from outside of Japan would do anything to join Morning Musume.
Although her time in the group was short, I’d say she did make quite an impression on a lot of people. I really cannot say what the full plan was when Tsunku decided to incorporate two members from China. He kept saying things along the lines of expanding to Asia. But I wonder if he also had some other plans to go along with it? I wonder if in some way he was trying to change the image that people had of Japan out in the Mainland? Whenever I start reading about Japan, people always seem to make them out to be as racists who think of themselves as more than (or above) the rest of the people on their continent. All I have to say is that like in many countries (if not all), there will always be racists. It just seems to be a very sad truth about humans. But what people just don’t seem to understand is that just because there appears to be a large group of people who speak of hate to other countries and/or ethnicities, you should not group a whole country as if it is filled with these types of people. In many cases (if not all) the groups are actually very small, but they appear to be big because they just happen to be the loudest (in other words they are big loudmouths). It is these types of groups of people that ruin the reputation of people that can range from a small group to a whole country. I should know, there are a lot of these types of people in my home country of Mexico. A beautiful place filled with really nice people, but there always happens to be some idiot who ruins the image for everyone.
Kind of off topic again… In any case I found her to be a hard worker, who tried her best to get incorporated into the group. She also seemed to be a really funny person from what I saw on Haro!Moni (too bad it ended so soon).
Now that she has moved back to China I noticed that she has gotten far too thin. When in Morning Musume she was already thin to begin with, but looked really healthy. Now she seems so fragile. She’s also not the only one, it seems that Ogawa Makoto has also slimmed even further, and just like JunJun, she seems extremely frail. Maybe this was the reason Hello!Morning and Haro!Moni always seemed to incorporate food into the show. Like most man I do prefer a women who is in shape, but there really is a thing as too thin.
I also hear that she now has a boyfriend (one of the perks of graduating from Morning Musume). I’m happy to hear that. I think she is the first of the Platinum Era.
And so we finally have another drawing of a Morning Musume member. This time we are drawing Aika the first of the eight generation. Strangely, she is not as popular as many of the other members. I really do wonder why that is, every time I go online people just seem to spit out the same words, from my experience it just seemed that someone out there started this and it spread till it got out of hand. I do wonder what is with humans and our inability to go against the norm. In any case, what ever others have said I really do like her. Although I will admit that she isn’t my favorite.
If there is one thing that people should appreciate is her amazing perseverance while in Morning Musume, and even now while in H!P. Despite her many difficulties and weaknesses she pushes on and tries to overcome them. This quality of hers is something I hope many look up to, I know I do. This I believe is her strongest charm that many (for whatever reason) over look.
Another thing that really surprised me was that she seemed to have an interest in Mexico! My native country. Upon hearing of the news I truly was overjoyed that a member had set it’s eyes on the beautiful country that is Mexico (which sadly is trying to overcome some harsh problems at the moment, I really do hope that things get much better). And not only did she just talk about it, (information on whether she had anything to do with it, is based on my judgement, only some wishful thinking and deduction) but it seems that plans had been planned to take a concert to the soil of Mexico. They even sent a video where she and Ai Takahashi (which made it even more amazing and filled me with such joy) talked in Spanish hinting of one day going to visit the Mexican fans. The video is at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbCPH94c-xw
Sadly the fans screamed every once in a while so some of their speech was muffled (I can’t blame them though). But alas the members that I actually cared about are now gone, and even then four other members had already graduated as well. It’s not that I would have been able to go if they did happen to visit Mexico, but just the thought that they took to the time to visit my country would be a great honor.
Well it seems I got a bit off topic, in any case I really do hope you guys enjoy it.
It is a new year and also a new era for this channel. After drawing requests for two years using this channel and my closed account: zero9archangel, I have come to the realization that it was finally time for me to be selfish and start drawing what actually interested me. In any case, I would like to thank anyone and everyone who either participated by asking for requests or just happened to stop by from time to time to watch my videos.
How to draw Challenge was designed for me, so that I could try out various different art styles (which mainly seemed to focus on anime and manga). One other challenge was so that I could try and increase my speed when drawing while still maintaining good form and technique which would become apparent at the end, when the drawing was actually finished. Doing good speed drawings was … tough. It seemed that my drawings always seemed to lack something, I just couldn’t really figure out what though. And then I started drawing for my self these past few months, and that is when I realized the difference of a rushed drawing and one that had an ok amount of time given to it. Getting frustrated and wanting to produce better pieces I decided to give in to my selfish desires. Not only will I not be taking requests, but drawings might not be posted on a scheduled basis as they were before. This will give me the freedom to draw to my hearts content.
But you as the viewer will also gain something. A much better display of my skills and what can be possible to create with just your hands and a pencil. I also plan to incorporate color every once in a while. So I hope you will look forward to that.
Aside from this, I am also starting a new project where I draw a character from an anime/manga or game and draw them the way they would look in real life. I plan to call this project: “If they were real”. My plans are to determine every single factor from name to nationality and any descriptions till I can finally flesh out a character. I’ve noticed that many artists just get characters and completely change them, mainly making them white despite being Japanese or from some other ethnicity. So I hope you guys look forward to that.
Lastly I suppose I should talk at least a little bit about this drawing. If I could liken my self to any animal it would definitely be the tiger. That amazing power, agility and speed they possess is something I have always tried to achieve. There reputation around the world is definitely noteworthy. And let’s not forget about their aesthetics either, they are amazingly beautiful animals. Having looked up to them, I have had an urge to draw one for quite some time. Looking at the the many types of tigers out there I would probably be a Sumatran Tiger, although they are not the biggest they are still rather fierce. And there is something about that cheek hair that looks cool.
It would be utterly amazing if I could achieve a title that reads: The Tiger Emperor Xero, when it comes to drawing. Although that’s clearly me just fantasizing.
It has been quite a while since I last uploaded something. But I personally prefer it this way. I really do think that quality over quantity is much better. For this installment I have added another SPECIAL video to commemorate the birthday of another one of my favorite Morning Musume members… Kamei Eri, the sleepy turtle.
I found her to be extremely beautiful and cute when I first got into Morning Musume, and as I got to know her and the rest of the members more, I just could not get enough of her and her segments. She really made things so funny and interesting. I recently found some of her old appearances on some variety shows and couldn’t stop laughing when they declared her as the person who would most likely communicate with aliens. At times her expression really made me think she actually was.
It’s a shame I was only present to see her last year on Morning Musume (that’s what I get for learning about them late). Whatever she decides to do on her future, I can only hope her the best. I’m sure she is capable of forging a path just for her, whether we as fans are able to witness it or not.
As for the drawing, I’d say that I had the most trouble replicating her face. I really took quite some time to draw her out. I had to redo a lot of details. Even at the end, I question whether I was able to truly capture her essence. In any case it was really enjoyable. Now, for those of you who do not know, recently Ai Takahashi released a couple of pictures of the current Eri, who actually allowed her self to get pictures taken of her. And that is where I got my reference material. In other words you are looking at Kamei Eri as she looks in 2012. She really hasn’t changed much, the only difference is that she has her natural dark hair. Which I truthfully prefer, she looks extremely cute and natural.
request by: 1993KINGoo
This one really gave me a headache. It just had too many details I had to take care of… But anyway here it is. It was requested that I draw Iron man riding a nine tail fox with cup of tea and wearing a top hat. The background would consist of them being on the moon with cherry blossoms on the background. And so that is what I did…
I found this really cool cosplayer on the internet and decided to use her pose for this drawing. She was lying down on the ground and extending her hand to reach whoever the viewer was. Also, her body was pointing towards the other direction (if that even makes sense). In other words her head would be by one’s feet and her body would lay (from our perspective) forward. Which is why I had to draw her upside down. Now I know what some of you may be thinking, why not draw her upright then just flip the drawing over? That would be the easiest and perhaps the smartest thing to do, but I thought that it could be more fun to do it this way. As a challenge. Surprisingly I didn’t do too bad, although I did have to cheat at the end when I had to redraw the head (mainly because I didn’t want to use too much time). I hope you guys give it a try too.
request (more like a suggestion) by: alleriaq
I was suggested to try and draw the supper popular Naruto, as well as Itachi. I found some really cool references on the web that I thought would look cool together.
Sword Art Online is one of my favorite animes of the year. I really enjoy how they skip months and go towards the important segments of the story. Except by the end of the first season where it felt more like fan service… Luckily that did not last long and the story progressed.
I’m actually not surprised that I was asked to draw this pair seeing as they are very popular these days. I thought I would make the theme be a sort of, before the battle kind of scene. Kirito forces Asuna to stay out of it while he goes off to fight alone. Something like that. It feels rather incomplete without any background doesn’t it?
Hope you enjoy it,
– XERO
This addition has been added on 1/31/2013.
This is the new project I’m starting for this channel. Which I believe I have mentioned before on one of the other videos. I’ll be taking old videos from my other channel and make a how to/tutorial of how I did it and also some light commentary. This is the second video that has gone through this process, the other one was about Marisa Kirisame. The only difference is that I have not added any voice over. I have become really busy lately so I have to cut any extra work that would monopolize my time. Even so I’ll try to becom more active in both accounts, so I hope you guys don’t wander off too far.
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