New artwork Featuring Asuka Langley Shikinami

As promised here is some new artwork that will be added to the gallery soon. This time it is Asuka from the new Evangelion movies.

What I like the most about Evangelion is probably Asuka both in the original series and the new remakes. Though most people will not like my opinion, I feel I like the new Asuka more. The reason being that the original Asuka didn’t really seem to have much of a future anymore. And that seemed rather sad to me. Sure it probably makes the story more interesting but I seriously prefer characters that see a light after all the struggles, which is what I think this new remake has and the other one didn’t. Regardless, both were great. The thing I hated the most about the original Asuka is that she was too much in “love” with Kaji, which I never really understood. Why so much fixation. Though the same can be said about Shinji. Although I’m usually ok with weak characters, Shinji just rubbed me the wrong way, I really don’t like him. In either the original or the remakes. This is probably one of the reasons why I wouldn’t put Evangelion among my favorite animes, The protagonist was just not very likeable to me. And that is a big point against a series. But Asuka despite her many flaws made the story very interesting, and in the new movies very likeable.

What do you guys think?

-XERO

Asuka Shikinami Langley - You Can (Not) Give Up simple resize Asuka Shikinami Langley - You Can (Not) Give Up background resize

Some new additions?

I added a couple of more pieces to the gallery about three days ago, didn’t say anything because I got a bit busy. I’ll give some more info on this tomorrow, I’ll also be adding another new piece as well. So please look forward to that.

-XERO

As Promised

I’m finally back. It took a while to get some other duties done, but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t working on the next artwork. I just couldn’t put any time to come over here and write a bit of an update. But as promised here is another update.

About a week ago I showed you guys an unfinished artwork, well here it is. It will be going into the gallery so that it can be purchased.

Print available now.
Print available now.

Some new changes

As I thought, I will have to give up making Youtube videos (at least regular ones). From here on out I will just focus on creating the best artwork possible and making my name grow. On top of that I will also help grow a project that I have been interested in starting for a while now. Hopefully I can make my goals happen.

Although I have gotten extremely busy these days, now that I have given up Youtube I now have a bit of time to implement to this page, so expect some more content from here on out. It won’t be coming at a scheduled pace but it should be constant at least.

There will be some changes to this page as well, some pages will be taken off. I will now only focus on creating drawings and nothing else. So all pages that are not that will be taken off. The way to order commissions will be simplified as well, and some of the artwork will be taken off and replaced as well. So keep that in mind if you happen to see somethings missing.

I have finally reached the level where I can create artwork that I was aiming for. But that also means that I can reach even higher levels when it comes to my artwork, so I will not be satisfied just yet. I will keep improving my art so that it can reach new heights. I truly hope you guys look forward to that.

On another note, “Feliz dia de la independencia! Para mi pais Mexico!”
Today we celebrate the independence of my home country Mexico, though it is going through some tough situations and problems, I still love my country and am proud to tell others of my nationality. Hopefully the problems being faced will be resolved in a non violent way in the future. “Viva Mexico! Te deseo lo mejor.”

-XERO

Long time no see.

Man, no matter how much I tried I was just not able to continue posting (finals and other things have been piling up quite badly, but I will be done this week). But that does not mean that I wasn’t thinking about what I should be doing. It’s obvious that many of my drawing videos have not being doing too great. Mainly of course because I have not maintained consistency which is of utmost importance, but also because I have not been doing what people actually want to see. It seems that for most videos, specially those with minor movements and whatnot need to have commentary to have people drawn in. Also this helps viewers have a connection to the creator. I knew this before of course, but I wanted to test out if I could break free from those restrictions. The end result was mixed, some got quite a few views while others were abysmal (which sucks because the drawing it self was rather good). Another reason was because of the background noise that would appear. So my original plan was to buy a good microphone, but that would take too long, and it wouldn’t be good to invest in something that would not guaranteed results. So I will be using my phone instead which surprisingly has a good microphone built in. And luckily there are plenty of freeware audio editing software to edit the recordings if needed. So when I finally come back, that will be what I will be doing with my videos from now on. Whatever the reasons I would like to apologize for disappearing yet again, I can’t control the outcome of events to come, but I will do my utmost to overcome them whatever they may be. Specially since summer vacation is finally here.

Now for my other plans… my main channel will now be taking requests again. I’d say I had enough time to draw what I liked, so it’s time to give back to others. One difference is that I’m thinking of giving the artwork away, but I have not thought out the specifics yet so more on that later. My other channel darkcloudxero.extended will be used to answer questions (that I do not do in my main channel) and talking about any other things regarding art or anything in general.

One third thing, I would like to create one third channel, this one will be used for myself mainly. If you have been following me lately, than you know that I really like Morning Musume … well sort of. What I really like is the time between 2007-2010, what I and many other fans of that time like to refer to as the Platinum Era. There I will be doing different types of videos regarding that specific formation. It’s kind of funny how 4 years have passed now, and I am still thinking about them nonstop. It’s crazy in a way. But that’s how influential they have been in my life so I will be supporting them for as long as I can. Specially now that that last remaining member of that Era Michishige Sayumi is leaving (and in a grand way might I add). The sad thing is that the Platinum Era is being blamed for their popularity drop even more so now that the current Morning Musume has gained a lot of popularity lately. So I will be giving my own opinions on that and everything else in the channel mentioned before.

On a side note, it has been raining nonstop where I live. Some people don’t seem to like the rain, but I love it. And now it has me in a nostalgic mood.

Till next time,

-XERO

New Changes Coming To This Space

I have been absent for a couple of weeks now (no, more like months). But that was all because I was working on some new projects that I hoped I would be able to implement to this website. Back in high school I didn’t really have much of a plan of what I really wanted to do. That of course created a lot of worry within me. I knew what I liked to do, I knew what I was really good at. But in the end I felt it might have been best to try and follow the steps of the many people around me. I seriously believed I had to be like everyone else to be successful. Thinking back, I wonder what had come over me. I was never one to be a follower, I always followed what I liked or believed was right. In the end though, it seems I lost sight of all of that with all the stress that accumulated at that time. I remember being asked if I would pursue a career using my artistic abilities, at that time I just thought it would be nothing but a dream. Something I could only wish for, but nothing more than that. I seriously did not believe I could survive in this world by doing what I loved. I was wrong.

 

After struggling in a job I did not enjoy for a couple of years and trying out others, I realized that what I wanted most was not impossible. I would have to struggle even more, I would go through many downfalls, I would feel lost a lot of the time, but it would all be worth it once I began creating things with my hand. It would be worth the struggle as long as there was a chance to accomplish my dreams of using my skills to go through life instead of crawling through it miserably. Though this path has a lot of hardships, this is something well worth doing. If I fail at least I gave it a shot and would not be tormented with what if’s. And if I persevere and accomplish my goals, I will be the happiest me possible. And for that reason I will forge ahead as long as possible.

 

I hope you guys can help make that possible.

 

-XERO

SPECIAL A present to Risa Niigaki

Originally I was planning on ending this year round project by drawing Ai last but things didn’t turn out that way. But, in a way I am glad that it happened this way. After all Gaki was an important member of the group that sadly many seem to overlook. Her voice is definitely powerful but can also be tuned to sound extremely cute. Her versatility is quite astonishing. I felt that as a whole, the two main vocalists (Ai and Reina) needed someone to fill in the places where their weaknesses might reside. And that is where Gaki came in. She filled in the really deep parts that others couldn’t, and she did it extraordinarily.

When I first saw and heard her in Mikan I was quite amazed at how deep a voice she had. I had never really seen a group with so many different voice ranges before so hearing her singing voice was a surprise to me at the time. It soon became clear to me how vital her voice was to the group. This variations of voices are what really makes the Platinum Era so special. When hearing their songs, you could immediately tell who was who. And not only that but almost everyone had a really good voice (Koharu definitely had the weakest, and although it pains me to say this but so did Sayu but she can sing quite well when she puts all her effort into the song).

One of the reasons I am glad that I got to draw Gaki last is because she really seemed to be the member that loved Morning Musume the most out of all the members. I remember how she would like to talk about that whenever they asked why she joined, and also how she would boast of her collection of Morning Musume member postcards (is that what they are called?). She really seemed to care for the group. So much so that she gave up on her idea to leave alongside Ai (I do wonder if the gokkies all promised to graduate together? That didn’t happen of course, after Asami and later Makoto left, but still. That was the kind of vibe I got since they were all so close), to teach the newcomers for one year until finally deciding to graduate herself.

One thing I always remember was an episode of Yorosen where Gaki was the teacher and asked the members to write a letter to themselves, I believe it was 10 years later. Out of all them she was the only one to speak of Morning Musume. And not only that but she believed that they would still be in the group. What was most touching was that she was talking about the Platinum Era, not any other members. Hearing that just made me so happy. It just makes me very pleased when these members all speak so well of this lineup. Not the Golden Era, and not the colorful era (I believe that’s what the fans are calling them), but the Platinum Era. She isn’t the only one of course. I remember reading a interview with Ai where she felt that this lineup would be the ones to take Morning Musume to new heights for years to come, but then came the graduations that shook that thought. Then there were the comments of Reina in a recent interview? where she said she had wished that the Platinum Era was just as popular as Morning Musume is now.

Some day, some how I will reunite them all. I don’t know how, but I hope to show the world just how amazing they all are together, this legendary group that sadly was way to underrated.

This concludes my year long project. I probably won’t be doing any more Morning Musume drawings (on youtube). But I will go back to my old schedule of anime and manga drawings very soon.

In any case.
If you happen to see this message:

お誕生日おめでとうございます.

Happy Birthday.

FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS.
Hope you enjoy it,

– XERO

Graduation Special: Tanaka Reina 卒業おめでとう

This obsession with Morning Musume is almost over it seems…Now that one of the last two members that kept me interested in the group has finally reached the end of the line in terms of Morning Musume.

After about ten years of giving fans happiness and humor, Reina Tanaka makes her exit to her own rock band, LoVendoR. Although I will miss her being in Momusu, she will at least not totally disappear and continue to sing. No matter how one looks at it. This will be a big hit to Morning Musume since she was the main vocalist. Now Morning Musume will truly be entering the new era. The new members are cool, but I think that my own involvement in this group has also ended (at least until Sayu decides to graduate as well).

I know change is need, but I don’t necessarily enjoy when it happens. I’ll probably still hear Momusu’s new songs from time to time but it will definitely not be the same. Now I understand how long time fans felt when my favorite era (Platinum Era) took control of Morning Musume. It really is a different feeling and that connection is definitely minimized. All one can think about is the good old days. Luckily for fans they left a lot of material to remember them by.

I’m really at a loss for words, so I’ll end it soon.

This has to be one of my best drawing so far. I really tried to bring in all my techniques and effort in my arsenal. And I feel it really shows. I was extremely pleased when I was taking a picture of the drawing and the camera recognized the face as a real one. Although I know I can improve more, I’m definitely going in the right direction. I can only hope Reina happens to enjoy it as well. I’m kind of saddened that I did not do something like this for the past members of the Platinum Era. I’ll have to make it up to them someway sooner or later.

What do you guys think?
Any Questions/Comments?

Hope you enjoy it,

– XERO

 

XERO Drawing OPERATION Gundam RX-78-2 II (COLOR)

This is the second time I have drawn the original Gundam. Truthfully the last time was in my opinion a failure. Despite that, it did amass a good amount of views. So I figured I owed it to my viewers to create a better version now that I can draw at any pace I feel like.

For some reason though I just kept getting problem after problem. The first attempt the video got messed up because of a new sketch book that I bought. Then I just couldn’t get the pose to come out just right in my head so I had to redraw the whole drawing over and over again. That of course takes time away from the camera that is recording. Which then leads to the batter draining out and take some more time to charge up. In the end it was a whole mess that took longer than it needed.

Even so I was pleased with the way it came out. A background would have looked nice but trying to incorporate space (as in outer space) with color pencils is quite hard because of the amount of color you have to put in. I developed a technique for this using markers/water color paints but the paper would most likely start to buckle. So… yeah.

In any case here it is. Now that I have uploaded a version that I am pleased with I can finally move on into other mobile suits late in the future.

What do you guys think?
Any Questions?

Hope you enjoy it,

– XERO

SPECIAL – A present to JunJun (Li Chun)

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.

In any case.
If you happen to see this message:

お誕生日おめでとうございます.

Happy Birthday.

FELIZ CUMPLEAÑOS.
Hope you enjoy it,

– XERO

How to Draw Challenge – CUL

Request by: ChelsDOG

We will once again be drawing a Vocaloid. This time, it is CUL. From the information I read about her, it seems that she became popular after hosting a couple of things and has gone through some changes since then. Namely her clothes. If one sees her original design then one gets to see that it went from a plain dress to this rather cool and detailed design. I really like it.

Hope you enjoy it,

– XERO

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