Whimsical Pictures

I became a little concerned about my art. I realized: I didn't have back grounds for 80% of my drawings. That would mean that by the time I wanted back grounds, I wouldn't be able to pull it off with the skill I wanted.

So, I quickly drew this. When I draw things like this, it reminds me that Manga really does just mean 'whimsical pictures.'

'Don't slip' -Jan 6, 2016

Little people can be so fun to draw. I like plants, and though it's been several years, that, and landscapes, were the only things I drew. Here's a little fairy washing her hands, a quick sketch to practice settings, like the one above.

Setting gives an extra layer of depth to your anime art, and yes, sometimes it takes a long time.

Manga Eyes

There are a LOT of different manga styles out there, and probably 2 times more different ways to draw manga eyes.

Here I did a little exercise with tombow markers, just drawing 20 different eye sets.

Here (Left to right)the first three I would use interchangeably between genders, the forth only for guys, and the last two only for girls. Manga eyes have a reputation for being shiny, but that doesn't mean you have to put a billion highlights in them. I've found that it's best for me to just keep it to a minimum of one or two.
My favorite POV to draw is 3/4.
To get a look at all the different kinds of manga eyes, I suggest watching Mark Crilley's '100 eyes' video on youtube, and I'll put the link here( When I have the time to look it up. :P).

Sketch to Finish: My Manga Art Process

So, when I was younger I used to think that artists had one try to make their art beautiful, and if it wasn't, it wasn't. That is a complete and utter LIE. I admit, sometimes I feel great and the art spills out into the page fully formed and gorgeous, but 99% of the time, it does not. Most of the time I start with a sketch of my manga art and then trace it onto another paper, and go into a little more detail and clean up with a pen and eraser. Here are a few start to finish projects I've done recently.

Here I wanted to capture the innocence of this little girl standing before an on stretching graveyard. I wanted the reader to be touched, and though it's cliche, it's real. I traced it onto another paper and inked it with my technical drawing pens.

Here I sketched out a young school girl, and though at first I added a pencil and her book, in the inked version I took them out because they clutter the picture too much and her hands were wacko and I couldn't figure out how to get them un-wacko. It ended up as a much smoother composition.

This is a manga character that's been stewing in my mind a long time. I call her Jairshon. The first was drawn roughly around midnight and I was tired, but I really wanted to get the I idea down. I scanned it in and added it into Manga studios 4ex. here, I made the necessary changes to my manga character, and discovered the filters in manga studios, which helped Jairshon look more real.

So no, sometimes it takes several tries to get our manga or anime art right, but something that you should keep in mind is that it doesn't need to be 'right,' just right enough.

Expression: greif

Someone very important in my life has now passed away. Though I miss them, I will see them again.

A lot of my art is inspired by the human experience, and I want to illustrate the things I've felt. Putting it on paper helps.

 These I did to capture a subtle sadness, one without tears. The first is naive, the second down-to-earth. Gray's and purples and blues are great for portraying grief, mystery, cold, and regret.
I hope God is helping you today with your struggles.

My first digital art project of 2016!

This is a manga studios project I started today; my first for 2016. :)
I just started and hope to finish it while the rest of my family watches LOTRs tonight.

I've never bought into the 'Wipe your slate clean' thing or that 'It's a brand new year.' It's not. This isn't a new book, it's a sequel, the prequel we just finished writing. Whatever you do this year only builds upon what you did last year. So from the foundations you've laid last year, what are you going to build, a measly shack or a magnificent castle? Happy new year. Make this one unforgettable.
-Do what you love
-Love your family
-Take chances

HAPPY NEW YEAR!