Basara-neko

More samurai kitties... ~u~;;;  So it seems like I'm totally into drawing cat versions of Sengoku Basara characters now.  ^_^;;;;;  I'm thinking of calling this type of fan-art "Basara-neko" or "neko-Basara". 

Oyakata-sama!  Yukimura!!

more Masa-kitty and Yuki-tabby

Even though I was supposed to work on cosplay today, I ended up spending the whole day on this drawing.  ^^;;;

http://fav.me/d68pkb1

 First, there were the warm-up drawings, sketching photos of cats from Google/Bing search and the Facebook page "For the Love of Black Cats" https://www.facebook.com/pages/For-the-Love-of-Black-Cats-Black-Cat-Appreciation-Page/186841014709029

reference photo from search engine

 Still trying to finalize Masamune's and Yukimura's kitty versions. Should Yukimura's red headband stay (as fur markings), or should his head be marked with normal tabby cat stripes only? Should Masamune's cat fur "blue" have greyish lavender undertones or pure blue undertones? Though, I did figure out too late that the crescent stripe on his head should have been un-outlined, like Yukimura's fur markings.

 So I ended up drawing more DateSana kitty ideas.  ^.^; Though it seems natural after all the Nekotalia I used to draw.  Now I’m getting ideas for an entire cat version of Sengoku Basara…  #^.^#  Gangs of cats walking around at night, battling it out in the alleys and empty lots of modern Japan...  I probably won't go as far as drawing everyone from Sengoku Basara or drawing a whole fan-comic story (though I may consider a fanfic if this idea persists).  But I would at least like to draw a big, fluffy, long-haired cat version of Takeda Shingen with a kitten Yukimura.  *.*  Or maybe a paw swiping match between fluffy Takeda-cat and an adult Yuki-tabby...  I have too many silly ideas...  #^.^#

the kitty cop-out

I know it's a wierd idea, but until I get more comfortable drawing Masamune as a dragon and Yukimura as a tiger, I'm a little more familiar with drawing cats.

 

Masa-kitty is a pen drawing, without pencil underdrawing. Yuki-tabby is a pencil drawing. Both were colored with Copic markers, ShinHan Art Touch Twin markers, and Prismacolor Premier markers.
Some rearrangement on Photoshop.

 

Sengoku Basara videogames are by Capcom; anime by Production I.G.

http://fav.me/d68h377

Date Masamune and Sanada Yukimura as cats, is actually something I've been wanting to draw for a while.  Cats are cute.  And Kokubyaku's doujinshi with chibi-cat-eared-Masamune and chibi-puppy-eared-Yukimura, are just adorable. 

I suppose it's a natural progression to draw cat versions of my current favorite anime characters.  After all, right before this, I was drawing cat versions of America and England from Hetalia.  But the canon included Nekotalia.  Himaruya Hidekazu, the creator of Hetalia, was already making up cat versions of his characters.  That just seemed easier to me than drawing humans.  So I drew cat-ified US/UK.  I originally started watching cat videos on YouTube, purely as drawing reference for Nekotalia fan-art.  Then I got hooked on cat vids in general.  ^^;

Now I'm hooked on tiger vids and tiger cub videos on YouTube.  I even went PBS's website to watch online episodes about tigers.  I'm in deep now.  And it makes me so happy.  So happy to see just pictures of tigers and cubs online (...and so sad to learn about how they are poached and abused ;~; ). 

In truth, as much as I enjoy adorable kitties and adorable kitty versions of America, England, Masamune, and Yukimura, I can't deny that I'm really just avoiding drawing humans.  Perhaps I'm even conceding to the laborious challenge of drawing humans well.  That can't be good.  My drawing should evolve, not stagnate in the easy stuff.  But I li~ke complacency~!  (End whining.) 

Well, at least I'm getting more comfortable drawing Masamune as a dragon and Yukimura as a tiger.  I've been practicing, watching reference material, sketching from Google search photos,...  One day I'll be able to draw that whole Masa-dragon/Yuki-tiger fancomic, instead of just leaving it at that one silly 4-koma.  *-*

Figure Friday: tranquility

It's time for another Figure Friday photoshoot!  This week's theme is "tranquility".  If you're interested in the other entries, please visit the Figure Photography community at Google+:  https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/102424536798369424860

 

It was so nice to take photos outside, in the midday sun.  *o*  Every photo in my shoot was usable.  I could finally focus on choosing composition and angles, instead of which photos managed to not be blurry or lose definition on the elements, just because of lighting.  I was originally going to do the shoot indoors, as usual.  But when I realized that I finally didn't wait until nighttime for my photoshoot, I took advantage of the backyard.  It was kind of a delicate task to move my figurines outside, without losing their poses, then re-creating their delicate seating balance at the new, outdoors location, but totally worth it.  Even the midday heat that later knocked me out all afternoon, when I flipped through the photos and could take my pick of any.  *-*

 

This is the one I chose for Deviant Art.  http://mysticdragon3.deviantart.com/art/tranquility-376589056

back to daily art

All those recent Real Life obligations that were denying me daily art time, are finally through.  I really missed---my self-esteem really missed that daily sense of accomplishment from doing/posting art everyday.  Now I'm back on DeviantArt.  ^-^

I didn't realize before how empty I would feel (or how much my self-esteem would suffer) without that daily sense of accomplishment from doing art everyday (or at least posting art everyday).  So it's so great to get back to it.  It's great to get back to drawing, Figure Friday Challenges, blog posting, and hopefully, I'll be able to finally draw that Masa-dragon/Yuki-tiger fancomic. 

But there are some other things on the horizon that will try to get in the way of my daily uploads.  I'll try my best to get it all done though.  Convention season is here, so I've got to make cosplay, prep for con, be away for con, and make stock for artist alley.  @~@  With the time crunch, it's crazy to think about!...  In the meantime, I've got my daily Deviant Art uploads to maintain my mind and keep my spirits up to survive it all.  ^^;

It was actually kind of scary to get back to attempting art everyday.  When I realized how out of practice I was in drawing, especially when my skill is already pretty low, made my confidence take a hit.  And then when I did my photoshoot today (my first with tripod and complex set-up, since that forced art hiatus), I was horrified at how out of practice I was.  I was fumbling with props, changing my concepts midway, and, though it was for the best, I switched my entire photoshoot location.  Right now, I very badly want to return to drawing tigers and cubs, but I'm just so afraid of what won't be able to happen, when I pick up a pencil and sketchbook.  But it's such a relief to celebrate the end of my stressful, Real Life chore, by doing anything I want.  And making things makes me happy.  And everyone's feedback is always so positive and encouraging.  I never again want to leave this habit of making something everyday.

supposed to be on hiatus

Even though I started skipping my daily uploads at Deviant Art, daily drawing, blog posts, and all other creative activities, to focus on some urgent obligations in Real Life, I just couldn't stay away.  I know it means that I completely lack focus and self-discipline, but I like that it also means that creating things, really is something I can't live without.  Maybe I have caught the tail of the tiger I'm supposed to follow.  And knowing I'm on the right track---at last---is a really comforting thing.  My art professors used to tell me about painters who would become mental/emotional shambles, when they weren't allowed to paint everyday.  I always struggled to figure out what my thing was, that I just couldn't not do.  And these past few weeks, not posting things online, not making things for posting online, have felt a real decline in my self-esteem.  Without that daily sense of accomplishment and positive feedback, to let me know that people care, and reaffirming that I'm not crazy for only being happy after making some art, really gives me Hope in my self-worth and that maybe I can go on.  Maybe even Live, more than simply exist.  Because an internally dead existence, just makes me return to my age-old suicidal thoughts for comfort.  ANYWAY---enough maudlin.  Here's the stuff I ended up making, when I just couldn't stay away from Creativity, along with the Photoshop project my mom's had me putting priority on, over all the other things going on in my life.