Self Development - The Journey So Far...

I guess I'll keep drawing =P

Looking back at my journal entries, I think that my heart still wants to keep drawing, manga illustrations especially. I'm keen on pursuing a career as a manga artist after graduation, or work with a concept design agency somewhere.

I guess I've been holding off that dream for sometime because I've believed that I won't be able to earn a decent salary if I kept hoping to draw comics. Now that I've done some research, it seems the local comic industry isn't all that bad.

I feel even better now I know that the standard for good comics locally has been rising as well.
An acquiantance told me that the editor of a local magazine rejected his earlier work and pushed him to do better. He thought it was worth it, he's gone pretty far since that first encounter with the editor. And there's a company in Kelana Jaya that has done work for some international game firm too! Wonder if they need a fresh illustrator on the team...

I feel better now I know that. At least my parents won't be worried to death that I won't be able to support myself doing what I love, haha.

I guess all that's left now is to brush up my skills (Really brush it up man), and get started on a good portfolio.

That's all for now, til next time then!

Concept Artist – Stuff to Read, Stuff to Get 1

Hi all!

I seriously want to get this book!!!!



It's from Balistic Publishings, so that makes it pretty expensive... but really, I don't care! It's good!

It features work and interviews from a few top guns in the concept art industry.
My favorite entry would have to be George Hull's work, the man behind the MATRIX movies eye-candy The dude also did concept design for other movies like "V for Vendetta" (both movie and graphic novels are a fave) ‘Finding Nemo’, ‘Mission: Impossible’, ‘Constantine’, ‘Jurassic Park: The Lost World’, the special editions of ‘Star Wars’, ‘The Empire Strikes Back’, and ‘Return of the Jedi’, ‘Twister’, ‘Star Trek Generations’ and the Oscarwinning ‘Forest Gump’.

I didn't even know of the guy til I found this book, now I'm going to call him "sifu" XD



Here's an Easter Egg for you:

A Kickass origami of V's Mask!

And another good site for all things about illustration - LinesAndColors.com

MANGA: Independent >>> Mainstream

Becoming a Mainstream Mangaka!

There are a few ways to do this:

1. Go Mainstream Immediately
2. form a good doujin circle, make own incredible stories, get noticed and then get big.

Method #1 would be like stated in this article:
How to become a Mangaka

One Mangaka, Hiromu Arakawa, started by being an assistant to Etō Hiroyuki before coming up with her own mind blowing Full Metal Alchemist(click link for a review)


(image - Hiromu Arakawa's Full Metal Alchemist, one of today's best loved manga. One of my all time favorites XD )

Method #2 was proven by CLAMP

...and if you don't know who CLAMP is, search my old blog entries.
I'm getting lazy here >D Have Fun.

MANGA: Independent >>> Mainstream

More on Doujinshis!

just a few articles I found online about Doujinshis - or fan drawn Manga

here's the History
(scroll down, ignore the web jargon)

Doujins and their value


and a few case studies when Doujins cross the line

Crypton to Doujin Circle: Cease and Desist

Editor’s Desk: doujinshi, obscenity, and Japan’s imperiled freedom of speech

Manga History - the changing of styles

Here's an imprompto gallery of the ever changing art styles of the Manga industry.

Click here and scroll down to see old to new Manga

Mind you, the author intended this page to showcase the female Mangakas throughout the ages.
The works featured here are from a few of the A-Listers of female mangakas - quite like the Audrey Hepburns or the Marilyn Monroes of the industry.

Enjoy XD

Manga: Independent who made it BIG

Here are some links I found that gave me more insight on how one of the most successful Doujinkas in came to be, and how they are still inspiring Manga readers world wide today:


Happy Birthday CLAMP!

Beginning as a group who drew fan manga, CLAMP have produced some of the best loved series ever to come out of Japan. Join Animefringe as we take a look back at this remarkable quartet of manga-ka.

Four Mothers of Manga Gain American Fans With Expertise in a Variety of Visual Styles

An Article of CLAMP interacting with Fans in America - also has interesting insights of other female mangakas that made it big (which i sadly will not speak about here. They were mainstream artists from the get go)

And also a forum of some fans discussing CLAMP's works - as you can see, I'm not the only one to think they did a great job at combining Shojo and Shonen =P

Manga: MISC - Some Insider stuff

Here's a good blog on Manga! The blogger, Shaenon, has good info and articles on Manga for casual and hard core Fans

Here's her blog on some of the current recommended manga - I've read most of them, and agreee with everything she says like a good little fan =)


Also, click here for a online comic on the essential insider Manga jokes
and here for EVERY fan's pet peeve - the horrible job that major corporations do with their Japanese-to-English translations. Here, it's One Piece, which imho is a really good series and 4kidsanime network (thank you VGCats! you make my day!) XD