Seven ★ Rainy Days

Miku x Kaito Days

2011-05-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

can't sleep yesterday so I ended up drawing this XDww come to think of it, this is my first time to draw Miku with Kaito @w@;;

- Rain

Chibi Mode On !!

2011-05-22T04:16:00.000-07:00

tried SD for a change XDww moe kawaii @w@

- Rain

My Miku Assistant :D

2011-05-14T16:37:00.000-07:00

I drew this for a friend :D

- Rain

Rakugaki Taimu

2011-05-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

No paper escapes my wrath @A@ handouts, scratch paper, newspaper, toilet paper (well not really) as long as there is a clear space - I'll draw on it XDww

I love how the picture I took came out ^w^ This is Kounagi Yui from Yumekui Merry @w@

and heres more of them XDww lulz

- Rain

Kurot's Doll of Gensokyo

2011-04-15T06:42:00.000-07:00

I can't resist anymore and printed her work in 8R @w@ !!

luv Reimu XDww

- Rain

Baka Tenshi Tumbler

2011-03-01T04:19:00.000-08:00

I bought a Starbucks tumbler last week and decided to draw a CG for it @w@ image layout is inspired by chanco XDww Baka Tenshi is my alter ego / site mascot lolz XDww

color log @A@ .. did this pretty fast around 3 hrs I guess XDww well it's just chibi anywayz @w@;;

- Rain

Supercell 2nd Album "Today is a Beautiful Day"

2011-02-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

Scheduled to be released on March 16, 2011, this album compiles some of Supercell's well known songs like (1) Kimi no Shiranai Monogatari, (2) Love and Roll and (3) Uta Kata Hanabi together with new songs (which are definitely worth looking forward to XDw)

01. 終わりへ向かう始まりの歌	08. Feel so good
02. 君の知らない物語	09. 星が瞬くこんな夜に
03. ヒーロー	10. うたかた花火
04. Perfect Day	11. 夜が明けるよ
05. 復讐	12. さよならメモリーズ
06. ロックンロールなんですの	13. 私へ
07. LOVE & ROLL

The vocalist will probably be Nagi all the way @w@;; well I don't mind - love her heavenly voice XDww

Moreover, the limited edition of the album will have a full color illustration booklet by some of the well known Supercell/Pixiv artists like huke and redjuice

三輪士郎	こやまひろかず
redjuice	粉冬ユキヒロ
huke	なぎみそ
宇木敦哉	マクー
コザキユースケ	スガ
優

- Rain

sources

Pixiv

Supercell HP

White Rock Shooter Figma (WRS)

2011-02-09T04:45:00.000-08:00

one of the times I go - "I don't care how much it costs" XDww <3 I hope sometime, they would release a Insane BRS version @w@ !!

- Rain

Saber Alter - Huke version

2011-01-31T04:37:00.000-08:00

this is just beyond words @A@;;; ♥ ♥ ♥ !!

- Rain

Luv BRS Cosplay Group

2011-01-27T13:32:00.000-08:00

one of best BRS cosplays I've ever seen >w< Tasha, Tomia and Eki @w@ <3

- Rain

Reimu Taimu 楽書き

2011-01-17T16:11:00.000-08:00

I'll finish this when I get home @w@ I actually finished Madoka, with an anti-climactic background XDww heheh - I really need to work on BGs =w=;;

hmm, Reimu seems lonely - so I added Marisa XDww though she's not so happy about it @w@;;

on another note .. Madoka's drawing is better than mine @w@ !!!!!!!!!! XDww I love it !!

and so .. I added Patchouli on top of Marisa's head XDww just to annoy her more @w@ww

Patchy looks better now @w@;;

got impatient and went on coloring chibi Patchy first @w@

Marisa seems happier now that she's colored XDww adjusted some parts @w@;; will continue laterz

yandere reimu @w@ !!

colors brings life to the CG especially when you do the eyes ^w^ this prolly what makes me happy about CGing @w@

Kirino Kousaka Figma (Oreimo)

2011-01-11T04:48:00.000-08:00

source

just love this one @A@ though I'm more excited for the Nendoroid XD

- Rain

Puella Magi Madoka Magica OP lyrics "Connect" by ClariS (full version)

2011-01-09T18:57:00.000-08:00

another song by ClariS (Clara x Alice) XDw love their voice ^ o ^ / ♪♪

mp3 download TV size version | full version

Connect (TV version)

kawashita yakusoku wasurenai yo
me wo toji tashikameru
oshiyoseta yami
furiharatte susumu yo

itsu ni nattara nakushita mirai wo
watashi koko de mata miru koto dekiru no
afuredashita fuan no kage wo
nando demo saite kono sekai ayundekou

tomedonaku kizamareta
toki wa ima hajimari tsuge
kawaranai omoi wo nose
tozasareta tobira akeyou

mezameta kokoro wa hashiridashita mirai wo egaku tame
muzukashii michi de tachidomattemo sora wa
kirei na aosa de itsumo mattetekureru dakara kowakunai
mou nani ga atte mo kujikenai

(update: 01302011)
Connect (Full Version)

kawashita yakusoku wasurenai yo
me wo toji tashikameru
oshiyoseta yami
furiharatte susumu yo

itsu ni nattara nakushita mirai wo
watashi koko de mata miru koto dekiru no
afuredashita fuan no kage wo
nando demo saite kono sekai ayundekou

tomedonaku kizamareta
toki wa ima hajimari tsuge
kawaranai omoi wo nose
tozasareta tobira akeyou

mezameta kokoro wa hashiridashita mirai wo egaku tame
muzukashii michi de tachidomattemo sora wa
kirei na aosa de itsumo mattetekureru dakara kowakunai
mou nani ga atte mo kujikenai

furikaereba nakama ga ite
kigatsukeba yasashiku tsutsumareteta

nanimokamo ga yuganda sekai de
yuiitsu shinjireru koko ga sukui datta

yorokobi mo kanashimi mo wake aeba tsuyomaru omoi
kono koe ga todoku no nara
kitto kiseki wa okoseru darou

kawashita yakusoku wasure nai yo
me o toji tashikameru
oshiyoseta yami furiharatte susumu yo
donnani ookina kabe ga atte mo
koete miseru kara kitto
ashita shinjite inotte

kowareta sekai de samayotte watashi ha
hikiyoserareru youni tadoritsuita

mezameta kokoro wa hashiridashita mirai wo egaku tame
muzukashii michi de tachidomattemo sora wa
kirei na aosa de itsumo mattetekureru
dakara kowakunai
mou nani ga atte mo kujikenai

zutto ashita mata (matte?)

- Rain

Madoka Magical Ganbare

2011-01-08T02:02:00.000-08:00

I don't know XDw I have mixed reactions for this anime but what I wanted to say is "Madoka Ganbare XD !!" ^^ This also marks my first digital sketch for the year @w@ XDwww

save point 2 @w@

well almost halfway done XDwww rawr

save point 3 XDww

almost done XDww (kotoba doori =w=) next thing to do is transfer it to PS for BG and effects XDww

- Rain

Akemashite Omedetou 明けましておめでとうございます

2011-01-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

Wishing you guys a prosperous and happy new year ^^/ Don't forget to give my otoshidama XDw

皆に幸せな年になりますように^^/

- Rain

Glasses Miku XD

2010-12-28T01:14:00.000-08:00

Honestly, I can't get enough of this pic so I uploaded it XD

- Rain

Capybara-san x Miku-rin XD Merry Christmas ^^ !!

2010-12-24T02:35:00.000-08:00

my Christmas gift for Miku-rin XDw

Minna-san mo merry Christmas ^w^ !!

- Rain

Old Habits ^^;;

2010-12-09T06:20:00.000-08:00

found myself sketching on random paper again XDw

- Rain

Kaito Miku

2010-11-27T18:55:00.000-08:00

Minami sensei's Chibi Miku-san #44 (http://danbooru.donmai.us/post/show/283611) gave me the idea XDww Kaito, you may now rest in peace (pieces?) XDww

- Rain

Oreimo 06 Kirino Cuteness

2010-11-09T04:48:00.000-08:00

I'll be spilling on details XD I can't resist it anymore ^^ Although the episode was supposed to be focused on Manami, I only had my eyes on Kirino ^w^

>w< baby Kirino is cuuute ^^ <3 caught this in the OP XD?

@A@ who can resist this smile =A= it can melt you down literally XDww

=w= !! I knew Kirino loves her brother :P

@A@ Kirino's otaku moments XDww

> . > I'm not in the mood to eat without onichan ^w^

grr take that *kicks chair* XDww kawaii =w= !!

@A@ *speechless*

- Rain

Mika Musume

2010-10-12T06:54:00.000-07:00

I made a small ika hat for Mika XDww <3 time to invade Japan !!

- Rain

Oreimo OP + lyrics 「Irony」Claris + kz + AIC

2010-10-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

I had a very good impression on Oreimo's OP only to find out that its music composer is livetune's KZ, which is one of my favorite vocaloid composers. This is the first time I heard ClariS sing (maybe) but I loved her voice in a heartbeat ^^/ Nice job for AIC once again XDw

PS 1 . AIC was also responsible for Nyankoi right XDw? is the Kosaka Kyousuke in Oreimo related to Kosaka Junpei in Nyankoi >w< they also look similar XDww <3

- Rain

PS 2 . #oreimo tag became a worldwide trend sometime past 12AM JST XDww <3 prolly Oreimo is airing somewhere in Japan and the viewers were tweeting at the same time ^^ I already watched it in the morning so I'm not really part of the trend but I'm happy for Kirino and the others ^^/ (screencap by @cowboybibimbop XDw oh yeah !!)

lyrics below

Irony (TV edit)

singer: ClariS

lyrics / composition / arrangement: kz

sonna yasashiku shinai de

donna kao sureba ii no

tsumikasaneta kotoba de

mienai yo kimi no yokogao ^^/

doko dakke nakushita kagi ha mitsukaranai mama de

tameiki surechigai ni iji hatte tsukarechau

hon no sukoshi chikaku kimi to no kyori ga

umaku tsukamenainda ato chotto nano ni

sonna yasashiku shinai de

hora mata kizutsukeatte

tsumikasaneta uso de

mou ugokenaku natteru

sugu ni ai ni ikitai kedo

kotoba ha mitsukaranai shi

saigo no ichipeeji kai

kimi ni wa egao misetai

Irony (full version)

sonna yasashiku shinai de

donna kao sureba ii no

tsumikasaneta kotoba de

mienai yo kimi no yokogao

doko dakke nakushita kagi ha mitsukaranai mama de

tameiki surechigai ni iji hatte tsukarechau

hon no sukoshi tooku te wa todokanai

chanto tsukamitai no kana kimi no sono kage

sonna yasashiku shinai de

hora mata kizutsukeatte

tsumikasaneta uso de

mou ugokenaku natteru

sonna me de mitsumenai de

donna kao sureba ii no

mayotte bakka da keredo

itsuka wa waraeru no kana

ikutsu no hibi wo kimi to sugoshite kita ndarou

sore demo kawashita kotoba wa sukunasugiru ne

hon no sukoshi chikaku kimi to no kyori ga

umaku tsukamenai nda ato chotto nano ni

sonna yasashiku shinai ne

hora mata kizutsukeatte

tsumikasaneta uso de

kikoenai yo kimi no kotoba

hontou no koe wo kakushite

kuchizusamu kono merodi

yukkuri to kawatteku

kokoro ni mi wo makasete

jibun no koto nante wakaranai shi

kimi no koto shiritai ki wo suru kedo

butsukaru kimochi mou sukoshi osaete

mienai kabe tesaguri de sagasu yo

sonna yasashiku shinai de

hora mata kizutsukeatte

tsumikasaneta uso wa

mou tsurai dake dakara ne

sugu ni ai ni ikitai kedo

kotoba wa mitsukaranai shi

saigo no ichipeeji kai

kimi ni wa egao misetai

To Taiyaki or Not

2010-10-05T06:41:00.000-07:00

hard decisions ^^ <3

- Rain

Twin Tail Duet

2010-09-25T15:20:00.000-07:00

Both singing to the tune of "Black Rock Shooter" XDw

lovely Sunday morning today ^^ <3

new critter above my desk ^^ <3

- Rain

Kud (AIR 06.5)

2010-09-12T09:20:00.000-07:00

day ??:

finally submitted it XDw <3

day 3:

I suck at drawing flowers >w< drawing them one by one for the BG, basing it on a picture I found on the net XDww you could already see the colors I've done for Kud ^^/ she looks pretty alive now XDw <3

花を描くのは苦手なんですの＞ｗ＜ネットで見つかった写真を参考いただいて、BGの花を一つづつ描くになりました＾＾今のところもう色を入れましてやっとクドの命を見えてきました

drawing the skirt pattern is always better than using PS' pattern maker XDw

PSのパッタンメーカを使うよりパッタンを描くの方がもっと良いだと思う

day 2.7:

well because of Recettear, I was only able to work on her mouth and the extra bird on her headgear XDww

day 2.5:

added Kud's dog on the side XDw adjusted some of the lines ^^

day 2.0:

I think I'll work more on the BG ^^ and adjust parts of the drawing laterz XDw

day 1.5:

I changed Kud's sketch a bit ^^ <3 she looks older now though XDww

- Rain

Cirno the Strongest

2010-09-12T07:21:00.000-07:00

私バカじゃないもん！！　＞ｗ＜

One of my friends told me that the catch phrase came from Phantasmagoria of Flower View (aka Touhou 9.0) which also incidentally stamps Cirno with the number 9 on the user manual - tagged as バカ XDwww lulz

I was very enlightened <3

- Rain

Fairy (AIR 05.3) + Kud (AIR 06)

2010-09-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

day 2.99:

well, submitted it in DA XDww !!

belated Cirno day to all ^^ <3 study Math so you can be a genius like her ^^/

day 2.8 (0911-1210):

I actually already finished Cirno .. I'm just spending time staring at it for a while XDww

In the mean time, here's my next victim ^^ <3

day 2.5:

multiply moe by 9 !!! almost done with the colors ^^ I'm just revisiting the inks

day 2:

grr .. Cirno day is over and I haven't finished it XDww should've done it earlier >w< uhuhu

day 1:

hmm this sketch came out good XD I think I'll go with this ^^ <3

- Rain

Ice (AIR 04.5)

2010-09-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

I finished this a few days ago ^^ <3 Prolly one of the rare moments I go multiple characters in one CG XDww (which I should be doing more often)

From the left: Kai, Aya and Remi ^^ !! My original characters for a lovecomi manga I'm working on ^^

notes to myself:

1. improve the lines
2. go for more details

- Rain

Spriteを作ってみた level 1.0

2010-09-01T07:01:00.000-07:00

I based the proportions from Ahruon's sprite tutorial XDw He used a program called "Character Raiser 1999", but in my case I used Graphics Gale. Sprite making programs tend to be simple, so probably there is no significant difference between the two. (unfortunately it seems that CR1999's home page is already dead so I couldn't actually compare it)

(chiiiisai XDww)

- Rain

Happy Birthday Miku-chan ^^ !!

2010-08-31T07:02:00.000-07:00

lovelots,

- Rain

Sprite Making Process

2010-08-30T06:29:00.000-07:00

I just want to share a video where Ahruon demonstrates how to create sprites XDw This is obviously not Photoshop - many say that PS is already an overkill application for making sprites. One application I have used before is Graphics Gale which comes free for the trial version (which I think it's quite decent for starters) ^^ Easy to make XDw? think again ~

some pointers:
- make use of a sprite template (for beginners)
- learn to limit you color palette
- have patience - zoom to the max

an overview of the steps:
- sketch the frame
- flesh out the shapes with base colors (having a base image will help you decide on the colors palette faster)
- adjust parts of the image
- put shadows and highlights (Ahruon is doing it at the same time lulz, I normally do the shadows first before highlighting)

***

Card Sagas Wars site has a more detailed tutorial on sprite making: http://cardgallery.tales-tra.com/tut.htm

- Rain

Yuri 漫画家になってみようかな (AIR 05)

2010-08-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

just a thought XDww nothing serious ^^ <3 I had this lineart way back - and prolly I'll color it once I have the time

- Rain

Love Hina - One Shot Revival (with scans)

2010-08-23T17:36:00.000-07:00

After almost 10 years, Ken Akamatsu sensei decides to produce a one shot revival manga of Love Hina, prolly also in commemoration of Negima's 300th chapter in Weekly Shōnen Magazine XDw

Yay for more Naru !! <3 <3 <3

update: scanlated version >

- Rain

Ice (AIR 04)

2010-08-21T06:42:00.000-07:00

I let my girls eat ice cream >w< now I want to eat some TwT

characters from my manga (no that's not Ringo XDw)

***

Q: how to make a yandere? A: just remove the eye highlights XDw

- Rain

Cat Girl (AIR 03)

2010-08-18T08:03:00.000-07:00

I therefore conclude that inspiration drives my will to draw XDw This one is supposed to be loli gothic but I can't align my style to that >w< it always ends up to be cutsey moe TwT Anywayz I like it and prolly will color it one day =^w^= nyan !!

update: I gave it life (+ color balancing)

- Rain

A. I. (Anime Illustration) reflections episode 2

2010-08-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

I think I'm officially in love with Saeko XDw

- Rain

Angel Beats Final Scene Real Location

2010-06-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

It seems that the location of the final scene of Angel Beats has finally been spotted in Shibuya. Probably this will be another Otaku holy ground - specially for Angel Beats fans.

(side by side)

(that patch of plants =w=)

(notice the 3 circles in triangular formation inverted)

View Larger Map

via OtaNews

- Rain

Bon Voyage Akatsuki XD !!

2010-05-20T21:58:00.000-07:00

Early this morning JAXA succesfully launched Akatsuki along with Ikaros into outer space ^w^

- Rain

Akatsuki Launch Rescheduled

2010-05-18T19:58:00.000-07:00

Miku's Orbiter launch was delayed due to severe weather conditions with massive volumes of clouds in the sky (not to mention the frozen layers that covered the launch site). After careful weather predictions it was decided to reschedule the launch on Friday May 21 at 6:58:22 AM JST. A live launch report will be provided by JAXA through the internet via http://www.jaxa.jp/countdown/f17/live/index_e.html which will begin at exactly 6:30:00 AM JST.

- Rain

A. I. (Anime Illustration) reflections episode 1

2010-04-28T01:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I published something outside. I guess I'll try to start with something that I am doing recently ^w^

This doodle started out when a friend of mine posted a contest for his blog mascot XDww Unfortunately she wasn't recognized at first sight so I am claiming her now as my own and call her "Ran-chan" (Ran as in "Random" XD). Well it really can't be helped because I have tweaked many parts of the original design, and ended up with a style that suited my taste ^w^

I started out with rough lines, outlining the overall shape of the pose. It didn't really mattered if the proportions as right .. I just want to curve out what the overall feel would look like XD Afterwards I started inking bolder lines which define the shape and details ^w^ I maintain the lines in 2 to 3 layers and merge them as soon as possible, making it more manageable in the process XD In the past I have tons of layers that contains the final lines - like lines for the hair, lines for the clothes, etc XDww Now I'm doing it the lazy method and manage all lines in one layer (taught by my friend XD).

Painting was a breeze XD Compared to cel shade, you don't really have to care if some of the colors smudge outside the lines ^w^ Having a shot at this style will really explain to you why some people can manage to come up with CGs in just a matter of 3-4 hours XD (mine took 30 minutes - and it still looks bland TwT). What I have done on this is use different shades on painting (well that's normal I guess). I have played around the marker density while applying the colors, and it produced nice results XD

Well, I'll post another CG tomorrow hopefully ^w^

- Rain

Crepe wo Tabe ni Ikou

2010-01-31T17:31:00.000-08:00

Crepes originated from France and it has gained popularity even here in Japan XD I was walking past Atlanta Crazy Crepes in Gofukucho (Aoi-ku Shizuoka) ~ when I remembered Minami from Baka Test craving for this stuff ^w^ Well it doesn't hurt to try so I gave it a shot XD Basically crepe is a mixture of chocolate, cream and fruits wrapped in pancake batter ^^ It tastes really good and could fill the stomach pretty fast because of the cream ^w^

「本日バナナ２倍」 "honjitsu banana ni bai" ~ "today's banana will be doubled" XD

I wonder where they got the idea of "Crazy Crepes" XD Maybe it's just because the words rhyme .. or prolly because they have so much crepe ingredients combinations that you'll get crazy over which one to pick ^w^

I think the variations goes upto 80+ XD

pretty easy to read because it's all Katakana XD "Banana Choco Double Ice" ^w^

You only have to pick a number XD

The price of the crepe depends on the ingredients used in it XD The cheapest is 320 yen and the most expensive is around 500+ yen ^w^ I chose the one with strawberry + peach + cream ~ I don't remember the given title to it XD;; (nasakenai na)

「召し上がれ」　"meshi agare" XD

often said before eating something ~ similar to "itadakimasu"

おいしそう "oishisou" ~ "looks delicious"

- Rain (*///)<| (*///)<| (*///)<|

"Miku to Venus" Project, Omoroi English Comments

2009-12-17T21:54:00.000-08:00

for those who haven't signed yet please visit http://kanmisikou.net/lab/venus/en/

As of now we have 6500 / 10000 signs XD !! just a little more spread of word and we'll reach our goal ^w^ !! The original deadline was on the 25th but it was moved to Jan 6, 2010 XD We were worried back then but now it's almost certain that we'll reach the target XD

As the days passed, I have seen more English comments XD It just proves that Miku is being loved not only in Japan, but also world wide ^w^ Here are some comments I have compiled just for reading pleasure

12/16/2009 5:48:46    Esko Laiho
The world is too small for Miku. It's already hers. Now let's help her conquer the space!

12/16/2009 8:33:39    Grijalva, Brandon Anthony
To Venus inhabitants: You may not realize it just yet, but Miku is the sole reason for life in this universe. Be thankful.

12/16/2009 8:40:18    Naomi miller
Go sing, my magical Leek Princess! Sing across on and on across the universe!

12/16/2009 9:42:54    Argus
Fly me to Venus, let me sing among those stars!

12/16/2009 10:39:02    Anna Cope
Yeah!! Go Hatsune Miku! Bring that leek twirl into space! We all love you!!

12/16/2009 10:46:49    Goggles
Hatsune Miku is mai waifu

12/16/2009 12:00:27    Cyfon Wolfe
Show the aliens we have something to offer!

12/16/2009 13:13:35    mjsnoozer
I'm gay for Hatsune Miku

12/16/2009 13:59:23    Andreas Benny
Miku sama ... Princess Miku ... Goddess Miku ... You must board a Japanese Venus explorer "Akatsuki" no matter what! I love you Miku ... :)

12/16/2009 17:03:06    Dr. AAAAA
Who's Miku?

12/16/2009 17:13:39    Rewarp
If aliens are to find this, they will know how advance we are.

12/16/2009 17:22:21    Christopher Nabzdyk
Look out, Aphrodite, here comes a new goddess.

12/16/2009 19:33:55    gaijin4koma
Hatsune Miku. No other contestants. Final destination.

12/16/2009 19:53:51    ahmad mahmood
It is your drill that will break through the clouds and pass through the heavans

12/16/2009 20:33:18    ZackleR Ghazali
YARRRR~!!! MIKU TO SPACE! FTW~!! I R THANKS JAXA AND THE DUDES WHO BUILD IT, MAKE IT TO VENUS! YARR :D

12/16/2009 22:02:21    AnarchoElk
Smash the Venusian Government Miku!

12/16/2009 23:52:58    yurei reibara
i love you miku i hope one day you'll marry kaito

12/17/2009 0:07:57    niyuki
miku bansai~!!

12/17/2009 0:24:43    Banjoe2112
Miku is the culture of Japan

12/17/2009 0:26:32    formkey
Binary Star!

12/17/2009 0:39:23    Philip
Good luck on your voyage to Venus, godspeed JAXA, Akatsuki and Miku.

12/17/2009 1:28:35    Emma
MIKUUUUUUU FOREVER

12/17/2009 2:11:34    Diego Leiva R.
Go Miku!, Shine on the night Sky!

12/17/2009 4:57:28    Naouak
Miku on Venus yeah \o/ It's a small step for miku but a big step for the negis !

12/17/2009 5:02:27    Lelouch Vi Britannia
ALL HAIL BRITANNIA! ALL HAIL LELOUCH!

12/17/2009 6:20:45    quite
GO MIKU FRY TO THE MOONARU

12/17/2009 7:45:51    Hali Power
I want Miku's voice reach all the aliens ( = w = )

12/17/2009 8:02:54    Khris
Venus is hot, Miku is hotter

12/17/2009 10:31:45    Squints!
Milu is mai waifu

12/17/2009 10:39:22    Kriegerchen
Let's Positive Thinking!

12/17/2009 11:44:30    Gloria Wong
Miku World Domination

12/17/2009 13:29:16    Vincent Teong
Even extra-terrestrials have the right to hear Miku's songs.

12/17/2009 15:35:28    Adorabunny
Hatsune Miku. You may disappear from our Hard Disc, but you will never disappear from our hearts

12/17/2009 20:19:51    safe555
Miku! Miku! Go! Go! I'll wait for hear your sound from Venus :D

12/18/2009 1:43:32    Bryan
May Vocaloidism spread to the distant galaxies!

12/18/2009 5:05:18    Anonymous
Keep on spinning that leek!

12/18/2009 14:05:40    Ivan Kang
Do it, do it for the fans worldwide!!!

12/18/2009 14:22:01    Mocona Hinamizawa
Goddess Hatsune, may you be able to depart for Venus!!

Hoping you guys will have a happy Christmas vacation XD !!

- Rain

Send your Personal Message to Venus via Akatsuki

2009-12-16T16:18:00.000-08:00

In light of "Miku to Venus" campaign, I would also like to say that you could send a message as an individual ^w^ "Miku to Venus" project is sending our message as a group of Miku fans ~ but if you have any personal message you want to send to Venus (hoping that there are some beings who could read it) JAXA is giving us the chance to do so XD

Please follow this link http://venus.star2009.jp/index_e.php

I've been reading about Akatsuki, and this kid has a lot of promise for us XD It aims to let us observe Venus much more closely and eventually letting us understand its properties, weather systems, etc. As we know Venus and Earth are like sisters, and both planets were formed at approximately the same time XD But the mystery lies where even though it's almost similar ~ why did it took a different path of evolution ^w^ JAXA scientists claimed that if we can understand what lead Venus to be as it is now, we could use that knowledge to predict the future of Earth ~ more specifically for climate changes XD

That's why Akatsuki is also called "Venus Climate Orbiter"

more info on Akatsuki here http://www.jaxa.jp/event/akatsuki/index_e.html XD

For those who haven't signed yet please visit http://kanmisikou.net/lab/venus/en/ ^w^ !!

yoroshiku ne XD !!

- Rain

10K signs Miku to Venus

2009-12-15T17:10:00.000-08:00

This is a project initiated by Dr. Sumio Moriaka, an Engineer from Sony that was responsible for LSI design used in PSP and PS3. The objective is to gather 10,000 signs in order for JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) to approve an Illustration of Miku to be onboard the spacecraft "Akatsuki" which is planned to launch to Venus mid next year (2010). So I'm urging Miku fans to join forces and let Miku fly to Venus XD !!

You could read the rest of the story background here 5TH STAR
and find the Japanese nico wiki here NICOTECH MIKU TO VENUS

Recent updates GOOGLE SPREADSHEET
Please sign here PETITION SIGN FORM

yoroshiku onegaishimasu XD !!

- Rain

Project Comiket Getting Ready

2009-12-14T21:00:00.000-08:00

Only 14 days left before Comiket 77 and I feel the need of doing lots of preparation for this XD It will be my 2nd time so I'm more knowledgeable of what would most likely happen in the event XD the first day will be BL day - so this day will be dedicated for Corporate Booths, since I have no interest in BL doujinshi (sorry Mafuyu-chan, I cannot take your route).

I have 3 Comiket guides - I got the first one for free (left most) and the other two priced at 2400 yen each XD Actually I only need either one of them - but since I like the number 77 I decided to buy both printed and CDROM form ^w^

for now we'll browse through the "Corporate Booths" guide ^w^ As most of us know not only doujinshi artists, but also full pledged anime goods/producers participate in the event as well ^^ A lot of people say that the cover of this guide is very "eropoi" XD

kawaii megane ko ^w^

Lycee - I haven't been into this TCG ^^ I wonder how they actually play this XD

detailed map of the 4th floor west wing, where the Corporate Booths are located.

a summary map of Tokyo Big Sight event grounds XD just to make sure you're not lost

pages are dedicated to showcase the participating companies ^w^ normally they also put their homepage address so readers can find more details what they have in store for Comiket XD

I'll camp for this booth ^w^

Melon Books and Rashinbang will participate as well

Cospa will also be gracing the event with their presence ^w^ Lots of Mio goods ^^ (though I'm not much of a Mio fan recently)

GSC will be holding early sales of Reimu figma and Marisa Nendoroid ^w^ yay

bonus shot of my triplets XD

- Rain

Choco Vanilla Coronet

2009-12-13T16:07:00.000-08:00

I encountered this while visiting "Christmas Festa" in Shizuoka Twin Messe XD Out of curiousity why Konata loves this thing (in replacement for lunch) I tried it out of whim ^w^ And yeah it was very good XD The contrast between the soft/warm bread and cold/sweet soft cream brings a unique experience XD If this was priced at 200 yen I would frequent this everyday - in replacement for lunch too ^w^

「うまそう」 "looks tasty" XD? deshou

they also sell this ^w^ will try it next time XD

Coronet comes in 4 flavors XD the one i picked is 「バニラ＆チョコレート」 "vanilla and chocolate"

you could visit their site here http://www.natscor.com/

yay ^w^ !! itadaki XD

- Rain

A day @ Akihabara Tonkotsu Ramen

2009-11-27T20:04:00.000-08:00

For me this is one of the best places in Akihabara where you get to eat Ramen for 500 yen with refills for free XD You could refill two times - but unfortunately for me, I'll give up after the first one ^w^;;

on the average ramen costs from 700 yen up XD So ramen in this place is definitely cheap ^w^

First thing you need to do is play with this machine ^w^ Insert money then select the ramen of your choice XD Their specialty "Tonkotsu" ramen costs 500 yen - others might be cheaper or more expensive XD

You'll get this meal stub ^w^ can you read the kana?

looks delicious XD tastes delicious XD !! perfect heaven for ramen lover like me ^w^

Okawari ^w^ !!

- Rain

A day @ PIXIV Market

2009-11-23T02:23:00.000-08:00

I was randomly browsing sites one day and landed on Huke's blog XD I just learned then that he'll be selling stuff at PIXIV Market (Nov 15th) at Tokyo Big Sight - and it didn't take 3 seconds for me to decide to plan on going there and get his stuff XD One of the things that Chibi Miku and I share in common is being crazy for Black Rock Shooter XD And thus meeting Huke himself is like an obligation I need to fulfill at least once in my lifetime ^w^

Here's a common view for Tokyo Big Sight goers ^w^ The walk way from the Yurikamome line XD

Chibi Miku and Tokyo Big Sight XD "yay, yatto tsuita"

The entrance fee is 500 yen XD in return you'll get a pamphlet that will serve as a guide for the doujin circles that will particpate in the event ^w^

people lined up as early as 6am XD rarr the competition

for some reason I'm reminded of Comic Party every time I see this structure XD

Pixiv Market pamphlet XD cover is very nice ^w^

Ok I have only one target for this event - and that is the HWB doujin circle aka Huke's circle XD Hmm I wonder what "WB" meant XD maybe "web" - so it comes out as "Huke Web" XD? It seems that there are 3 major circles participating in this event - one is HWB the other is Poteneko (responsible for most Circus' character designs) and the other is Indico Lite which is responsible for character designs for Moonstone (recent work includes Marginal Skip XD)

Chibi Miku patiently lining up for BRS stuff XD

The queue was transfered to the back of Tokyo Big Sight XD A huge parking lot

Line was segregated by target doujin circles ^w^ Pretty organized XD

of course I'm lining up for HWB

random doodle ^w^ just got bored

Alright XD !! we see here that Huke and the others preparing their booth and stuff XD *waku waku doki doki* mode ^w^

Huke is the tallest guy in the middle XD at the end of the event I asked him to take a picture with me, but he humbly refused ^w^ it seems he's not that good with pictures XD

time to dig in XD rarr

after getting HWB stuff, I lined up for Poteneko stuff XD

I didn't know there was a different event going on ^w^ It was a large doujin event called Comtia XD but never bothered to go there XD .. hmm well just took a peek but I was too tired to circle the whole place ^w^

Welcome to Pixiv Market XD !!

Black Rock Shooter doko ni itta no TwT?

Index chan XD !!

Vocaloid Puchi Army ^w^

Can't get enough of BRS sword version XD

but I like the cannon version better ^w^

Nanoha-chan ^w^ !!

Late comers will cry when they see this "sold out" sign XD

what are you looking at XD?

after the crazy lines HWB circle booth was transfered inside the atrium

it seems Aoi Nishimata sensei was also there XD? didn't felt it TwT

BRS chan XD !!

Indico Lite ^w^ !!

killer art skillz XD!! Huke FTW !! note: Huke is also responsible for some Metal Gear Solid artwork ^w^

The atmosphere of Pixiv Market ^w^ Similar to Comiket, but smaller

Spoils of war ^w^

BRS stick posters ^w^

Muhahah XD got this signed by Huke himself ^w^

BRS insane version XD

also got this poster signed ^w^ yay Chibi Miku and I are very happy XD

BRS stuff XD hohoho

artbook from Poteneko

Poteneko Halloween Season poster ^w^

- Rain

T2 Artworks Illustration Gallery Open @ Akiba

2009-11-21T05:01:00.000-08:00

Ok this is one of the reasons why I really want to move to Tokyo ^^;; most of the events happen around this territory. Being in Japan .. it's just like teasing you with the cliche "so near yet so far" XD yeah right, far as in 3-4 hours of train travel, not to mention the 7000 yen train fare to Tokyo ^w^

The exhibit started yesterday November 20 and will be open today and tomorrow (and will continue the following friday until November 29) 12NN to 8PM ^^ Admission is free XD !! So guys living near Tokyo - Akiba - Tora no Ana, rejoice ^w^ There will be 60 T2 Illustrations on exhibit and Tora no Ana will be selling stuff such as posters, post cards, pamphlets, tapestry, etc - printed with the gorgeous T2 illustrations XD

Prices are not cheap as dirt .. but they are worth it XD

- Rain
via akibakaku

A day @ Mirai Inc.

2009-11-17T16:29:00.001-08:00

chibi Miku got lost somewhere in Meguro and met some new friends ^w^

first time to see a doll maybe 20x her size XD

saw Taiga puchi lying around ^w^

"nani ga yo?" - Taiga being tsun tsun to chibi Miku ^w^;;

chibi Miku doing some PHP coding stuff for iPhone version ^w^ - zen zen wakanai TwT

thirsty ^w^?

yay XD !!

- Rain

A day @round Japan Anime Shops

2009-11-16T03:20:00.000-08:00

More or less I have the feeling that I'll move to Tokyo next year so I had the urge to document my everyday life here in Shizuoka ^w^ Compared to Tokyo, Shizuoka is more peaceful - less the crowds that make your head spin XD Now it is my pleasure to give you a slice of what I do during weekends - rounding anime shops here in central Shizuoka XD and the nendoroid below is the result of such weekly activity:

Fukuei forgive me XD I snuck into Delindil's house first ^w^

The order the shops are presented is the usual route I take ^w^ I might omit some of them when I feel like it XD

1. A2
2. Book-Off
3. Kanteidan
- 1st floor
- 2nd floor
4. Men's Paradise
5. Dos Para
6. Melon Books / Rashinban
7. Animate
8. Volks
9. Secret Mode

A2 ("A-too")

Prolly there are 5 branches of A2 wherein I could reach in Shizuoka via bicycle ^w^ This place is a treasure trove for manga collectors and gamers. Manga here are second hand but still of top quality and could cost as low as 50 yens (my A.I. Love You collection by Akamatsu sensei for example ^w^). However recent/famous mangas could cost at most 150 yen each .. but hey compared to brand new ones which cost 550-700 yens; these are already steal deals XD Games sold here could range from old school to cutting edge consoles - all second hand but they make sure all of them are working and quality as close to brand new. Planning to buy Minami-ke and Soul Eater mangas in the future .. but I still have to finish Ichigo 100% and Nyan Koi before buying anything else XDdon't judge a store by its cover XD

not enough manga ^w^? costs 100 yen a piece XD

sometimes they sell 3 pieces for only 100 yen XD how cheap can they get ^w^

I've been hunting for this one XD !! but the price is still ouch TwT !!

Book-Off

Is a combination of old and new stuff shop XD Just like A2 you could sell your manga after you have finished reading them (they even have this commercial on TV, endorsing you to sell instead of throwing away XD). However in this shop you could find semi-new ones which are priced around 200-300 yens XD When I first arrived here in Japan .. I bought my first set of manga "Lilim's Kiss" and "Ichigo 100%" from this shop ^w^ (both by Kawashita Mizuki sensei - who coincidentally also lives around Shizuoka XD). They also have low priced art books that sells for 100 yen XD (not all of them are good but you could find rare ones ^w^)

oh yeah XD manga heaven ^w^ !!

consumption tax here in Japan is 5% .. so 100 yen + 5% = 105 yen ^w^

care for Yuyu Hakusho VHS tapes XD how old school can you get !!? ^w^

Kanteidan

Is the KING of all second hand anime goods / games / figures / manga shops XD When I first waltzed into this place - I felt like whoah .. am I in heaven XD !!? During my first few months here in Shizuoka I frequented this place almost every other day ^w^ (after work Kanteidan visits XD) This is one of my favorite hangout places - a perfect territory to spend those hours without anything to do at home ^w^ You can read manga, watch anime on their TV screens, look through tons of anime figures (figmas and nendos included) XD You could also spot rare and limited edition items here ^w^ muhahah XD

a spot dedicated to Yu-Gi-Oh players ^w^ wish they also had one for Magic the Gathering XD

more second hand manga sets ^w^

Doujin for sale XD

and uhh, what are these ^w^ !!?

oh yeah XD !! PSX + FF game bundles for 1980 yens XD !!

PSX games set for 500 yen ^w^ I think this is the best set I found which contains Macross, Psychic Force, Xeno Gears and Parasite Eve XD

FF7 + PSX bundle for 1980 yens ^w^ get XD?

ok, the usual gachapon machines you see spammed all over Japan XD

here, Kanteidan posts stuff that they want to buy back ^w^ Usually they buy it as close to the original price but it depends on the condition of the stuff you're offering them XD

what are these ^w^ !?

nendoroid puchi Mikuru XD !!

good enough to feed my nendoroid needs ^w^

spotted a Hatsune Miku Race Queen version nendoroid !! Fukuei you still have a chance XD !!

feast your eyes on the army of Figures collection ^w^

well yeah .. for the sake of Drossel fans - here's an eye candy for you ^w^

Men's Paradise XD

I had no intention of waltzing into this place XD but hey for the sake my comrades - I'll take the recon mission of intruding the most dangerous place in Shizuoka ^w^ I don't frequent this place - as I have only visited this for about 3-5 times eversince XD

gates of heaven or hell XD !!?

pretty clear - brats are not allowed ^w^ !!

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves ^w^

eroge goodness ^w^

omg x__x;;

DOS Para

My Aelirith's birthplace ^w^ Sometimes I visit here to buy new parts and additional accessories for her XD However no Apple parts here .. DOS/V parts refers to IBM-PC compatible machine parts ^w^ (so I feel sorry for Haruka now TwT ..)

Melon Books / Rashinbang

Among all anime shops here in Shizuoka, these ones are the best XD !! I make sure I pay a visit here everytime I do my rounds ^w^ This is also a combination of 2nd hand and brand new stuff, but most of them are brand new ones XD

going to 3rd floor XD

anime ads scattered around the elevator walls ^w^ makes me want to rip and take them home XD

new release eroge "Mashiro" ^w^ reminds me I need to do tinkering on NScripter soon for my VN project (could it be Miracle Mirai - XD nah ..)

yoku wakaranai mono ^w^;;

did I mentioned gachapon machines are spammed all over Japan ^w^?

lovely Key posters XD

lobby to Rashinban and Melon Books ^w^

now this is what you call doujin health stuff XD !!

Biri biri manga XD planning to buy this one XD !! But I have to finish reading Nyan Koi first TwT;;

they also sell light novels here ^w^ I'm currently reading "Toradora" .. and will read "To Aru Majutsu Index" next XD

can't get enough of doujin health stuff? XD

eroge rulez XD !!

keeping my eyes on the Artist ^w^ Fumio-sensei XD

words can't simply describe this area ^w^

I mentioned before that Rashinban sells 2nd hand stuff ^w^ well that goes for doujin - and currently they have re-bought (買取) 1,733 pieces of doujin eversince Comiket 76 XD

Huke's PICSIX ^w^ !! Buying this laterz XD !! Black Rock Shooter chan goodness ^w^

oppai mousepads ^w^ I remember using Kokoro-chan oppai mouse pad at Danny's place XD maybe I should get a Nodoka (Haramura) one XD

tons of dakimakuras to feast on ^w^

do you love Mio XD?

you can't see the cover arts but these are all H-doujins XD !!

outside there is a display area where they preview eroges ^w^ I spend a couple of minutes here viewing the eroge's OP sequences XD "Mashiro" looks very promising ^w^

going down the staircase ^w^ lotsa posters

omochi kaeri XD !!

Animate

Remember Lucky Star and Animate Tenchou ("Densetsu no Shoujo A shifto da !!") XD? This is one of the largest anime goods distributor across Japan ^w^ Although I seldom buy stuff from this store (because of the prices XD) I frequent it just to see new anime stuff being released ^w^ And oh, I also buy my manga drawing stuff here XD This is also the place where I first met Aoi Nishimata in person XD (which prompted me to finish Shuffle anime finally ^w^;;)

Animate Shizuoka is located at 4th floor Top Center building ^^

path to AV room ^w^

path to anime goods XD !!

XD !!

one of the cutest entities in reality ^w^ I'll buy these laterz XD

stuff here are organized by title or animation company so here we have the Kyoto Animation corner

K-ON has its own dedicated corner ^w^

Japanese "How to Draw Manga" books ^w^ pretty superior than the English counterpart I have a couple of ones at home XD

Volks

I'm sorry for all the DD fans out there but since Volks is ultra-strict when it comes to picture taking, I'm only able to take pictures of Volk's show room facade TwT .. To make things short Volks is a home for Dollfies and there are tons of clothes and accessories available for them ^w^ Aside from Dollfie stuff they also sell figures from Good Smile Company, Alter and others XD There are tons of Gundam plastic models available here too - but hmm I'm not very much into them XD

Volks is located at 4th floor Shizuoka 109

facade right part ^w^

facade left part XD

Dollfies hakken !!

strolling back .. I found this car with lots of Sailor Moon plushies ^w^

Secret Mode

When it seems all stores I went to don't have the stuff I want .. this place have the highest chance of having it XD Hence secret mode ^w^ I personally know the store's owner and prolly we'll team up to make an online store in the near future XD This shop might be small but compared to the others I have shown so far .. in terms of quality, rare items, limited edition stocks .. this can beat the hell out Akihabara stores XD All are brand new ^w^ !! (no second hand stocks allowed here) and this shop is a certified Good Smile Partner shop XD !!

Good Smile Partner shop desu ne XD

I forgot to ask if Tencho have extra Miku posters XD

store is open XD !!

buying some random stuff ^w^

lotsa figmas and nendoroids XD !!

now is the time to feast your eyes on the price XD !! A killer 14,700 .. mint sealed in the box XD !!

ending my trip with a random sketch ^w^ She's Aelirith's avatar XD will make a CG of it later ^w^

Hope you guys had fun as much as I had while writing this up XD Jya matta ne ^w^

- Rain

A day @ Tamiya Race Circuit

2009-11-16T03:15:00.000-08:00

Spent Saturday with my officemates at Tamiya Race Circuit ^w^ Can't really compare to them, because they all have the high tech gears for RC racing - while I only sport an all-stock RC ^w^ Well I'm not for speed now - I'm just after driving skills XD

fine saturday morning ^w^

TT-01 Chassis Skyline Body XD (no mods) got this for free ^w^

all-stock parts XD

turns really hot after a few minutes of running around XD

a space for mini4WD (kids' stuff XD)

my name plate ^w^ this will keep others from using "01" band

ok all set to go XD !!

after math TwT ..

next time I'll use this to race XD

- Rain

A day @ Vocaloid Master 9

2009-11-16T03:10:00.000-08:00

The 9th Vocaloid Master event was held last Sunday at Ota-ku Tokyo Sangyou Plaza PiO ^w^ This event is solely dedicated to exhibiting Vocaloid stuff from amateur to semi-pro music composers, doujinshi makers and cosplayers XD It's nothing compared to Comiket, but when you get to see all the Vocaloid stuff - for a Miku fan like me - all is worth it ^w^ The event lasted for 4 hours which is pretty short - but it is enough to let you circle the booths multiple times =w= I think I spent most of my time doing that from start to finish - I guess I can't get enough of looking through the works ^w^ Most of the amateur composers - I don't know; the only circle I was familiar with is "ZANeeds" which formerly worked with ChanXCO san - a friend in DeviantART XD Hoping to attend another Vocaloid event in the future XD

Sample Track Service XD

行きたいな。。。

nechan let's go XD

so many people =w= ..

vocaloid master catalogue ^w^

ZaNEEDs circle XD producer of "Overwrite" (search at Nico Nico)

more people coming =w= atsuii ..

cosplay XD !!

CHANXCO san's poster ^w^ ZANeeds booth

Kagamiku working hard to sell CDs

Mikurin: minna katte kudasai XD !!

what abomination is this??

meet up with rin and len XD

can't help but love her XD suki da yo !!

oi no slacking on the job !!

Hamo?? you've grown big XD

that was yummy XD rar

fear the staff XD !!

Gumi-chan !! very well done ^w^

My Oyome-san ^w^ Princess Miku

mess with me??

ahh shiawase XD

- Rain

A day @ Washinomiya Shrine

2009-11-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

I have always wanted to do this pilgrimage - so when I had the chance, I just grabbed my bag and train ticket and all set to go XD

yatto tsuita da XD !!

Nishimata-sensei's work? XD

may I order one Kagami please? XD

when you don't have train fare going back - just go here and pick up some zennies XD

itasha parking lot :3

Fate-chan itasha hakken !!

irrashaimase ^w^

wakaru ^^?

chibi miku seems to enjoy this spot ^w^

yay XD

I like these tsukasa faces XD

I think this is the best among them ^w^

bath time XD?

shrine maiden ^w^

Koi Omikuji and Mamori Charm ^w^

uhhh ..

wahh XD !!

peaceful days ^w^

- Rain

Mirai-tan

2009-11-15T22:51:00.000-08:00

Combined love for Chibi-miku and DC, Mirai-tan came into reality last Sept 2009 and has been on a regular weekly release basis until mid October 2009. I'm planning to continue this after a few re-edits and eventually debut it into my pixiv and deviantart accounts.

Mirai-tan 01
Mirai-tan 02
Mirai-tan 03
Mirai-tan 04
Mirai-tan 05
Mirai-tan 06
Mirai-tan 07

sign - "beware of perverts"; something I see everytime I go to mochitzuki for grocery

I thought I was cruel to Danny yesterday so I'll let him have a bit of service for today XD

The reality of DD prices XD

My favorite Mirai moe moe kyuuun XD !!

Mirai had her share of fanservice last time so now it's Danny's turn with the fearsome power of Ayu Tsukimiya cosplay sporting a pair of cute wings at the back and a class A Zettai Ryouiki combination XD

Mirai-chan finally ventures to GS Cosplay Cafe ^w^ Let's just hope nothing bad happens to her XD *konata mode* waku waku doki doki XD

Asanon-san toujo XD !! Danny gets the tentacle treatment XD It seems Mirai-chan is becoming more excited about her part time job XD *waku waku doki doki* ^w^

CG Painting the Lolicon Way

2009-09-15T00:02:00.000-07:00

I'm not a professional artist nor did I study fine arts or anything .. but one thing is for sure I love animu and I want to draw it far better than a professional can do XD So yeah I could only study animu CG by analyzing existing ones and integrating it with my current process =w= But this is my current problem .. I don't have a constant style because I'm in the process of improving it bit by bit, which makes me kinda irritated because I want my gallery to have a constant style XD I think I'm far from my pseudo-perfect ideal so I need to work harder on it =w=

I was playing SWR the other day .. and kinda got tired of Reimu so I decided to play another character which is Aya. I picked her because she belongs to the top tier rank of the SWR characters while Reimu dwells at the bottom loser spot XD pretty nice combination eh =w= I began to like Aya more and more so I decided to study her moves which are very quick !! lower number of frames to execute a move !! faster bullets and casting times !! =w= The time I return to playing Reimu again, I begin to notice that I play her better than before .. I don't know why. But one thing I noticed is that Reimu and Aya has different fighting styles. Reimu tends to concentrate on danmaku attacks while Aya tends to gain upper hand by melee. So by combining danmaku and melee, I think I do a better play which is more fun XD On top of that I think my play now is less repetitive because I get to switch attack modes when I get tired of the other. So what how the hell is that related to animu CG?? XD

I just come to a comparison that cel shade and paint styles are like Reimu and Aya =w= Restricting myself to one coloring style is pretty boring so I somehow realized that I need to shift to something different. So what is the other path? yeah painted style .. the only rival of cel shade =w= I think by studying paint style .. I'll get to learn cel shade more; kinda contradictory e? but to me it makes sense XD Now here I'm doing my assignment and will write a personal analysis of one of my favorite animu artists and co-lolicon fan pcmaniac XD (should be lolimaniac IMHO =w=) She published a mini tutorial which lacked the detailed words because she took the expression "a picture paints a thousand words" literally =w= Unfortunately for me I could only feel those words .. but as a n00b to paint style I need the basic fundamentals of the process in its simplest form in order to burn it in permanently in my head and make it a base foundation for my future artworks =w=

So yeah, here it goes XD

==========================
edit log
---
6/30 first release
---
TODOs
- edit grammar errors
- fix confusing sentences
- add pictures
- write conclusions
- finish the article lazy
- paint a picture yourself
==========================

pcmaniac analysis ver 1.0
source
(disclaimer: the artwork is not mine and belongs to pcmaniac88 from deviantart. I only provide a written personal analysis of the tutorial for educational purposes)

(First i have the outline :P)

1. First draw the linework which must be semi-clean. Unlike cel shade, paint style doesn't require ultra clean lineworks as the coloring style tends to be semi-messy at the end =w=

(Then i fill it with a base color. Usually i'll pick a color that resembles the mood i want)

2. On the second image, pcmania's "base color" refers to the background color. Unlike me which always use color green for initial background color (due to its eye relaxing effect); she uses a color that can express the overall mood of the image. I think she also made sure that the color is not too saturated (semi pastel effect) and is luminate enough not to overcome the main colors that will be on top of it. (It's rather a must that the luminescence has a relativily high setting)

(Next i roughly draft out a guide for me)

3. On step 3, pcmaniac starts scribbling rough lines for the floating elements on the picture such as leaves and petals that are either attached on the tree or falling on the ground. This implies that you don't have to make the linework very complete as you can draw the other elements with colors afterwards. (that alludes to a color driven linework .. or rather painting the object itself).

She also makes rough brush strokes to indicate planar elements such as the floors and walls. The direction of the stroke indicates the spatial 3D orientation of the element =w=

(Then i start painting the 1st layer. I started with the ground)

4. As stated (in step 4) she begins painting the ground. Notice the direction of the brush stroke as it also expresses the orientation of the ground relative to the imaginary "horizon". As to the reason why she painted the ground first, I think it's because you could easily paint more things above it with less worries.

She starts out with a light shade of brown (because it's the soil). You might also notice that she didn't colored all surface of the ground which allows color dimension (is that a term?) afterwards.

(Then i slowly add more shading and detail. I know it's best to get the overall feel b4 going into details, but i have a bad habit ^^;;)

5. In step 5, she picks a darker shade of brown most likely with a higher saturation and a little bit of adjustment on the hue .. but the luminesence setting feels the same. So I guess choosing a color after the ground base needs only those two settings to be adjusted. The idea is to get a deeper impression of the element by choosing a more darker color setting (which is relatively near the original color).

She mentioned about detailing, so my first hunch was that meant picking a spectrum of colors (?) but I could only detect 1 change .. so it might have meant the strokes of the brush (I'm such a n00b XD). In here you could make out details as wide area strokes, small area strokes, high pressure and low pressure ones. These variations allows the messy/realistic feel to the image =w= (I guess ..)

ohhhhh wait a minute, this might also be the reason of maintaining the pastel feel. You don't need a spectrum of colors to detail the painting. You must at most keep it from 2-3 shades to make it not over complicated. The same principle applies the cel shade where in you must limit yourself to the number of shade colors in order to maintain the simplistic overall feel to the image (however I have done many modifications to that which is why I really don't know what I'm doing lately XD).

(Add more details and color changes....)

6. Step 6 .. there are 2 things happened here (1) one is the application of a higher saturation, lower luminate brown color. You may notice that these new brown strokes now emphasize on the shadow created by light. Now you could say that the light is coming in front of the character. The pressure of the strokes might be higher at the left side of the image than the right side .. which might allude that the light source is somewhere rightish =w=

(2) the second one is the addition of 3 hues namely pink, blue and green .. all maintaining a sat/lum level that is close to the base (ground) brown color. These might indicate the need for color complexity which adds "life" to the image. Now we can see that it's is not only a lifeless brown but more of vibrant colors. The strokes for these new colors are conservative and is composed of short and dotted ones.

(Then i'll choose a suitable color for the rest of the bg)

7. Oh .. notice that splitted lines XD? In this step (7) she might have used either the lasso or path tool>selected path. (I assume she's using Photoshop since the extension of the file is psd). After selecting the wood structure she flooded it with a color that has a higher sat level and hue that is nearer to red. Although we can later see that she only does this step to approximate what color is suitable for the background.

And one more thing .. the grass grew rapidly in this part XD more green paints on the left side of the image =w= (she showered it with cyber water)

(err...... XD)

8. I'm thinking she might have also used this flood-filled layer to mask and paint the BG. But yeah rather than doing that she only maintains the selection and paints the background manually anywayz. The sat level for the wood is definitely higher than the ground's color making a bit of a contrasting effect. Which now alludes to the fact that aside from luminesence-based contrast .. you could also make hue-based contrasts. Notice how she applies the brush strokes on the wood (with reference to step 3). The difference in pressure applied on the strokes creates indirect lines which orients the element neatly in 3D space. So yeah this train of thinking is important so burn it in your mind XD !! This also applies to the small pilar of wood, which color is stroked upwards =w=

(Next i start to paint the wood.)

9. ("starting to paint the wood" step) For this step she picked a brown color that has higher luminesence but lower saturation setting to indicate the more lighted areas. Here she establishes the 3D-ness of the small wood pillar and the variation of light distribution for the floor. You must take note that she only used one color for this step =w= A very conservative move which I like (because it's easier to follow that way) XD The floor receives the same stroke treatment from the previous steps.

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OK FROM THIS POINT ON THINGS WILL BE MORE EXCITING XD !! hehehe =w= I thought just like in animus there are part A and part B's .. so this is a point where in part B would nicely fit =w=

::insert asahina mikuru pic here XD::

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(I'll keep adding more layers until I'm satisfied)

10. From the start I had the impression that she painted the image on one layer, but now it's clear that she utilized more than one (being explicitly stated). Using more than one layers has its pros and cons .. one pro is that you could easily erase NG colors without affecting the GJ colors but on the other hand the con is that color blending would be somehow limited. Well come to think of it .. maintaining a simplistic color scheme might not need complex color blending process so i guess it's justified to use multiple layers.

In here she uses 2 settings of brown to detail out the colors of the floor. A dark one and a light one; although the lighter version is only used at a small portion of the floor (near the pillar) and some near the hand of the character. These color variations is intended to add depth to the image. Remember to maintain the brush strokes !!

(Then i'll touch up the foreground and the wall)

11. On the next step she mentioned "then I'll touch up the foreground and the wall.." =w= Hmm ok the wall is understood, but the foreground (?) I thought foregrounds are objects up front so I tried to locate which part of the images changed up front XD (but yeah not much =w=) So I guess she must've refered to the big shadowy area on the left side (the path of doom XD) As you can see she used a pretty dark and saturated brown for that shadow area, which we can tell is the dakest shade among all browns in the picture. It maintains a decent amount of saturation not to disharmonize the over all color texture. But oh no!! the wooden pillar is covered with shadow XD hehe let's just see what happens next to this pillar (because we're pretty sure this gets fixed. As to "how" that's what we need to take note of). The walls are painted with a lighter shade of brown also with lower saturation compared to the shadow. As you can notice from the brush strokes, it expresses the 3D orientation of the wall which is upwards =w= the wall is not painted entirely and some areas are left behind.

From this point you could conclude one of pcmaniac's habit of painting lighter colors first then adding shadows for details and depth =w= (ok take note of that on your mental notebook). Ending brush strokes are short .. meaning the moment that the pen pressure is released from high to low is short (you could tell that from the distance of gradiation of solid to dispersed colors).

(Next i'll get the rough shape of the tree and the lantern...)

12. On to the next step !! =w= in this one I could tell 1,2,3,4 .. 5 things happened. (1) First is that the grass on the lower left part gets painted with more light brown. But as you can notice the light brown paint swirls around (hehe nande??) XD The answer became clear after I took a peek on the next steps because the grass patch transformed into water puddle =w= (heheh that's renkin jutsu for you) =w= So one thing I could learn from this is that to achieve water effect, paint the water surface with a lighter color using swirly strokes =w= But this depends on the water formation I think .. In this case the movement of water is restricted to the puddle only so the swirly movement is appropriate. (2) The second change is the tree getting painted with a strong brown color. Strong which means higher saturation and low luminesence setting .. but as to why, I could only say that it is closer to the light source so it gets a special saturation treatment. The saturation difference is also a way of differentiating form the large shadowy area from the back (3) The branch also gets to have leaves XD flower blossoms .. sakura maybe (XD?) There are two layers to the leaf-blossom structure ; the one behind which is green have a very pale (low saturation) and light color. And the blossoms in the foreground gets to have fine dotted strokes which depicts the petals with each one. As you can see the blossoms does not cover the entire branch which enables the viewers of the picture to get a more complete image of the branch structure (I guess =w=).

(4) The fourth delta would be the small wood pillar gets fixed XD But I could tell, it's not a normal fix but a complete repaint of the element =w= You may notice that the color on the lower part of the pillar is very different from the previous picture. Once repainted she applied a lighter shade of brown on the more illuminated surface of the pillar. However one thing I could point out is the gradiation of light to the dark part of the pillar seems unnatural to me.
With that, one could conclude (make an excuse) that the pillar has been stained on the lower part maybe because of water, or other unnatural reasons. From this step you could learn that if one element needs to be repainted entirely .. do it without hesitation XD !!

(5) And finally, the major change on this pic will be the painting of the lantern foreground object. This step is not to much, but the most obvious of them all =w= "Painting objects right on the image" is probably the best moral lesson for this step. But first yu got to start with a "general" form of the object, using a color that conforms with the entire color harmony of the picture. The hue might be mandatory reddish, but you must adjust the saturation that it fits just right with the other colors and adjust the luminescence so it conforms with the lighting settings of the overall image.

(More details!!!!!111 D:)

13. Detailing of the image continues with 4 elements in this step. From this point you can now feel the importance of detailing .. and it's role on giving life to the image. (1) First you will notice the green patches on the lower right side and at the left and right sides of the water puddle. She uses at least 2 types of green here .. one is near yellow and the other near blue with both maintaining a low sat level with high lum setting. The "yellow greenish" color is easily explained as it is the default color of common grass .. however the bluish green feels like it's influenced by the color of the water puddle near it. With this you could point out the tip that you somehow need to add color variations to an object based on the objects near it, or what most would likely affect it. In this case the grass and water. (2) Another thing you will notice is the whitish brush strokes added on the lower left side. I'm trying to think why she added such strokes but I can only come to a conclusion that she only did that for color variation. It may also be the case that she intends to emphasize the light source by adding white there.

(3) Thirdly, the addition of white on the water puddle =w= This is a common coloring technique used almost everywhere to emphasize highlight coming from a light source. But one thing special about this is the combination of both blurred light brown strokes and the strong (solid) white strokes above it. This method creates an illusion of water depth and up to some extent movement. Pretty good and I loved it (I'll definitely try this sometime) (4) Finally the stone near the pillar gets the paint treatment. In this element I could detect light gray, dark gray and light brown were used. The light brown hue is used to express bounced light from the wooden pillar. It also allows the color not to have a monotone feel of grayish shades. Noticing how the dark gray shades were applied to the stone .. it was meant to give shape to the object (3D) dimensionality.

At this stage the background is finally complete and we are now ready to proceed on painting the main character. But first I needed to ask myself why did pcmaniac started off with the background first? Because normally I would start out with coloring the main character then proceed with the background .. and I think this train of thought is influenced by the truckload of tutorials that conform to that sequence. So yeah, when you take a second look at it, the reason behind this sequence is that background colors directly affect the main character's color. Why? it's because of the rebounding light from every element of the background. As you may remember the stone from the previous step, the shade of brown may have been there to express the rebounding color from the wood pillar. This train of thought is very beneficial for me, because now it answers my long difficulties of adjusting the color of the background elements just to fit the main character. It was the reverse process all along.

(After i'm satisfied with the bg...i'll start painting the character. I usually start with the skin..)

14.Here PM started off to color the main character's skin. As to why? I think the skin gives off life better than the other elements (with rivalry to the eye). This might be only her personal preference, but even preferences have a logical reason behind it (so that's why I bother to calculate how she thinks). Comparing it with my process .. I normally start off with the hair because it is above the skin =w= My priority to color is the top elements going down and the reason behind that is efficiency. When you get to color the top, you need less worries when coloring the lower layers because portions of the image are already masked for you. This process is the reason why I put emphasis on base coloring first before doing any shading =w= hehe well it seems pretty more liberal when it comes to painting style.

I guess in this manner I could learn to give priority to the life giving elements first. This will enable me to be inspired to continue painting the other parts as well XD

Well ok now onto the painting process, I believe she started off with the light flesh color. And on top of that there are 2 shades of brown, light low sat and dark low sat =w= You could tell from those choices that maintaining a low saturation for the skin shades is a must .. because year skin is a delicate color and it doesn't have any shiny qualities to merit a sat boost. Brown is selected as a shading color ^w^ Well it matches the background well and basing on the next steps .. the hair will be brown so it's justified to have a rebounding light-shadow of brown. Notice that the portion of the skin below the hair receives a darker treatment while the rest are more or less the same. You could feel from the shadow strokes that it is very conservative, single soft strokes - to express the fragility of skin color =w=

Its also important to take note of the shadings on the mouth and nose part XD It's super MOEEE XD hehehe

(I move on to the clothes and the rest of the body...)

(I'm done with the clothes->)

(Then i'll add more details to the eyes and certain parts of the bg. Enhanced the tree and the lantern..)

(Finally i played with the hue and saturations and added some sunlight from the tree. And so... I'M DONE D: !!)

(to be continued)