Manga/Anime Spotlight: AmythestViolet

Oct 31, 20116 min read

Deviation Actions

Published: Oct 31, 2011

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Manga/Anime Spotlight: SleepyKiks

Manga/Anime Spotlight is a weekly feature that highlights the different artists across the deviantART's Manga/Anime community, and is a portal to get to know a bit more about them and their works.

This week's feature is SleepyKiks

1.) To start off, what is your favorite medium and tools to use?
I am Primarily a digital art. I mostly use Flash CS3 but, I am also a fan of Fireworks CS4. I am about 50/50 between using a mouse and using a tablet. In the last few years I got a wacom cintiq which was a very nice upgrad from my old and well worn graphire. For traditional medium I have been learning to use markers for finished work instead of just comps and rough design.

2.) When you draw, do you plan everything out first, or do you just see where the drawing takes you?
If I am working on a comic or commission I usually start out by doing a few thumbnails or storyboards to give myself a better frame of reference to work from. If I'm drawing for the fun of it or trying to come up with character designs I just let my pencil spill all over the paper, anything that comes to mind.

3.) On average, how long do you spend on a drawing?
It really varies. Comic pages take anywhere from 8-14 hours depending on the scene. Something simple like a chibi takes about an hour to an hour and a half. I find digital takes much longer than traditional but that may change as I get more confident with markers.

4.) When did you first start drawing, and what made you start to draw in the manga/anime style?
I started drawing when I was about 5 or 6. I would copy the characters from videogame manuals (Mario, Link, and Kirby to name a few) and pause the VRC to draw the characters on the screen. I loved shows like Astroboy, Bushbaby, the wonderful wizard of Oz and Mrs. Pepperpot. I wasn't untill later that I discovered a lot of the shows and games I liked came from Japan. So I kinda just grew up on retro anime and video games.

5.) What are your inspirations for drawing?
I can't really say what inspires me because it seems to be pretty much anything. I'll get ideas from a feeling I have or something I see or hear and I have to jot down or make a thumbnail of the idea before I lose it. My boyfriend is also a never ending fountain of ideas and likes to give me suggestions of what I should be drawing. That is how the Samurai Princess webcomic started.

6.) Do you have any artists that you look up to?
I am a big fan of Izumi Takemoto, an artist who worked at GameArts on visual novel-like games. When I was younger I was a fan of Rumiko Takahashi. Right now I adore the work of HACCAN (Artist behind Mushihimsama Futari). I want to learn to make amazing backgrounds and soft colours like him. I also recently have been fond of Buriki who did the illustrations for Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko.

7.) Out of the works in your gallery, what are your five favorite pieces?
In no particular order:
:thumb181559270: I am still getting used to markers but I managed to cram all the little details of her outfit into a small picture so I was rather pleased with myself.
:thumb124333871: I like experimenting with different styles from different games I play but what really makes me enjoy this piece is the controversy I accidently started with it.
:thumb192220638: Despite appearing in my least favourite chapter this is one of my favourite pages of the comic to date.
:thumb160926980: I just had way too much fun making and setting this up to not love the outcome.
:thumb112432784: This is such a weird concept and I rarely use photoshop for pieces. It's an older piece but I still look back at it and giggle.

8.) Do you have any tips for young aspiring artists?
Practice, practice, PRACTICE! Don't just focus on one style of art though, expand and try new things. Also, never run from a critique. Accept it and consider what was said. Never just dismiss it.

9.) Are there any other types of art that enjoy?
The print industry is awesome and working in vinyl cutting and designing is insanely fun. You get to mess around with typography and have to think in pieces for making plates and sections of the design. It's like piecing together a great big puzzle.

10.) Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Art is all about having fun, even when you are doing something you are fond of. Thanks for the chance to talk about myself and something I am passionate about and please check out my webcomic Samurai Princess.