Wings of Love

( Fanart: Yrae Chronicles, Black and White, Paper )
There's a lot to be said about this, but I'll try to be brief. One: this is probably my current favourite piece of art. It's not something I usually do, and it was a project for my (first) Fundamentals of Design class; the assignment was to use white paper on black board to create a "mandala." It was one of the few projects I bothered to do while in San Francisco, took me about a week, maybe two. Two: it was inspired by the twin sisters of The Yrae Chronicles, written by annarti. Since this image (probably about from the time it was made), she and I have since fallen out, but YC is still one of those stories I attempt to follow and wish would come faster, heh.

In the two years since I made it, my poor mandala has gone through some rough times, and many pieces of it have not withstood the tests of time and travel between San Francisco and my home in Cupertino; rubber cement, while crucial for completing the assignment, apparently does not stand up well on small pieces of paper. I spent another good while on it a few days ago to put it back together as best I could. Some pieces are missing and it will never be as complete or whole as it once was, but one could say that about a whole lot of things =P

White paper on black mountboard, with rubber cement and white glue. 16" square.

Hello, and welcome to the main body of Wings of Love, the art. Admittedly, there isn't very much art on this page at a glance, but there are plenty of links -- these link to the main art pieces themselves, but are "cut" with the categories they fall into (as well as some extra information, occasionally) to save on loading time for power-users.

If you're looking for a specific type of picture, check the bar to the right -- you can browse pictures by medium, by subject matter, or by the date on which they were finished (in most cases, that's the date they're listed under).

As of May 28, 2006: Wings of Love is currently on semi-hiatus—I'm missing quite a few of my art-making-thingies and I've been somewhat distracted. Expect some updating in the coming days, however.. hopefully we'll get this thing on its feet yet!

( Fanart (World of Warcraft), Photoshop, Female, Colour )

Okay, so you've all probably heard my dislike of colouring hair—it's a long and involved process to make it look right. Well, take my usual way of colouring hair... and do it with a mouse. Yeaaaah my hand is not in the best shape right now =X;

Xella, my 60 Night-Elf restoration-specced druid on Bloodscalp-US. Pencil sketch, inked and coloured in Photoshop. Vaguely based off a little icon base I pulled off some LJ icon-making community a long, long time ago, of an Indian movie star and/or musician. And yes, I pulled the title out of my ass, sue me.

( Female, Male, Sketch, Bowspirit's Aim, Miscellaneous Characters )

WARNING: The image above is GIGANTIC. To be more specific, 7,000 pixels tall. It's a veritable tower of sketches, in fact, dated from March '05 to April '06.

See, for a long, long time now, I've been sans scanner—it was a tragic state to live in, especially since the scanner wasn't broken, and thus wasn't replacable... it was just some 45 minutes by car away. In any case, these are the majority of the decent sketches sketched in the time the scanner was Not Here. Most of them are of BA characters (specifically, Sevvie, Xella, and Karra, and probably in that order), although there are some miscellaneous "I have no idea who this is, woot!" characters and a piece of fanart or two scattered about.

If a particular sketch doesn't have a date, it was drawn on one of the index cards I keep around my computer.. I usually forget to date them, sadly enough. Ah well.

( Female, Xella, Colour, Gouache )

Yet another colour theory assignment; this one was a cubist neutral, using no black. I cheated via sharpie outline, but meh!

( Female, Anthropomorphic, Colour, Gouache, Human Behaviour )

My favourite of my Colour Theory assignments, this one was supposed to show saturation (and it kind of does, in the hills =X). To actually understand what's going on tho, you've got to know a little bit about this class: every actual painting or image we did was accompanied by at least one (sometimes several) "charts" where the teacher would have us paint or otherwise colour various swatches, then cut them out and attach them to her pre-printed charts. I was not, and am not, a big fan of these charts (and in fact I think I only did a grand total of three in the quarter). After a while, my images got to be very anti-chart =P

The Inverted Purple Skunk, burning a trio of Colour Theory charts at the stake. Woo! Go go IPS!

( Colour, Gouache, Landscapes )

Another Colour Theory assignment, this one was to utilize the colours generally associated with the seasons into four connected images. I vaguely cheated with summer, as it's not technically the two trees in the other three... but my logic was hey... why can't trees go on vacation in summer too? =P

( Bowspirit's Aim, Colour, Paint (Gouache), Female, Xella )

I'd love to use the fact that I'm now going to school again as an excuse for not having done more art-stuff recently, but that's really a bad excuse, considering I only started up again at the beginning of this month. Still, the fact that so many of my classes want me to paint instead of using Photoshop means that I am actually learning stuff... like how much I hate acrylic, for example. Point of fact, I loathe acrylic. If I had my way, acrylic wouldn't be allowed to exist anymore. But since I have to paint, and I don't like acrylic, I guess that means I'm going to be using the other type of quickish-drying paint I have: gouache.

This was a picture I drew (and inked, amazingly enough) in the beginning to the middle of March, and which I had in my sketchbook that was with me one day in Color Theory, when my teacher was a half-hour to forty-five minutes late. It's of the new design I've been toying with for Xella's dress, being that I'm sick and tired of people confusing her for Anthy (from Utena)... and it's not done, coz' eventually I'll come up with a suitable background for it, as well as re-ink the bits where the gouache stayed too opaque (mostly on the skin and sleeves. Go go white.)

Ink and Gouache (Reeves, I believe is the brand. Not sure if it matters in gouache like it kinda does with pencils/markers). Woot.

( Female, Colour, Human Behaviour, Gouache, Anthropomorphic )

One of six completed assignments for my Colour Theory class (I can't remember if I scraped by with a horrible grade or actually flat-out failed =X), the idea was complimentary blends (if I recall correctly). My oranges kind of turned out yellow though, ewps.

( Black & White, Pencil, Human Behaviour, Female, Anthropomorphic )

An update? =O Shocking.

Bowspirit's Aim is totally in pencil, as many of you know. Coming up is quite a bit of spellcasting and dynamic lighting, which is making me nervous as I'm not sure I'm up to the challenge in pencil yet. So, practice (hence the amazingly witty title).

Obviously, though, I'm running behind on BA again (I'm at another one of those points where I'm not quite sure how to get where I need to go, and it's all semantics in what people say to one another), so what better way to put it off than to practice BA's style... with another comic? =D;; Specifically, Human Behaviour. Woo, go team me.

Pencil with mild (albeit obvious) Photoshop help on expanding the background (I was running out of lead, and I need it for BA) =D;;

( Shadows, Black & White, Pencil )

nanomango is starting again, and I'll once again be attempting thirty pages in my evergoing "one-shot" comic, Shadows. It's turned into more of a "two-shot" now, though, because there's a story going in the middle that just can't stay there—it's disrupting the flow. So it's like "Shadows and Friends" or something. Like the Garfield cartoon.

Basanti, the main character of Shadows proper, and the First, one of the two main characters in the romance-drama that is the "fireside storytelling session" (of which Basanti is the narrator) that got me sidetracked at page eighteen last June. This isn't the first time I've drawn the First as something other than a silhouette/shadow, it's just the first time I'm posting it anywhere =3;;

Tutorial: Complete Title Page Walk-Through (started 25 Oct 2004 2:15pm, completed 28 Oct 2004 9:33pm)

I felt it might be helpful to do a semi-tutorial on how I'll create a colour image. Really, this tutorial is a combination of "what not to do" and "ooh, screencaps"—it was written as the image progressed, not at the end when I knew what was going to happen. There weren't many surprises or bumps along the images' creation, and that's perhaps why I'm not as fond of it as I possibly should be. This isn't the creation of an exceptional image; it's the creation of an adequate or average image, and while it means I'm embarrassed by putting this up, I know it might amuse or help other people, so that's why it's here.

Requirements: The tools used in this tutorial are Photoshop CS and Painter 7, but I know that all the tools used in the Photoshop bits are available in at least 5.5 and above, and the Painter bits in 6 and above (and I think 5, since that's when they introduced layers into the program, but I can't guarantee that). It was also created on a Mac, although if you know your way around both programs at a decent level, you should be able to follow along on a PC or in Paint Shop Pro instead of Photoshop. Having a pressure-sensitive graphic tablet will help you if you're attempting to follow along, but it's possible (albeit painful) to do with a mouse. Again, this tutorial isn't a tutorial so much as a walk-through, no exact details on much of anything are given, and so if you ARE trying to follow along to mimic my results in your own image, you should have a relatively good knowledge of where things are and what they do.

( The Walk-Through~! )

( The Finished Image )

( Female, Copic Markers, White-Out, Bowspirit's Aim )

I ordered some new Copic colours a couple weeks back. As I only have one orange (YR04 Chrome Orange), I got one new orange, figuring that I didn't have to look to make sure that I didn't already have it because I only had ONE bloody orange and so what the hell are my chances of getting the same one? I'm sure you can see where THAT story led.

I also have two Violets (V07, I believe?), and two blacks (I don't remember what makes 110 Special Black special, but... *shrugs*), so naturally, I wanted to do a picture that had them all. Hence, clubbin'!Sevvie.

Following the 'tarded-ness that is me, though, I sketched and inked this in my small sketchbook before checking the pages to see how they took Copics. Needless to say... they take them. Too well. Hello~ bleeding. Well, hey, at least it's a picture of Sevvie. I'm sure she appreciates the bleedage, right? Right. And look, you have little silhouettes of the rest of the points in the background~ =3 Aww~~

Copic Markers 110 Special Black, V07 Violet, and YR04 Chrome Orange, Micron pens, and white-out from three or four years back (hence the crappiness of it).

( Bowspirit's Aim, Colour, Photoshop CS, Female )

While not a big player in BA, Alanya is still one of the "major minor characters" -- one of the recurring five "top" members of the Hellfyre clan. So obviously, I needed to design her as the Hellfyres are quickly coming into play in the storyline.

I also decided she needed green hair, as Harmony didn't anymore and I wanted green hair on someone. She's not... well, I suppose you COULD say she's earthy, but... oO;

Am still very hesitant on fairy wings (I don't do them often as fairies generally piss the hell out of me), so these are pretty messed up. They also followed the tutorials here =3 Because uh... they did. Wing-design subject to change as I get more comfortable with the wings.

Speaking of fairy-ness, however, note that this isn't to scale... projected!Alanya (the fairy-version) is probably six to eight inches high, but as this is a chart so I can tell what colours go where, I couldn't exactly have the projected version be the size of the normal version's hand, now could I?

( Copic Markers, Photoshop, Ink, Colour, Female )

What's the difference between an artist and a goth? To be honest, there isn't really ALL that much difference. A lot of artists online cry for attention by saying their artwork sucks (I am occasionally guilty of this myself, although sometimes I do think I have a foundation in saying thus), just as a lot of goths do the same cry of attention by saying their lives suck. What, then, is the difference? We make fun of goths because their lives, more often than not, don't suck, while we praise the artists. The artists, to be sure, get the better end of the deal because either the public can disagree with them and thus, they are praised, or they can agree and the artist can feel vindicated because what they "thought" was the truth. Plus the artist's wardrobe isn't nearly as hot in summer and costs WAY less X);;

This was an idea I first put down on paper back at the beginning of August, but I was never very happy with the sketch. Started it again last night, complete with Crazy-Random Cosplay Chick (instead of just a random girl with a skimpy outfit and weird hair), and decided to actually finish it. I'm not happy with the way the artist (who looks crazily like me when I actually draw myself, hm...) came out, but I figured it didn't matter because if the artist looks like crap anyway, it proves my point SO much better XD;;

Ink, Copic Marker base-colouring, and shading in Photoshop.

You can also get it as a T-shirt =D Because really, that's what I drew it for (I want one X3;;)—if anyone was interested, I could put it on other products, but for now I'll leave it like this ^^

( Fanart, Legend of Zelda, Male, Sketches, Pencil )

Oh my GOD, Xella drew FANART? A crazy day indeed. *coughs*

I needed an image for a Zelda layout. As scouring the web didn't turn up any suitable official images or screencaps and I'm iffy at using fanart on the best days (unless it's really good AND the artist is willing to allow me to make it into a layout =3), I decided I had to make my own (not a bright prospect, but there all the same).

This is probably the most uninspired pose ever, but I like it anyway. No reference, just my own memory of what Link's outfit looks like (I think I messed up the red bits on the gloves and maybe the buckle on the scabbard-holder and 99% likely to have messed up the sword too =D;;) because, had I decided that this would be the image I would use, I would THEN drag out the Link reference I've gathered to make it more accurate.

The thing that frustrates me most about this picture is that foot on our left. It came out perfect the first time I drew it, but the lower half of the legs were half the length of the upper half above the knees because I was only seeing just a bit above the end of his tunic down, which made me think that that was his crotch (it wasn't). So now the foot is ass and the legs are STILL wonky X); C'est la life~

I still like it =3 Link so coot *^^*

Thirty-minute sketch, I think. Forty-five tops. It really felt more like fifteen, but my main LJ's entry times don't lie =3;

( Sketch, pencil, Bowspirit's Aim, Male, Female )

I'm beginning to doubt my sanity, coz' I swear to god I spelled Hellfyre wrong o__O; Um... yeah.

This was an idea I had after browsing some (really, REALLY good) oekaki boards. It's the main Hellfyres, with Kanos looking rather doped up in front and six others in the background. The text isn't on the image proper in the hard copy version, but it's on the same piece of paper so oh well.

Excluding Kanos, the Hellfyres are: Top-left is Katana, formerly known as "Kopii" (Copy, haha~) Karralyn. Because you know you have to get stereotypical at some point and use a mirror to create an evil clone of one of your characters (shut up .__. It was a good idea at the time and now we have no idea how to really get rid of her coz' she's important to a bunch of plots later on ><;;). Top center/Top right (we'll call it right even though it's in the middle of the pic): Alanya. I'm still not sure of her design, nor do I think she's going to be playing that large a role. Anyway, she's the "indentured servant to evil who isn't really evil but is just very dutiful" (because you have to rip off some Gilbert & Sullivan sometimes X);; She's not born in leap year, though, so you can stop worrying about that =D). In the center are probably the only Hellfyres aside from Kanos that MATTER in the first 3/4 of the new story continuity, namely Willow and Dandl. Bottom-left is Chastity, the snobby rich girl who may or may not actually exist anymore, and then in the bottom-right is Epadoa, who becomes the fourth Hellfyre to even matter at all in the last quarter of the storyline X3;

As mentioned, Kanos is once again OOC, Dandl's hands look good but are connected to him oddly, and we'll not even go into the strangeness that is the FFX's Seymour-esque look that Alanya took on (which you can't see here because I chopped it off X);; All in all, I don't know if I'll ever do anything with it, but as there's so little Hellfyre material around, I figured I should put it up anyway =3

( Female, Aslua Studios, Photoshop CS )

Just so you know, this wasn't going to go up here =D; But I'm an attention whore and the fact that I spent time on a picture that would eventually be cropped down to 200 pixels wide (at best) sort of irked me. Plus I liked how the shading came out, so.

Aslua, the Aslua Studios "mascot" (the one that isn't a rubber ducky, anyway -__-;), again. On black. Really, she'll be on a colour background on the layout I'm making out of this image, but until then, you get a black background and a really cheap outer glow X);

Yay cel-style shading. I haven't done it in FOREVER, and I think it came out pretty well on this picture =D The second light source isn't shown in this image, but it'll be just above her elbow, so if you're wondering why the shading seems to be going in a couple different directions, that's why.

(Am well aware that a) she's anorexic, and b) missing a hand and part of a feather. Like I said, image is getting cropped later, but that poor dragon wing is probably one of the better ones I've done, so.)

( Black & White, Bowspirit's Aim, Male, Female, Ink )

There are some weird bits in this image still, but considering I sketched it backwards and inked it in ballpoint, it's pretty decent =3;

The Bowspirit's Aim "five points" (as I've gotten to calling them for whatever reason—the five main good guys) in modern (as 'Narti put it), fall-time clothing. If/when I colour this, there will be a background and foreground, so I'm not too worried about the gimpiness of Sevvie and Karra's feet (and James' right foot too, come of it). Am still a bit worried about James' eyes (they would NOT cooperate ><;) but nothing I can do about it now, really =3;;

Alex looks SO BLOODY WEIRD (and SO BLOODY AMUSING) in a sports coat X);; Just so you know.

( Female, Photoshop, Shadows, Colour )

I started this picture in the wee hours of the morning of July 7th, which means it took me 21 days to finish. That's not bad, considering I've been doing a slew of other artistic endeavours (all currently unfinished) during that time frame. Not to mention I wasn't exactly working on it constantly or anything...

I need a new Friends page layout, so since my last and current layout involves the Bowspirit's Aim cast, I decided to do the Shadows cast next (Flow of Destiny obviously got skipped; this is because I really don't feel like I have any control over those characters in the same way I do BA's—they're all mostly Alisha's there). Add to that the fact that the only character, as of before this image, that had a colour picture was Basanti, and my course of action becomes very plain. So, Shadows cast. As if you hadn't figured that one out already X);;

Sketched in pencil, inked in Painter 7, coloured in Photoshop CS. This image is availiable as a wallpaper for various monitor resolutions at the Shadows website.