Ryan Dave Jimenez

On 6/17/2019 at 3:54 PM, Serge heartless said:

I kind of disagree. To me slice of life is kind of like drama, its not for everyone. Im in my 30s and I don't even like slice of life, since mostly I just don't like drama or romance. Its just kind of you have to like to watch people doing really nothing but talking for half an hour.   

Well yeah that's why I said slice-of-life anime are usually for adults. When a kid looks at it, they say it's boring because there's no action or superpowers or fighting.

But yeah there can be a 35 year old anime fan who hates slice of life. And there can be a 15 year old anime fan who loves slice of life.

And I agree with @Seshi and @Wedgy that the OP was asking for anime that seemed to be for adults but is better suited for kids. Which is rare.

Other than slice of life. Which is still a stretch as most kids will pass on them.

Alright. If you've been following this series:

Quote

1. You've already started by copying (not tracing) your favorite anime characters.
2. You've accepted the fact that talent is not required only hard work.
3. -----

 

So what's the third step?

Well it's time to shop for some art supplies!

The things you will need will largely depend on your workflow (How you draw from start to finish)

There are at least 3 workflows (at least for me)

• Purely digital (you do everything on a computer)
• Purely traditional (you do everything without the aid of a computer)
• Semi digital/traditional (you use a computer for some things)

For this post I would be focusing on Semi digital/traditional, as this is my personal workflow.

A drawing typically has these steps:

1. Planning
2. Sketching
3. Inking 
4. Coloring
5. Lighting

For my semi digital/traditional, 

1. Planning - I do this with just pencil and paper
2. Sketching - I do this again with pencil and paper
3. Inking - I do this with a computer
4. Coloring - I do this with a computer
5. Lighting - I do this with a computer 

Planning

A cardboard viewfinder
Movie directors use this to "frame" a scene. As an artist, you can also use this to clearly form a picture in your head of how a drawing should appear. You won't need this every time. But it helps when you encounter difficult drawings. Just cut out a viewfinder from cardboard or use your hands to form a viewfinder.

Posing figure
Sometimes it can get hard to imagine a pose. So you need to use a physical object to see the pose better. Posing figures come in many shapes and sizes (and prices). You can also use any old action figure you have lying around. Assuming its joints can be moved of course.

 

Traditional Sketching

Sketchbook
You can choose between paper or a sketchbook. But I recommend the latter. The problem with paper is you can lose them. At least with a sketchbook, all your drawings are in one place. Making them easier to find. I find that a 50 page 9 x 12 inches (any brand) is good enough for most purposes. Go smaller if you're more comfortable with that though.

Pencils
Without going into too much detail, you just need 2-3 pencils. One pencil with a light mark and another with a darker mark. This will allow you to vary the weight of your lines in your sketches. However, if you don't ink and color by hand (you use a computer) then you might just need 1 pencil.

Mechanical pencils
These are perfect for working on fine details like facial features. The point of these pencils are very small allowing you precise control over them. Choose a mechanical pencil in the 0.3 to 0.5 mm range.

Pencil sharpener
Eh what more can you say? If it can sharpen a pencil then it's good enough. It is funny though how sharpeners come in a ton of variety and styles.

Eraser
Do not choose pink erasers. Or the erasers that come with the pencil. They are terrible. They rub the paper away and do a poor job. I recommend Vinyl/plastic erasers. They are colored white and can erase without damaging the paper.

Paint brush
To brush away the pieces left after you erase. You can just use your hand but I find it cleaner to use a small paintbrush. As it won't smear anything. 

Ruler, French curves, Drawing compass
To make it easier to draw lines and curves. It is actually very hard to draw a perfect circle or perfect straight line with just your hand. There is no shame in seeking the help of a tool.

A lightbox

A box with a glass surface and a light inside. You place your drawing on the glass and it gets illuminated from beneath. This makes it easier to spot mistakes and what not. It makes tracing very easy too. I personally never used one but I can see how useful it can be.

 

Digital Inking, Coloring, & Lighting

A graphics tablet
There are 2 types of tablets. The first are the ones where you look at the computer screen while drawing. These are cheaper and smaller. I recommend them for beginners and hobbyists. It may take a while to get used to the hand-eye coordination required to use them but it's just like using a mouse.

The second type are the ones where you look at the tablet itself while drawing. These are more expensive but bigger. You will need a lot of desk space to use one. They are for professionals. Artists who make money drawing. They feel more natural as it's like drawing on paper.

A glove
When drawing with a tablet, your hand is always in contact with the tablet. It can be a problem. As your hand can get sweaty or oily. To get around this, most digital artists use a glove. Some cut away parts of the glove for better mobility.

Graphics software
Again I will stay away from brands and such as it really comes down to preference. There are paid and free options here. If you have the money then feel free to go the Adobe suite route. Otherwise the free options are good enough. 

 

The major mistake I see beginners make is that they tend to buy the most expensive art supplies and tools. Thinking it will make them draw better.

The problem with that is: 

A: Art supplies & tools won't be the ones doing the drawing. It will be you. They just make it easier. You can give a bad driver a Lamborghini. It won't make them a better driver. Just a bad driver with a nice car. 

B: As a newbie you cannot tell if pencil A is better than pencil B. That comes with experience. So just buy art supplies that fit your budget. You can always upgrade anyways if you feel your tools are inadequate.

 

Feel free to share your workflow and the art supplies and tools you use along the way. Because this is all just based on how I do things. I am curious to see how others do it.

On 6/6/2019 at 4:03 AM, VampireKnight19 said:

I loved chapter 1, looking forward to seeing chapter 2

Oh wow thank you for taking the time to check it out. I really appreciate it.

I will work harder on chapter 2

I love your Dragon ball drawing. Brings me back to my childhood days.

I think most slice of life anime.

Since they're slice of life, they start out looking like for adults. Set in the real world with boring everyday activities.

And most of them can be child-friendly. But not all of them.

I can see a child watching Bunny Drop for instance.

Another one would be Hajime Ippo. It does seem for adults from the start because it's about boxing. 

But you realize it's shounen eventually. And a kid would enjoy watching it.

When I was 8 years old, I joined my school's art club. I loved drawing and was known as the "class artist." Classmates often admired my drawings. That made me confident enough to sign up. A week later I quit the club and didn't draw again for 23 years.

Being surrounded by other artists in an art class made me realize I wasn't as good as I thought. My drawings looked amateurish compared to them. I sucked. It made me feel inferior. It made me think, What am I even doing here? I'm not as talented as these guys.

My story is not unusual. Maybe you quit drawing too because you know you will never be good at it. Or you never even tried because you just don't have talent. Well that is a myth. You don't need talent to draw.

Now talent does exist. We cannot deny that. Some people do have a knack for drawing. But talent just gives you a head start over others. It doesn't automatically make you a master. You still have to put in work like everyone else.

A natural born artist just gets to start at Level 2 skipping Level 1. For most of us, we have to start at Level 1. So don't put too much weight on talent when it comes drawing. You can catch up as long as you work hard.

So if you don't need talent to draw, what do you need? Well two things. You need to observe and compare.

Look at an object in the room you're in. What's the first thing that came into your mind? (I look at my smartphone near me) You identify the object right? (smartphone). But that's not observing. Artists observe. Look at that object again and answer these questions:

1. How big is it?
2. What shape is it?
3. How do you think it feels like?
4. What color is it?
5. Where are the lights and shadows?

(smartphone)
1. It's medium sized. Not too big not too small.
2. It's a rectangle.
3. It will probably feel a bit rough because of the leather case.
4. It's colored black.
5. The lights are on the left side the shadows on the right side.

With these observations in mind you can start drawing. The smartphone should be medium sized. It should be like a rectangle. It should look a bit rough. It should be colored black. The lights should be on the left side and the shadows on the right side.

As you draw, look at that object again to compare your drawing. The closer your drawing is to that object the better. That's how you can tell if your drawing is good. (A drawing of a dog should look like a dog and so on). The farther your drawing is to that object the more changes you need to make. Keep comparing and eventually you will get a good drawing. 

In a nutshell, that's what drawing is. You observe something beforehand and you draw it while comparing. It doesn't require talent. But it does require hard work.

 

On 5/31/2019 at 9:20 PM, Seshi said:

Your logo isn’t bad. I think it makes the idea about them being a startup company more noticeable than the title alone, it’s a great concept image at least.

I will say the redhead needs some help with regards to that hair line. She looks like someone took a chunk out of her head

Also, light skinned blonde up front looks a bit too pale in the logo image. Maybe polish him up a bit of you can, make his contrast higher with that color if you want, just add some variation in color to his skin, like blush or shadow, but in skin tone colors.

Particularly around the mouth

I love the Coloration on your new lady she is brilliant

Alright I will try these out for Chapter 2. Thank you very much.

For the logo I think I can make a better one. So for now there will be no logo yet.

The average age of the people here keep getting higher.... 

Kidding. But glad you are having fun here. Welcome and stick around.

Hmm....

What is your channel about? Anime? Gaming? Arts?

So I finished chapter 1 of this.

If anyone is interested you can find it at Webtoons: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/founders/the-routine/viewer?title_no=300915&episode_no=1

Or at Tapas: https://tapas.io/series/Founders

I will also start putting updates about this on my AF blog. As not to make this topic too long. So check out my blog if you're interested.

This is very interesting. I hope we get a lot of good entries.

First thing that popped into my head was Violet Evergarden. Because the anime ending was open to interpretation.

I think the light novel had the canon ending though. Can't remember.

On 5/27/2019 at 5:17 PM, XII360 said:

as for hand drawing/feets....lets just say i just can't get the right angle for them, i can imagine how i wanna draw them...but....

sh*t just doesn't work yo'

 

Yeah I'm not proficient in drawing hands or feet just yet too. 

And even professional artists have a tough time drawing them. 

Disclosure:

I am not a professional artist. I can draw, but not as good as I want to. I am a just a person who wants to get better at drawing. I started this series to share what I've learned so far in hopes of helping aspiring artists like me. 

 

There are a lot of drawing tutorials, videos, and courses out there. I'm pretty sure you've seen your share of them. And they are all amazing But I feel like most of these tutorials do not start with the basic step of learning to draw. The very first step you should do in your journey to become an artist. And that is to copy.

 

Quote

"Good artists copy. Great artists steal."

- Pablo Picasso

 

I'm sure you want to be a great artist. But to be great, you have to be good first. It's a requirement. You can't skip going from bad to great. So don't worry about the "Great artists steal." part yet. (I might discuss that in a future tutorial). For now focus on, "Good artists copy".

Now what do I mean by copy? I don't mean plagiarize. That's different. Plagiarism is copying someone else's work and pretending it's you who made it. That is bad and frowned upon. I'm talking about copying so you can learn.

No artist is born with an already-defined style. You actually have to find your art style. And to find that style you copy from others. You look at artists before you and copy their style. This goes on and on until you stop copying and eventually mix everything together and generate your own unique art style.

So the very first step in learning how to draw, is to copy the drawings from your favorite artist, art style, or anime. Find images online, bring out a pencil and paper, and copy that image the best you can. But as you do, try to observe certain things. Why are the eyebrows drawn this way? Why are the eyes like this? Why is the hair this way? And so on. Copy so you can learn.

As a kid I started out by copying Goku from Dragon Ball. I copied him so many times that I can draw him from memory. I also noticed things along the way. How Akira Toriyama drew eyebrows. How he drew eyes. And even how he drew muscular male bodies. Have you ever noticed how almost every muscular male character in Dragon Ball has the same body? 

 

 

In closing, don't worry about anything else if you're a newbie at drawing. Don't worry about what art supplies to buy or what software to use. Just focus first on copying. And no! don't trace it. (You won't learn hand and eye coordination by tracing)

What was the first thing you did to learn how to draw? This is just from my experience. And there is more than one way to do something.

Were all the Apple Seed movies in CG?

I remember buying a DVD of it. Maybe around 2001? Never got around to watching it though.

But thanks for that list. Might watch a few in the near future.

Even though I'm not American I think they're okay. It's better than just asking, begging, or soliciting money. At least you get something in return.

And hopefully the money does go to a good cause.

I guess it can get annoying if they're too pushy. Are they pushy? Do they force you to buy or something like that?
 

I'm currently working on making a webtoon. So here's one of the panels. The main character waking up getting out of bed.

Do you mean from season 1?

It's been so long since  I watched that and I can't remember.

What happened again? 

On 4/29/2019 at 5:11 AM, Beocat said:

 I also am interested in astrophotography but it will be quite a while before I can do any of that.

What gear do you need for astro photography? I think they're expensive right? I'm just curious.

And wow!! You guys take beautiful photos. Some of you can be considered semi pros. 

I've always wanted to get into photography when I was young. I've always enjoyed things that were creative. So photography was a no brainer.

I started with my mom's point and shoot camera. I was still a kid.

I remember I even had friends who would make fun of me. They would look at the photos I took and would ask me, Why are you taking pictures of things? You should take photos of people?

They didn't understand what photography was. They thought cameras were just for capturing events and people.

A few years ago I decided to purchase a basic low end Canon DSLR. And that's when I really got into it more.

I'm a hobbyist though. I don't shoot as much as I should.

Is that picture of a smiling cat photoshopped?

Or is that how a cat really smiles? 

But yeah welcome to the forums. Hope you have a good time hanging out here

On 5/13/2019 at 9:07 AM, TXKYX said:

Hey guys! my first time joining any kind of forum(so if I suck at this ,my bad)  Everyone calls me Tokyo, or T . 

 

You're doing fine. Just be yourself and it will be all good.

And why do people call you Tokyo? Just curious

On 5/13/2019 at 3:01 AM, Illusion of Terra said:

It also seems, but I might be wrong, that there seem to be more shorter anime than before? Maybe it's just that I forgot most of the short anime of before 2000 though.

 

Aside from the art style in which a previous posters have already discussed, I agree that the average episode length nowadays seem to be 13.

When back in 2005 or so it was 24 - 26 episodes. So yeah anime has gotten shorter.

And there are more anime released nowadays. I checked Wikipedia.

And in 2018 there were 198 anime released. (Not counting OVAs or ONAs or movies)

In 2005 there were 32 anime released. (Not counting OVAs or movies)

Whether more anime released every year is good or bad I think is debatable.

On 5/6/2019 at 2:17 AM, LunarBox said:

What anime have you watched growing up?

Oh man let me think for a bit, it was a long time ago. haha

Dragon Ball is one. Me and my sister used to religiously watch that every time it aired on TV.

Ghost Sweeper is one I have memories of.

Yu Yu Hakusho and Flame of Recca were big hits here in my country.

Mostly shows from the Ah My Goddess! Love Hina, Saber Marionette J, Magic Knight Rayearth era. Which is 90's? I think

He will definitely be missed.

When I joined the forums he was the person who made me feel welcome. In fact he made sure everyone would feel welcome.

I can also see that he puts a lot of time and effort into being a staff member and always did his best.

Thank you Archie-kun. Hope to see you around again.

On 4/21/2019 at 11:45 AM, TrevorBelmont said:

Symphony of the Night is a good one to start off, though you should start with Rondo of Blood (they connect), Lament of innocence is another good one to start off with! 

What platform is Rondo of Blood? Coz Symphony is for the Playstation 1 right and Lament is for Playstation 2.

On 4/18/2019 at 2:04 PM, Dot.com said:

I actually quit halfway through the 1st ep (pls dont kill me ) but that's a good thing bc with shows that I quit in the beginning, i tend to go back and watch a couple more episodes if I'm convinced. So I might try again lol

 

Yeah as @Vivi Hyuuga said watched a few episodes. You would know by then whether to continue or not.

And it's okay if you still don't like it. Everyone is different.

 

On 4/19/2019 at 3:27 AM, GavinShahin said:

Quick question: is the dub worth it as a rewatch?

 

Wasn't the sub good enough??? haha But I would be interested to know as well. Maybe a sample is on You Tube.