NIKO GEYER

You and I and Months of Snow

2012-01-27T14:24:00.000-08:00

Witness Sola and Lune, the celestial pair from By Moon Alone, my birthday present for Honoel. Usually Sola is the strong and protective one, but even the sun child needs to rest sometime. All right, I'll admit it: I also have a weakness for role reversals.

Somewhere Only HAI Knows

2012-01-25T11:18:00.000-08:00

My partner in crime, Honoel A. Ibardolaza -- creator of By Moon Alone and illustrator of the Laddertop manga series -- has returned from hiding and opened up a blog where you will find artwork & writing excerpts, as well as all sorts of humorous ramblings.

What are you still doing here? Go visit his new blog, Of Drawn Things Great & Small and maybe drop him a note while you're there.

Fox Nouveau

2012-01-23T16:53:00.000-08:00

Clay is a big fan of the Art Nouveau style and since today is his birthday it seemed fitting to present him with a Jugendstil makeover of Nazo, one of his characters (first introduced in this post).

And because I'm sure he's not the only person on this planet with a penchant for elegant fox spirits, you guys get a peek, too!

As an aside, I set up a Google+ profile for those of you who would prefer to get updates delivered to their stream (if you just want to add me so my buddy list won't look so pitiful, that's fine too). My Twitter and Facebook accounts could use some lovin' as well.

Clay's Nowhere Land

2011-08-22T16:46:00.000-07:00

My buddy Clay Gardner, creator of the OVA Role-Playing Game and co-author of Fantasy Realms, started his own blog earlier this year. He's covering all the topics close to his heart, such as tabletop gaming & RPGs, anime, video games, typography...oh, and turtles.

If you're interested in turtle wisdom (or any of the other things listed above), definitely give Clay's Shell Games a look!

OVA: Creating a Character

2011-08-09T12:19:00.000-07:00

What's this? An update?! Don't freak out, there might be more of these in the future -- this blog's been desolate for too long now.

You may remember that OVA Role-Playing Game I'm doing the artwork for? Progress has been slow, but we're getting there. The final book will have well over 60 full-color illustrations and I still have some work left to do before it can go to press.

Below you can see a sneak preview of the character creation chapter, featuring new and exclusive artwork.

The OVA Role-Playing Game is scheduled to be released as a PDF download in 2011 and a print version will follow later. I will definitely post more art excerpts when we are nearing completion!

Kitty Litter

2010-11-30T15:12:00.000-08:00

Tao is Taokaka! I love the character designs of the Kaka Clan, especially the kittens. Only the Japanese could make a black ball with two dots for eyes and lots of teeth look so cute.

Cat Got Your Tongue?

2010-07-26T15:09:00.001-07:00

Carl Clover and Kokonoe are easily my two favorite characters from the BlazBlue franchise. I figured even a mad catgirl scientist with a candy obsession can't deny such a polite boy a taste of her lollipop.

I'm so excited about the US release of BlazBlue: Continuum Shift!

Ambivalent World

2010-07-20T20:33:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I last drew this little guy. Heck, it's been a while since I last drew something just for fun!

In other news, I replaced the default commenting system on my blog with a more customizable and powerful set of tools by Disqus. If you don't have a Disqus account, you can post as a guest (with your name and e-mail address) or log in using Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo, or OpenID. Please let me know if there's any issues.

Die letzten Helden

2010-06-21T16:06:00.000-07:00

One of the projects that has kept me busy the past year is the German radio play series Die letzten Helden. Radio plays (German: Hörspiel), for those of you who don't know, are a more sophisticated version of audiobooks, using a cast of voice actors supplemented by music and sound effects to tell the story. This particular project is a rather ambitious one, with over 40 hours of audio material and 300+ voice actors.

I was hired to do the cover illustrations and concept art. You can see some of my work below.

The first six episodes (out of 24) will be released in 2010 and can be ordered on Amazon.de or directly from the official homepage, where you can also listen to some audio snippets. If you enjoy epic fantasy stories and speak German, be sure to give Die letzten Helden a try -- the production values are phenomenal!

Studio Cramoisy

2010-01-23T19:15:00.001-08:00

Studio Cramoisy was formed by Niko Geyer and Honoel A. Ibardolaza in 2007 in response to a gnawing need to bridge the narrowing gap of their unique working environment -- Niko is based in Germany and Honoel in the Philippines. Before the online studio, both artists had worked independently on a variety of projects, from collectible card games to full-length graphic novels.

They joined forces with American Clay Gardner to round out their offerings with a bit of design, typographic flair, and really tiny icons.

In 2010, deciding that three continents wasn't enough, the studio invited Madeleine Rosca, the award-winning artist from Down Under and author of Hollow Fields.

Studio Cramoisy provides many theoretically useful services: cover illustrations, comic books & manga, children’s book style artwork, concept art production and all matters of graphic design. We would love to work with you!

Karis

2010-01-10T09:37:00.000-08:00

Despite spending most of her life as the spoiled daughter of a famous galactic bounty hunter, his death at the hands of Shadowman changed everything. Now transformed into a bounty hunter in her own right and with a faithful robot companion at her side, she awaits the day to exact justice with her own hands.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Shadowman

2010-01-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

A criminal of galaxy-wide proportions, Shadowman has used his incredible scientific talents to build a suit of armor that instills fear in entire armies. But his suit is also his lifeline, a reminder of an accident that took his daughter's life and nearly his own. He seeks a forbidden technology that can bring her back...and nothing will stop him.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Raine

2010-01-09T15:28:00.000-08:00

A legendary swordsman whose skillful mastery of the blade allows him to move like the wind, Raine hoped to atone for his previous life as an assassin by doing good wherever he went. But sometimes, you can't escape the past...

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Shou

2010-01-09T15:27:00.000-08:00

Being raised as a deadly assassin has had the opposite effect on Shou than one might expect. Instead of the child being drummed out of him, he never really grew up. His playful nature makes his skill that much more terrifying.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Fukiko

2010-01-08T14:16:00.001-08:00

Like many schoolgirls, Fukiko often dreamed of becoming like the heroines in her favorite comics. But when a flying magical cat revealed that her cherished locket, a memento from her late mother, held the power to transform her into the Lovely Savior Myu Myu, her dreams were realized. But the responsibility of being a hero may be more than she ever expected.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Auren

2010-01-08T14:15:00.001-08:00

Auren was a respected sage from a distant time, a time when magic still ruled the earth. As part of the Council of the Fallen Star, he became privy to a terrible omen in the future. Using forbidden time magic, Auren transported himself to this future -- our present -- only to find himself stuck in a teenage body. Finding and defeating this omen may be his only way back home.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Saspar

2010-01-08T14:13:00.000-08:00

As a member of the order of Chaos, Saspar uses his magical gun to further their goals. Despite his blindness, he is an unparalleled marksman, and his spell-powered ammunition makes him a fearsome foe. But at heart, Saspar is a sad and indifferent man, following orders only because that's all he knows how to do...

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Acacia

2010-01-08T14:12:00.000-08:00

Acacia is a witch, and she exemplifies every facet of that moniker. Wicked, callous, and adept at all manner of curses, she cares only about doing as the Order of Chaos directs. But in truth, she does all this to appeal to her partner Saspar. She only hopes that her efforts will finally impress him enough to see her as more than just a partner.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Ancel

2010-01-07T09:03:00.000-08:00

Ancel's public occupation as a 12-year-old piano player is an odd enough sight, but his secret life as an assassin is his true calling. Those who hire him never see him face-to-face, and his targets never live to tell. And as for his past, no one may ever know...

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Captain Jiro

2010-01-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

Jiro hasn't taken a holiday from the police in decades, and it shows. His psychopathic work-ethic has led to an insatiable appetite for coffee, a constant case of the jitters, and an unsettling tendency to point his gun at anyone or anything that surprises him. That happens a lot.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Daisuke

2010-01-06T13:48:00.001-08:00

Meet Daisuke, Japan's biggest pop sensation. Also meet quite possibly the most shallow, selfish, lecherous man alive. But when a spurned witch cursed him to transform into a rabbit in response to the vaguest of female attention, his playboy lifestyle suddenly became way more difficult.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Nazo

2010-01-06T13:47:00.000-08:00

The Japanese fox-spirits, kitsune, are infamous for their trickery, and Nazo is no exception. She delights in taxing silly mortal humans with her fiendish tests. But her incessant curiosity in humanity, and perhaps even affection for them, has caused a rift with her elders. Not that she really cares.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Carol

2010-01-06T13:46:00.000-08:00

Despite being the daughter of a renowned Shinto priestess, Carol discarded her heritage in favor of the glamor of stage magic. But when a malevolent spirit caused the death of her mentor, she was forced re-examine her past and master the skills she avoided for so long. Her paranormal investigation business is but a means to an end: revenge.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Yuu

2010-01-05T15:50:00.002-08:00

Online, Yuu was well-known as a master of monster-collecting games, but in real life, his only friend was his chronicly ill sister Ai. When one day she disappears he sets out to find her. In his search he miraculously meets and befriends an escaped genetic experiment. With a real-life monster companion at his side, he will find his sister, no matter the cost!

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Ai

2010-01-05T15:50:00.001-08:00

Ai awoke one day with no memory of who she was. Scared and alone, all she knew was that scary men in black coats followed her wherever she went. Avidly dodging her pursuers, Ai also had to come to terms with a strange gift: the ability to read the thoughts of others -- and even change them.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Grant Zurkrieg

2010-01-05T15:45:00.000-08:00

After overcoming a difficult, impoverished childhood, Zurkrieg swore to become the richest, most powerful man alive. Now a brute of a man with bottomless pockets, he's never-the-less unsatisfied with his achievements. With his Men in Black, he now seeks out the most powerful people in the world, forcing them to test their might against him.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Miho

2010-01-04T09:05:00.002-08:00

Though built as a ruthless war-machine, Miho exhibited characteristics no one ever expected, the ability to feel human emotion. After barely escaping the coorporation that owned her, she was rescued by a hapless young inventor. Now in his debt, she tries her best to be of use to him, while learning more about the world...and what it means to be human.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Braun

2010-01-04T09:05:00.001-08:00

Once just a nerdy loser surrounded by countless questionably useful inventions, Braun's life changed when he came across an amazing sight: a battered but very much alive humanoid robot named Miho. Using all his knowledge, he nursed her back to health. But whoever made her is going to want her back -- his simple life just got much more complicated.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Natsuki

2010-01-04T09:03:00.000-08:00

Using her business prowess and unyielding tenacity, Natsuki crawled her way to the top, but the journey there has left her a bitter, intimidating woman. With the technology of her military coorporation and a firm mastery of martial arts at her disposal, nothing will stand in the way of reclaiming her escaped pet project: MIHO.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Dr. Tomori

2010-01-04T08:57:00.000-08:00

Drafted to create the perfect robotic soldier, Dr. Tomori was surprised when his work conveyed real emotions. Incapable of letting something so human be left to slavery, he aided in her escape only to die in the process. But using his mastery of science, a perfect copy of his brain lives on in cyberspace, forever looking after his precious Miho.

This is a sample character from the revised edition of Wise Turtle Publishing's OVA Role-Playing Game.

Looking Back

2009-09-21T08:48:00.000-07:00

I was contacted by Thea Cooke, the administrator of ArtBloom, about being featured on their website. The idea is to display the pieces of established illustrators next to their old work, hopefully to inspire budding artists about how much progress can be achieved in just a couple of years.

You can see my own evolution as an artist here, and be sure to browse around the archives for many more interesting contributions.

Naming Conventions

2009-06-23T14:41:00.000-07:00

I started a collection of random titles to be used as inspiration for new illustrations. The idea is to draw or paint my personal interpretation of the names that strike a chord with me. Anybody want to donate some?

The one I started my list with is "You and I and Months of Snow."

You Make My Heart Sing

2009-06-19T08:09:00.000-07:00

When I was a little kid, my only encounter with Where the Wild Things Are was a poster on my dentist's waiting room wall, the one where Max and the monsters are hanging down from the trees. It scared the hell out of me then.

Fast forward to 2009, where I spot the Where the Wild Things Are movie trailer. I was totally captivated by the art direction, and after re-watching it for what felt like a hundred times, I decided to order the book off Amazon. It's an enchanting little story. In hindsight I don't quite understand why the wild things creeped me out so much as a boy; Maurice Sendak's illustrations make them look like friendly fellows after all. I wish I hadn't discovered the story so late in my life.

This picture is part of Cory Godbey's Where the Wild Things Are tribute collection, Terrible Yellow Eyes. Be sure to visit his site for heaps of wonderful illustrations by all kinds of talented artists!

Tweet, Tweet!

2009-06-10T15:28:00.000-07:00

I caved in and decided to find out for myself what the Twitter sensation is all about. For those of you who don't mind being spammed with trivialities and other unnecessary messages, feel free to follow my tweets!

Ganbatte!

2009-04-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting my blog, mainly for the lack of personal artwork I have completed over the past months. But that's going to change! You will be seeing updates here a lot more frequently, and not just of the doodle department.

Speaking of updates, my good friend Clay is producing a revised edition of his OVA Role-Playing Game; expanded rules, extra content, all-new artwork! If you're a fan of the system or just curious about RPGs with an anime flavor, make sure to follow his production blog. He'll be regularly posting snippets of the new book, including new illustrations of mine that you won't be seeing anywhere else.

Books

2009-04-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

The love of my life ever since I was old enough to read. There's nothing better than a nice book on a rainy day.

Dragon Quest V

2009-03-10T22:42:00.000-07:00

I felt inspired to doodle a little Dragon Quest V illustration after I finished the game yesterday. The hero's son looks like he is about to go postal. I do not want to be in the shoes of whoever made his sister cry...

Out There

2008-12-11T06:34:00.001-08:00

Meet Nicholas Nova and his newfound alien buddy, Meep. And the shrimp is only the start of his problems.

Doodles

2008-11-26T16:22:00.000-08:00

Random scribbles! There's no real story to any of these, except the little guy in pajamas. We may be seeing more of him in the future.

The Whole New World

2008-09-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

Phantasy Star Online has to be one of my favorite video games. After I had grown up with Phantasy Star II and III, PSO was my first serious venture into online gaming. I played every single version of the series -- Dreamcast Ver. 1 and Ver. 2, GameCube Episode I & II and Episode III C.A.R.D. Revolution, Blue Burst on the PC. I just love the campy style, the visuals, and of course the wonderful soundtrack. It's a true testament to the qualities of the game that it managed to keep me entertained for almost a whole decade.

There are a lot of great character designs, but I guess if I had to pick one that represents Phantasy Star Online, it would be Red Ring Rico. So here's my tribute to a great game.

The Dreamland Chronicles

2008-09-08T05:53:00.000-07:00

When my friend Scott Sava asked me whether I would do the cover illustration for an issue of his all ages comic book, The Dreamland Chronicles, I happily agreed. Finishing it took a lot longer than expected though, and I do hope Scott didn't cause his editor too much frustration with all the delays.

A very interesting aspect of the story is that Daniel -- the twin brother of the book's protagonist, Alexander -- cannot visit Dreamland, unlike most children. I wanted to capture Alex telling him all about the wonder of his nightly adventures. The focus of the picture is of course the iconic character designs of adult Alexander and the elven princess Nastajia.

If you are interested in purchasing this variant cover, look for The Dreamland Chronicles #5 by IDW Publishing to be released on November 26, 2008.

It's Wario Time!

2008-08-22T13:21:00.000-07:00

I've been playing Mario Kart Wii online recently and I've had a lot of fun. The way item balance works can be a bit random at times, but I guess that's part of the appeal. Is anybody interested in showing my Wario how the game is really played?

Friend Code
0989-3492-7730

Feel free to add me, but please post your own friend code here so I can return the favor. Let's hear who's up for some racing fun!

Star Crossing

2008-08-06T09:45:00.000-07:00

More speedpaint experimentation. I'm not used to coloring somebody else's line art, so this one took over 2 hours to paint, but I think I got the process streamlined now and will be able to cut it down to about an hour next time. Inks by Honoel, colors by me.

I Am Nothing Without You

2008-08-05T13:32:00.001-07:00

This is little collaborative experiment; lines by Hai, colors by yours truly. We succeeded in finding a style that not only captures the kind of storybook look we were shooting for, but it also turned out to be a pretty speedy work process for me.

Jack and the Beanstalk

2008-04-17T08:50:00.000-07:00

I'm a big fan of old fairy tales; that's why I couldn't pass up on the chance of illustrating Jack and the Beanstalk when I saw it was this week's topic at Art Jumble.

I wanted to give my giant a more aristocratic look than what you usually see. The guy's got a magic hen, a talking harp to do his bidding, and a magnificent castle to call home -- he just didn't give me the impression of an unsophisticated oaf. And I must admit I had a lot of fun drawing a big ogre with a monocle!

The Orphan Prince

2008-04-15T00:56:00.000-07:00

I was commissioned to do the new cover illustration for the reprint of The Orphan Prince, a YA novel by Jeremy Lee. It features the royal protagonist of the story and his servant boy, who are about to embark on the adventure of their lifetime.

Photoshop was being cranky and crashed on me while I was in the middle of painting the background -- corrupting the file in the process -- but the coloring came out much better the second time around.

Wanderlust

2008-04-05T11:29:00.000-07:00

This is the long overdue kiriban doodle for Leversa. The kids are going on a journey, but it appears poor little Simon got the short end of the stick.

I think I may be developing a liking for bright colors...

Break Time

2008-04-02T17:05:00.000-07:00

This is a commissioned cover work for the Razor Kid series. Relaxing with friends in the evening sun after a long day of martial arts training, playing video games or reading books -- sounds like fun!

Stuck Together

2008-03-29T20:05:00.000-07:00

I believe Ledin would disagree, but I think he and Landra make for a lovely couple.

Fly High!

2008-03-27T21:09:00.000-07:00

This was supposed to be a warm-up doodle before work, but I ended up spending more time than I originally wanted to. It's Osamu Tezuka's Astro Boy.

Kickstart My Heart

2008-01-27T22:10:00.001-08:00

I am glad to announce that we are finally back on track with our graphic novel Fantasy Realms! The plot is about to thicken, so now is your chance to hop on over to our archives and start reading from the beginning or pick up from where we have left off. We will be updating every Monday.

On top of that, our partner in crime Honoel A. Ibardolaza started his own webcomic. By Moon Alone is a testament to his craftsmanship as well as his ability as a storyteller. Be sure to drop by!

The Great Escape

2008-01-17T23:31:00.000-08:00

I made my first and only pen pal when I was just a little rascal. I believe it was during the last year of my elementary school career when our teachers arranged a game for all pupils as some sort of summer festival attraction: We would write our addresses on a small tag attached to balloons filled with helium and let them go. They would eventually come down somewhere, and we hoped some random passerby would come across the remains of our little air mail and write us a letter. Of course nobody really expected any results -- least of all the grown-ups -- and as far as I know I was the only person in my group to ever receive a response.

To our surprise, the address on the envelope I held in my hands several months later was nowhere nearby. Apparently my balloon had made a journey of over 400 miles and ended up in East Germany (which was still occupied by the Soviet Union at that time). The sender was a man in his sixties who had found my address tag dangling down from a tree branch while taking a walk.

Over the course of the next two years we exchanged letters on a regular basis and slowly got acquainted. My pen pal had a lot of stories to tell; he had no family in East Germany and seemed to enjoy the distant companionship we shared. He told me that he had to retire early due to a back injury and that he rarely left the house anymore, but he enjoyed collecting stamps. I remember he sent me a very colorful one later. He eventually even wrote about his experiences during World War II, although I am sure he omitted the worst parts. Nevertheless, he never seemed to grow tired of my trivial little tales of childhood. Ocassionally I would send him drawings I made. One of the things he kept writing about was how he wanted to reunite with his brother one day. They had parted ways before the war and lost contact; all he knew about his brother was that he had supposedly moved to London. He never went into details much, but I could always sense an air of regret when he spoke of his family.

When the Berlin Wall fell in 1990 he sounded very excited about finally being able to leave the country and look for his brother in England. That was the first time he wrote enthusiastically about the future instead of the past; it was also the last letter he sent me. I would like to believe he managed to find his brother and make things right.

To my old friend, wherever you are.

Earthbound

2008-01-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

I've been planning to work on something more serious, but after browsing one too many Japanese art sites I was craving to do something cute. Well, here is about the most pitiful thing I could imagine -- a grounded little angel.

Shooting Star 02

2008-01-13T17:21:00.001-08:00

These are Rin and Len Kagamine, the twins from the latest Vocaloid installment. I hope they will eventually release all the voice banks outside of Japan, because I'd like to get my hands on that software one day; in the meantime I'll just oogle the pretty character designs.

Ledin the Menace

2008-01-11T00:43:00.000-08:00

My first picture of the year is a stylistic experiment. It's based on an illustration I discovered on deviantART, titled "Link:Lv.2." I tried to stay as close to the piece as possible without copying directly; especially the colors are heavily referenced. Unfortunately the original picture has since been taken down. Be sure to drop by the artist's gallery, her work is very cute and dreamy. I'm a big fan!

On a sidenote: It appears that Blogger supports various open IDs now -- LiveJournal and WordPress among others -- so feel free to log in when you post comments, even if you don't have a Google account.

Avatar Aang

2007-10-31T03:38:00.000-07:00

Avatar: The Last Airbender is a great show, and after I finished watching the second season I wanted to do an illustration of Aang. He is easily my favorite character, with his cheerful and strong-willed personality.

He is supposed to be standing in front of one of the air temples, but I'm not sure that's obvious. One of these days I'll try not to rush the background...

Little Nemo and the Tall Man

2007-10-18T22:06:00.000-07:00

I like Winsor McCay's Little Nemo in Slumberland comic strips a lot. Ever since I found out that the whole thing went public domain in 2005, I wanted to work on my own rendition of little Nemo.

Those who know the original comic will recognize the last panel as a direct homage to McCay's work. Of course the rest is heavily inspired by the wonderful Shadow of the Colossus.

Hopefully this is only the first of many. If time allows, I would like to do more of these!

Fantasy Realms on WOWIO

2007-09-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

Clay and I decided to start offering high resolution PDFs of our fantasy comic Fantasy Realms at WOWIO.com.

Here is what the official site has to say:

WOWIO is a new kind of online bookstore that enables readers to download ebooks for free, using commercial sponsorships to compensate authors and publishers. Readers get free ebooks. Sponsors get a powerful new channel to communicate their message to precisely the people they want to reach. Publishers get a new means of distributing their books, expanding their readership, and monetizing their intellectual property.

You can download issues of Fantasy Realms, featuring pages at much higher quality and resolution than what you see on the official homepage -- all for free once you sign up. You will be supporting the comic, too, since we get paid a small commission for every download. Unfortunately user registration is limited to U.S. residents at the current time.

P.S. Our arrangement with WOWIO will have no effect whatsoever on our website. All of the content will remain in our archive, and you can still find new pages every Monday.

The Legendary Green Land

2007-09-15T21:38:00.000-07:00

One of the projects Clay and I have been working on for a pretty long time now is Green: A Terra Verde Lendária. I think it has been years since we first announced the project -- an illustrated novella, possibly to be serialized online before we release the print edition -- and we're both very excited about being able to finally dedicate some time to it (actually, Clay finished the first draft of the story a while ago, and is very close to completing the second draft; I'm the one who never seems to find the time to work on Green).

There have been a lot of revisions since then, mostly on the art side. I was never quite content with the style. The original illustrations were done in a painted sketchy style which looked decent enough, but it didn't seem to click with the story. Even with monochromatic palettes, it didn't convey the harsh and depressing atmosphere of the world that these characters live in.

We decided to take a much more graphic approach after that: Solid black inks, some greyscale flats, and painted backgrounds. Unfortunately I was never able to pull that one off properly. The art ended up looking very stiff and the whole setting appeared fake due to the conflicting styles. I eventually grew frustrated with it and decided to shelve the whole project until I would be able to solve that dilemma.

Which just happens to be today!

It will still be a while before I can set aside some serious time to work on the actual illustrations for the book, but that doesn't seem to matter anymore. It'll work out, even it it's going to take a while. For the first time since we started working on this story does everything feel right to me.

Delightful Chemistry

2007-08-20T00:41:00.000-07:00

I love the chemistry between Ledin and Landra. Next week we'll see more of these two in Fantasy Realms -- so be sure to come by on Monday!

My Eskimo Friend

2007-08-19T03:02:00.001-07:00

Sometimes it seems to me like I'm the only person on this planet who doesn't like summer. It's not even particularly hot right now where I live, but I long for rainy autumn days and the chilly breeze of winter. And like that Damien Rice song goes: "I look to my eskimo friend when I'm down."

If I Could Fly

2007-08-15T22:48:00.000-07:00

I did a sketch of Lila (Rico's fairy sidekick from Fantasy Realms) earlier today while warming up for work, and I liked that whole soaring feel to it, so I decided to refine it and slap on some color. She has no wings here, but that was more of a stylistic choice -- and a bit of laziness -- on my part than an oversight.

And unless I discover that I have the ability to fly as well and take off into the sky, we'll start updating the comic again this coming Monday!

Cyan

2007-08-13T21:10:00.000-07:00

Doodle of a cute girl I did for Clay. I dubbed her Cyan (the name came first, I only decided on the hair color afterwards). Although I adore pastel colors, I find myself using a more muted palette most of the time, so this was a lot of fun to do. Did I mention I'm a sucker for hoodies?

Monocle Diorama

2007-07-27T00:26:00.000-07:00

More cartoony stuff. I was torn between two concepts when I started this doodle -- some kid riding on a dinosaur and an ornery man with a monocle -- in the end I just lumped the two together. The guy somehow ended up looking like an older Inspector Gadget...

Little Frogger

2007-07-23T19:45:00.000-07:00

More doodles! I promised Celesse that I'd draw my version of her character Frog, and a dose of cuteness is exactly what I needed right now! Chances are that I'll do a full-fledged illustration of this adorable little fellow when I'm less busy, but this will do for now.

Came out a bit darker than what I had in mind, but I like all the various hues of red. AND HE'S SO CUTE.

You Were There

2007-07-22T23:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't really posted any new art for a while now. I'm mostly preoccupied with freelance work these days, but I decided to take off a couple of hours and do some personal doodles today.

My friend Hai and I agreed to do a rendition of the two main characters from ICO almost one year ago. He finished his picture on the same day, and I kept procrastinating. I always wanted to do this huge, magnificent illustration -- my attempt to do this wonderful game justice. Realizing it would probably never happen that way, I made a compromise with myself: I'll do a quick drawing of Ico and Yorda now, with the option to do a full painting later!

I experimented a bit with the sketchy lines, a more cartoony style (similar to the one I used in my The Secret Garden picture), and Photoshop's painting tools. It was very relaxing not having to worry about clean inks and polishing the colors. I should do more rough pictures like this!

Like a Butterfly

2007-05-14T20:41:00.000-07:00

Fantasy Realms update! You can also see a bigger version of the new header graphic here:

Le Petit Prince

2007-05-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

I decided to start using my DeviantART account again and figured I'd upload an ID picture this time around. Between considering a self portrait or even a photo and using a collage of existing art I had a spark of an idea and went right to the drawing board. An hour or two later I had combined two of my all-time favorites into one neat little package: The Little Prince and Zelda: Wind Waker!

Speaking of DeviantART, I also submitted most of my pictures as prints -- the ones I left online after a massive cleanup, that is. This means you can purchase high quality prints of my artwork now! They come in all kinds of sizes, ranging from 4x6 inches to 20x30. Take a look!

Oh, and psst: Rumor has it that Fantasy Realms might be seeing an update this Monday!

Dragon's Egg

2007-05-03T20:41:00.000-07:00

When asked what my favorite kind of story is, I would be prone to name works like The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, Little Nemo in Slumberland by Winsor McCay or Brave Story by Miyuki Miyabe (which I admit I have only seen the animated movie version of so far). As clichéd as the premise of a modern day kid to enter the domains of a fantasy world may be, I adore the idea of a lush and imaginative realm experienced through the eyes of childlike innocence.

I completed a short story in a similar spirit with a little help from Clay Gardner, and you can read it here.

It started out with a small request: I wanted to stray away from my usual color work to do a couple of greyscale toned manga pages and asked Clay to write it. The original plan was to have no more than 4-5 pages, but the thing just kept growing in my mind as I read through the script. I was hooked. Once I got started, I finished the whole comic in little over a week.

As for the dragon's egg, its very existence will bring about much joy...and much grief. But this is not for our little hero to worry, for by then, this enchanted jewel will have long escaped his grasp into the hands of another.

But that's a story for another time.

Drow Elf Christmas

2006-12-25T18:53:00.001-08:00

Kern, the author of Drowtales, commissioned me to draw something for his girlfriend as a Christmas present. It's her character, Desmonde, hugging chibi versions of two guys from the manga.

This was a last minute effort. I literally finished it just before the 25th! Spent the rest of the day with my family, after I sent out the final illustration, and now I'm beat. I have a lot of catching up to do as far as work is concerned...no holiday break for me this year, now that my computer is functioning again.

I've also been reading The Neverending Story by Michael Ende (in German of course). Or maybe I should say I've been neglecting to read it. I have always enjoyed the story of the original movie, and this is the first time I'm actually reading the book, but I don't want to finish it. It's kind of ironic that I'm afraid that a never-ending story might end too soon. At any rate, I'm really inspired to do an illustration; maybe the scene where Atreyu meets the ancient Morla in the Swamps of Sadness. We'll see what comes of it.

The Secret Garden

2006-10-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

My friend Clay suggested I should get my hands on The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgon Burnett after he started to read it, saying it seemed like "just my kind of story." I was a bit hesitant at first -- I had only seen two movie adaptions and neither one had impressed me -- but eventually gave in to his prodding. So I went shopping at Amazon. And fell prey to their "People who bought this book also bought..." schemes! I ended up ordering a dozen (fortunately pretty cheap) books. All these classics you know everything about but never actually read...well, at least I never read them. Titles such as Peter Pan, Moby-Dick, The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, and so on. At any rate, The Secret Garden was a great recommendation as it turned out, I enjoyed the book thoroughly; I even finished it before he did! I fell in love with the characters. So much that I felt compelled to do my own interpretation of Mary, Dickon, and Colin:

I wanted to go for a more storybook kind of look, but in the end they turned out looking a little like tiny dolls. Especially Colin looks so fragile. One nudge and he'll shatter! If you don't know the story and like charming little fairy tales, let me pass Clay's recommendation on: Go and read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgon Burnett!