Becca: That I was! I usually do leave the eyes as just a solid - I find it challenges me more. Removing highlights makes
the pupil itself less emotive, forcing you to create a characters emotional range through body-lanuguage and facial expression.
I'm trying to change it up a bit, though - put highlights into the eyes. The larger eye, however, is just an experiment in the
Sonic characters. ^^;

Magenta: Haha! Funny, 'cause I kinda' hate my old Sonic stuff. XD It was only in the recent months, when I really started to
practice with these characters regularly, that I found some level of comfort with them, able to draw them fast and
efficiently. ^^;; Hopefully ya''ll like it more as it goes on, as I'm pretty much still learning and developing new approaches to the
character every other week. =)

On the subject of Other M, everything that I've heard was that it was difficult to pin-down committed artists. Act III is a
significant departure from the first two Acts in HOW it was written, and as a result is much more challenging to draw. Some
artists have been scared to tackle it, some attempt it and can't handle it. Everyone wants to see OM finished, it just needs
people capable of drawing it.

Ian, obviously, can no longer be a part of the project - and distances himself from it to protect it. (He doesn't want it to have
to be taken down, after all the hard work every one put into it all these years.) So now the editor-in-chief position has been
filled by Kureejii Lea, who is the person to talk to about all things Other M now. =)

And speaking before of "evolution" drawing-wise in the last few months... I thought this'd be a good "2005 Review."

ah, i'd been wondering why you normally drew eyes like that. i see what you mean by emotions. *needs to work on that in her own art*

the highlights did look a bit odd in that picture, but i'm sure you'll improve on it very quickly and find something that suits you soon. ^^

*pokes the latest picture* i like collections like this, you can really see the changes and improvements in your art! i like how it's now.

Mmmm mmmm. Improvement collages, they make me smile in ways that art really shouldn't.

And fair enough about Other M, after all, he does have a job now, so, ja. I look forward to future updates as and when they get sorted, but still, the internet's not going anywhere, I can wait.

Just out of intrest, what do you use for your drawings? And do you have any tips for artists looking to improve themselves (other than practise, I know _that_ one =) )

Wow your style went from plain awesome to extremely awesome. D:

Becca: Thanks! ^^ Blank eyes is an excellent exercise to develop different ways to make your characters
emote or at least, I think so. ^^;; It eventually became a habit, though one Im still torn about, cause Im so
used to drawing them blank that I throw in a pupil now and it just makes me fidget wildly. But it doesnt lo-o-o-o-o-ok
right! XD

DarkWolfe: Im kinda cheap (Ie, VERY cheap), so what I use for all my art is strictly from the bargain-bin.
Mechanical pencils in a 2H led (from .5 to .7 and .9) as well as a mech. pencil with a non-photo blue led. Inking
pens are Sharpies, Pigma Microns, and Millenium Zigs, ranging in sizes. Paper is just good ol fashioned printer
paper though I do all my inking on smooth-finish cardstock. And my comics on 11x17 inch Bristol board.

The only costly things in my arsenal are on the digital-side: Adobe Photoshop, which generally goes
somewhere around $500-ish; A Wacom tablet (also up there in price), Canon scanner, Toshiba laptop, etc. But thats
expected. ^^;;

As for improving I know its a clich, but practice really is the only way. I used to groan whenever I was told
that, cause Im more for specifics not just a vague Go draw. And it is vague, but for a reason. You have to find
what youre passionate about if you like comics, draw comics. If you want to be an illustrator, draw from
life. Cartoonist? Etc.

Find that something, and draw lots and lots. I sit at my drawing table for at least 10 hours every day. (To be
fair, though, its my job to be there and I dont have any other work or school to keep me preoccupied.) The point is,
improvement takes practice and not just a sketch here and there, but serious hardcore hours at the table
everyday.

There are fundamentals and basics that are applicable to all areas of interest, of course: composition, color
theory, line and value, proportional anatomy, etc. Youll have to practice these no matter what you like drawing
(though it doesnt hurt to experiment in a diff field from time to time, either). And these are things that youll either
naturally just get it or might consider taking classes to learn.

Anyhow I, uh Guess thats long-winded enough. ^^;; Hope that helps ya, mate.

Wesu: Thanks!

Anyhow, this is from a couple of weeks ago. Its about time I replace the Zigs, I think. Ive no patience for inking
usually especially when its like this, just toning and defining the line-work for Photoshop. So I almost always
rush through the step. But despite that, I can usually keep my linework smooth. Not this time, though. This definitely
couldve benefited from some slowed-down attention. XD Frustrating, but ah well. It was for fun. =D Thanks for
lookin!

EDIT: Just re-aligning the text, so it doesn't run too much all over the place. ^^;;;

Very nice. Have a Sonic/Tails/Knuckles behind Angel Island in production, by chance? ^^;

when drawing expressions, i tend to giggle myself silly by trying to draw myself pulling various faces in a mirror. 😛 i might try your method some time. (one of my characters hasn't got pupils anyhow. it'd be good practise with her.)

some things aren't so expensive. *cough, got photoshop off a freind's copy, cough!* >> i use staedtler liner pens, as sharpies don't appear to exsist in the uk. are they and the other pens you mentioned just normal ink pens for drawing?
i hate inking over my line art, as i tend to draw rather thickly with my pencil, and the ink doesn't 'stick' to the paper, so i have to ink most pictures twice.

*peers at the latest picture* your lineart is only a tiny bit uneven in places, most people wouldn't notice. funky picture as always, you get so much energy into them!

where's shadow's right arm? 😛

You're pretty good. I wish I had your talent.

Hehehe, cheapness in tools, I can relate to that, it's printer paper and 12 for a quid mech-pencils (actually, the pencil I've used most recently, I bought of a homeless guy o.o) all the way for me, and a free copy of Paint Shop Pro 8 ^^;

Heh, I know the practice thing, and beleive me, I practice as and when I can, and I know it works, but I was wondering more about if you had any tips for motivating yourself more, if you had any common denominators for succsessful layout. Oh and classes? Ba-pssssh, I used to do art A-level, and just found it stifling ;P Thanks for the long winded reply however =3

I need to motivate myself more though, as the only time I seem to WANT to draw, is when I'm supposed to be taking lecture notes (my notes are about 25% math, 25% Physics, and 55% doodle) or when I'm supposed to be sleeping ^^;

Oh, and Becca, I do that too, not only that, but when drawing the expression, I tend to make that expression with or without the mirror, then wonder why my face feels odd after I've held the expression for so long o.o And the Inking thing, yeah, I get that, but I'm too lazy to ink twice 😛

ANYWHOM! Onto the picture! It's nifty! I really love the background, and the way the two have damaged it. The sheer momentum of the picture rules. Oh, and Shads SOoo just needs to turn his boots on >=D

EE: Haha! XD Never know, man. Never know. =P

Becca: An old trick a fellow comic-er taught me when it comes to
inking line-art is to create a blue-line copy of your pencils in
Photoshop. Print it out (I usually do it onto smooth-finish
cardstock or Bristol board) and then ink on that. The non-photo-
blue won't show up when your rescan your artwork, just the pure
black line-work. It's my secret to creating really smooth, clean
ink art (usually - except in this case XD) - and it's also faster.
The inking itself goes smoother, 'cause you're not drawing over
the texture of the pencils anymore. ^^

...And Shad's arm is hidden. Behind his massive quills. ;D (^^;; )

SX: Thanks! ^^

DarkWolfe: Aah! Haha, well, I'm not really the person to ask about
motivating. I mean, it's something I struggle with, myself - keeping
focused. I'm a very passionate person with alot of energy, very gung-
ho. I have patience in so far as I don't complain when things take too
long. And the truth is, in artwork and in art-related-work, there is
often times in which you just have to sit and wait. I'm fine with the
starting and the going, but it is the starting-and-stopping-and-then-
starting-again that kills my motivation and focus in a heartbeat.

After we put the brakes on some big projects because of that habit,
I've found greater motivation, though. The wallpaper on my computer
screen is actually just words: "WORK HARD." And I've fitting into a
regular schedule of what kinds of work I do at what hours of the day,
when I do stop to take care of Internet or phone messages, etc. For
me, my biggest drive right now is my own "I'll do it right this time!"
ego. ^^;; So I guess it's all about finding motivation for yourself...

Anyhow! It's March, and in celebration of Ian's first issue (Shipping
in a li'l under a week! =D), an Other M poster. =D There's a
motivational speech and technical specs (and links to individual
character arts, as each was drawn on his or her own layer) that
accompanies it, but it's a bit long so just click the pic to be taken
to its Deviant Art version with alla' that. =) And go pick up
Sonic the Hedgehog #160! Not just for Sonic comic justice, but
comic book justice in general!

some of my freinds ink their work using a lightbox, but that's rather an expensive method for me, dispite it being a good one. ^^;

i've heard much about this blue pencil thing, and i don't get it. my scanner tends to pick up all colours, and i can't scan in black and white as it makes my lineart horribly blocky and it looks like a bad pixelated photocopy.
it hates scanning pencils too. 😛

but it's a great plan, as i'd like to keep my pencil drawings..as they're often better then the inked version. thanks for the advice!

*licks the pretty colours of the new picture* i find some characters look happier with a bit of a sparkle in their eye, ut you seems content with this method, and i know the reasons behind it now. (sorry if i crit your art a lot, but most of my freinds demand it with their art, so i've gotten into the habit.)
i'll be getting the new comic anyway, but supporting ian is always a good thing. from what little i know of him, he's a nice guy. for great justice!

Swish poster Matt. Now, if you'll let me have a moment of fan boyism...

*SQUEEEEEEE OTHERMOTHERMOTHERM*

-ahem. I would love to see how Ian does on Sonic for archie, since I really like his writing from what i've seen, but, well, as an impoverished student, I don't import, so I wish him luck, and will try to pick up how well he does through Knothole.

The advice you gave to Becca? Methinks I'll be trying that =D

Heheh, work hard screen, that...might work, I wonder if it will work for my studies as well...though the idea itself actually had me laughing out loud ^^

The poster, schweet. Expecially since you linked to the individual pictures. They all rawk hard, particularly Prelate Miles. Evil tails has always stuck an shudder bone with me, and this pic just amplifies it D=

Eep! =0 I haven't updated in over two months. ^^;;

Becca: Aah, but when you scan at black-and-white, it's supposed to look pixel and blocky. It's a black-and-white Bitmap - pure B/W, meaning nothing else. With only black-and-white there, it looks pixelated. What you do - in Photoshop - is change the mode (Image>Mode) to Grayscale (then RGB or CMYK after, if you want to color). When you resize the image now for posting online, the linework will blur and stuff but remain clear at lower sizes. (If you down-size while still in Bitmap mode, it'll look nasteh and still pixelly.)

And I don't mind critiques, and I appreciate them greatly. They help me learn and imrpove, and that's what I want. =)

Speaking of, based on some critiques I got on those old pages (Sonic vs. Shadow; Songoose Rock), I recently did a new batch of samples. Lemme' know what you guys think. And by all means, critique! =D

Script by: Ken Penders
Originally Drawn by: Fry

Wow, great redraw, Matt!

I love the detail of the environments, and Tails reaction to the Sonic/Fiona incident was appropriately milder. Kudos!

yes, update more often! *mock whipcrack with, uh, her spork..somehow!*

hmhm, you use very different methods to me! ^^; for one thing, i find i work at the size it'll be posted online as, it helps me see more easily what the finished image will be like.

what size and DPI do you tend to scan at? programmes might differ, but i usually select 3-400 dpi and have it scan at 50%. (then i only have to re-size the image in photoshop by 50 or 75% to get to the size i like to work at)
i'll give your b/w method a go, it may leave me cleaner linked lines for colouring. ^^

*peers at the new pages* yay for redraws! i don't even need the comic to remember the lines here, you've shown their emotions pretty darned well.
the 'i hate you! -.@' panel is better here. much less spittle, and more 'i need to get out of here and find somewhere to cry! ><'. i definately prefer your version.

it's also nice that characters disregard panel lines and move a limb out of them occasionally. stops it looking all, well, rigid?

flicking through your art again, i'll make one observation that i can relate to how i draw things. i tend to draw hands hidden in more and more inventive ways to avoid drawing them, while your favored pose seems to be 'gripping an invisible tennis ball'.
it was a common theme when you posted the image with of how sonic has changed in your style over the years. ^^; sorry if that seems a wierd thing to notice.

how do you do it?

he holds a pencil in his hand and makes movements above some paper with it..?

state your question a bit more clearly, please? ^^;