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My thoughts

This M/A artist has such an amazing style that everyone get's inspired by! 

JL is really inspiring to me!

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1. What type of Media do you use to draw on

I've went through several tablets, like the Graphire USB blueberry and the Graphire2. However, I recently got a new laptop and it no longer supports those type of tablets. So, I currently use an Intuos4 tablet for my drawings, and it's working out pretty well for me! 

2. How do you start your pictures? Do you plan them out first or do you just draw and see where it gets you?

If I just start out drawing blindly to see where it takes me, there's a 50/50 chance that it'll either be finished or end up as a trashed doodle. In all honesty, I find it a bit easier to plan things out.

First, I try to imagine some sort of vague idea to get things started. I plan out with a simple sketch/gesture drawing on an 8.5 x 11 (approx 2550x3300px @ 300dpi) canvas. This is comprised of quick and ambiguous strokes in order to figure out composition and to get the overall look down. Next, several adjustments are made to the sketch, such as defining contours and adding small details to the characters/background/etc.  Lineart and coloring is shortly done afterwards, and then I resize my picture to around 800-900 pixels.

3. How long does it take to draw

It usually ranges from two days to several months to finish a drawing, depending on the circumstances. If it's an elaborate cg with a detailed background, then a picture can take several days to complete. If it's a simple cg with a tiled/patterned background, it can take several hours to finish. If I'm undergoing a severe art block, sometimes I don't bother to draw for several days and this tends to delay the completion of my cgs. Cgs also take a while to complete whenever I have massive amounts of schoolwork to do, since I have to finish that first instead of art.

4. What type of tools do you use to draw

I tend to switch between Paint Tool SAI and Photoshop CS5. Paint Tool SAI offers smooth and crisp lines, while CS5 offers a wide variety of editing tools such as filters, sharpen tool, etc. Lately, I've been leaning a bit more towards SAI since I don't really rely too much on filters anymore. Both programs are very good in their own little way, and I recommend them to any aspiring artists out there! 

5. How long have you been drawing (any style)

I've been drawing since the 1st grade. However, I didn't get serious about cging until middle school, that's when I got my first tablet and drew various things like animals/wildlife. Afterwards, I transitioned to drawing human figures during high school. 

6. What inspired you to draw anime?

Various shows like Sailor Moon, Cardcaptor Sakura and Pokemon inspired me to draw anime. 

7. Who do you look up to here on dA or outside dA?

Outside dA- I look up to Thores Shibamoto. I absolutely love the work she did for Fabrica Theologicae (Trinity Blood artbook) because she's so meticulous about details. If you look at a piece from her, you can see that she takes time to carefully bring out the tinest detail on clothes, background, etc. It's like she leaves nothing behind, and every little thing gets equal amounts of attention. Also, every illustration she does is just so interesting to look at! I never get tired of looking at her work. She inspired me to put more effort into bringing out more detail in my pictures. 

On dA- I look up to a variety of people on this site. When I first joined dA, I admired loish and bara-chan's artwork. I love how they can make their art so stylish, bold and confident. I also envy their use of color and composition, and their technique in general is just phenomenal. I also look up to my best friend, darksouls! She's an amazing person to exchange ideas with, it's always fun to brainstorm with her! She motivated me to go out of my comfort zone and try out different things, such as background experimentation, drawing men and well, all sorts of stuff! She also has an incredible work ethic, which I try to keep as a helpful guideline when I do my commissions haha/// 

8. 5 of your Favorite Pictures you've drawn.

"Welcome Home" ruretto.deviantart.com/art/wel… - A fairly old piece, but it holds as one of my favorites in my gallery. I personally like it because I'm a sucker for family pictures. I love seeing family members bond, it makes me feel all warm and happy inside. I love the interaction that France, Canada, England and America have as a family, so I wanted to bring out that fun, happy vibe in this piece.

"Pirates and Cowboys" ruretto.deviantart.com/art/pir… -Another Hetalia piece, I was trying to channel a little bit of Thores while drawing the tiny details in this picture. I was proud of this piece because I actually spent several days prepping up the lineart to be colored, and I usually skimmed over lineart cleanliness at the time!

"Commission-MCYK606" ruretto.deviantart.com/art/com… - This picture was a commission for MCYK606, and I was told to draw her awesome pirate characters. I wanted it to have a surreal and vintage feel to it, and I was quite pleased of what the composition looked like in the end. This picture took a while to complete due to the details, but I had a tremendous amount of fun drawing the broken clocks and the outfits!

"Commission-PhantomNexus" ruretto.deviantart.com/art/com… - This picture was a commission for PhantomNexus, and it was essentially... my first actual stab at making a detailed background while using a cool, blue color scheme. I usually stay on the safe side with a warm color scheme, but I wanted to try something new in this piece. I enjoyed working on this picture because the commissioner allowed me to work with garden-related elements, which I absolutely love!

"Sweet Confections" ruretto.deviantart.com/art/swe… - A relatively simple piece, but I love it because this resulted from me drawing something purely for myself, which is a rare occurance in my gallery. This picture also marked the beginning of my current project, "Purgatorio." 

9. Do you like any other styles of art beside anime/manga?

Abstract art is pretty nice and interesting to look at, I love how it takes an absence in reality and allows the mind to go through a different visual experience. A notable artist would be Jackson Pollock and his famous drip paintings. Surrealism/Surreal art is also a favorite of mine,  one of my favorite artists would have to be Salvador Dali and his introduction of the "melting pocket watch". I also love realism/realistic art and other styles! 

10. What is your advice for beginning Manga and Anime Artist out there.

Have fun, and do whatever comes naturally. Don't expect a picture to come out 100% the way you want it. Try your best to not compare yourself to other people. Comparison is okay for everyday reasoning, but don't do it so much that it leads to jealousy and envy. Refrain from  pressuring yourself, and take breaks in between cgs by walking around and stretching so your body won't have to suffer too much. If art is your hobby, sort out your priorities and don't let drawing interfere with your studies. Get all the gross stuff done (ie: exams, quizzes, schoolwork in general), then reward yourself by drawing whatever you want afterwards!  Last but not least, give it your all when you draw. Be a champ! GO BIG OR GO HOME.

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Her DD's

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