I created another watercolour romantic illustration. I like painting flowers with purple hues such as lavender or lilac.
I like Purple, it is very calming colour. I get a calm feeling painting with certain colours. It helps to reduce stress. I was going to buy a specialised colour from Daniel Smiths but the winsor and Newton Cotmans Paint are great quality for watercolour painting.
I’m including Coptic marker pen on my watercolour paintings. Ink, marker pens go well with watercolour, in fact anything can go with watercolour. I might invest more Copic markers and coloured inks. the colour inks are good for colour in cloths without creating streaks.
The story processes on, I’m still discovering got new techniques on the software and editing the story as I go along. I post screenshots on my twitter page @reebeksart. I want to be authentic in my drawing style, I included gesture scribbles/ lines. So far it looking very polished and the two characters personality are showing more. I’m taking my time to work on two pages a week, which manageable and allow me to come up with new ideas.
Clip Studio Paint contacted me and asked to feature one of my screenshot of my comic pages on their official website! You can see my post on the artist testimonial section.
During last weekend, I decided to got back into watercolour painting. I chosen to use Hot Press 300g watercolour paper. It has a smoothing surface than cold press.
I like drawing / painting subject with a Male romance and flowers because it very therapeutic to me.
For the characters skin tones I used Copic markers pens. It colours on the paper smoothly and nicely without bleed through the paper or streaks.
I’m planning to create more romantic watercolour illustrations.
Thanks to The Daylight light box, I can easily transfer drawings into watercolour papers. I drafted two drawings on one A4 paper. Theses drawing where copied from my sketchbook.
This will give you an idea of how i develop an my own art style from taking inspiration from other artist. I discovered them during my art education. they are the basic guidelines i use whenever I am working on an illustration or comic.
Calligraphy
Often my drawing or paintings has gesture, scribbles inspired by calligraphy writing. At college I was fascinated with the beautiful lines of calligraphy strokes. I researched Chinese, Arabic or traditional English calligraphy.
I did practice calligraphy writing. Then I started the habit to including calligraphy scribbles in my drawings. The rush energetic scribble lines give my drawings an edge. I was drawn to the movement of lines. My older artwork just had scribble. Then I developed calligraphy writing techniques and write some random word or alphabet along side with the drawing.
Jose Parla
Jose Parla uses calligraphy drawings for his abstract paintings. He was the first artist that inspired me to combine calligraphy into painting. His paintings appear like an urban calligraphy street art. His artwork have so much elementals of collage and scribbles all combined together in one massive piece. It very similar to Jackson Pollock works.
Jose Parla
Dave McKean
Dave McKean is my next artist that I was inspired by. He creates unique drawing, combining mix media, collage and digital in illustrations. I likehis drawing the most especially his graphics novel illustrations in his books ‘A Picture that Tick’.
He illustrated one of my favourite childhood book ‘Varjak Paw’ by S.F.Said
Dave McKean – Varjak Paw
Jean Haines
I love Jean Haines has approach to watercolour. Her watercolour style is very close to how I like to paint with watercolour, Her watercolour painting organic, loose and free. She instantly become one of my favourite watercolour artist and inspiration for watercolour. After I graduated, I wanted to include more vibrant colours in my illustrations. I felt my artwork was dull and abit too dark in topic. It her use of colours, she teaches how to use pure colour from paint. I learn watercolouring techniques from Jean Haines for my watercolour illustrations.
Jean Haines
Frank Miller Sin City graphic Novel
Frank Miller’s Sin City gritty. I liked how he use negative space within the black background. Some have key colours for key characters for example in ‘That Yellow Bastard‘. I liked the use of composition and great dialogue. (I did watch the movie too)
It was good to explore different style of comics not just manga. I learn a lot from the drawing techniques reading Sin City. It made me consider negative space for drawing.
I trying to find and experiment with different drawing techniques while I’m working on my comic. I would like be authentic in my comic artwork.
Sin City Frank Miller
Shungiku Nakamura Junjo Romantica
My personal favourite and main manga inspiration for my own manga. Shungiku Nakamura’s drawing style are different to the traditional style in most manga comics. I love the direction, layout and storyline. I always refer to Nakamura mangas for tips for creating boy love romance.
Spend 15-30 minutes on your artwork then take a 10-20 minutes break. During break time, move around, have a hot drink, do something completely different from art. Then resume your work. Have a time or stopwatch near to monitor how long you been working. I use my iPhone to time myself when I am drawing or writing. It helps me not to overwork and reminds me to takes breaks. You will be surprised 30 minutes on working gives you enough time.
Plan your week: create a weekly planner chart. I typically do artwork and writing three times a week. This keeps me organised and manage my day. Sometimes I change my schedule. Keep it flexible.
Try to do creative work in the morning. The brain is more active and fresh. Better natural light coming in to see the colour hues clearly. If you have not much natural light coming in, a Daylight lamp will provide extra light.
Make creative work your top priority before doing other task.
If you can not work at the morning, maybe 1-2 hours before bedtime. Some artist found doing creative activities before bedtime, it can be very therapeutic. Schedule in the day that you have enough time to focus on your creative work.
Don’t not put the TV/Computer on (unless you are working digitally). There no need to put the computer on if you are just drawing or painting. The computer/ laptop can be very distraction.
Mute notifications on you phones or small devices . You want to be able to forces on your artwork without distraction. my notifications are switched off. I like have no concerns or distraction.
Listen to music that motivates you creativity. it can be any music. relaxing, Ambience, nature or Lo Fi Music good music for Focus.
Only do one task at a time, try not to multitask. it not good for productivity. For example draft on day then outline the next day, then the next colouring. Keep it small and manageable. Avoid trying to complete the artwork in one day. It good to leave the work and come back to it a couple days. it good to get a fresh perspective from resuming it after a couple of days, to see what you noticed and what could be adjusted.
Do 5 minutes sketch doodle to warm up first. At first the brain may be reluctant to work on anything. Do scribble, draw small thumbnails, make marks. This will ease you in to drawing. Make the sketches very rough and bad.
Handling criticism is an balancing act. Art in general a subjective topic.
Criticism is can be hard! When I was younger I cried a lot if a teacher critis my artwork. I thought that they favour more other people’s than mine and I would complain a lot.
In art education and in the commercial work, you would have to deal criticism and may clash with ideas.
There are different kinds of critique. Someone who mainly look for technical flaws and someone who mainly judge the style of work.
Art teacher should suppose to develop a students artistic expression, develop your visual language and understand who you are.
Teachers have to complete a education criteria marking a students artwork.
I had to learn smart in distinguish what good and bad critique. Eventually, I learn to take criticism with a pinch of salt.
During my university studies in Illustrations. I would get different perspectives from different tutor or peers.
I had a mentor in university named Bex, Bex helped me with writing and organising my course work. She was really good to me. Bex gave me a fair critique without discouraging me with my art style. She talks to me very positively and pointed out unique elements within my work. Bex was a huge help me when I was beginning to feel negative about my artwork
Don’t take there criticism to heart. It does not mean your work is totally bad or your suck at drawing/painting. Go with your instincts on what will work visually. Never try to match what the mass what!
If someone was judging your artwork too harshly, find someone else.
Criticism is good for your creative process. It is important to get different opinions, to see what work and don’t works. To make improvements and have someone see things you did not noticed before. But ultimately you decided to make changes.
I don’t normally get criticism for my work, Nor I would I care now. If somebody random critics my artwork, it would not bother me.
I enjoying creating comics and illustrations without any anyone interfering. But I am open for feedback.
I wish you a Merry Christmas an a Happy New year from Reebek illustrations!
it is time to get festive fam! I made a few Christmas cards with my characters wishing you a Merry Christmas. pick your favourite and share it with friend and family this Christmas.
I remembered the first BL read was in my teens. I would regularly go to my local Waterstones bookshop after school to read books. Waterstone was introducing manga books in their stores.
TOKYOPOP was the main manga publisher at the time. The first manga I brought was DearS. (I still read that manga)
There were other manga books too. I picked up Junjo Romantica.
When I first read Junjo Romantica for the very first time, I was shocked with the graphics detail of the bedroom scene. I was taking a back by the rawness.
The drawings was different, unique to other manga styles.
Junjo Romantica by Shungiku NakamuraJunjo Romantica by Shungiku Nakamura
I never knew this kind of manga existed in a book to buy. It was very entertaining to read. I blushed and squealed reading this manga.
Since then I been obsessed with reading BL mangas.
I brought only two volumes 2 and 3. I could not afford buying mangas with little pocket money back when I was young. But I was lucky to read Yaoi/ bL from local library.
Then the publisher close down and I could not continue to buy Junjo Romantica. I hope someday SublimeManga could get Junjo Romantica license again.
Junjo Romantica has been a inspiration for my stories.
Junjo Romantica it is one of the classics BL stories. The storyline is great. The characters Usagi and Musaki look goo together and very sweet. I love the chemistry between the couple.
It extremely comical too. Shungiku Nakamura humor in her manga are hilarious.
They even made an anime series from the manga which is also great to watch. (Available to watch on CrunchyRoll)
