3D max toon shading technquies

hand crafted using fall off material in 3Ds max, and mental ray shadow contour

Using this tutorial: http://vimeo.com/2335564

ink and paint adjustment, setting: variable width, 0.5-1.0, color white, background white.

Using this tutorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSlU_NG5R8s

Making some small steps toward E-depth anime...

Except I think there's a need to rerig the models, unless I find out on how to render it with outline without changing the material on the rigged models.

chinese funny names

Chinese has it's own version of funny names: (rumored)

Source of the names: 

Month: 

 1 long 

2 bolt 

3 ​​big

4 come

5  dog 

6 guard

7 silly

8 Fortune 

9 poop

10 two 

11 fat 

12 smelly

Date 1 gentle 

2 Ni 

3 Leg 

4 di 

5 goals 

6 pit 

7 years 

8 age

9 doll hair 

10 fur

11 left over

12 girl

13 hero

14 little sis

15 fat 

16 dawn 

17 dog 

18 Tiger 

19 spend 

20 Phoenix 

21 village

22 Eggs 

23 village girl 

24 cow 

25 wood 

26 Jade 

27 love 

28 money

29 stone 

30 beauty

31 hair

中國農村為小孩命名原則認為把小孩取比較不起眼的名字(俗稱賤名)比較好養不會夭折 這套民間法則根據陽曆出生月份和日期起名字。

月份 1長 2栓 3大 4來 5狗 6守 7傻 8福 9屎 10二 11胖 12臭

甲鳥子  日期 1娟 2妮 3腿 4娣 5球 6坑 7年 8歲 9娃 10毛 11剩 12姑 13英 14妹 15肥 16霞 17狗 18虎 19花 20 鳳 21村 22蛋 23妞 24牛 25木 26 翠27愛 28財 29石 30美.麗 31 發

Manga studio 5 wacom tablet trouble shoot

Just in case another person met the same problem I had:
My wacom tablet pressure sensitivity was not working in Manga studio 5.

Today I bought manga studio 5 and installed it just fine, and found out my wacom tablet intuos 4 pressure sensitivity isn't picking up inside the program.
Other older programs I am using works fine like photoshop cs3, paint tool sai both still pick up the pressure sensitivity.
I tried asking the forum first, but its holiday and no one is in.
I tried going online and find older versions had similar problems.
I tried reinstalling and no improvements.

I found out how to fix my own problems after hours of research:

My tablet driver had not been updated since version 6.05.
The latest driver is now on Wacom website, 6.3.6
Once I downloaded the new driver for window 7, it's all fine: http://www.wacom.com/en/support/drivers

Hope this helps another new user who met the same issue. 

Christine Chong,


Good news! Your order from Ka-Blam Digital Printing (Order #44844, Order #45294) shipped out to you today.

Your Shipping Info: USPS Priority.

Thanks for choosing Ka-Blam!


Sincerely,


The Ka-Blam staff



O_o WOW, sudden speed increase. :D *thumbsup*

Both chapter 1, and chapter 9 has been reshipped today.

the printing problem

All other issues are here and ready to ship

I am going to wait for missing issues while starting to send some out. I need to do some shopping for the packaging tomorrow. Those who ordered the whole package will unfortunately have to wait the longest, I will include some additional gifts to make up for it. 

shu fa

I was just looking for 2 sets of written calligraphy for Shenshu's reference from two poems.
I ended up taking up 1.5 hour taking in other side references.
One of the constant problem that I have with Shenshu is the amount of scattered references and endless research pit. In a way, that's a good thing, but sometimes it's hard to stop and just do it.

ugh, no more cell shading

That's it. Edepth is not going to have cell shading on the next chapter. I can't take it anymore. >.<
Now that i look back... it does look like I change medium on this manga every 6 chapters or so... or shorter.

D:

Even though its not really good for the manga series to be unsteady with the medium, I need to stay inspired.

This isn't some goddamn animation where I have no choice but to color cell shade other wise die from extra workload etc. 

Attack of the boobs

parody version of

Shingeki no Kyojin OP

Just book marking!

Fire Emblem - awakening

I think after playing Fire Emblem I should be able to promote myself from a casual gamer to a normal gamer.

(Used to never play strategy RPGs, just watching) 

It was encouraging to know something like Fire Emblem series still work in the main stream market (like how it sold out of all physical copies in the US) 

It's a direction I can think about and model after with my stories. 

BTW, I really want to draw that poster now. XD

The Croods didn't work *spoiler*

The family film that got way too family, the groods

Now I feel like one of those people who won't write until I see something that's not working.

I didn't have high hopes when I saw the advertising... but I like Dreamworks, I like their films in most cases just like I like Pixar. So I gave it a chance, paid my 13 dollars to see this "family" film in 3D.

I noticed only adults laught, none of the children were laughing in the theater .. but my sample size is extremely small so it's not quite as accurate.
But apparently even though this film is full of slap sticks, nothing was funny enough to build up too much, except with a few cough ups exceptional funny moments. Particular with the Belt character. He's probably my favorite in the film.

I think the reason why this film didn't work was character writing... There are so many characters, so there's no focus. The most interesting part was probably between the struggle between the Dad and the New Guy.

Yet the show was originally going to focus on the Dad with the Daughter.
1 hour 20 mins.... there's not enough time for 2 conflicts to build up and be both resolved convincingly.
I wished they spent more time on the writing and storyboard and figure out their true focus on this film.

I personally thought... if the New Guy wasn't quite that nice and innocent, play a bit of anti-hero and be a bit more strategic with politic within the family, he can easily play the simple minded family around a bit more toward his own advantage despite their brute might, his position to get in between the father-daughter conflict would be more interesting.

Perhaps the audience will also side with the Dad, not so one sided with Guy hoping for "NEW" things, really see the DANGER the Dad was so desperately trying to keep the family away from and truly make that survival sense shine... and thus will make the big reveal about the Guy's background much more intense and more convincing, leading upto the final moment.
However, I did find the last resolution to the Dad's plot a bit weak..... even though it's entertaining.
This film also has some really really bad one liner... I understand it's writing a bunch of uneducated people, but the writer could never quite get into their skin. If there's going to be bad one liner, make that funny. Don't make it important.

There's a real threat here, a real threat any Dad, any family would be scared of... The earth is changing, it's giant earthquake, the end of the world....

The Groods also failed to build up the sense of danger in the scope of the film when in the background, the world is changing, something very intense is happening, the characters gave no sense of that.
It felt as if the writers themselves can't believe in the world. Playing with survival and danger.... they wanted to bring in a comedic tone to the whole thing, which is not a bad route to take for stories... but failing to build up on the conflict is a killer for the film. The conflict in the film can be introduced with one line... It's WAY too simple. I understand its a film for children, but adults are there to help them learn. I feel the film makers can feel more at ease about bringing in slightly more complicated situation in a family we will see. Children see the complicated adults everyday.... why not give them a chance to learn something new? I believe that's what children films are for.

Clearly, the story failed to resonate .. it's really regretful because the visual is stunning, the colors and imaginative designs of the creatures were a lot of fun, and they have a cute touch to them, I also really enjoyed the 2D in the beginning. I do find the 2D style a lot more charming than the 3D adaption of the 2D character. I would have loved seeing more work on the style too of the 3D film.

If only they worked on the story more.... The Groods have something interesting to offer, but thoroughly missed the gold nugget that could have made it a moving film.

I also feel this is probably a script right before a really good script, if only it was worked on it more. 

Why Do people confuse diversity with originality?

I see it time and time again. Especially from people who try to talk youngsters out of doing a particular style they are into. The current target is anime. (Cartoon is out of the picture for now...)

"Anime is not original."
"Do your own style."
"Do you have your own style?"
"Do realism, don't do anime because ..... (list 1000 reasons.)

So you are basically saying... Do cartoon or realism, your choice, just don't do anime.
Why?

Because it's what Japanese do, you are not Japanese, are you?
Why don't you tell them don't do Disney style because it's not their style?

May I just categorize that as a form of nationalism rather than true logic for an artistic development?

What really develops a style?
Is anime really that bad or just a national enemy because it's an iconic style from Japan?

------
For the sake of the argument, these words will be identified as such: (according to my understanding of the public conception of their meaning when they say the above statements.)

• Style: A visual arrangement of drawing, painting elements that forms identifiable, consistent iconic features for a series of art pieces by an artist or a group of artists. 
• Realism: Painted, drawn art styles that very closely, accurately resembles natural, real life subjects. 

OK, let's establish the agreement here I have with this type of view point:

1. Do realism: YES
Every artist who do study art should try at realism, and get good at it. It is the foundation of all illustrative based work.

2. Expand yourself: YES.
Do go beyond what you know right now, study different stuff, different styles, don't just stay around your little box, whether it be anime, cartoon, disney, or realism.

• I have seen people who can do realism claiming he or she can't draw cartoon. WHY? Because he or she has become so used to realism they can't deduct information from realism to simple lines. 

I also warn against an elitist mind set that can possibly prevent further learning. It's everywhere. Even the most humble artist can have that dark corner. Artists are elitists to begin with, other wise we won't work so hard to master a skill. But if being "elitist" prevents you from widening your skill set, you should be aware of it, and make a choice for yourself, while keeping respect for others.

If a person thinks Disney or Anime is the best style there is, he/she won't bother to learn another style, if they force themselves to try at it, usually they quit without getting it completely, and then bash it, failing to appreciate the actual ingenuity of the style itself and the reason it's well accepted. 

3. Develop your own style: YES.
Developing a style requires a base to start with, like a painting, you start with tubes of colors, or color palette on a computer. There are styles you take from, and merge with to make your own styles.

• A person can develop multiple styles of their own through out their life time before they reach somewhere they feel happy to stay with. A natural style development includes interest, admiration, challenges that bring satisfaction, and that changes with time. In my years of observing, I find most youngsters move away from the first style they used as base and end up somewhere really different naturally. There's almost no need to sharp-turn them, which is making them abandon the style they were doing and adapt a new style quickly. 
• However, sharp turning students' style development direction is a good thing, because it causes expansion temporarily. I don't disagree with sharp-turning them and tell them to try different styles immediately. The thing I disagree with is how the elitists do it. 

Now, disagreement:
1. Anime style is not original: YES and NO. It all depends on time period trend, whether you are judging it in its time or outside of it.

Anime style is limited, especially its an established style for animation, based on the trend in the industry.
Can I say Disney is not much better just because tens of thousands, even millions also draw that style without reinventing it because it's a style that's very practical, useful for animation, cartooning, and very it's successful?
Doesn't Disney have it's own acceptable variation with each show? Anime is the same, as well as the so-called realism style.

Can I say Marvel and DC has established a market style too, that renders anyone who draws and follow that trend also less original than perhaps a cartoonist who invented his own scribble style, but will be required to follow it if they desire to enter the industry?
Can I say there's a certain expectation you would have for hyper realism sci-fi?
Or a certain expectations of fantasy elements in all concept art for those MMO RPG games?

Are they less original or are they just designed for the trend and needs of the industry?
Designed for being pleasant on the eyes, being easier to adapt, or designed for excitement?
Can I say even the old UPA cartoons had a particular market trend where everyone must tilt that door or window because of inspiration from Picasso?

Some styles are market trend styles.... they are designed to work for a team. Certain styles work for a team, cross countries, certain styles don't. Anime style is one of them. Formula has its uses. And studying successful formula can't hurt.

Does doing anime make you less employable? 
In certain industry, yes. So artists should study all sorts of styles and find out their range, find out what is preferred, tolerable to them, what isn't. And just choose jobs they can enjoy. Other wise, why be an artist?

Does doing realism really make you more original or creative than anime artists?
I say no. In fact, realism is the style with the most limitations, most rules, and also, the most variation because nature itself is a master we reference. It's the bases for all imagination to work. It's much needed, but knowing how to apply all the techniques doesn't make one more original. But the artwork will sure look awesome, even if its the oldest idea, the most impractical design possible.


Originality for a piece in concept has nothing to do with originality of visual style appeal. Most people seem to have that confused.
An awesome artist who can draw and paint a realistic mermaid with unusual decorative design has originality in design, not the originality in style appeal.

A really original drawing style will be VERY iconic, it might not look pretty, but it will always be recognized, like Yugioh, that's why I like to use his style as example. But is he better than the 5 star realism artist? Not really.

In fact I don't think most people are that interested in an very original style unless that original style just have the right combination to create the next classical trend/era. Most of the most original drawing style stay on the lower end of the popularity scale during their time... Like Van Gogh. His painting style was not appreciated until he died.

In a sense, it's almost better to be less original and more trendy. Originality's value in the market? Maybe 1-2%.... People want something they can see and understand immediately, and just want it a tiny bit different from everyone else so people can tell it's YOU. That's it.
If you are 2-3% different from everyone else, you are not human anymore, you are an ape.... either you are now a monster, or you are a specimen to be studied and marveled at.


To train originality for a style really ought to do with how you combined what you learned your own way. Learning anything in particular only gives you the tool sets, not the originality. Therefore... it's almost better to know more than less, if your plan is to survive as an artist.

In fact, if you enter the industry for art... you might find its not much a place for an artist, it's more of a place for art technicians. Clients often have a very specific vision based on existing series and styles, and even subjects. And your client base depends on how wide, how willing you are to do different styles.

You can be really good at one thing (a market trend style) and be specialists and work in a big company, or you can be one who knows a lot of different styles and adapt any work situations. Or you can just do what you like and hope that people who like the same finds you. Each path isn't easy, how you want to walk it is a completely personal choice. But if you are truly the next Van Gogh that will start the movement of the next era, hats off to you, I am not sure if you will make it in our time. I can only wish you the best.


I personally think the word "Originality" is really overrated, overused, not understood enough in the USA society of arts. 

Style development sheet meme

Anime and Shintoism

Upon all these years of watching anime, since what... age 9-10?
Japanese never left Shintoism, not even when they based the whole show on Christianity and quote bible, which really kind of annoys me.... but I don't blame them.
It's hard to understand some beliefs that's completely foreign to you, unless you happen to live there for over 5 years. I wouldn't expect myself to understand other people's religions completely either.

But seriously... If I can, i want to ship those, whoever used Christianity as material to write their stories to other countries and live there for a while, and really open their eyes about HOW DIFFERENT the beliefs are between each religion, and please if you want to use Catholic, DO IT WITH a little more than "Oh Catholic is evil because they oppressed people, they think they are the only right path or etc...."

Or ship them all the DVDs and materials I can find TO THEM TRANSLATED!

OMG, get it right for once, not the quotes, not the names, JUST THE CONCEPT OF IT. D= OH PLEASE.

Maybe I should stop watching anime/manga that related to Catholicism or Christianity so i can stop getting annoyed at the end, but there are so many good stories attached to it. That would exclude too many good work I really admire.

This just sucks. -_________-

I just have to endure it.

"Finish those tutorials."

"I thought you were a great teacher, what happened?"

"All kids do is take, so often without a word of thanks, after all these years, I am tired of giving for free."

"You receive popularity and fame as reward."

"That's not the kind of fame I want, I want people to look at my art, not just my tutorials. I don't make a living doing tutorials."

"You shouldn't look at yourself as poor, I think you have a lot of wealth in you, I want you to share this wealth, do it for me. I want you to finish those tutorials."

"oooookaaayyy...." (unwillingly.) 

"Kids (people) are blank sheets of paper, you have to lead by example to teach them how to be grateful for what they are receiving." 

"The true poor people are the people with wealth that they can't share with the world."

..... time to finish those animation related tutorial and manga tutorial part 2.... -_-b

"You know, compare to doing fanart, I think free tutorial is a better way to gain popularity."

"O_o that's... true. At least I am not borrowing anyone else's fame."

After effects RAM preview error

Error Message:
“After Effects error: RAM Preview needs 2 or more frames to playback.“
where when you RAM Preview, this message pops and preview won’t continue.
Fix
Edit->Purge >ALL

Thank GOD for google. :P

Some of the best quotes from Chris Christie and his mom

Too much wisdom. Must write it down.

"They say I am intriguing, all I am doing is saying what I think."

"Focus on the job given to you and to do it to the best of your ability, and your future will be set."
(paraphrasing... >.< can't remember exactly.)

"If you have to choose between love and respect, choose respect. With respect love can come, without it, love will go."

"It's harder to hate up close." - turn your enemy into friends, it can get the job done a lot faster.

idol m@ster reminded me something important...

The newest season of Idol Master anime really gave me a lesson here being an artist or running a studio.

1. Producer's role: to discover the strength of each character and find jobs suitable to them. Every member is important, even the one that's sleeping can turn out to be a sparkling gem.

2. Producer's role: need to assign jobs, and public presentation that fits the talent.

In a way, this series is an artist handling 13 characters all and all, it's not a small number to write, or to handle at any point.

I took at look at how I handled my characters, I haven't been doing that. Not even to some of my best characters, I haven't found all of the best fitting model to present them. I need to start doing that. I also haven't given them the roles they will like most of the time. I haven't explored all aspect of what they can develop into. I need to make adjustments to the way I handle them.

For a moment I did feel convicted. (think: omg I made all the producer's beginner mistakes)


"Use your lowest of low to rise to the highest of high."
I felt that in later episodes, it was moving.


Family and unity: "When everyone is standing on the stage together to put up a good show, that's when I feel most like an idol."

For some reason that line also touched me.
I handle my characters like my family too, for they are the memories of what my family is about, it is my biggest joy to bring them to the readers/audience. Even if they are fictional characters.

I am suddenly reminded this is what I need to do as an author.

Forget marketing, forget trendy appeal for a moment here...
and find what's best to sell "my idols" to the public with what's available.
Each of them will have their own uniqueness to offer to different people, and I have to find what's best for them.

I am glad I realized it now, even if this show is under attack from the game fans, it has my appreciation as an author, it has certainly touched me deeply. 

My source of inspiration

I was thinking to make a post on DA journal to ask everyone about their root of inspiration for their art and story.

Usually, when someone asked me what is my inspiration for art, my answer is usually simple: Life.
Or some kind of research I have done...
I wanted it to be generic on purpose, to stay away from the big story I don't usually want to spend the time to describe.

A post on someone else's poll reminded me once again what part of my inspiration I don't talk about is...


Unfortunately when I was trying to describe mine for a DA journal topic starter, *thinking it would make a good forum topic...*
My source inspiration became too dark for me to feel comfortable sharing with the public on that art gallery site, where I had 6000 followers and up, so it is moved here, where most barely visit where I may monologue for as much as I desire. It is literally like opening up a diary that's smeared and burnt I guess.

My work, like many other's... is also an outlet to something painful to me as well. It's also where I might mourn about someone's loss of life, and I make my characters suffer through it, in term, perhaps make my readers suffer.

My experience may still be limited, but I have seen quite a bit of cases in my life...
from cancer patient dying in my home, a drunkard that never got out of his addiction and died....
to a bipolar schizophrenia patient that tried to kill herself in front of us... ex prostitute whose fate I do not know now because she married the wrong guy....

These all become part of my work, because they are not people others would remember, but through a fictional story, they might be remembered.

NOTE: a good portion of these people did turn into my characters, but other than a select few, they hardly share any relations appearance wise, its usually a portion of the traits that get picked up.
I will share about that in the future.... *have to wait for them to all show up first at least lol*


Of course there are miracles (unexplained good things) as well,
kidney shut down patient urinate and discharged out of the hospital two weeks after we prayed for them,
my family found our house which we live in now over my mother's directional dream, and my own vision.
 if only that type of miracles comes whenever we wish for it.

Those memory will probably stay with me for a while.
2Masters carried most of these, it is why it's a series that will be quite dark. (with my hopes and positive experience as well of course, hence the healing power of the Yehwehs)

E-depth is an experimental project overall, but I did ask a question "What if the lovable is the unlovable, the ones who need help don't want your help?" Through out the whole series that theme is repeated over, and over, and over, from Angel to Lien, Lien to Angel, and the conflict of the family and the brothers... etc.

As for Shenshu, I did it for my grandfather, who wished one of his children will carry on the love for calligraphy, but his forceful way of training did not forge any calligrapher in the family, but all his children are calligraphy lovers. In order for his dream to continue, a manga dedicated to calligraphy is my choice of medium, in honor of his passing. Tian Sung's father, is modeled after my uncle, who is also deceased.

 It's like I am remembering the dead when I talk about this part of my inspiration. 
This is another reason why I keep the same characters in different series. They are memoirs as well to me.

The other side of life to me is the definitions to the word "God"
God is life, and life is God.

All of its ups and downs, good and evil, love and hate, peace and chaos, time, and timelessness...
That seems like a picture of a well with limitless depth, a source of inspiration one can't get enough of.

CD Diary, carry the happiest of all my inspirations...
From my family holiday gathering, to random fun, or making fun of random things... or make a commentary/fan work on a song, a character, a story... etc. Or something to help me release my seasonal frustration...or desire to get out of boredom. Occasionally, my parent's influence slip in again and it turns all "therapist" like trying to resolve someone's problem. lol


Funny how my long series carry painful stuff and all my short stories are mostly the fond memories I have. =w= ha ha ha


This... in a nutshell, is what "life" is to me, my source of inspiration.

small business studies IRS

Web videos: http://www.irsvideos.gov/Webinars
http://www.irs.gov/businesses/small/index.html

Getting registered: http://www.state.nj.us/treasury/revenue/gettingregistered.shtml

Registering new business form online: https://www.state.nj.us/cgi-bin/treasury/revenue/dcr/reg/sos_dcrnew01_page1.cgi

Other book fairs, art shows resource links

http://festivalnet.com/deadlines.html?month=2

http://www.collingswood.com/entertainment/mayfair

http://www.jcpromotions.info/pages/FMindoorvendorinfo.html

Need to expand for more options.