I want to say "Mental Breakdown!" but that's extremely misleading.
I AM SO HAPPY TODAY. HAHA!
I don't know if a lot of you are familiar with CLAMP but i am a BIG FAN even though i don't seem like one. I like collecting a lot of their traditional artworks but i rarely try to collect all of their manga (for starters, they've got too many and i read almost everything online). However, last week i made an exception and placed an order on "CLOVER", one of their old works that was out of print and is now being reprinted due to popular demand. (It came in today and the total amount I paid is only half the original value of the manga, which is a BIG bonus for me!) Now, many might know Clamp produces a lot of popular Shoujo fantasy stories with 'sometimes' happy endings. CLOVER is slightly different because it takes a darker theme and uses a steam-punk style in designing the outfits of the characters. The paneling and storytelling is very different from what most of their works look like and it's quite simple yet refreshing to some extent. I highly recommend it if anyone is looking for manga that is slightly or completely different from any new series that have come out.
After reading it online at http://manga.animea.net/clover-clamp-.html I decided to buy one of the reprinted versions because i loved it A LOT. Here are some pictures of the book. I'll apologize in advance since some of them came out blurry, which happens a lot when i use only one hand to take a picture. lol
Cover!
Original art and some sample pages
While we're on the topic of mangas, I VERY HIGHLY WITH UTTERMOST RESPECT recommend "My Girl" by Sahara Mizu. It's a wonderful slice-of-life series about how an ordinary man, Masamune experiences what it's like to be a single parent in a society where status and appearances matter. (Geez i sound so damn cheesy) He finds out he has a daughter named Koharu, who is his child with his now deceased girlfriend. At first he doesn't believe but slowly comes to understand Koharu's feelings and his own. It takes off from there and I swear after reading one or two chapters I would cry. PLUS, the art is GORGEOUS. It doesn't have those big-eyed, big-head shoujo stereotypes and it's really funny! If i had a kid, I'd read them this manga. :D
Read it online at http://www.onemanga.com/My_Girl_Sahara_Mizu/
Sadly it's not being published in USA yet but you can download the chapters at http://www.unblessed.net/SiH/msearch.php?m=Sahara%20Mizu
That same link also has her other works that are just as beautiful and just as tearfully touching. I LOVE this artist and I'm planning on purchasing every or any volume of her work that is or will be printed out.
Another reason why I'm happy today is because early this morning (like around 2 am haha) I finished my part of earthstar_chan's craft trade! I've been wanting to finish before this weekend and I made it! WOOOHOOO.
Her request was a cross-over of Slayers and Umineko no Naku koro ni. I won't go into much detail here but i will explain if you ask me. :D
So now the question is if i can post it or not. I don't know if we're treating this with uttermost secrecy but if I'm permitted I'll post the piece. Of course it's a digital work and I'll have to print it out on a (very) hard paper or material and send it to earthstar_chan for Christmas as part of the Craft trade. I don't know how big I'll print it yet and how much it costs to print a certain size so I'll have to do a little research on that.
Well, considering that Diane and another participant have posted their craft trades i figured i'll just post mine. It'll bug me the whole week so might as well get it out there anyway. I've researched on so many online poster printing websites (some of them are pretty cheap too) but I think i might settle for the one at UW! it's pretty cheap but i'll have to check their paper medium types. If I get some thing very close to a magazine poster finish, I'll be satisfied.
I have to say this piece is the most detailed coloring i've ever done and i paid a heft price for it. Nevertheless I'm more than satisfied with the outcome. I even made it my wallpaper, no mystery there. (My mind is so fickle when it comes to wallpapers)
Large images ahead! Click for full-size!
The one below is the wallpaper. It's not too different but I played with a filter and added a red tint so that when you use it, it doesn't look too bright and won't eat up the icons on you desktop. I always test my wallpapers lol.
Now that i'm done with it, I want to do the other drawings on my list! like that Disney Z/A challenge I have planned! I really really really do not want to take that off my list because I want to participate in the contest before it ends! GAH!
Then there are other secret santa exchanges and online request. I know I always complain about the same thing and I apologize for that. I can't help complain but I know I shouldn't do it, considering other people are going through much worse situations.
This will most likely be my last journal before finals come in, which starts next week and end the week after. I feel so pressured and need to take time off because I have lots of exams from the Microbiology Lab and Japanese class. The other Microbiology lecture classes aren't too bad but they're extremely difficult for the lack of actual coursework.
I don't know if a lot of you are familiar with CLAMP but i am a BIG FAN even though i don't seem like one. I like collecting a lot of their traditional artworks but i rarely try to collect all of their manga (for starters, they've got too many and i read almost everything online). However, last week i made an exception and placed an order on "CLOVER", one of their old works that was out of print and is now being reprinted due to popular demand. (It came in today and the total amount I paid is only half the original value of the manga, which is a BIG bonus for me!) Now, many might know Clamp produces a lot of popular Shoujo fantasy stories with 'sometimes' happy endings. CLOVER is slightly different because it takes a darker theme and uses a steam-punk style in designing the outfits of the characters. The paneling and storytelling is very different from what most of their works look like and it's quite simple yet refreshing to some extent. I highly recommend it if anyone is looking for manga that is slightly or completely different from any new series that have come out.
After reading it online at http://manga.animea.net/clover-clamp-.html I decided to buy one of the reprinted versions because i loved it A LOT. Here are some pictures of the book. I'll apologize in advance since some of them came out blurry, which happens a lot when i use only one hand to take a picture. lol
Cover!
Original art and some sample pages
While we're on the topic of mangas, I VERY HIGHLY WITH UTTERMOST RESPECT recommend "My Girl" by Sahara Mizu. It's a wonderful slice-of-life series about how an ordinary man, Masamune experiences what it's like to be a single parent in a society where status and appearances matter. (Geez i sound so damn cheesy) He finds out he has a daughter named Koharu, who is his child with his now deceased girlfriend. At first he doesn't believe but slowly comes to understand Koharu's feelings and his own. It takes off from there and I swear after reading one or two chapters I would cry. PLUS, the art is GORGEOUS. It doesn't have those big-eyed, big-head shoujo stereotypes and it's really funny! If i had a kid, I'd read them this manga. :D
Read it online at http://www.onemanga.com/My_Girl_Sahara_Mizu/
Sadly it's not being published in USA yet but you can download the chapters at http://www.unblessed.net/SiH/msearch.php?m=Sahara%20Mizu
That same link also has her other works that are just as beautiful and just as tearfully touching. I LOVE this artist and I'm planning on purchasing every or any volume of her work that is or will be printed out.
Another reason why I'm happy today is because early this morning (like around 2 am haha) I finished my part of earthstar_chan's craft trade! I've been wanting to finish before this weekend and I made it! WOOOHOOO.
Her request was a cross-over of Slayers and Umineko no Naku koro ni. I won't go into much detail here but i will explain if you ask me. :D
So now the question is if i can post it or not. I don't know if we're treating this with uttermost secrecy but if I'm permitted I'll post the piece. Of course it's a digital work and I'll have to print it out on a (very) hard paper or material and send it to earthstar_chan for Christmas as part of the Craft trade. I don't know how big I'll print it yet and how much it costs to print a certain size so I'll have to do a little research on that.
Well, considering that Diane and another participant have posted their craft trades i figured i'll just post mine. It'll bug me the whole week so might as well get it out there anyway. I've researched on so many online poster printing websites (some of them are pretty cheap too) but I think i might settle for the one at UW! it's pretty cheap but i'll have to check their paper medium types. If I get some thing very close to a magazine poster finish, I'll be satisfied.
I have to say this piece is the most detailed coloring i've ever done and i paid a heft price for it. Nevertheless I'm more than satisfied with the outcome. I even made it my wallpaper, no mystery there. (My mind is so fickle when it comes to wallpapers)
Large images ahead! Click for full-size!
The one below is the wallpaper. It's not too different but I played with a filter and added a red tint so that when you use it, it doesn't look too bright and won't eat up the icons on you desktop. I always test my wallpapers lol.
Now that i'm done with it, I want to do the other drawings on my list! like that Disney Z/A challenge I have planned! I really really really do not want to take that off my list because I want to participate in the contest before it ends! GAH!
Then there are other secret santa exchanges and online request. I know I always complain about the same thing and I apologize for that. I can't help complain but I know I shouldn't do it, considering other people are going through much worse situations.
This will most likely be my last journal before finals come in, which starts next week and end the week after. I feel so pressured and need to take time off because I have lots of exams from the Microbiology Lab and Japanese class. The other Microbiology lecture classes aren't too bad but they're extremely difficult for the lack of actual coursework.