chkc
in
mcshep_war
Team interviews: Chkc
Name: chkc
Team: War
Let's talk about: chkc!
1. How long have you been writing fan fiction and/or making fan art and/or whatever else (vids, knitted goods, pornographic gingerbread cookies)?
Since
2. Have you participated or are you participating in any other fandoms?
I drew for many anime/manga series before (like D.N.Angel, see below), but SGA is the first fandom which I actively participated in.
3. What fanwork are you most proud of? Or, what is your favourite of your fanworks? (links, please!)
I usually feel relief (and sleepiness) after an artwork is completed, rather than pride. Here are some drawings that I haven’t started to dislike yet:
For team_sga's AU fest, a Heist AU
For tardis80's chansons-verse, a Merman!Rodney McKay.
4. As far as creative processes go, what type of writer/artist are you? Do you create an outline/find photo references/make maps, etc., or do you jump in and go with the flow?
It depends. For my mcshep_match entry, I planned everything out (sketches, references, colour themes) very carefully. For kink_bingo, I just stare at the prompt, draw anything that pops into my head, and colour my favourite one. Chibis will appear out of nowhere without warning.
5. Where can interested readers/viewers find more of your work? (homepage, LJ fic index, etc.)
For recent stuff, or anything rated NC-17: LJ tags
Otherwise: deviantart
6. Do you write original fiction (poetry, screenplays)? Do you create original art (comics, photographs, quilts, wedding cakes)? Care to share?
Do felt cakes count? Other than that... not really.
7. How are you so awesome?
Assuming Gaussian distribution:
Let's talk about: SGA!
8. What do you enjoy most about SGA and/or SGA fandom?
I love watching SGA, but it would've been mindless watching if it hadn't been for fandom. The fandom made me notice what incredible (or skeevy) things that lies underneath the surface, and how mindblowing the show could've been.
Also the fandom is just so talented and creative and all-round wonderful. I am in awe of the kindness and awesomeness that exists in this fandom. :)
9. Why do you ship McKay/Sheppard? What draws you to the pairing, what do you like and dislike? Favourite scenes or episodes? Quotes? Screencaps? What other SGA pairings do you ship?
This is a question that deserves an essay style response, which I am not qualified to write. I like the pairing because I really believe it could happen, and because I care about the characters. *fails to find words D:* John and Rodney can have a hugely epic and angsty relationship, or be a fluffy domestic couple. But they fit with each other in such a way that I'll root for them in any incarnation that they come in.
Um, favourite episode(s) off the top of my head is The Return (I + II). There's team action, and deception, and John whacking Rodney's head. *nods* I love The Shrine, The Tao of Rodney, Doppelganger, and all the many McSheppy episodes, of course. But classic team action is what I love most. :)
I don't ship (see: obsess about) anything other than McKay/Sheppard, but I do read many other pairings. Like... Sheppard/Woolsey.
10. Why did you choose to join Team War?
I draw cute/fluffy things all the time. Team War gives me a chance to expand my horizons a little.
11. C'mon, you know you wanna! Just a bit of squee about your Match fic artwork?
Um ...For the first time, I did all the base colouring using the fuzzy brush instead of the hard brush! Not that you can tell. But I think it actually worked out okay! /lame
12. What are your 'tells'? How can a fic drawing of yours be spotted in the wild? (again, go ahead and make origami out of the truth!)
By my name, which is cleverly absent from the mcshep_match drawing until after the reveal! :D
Other interview questions
(By the way, if you don't want me to post the entire question for whatever reason, I’ll summarize it and delete the original.)
From: neevebrody
Let's pretend that I'm dumb (not so hard) and I'd never heard of chibis until a couple of years ago... do you know where the art form originated - was it from anime? Have you done other chibis besides SGA? Because yours are always so adorable and perfectly emotive without a word of text. What is your process from creation to execution of a chibi work? What I mean is, do you see a concept fully in your head, or does some of it come while you're working on it?
Ahhhhh neevebrody, you are not dumb. Don't say that. D:
Um, I don't know the etymology of the word chibi, but I personally learned it from the realms of manga/anime. I haven't drawn chibis before SGA. Actually I kind of find them creepy, especially the ones with the gigantic, sparkly eyes. For some reason they are OK now. I think I've built up a tolerance.
As for process of creating a chibi comic, I visualize the full concept before drawing. This is because I try to make the chibis as concise as possible. If I draw as I go, the comic gets long. I am lazy, I don't like doing excess work. :)
From: taste_is_sweet
I've noticed that you have the ability to draw and paint in a variety of styles, some so different that to an amateur eye such as mine I wouldn't necessarily know they all came from the same person.
So, can you tell us what style you like best and why? And I'd love to hear any thoughts you have about what its like to do such different kinds of pictures.
I draw in so many styles because I learned drawing from copying artwork of other (usually manga) artists. For example, when I read manga, I might stop at a scene that I think looks pretty, sketch the idea of it, and then keep reading. I used to read a lot of manga, so my work ended up being a patchwork of many different styles.
Another reason for the different styles is that SGA features real, actual people. Real people don't have nice solid outlines. D: Since I don't know how to draw realistic people, I make do with the skills I have.
Favourite style... to draw? Or to look at? Chibis are the easiest to draw, for sure. Realistic people are the hardest, but most similar to the source material (i.e. SGA screen caps/photos). I haven't managed the realistic style well yet, but I will keep trying. I don't favour a particular style. As long as it still looks pretty after a couple days, I'm happy.
Would you believe me if I said my mcshep_match submission now looks like this:
From: pennyplainknits
Your chibis tell perfect little stories- so what comes first? Do you have a specific image you want to draw, and work from there? Or do you start with a story and then draw the pictures to fit?
I think in moving images, not words. Usually I have a particular image/movement/concept that I want to draw. Then I figure out a punch line for it or images leading up to it. Because the chibis comics are so short, my brain can process both "story" and "image" concurrently. Once I have a little mini movie in my head, I select panels that tell the story efficiently and without conversation. I then edit until I achieve coherency. (Not that I’m very coherent, most of the time). Drawing comes last, because I am lazy and want to minimize the amount of wasted work. ;)
From: perspi
What are your favorite kinds of fic to read? What about a fic (in the summary, ratings, title, whatever) gets you to click the link and start reading?
Um... well-written fic. (Usually judged by author or summary.) Rating, category, romance vs gen, etc, are irrelevant. Personally I prefer fics with happy endings. ^^" But I don't decide to read a fic or not based on its ending. By the time I got to the ending, I read the rest of the fic already. :D
That aside, I do have a weakness for puns. Puns make me happy, even if they have no redeeming literary value. Heee. <3
From: winter_elf
I'd like to know what art programs you use. I know a number of your pics are done by hand and scanned, but the ones you do on computer - do you scan a rough and clean it up - or draw it via a tablet?
Short answer:
Long answer: Chibis are drawn in Photoshop from beginning to end. Everything else is drawn on paper, scanned, and then completed in photoshop. This is because I have difficulty getting a feel for "the big picture"/perspective when drawing on computer. The monitor is vertical! Paper is horizontal! It's very weird.
---
Thank you for 1) the questions, 2) reading this long thing. Many thanks to busaikko for organising this! *steps off the podium*
Team: War
Let's talk about: chkc!
1. How long have you been writing fan fiction and/or making fan art and/or whatever else (vids, knitted goods, pornographic gingerbread cookies)?
Since
2. Have you participated or are you participating in any other fandoms?
I drew for many anime/manga series before (like D.N.Angel, see below), but SGA is the first fandom which I actively participated in.
3. What fanwork are you most proud of? Or, what is your favourite of your fanworks? (links, please!)
I usually feel relief (and sleepiness) after an artwork is completed, rather than pride. Here are some drawings that I haven’t started to dislike yet:
For team_sga's AU fest, a Heist AU
For tardis80's chansons-verse, a Merman!Rodney McKay.
4. As far as creative processes go, what type of writer/artist are you? Do you create an outline/find photo references/make maps, etc., or do you jump in and go with the flow?
It depends. For my mcshep_match entry, I planned everything out (sketches, references, colour themes) very carefully. For kink_bingo, I just stare at the prompt, draw anything that pops into my head, and colour my favourite one. Chibis will appear out of nowhere without warning.
5. Where can interested readers/viewers find more of your work? (homepage, LJ fic index, etc.)
For recent stuff, or anything rated NC-17: LJ tags
Otherwise: deviantart
6. Do you write original fiction (poetry, screenplays)? Do you create original art (comics, photographs, quilts, wedding cakes)? Care to share?
Do felt cakes count? Other than that... not really.
7. How are you so awesome?
Assuming Gaussian distribution:
Let's talk about: SGA!
8. What do you enjoy most about SGA and/or SGA fandom?
I love watching SGA, but it would've been mindless watching if it hadn't been for fandom. The fandom made me notice what incredible (or skeevy) things that lies underneath the surface, and how mindblowing the show could've been.
Also the fandom is just so talented and creative and all-round wonderful. I am in awe of the kindness and awesomeness that exists in this fandom. :)
9. Why do you ship McKay/Sheppard? What draws you to the pairing, what do you like and dislike? Favourite scenes or episodes? Quotes? Screencaps? What other SGA pairings do you ship?
This is a question that deserves an essay style response, which I am not qualified to write. I like the pairing because I really believe it could happen, and because I care about the characters. *fails to find words D:* John and Rodney can have a hugely epic and angsty relationship, or be a fluffy domestic couple. But they fit with each other in such a way that I'll root for them in any incarnation that they come in.
Um, favourite episode(s) off the top of my head is The Return (I + II). There's team action, and deception, and John whacking Rodney's head. *nods* I love The Shrine, The Tao of Rodney, Doppelganger, and all the many McSheppy episodes, of course. But classic team action is what I love most. :)
I don't ship (see: obsess about) anything other than McKay/Sheppard, but I do read many other pairings. Like... Sheppard/Woolsey.
10. Why did you choose to join Team War?
I draw cute/fluffy things all the time. Team War gives me a chance to expand my horizons a little.
11. C'mon, you know you wanna! Just a bit of squee about your Match fic artwork?
Um ...For the first time, I did all the base colouring using the fuzzy brush instead of the hard brush! Not that you can tell. But I think it actually worked out okay! /lame
12. What are your 'tells'? How can a fic drawing of yours be spotted in the wild? (again, go ahead and make origami out of the truth!)
By my name, which is cleverly absent from the mcshep_match drawing until after the reveal! :D
Other interview questions
(By the way, if you don't want me to post the entire question for whatever reason, I’ll summarize it and delete the original.)
From: neevebrody
Let's pretend that I'm dumb (not so hard) and I'd never heard of chibis until a couple of years ago... do you know where the art form originated - was it from anime? Have you done other chibis besides SGA? Because yours are always so adorable and perfectly emotive without a word of text. What is your process from creation to execution of a chibi work? What I mean is, do you see a concept fully in your head, or does some of it come while you're working on it?
Ahhhhh neevebrody, you are not dumb. Don't say that. D:
Um, I don't know the etymology of the word chibi, but I personally learned it from the realms of manga/anime. I haven't drawn chibis before SGA. Actually I kind of find them creepy, especially the ones with the gigantic, sparkly eyes. For some reason they are OK now. I think I've built up a tolerance.
As for process of creating a chibi comic, I visualize the full concept before drawing. This is because I try to make the chibis as concise as possible. If I draw as I go, the comic gets long. I am lazy, I don't like doing excess work. :)
From: taste_is_sweet
I've noticed that you have the ability to draw and paint in a variety of styles, some so different that to an amateur eye such as mine I wouldn't necessarily know they all came from the same person.
So, can you tell us what style you like best and why? And I'd love to hear any thoughts you have about what its like to do such different kinds of pictures.
I draw in so many styles because I learned drawing from copying artwork of other (usually manga) artists. For example, when I read manga, I might stop at a scene that I think looks pretty, sketch the idea of it, and then keep reading. I used to read a lot of manga, so my work ended up being a patchwork of many different styles.
Another reason for the different styles is that SGA features real, actual people. Real people don't have nice solid outlines. D: Since I don't know how to draw realistic people, I make do with the skills I have.
Favourite style... to draw? Or to look at? Chibis are the easiest to draw, for sure. Realistic people are the hardest, but most similar to the source material (i.e. SGA screen caps/photos). I haven't managed the realistic style well yet, but I will keep trying. I don't favour a particular style. As long as it still looks pretty after a couple days, I'm happy.
Would you believe me if I said my mcshep_match submission now looks like this:
From: pennyplainknits
Your chibis tell perfect little stories- so what comes first? Do you have a specific image you want to draw, and work from there? Or do you start with a story and then draw the pictures to fit?
I think in moving images, not words. Usually I have a particular image/movement/concept that I want to draw. Then I figure out a punch line for it or images leading up to it. Because the chibis comics are so short, my brain can process both "story" and "image" concurrently. Once I have a little mini movie in my head, I select panels that tell the story efficiently and without conversation. I then edit until I achieve coherency. (Not that I’m very coherent, most of the time). Drawing comes last, because I am lazy and want to minimize the amount of wasted work. ;)
From: perspi
What are your favorite kinds of fic to read? What about a fic (in the summary, ratings, title, whatever) gets you to click the link and start reading?
Um... well-written fic. (Usually judged by author or summary.) Rating, category, romance vs gen, etc, are irrelevant. Personally I prefer fics with happy endings. ^^" But I don't decide to read a fic or not based on its ending. By the time I got to the ending, I read the rest of the fic already. :D
That aside, I do have a weakness for puns. Puns make me happy, even if they have no redeeming literary value. Heee. <3
From: winter_elf
I'd like to know what art programs you use. I know a number of your pics are done by hand and scanned, but the ones you do on computer - do you scan a rough and clean it up - or draw it via a tablet?
Short answer:
Long answer: Chibis are drawn in Photoshop from beginning to end. Everything else is drawn on paper, scanned, and then completed in photoshop. This is because I have difficulty getting a feel for "the big picture"/perspective when drawing on computer. The monitor is vertical! Paper is horizontal! It's very weird.
---
Thank you for 1) the questions, 2) reading this long thing. Many thanks to busaikko for organising this! *steps off the podium*