Heya guys! x3

Yesterday, something terrible happened.

As you probably know (or not), I got a shiny new A4 Intuos4 for my birthday a few months ago. Actually, only part of it was a present, since I had to pay some of its price, because it's such an expensive baby.

But I was really happy to finally have a new tablet. My old Intuos2 was really too old - I got it back in 2001, and the grip pen was dying (you know, the rubber part that's the so-called "grip" part of the pen, well, it's so old it's dripping some kind of oil, which is gross). Before getting the Intuos4, I was using the small Graphire3 I got when I started working as a comic book color artist, back in 2004. It's still working, but definitely not as good as any kind of Intuos.

Anyway, a few days ago, while I was working on my new website header pic (more on this later), it suddenly went unplugged. I noticed the USB cable was loose. And guess what : the USB outlet on the side of the tablet had disappeared inside the tablet. All that was left was a hole. No need to say I freaked out.

Then, I checked Wacom's website, and there was some guy who had the same problem and posted on their forum about it.

Now, I have to return my baby to the place I bought it to have it repaired or replaced. I'm really sad and pissed of about it. =/ I want to work on my new website and I also have some stuff to work on. Paid stuff. Gah...


On a side note, I've been working on a new website that I'll use to display my works. I've decided to use Wordpress and customize it into an online gallery. All that's left for me to do now is the layout and css, as well as part of the content. This new website will hold unpublished material, so look forward to it!


Stay tuned~!

Ok, this time is for real.

Last feature entry was a failure, since the only comment it got was from the person who tagged me in the first place. xD

So~, let's try to do it right this time.

The first 14 people who comment on this journal entry will have 3 of their deviations (chosen by me) featured in this post. When I have edited this entry and you're featured here, make an entry like this one in your own journal, and don't forget to feature me as well! Thank you.


Originated from a very, very talented artist with about only 20k page views who happens to have the same first name as I do. And one day, we will take over the world. :3
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Hi everyone!

I've decided to do a feature entry, inspired by the lovely ~rosalys, who was kind enough to feature me.

The first 20 people who comment on this journal entry will have 3 of their deviations (chosen by me) featured in this post. When I have edited this entry and you're featured here, make an entry like this one in your own journal, and don't forget to feature me in 1st place! Thank you.


Originated from :


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Hello guys!

I finally got the Copic stuff I ordered online some time ago.

I got a bunch of empty Copic Sketch to fill with my great Tria inks! Why didn't I think about it earlier... That's what I thought when I realized Otaku fuel had empty markers.

I already tried the Tria-ink-filled Copic markers, and they work great. My scanner is unpacked now, still not plugged, but it's only a matter of time. Then I'll be able to upload what I've been drawing. :3

I also got some paper - Kent paper (from Akadot this time, Otaku Fuel didn't have it), and the so-called manga paper by Copic. I hesitated a bit, and it was hard finding online reviews for these papers. But whatever, I had a little money left for that as well (though now I'm totally broke \o/), so I thought I'd give it a try.

I also got some Copic inks, grey inking pen, white ink, among other things.

I might write a review later for some of the stuff I ordered, because it could be useful to other people. Damn, it was sooo frustrating looking for reviews on the drawing materials I was interested in, especially paper. It almost drove me mad because I couldn't find any, and I don't like buying something when it's expensive and I have no chance to try it myself.

In the end, I didn't get the chance to test everything yet, because of my stupid time-consuming job.

By the way, I feel like going back to art school lately. I'm not too old for that yet! è_é So, if any frenchies have information on french art schools that aren't public, I'll be glad to hear about it. +_+

Hi everyone! :3

Lately, I've been considering going back to traditional methods. Truth is, I used to love my alcohol markers before getting a tablet and (somewhat) getting a grasp of related techniques. Also, I became too much of a perfectionist as far as digital art goes. I feel like I need to go over the basics again, inking and coloring wise.

I currently own mostly Tria markers, made by Letraset. I also own about 20 ink refills, so drying out is not a problem. I used to love their semi-opaque and bright colors. When I was young and inexperienced in such matters, I'd use them for cell-shading style coloring. I have about 80, so I have plenty enough to color as I see fit.

However, now I'm much more experienced (trial and error as well as time do that, so do years in art school), I'd like to try out a different style with markers. I'd really like to try the softer blending techniques – I’m going for the “Clamp look”, if you know what I mean.

I have to admit I love Copic (Sketch and Ciao) markers way more than the good old Tria. I love how Copic ink is transparent and subtle. I also love their brush nib : since my Tria are the old model, which was discontinued while I was playing around on my computer, they don't have a brush tip. And after reading how lame the new model is, I don't plan on getting any (cap coming off in pencil case, marker getting dried after only a few days).

So, the only option for me would be to get more Copics. I already own about 20, which is nice, but I miss a few colors. Like maybe some dull purple for shading. I also have no yellows, and only one red. Anyways, I like these babies, so I'd inevitably want to get more at some point. ^^

In my area, there's this one store that sell Copic markers. I like Sketch markers more than Ciao, not only because they have more colors and are slower to dry, but also because I like how they fit in my hand. Of course, that store doesn't have Sketch markers, they only have Ciao and original Copic (the square ones), so I thought I'd order some Copic Sketch online.

I tried getting as much information about Copic in the past days. However, I came to the conclusion that online information can't be that relevant, for a very good reason : color rendition. How do I know how a color looks, when what's displayed on my computer screen could be deceitful? Scanners, image compression, software color handling and monitor set up can change actual colors. It's just not the real thing. Also, if you look at the Copic color wheel on their official website, you'll notice that some colors are almost the same, even though these are supposedly from different markers. That's probably why they also have a hand color chart.

There's still a problem though : that store in my area doesn't sell Sketch markers, so how am I supposed to actually sample the colors that only exist in Sketch? If I can't try them out, I won't be able to know which markers I should order online.

I also have another question : what paper should I use for a well-blended look? Since I used to go for a cell-shading style, basic marker paper, as well as copier paper would be good enough. But marker paper is no good for blending, and copier paper tends to feather too much for this technique. I read somewhere that smooth and somehow thick paper would fit the look I'm going for, but that still doesn't tell me what paper I should get. I'd need an example to understand better what kind of paper is needed for a nice blended look.

So, any ideas?