Guilty pleasures

So, only like three weeks left until we leave for Japan.

I can't wait to get out of this cigarette stinking house! Allthough Japan has cigarette stinking bars and live halls and I'll be very short of money :p

But before we go there's so much I have to do!

Not to mention the preperations for the trip itself, I have to finish Like Totally Teenage Lovers (there are about 16 pages left to draw, and I can't find my blue sharp pen), and I have to finish at least two more of the books I'm illustrating for.

The thing is, my writer doesn't actually know I'm going to Japan...

I've promised I'll finish the books by Christmas, and I'll do my best. If I manage to pull myself together it probably won't be a problem, it's just that it's ... kind of a boring job.

Also, considering I didn't do ANY work the last time I was in Japan I can imagine she won't be very pleased finding out I'm going again. So I feel I kind of have to show her something when I tell her...

I also have to finish sketches for several short comics, and I have a comission, but that one's not so urgent, luckily.

With all this I should have no time to play around, and still I managed to have a trip into rural Norway, AND get dangerously drunk this weekend (Let's talk about that in a different post. The country trip, not the drunkness), and I had time to make this:

It's So, one of the vocalists from Las Vegas, which I listen to far too much these days!
Now before you ask about the unicorn, I don't have a good explenation. Partly, the band, and especially So, and their music somehow makes me think of that game that everyone were so obsessed with, Robot Unicorn Attack. 
Anyway, this is done in water colours, on this paper that I found on sale in a shop. I really like this paper, it dries quick but not too quick, and it's not so rough you can see it on the scan. This scan is hardly edited at all!
And it's a very nice size, I can't paint water colours on a big sheet.



As if that wasn't enough, I've been doing a little side project these last two days. Figured I had to practice my Photoshop skills again.

I actually quite like it, all though I can't shake the feeling there is still soooo much to learn. And I get bored after a while and get lazy. I mean it takes so long to draw like this!
I bet one day I will look back at this one and laugh at my sorry skills in digital art, but for now, I'm actually really happy with it. Especially the kagerou.
Could do with a frame, maybe?

Here's the original:

I drew this in ink and scanned it, just like with comics and stuff. Maybe I'll hand colour the original some time too, but NOT NOW!! XD

There's no time!!

Nyanyanyanyanyanyanynanyannyannyan～♪

Last week we had our friend Fran come over from England. 

The week started out with Desucon, which is the biggest Japan nerd convention in Norway. But before that I left my home and went to Oslo to meet with Cat and Fran.

Whenever a foreign friend comes to visit, us Oslo people feel the need to show them how big part of our culture café life is ^-^

 

I managed to pick a piece of the leaf off on our table plant, and then I felt bad about it. Unfortunately noone had glue, so we couldn't give it a permanent solution. Sorry, mr. Pot.

My dear friend, Cat, finding a new interesting way to wear a sweater :D

And this is Frans ribbons.

After two days of sewing, cutting labels and sticking them on, she was ready for Desucon. Cause we weren't just going there (honestly, I probably wouldn't have been there just for fun), we had all ordered artstands.

So the next day we were up very early to get ready to go. They opened for the crew at 8 in the morning. We almost made it :p

Cat and I tried to take a picture in the mirror.
That went well :p

Seriously, I hate this camera, can't wait to get my charger back!

So here are our stands. Cat and I are cheap enough to share one XD
But there's a theme! We're whitey and Blackey!

Lol, I completely disappear into the painting behind.
Since all our friends are so busy (ok, Jack was actually sick) we kind of all joined in on Frans stand when it was nesescary, but luckily most people at Desucon are very good at English!
And at the end of the day Julie came by to help out.

This was a picture I sold. I was up late the night before to finish all the damn butterflies, so I disn't have the chance to scan it. But I'm happy I sold it! I'm happy every time someone wants my stuff!

This is a little painting that I didn't sell. I honestly thought I'd sell alot more of the mini paintings, but I only sold two and then I gave one away to this really cute little girl who was all out of money. Her and her sister, who was also really adorable, were hanging around the stands the last day. They kept switching their cosplays, which was really confusing, even though they didn't really look anything alike XD

More Norwegian culture, people!!
The sandwich lunch pack! I actually cheated, you're not supposed to put two slices of bread together, but it just makes it that much easier to wrap.
The point is saving money and staying healthy!

This was probably the most impressive thing I saw on the first day. Giant light man!
Ofcourse there were lots of interesting looking people, Norwegian cosplayers are getting better and better. Ofcourse there is a huge gap between the really great ones and the ones just dressing up, but I'm impressed. And also, some people had made their own costumes for their own characters, which was cool!
One day I'm gonna make a cosplay worthy character! (Then I', probably gonna have to play it myself)

When we came out afterwards we turned the corner and there was the old gang from Blitz (that's the punkrock club we used to hang out at), playing croquet in the street XD

Actually this was an event we were invited to on Facebook a long time ago, but they kept changing the date, so I kind of just gave up on it.
Because of getting up early the next morning we couldn't stay and party, so we just chatted for a bit and then left for Cat and Jacks apartment again.

Cat and I on day two!

And lookit! Isn't it cute!

This was probably the most impressive thing I saw the second day, that I hadn't already seen the day before, ofcourse.
I'm not a huge fan of animé and manga, and not really of fantasy or sci-fi either, except for the odd series ofcourse, and here's my problem with Desucon.
Being in charge of such a huge convention is hard and even though there were some problems, I think they do a great job at that.
BUT they greatly favor the "old school" nerd business, like anime, manga and games, and exclude or downprioritize the new things like j-fashion and j-music, that's reqruiting a lot of new Japan-fans all over the world now!
The last time they had Versailles come over and it was a great live, all though it was hell for the people in charge. This year there was ZERO j-music on the programme, and as for j-fashion, there was ONE fashion show, placed at the shittiest time on the schedule. Half an hour after the doors opened. They weren't even finished letting people in yet. And they could have easily put one of the seminars they had two or three different spots for there, but no. They think that this isn't important, and that kind of pisses me off.
I was into manga at one point, then I stopped being into it and years later I started studying Japanese BECAUSE I LIKE VISUAL KEI (Ok, that was emberassing, but never the less true!). The reason why I wanted to go to Japan was not anime or manga, or cosplay or videogames.
And I know there are lots of lots of other people out there who are interested in these things, but not particularily in anime and manga. Where is the con for those people in Norway, if our "leading arrangers" don't want to include them?

Calm down now. This is fish that Fran made for us for supper, when we were exhausted after the second day.
Was soooo good! And sleep too was so good!

Going going more one step!

I've had a super fun week!

Because our friend Fran came from England, we all stayed at Cat and Jacks place. In the weekend we had stalls at the big nerd convention in Oslo, and during the week we've been drawing, having a barbeque, baked cake, been drunk and shopped.
I'll write some more about it later (I promise!) and post some pictures, but having fun wears you out and I'm tired now. Also, I have to pack up my shit, 'cause I'm still at Cats place, and it's like ten in the evening.
It doesn't get dark in Norway, but I should be getting home soon.

But! I will post the artsies I've been doing today and yesterday!
Fran helped me out with Photoshop, and also got me an updated version, and I feel like I'm finally making progress!
 I used some pictures I already had scannet in my computer.
 

The top one is a doll I made a mascot fom Frans stall, Pincandy. 

This one....

... I did today, and it's a little bit more advanced.
It's an early take on Kagerou, the main character of "The Garden Underground", which is the comic I'm planning to concentrate on when Like Totally is finished. Actually I'm already concentrating a lot on it.
I did make two versions of the drawing, one with the title in English as well, but then I didn't pay attentiopn while saving and I deleted it :p But who cares, right?

I get so impatient at the end of a digital drawing, I feel like I'm gonna explode! Everything takes so long!
But I'm finally really happy with the result. I know it's not anywhere near brilliant, but at least I feel that I can now do the things I initially wanted to use Photoshop for, which is things like simple dolls and character presentations.

Artsy fartsy news!

As usual, sorry for not updating more, but I can assure you that not much is going on these days. I think I'm generally less happy than I've been in years, but let's not dwell on that! Let's go to the news, because they're the good kind!

First of all, I got a mail from the Kemi-people (that's the all Scandinavian comic contest I entered a while back), saying that I got 4.th place!
I didn't even know they had a 4.th XD But I'm really happy!
It doesn, unfortunately mean, that I won't be able to post "Skinnene Synger" (The Tracks are singing ?:P) for you here, which is really a shame, 'cause it's probobly one of the best comics I ever have and ever will make, at least theme-and story vice.

But! it does mean that it will be printed in something called the Kemi competition anthology, and also I will receive some tax free mooneys (゜▽、゜)
Maybe it'll be translated into english, I don't know. One of the criteria was that the series be in a Nordig language, but the price ceremony or whatever is in Finland.
Too bad it would cost me most of my prize money to go, I've never been to Finland before.

Second, this:

No news really, just a drawing I finished yeasterday that I was quite happy with. Since it's kind of small for my exhibition in May (A4), I think I'll bring it to Desu-con (anime convention) this year, if we do realize our plans of having a stand there this year. We meaning Cat and I.

Third, this:

Also just a drawing I finished that I wanted to show off. God I love pencils! Why did I kind of forget how fabulous pencils are, all by themselves!?
This picture is A3, and I am planning to bring to the exhibition, though I'm not sure the general art people in my part of the country are into this kind of thing.
I've been hung up on twisted angels, right. Still am ^^ And I tried to incorporate it with visual kei, but I realized it's kind of hard, since I'm not much into the classic visual kei anymore. I was really happy with it anyway though.

Last post on the agenda today, and this is something you might actually be interested in :p
I finally got around to making a blog for Like Totally Teenage Lovers!

The plan was to make it in Comicpress, but the fact is that I'm an idiot when it comes to computers, and even following the tutorials I couldn't make it happen, so until I have the time to sit down and have friend teach me the knacks, it will be another blogspot blog:
http://liekttly.blogspot.com

Followers and comments are very much apreciated! Also, tell all your friends, ofcourse :p
I also changed the posting date to Tuesday, by the way. That's the same day that I update the original(Norwegian) comic, so it'll be a bit more routine...ish.

So! See ya! Got tons to do right now^o^/

Like Totally Teenage Lovers 11-12

I didn't forget!
Ok, I did forget. Maybe Thursday is a very bad day for publishing, since I always seem to forget. Bayme I should change it to Thuesday, which is the same day I publish the new pages on my Norwegian blog, that would make it easier to remember both ^^
Anyway, here's the next two pages of Like Totally teenage lovers. Page 12 really didn't pose any problems on the translating part:p Hope you like them!


I am now just inking page 40 and 41, so I'm about half way through the story. I can't believe how long it's taken me XD Will try to work faster in the future, all though there are loooots of things to do!

Just got the message that the childrens books I've been working on illustrations for will be published, but we don't have much time... at the same time, I've got an exhibition to make another 7 images for, need to finish the piece for my bros restaurant, and also make a 10 pager by the end of this month, that I havn't even started sketching for ...

Anyway, the trip to Japan in May is cancelled, which is probably for the best. Right now we need to focus on helping out there, and I don't think going there on vacation will be helping out much. That and, if there is a risk of radiation I wouldn't be doing me or my future children any favours.
I've been doing a little volunteering for the Red Cross, wish I had time to do more right now!

Stressful days

Yesterday my friend Jack and I went to a photo session. She had gotten an invite, and was asked to bring one friend for free styling and photographing.
I'm not very good with these things, I do take my own picture in the mirror all the time, but it's different when I'm only grinning at myself. But I need practice.
This was such an akward position, but actually turned out one of the best photoes. Now I just have to make my dad believe he's paying for my student loan when he pays the bill. Very very clever way of earning money, I have to say f^^

I was goint to Tegnekveld (the weekly meeting of comicers in Oslo), but turns out I'd forgotten to bring the comic I was working on, so we just went home to Jacks place and watched Harpers Island, when we weren't reading the news ofcourse.
After that I went to my moms place. Her boyfriend is away, though he's there in spirit:
He's from Iceland XD
Anyway, I'm here for a couple of days.

Today has been somehow stressing.
I feel tired, though I'm not sure why.
Ofcourse the whole thing that's happening in Japan is effecting me a lot. It was a shock to suddenly wake up to this, and I had a frantic couple of hours trying to get a hold of all my friends to find out if they were alive. The details were still very unclear then and I had no idea what had hit where or anything. I was told that cell phones were out of service a lot of places.
I heard from Sayaka, who could use the internet, and she also told me Mina was allright, though alone and kind of frantic. Couldn't get hold of Kibby, but after he finally came home. He'd had to walk, 'cause trains were not moving and his cell was out of service.
Also heard from my Norwegian friends, they were shook, but not hurt. Chris was already in an internet interview in the net news.
Some people answered on mixi, 'cause their phones were out but aparrently computers were working (this was after the main quake). I couldn't get a hold of Tomo, and when I called him I got an engaged signal, so I thought he was dead for sure for like three hours!
Togane, where our school is, is quite close to the ocean, we went there on our bikes the first summer we were there. The beach is really beautiful, and then me and a girl in my class nearly drowned. It's a place for surfing, the current is too strong for bathing, really.
Luckily, Tomo was allright too. He was cooped up at school, and he said there was "lots of water" but aparrently not inside or anything.
They had to stay there all night and sing cumbaya though, 'cause the trains weren't moving.
Uncle D told me Okinawa hadn't been affected at all, so no worrying for them. He also got in contact with the people from Rowthe, and it seems they were allright.
And finally Nuts answered me. He seemed to take things surprisingly chill, but then he always seems chilla bout everything.

There's nothing chill about the situation right now though. Chiba and Tokyo seems to be pretty safe from shaking and waves, and it's good to know that my friends won't be crushed by debris anytime soon, but it doesn't change the fact that people in the north are fighting for their lives. I also know some people who have family in the north.
I havn't been able to watch any of the videos, 'cause it really effects me a lot more than I had expected it to. I've always though I loved the people and the fun things, but really deep down I kind of hated the country. But seeing it being crushed to bits really digs me out inside...
Also, ofcourse, the nuclear threat goes for the entire country... I just have nothing to say about that, there is nothing to say right now.

Also, it's very stressing with all the negativity towards people who show support who are not "qualified" to. I know none of these things have been directed at me, since I've got so many personal ties in Japan, but as someone who has those ties I just wish everyone welcome right now. I've written more about this before, and I'm just not going to waste any more energy on it right now.

Also, I know it's ironically popular to be politically incorrect these days, but this is not ok to joke about yet. Humor is a good thing, but it is all about timing, and now is NOT the time.

For something completely different, here are a few of the pictures I did for a quarter piece for my brothers restaurant.


He wanted simple, so I tried it out. Not my strongest side, after all, but I'm quite happy^^
The scribbles are from the lyrics of the song Generation by 12012. It's really like a "new millenia" new year song, though it was out in like... 2008? :p
And this is where I post a youtube link, only I can't really find it. It's only an album track and not a single f^^;

Send me your story!

I've been drawing this over the last two days. It's A3, so it took quite some time! It's going to be a piece of an even larger collage.
When people see things like this the first thing they mention is usually the hair.
If you havn't noticed I have a lot of fun with drawing hair, especially cursly hair. The thing about this kind of drawing is that it's not really hard, it just takes a lot of time. I usually come away surprised when I'm finished, because it looks really cool, and I didn't really sweat that much^^

Two other things!
Bobla, which is a collection by the Oslo comicers group I'm in, is now out in stores! I hope lots of people will buy it!
It is a collection of independent 1 to 10 pages stories, all made by amature artists, and it's really good!I need to start paying more attention to the other comicers around me!

Anyway, for the next issue, they urge us to do collaborations. In other words, the story and the drawings will be done by different people. I've never done this before, and I'm not really sure I'm going to have the time to submit anything, but I want to try.
So, I'm asking you to send me your story!

If you have something that you feel would make a good 1 to 10 pages comic, send it to me. I won't laugh at you or critisize you, unless I'm interested, then I might send suggestions and questions. If I decide to draw your story your name will, ofcourse be on the credits, and if you're not a Norwegian speaker I will also do an English version and post it here^^
My mail adress is hoshifune @ gmail . com
(without the spaces, ofcourse ^^) anything is welcome!

In search of the local Erotic Boutique

So yes, long time since I posted anything except the comic, I know.
Last week, my friend Kimmie came to visit, and we had an unhealthy few days, staying in most of the time and eating sweets, which I usually try not to eat during the week.
Waffles by my dad. They're awsome, especially on a cold winters night.
The one day we did go out, we were actually only going to the big supermarked in town, but then Kimmie insisted he's find the local sex shop, 'cause he wants to buy some japanese rope-nonsense, which is apparently "an art" Not just bondage". Whatever.
Last week kind of reminded me of how strange Norwegians often think the Japanese are. I mean, Japan IS strange. It still is to me too, but not in the way that we're led to believe over here.
Anyway, I'd never seen a sex shop in our town, and we couldn't find it either. Kimmie even went in to a hair salon and asked directions XD I hid outside, the whole thing reminded me of an episode from Osaka this Christmas, but I don't think you guys want to hear about that :p
Seems there was no sex shop (I'm sorry, erotic boutique) in town after all, but we'd walked all the way up to the theatre, so Kimmie offered topay for a movie ticket (I am really broke), and we ended up seeing the Grit.
I'd seen it reviewed on TV a few days earlier, and it seemes cool. And it was! I'm actually not a fan of the Cohens, some of their movies just don't take it all the way to the hype, but I really liked this one! Except the ending maybe, which was a bit of an anticlimax, but I'm not going to say more about it, 'cause I think everyone should go see it!
Kimmie, from when we hung out at the supermarked, waiting for the movie to start. His face looks so sreious here, but he's really not that kind of guy XD
I'm sure it's old news, but I had no idea you could buy Duff beer now f^^;
On our way home we encountered an ice sculpture of sorts... Yes.

And then there was the home made banana split, no wonder my trousers feel tighter this week O__O
Anyway, it was really nice having someone to talk to and not be alone and isolated in my office all the time. We saw almost everything I have of animé, some of it I havn't watched for years! Not EVA though, it still makes me miss Nuts. And most of my other movies as well.
The thing about my friend here though, is that he's like a 14 year old in his head. I'm not joking, and I'm not exagerating either. I'm just fascinated (and sometimes annoyed) at how he can ... NOT KNOW all the things he doesn't know, and how he's very unreflected on a lot of things that comes completely natural to most other people I know. Makes me realize how much I actually got out of high school!

Well, I did get a lot of comicing done, and I also made this:
It's a drawing I've been thinking about for a while, and I'm quite happy with how it turned out.
I now only have eight drawings left before I've finished my quota for the exhibit in May :D

This week I borrowed my dads debit card (no, seriously, he just lent it to me) and went into Oslo. This is how poor I am, look:
I've had to mend my tights in several places. Ok, both knees, 'cause I fell down those stairs at the train station in Osaka XD
I didn't go to crazy with the card, 'cause I know my dad will give me money for any reasonable needs I have, if I can just make myself ask, but I did treat myself to food, and some money for saving and a 7-day travel pass, so this week I'll be moving around!
This is what our house looks like right now. The wether is crazy! Hot-cold-hot-cold. The snow is coming down the roof every time, it's a miracle it hasn't come down on anybodys head yet!
Even if everything outside is covered in white though, I think this weather kinda gives a tingle of spring. I mean, very soon everything's going to be sloshy and discusting, and after that we'll actually be able to see the sphalt again!
I really can't wait for spring ^^

On another note, I tried to dye my hair brown the other day. How hard can it be right?
I don't know if it's because my hair is so fucked up(it really is!) or because the dye was so old (it really was!) or maybe it's just because I've got tons of bad karma (seriously, tons!), but it kinda turned... red... or orange...
I havn't been this colours since I was a little mall goth, hanging out at the manga store and trading Pokemon cards XD I don't hate red hair though, but I don't think it's for me. It doesn't go well with pink and just generally doesn't suit my style. I guess it's fitting then, that I'm in this huge identity crisis right now.
Yesterdays outfit (the one in the picture with that gourgious smile on my face ^^;) was supposed to be oshare kei, but I soon realized I looked more like a circus gyaruo XD
ハロ。どこ行くの？ちょっと遊ばない？ご飯でも行かない？

サーカスに連れて行くぜ。

Love and peace out, I've got a traveling pass to make use of XD

Like Totally Teenage lovers page 3-4

Time for the next two pages of "Like Totally Teenage lovers"!
You might notice that the font have changed, that's just 'cause I kinda can't remember what font I used the last time, and I can't find it :p
If you happen to know the name of that font, please tell me. Also, feel free to tell me what you think of this one. I wanted one that's kind og freehand-ish, but also easy to read. Is this too "fancy"?



Yes, ehmm. I do hate it when I read a magazine and the machine text is just pasted on top of something. I'm talking about the panel where he reads the phone mail. Originally, ofcourse, it was written in angle with the phone screen, in Norwegian, but since I am now just editing on the computer and I'm too lazy and low tech to really learn how to do the angle-writing thing f^^; Hope you forgive me, and please notice how I have bothered to make the letters two size bigger for each line. See? I care!
Also, the * indicates the untranslated bit in the last panel. As I went about writing this in Norwegian, I aim at an audience who doesn't nesescarily inderstand Japanese, so everything of importance (like the language settings on his phone) I do in Norwegian. I can't stand when people just assume that the audience knows Japanese or French for that matter.
Anyway, I didn't want to go in and fidget with something that's so much part of the artwork, so I made a little shortcut.
Again, hope you enjoyed this, and feel free to look up the earlier pages by looking up the tag #likttly
More to come next week!

Wildcats

Yesterday I spent all day making this:
It's an idea I've had for a while, inspired by the fact that every decent (or I guess that would be indecent) gyaruo have leopard print underwear XD The leaopard print part is fabric, the rest is coloured in Copic markers. I don't know why I suddenly had the urge to use them, 'cause I thought I really sucked at it. Anyway, it turned out quite nice, even though I still have a lot of practice to do.
I had a very limited selection of markers:
Bought these a while ago, in Japan, and havn't used them much since. Now I'm seriously considering investing in a few essentials, like red and grey, and get serious about that practice, 'cause I just had so much fun!

On V-day it was my dads B-day, so I decided to bake him a cake.
Banana cake. Haha, poor banana.
Turned out really good, even though it's been a while since I've baked anything, and I've never been particularily good at it. But that's another thing that I love doing, so I have gotten a lot of practice :D

I've been getting various interesting mail from abroad lately, but when I got one from Peking University yesterday I was very very puzzled. Then I got really happy, 'cause it turned out of was from my friend Julie, in China (stealing stationary much?XD)
It was a Chinese Newyears letter, with a chineez moneyz and a super cute Year-of-the-bunny envelope. That one I'm gonna put on my wall. I can't wait 'till she comes home!

I also went to my comicing circle on Monday, even though it was freezing cold outside. I've decided to make a real comitment to it, sort of as practice? I havn't been late once since I came back from Japan.
Yeah... It's only a fase, I swear.
Cold weather calls for wrapping up.

I decided today was gonna be my day off, kinda. Since I'm kind of exhausted from yesterday. Can't guarantee I won't end up drawing anyway though :p
I'm trying to make myself do that damn phone call anyway. And then I'm going to meet Cat in Oslo.
Have a nice day, everyone.