The Epic Summer of Photoshop

The Epic Summer of Photoshop. I was on a roll with learning digital art. I was still a Deviantart newbie and wanted my art to look as good as the cool kids' pictures. At the time I did not have a tablet, so everything here was drawn, scanned/photographed, then colored with a mouse. 

Marawe gives wise advice.

I love this picture just because of how casually I mentioned a list of things I hate. I think she hates wearing clothes.

Kenoko the magical cat angel. I will always have a soft spot for this artwork. I love the colors and her character design, and it must have been so fun to work on this one too.

One of my older OCs, Naoyo Rakuen. (I recently changed her name to Naoyo Rakugaki.)

Random angel girl.

My Inuyasha fan characters Sakura (left) and.... I have no idea who the other girl is. Also, I like the background because I have no idea what's going on. Half forest, half sea? 

Random girl in a school outfit. I loved messing around with the different brushes in Photoshop. They were so sophisticated compared to OekakiBBS that I couldn't help but go nuts!

Me, my cat, and my younger cousin. We would browse Deviantart together and squeal over pretty anime artworks.

My eponymous OC Steimei. The fashion was inspired by Fushigi Yugi. All of my coloring was done using burn and dodge because that was the advice I got from my favorite artist. I actually really like how this one came out. 

A sun and moon themed mermaid. I think this one is really cool too and it would be fun to revisit. I had a thing for sheer fabric and gold trim.

First pictures in Photoshop

This is my very first picture done in Photoshop, featuring my eponymous OC, Steimei. I went wild with the various features that weren't in OekakiBBS. Looking back, it's interesting to see how I tried to transfer my Oekaki coloring style into a different software. Also, I couldn't figure out how to make the lines transparent.

I went completely buckwild with layer styles and special effects. That's what Photoshop's all about, baby!

This is my OC, Ebak. (Pronounced E-bake) She is a primordial version of my OC, Emily. 

Fun fact: unbeknownst to me for many years, "ebak" is a Filipino slang word for evacuating the bowels. Be careful about making up your own names and words... you never know what it might mean in a nother language!

I loved coming up with those fancy dress designs. I was obsessed with Fushigi Yugi at the time and all the fancy outfits.

This is my OC, Marawe. (Pronounced MARA-way) 

She is the original incarnation of what is now Herrington. They are so far apart they are completely different characters at this point. Marawe was a priestess. I borrowed a lot from Fushigi Yugi.

Mermaid warrior. Honestly? I still absolutely love this one because of the the design and the colors. I'd draw her again.

Another mermaid warrior. I loved giving people and animals wings, even if it makes no sense. The only other explanation is that they're actually space mermaids. Which is actually a lot cooler in my opinion.

One of my favorite things about being an artist is the memories associated with each picture, even if it has nothing to do with the picture itself. I was just wrapping up 6th grade. I was just starting my art journey, spending lots of time on Deviantart and drawing in Photoshop. Summer of 2005 was epic. (As I would say.)

I love this one because it's such a bad artwork but so honest and free about its intentions:

• Obnoxious lens flare
• Illogical color choices
• Random rainbow
• Badly drawn background
• Liberal use of textures and effects

It's a bad picture, but I miss the experimental freedom that came along with it. Childhood is magical!

Here's Ebak again. I entered this one into a contest for something and genuinely thought I would win. Can I have some of that naïve confidence back?!

Starry Hair

Ahh, these drawings make my heart sing with nostalgia!!! They were done in the now-defunct OekakiBBS. This online drawing app was my first serious foray into digital art. It helped me make a relatively easy transition into Photoshop.

OekakiBBS was the bomb. You could have your own website where people could draw and post pictures they did in Oekaki, and others could comment on it. It was basic HTML coding but highly customizable. I'm so sad this isn't a thing anymore. Communities were so much more tight-knit back then. There was a tremendous overlap with Deviantart and (the also defunct) Sheezyart. What a time to be alive that was!!!

Memories of OekakiBBS

This was one of my most ambitious artworks in OekakiBBS. It was directly inspired by Yuu Watase's dramatic group portraits.

Let me just say I have no idea who half of these people are.

This one was inspired by a shot in the Fushigi Yugi opening. 

My girl's got calves for days.

This ish MEEEE! ^_^

You gotta have rainbow hair otherwise it's not a proper Mary Sue.

These names are all Inuyasha fan characters and I have no idea who most of them are.

My cousin made fun of this one because the girl looks muscular. 

I like the experimental colors for this one. She's red and purple because why not.

An early attempt at photo realism. I was inspired by the awesome artists on the Japanese OekakiBBS site. It still blows me away what other artists could do in this little web-based applet.

I drew + posted this to somebody else's Oekaki board. I still vividly remember one of the other regulars commenting "her face scurrs me o.O" I was offended, but... yeah...

I still like this one quite a lot. I just wish she had a body. Poor thing.

It just keeps going

Chapter Two: Tamahome goes to the Sengoku Jidai

Starring: Sakura, Sesshoumaru, Tamahome, Bara, Shippou, Miroku, Sango, Pudding, Tasuki

What's going on: After being trapped in a room with Ichigo,  Tamahome needs to escape.  He runs to the Higurashi Shrine and jumps into the well!

Story!

(This one is a LOT longer than the first chapter) And ; is a sweat drop. You know? Good! ^ ^ 

"There! I think I'm safe now," Tamahome says as he gets out of the well.  He realizes he is in the Sengoku Jidai.

As Tama-chan walks into the village, everyone makes the same reaction as they did when Kagome first came! They freaked out because his clothes were Chinese. They kick him out of the village. 

So he walks in the forest to fine another Chinese person!  Her name is Pu-lin, a least that's what he THINKS she said.  (Her name is Pudding.) Tama-chan asks for some money, just as Pudding (or Purin) is about to perform to get his money.  Two Chinese money grubbers! Purin is a bandit, a fire breathing monkey!  Once she killed everyone because she wasn't auditioned. ;_; ANyway, she blows fire into the sky, and this guy with reddish hair shows up! Another bandit!

"I think I know you," the guy says.

"The guy who is a fire guy! Your name is Billy Bob Thorton, right?"

"*Sarcasm* Yes, that's me, alright!"

"OH I LOVE YOU! AN AUTOGRAPH, PLEEEEEEASE?"

"Of course I'm not Bob Thorton or whatever his name is. I am 'The Guy'. I hate women and milk and water."

"Oh. *Sweat* You are Tasuki, no?"

"Duh?"

Tasuki uses his Tessen on Tama-chan and he is burnt to a crisp.

Tamahome says, "You were under the little red barrier and died!"

"!?! No. While no one was looking, I escaped, and jumped into a well 'cause I was thirsty!"

"Why is there a hand mark on your face like someone slapped you?"

Tasuki replies, "Oh, I asked someone if they had any raisins or dates. ^_^;"

"You're a cheeseball."

Tamahome leaves.  A guy named Miroku walks by with a kitten, some little midget fox dude named Shippou, and a girl named Sango.  Tama-chan is interested in the little kitten!  

"Can I hold your kitty, pweeeeeeeeez?" Tamahome pleads.  Sango is confused.  

"Okay, then.;" 

As he picks up the kitten, a shadow covers up the land. It is Sesshoumaru, the red giant guy, and... Sakura? (She hitched a ride on the red guy to look for... something.)  She drinks a can of Vanilla Coke. 

"Hey," she says. "What's up? Who are you? Where are you from? When's your birthday? Hello?"

Tamahome becomes confused??? He just laughs nervously, and says, "I am Tamahome!  I am mad at my girlfriend and she cheated on me by making out with two other Seishi and some guy who looks like me. Then she locked me up with some crazed cat girl on crack named Ichigo, and she sange the most annoying songs an--"

Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Kirara the kitten leave.

"Whoa whoa whoa. You have a problem then, neeeee?" 

"Oh yes."

"Um, you got a problem, then talk to Bara-chan, nee!"

"You like nee."

"Yes, now shut up so I can get Bara-chan."

"What is your name though?"

"Sakura, nya!"

"Ichigo? AHHHH GOD COME DOWN TO SAVE MEEEE!"

"I am not Ichigo, whoever she is."

"Oh. ;"

Sakura is very confused.  She has no idea who this so called Ichigo is.  

Tamahome realizes he is free.  "FWEEEE! I'M FREE! y00t! I MEAN w00t!!"

Sesshoumaru is still there watching.  He wonders if Tamahome is on crack. "He probably is," he thinks.

Sakura goes to the neko village. Everyone there is a neko youkai. Kirara used to live there, but she is visiting it with Sango (they just arrived!). Sakura gets to the village at last. She sees Kirara in human form, but she has kitty ears and a tail.  

"Kirara-chan, do you know where Bara-sama is?"

"I think she is at the Mountain Temple. Why not look there?"

Sakura thanks her and goes to the Mountain Temple, a public village place for the neko people.  She hears smashing sounds, and... there is Bara smashing rap CDs Kagome gave her to smash. ;

"SHINU RAPPU! SHIIINUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!"

Sakura just sits there. "Okkkayyy..." she thinks.  "Bara-chan, please stop smashing those 'rap CDs' and come help this guy with a blue mullet. His name is Tamahome. You can have the last bottle of Vanilla Coke if you come."

Meanwhile Sango is joyriding on Kirara.  I think Tasuki left the sake in the forest and Sango drank it... ; "WHOOOOO! C'MON KIRARA!! LET'S RAID... the candy store." Kirara nya-s in Nekonese, "WOOTIES!"

Bara and Sakura go back to Tamahome.  He is being terrorized by Shippou! He sees a picture of the crazed cat girl Ichigo, and transforms into her!  Only he has a kitsune shippo (tail... in Japanese. Surprising, neee?) instead of a neko shippo.  He sings Oops I Did It Again by Britney Spears and Barbie Girl. 

Tama-chan is ready to kill this kid! But Sakura the neee demon (no, she's a neko demon!) and Bara show up. "Shippou san, quit acting like you smoked dope and leave Tama-san alone!"

"Okies," Shippou replies. Then he calls out, "Houshi-sama!"  He is calling for Miroku for there are girls for him to flirt with.  Uh oh.;;; 

Miroku comes to the spot. Tamahome says, "THIS FANFICTION SUCKS. TO HELL WITH IT."

So then, all the characters suddenly disappeared and returned to their original stories. All the Inuyasha characters went in a building and it blew up. Guess what happens?

Yep. THEY DIED. 

My old shame, exposed!!!

 It is time I reveal an old shameful secret... I used to trace art when I was 12. I would load up official anime art in OekakiBBS, trace it, and color it. Behold... the fruits of my laziness!

I was so proud of this one that I submitted it to a Fushigi Yugi fan site back when that was a thing. And they actually posted it!!! 

Traced an official artwork of Chichiri but replaced it with my Inuyasha fan character. Or maybe it's just Chichiri in a snazzy wig.

You can especially tell this one is traced because of where I took some artistic liberties. Check out those feet.

My best guess is that I traced because I wanted to feel like I was a better artist than I actually was. Or I wanted to color something without having to draw anything first.

Sakura the Neko Youkai

This is my Inuyasha fan-character Sakura. She is a cat demon who duel-wields swords.

I like this one because it's honest about the fact that it's a self-insert. The nature of the Inuyasha universe makes it very easy to imagine yourself in their world. 

... And yes, I shipped myself Sakura with Sesshoumaru.

Some more fan characters. From left to right:

• Umi - random fan character, no idea who she is, but I never did anything further with it.
• Kiva - this was my school friend's OC. She is a wolf demon.
• Sakura - Looking like a sassy boss. You go, girl!
• Humanized Kirara - as a cat lover, of course she was one of my favorite characters in the show, and I always wanted to know how she would look as a person.

I had one of the How to Draw Manga books and it came with some nice art materials including screen tone. 

6th grade was fun because we never did anything so I just drew and surfed the internet all day. Good times were had by all.

NYA! ~.o