4 posts tagged “school”

I do all my drawings on plain paper first (sometimes lined notebook paper for rough sketches, usually normal white printer paper for nice sketches), in pencil. Sometimes I ink them with pens (especially if I want to color it in). Then I color if I'm going to do that. The khaki-colored lolita skirts to the left were sketched, inked, and colored, but I never bothered to clean them up more. (I actually never even finished the one I got started... ;_; )

Afterwards I scan it into my computer and use Paint.NET's line tool to trace over all the lines. I usually use a width of 2 or 3 pixels for outside lines and get finer widths as the details get smaller. Since I can't really go smaller than one pixel wide I usually try to figure out how many levels of detail I want and then use that number for the first width line.

The Secret Garden lolita dress has a looot of detail, so its outside lines started quite wide. I also varied colors for borders on some of the areas (notably the skin and hair) to further differentiate.

The important thing is to use a layer above the sketch to trace (I like to trace different levels of details on different layers so then I can adjust and change my design more easily) so then when it comes time to color you can just turn off the sketch and add another layer under your lines for your color. Again, I like to have multiple layers so that I can adjust single colors as needed. It especially helps if some colors specifically go over others-- like in my

duct tape dress, the silver-gray goes under all the other colors. I happen to be extremely lazy, so I don't bother to shade. I pick a color, add it to my palette, and switch to the right layer. I use a biiig paintbrush to fill in the right areas and use an eraser to trim down anything that spills over the edges. I make a new layer for the next color and continue.

It's kind of long and a little bit complicated, but it's really not too bad. Once it's all colored I save it as a .pdn file to preserve the layers, then a .png to show it off to the internet! :)

The best part is that once it's done I can  modify it thanks to the multiple layers if I change my mind or decide it needs something else added. You can see the changes made to my Pirate Hello Kitty design as it got improved through suggestions by forumgoers on Cosplay.com.

Mmm, DDR music. <3 I'm listening to it as I do the first real homework I've had in ages -- it's calculus, naturally. Integration is weird, but oddly fun. (I don't like math, I just like doing well at it.) For me, homework means turning on some upbeat music (preferably AMVs!) and rocking out while I find the answers. It's pretty fun!

I have a bunch more stuff to get done though, so I shouldn't chill too much (well I shouldn't be writing this but I need a tiny break!): I have a one-thousand-word-or-less essay on patriotism and two graphing/derivative problems left on my calculus test to finish. I'm also going to grab another bite to eat (ergh, I'm so hungry!) soon. I've got to pack up Apples to Apples to take with me to English tomorrow too. I hope we can play. :3 It's a really fun game.

I carry a ton of stuff with me to school every day...I need to try to streamline that for tomorrow...oh jeez, and I have a rehearsal after school. I'm going to be wiped. out.

Tomorrow, I need to:

• Finish my patriotism essay
• finish (start) my essay on what I've learned outside of school that's useful (anyone have any ideas?)
• Take pictures of Carbine for her talent division in the MWD pageant
• Post the pictures here from the second round (did I do that yet?)
• Get letters of recommendation
  
• Finish my medical terminology test

and then I think that's probably it. I've likely forgotten something, but I should be able to get it all done if I can write during second and sixth hours. Posting and taking pictures will be harder.

I wanna take another video this weekend. :) I hope to get it done and I REALLY hope I can get my video camera cables soon so the sound won't be so awful!

...man, I'm busy. It's not usually this way.

Oh, and on Saturday, I hope to do a Puzzle Pirates pillage to help cool my mind off after all this work! If you play, I'm on the Veridian Ocean as Jalissa. If not, why not? It's a fun free MMORPG! I'm not terribly active on it, but I do have my own crew. :) It's just me and my friend Apricot for right now.

Ah, well, I'd better get back to calculus. Only three problems left before I switch to the test! Hope this wasn't too much text for y'all.