morna learning to draw Usagi

[morna-san]

I really like your brushwork. Your lines are very expressive.

Have fun at the seaside. I'm getting ready for the San Diego Con. No time to go to the beach there.

Thank-you Stan-sensei. You're too kind. Let me know if you take a shine to any of these - I'd love for you to have (at least) one.

I had an amazing time - drew lots but no Usagis worth showing. I may post one of the non-Usagi things just for interest. I don't think it's something I'd've done before the Usagi project.

Please don't have any more 300 drawings days. You must preserve your carpal health and your sanity. Pace yourself get lots of rest and have fun. Wish I was going too - sigh

[morna-san]

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doodling around with the pencil last night trying to get the head shape right in profile - with varying degrees of success. This cutey alarmed guy popped out. So today I tried doing the same expression with the brush pen



did a couple of really bad ones so I decided to try - on the back of a particularly messed up one - penciling a round ball and brushing over that 'cause the heads are always so elongate. Kinda wish I'd used a new piece of paper 'cause I quite like this guy. I adjusted the levels in photoshop so the lines don't show through. Kinda lost his expression unfortunately.





This one cracks me up! The line going down his nose is a bit too heavy but the brush pen sure shows the energy in the mark.

[Stan Sakai]

That last one looks especially good. It reminds me of a woodcut print I had seen.

[morna-san]

It's yours baby!

how does one go about signing something like that... apparently my name in katakana looks a bit like E~t ... but that would be hokey wouldn't it

[Cosmo]

Morna-san, rather than signing with your katakana name モーナ, why don't you use a name written in kanji ? So much classier.

両名 "two names/both persons", 諸名 "several names" or 師名 "master/teacher name" would fit. They can all be pronounced もろな (mo-ro-na), which to a Japanese ear sounds pretty close to "Morna".

By the way, what kind of brush pen are you using ? I just bought myself a Pentel GFKP, but I use it only for calligraphy.

[morna-san]

huh! interesting Cosmo. Um... I like the look of the first one but I'm not understanding the differences in the three options you gave. Are those all my name? so, is there like, 5 different ways to write it? I find the more I look at Japanese written language the more bewildering I am finding it - even on the very basic level.

I opted for an inexpensive pen to try things out. There was a fancier one almost twice the price but I talked myself out of it. I got a Pentel Color brush #101 (GFL ?). It seems to be getting low on ink and I am almost through my fan arts sketchbook so I have to go to the art store (danger danger!) tomorrow.

[Cosmo]

huh! interesting Cosmo. Um... I like the look of the first one but I'm not understanding the differences in the three options you gave. Are those all my name? so, is there like, 5 different ways to write it? I find the more I look at Japanese written language the more bewildering I am finding it - even on the very basic level.

Well, how can I explain that ? The kanji 両 諸 師 have three different global meanings - respectively "both/two", "several/multiple" and "master/teacher/doctor". 名 simply means "name" and is pronounced "na".

But, when they're used in family names or first names, those three all can be pronounced "moro".

It seems quite simple, but the amusing fact is that a single kanji can be pronounced in a thousand different ways.

For example, the first example I gave 両名 can be pronounced "morona" if considered as a proper noun... but it happens that it's also a common noun, pronounced "ryômei" and meaning "both persons".

Sorry for being off-topic, but you can see why Japanese has the reputation of being a hard language.

But to get back to brush pens, I've read from a professional illustrator that one could refill them with Pélikan A17 Drawing Ink. I haven't tried this myself yet, but as the Pentel cartridges are quite expensive and hard to find, it may be a good tip.

[morna-san]

oooo and a timely one too! I was just reading that the stuff I'm using is not particularly lightfast. I will try looking for Pelikan A17 ink tomorrow - thanks Cosmo!

Ok so the Kanji's are phonetic? I was understanding that they weren't - so confuzling. The common kanji in my name is the na part which means name - odd. Also a bit odd are the meanings for the moro kanji two and the combined moro and na kanjis making ryomei or two persons which seem to strangely underscore the fact that I'm a Gemini (not that I'm a believer or anything) but thanks I think I understand this little bit better now. Fascinating

[morna-san]

one of last night's pencil sketches:



I'm running out of sketchbook so I'm using the backs of pages with unsucessful brush pen drawgings. I thought I might try brush pen over pencils so I tried to recreate this guy on a clean page. I will try brush pen over this rough pencil:

[morna-san]

well, I guess that was predictable:



lost a lot of the spontaneity of the better brush pieces. the small items are difficult to make quickly and the hesitation stilts the mark making. I may have to try going larger, these have been in my 8x8 book but I do have a 10 inch one - that might help.

good: love the lines on the back of his head... successful lightening up on forehead to nose line... ears nice and expressive... y'know that's not an bad hand - for me

bad: scar waaaay too heavy... collar and shoulders no good... sword - let's not even talk about that silly little toothpick!...bad hesitation on the chin... his kimono's three sizes too large.

other than that.. !

[morna-san]

breaking in a new sketchbook - yes I actually finished a whole book! It may be the first time ever for me. The nicer paper and larger size (7x10") intimidated me for a day but I busted into it last night.

I guess at some point (soon) I'll start posting with a lot less frequency as I slow down in my progress. I certainly don't feel it's necessary to post everything (and I haven't been of course) but I do want to put up these three from last night.

Two pencil sketches more or less copied from panels in UY TPB 10. The signifigant thing was how easy they felt. No struggling. I think the quick brush pieces have helped me nail the basic shapes quicker, but just sheer practice can be blamed as well.
sorry about the scans they are worse than usual.

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it says fat chance



posting this guy, just 'cause I like him:


with this longer page I don't have to cut off his ears - nice

[Maka]

Thank you Morna-san,

For sharing your UY artistic journey with all of us.

One of my new favorite quotes is "People say life is short but they're wrong: Life is long. It is too long, in fact, to get trapped doing something you hate and too long to not fill it doing things you love." Catherine Dain

it seems to me you are taking advantage of your long life to develop your artistic side. Keep up the good work!

Peace, maka

[morna-san]

Thanks Maka. I'm glad you are finding it interesting - it helps me to have a few comments along the way... helps me keep focused.

I took a day off drawing yesterday to read the new Harry Potter book. I liked it.

[morna-san]

Ok I know these will seem to be getting repetitious, but here's one I just did that I like quite well:



I don't see a bad line anywhere on this one. I even like that stray one floating over there - you can imagine it's a leaf or a piece of breeze or motion... pulls it out of being a strict portrait. (I guess I'm truly an abstractist)
I only wish I'd started a bit lower 'cause his ears almost hit the top of the page (I confess I cheated a bit with photoshop and gave them a little more room) Still, a little closer to perfect every time. not counting, of course all the crappy ones I'm not posting

[morna-san]

practice practice blah blah blah
a few odds and sodds from Uy 21






I liked that grimace so made a full page one:



The idea is to ink it with the brush pen but I haven't had the guts yet