Big things that make life a lot easier....

I am currently inbetween game projects (though I still need to do 40 illustration sketches till January for one) and work (a lot) more on Chubs. The final goal is so damn close I could literally touch it... if I didn't have to paint everything. But... oh well... some pages take longer... some don't.
At them moment I have one of those "1 week for one page" thingies and it keeps unnerving me.

Anyways... when we started a lot of things were unclear. I had a rough plan of the cats' house but the more pages Lew and I did the more complicated it got.
Where's that cupboard? Where's the desk? If I have bird perspective will it look good. Should I zoom in? I had to do a lot of corrections because while drawing I realized the perspective sucked. Or didn't look right.

We decided to use Sketch Up. Lew was so patient and constructed the house up from scratch (isn't she great?!). We based it on the logic of the first comic pages and ended up with a pretty weird house probably nobody would built like that but it's cozy and I'd totally move in (if the kitchen was bigger...). Having a rough construction helps A LOT. If you ever decide to do something longer with a lot of interaction in one place you might be interested in using the (free) Sketch Up as well.

I still have to draw everything (digitally) and add a lot of details but the base is always correct and we can move the angle till the view looks perfect. It won't safe that much time in the beginning but the more I work with those screenshots the more I love it. Sketch Up doesn't love us back and is buggy as hell but that's bearable.

Owlish

 *click for full view... it's huge*

It's just a detail of an illustration I did for Saskia as a gift. She had an odd doodle version in her sketch book and I wanted to do something full color when I had some more time.

I worked with those pastel like brushes on my last board game project as well and it was fun to try out something different. Though you won't be able to see the many details in the final format (worked on poster size for promotional material right up from the beginning) it was nice and fun and I think it underlines the age group it's made for and the actual concept. I hope people will like it and I hope nobody will complain about flying eggs (which are supposed to be owls actually).

The brushes were from Deviantart- I tried to remember which set it was but since my library grew over the last couple of years (at least for faking natural media) I honestly gave up. So before anybody ask: No effin idea and I can't provide a link. Sorry.

I want to try doing a live wallpaper in that style and hope it works. It would be cool to have something more... natural looking for the android.

Maybe the last... maybe... really...

Today I was curious and counted how many board-games I did this year... it's 7 1/2 (the Gingerbread expansion for Carcassonne is the 1/2). Freaking hell.
No wonder I didn't really do that many comic pages I wanted to do. =.= Theoretically it's 7 weeks for every game, some took one... some took way more. I always wonder how people who work full-time on board-games handle that (I don't and I won't) but since I enjoy the "party hard on all parties" option I guess it's keeping up the spirit.

I'll (hopefully) the manual illustrations for the last one tomorrow and I'm already soo looking forward for the finishing line. Theoretically. The after-glow normally keeps up till we have to prep the game fair material (subtitle: not that long).

For those who are curious: 4 will be released next year, 2 for kids, 2 family games, 1 of those a spin-off of a game probably everybody knows and it might be slightly shocking.

I am a bit fed up for this year and hope I can finish the last comic pages. My priorities were messed up though I have to admit I love the job and a project gets me excited like some girls an unlimited credit card plus a shoe shop.

I hope I can doodle again, upload some sketches, some nerdy cat pics, some... other pics and basically enjoy the spirit of a freelancer on a two-months break. It's luxury and I'll enjoy it.


Maybe.

Till I get restless again.

Who needs Maru....

... if you have Tretel :D Same genes, same reaction to empty boxes... I really wanted to reuse this one but seems it's a useless battle.

Isn't it weird when people send you birthday wishes way to early? I always feel uncomfortable. O_o

Animaco- some pictures

 Somebody turned into a happy bunny :D 9 minutes after official start... and the only pillow I actually had was GONE. I'm happy that it's with somebody who adores it. I still can't describe the quality. Except it's awesome. If you happen to want one for yourself, follow the white rabbit.

 Dat cosplay! Aren't these girls awesome? I think these were three of the most hilarious ones and they made my day.

 Yayyyyy! A Kulla!!! She was so cute and totally adorable. *_*

 ... wicked awesome. Did I mention wicked awesome? Yes, they were.

 Obviously... Cats! And she was great.

 Maaaaany plushies I really would like to call mine. But unfortunately I can't... not enough space for so many plushies. Though I wouldn't mind having 1... or 2... or all.

 X Men very first class.

These were sooooooo cute and the customes were soooo nice and they were just pure eye candy.

If you think: Wow, doesn't look crowded- yes, well... we were located in a seperate room for artists and I was grateful for it. The merchants space was PACKED and even though we had waffles scent around us all the time (pure nightmare @_@) it was way better than "down in the merchants cave".
I will upload some happy frog owners and other... things... later. Generally it was nice, exhausting and I met some awesome fellow artists, friends and colleagues and I would do it again though I'm still effin tired and feel the con in my bones.

Animaco 2012!

Trärääää! Und plötzlich ging es sooo schnell! O_O Dieses Wochenende findet die animaco in Berlin statt. Ich werde dort sein! Natürlich bei den Zeichnern und hoffentlich seelig zwischen Mirjam, Marina und vielen mehr.

Was ich dabei habe, könnt ihr euch HIER ansehen. Ich hatte schon ganz vergessen, wieviel STRESS die ganze Vorbereitung macht @_@ Ein paar mehr Leute haben auch die Option der Reservierung genutzt und vorbestellt und man, hier siehts aus. Wie in einer Trollhöhle mit gefühlt tausend Paketen.

Trotzdem! Ich freu mich druff und vielleicht sehen wir uns ja :3 Ich krakel gerne in Conhons, insofern mich nicht wieder jemand nach "einem kawaii Charakter aus One Piece" oder "son Pokemonster, na du weißt schon, so wai halt" fragt. Da frag ich mich manchmal, wo die Kids ihr Deutsch lernen und seit wann "wai" ein Wort ist.*kopfkratz*


Cheers!

Angelcat

Hantje :3