A New Year, a new start.
You can find me now at ~the-Shan
A happy new year to all!
<3 Shan

01.] What is your pen name?
Shan/sakura-shino (BAD JAPANESE! OHMAHGEE!)

02.] What made you choose this name?
Shan: it was a spur of the moment thing at Theatre camp that stuck! (gasp). Sakura-shino: being the morbid little thing I was...I liked the concept of cherry blossoms symbolising the shortness of life, hance my poor attempt at "charry blossom death" (I sjould have written sakura shi)

03.] Do you use PC or Mac?
Sony laptop?

04.] What programs do you use most often?
Internet Explorer atm, for art purposes word or PS 7.0

05.] Do you use mouse, or tablet?
tablet

06.] What color or color combinations do you find yourself using most often?
whatever works- I like a lot of natural colours, though

07.] What part of a picture do you put most effort into?
costume, perhaps...? They're hard for me.

08.] How long does it take you do draw a picture?
a doodle ranges from 10 seconds to an hour, a drawing from an hour to several...days...

09.] Do you keep your rough drafts?
I'm a pack rat, what can I say?

10.] What font do you use most often?
Times New Roman? Arial?

11.] When you scan your image, what DPI do you use?
300dpi, normally

12.] Do you do anything else when you're drawing?
listen to music, sing, on occasion I'll take a little break to dance, though these days it tends to be a break to practise karate kata ^ ^;;

13.] Approximately how many pictures do you draw in a month?
hundreds, probably- just doodles and whatnot, ya know?

14.] What kind of paper do you draw your pictures on?
usually just normal cartridge paper for doodles and sketches, I have a Loomis sketchbook (forget what kind of paper that it) I have some Letraset A4 size comic paper left, but I've now got the actual Japanese A2 size cardstock for my manga-ing attempts (thums UP!)

15.] What kind of paper do you use for rough sketches and drafts?
cartridge paper, sketchbook paper

16.] How long does it take you to ink something?
nooo idea. MY latest inked page...I have o sense of time! What am I saying?! Less than a day, okay?

17.] Do you do comics, or fan comics?
Comics. Not fan comics- not enough freedom to play with stuff.

18.] Do you like comics? Are they fun to make?
Yep! I'm improving, too- layouts are difficult, but I like the overall effect when all's been considered! It's rewarding.

19.] Have you ever submitted anything to a magazine?
Nope. I might put something together (in writing, of course)

20.] Did it get published?
Hellooo? I was published in a couple poetry books if I remember correctly however...?(and if poetry.com was tellin' tha truths!) As well as a website for the regional library and a binder for said library (lol!)

21.] Who are your favorite artists?
ooh...tough question!! I do however like Hayao Miyazaki, Jan Svankmajer, the Brothers Quay...Johnny Depp, Doris Daye, Jimmy Stewart (It's a Wonderful Life, YES, but REAR WINDOW!!!)...Leonardo DaVinci (who doesn't, really?), Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh, Salvador Dali...other traditional painters...Gaudi, woot!...yeah. There ARE more.

22.] Do you like anime/manga? If so, what are your favorite series?
Love manga, anime's pretty good, too. Currently my favourites are Detective Conan, Maic Kaito, still like Ouran, Ranma 1/2, Strawberry Panic wasn't too bad (thanks, K-chan, sigh), So Long Mr. Despair, Kiki's Delivery Service, Whisper of the Heart (ANYTHING Miyazaki, in short), Sherlock Hound, Lupin III...uhm...yes. AND Victorian Romance emma! (omg, forgot!)

23.] Do you like cartoons/comics? If so, what are your favorite series?
I'm rather fond of Ruby Gloom in a childish way- it's cute and wierd. Hah!

24.] Any artists that you wish you could draw like?
I'm happy drawing like me, but I'd love to be able to draw in inks like Gosho Aoyama or Kaoru what's-her-name who wrote "Victorian Romance: Emma"...

25.] Do you read a lot of books?
Yessir! : D Since coming to Japan three months ago, I've read a collection of short crime stories, Emma by Jane Austen, The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld, One For the Money by Janet Evanovich (in one day, lol), Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie, A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four as well as a random assortment of short stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a couple short stories by Poe, more shorts from Christie as well as a Miss MArple novel...is that all? I think so.

26.] Did you ever buy a book to inspire or teach you to draw?
Yeah- but not for myself (I prefer the free online stuff, haha!)

27.] Any video games you enjoy?
Slimes lol, learn katakana hiragana and kanji, woooo! Harvest Moon's fun, too...Final Fantasy 9 FTW.

28.] Any favorite characters from video games?
Zidane and Eiko from FF9...pretty much everyone from FF9.

29.] Do you have a favorite writer?
I like Doyle...a lot...Poe's kind of boring, but good, liked Jane Austen, JK Rowling? Gosho's storylines are CRAZY! but that's manga...ahem...

30.] Any books you really enjoy?
Harry Potter Series (kekeke)...until ===== DIED!!!

31.] Do you draw fanart?
Yeah, now and again- mostly it's my own art, though.

32.] Do you listen to music while you draw?
as much as possible in my current condition...

33.] Any recommended songs?
Happy Birthday by Kyouko if you like j-pop, anything by The Brian Setzer Orchestra if you like classic/jazz, Going to a Town by Rufus Wainwright, for the holiday season Last Christmas by Savage Garden, Mean One by Dubious Triangle.

34.] Any other art websites that you really enjoy?
Not really. I don't particularly enjoy this one right now, either (I've got like 1000 pieces waiting to be looked at...oh dear God)

35.] Are there any websites that you go to everyday?
Google tops the list, youtube, facebook, hotmail.

36.] What is your dream website like?
...that would be one SERIOUSLY messed and eclectic site.

37.] Do you like your own art?
I'd better. Or what's the point?

38.] What do you enjoy watching on television?
...Detective Conan...random Japanese childrens' shows (LOL), random Japanese reality TV...so many cross dressers! aaaah!

39.] Favorite celebrity?
Johnny Depp...?

40.] Favorite color?
olivey greens and purples. People here have begun to notice my like of black clothing XD and cream colours.

41.] Favorite food?
popcorn/pomegranate/caciocavalo cheese/yakisoba/spaghetti

42.] Favorite drink?
lemon tea...and everyone at school nags on me about it, too XD "3 times in one day?!" ..."I'm thirsty..."

43.] Do you like to go shopping? If yes, where? And for what?
Yep! My favourite place is the book store here- there are...books! manga, stationary, drawing supplies, MANGA supplies, DDs, CDs, anime...it's basically my heaven!! I also like a few of the clohting stores in the mall here, but they're too expensive!!

44.] Can you cook?
actually cooking is something I'm very sporadic at- I can be really good one day and the next day the chicken's dry, the salad's soggy and the bread gets burned. I'm good at baking, though.

45.] Any devices you use often for email? Any electronic pets?
my super rticked out Japanese cell phone, yeeeah!

46.] Are you tech-savvy?
more than my mom, but not to any great extent.

47.] Do you want to become a professional artist?
Of some sort- writer, performer, visual, martial (that's lately XP)

48.] Are there any other jobs you're interested in?
Linguist, play/movie critic, film historian, EVERYTHING?!

49.] Any other hobbies or skills besides drawing?
piano, singing, composing, karate, writing, studying (NERD!) random subjects from wikipedia (oh...sorry...GEEK!), reading (manga, novels, signs on the train, anything), dancing at random places for no reason, speaking Japanese, watching old or classic films, going to plays, acting, starting things and not finishing them, making movies (and not finishing them), eating, knitting, photography, animation, soccer, I basically dabble in anything I feel like.

50.] Do you like to watch movies?
Yes. Old ones. Often in black and white.

51.] What's your favorite movie?
Oh, don't even get me started...I usually just say Gaslight to make my answer shorter.

52.] Have you ever entered an art contest, here at DeviantART or otherwise?
Yep. Got...second? (for Bladewyvern! Who I stole this from! tee hee)

53.] When did you start drawing seriously?
Grade 6. And arguably grade 9.

54.] Do you use references? If so, for what?
Occasionally, usually for pose or something I've never drawn before (eg: post offices, raindrops)

55.] Are you a subscriber? If so, are you a beta-tester?
Sadly, no.

56.] Do you have a lot of net friends?
I did once, now it's just...Dan :/ Marie hasn't talked to me in aaages ;_; neither has Coral </3

57.] Do you have a lot of friends that also draw?
In Canada, no, not seriously- it's all music or theatre. In Japan? As far as I can tell, everyone's decent at drawing in my club!

58.] What time of the day do you usually go online?
whenever I feel like it. Sometimes right after school, sometimes not until after supper, sometimes not at all.

59.] Do you like to go to chat rooms?
No.

60.] Do you have your own computer?
it's in my room, but it's Maekawas'.

61.] What would you say to the person that you admire?
How are you? I don't know...whop do I admire? And how??

62.] Does your mind wander when you draw?
yep. Normally to plotlines, or friends and family at home, or how I should be studying Japanese.

63.] Have you drawn poorly because you think too much?
Not that I know of- I don't think of it, haha.

64.] Do you have any friends who are professional artists?
Does Dan count? O : Nearly there, boyo! and there's this one guy in my Rotary Cub here...?

65.] Where do you often hang out?
Takaoka...somewhere. At home it's my house, school, CHP, Julia's house, downtown Halifax.

66.] Are there any popular artists that you don't like much? (no need to name names if you don't want to)
Not really.

67.] Are there any situations in which you really don't like being a DeviantARTIST?
I never thought about it? I try not to complain (anymore, lol)

68.] How about situations that make you love it?
The fact that people can help one another progress in their art- no matter where you live or, to a certain extent, what language you speak.

69.] What's the one thing that makes you grateful that the internet exists?
International relationships can be forged so much more easily through sharing of culture and language thanks to the internet.

70.] Is there anything out there that makes you wish the internet didn't exist?
Standardization of a global culture (AKA: unique cultures disappearing)

71.] What's your first Deviation?
isn't it that wtercolour of a girl looking at a snowflake form grade 7? LMFAO that was bad!!! XD

72.] Any art you did prior to that?
Not up, and I doubt I have much of it...

73.] Has your style changed a lot since joining DeviantART?
I should HOPE so.

74.] If it has changed, in what ways?
Well, artistic advances aside, I've gone from huuuuge eyes tiny noses and cutesy outfits to my dark stage where things changed often rapidly and were normally macabre, to the "realistic manga" phase where I tried to make it look more "respectable" and realistic, to what it is now where I've gone back to "well, it's meant ot be manga" but it still has more or less correct proportions, eyes only slightly too large, and hair as natural as possible.

75.] Have you experienced artist's block before?
Of course, who hasn't?

76.] If so, how do you usually get out of it?
Wait, go on to other things- knit, play piano, sing, practise karate, dance, cook something, watch some anime, read a book.

77.] What do you do when you can't get out of it?
That's...the only way I do get out of it, by waiting...hasn't failed me yet! : )

78.] Any Deviants that have influenced you a lot?
No.

79.] What made you want to start drawing?
I don't remember. I just always have drawn. I guess because I always had some slight natural talent for it, and through elementary school was always better than my peers at it- so I chose to cultivate it, because in al honesty I liked having a few things to set me apart from the rest. (I mean, I haen't been the smartest since grade 1, so...)

80.] What made you want to join DeviantART?
I wanted a place to showcase my art, and while I was looking through FredArt, I found a lot of people on DA. So I joined.

81.] Has anything ever made you want to quit DevianART?
At one point I think I just stopped coming but have no idea why.

82.] What do you think about netiquette?
Some people need to grow up and stop flaming others' works with no advice on how the piece could be made better in their own opinion, and others need to calm down and accept criticism. People wouldn't be posting useful advice if they didn't want to help.

83.] Have you ever been spammed or trolled?
I've gotten a couple spam notes.

84.] Ever thought about quitting art all together?
Nope, not that I remember.

85.] If so, why?
...

86.] Do you upload high quality versions of your Deviations, or do you prefer to upload a lower quality?
Of course, medium, high quality is usually a big file and some people can't see it, and low quality just isn't worth uploading at all! Happy middle : )

87.] Do you have custom CSS? If so, did you make it yourself?
what's a CSS, first of all?

88.] Do you have good vision?
No- I wear glasses. My prescription isn't TOO strong, though.

89.] If you can get anyone's autograph, whose would you get?
If that includes dead persons, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Otherwise I suppose Gosho Aoyama, Bisco Hattori, Hayao Miyazaki or, yes, Johnny Depp.

90.] What would you say to that person when he or she gives you an autograph?
Thank ye, sir! (Yep, and Bisco's a woman, lol)

91.] Do you like to draw on Oekaki BBS?
I don't have a tablet- and mouseing hurts my ganglion, haha

92.] Do you have a job?
Mini Ambassador to Japan! Da dada Dum! I plan to work at a Japanese restaurant upon my return to Canada.

93.] Did you take art in school? If so, did you do well? Are you still taking it?
I took visual art in Jr. High- I got an A without putting forth too much effort. Now I'm in visual arts in Japan. I've had people "sugoi" my painting of a dolly. I'm okay. In theate arts I'm not that bad. Good enough to consider actress as a career choice.

94.] Have you taken art lessons outside of a school setting?
Yep! Thanks to Mika! <3 and a couple more classes as a younger child.

95.] Have you ever drawn something just because it was the cool thing to do?
Drawing is the cool thing to do?

96.] What's your favorite phrase/quote?
"Oh no! Pumas are inside my chest cavity! ...IF they're dangerous!"-Mark Little of Picnicface in Hey Africa.


97.] Do you present yourself differently online than you do in your real life?
I don't try to, but because I feel as though I'm alone I suppose. I'm different around different people- including myself! : )

98.] What's your goal now?
Learn Japanese/get a main role in the high school musical upon my return by blowing them all away with my audition! MUHAHAHA!

99.] What do you have to say to yourself?
Lazy bum. Go practise your kata and your japanese!

100.] Lastly, what do you have to say to everyone who read this?
Why? Why did you read this?

It's called "life" and it was squishy.
: )
I dunno, life's actually pretty good right now! Aside form the fact that I lack social skills necessary to survive, I'm doing pretty damn good here!
My Japanese is getting steadily better (by steadily I mean once a week I'll vastly imrpove, and stay the same the rest of the week- YES wierd learning curve!!!)
Despite the fact that Japanese highschool students study until 5 FREAKING AM during exams (not a lie- my friend Mi-chan told me she's done that twice in the past 5 days. Poor dear. She had a nervous breakdown a couple weeks ago. It was all cuteness.) I feel intelligent still. Mond you I'm only in one calss that tests me- Japanese History- and I think I failed that exam. I KNEW EVERY SCRAP OF INFORMATION THAT COULD POSSIBLY BE OF USE that my sensei had given me. I swear.

So yes- life is good. On to arty things for the arty journal.


Ah, Dark One Sagas. How you have taunted me over the years! There have been five of them since I scribbled a character on a note pad and asked my friend "what's her name?" and Kristy was born. How much the story has changed, I cannot tell. A lot. A HELL of a lot. And now it's changing again. It's too serious. It's too dry. It used to have humour, and light- and be cliched off it's rocker, but that's gone out the window as far as it will stretch I assure you.

I've gotten really into Gosho Aoyama's stuff- particularly of course Detective Conan, but my favourite character is by far Kaito Kid. I love the Kaito Kid manga, but there's so little of it, and the first 3 volumes are...well, they're just bad. The stories don't make sense, they move faster than light, but it's like manga on crack and I love it. Crazy absolutely freaking crazy! I want some crazy.
So I added some crazy.
Just a touch, mind you. This story still has meaningful undertones. Yes, undertones! I CAN work with those, you know!

What can you look forward to, should I ever find it in me to actually produce a few chapters?
I will tell you some tantalizing tidbits.

1: A good reason this kid kicks it into Atlantis. Before, why the hell did she get there? There was a box, and she was like "ooh, pretty rock!" and it was like "poof!" and I was like "barf!" Cliched. BUUU! Out. How does she get to Atlantis? sorry.

2: Memory loss- it's a freaking soap opera plot. It's a cliche that doesn't seem to lose appeal to fans- but I didn't like it. So how does Kristy now react to being dropped into this freaking wierd place? Pretty well. And pretty not.

3: Question: "Why are you following me?!" -Chris. EXCELLENT question. Why would ANYONE follow a guy with cat ears and a tail? Somehow that screams "wierdo in a costume" to me. Thius isn't a convention. Why would you follow someone like that? Reasons: wrong place, wrong time, eyesight, foreign. just...yeah, wait...

4. Jonas. I love him. Clockbot. I love it. it goes ": )" and they go "D : " and I go "INSERT MAKING FUN OF CHRIS FOR HAVING CAT EARS!" Dork. Psh.

And yes. Mmhm.

1:: Everything has to have a wireframe. everything. If it does not, it dies and goes to Hell.

2:: I'm better at drawing females- I am one. I have myself to practise on. somehow a lot of my guys' chests look wierd. can someone show me some good ref pics by any chance? ;D

3:: I enjoy drawing manga because i find it pleasing to the eye. This does not make me bad at realism- I am actually quite decent at realism. Not good, not great, but decent.

4:: A lot of my better works have meanings or were drawn with a certain emotion. I have very passionate emotions and my art aand acting channel these.

5:: My inspiration comes un bursts, usually around the turn of the season when everything feels fresh, new, interesting and exciting. The fall rush is just starting.

6:: I drew with mechanical pencil for a long time, preferring the lack of need to sharpen, or buy a pencil sharpener. I have outgrown that. Wooden pencils feel so much better to draw with.

7:: I suck at inking and colouring. I am also working on that.

8:: When I'm drawing something stationary= for instance in art class at school right now, some wierd pentagon shape and a wine bottle, I measure, remeasure, measure again and make points, boxes and lines before actually drawing. I'm more methodical in measurements in art than in math class.

9:: I only tend to draw things with a kind of beauty or character about them- whether twisted, natural or surreal- because I look at art to see something interesting and beautiful, or touching. What good is art if noone wants to look at it? About as good as when the artist doesn't like it.

10:: I have a very unsteady hand, so anything supposed to be straight, clean or some such thing isn't. my sketches are many series of small, short, curt lines.


Dark One Sagas Newsfeed:

I've been working on developing Kristy's character lately. You may remember she was one of those shy yet happy, kind of drifty, nice, understanding, emotional, effeminate, romantic people so common in girly stories, despite her life having been a tough one. She also had suffered from amnesia. Twice. (now it's only once...but it works out to be not cliche) In short, a Mary-Sue. Yeah. No.
She is now a lover of alcohol. I'd been toying with the idea for a while, and decided that it suited her standings. She is also very cool and calculating. She dislikes people in general, having an innate perceptiveness to the emotions of others. She knows they fake a lot.
She is blunt and honest, not caring whether or not she hurts someone's feelings. She is very introverted. She likes organisation, but could care less what's going on- as long as it changes and is interesting. She is curious and intelligent- but mainly wiley and manipulating. Her mind is as difficult ot read as others` minds are easy for her to read. She has, however, a deeply rooted sense of ethics and justice. This is what has driven her to hate the earth, where people are so often unjust and cruel.

Chris remains Chris- earnest, loyal, solitary. Rather shy, but wants to make the world a better place- no matter what he has to do. He's intelligent, and sly. He has, after all, been injected with the DNA of a cat (that still sounds stupid, even though it's evolved to be not stupid). He has no master.
I also changed my mind about the swimming pool thing. Cats hate water.
Natalya drowned.
Chris takes dust baths! : D Only not really! But that would be fun!

Mai won't be introduced until God only knows where. B And probably no longer as a main character. Probably. Possibly she will be replaced by more guardians, an underground force, maybe she will be a part of this revolt, maybe Lahki will replace her, maybe Altre andaltere will.
I've begun writing the story down in the form of a story. I'm onto chapter 5. This has helped me organise it a great deal. I feel that this tmie will be the final time- and it will be pretty damn good.

Some of the plot twists I have planned I hate to think about. Some make me laugh but at the same time make me sad. The dead shall never live again, I've decided upon that. With them, mysteries may die and never be discovred in the course of the story. They will never rise. but fear not- there will be no llight-handed, two lined descriptions of the deaths of main characters. They may die unromantic deths, but it7ll at least be an explained unromantic death.

I leave tomorrow, so I'll be offline for a bit. Not certain how long or if I'll get back at all. I'll be sketching though.

I'm gone for about a year, by the way. International Student Exchange with Rotary.
Yepep.

I hope to improve my manga-drawing skillz as I'm headed to it's country of origin. As well as to improve my REAL artistic skills of still life and portrait drawing. Architecture, too. I'll try to draw my city for you : )

See ya's!