GraphixS6's avatar

GraphixS6

GraphiX
27 Watchers113 Deviations
18.4K
Pageviews

Mushi-shi

3 min read
Well, as many of you have always known, I've always had a deep love for Mushi-shi, and heralded as one of, if not the best anime ever.  Well, naturally, this made me want to read the Manga on which it was based, but I've never really gotten around to it.  Well, I suddenly decided today that I'd start, and I read the first 2 volumes.  I immediately noticed, not only it's fantastic art, but it's very strange.  Now, let me back up.  The anime, is a fucking masterpiece.  And, it follows the manga to a tee.  However, the anime is more consistent.  It takes the average of the manga, this will make sense in a minute, and uses that average to slightly tweak the manga, but still remain almost exactly the same (like seriously, it's almost like they just photocopied some of the manga for the anime), but just the slight bit different so it's more consistent.  The manga is inconsistent in a few ways.  Firstly, the drawing style, but really just with ginko.  In the first, I'll say couple, of volumes, the way she (Yuki Urushibara) draws ginko is quite different than how they draw him in the anime.  He looks younger, and a slightly more, how can I say this, almost childish (not a great way to say it, but for lack of better words).  However, not long after, volumes 5 or 6, it reaches a state that is quite similar to the way it's drawn in the anime, and by the end of the manga, nearly identical.  Now, this is probably due to her increasing her skill level (hence why the animators choose the later drawing style for the anime) and it's also settling into her style more.  Also, just a little thing, things are handled differently, even throughout a volume.  It's all the same style, but there are simple little changes, and it's not necessarily inconsistent or taking away from it, in fact it probably adds to it, though unusual, to how she handles things.  I can't really explain it... actually just forget about that point.  Now I think it's just me.   Anyway, volume to volume, the media also changes.  One time it will be just kind of pen with some screentones, another more screentones, maybe less, than the next could be light ink washes with careful gradations, and the next is full colored watercolors.  It's beautiful, and she makes great use of these different mediums, and has excellent control.  But, it's unusual to have a comic that changes so much from volume to volume.  But I also like it.  It kind of turns each one into it's own art piece, but all with a strong coherency.  Though, to be honest, I would have loved it to be all full colored, as I like that the best.  But anyway, read/watch mushishi.  It's awesome and stuffs.  WATCH IT!


P.S. I have no idea why I wrote this or what I was trying to say.  I just like mushi-shi, I guess I was trying to say.
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Well, I'm the worst person to tell you how to learn how to draw seeing as I'm not great at it myself.  But... well, I'll let it speak for itself.

The question that was posted.  "I wanna know how to * KNOW * how to draw it and imagine it."

My answer.

Complicated question, complicated answer. Some people seem to think that they can learn how to draw. Let me tell you, you really can't. But hear me out. Drawing is a way, a method invented by us to compact a 3d scene around us, onto a flat surface, or emulating in our imagination something that could be, and recording it on paper. So, basically, if you learn how to identify perspective a complex degree that I don't think anyone would be able to process, you'll "know" how to draw. Well, than how do people draw. If you are going to draw something from your imagination you won't, at least at first until you have some natural system to it, draw the object. Drawing objects, not good. You break everything down into simple forms and shapes. Example, a house is just a couple of cubes with a triangular prism. You can draw a cube. Just use some linear perspective, and bam. Same with the other prism. Now, obviously this is a gross exaggeration. Most to 'complex' planar studies or blocking out forms to get the structure that they want. One of the greatest pioneers and teacher's of this is George B. Bridgman. Back when he was alive, he has many a book and classes for figure drawing (as well as the head). He broke things into simple shapes like other people had not quite done. Now, his way is not the way, it is just a way. We was able to simply and practically break the head into those specific forms. Now, I'm not going to say the way to learn is via Bridgman, all I'm going to say is, don't draw shapes; draw forms. Once you can draw them, study the thing you want to draw. Memorize the muscles of the head (I have) and the parts and forms of the skulls. Fill in the underlying forms and you can draw it from any angle. You drawing from a profile, how does this brow flow down to the nose, you can remember the common ways that the temporalis hits the procerus. And above all, practice. Technically you can by pass all these steps by just doing all the practicing and really studying your subject until you know what al the forms are. However, I prefer the previous as great artists have already analyzed and processed forms of the head. Also, since you said you are into anime/manga that you would like to draw in that style. Well, the thing about that is, is it doesn't really correlate accurately. Meaning they often fudge things just to make it look "right" (though a portrait artist would yell at me for saying such), and isn't the "high" way of drawing. That's a little pet peeve I have about anime. Now I'm probably coming off as an elitist, discrediting tutorial makers and anime is drawing wrong. Well, let me get it straight. Most artists of that style, don't really seem to understand drawing all that well. If you asked them to draw a realistic head from a certain angle, they wouldn't do to well. Anime/manga, rather being based in form, is based in shapes and lines that OTHERS have established. The original authors of this style knew the head (Masamune Shirow) and furthered their style to their liking. Unfortunately, people try to copy it. Don't copy styles, my second problem of anime. Just draw, and understand. Trust me, if you understand how to draw syle while eventually form. This style will be purely yours. You aren't copying, trying to emulate, no one else's. Just yours. And when one day you notice that, it will be one of the most gratifying experiences of your life. It's a lot of work to get there and maybe you're just thinking "I just wanted to do this for a little fun during lunch break." Than, maybe this isn't for you. Being an artist takes a lot of time and effort, as with other things. Unfortunately, we can't just do whatever we want. We have to choose, budget our limited time to make the most of it, and do what we want to do. But above all just draw.

Thanks for reading this if you did.

Don't know if that helped anyone, or if anyone read it.  But if it did, that makes me happy.
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
I was just remembering, and I have no idea why, something quite spectacular from the show Chrome Shelled regios, though it's a good show in itself.  That is, Legend of Regios.  It's a show that characters in it watch.  It's kind of generic action, but it's really good, makes clever use of animation tricks, has a cool, smooth art style, and just kind of awesome.  Soooo, yeah.  Watch it.

And, since I can, I'm still on my Hellsing high.  So, Alucard.  Nuff said.
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In

Monet

1 min read
I've always known Monet was absolutely brilliant at painting, and I've always liked him, but I couldn't quite remember why I liked him as much as I did, as opposed to another impressionist painters.  I spent a little on google art project looking at his work.  Now I remember.
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In

Heads

1 min read
I think I finally understand the forms of the human head!  No I just need to tackle the other beast: how the hell you control those forms and what different changes do the affect the look of someone.
Join the community to add your comment. Already a deviant? Log In
Featured

Mushi-shi by GraphixS6, journal

Learning how to draw. by GraphixS6, journal

Legend of Regios by GraphixS6, journal

Monet by GraphixS6, journal

Heads by GraphixS6, journal