Cubic Sketchbook
Diary
Welcome to the Diary section entry! Mind you, this isn't a blog, it's actually a journal, as keeping with the Japanese theme of the site. I still need to find some place to blog that I feel really comfortable with. Like I said, this isn't a blog, it'll just be tidbits about my daily life along with some site stuff, feel free to ignore it if you want.
June
13th, 2004
Now playing: Pop'n
Music 9, いいひと (Hyper,
Hi-Speed x3)
March 14th, 2004
Now playing: Pop'n
Music 9, /\ngel Fish (Hyper,
Hi-Speed x3)
Wow, that's really really scary, if you Google up "waha suzuran", the Cubic Sketchbook rings in at seventh. And I barely just mentioned Suzuranちゃん once while talking about Cubeeちゃん, it's amazing what a bit of name dropping will do o_o. It's also really sad what happens when you try to Google Cubee... Result number thirty >_<. Guess I have to draw her some more...
I apologize for not updating recently, haven't drawn anything at all, I gotta get crackin', maybe finish a picture or two. I finally got Photoshop back though, much thanks to drunknmunkyさん (tag TYYT) across the hall, so maybe I'll try to CG something if I get around to it.
Jaa!
February
11th, 2004
Now playing: DDR - Xenon (Heavy, 2x)
El blarg
Keenspace has been totally wonky recently (apparently FrontPage's dictionary doesn't recognize blarg and Keenspace, which it shouldn't, but recognizes wonky... odd), and no one's been able to update. A lot of the comics I read, let's say Tsunami Channel, Jackie's Fridge, and SG Valkyrie Yuuki haven't been able to update at all recently, and since I use the auto script for the updating of art, I couldn't either. I apologize greatly for that. Actually, there's a second reason for lack of updates in general, but more on that... later!
I just tried out DreamWeaver today; Toasty uses it, and he's teh gawd. It's powerful, I'm saying that right now, it's a really powerful program. But, for some reason, I can't seem to get it to do some of the things which technically should be exceedingly simple. I don't know how to change the colour of hyperlinks, I don't know how to change the line spacing of the entire page; it can't 'remember' colours without saving them to styles, and some other stuff, but still it does some pretty impressive stuff, and hopefully doesn't add multiple lines of useless HTML coding per line like FrontPage does.
I haven't been drawing much lately, to the point where the first Sketchbook remains totally unfinished, Es-kun and I are both suffering from the same ailment; we've lost any drive to draw because we think our works are becoming derivative, boring, and just plain bad. Both of us have destroyed countless trees in trying to draw something that we really like and have the drive and determination to finish. Both of us, sadly, are failing miserably, as you'll see from the countless amount of incomplete sketches found on the site; and that's not even counting the ones so bad and so incomplete that I don't scan them. It's a pretty grim picture. I'll try to finish more art as I continue, I've been goading Es-kun forever about him drawing more, I'd be a complete hypocrite to not do so myself. We'll see.
January 25th, 2004
Now playing: DDR - 大見解 (Heavy)
I apologize, firstly, for not updating in so long, I'm still alive. Weekends are
always a bit of a hassle for me, but if it's any consolation I drew something
yesterday and today as well, pecil sketches, anyways, and they'll be up later on
the day. Right now I don't have a scanner and I'm sitting on a bus, so I can't
even upload this if I wanted to, which I do, I swear.
Yesterday I watched my brother perform some Wushuu for
Chinese New Year's and all that jazz. It was fun, we went to some elementary
school to watch him perform for some kids, and then to some really deserted mall
(and I'm talking like KiKiWai mall but cleaner level of desertion, one of those
places which remind me entirely too much of Persona). It was sorta cool, my
brother performed with the kids group, and then there was a 'advanced' group,
which meant there was a bunch of people in between (the thirteen through fifteen
year olds) who were either not cute enough or kick ass enough to perform, poor
guys. They also did some pretty cool Lion Dance, which I wanna do someday,
though I'm not sure if I wanna be the guy who has to swing around and carry the
big heavy head and rip up all the bok choi, or the guy who has to hunch over and
let the other guy sit on his shoulders. I'm not sure if I could though, my sense
of rhythm is garbage (the reason I can't even AA a song like Spin the Disc ;-;),
so I'm definitely not doing percussion. Unfortunately, I had to listen to three
different mixes of that really cool but altogether now tiresome Wong Fei Hong
theme like nine times straight, and that was only the presentation at this
school. At the second one we had to listen to some guy sing "Only You", and it
wasn't even the DDR one. Okay, to be fair he was pretty good, and despite the
fact it's not the DDR one it was a nice song (a nice croony fifties song) but
that was totally out of place at a Chinese mall celebrating Chinese New Year's.
Anyways, the point is there were a few cute girls around my
age (and a few hot ones) in the Advanced division, though entirely out of my
league (and that's just as well anyways ^^), I'm now officially sick of that
Wong Fei Hong song even though it's so cool, Choi Sun the god of fortune wears
jeans and Nikes under his robe, some guy used what resembled double buster
swords and another guy fought somewhat similar to Gogo (not the mime, the
kickass Japanese schoolgirl), and I got a lot of drawing done, that'll be posted
soon.
January 20th, 2004
Now playing: DDR - Spin The Disc (Heavy)
It really feels like long time no write, eh? First of all, I'd like to apologize for not updating the pages for the 19th. I had the sketch done and everything, but I forgot to upload the revised index, what's new, and gallery; so I doubt anyone actually saw it. It's over here in case you didn't see. About that. I don't like that page. It's a cheap, crude sketch I threw together in several seconds. I wanted to talk about that. I'm not going to be able to draw something every day. That should be obvious enough, as I am attending university and all. I don't like having to put up cruddy work like that, or any other incomplete sketches. If possible I'd love to use more completed pictures, but I haven't completed anything for what feels like a long long while. If I wanna do that, I'm going to be missing updates in the future, as I can't guarantee daily drawings if I'm to work harder on good ones. I should also be working on writing up a story for my next book, and actually finish the one I'm looking at right now. *sigh* so much work. So email me or something, I want everyone's input: should I keep presenting more of the cast of millions through low quality throwaway sketches, should I work on more polished work, or should I focus more on the doujin aspect of the sketchbook?
Yesterday Coke-kun and Myr-kun went out to Eastside's and HMV without telling me >_<. They got Minority Report and A.I. (featuring Sora from KH), I gotta go watch those later. Damn those bastards for skipping class and not telling me. And they skipped today too! I could've DDRed with Coke-kun, I haven't done that in ages ;-;. My legs are killing me though, Myr decided to make me play Maxx Unlimited, The Legend of Maxx, and Max 300 in one game yesterday, that bastard. I was intelligent enough to play on Light, but Unlimited's still a killer (that six LIES), then I played two other games in a row after that one, explaining my current state. Today I failed Love♥Shine today as my first song, while playing with TaZ-kun, which was major embarrassing ._. I made up for it by A'ing it the next game and 0wNzing Spin The Disc with 80 greats and 1 miss. That AA will be mine.
January 18th, 2004
Now playing: BMIIdx 8th - Love Is Orange
(Standard)
Today's sketch is gonna be late tonight, I did the design for Sketchi-kun today, which I sorta have mixed feelings about. That'll be posted later on tonight, but not right now. I'm still in Toronto, and the procedure for scanning here (while I do love the scanner here more) is significantly more complicated and time-wasting. I'll post it as soon as I get back to Waterloo, I promise.
I went out with Eskun and Ryer-chan yesterday, I had lots of fun. She took us to Curry's out behind Pacific. You should've seen her, she was like Yomiko at a bookstore. We spent quite a while there, though I didn't get anything. Also went to Orbit, where I didn't get a chance to play Chocolate Philsophy like I wanted, but I did get to play Love Is Orange on Beatmania, so I'm really happy. Es and I spent like an hour arguing over what to eat, but the nice part is that Ryer and I got him to eat an entire meal! Girl power! We watched Ryer draw for a while after, then we went back to Curry's before we parted ways again. I hope to see them again soon!
Ryer-chan took a pencil sketch of mine, a guy in Chinese-ish clothing and a
China-flag bandana rushing at some unknown target with a nyoi-bo like staff. She
says it's the only thing that she'd finish in my book because it was the least
cute. I wanna see it when it's finished, I'll ask if I can post it up here at
the Sketchbook so everyone else can see too.
January 17th, 2004
Now playing: GF8thMix - Homesick Pt.2&3
(Open Pick, Advanced)
I apologize for adding a sketch late (almost midnight) yesterday. Just in case
anyone missed it it's here.
First of all, in terms of site news, the index of the first
Cubic Sketchbook is up now, along with the
image that's going to be used for the
cover. I'm still not quite sure how much of it to put up; most doujin artists
only put up enough to get someone to buy their book (ie. a cover and an H scene,
censored) at the next Comiket. While I am trying really hard to be able to put
together a book which can be printed and sold (or maybe even multiple books, but
one at a time people), I do also want to put up my entire comic, which was the
original intention of this site in the first place. Of course, comics like
Megatoki,
Angel Moxie,
RPG World and
Sinfest have no trouble whatsoever of
selling books even though their whole comic is online for free. Of course,
they're all good artists.
Slight change of plans, I won't be seeing Hikki-kun this weekend, even though I'll see Es-kun. Instead, the almighty Ryer-chan will be accompanying us. We're going to see if we can get around to some serious drawing, and of course she'll be making me play Waka Laka, Speed Over Beethoven, and www.Blonde Girl. Too bad I can only do one of those songs on Maniac, *sigh*, I really gotta work on those 8's, maybe I'll play Waka Laka Heavy last... Anyways, hopefully she and I can do a drawing together, she's done a totally dynamite (sorry, Dynamite Rave is stuck in my head right now) job inking and colouring Es's picture, I'd really love to see one of my drawings become beautiful. It'd be like a butt ugly caterpillar becoming this totally amazing butterfly. I'll scan it when she draws it for sure. Till then, ja!
January 16th, 2004
Now playing: GF8thMix - Homesick Pt.2&3
(Open Pick, Advanced)
First entry! Yee! I'm back in Toronto, everyone, a bit
earlier than I normally would, but for a good cause. I met the darling Ms. 'Kette
for our first anniversary yesterday after stepping off the train, even though
the anniversary doesn't come for another week. We hung around Finch Station and
the North American Building for a while, getting frostbite doing the things a
couple do after not seeing each other for a week, I won't get into the details
of that.
She got me a nice little stuffed animal and a watch, a
-watch-. And I had nothing to give her in return ;-;. I'm such a bastard, I was
so worked up about the anniversary present that I still haven't finished
*glances over at the incomplete doujin section* that I haven't even gotten
around to getting her a Christmas one! I'm so doomed. She also included a letter
that made me cry (the happy kind) when I read it in Finch station, that girl has
a way with words.
Anyways, the point is I'm back in Toronto, after god knows
how many delays on my trip. They included: Vince (the 'loo one, not my brother)
finding me and playing DDR and Guitar Freaks with me, then waiting for the 11:50
bus until 12:37, then realizing that this wasn't an express bus, then getting to
the bus terminal an hour late so I missed my bus, then being forced to get on a
1:30 bus which took the scenic route through Guelph. Regardless, I'm back now.
Es-kun and Hikki-kun are coming over to my place tomorrow,
it's been since like DI last year since someone's come over ._. I don't know
what we'll do, but I'll probably be busting out the Naruto (read: Ninja Smash
Bros.) as well as real Smash Bros. and Shin Sangoku Musou 4 (or "Dynasty
Warriors", whatev). We're heading over to PMall after, if anyone wants to see
us, probably around 2 or 3. I'll probably be making a playing some DDR or Pop'n
again, or making a fool of myself on GFreaks upstairs at Orbit. I'll be the only
person playing Chocolate Phillosophy, it'll be easy to find me.
I've renamed Ecchineko, who really wasn't living up to his
name anyways, Sketchineko, in honour of the Sketchbook, and he's been placed
upon the character's list. I haven't designed him yet, but he'll be a guy
(unlike most artists computers), probably around Cubee and Square's age,
obviously with nekomimi, and his personality will likely be more like Cubee's.
Might draw a little 4koma about it when I get around to designing him.
I need to work on banners, as well. Likely, for each size there'll be at least
three banners each, one for each of my mascots (Cubee, Square, and Sketchineko),
and probably one for each doujin I end up making, which at this rate will be
none. But either way, as soon as Sketchineko acquires some of of that Photoshop
goodness, link banners will be going up, which will also give me incentive to
start working on the Links page... w00t.
I probably won't be scanning anything for a while. Even
though the scanner here is better than the one I have at 'Loo, it's not
connected to Sketchineko, it's stuck to Bakaneko for now, and I still gotta
reformat him, he's getting a bit bogged down by all the garbage. I don't draw
much when I get home either, anyways. Til next time!