My first SPL match- Aberdeen FC vs Dundee FC

My flatmate is from Aberdeen and he took me to Dundee yesterday for the Scottish Premier League match between Aberdeen FC and Dundee FC. Although I have been in the UK for more than 20 years now, it was pretty much the first time that I attended a football match.

The Aberdeen supporters call themselves 'Sheep shaggers' and I don't quite get it.I was told it was the Celtic Supporters who gave that name to insult the region but the fans twisted it and turned it into their nickname.

 

I did enjoy it.I loved the pie and nice stadium cuppa,and watching football in freezing temperature.I felt like being in the heart of the hardcore UK culture.

But I couldn't get into the chantings and it was too much.And of course it's a custom in the British football scene...

Portrait for composer Shiori Usui

My dear friend, a composer Shiori Usui http://shioriusui.wordpress.com/asked me to do a portrait of herself for her website.I would like to show some of the artworks I did for this.

1.Sketches

I started off with few pencil sketches, involving movements and expressions of the musical instruments.This is something I always try to present, movement, but with a compositional way rather relying on strong, dynamic lines.

We agreed upon the sketch No.1.

2.Inking

The next step is inking.This is the most delicate stage and I always try to involve some organic elements.In this case it was pencil shades in the hair.Shading is a tricky technique as it could easily either become too dark and black or too light and delicate.It's hard to find the right balance.

3.Addition

Shiori uses so many different types of instruments.I was asked to involve some of these.But hardest thing was to draw them in recognizable ways with precision and simplicity.And the last visual addition was watercolor washes. It was another attempt to give the picture more of an organic feel.

4.Artwork

I don't talk about how I put all this together in Photoshop( that's too complicated). I particularly liked this small picture because it kind of showed me where I want to go with my illustration style.The watercolour wash is really nice thing to do and it fits in well with my drawing which emphasizes movement.

5.Spin-Offs

I did try another composition and these are the variation I produced for it. For the next picture I will do, these will remind me of the other approaches and treatments I could have gone for.The Important thing is to keep the experiments consistent.

Xmas e-card 2012

For those who haven't seen yet, wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Floating Men

Reworked version of something I did ages ago.Textures are important to me but doing it digitally is a hard work.Not sure if I can manage this in the Graphic Novel context.

Post fridge apocalypse/ Pea soup.

Pea pea pea...

Apocalyptic fridge

Ishinomaki/Italian version

On request for Italian readers.
Also check out:
http://www.japan-csa.org/
http://openjapan.net/

Ishinomaki and 'Japan Car Sharing Association'

This is the English version of the 2 page story for 'Internazionale' A story of the port town Ishinomaki, where the Tsunami swept and destroyed the livelihood of the people and tiny bit of tales of how they reconstruct the town.

Volunteer bases I stayed with
http://openjapan.net/
http://www.japan-csa.org/

Ishinomaki/The third episode for 'Internazionale'

A 2 page short based on my trip from the Northern region in Japan destroyed by the Tsunami.This is the third one from the trip.Really appreciate the editor from the Italian magazine 'Internazionale' who showed his enthusiasm and asked me to do more than just one episode.

I am talking about the volunteers who started The Japan Car Sharing Association in this port town called Ishinomaki which were devastated by the Tsunami.The numerous cars were lost and the survivors struggle with the lack of transport.

http://www.japan-csa.org/

Something to remind ourselves that so much of our modern life style rely on cars.

Condolences

Some may say how about in Syria? Iraq? and Afghanistan? I know I may be being a hypocrite here but when the Tsunami and earthquake hit Japan, a lot my friends over there gave me kind words.

Cafe latte

The end of project is closing by.Let's hope it will be really the end.

Illustration exercise, how colour matters

I think I am getting a bit more comfortable with colouring.Hope I am getting somewhere with it too.

'Etc' 16 page small booklet

Designed for the Thought Bubble 2012 convention, containing 8 page short 'Baguette Nose' plus 5 illustrations from various sources.

Sketches from the Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble 2012

With my fellow comrade Edward Ross, the author of Flimish Series, a friend from Edinburgh League of Comics  I joined the Thought Bubble 2012 in Leeds during 16-18 November.
http://thoughtbubblefestival.com/
This is the biggest event for the small press field in the UK scene.It's still small compared to the ones in France and Japan but  I was surprised how comic books and graphic novels are gradually recoganised in the UK.It was unthinkable when I was in art colleges 10-15 years ago. I quickly made a small 16page booklet for the event and sold quite well.Good result for the first comer.

My trip to Fukushima/English version

This is the English version of my second installment of Fukushima incident for the Italian Magazine 'Internazionale'.

Fukushima/The second episode for 'Internazionale'

This 2page short comic strip is the second installment for the Italian magazine 'Internazinale'(16-22 November edition). It's based on my short trip which I made during May/June this year in Fukushima region.

Here is the first episode.
http://fumioworld.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/my-first-publication-in-italy-two-page.html

The third and forth episode to follow in which I talk about 2011's tsunami, earthquake and nuclear accident in Japan.I am very grateful for the editor who gave me the opportunity and I am getting more and more interested in comic strips which take on the current issues/actual events.