Thứ Ba, 13 tháng 1, 2015

My content page

Isn't this nice? I hope it is because it's my content page ayy ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ. So this idea just popped up in my head this morning when I woke up, and picked up one of the old comic book ( FullMetal Alchemist ). I flipped the pages, and somehow I noticed that when you read a comic book, always, alwayys, after the cover page there's always a content page. I have always known that IT was there but I have never, fully noticed it. I think it's a very simple but effective idea, I could make an extra page without any real effort ( I basically made this content page 30 minutes on my way to school this morning haha ). I also think
that it would make my graphic novel looks more professional and like an actual graphic novel. I think it would
benefit the reader as well, I really like the idea what I've done it seems like I've killed 3 birds with one stone AHAH.

the comic that I read this morning and the cover page that inspired me

so as you can see I have 50 pages ready for my comic ready woo hoo i think that I mentioned this before, oh and I spent the entire evening yesterday working on my cover, unfortunately the electricity went off suddenly. So what I did was moving all all of my stuffs to my apartment hallway ( where they still have lights ) to do my cover AHAHA. I dont know if Im pleased with it or not Im only like 1/10th complete, I need to finish at least half of it today. Rather than use markers or photoshop fo rmy cover ( not like I dont like it or anything, I just, dont know how to use it well ) instead I used paints, acrylic paints. It's weird I know I have never seen a comic cover used acrylic paints on it, but wouldnt it be cool if I was the first one. Like creativity? AHAHHAHA anyway I wanted to make the acrylic painting looks like an oil painting and looks very dramatic and artistic. I dont know how it looks yet because this is first time Im combining manga style with wester style mhmmm

Here's my process right now, you cant really see anythng because I didnt do anything much, it's really complicated and I have to work with alot of different details smh

12th January 2015

Also I just met Sam today, he's a senior in my grade who did personal project like us last year. It was really fun and helpful meeting him, especially knowing that he also produce a graphic novel the same as me for his pp last year. He gave me alot of useful tips, here are examples of some that I asked him to send me through email in case I need future references:

I was really just, tensed and nervous when he talked about the process he had to do throughout his personal project, and it was a huge amount.. If you ever came up to me and ask if Im going to be able to finish my comic on time, even if I said yes, there are still some voices back in my head keep reminding me that I wont. It feels like an impossible mission right now, I really want it to be great, I want myself to produce something that I am proud of from the plot to the drawing. I have enough pages on my hand already, but the problems are
- it's too messy I have to fix alot of things
- I need the plot to flow
Right now, I dont think it is, what I supposed to do is a one-shot, instead I made the actual comic with actual volumes and chapters. Since I thought to myself, I am not even great at writing story, so I can simply produce any reasonale plot or ending, I will just make up as I go. It seems very irritating to me now as everything is just too messy, I jump from a horror scene right away to a detective scene to a fighting scene AHAHHAHA. It makes sense in my head, but isnt it too much for the reading, shouldnt I just keep to a point and stop jumping to everything I like. I think the thing is, I am very selfish at a point I want to do everything. And a basic human being isnt capable of being great at everything, I should have just focused on one thing rather than everything. Now what I need to focus is getting chapter 2 finished and then I will make final version for everything it should flow perfectly.
I am doing a robot fighting, I should try to finish that quickly as possible and get back to the real plot which everything makes sense. I have 50 pages of comics and 15 pages of thank you, menu, blah blah blah
I think that I have all these cool ideas but I myself dont know how to execute it well. But then again, when I think about the idea, I think about how a professional would make it, then totally forgot I am an amateur and lacking so much necessary skills

Thứ Tư, 7 tháng 1, 2015

7th January 2015

This is starting to sounds like a diary, but not a happy cheery one where the sixteen years old lies in bed thinks about her prom date with her pink feather pencil, this is more like a middle age gloomy person who mostly complains in their diary. And that's me, right now, in this process journal.

Anyways, it's like midnight already but you can say procastination hits me hard. I have begun to make the final version of my comic book, taking the advice under account of my friend, Manh. Though, truthfully that is just part of the reason why, really I just found the papers I wanted all along this morning. It's a special type of paper that made especially for manga, here look:

I couldn't believe it I found it, it has been 2 years since I first bought it. It has just been lying around in the corner of my apartment for such a long time. I love it so much I'm telling you, it feels like drawing on baby's skins really (( aahah oops that's not a very appropriate metaphor :P )).
I meant like just look at the lines, scales and everything just falls neatly together:

[ CLOSE UP ]

this is how it supposed to look like when you buy it, it calls a '' MANGA PAPER ''

note: they are usually thick and the most common brands are: Deleter, IC and Maxon
read more in here: http://www.jamieism.com/1883/prince-of-tennis/become-mangaka-part-2-learn-tools
you can take this picture and print it out your own if you like, I suggest use A4 thick and hard paper.

this is how you supposed to use and draw in a manga paper ( meaning I have been drawing it wrong the whole time AHAHHA, I just did the researching right now )
here the links of the two pictures above if anyone needs any references ( if somebody read this besides me and my teachers.. ). It would come useful someday
1st link: http://www.mangaarts.com.au/how_to_use_manga_manuscript_paper.htm
2nd link: http://saintcosevent.deviantart.com/art/Manga-Paper-Sample01-302703035

I take my words back, maybe researching these kind of stuffs would be useful in someway
This is my first proper piece of blogging, at least this is the first one to have pictures and sources, so please read it guys AHAHA.

Thứ Ba, 6 tháng 1, 2015

6th January 2014

Less than 20 days til personal project is due, needless to say Im panicking, internally. I didnt update yesterday but I've planned and done rough draft of the next 4 pages, today I tried to shade and finished all the panels ( which I tried to finish all the details and cleared all the unecessarities ). Obviously I didnt finish it but this is my progree so far:

I think I'm going quite okay so far, I have done the first puzzle in the maze, it was a poem with hidden code sequence in it. It wasnt that hard to think of the poem or the hidden code, I thought if it's the first puzzle in the maze, it shouldnt be too hard, you know, leveling up steps by steps ahahah. The other reason is Im not very familiar with all of these dectective and mystery stuffs anyway, I meant I do read and watch alot of solving crimes but when you start thinking about, and creating it, it's so much more difficult. You have to build a whole situtation, it has to be logical and there must be reasons back up for it in every direction, and msot of all it has to be both unexpected yet expected at the same time. You dont want something too boring, the readers are more clever than you think they are. At least, these are what I thought of, after reading the 30 rules yesterday. I am doing more research today, just this morning I have to read Sherlock Holmes' The Case in Reigate. At least I thought if I read some detective stories, it would inspire me better and give me more ideas. Well it kind of did, I only gist reading it because there're alot of works under my head right now, it didnt really help at all with my story right now but I hope it would at some point in my comic. Im doing research in detective novels and their author like sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie. Just the research part alone stresses me alot. However, I am a type of person like to know things, I dont like to learn things, well I do in some way but what I meant is I like exploring things, informations, universe, the world, all of these fascinated me alot. I just dont like the ideas of studying, because somehow it puts pressures on you, because studying lately has the same meaning as scores and marks. Scores and marks are just numbers, determining your worth which I found ridiculous. I've never fond of myself strangling to those ideas and concepts of having a good scores, finding a good universities and have a stable job. Most likely because in 30 years, will anyone actually care?
I have rambling way too much and out of topic right now, I guess coming back to the point, comic is not easy, I knew that that's why I chose it. But I myself would like if I said I didnt enjoy it.

Now drawing may seem to be an easy part, but it's not really, it helps a little that I have been drawing manga style for the past 10 years but when it comes to draw a comic, each panel you have to draw:
- background scenery ( I tried to make everything as details as possible, and shades every little part )
- characters' design ( I have to remember every little details of each characters to distinguish them from the other, but I'm too lazy mostly so I just shade the background characters grey from the main characters haha )
- characters' movement ( they are not just stand up dolls anymore, they have to move, their heads, legs, or body in general to fit with the story line, usually I made my friends stand up and do all these things for me then I just draw it again in manga style hahaha )

But the hardest part for me is the writing, because the key concept here is how to make it's interesting and captivating to the reader yet it's reasonable. I really dont want it to be just a mere entertainment or fan service ( you know what I mean ), something mainstream that everybody already see. Im not necessarily aiming for a '' genius piece of work '', just something that I'm proud of, and I'm fine with that. I talked too much, didnt I, I guess I should stop here and continue my works hehe!

Chủ Nhật, 4 tháng 1, 2015

5th January 2015

It's new year already isnt it, though it doesnt feel like it since I've been constantly swarming with works upon works.
Well, less than 20 days to submit final product for personal project, not fun at all. It's harder than I thought, my initial plan was to collaborate with my friend for this project, she will write the story part, I will just draw. Life doesnt seem that easy, we havent talked much and she seemed to be busier than ever, as it turned out, I have to write the story my own. For most part, I just made up as I go.
I have drawn 20 pages already, it's looking absolutely fine, alot of people have helped me in ideas which is nice, I've done tons and tons of research in writing a detective story, since I am not good with writing, anything.
I just found out the 10 rules in writing detective story from Raymond and 20 rules in writing a dectetive story by S.S Van Dine. They were extremely useful, for me.

Raymond Chandler's Ten CommandmentsFor the Detective Novel

It must be credibly motivated, both as to the original situation and the dénouement.
It must be technically sound as to the methods of murder and detection.
It must be realistic in character, setting and atmosphere. It must be about real people in a real world.
It must have a sound story value apart from the mystery element: i.e., the investigation itself must be an adventure worth reading.
It must have enough essential simplicity to be explained easily when the time comes.
It must baffle a reasonably intelligent reader.
The solution must seem inevitable once revealed.
It must not try to do everything at once. If it is a puzzle story operating in a rather cool, reasonable atmosphere, it cannot also be a violent adventure or a passionate romance.
It must punish the criminal in one way or another, not necessarily by operation of the law....If the detective fails to resolve the consequences of the crime, the story is an unresolved chord and leaves irritation behind it.
It must be honest with the reader.

Twenty rules for writing detective stories" (1928)

(Originally published in the American Magazine (1928-sep),
and included in the Philo Vance investigates omnibus (1936).

by S.S. Van Dine
(pseud. for Willard Huntington Wright)

THE DETECTIVE story is a kind of intellectual game. It is more — it is a sporting event. And for the writing of detective stories there are very definite laws — unwritten, perhaps, but none the less binding; and every respectable and self-respecting concocter of literary mysteries lives up to them. Herewith, then, is a sort Credo, based partly on the practice of all the great writers of detective stories, and partly on the promptings of the honest author's inner conscience. To wit:
   1. The reader must have equal opportunity with the detective for solving the mystery. All clues must be plainly stated and described.
   2. No willful tricks or deceptions may be placed on the reader other than those played legitimately by the criminal on the detective himself.
   3. There must be no love interest. The business in hand is to bring a criminal to the bar of justice, not to bring a lovelorn couple to the hymeneal altar.
   4. The detective himself, or one of the official investigators, should never turn out to be the culprit. This is bald trickery, on a par with offering some one a bright penny for a five-dollar gold piece. It's false pretenses.
   5. The culprit must be determined by logical deductions — not by accident or coincidence or unmotivated confession. To solve a criminal problem in this latter fashion is like sending the reader on a deliberate wild-goose chase, and then telling him, after he has failed, that you had the object of his search up your sleeve all the time. Such an author is no better than a practical joker.
   6. The detective novel must have a detective in it; and a detective is not a detective unless he detects. His function is to gather clues that will eventually lead to the person who did the dirty work in the first chapter; and if the detective does not reach his conclusions through an analysis of those clues, he has no more solved his problem than the schoolboy who gets his answer out of the back of the arithmetic.
   7. There simply must be a corpse in a detective novel, and the deader the corpse the better. No lesser crime than murder will suffice. Three hundred pages is far too much pother for a crime other than murder. After all, the reader's trouble and expenditure of energy must be rewarded.
   8. The problem of the crime must he solved by strictly naturalistic means. Such methods for learning the truth as slate-writing, ouija-boards, mind-reading, spiritualistic se'ances, crystal-gazing, and the like, are taboo. A reader has a chance when matching his wits with a rationalistic detective, but if he must compete with the world of spirits and go chasing about the fourth dimension of metaphysics, he is defeated ab initio.
   9. There must be but one detective — that is, but one protagonist of deduction — one deus ex machina. To bring the minds of three or four, or sometimes a gang of detectives to bear on a problem, is not only to disperse the interest and break the direct thread of logic, but to take an unfair advantage of the reader. If there is more than one detective the reader doesn't know who his codeductor is. It's like making the reader run a race with a relay team.
   10. The culprit must turn out to be a person who has played a more or less prominent part in the story — that is, a person with whom the reader is familiar and in whom he takes an interest.
   11. A servant must not be chosen by the author as the culprit. This is begging a noble question. It is a too easy solution. The culprit must be a decidedly worth-while person — one that wouldn't ordinarily come under suspicion.
   12. There must be but one culprit, no matter how many murders are committed. The culprit may, of course, have a minor helper or co-plotter; but the entire onus must rest on one pair of shoulders: the entire indignation of the reader must be permitted to concentrate on a single black nature.
   13. Secret societies, camorras, mafias, et al., have no place in a detective story. A fascinating and truly beautiful murder is irremediably spoiled by any such wholesale culpability. To be sure, the murderer in a detective novel should be given a sporting chance; but it is going too far to grant him a secret society to fall back on. No high-class, self-respecting murderer would want such odds.
   14. The method of murder, and the means of detecting it, must be be rational and scientific. That is to say, pseudo-science and purely imaginative and speculative devices are not to be tolerated in the roman policier. Once an author soars into the realm of fantasy, in the Jules Verne manner, he is outside the bounds of detective fiction, cavorting in the uncharted reaches of adventure.
   15. The truth of the problem must at all times be apparent — provided the reader is shrewd enough to see it. By this I mean that if the reader, after learning the explanation for the crime, should reread the book, he would see that the solution had, in a sense, been staring him in the face-that all the clues really pointed to the culprit — and that, if he had been as clever as the detective, he could have solved the mystery himself without going on to the final chapter. That the clever reader does often thus solve the problem goes without saying.
   16. A detective novel should contain no long descriptive passages, no literary dallying with side-issues, no subtly worked-out character analyses, no "atmospheric" preoccupations. such matters have no vital place in a record of crime and deduction. They hold up the action and introduce issues irrelevant to the main purpose, which is to state a problem, analyze it, and bring it to a successful conclusion. To be sure, there must be a sufficient descriptiveness and character delineation to give the novel verisimilitude.
   17. A professional criminal must never be shouldered with the guilt of a crime in a detective story. Crimes by housebreakers and bandits are the province of the police departments — not of authors and brilliant amateur detectives. A really fascinating crime is one committed by a pillar of a church, or a spinster noted for her charities.
   18. A crime in a detective story must never turn out to be an accident or a suicide. To end an odyssey of sleuthing with such an anti-climax is to hoodwink the trusting and kind-hearted reader.
   19. The motives for all crimes in detective stories should be personal. International plottings and war politics belong in a different category of fiction — in secret-service tales, for instance. But a murder story must be kept gemütlich, so to speak. It must reflect the reader's everyday experiences, and give him a certain outlet for his own repressed desires and emotions.
   20. And (to give my Credo an even score of items) I herewith list a few of the devices which no self-respecting detective story writer will now avail himself of. They have been employed too often, and are familiar to all true lovers of literary crime. To use them is a confession of the author's ineptitude and lack of originality. (a) Determining the identity of the culprit by comparing the butt of a cigarette left at the scene of the crime with the brand smoked by a suspect. (b) The bogus spiritualistic se'ance to frighten the culprit into giving himself away. (c) Forged fingerprints. (d) The dummy-figure alibi. (e) The dog that does not bark and thereby reveals the fact that the intruder is familiar. (f)The final pinning of the crime on a twin, or a relative who looks exactly like the suspected, but innocent, person. (g) The hypodermic syringe and the knockout drops. (h) The commission of the murder in a locked room after the police have actually broken in. (i) The word association test for guilt. (j) The cipher, or code letter, which is eventually unraveled by the sleuth.

They are long and difficult to read but they are needed. Well needless to say it seems I am more focusing and productive than ever when the deadline is near. There's a saying in that, in my heritage '' you only jump when the water is near '' I dont really know how to explain it in English, Im sure that there's a similar saying but it doesnt matter, for now.
I have spent the whole day yesterday in Escape Room, it's like a maze, you are locked inside a room and have to find every clues to get out.
They have 6 different rooms, each room has different level, I chose the easiest one because I havent even tried this game, I should start from the bottom.