</ANIMETHON14>
So for all of you who are uninformed and live in a hole (and by a hole I mean not West-Canada), Animethon is the annual anime convention held in Edmonton, Alberta. One of the two Anime Conventions I attend (the other being Otafest). I went last year to waddle around and be unconstructive, quite possibly did a crappy sketch or two and sold some prints.

This year was a little different @ Animethon for me, under the constant influence of my girlfriend's nagging we joined up Artist Alley and I managed to sketch a whole wad of people. I also managed to sell a couple of prints, but since it was sort of a last minute thing I didn't manage to get off as many copies as I wanted and sold out fairly quickly. I also forgot to bring my business cards so I doubt my DA will get a lot of bonus visitors T_T

I think I did fairly well this year, selling exactly $795 dollars in prints/sketches. Unfortunately that number doesn't include the 15% reduction from sales that the convention puts on Artist Alley participants (At least it's capped at $60), Hotel prices ($25, it was split between 18 people.), Ink prices ($20 per cartridge, I think I had to buy 4), 8.5x11 photo glossy paper ($35 for a pack of 100 sheets) and food. At least I didn't have to split for gas, kekeke. I hope to sell $1000 worth of prints/sketches next year~

In the cosplay department I sported my Naruto: Shippuden's Uchiha Sasuke outfit again [link] that I was wearing at Otafest. It got quite a few "o0o0os" and "aAaAas", what with those Sharingan contacts and all. I want to post pictures but I always forget to take them and I only wore the outfit for the first day since we slept in too late the second day.



So instead, I went as "L" from Deathnote which only took some eyeliner and a pair of jeans and a white-shirt. The funny part is that I probably ended up being one of the best L's there as well, HARHARHAR.

I was looking forward to attending the Narutimate tournament at Animethon this year, since I whoop so much ass at the game but they were all too busy with Super Smash Melee. I should've gotten a Gamecube just to master that game too >_>

P.S. My girlfriend made an awesome Misa from Deathnote, in fact I can honestly say she was the best one there even if I weren't dating her. 8B

P.P.S. (Pictures will come later when I find some D: )



</COMISSIONS>
Status: Closed
(All prices in Canadian Dollars)
• Full body: 40$-50$
• Bust shot (Head to Torso): 30$-40$
• Head shot: 10$-15$
(Prices vary depending on detail)
For more information: [link]



</FRIENDS AND IDOLS>





</OTHER ALBERTAN ARTISTS>

</OOPS>
I can't believe my last update was during Otaf... What am I talking about, of course I can. I have a history of epic sloth. So, I haven't done anything amazingly constructive all summer. The job idea kind of went down the drain and I've been amusing myself playing Ragnarok Online again on some private server my cousin somehow convinced me to play on. It's not that bad, 1000-1500 population, 13/13/5 Rates... then again, it is RO. Bleck I know I'll look back on this and think to myself; "What a waste of time."



So anyway, my first order of agenda would be updating my gallery with some RO commissions I managed to finish during my little MMO escapade. That should be viewable on your left soon @o@

Secondly, I'm going to have to rack my brain and figure out what I've done with my summer so far...



</VANCOUVER>
As my late best friend's mom's friend's daughter would put it, "Welcome to China." Seriously, just give it a few more years and Vancouver will become the next Hong Kong ;[ My family brought along my girlfriend to our 1 week trip to Vancity, where we stayed at our relatives as usual. She finds asian markets rather amusing. I do not. >_>

We joined a 1 day tour to Seattle while we were over there. Except I didn't find anything really worth looking at except a huge outlet mall where I bought myself some new clothes (Woohoo, the only serious clothes shopping I've done in a year!)

I'm out of ideas. I mean it's just another city, nothing really worth mentioning ;[



</TRIGUN ENDS>
I finally finished the Trigun series recently (Trigun Maximum, chapter 102) and uh, I'm not sure what to think of it. The ending felt... unplanned and rather anti-climatic. It didn't lack closure but it was so weak how the author tied everything up. It just left me feeling dumb founded blurting, "That was it?"

Don't get me wrong though, all in all I really enjoyed the manga. I feel sorry for the idiots who just watch the anime series and think its "the shit" even though its a joke compared to the depth of its page-flipping counterpart. Reminds me of Hellsing Anime fans.... ugh, *shudders*



</MOAR SCRUBZ>
Quite possibly the best show in the world, I finally found the time to dig for the last 3 episodes of Season 6 that I had forgotten to watch ages ago. I can't wait for Season 7 to come out now that its been confirmed, the finale left so many questions for a viewer to ask D: GIMME MOAR SCRUBS T______T



</DAWTF>
Once again, my return to DA has left me dumb founded on how much my friends have improved and spiced up their pages/galleries. You all piss me off so much D:< (Yes I'm looking at you, Ippus.)



</COMISSIONS>
Status: Closed
(All prices in Canadian Dollars)
• Full body: 40$-50$
• Bust shot (Head to Torso): 30$-40$
• Head shot: 10$-15$
(Prices vary depending on detail)
For more information: [link]



</FRIENDS AND IDOLS>





</OTHER ALBERTAN ARTISTS>

</RETYPE?!?!>
Alright, so I just spent the past hour or so typing up a journal entry with a con-report for Otafest and everything. Then my computer decides to go all ERRORERRORERROR on my ass and now I have to redo it all. Or not, because I'm pissed ;[

So I'm going to briefly retype what I remember.

Oh, I forgot to print my girlfriends business cards at Otafest so I'm going to have to advertise her DA here. SUCH A DRAAAAAAG.




</UPDATING UP TO DATE>
Mang, I really fail at keep my life up to date with this journal. Its been quite awhile since I moved down to my basement and thats what I covered in my last entry. I'm planning to stay in Calgary this summer to find work with my girlfriend. Quite possibly going to Vancouver for a week with the family. Anywhoooz, HERE WE GO.



</OTAFEST>
I know most con reports are full of juicy pictures accompanied with elaborate "this is how my day went" journal-like posts but really I can't be bothered to do such a thing. Mainly because I'm so incredibly lazy :3 So I'll briefly go over what went down for me during those past 2 days.

[ My cosplay ]
Oh yea, I should go over my cosplay this year. I was Uchiha Sasuke again this year but in his Naruto Shippuden outfit. It came out fairly well, actually. Some minor things I would've liked to tweak include a better quality kusanagi, longer rope so I can do looping knots and making his sandal-boots into a one-piece. Otherwise it was GREAAAAAAAAT. I think?

I couldn't find time to do a photoshoot again this year so I'll have to rely on pictures that random people took at the convention of me. Maybe I'll dress up one weekend and have someone help me take a few decent photos but until then, sorry ._.



[ Day 1 ]
-Feeling nauseous due to lack of sleep.
-Selling arts.
-Wandering around vendors/artist alley.
-Getting my picture taken lots, selling moar arts, -Cosplay event (Yay for my improvised skits with shonene-ai.)

[ Day 2 ]
-Selling arts. (Sold roughly $500 worth of stuff not including an extra $100 from last year that Fynta had apparently owed me.)
- Getting picture taken lots again
- Came in 2nd for Mr.Otafest again (1st in 2005, 2nd 2006), lost to a crappy Demyx cosplayer from Kingdom Hearts that didn't even have his weapon and quite possibly an ebayed or store-bought Organization XIII cloak. I don't believe he had the proper gloves or boots either... Yea I'm bitter about getting runner up, not due to the fact that I lost but because someone so incredibly undeserving won.
- Skipped award ceremony for Japanese food at a great restaurant with friends/family. Yum yum~
- Went to watch Shrek the Third after dinner, YEEHAW.



<SHREK THE TH-TH-THIRD> <4/5>
I don't know about you, but critics have nothing on this movie. Its great, its fun, its hilarious and quite the spectacle to watch if you're into graphic rendering and all that. I don't see what doesn't make this a great "Shrek" film, theres so much to love about it. If you've seen the first 2 films then you really can't miss this one.



</REGARDING THE ARTS>
I've been doing a crapload of fanart up until now on DA and its not so much for the pagehits than it is for having an easy set of character traits (outfit designs, color, and personalities etc.) to work with so I could improve on more technical aspects of my work. (composition, shading/blending methods, lineart etc.) Lately I'm starting to feel more comfortable with my technical abilities though so I think I might get into character concept work more now. Expect some more original work in the future~

Also, I might be editing and opening up my Comissions status soon now that I have a credit card and a paypal. We'll have to see how busy I'm with 2nd-year-studies at Art College.



</COMISSIONS>
Status: Closed
(Prices vary depending on detail)
• Full body: 15$-20$
• Bust shot (Head to Torso): 10$-15$
• Head shot: 5$-10$
For more information: [link]



</FRIENDS AND IDOLS>





</OTHER ALBERTAN ARTISTS>

</NEW LIVIN' QUARTERS>
Following my inevitable quest to becoming a loser that "lives in his mother's basement" I have moved down to the basement into a larger room and I also get to take over the guestroom down here and turn it into an "art studio".

But Drake, you're a digital illustrator. What on earth do you need an art studio for? That's an excellent question, conscience. To be honest, I really don't know, I mean I'm only painting, sculpting and doing large traditional pieces right now because 1st-year-studies requires all that general study horse-shit. My room is more than big enough for upcoming projects that I can forsee, the only thing thats going to be in my studio is like a... er... giant drafting table? Oh! Oh! I also want one of those stools that all them classy professionals have.

Maybe I'll make it into a personal gallery... oh oops, I forgot how much I detest looking at my own art 8D Ergh, I'll figure something out eventually.

Anywho, I'll post pictures up once I get everything unpacked and set up. WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!




</MEET THE PARENTZ>
I know my gf is just aching for me to post something about my visit to her hometown and the meeting of the family in here because she likes attention like that; So here it is.

I've always been a city boy, and I don't think that will ever change. All that "great fresh air", "beautiful scenery" and the "simple life" has never attracted me. Small towns are dumps, they are boring, they are tiny and they lack that obnoxious buzz of the city; if anything some of them make great tourist-pit-stops but thats about it. You won't catch me living in a tiny, boring, place anytime soon. Oh wait, I live in Calgary. OOPS.

So there I was. Town with no tall buildings. Oldschool "downtowns" and what not. Pewper 8D I enjoyed whoring out their PS3 (GUNDAAAAM) and Wii (Red steeelz) so whenever someone mentioned something about site seeing or going out anywhere for that matter I kinda sent a negative wave into their heads with the ol' uneasy facial expressions and not-wanting-to-move body language.

I confess, meeting her family was nice. They seemed like a healthy, happy family, definately better than mine. The aunts were nice, the parents were kind and entertaining; hell, even her 13 year old brother was easy to get along with. (I hate children, especially tweens.) I'm glad I went. :3



</DEADLINES>
I never really put much thought into the word "deadlines" until I realized it came from the lines I'd mark on my non-existent calendar that marked the day at which I would slowly die to.

Seriously, 2nd year portfolios is beginning to scare me with its array of redundant and somewhat irrelevent requirements. I'm going to be slaving hardcore over the retarded "Design fundamentals" shit and all the STILL-LIFE VALUE STUDY. My god, I can't stand drawing things from reference at a large scale for what feels to be an eternity. Honestly, any artist with a good understanding of hand-to-eye coordination will realize that imitating a photocopier's job doesn't take much skill, just an incredible amount of pointless effort.

Ontop of that I've got illustrations to complete so I have a decent selection of prints and what-not to sell at my city's upcoming anime convention (Otafest). I mean... I've been so unmotivated lately but I don't know why. It's like half of my brain is going "OMG,IWANTTOILLUSTRATEMOARANDBECOMEAWESOME." and the other part is going "FUCKTHISICANDOITTOMORROW8D" Oh and don't think I haven't noticed all of you on my watchlist updating like madmen (and women). You all make me so angry D8 WHY HAVEN'T I DONE ANYTHING LATELY?!

I've never been good with deadlines, but I know that I'm even worse self-directed. Woe is me? Hohoho. Failure stamp me please.




</COSPLAY UPDATE>
Nothing new. Really. I've been puttng it off. Odear.




</COMISSIONS>
Status: Closed
(Prices vary depending on detail)
• Full body: 15$-20$
• Bust shot (Head to Torso): 10$-15$
• Head shot: 5$-10$
For more information: [link]



</FRIENDS AND IDOLS>





</OTHER ALBERTAN ARTISTS>