Akaraah

    Hey everyone, I felt that it's been a long time since I last posted a journal entry on here and elsewhere, so it's long overdue...  Anyhow, I'll start off by saying that I have finished A.I.T. (Advanced Individual Training) and have since shipped to my unit in the army (Kansas).  With that said, I've been pretty busy these past few months with stuff not pertaining to my art/stories.  I more than likely won't be able to follow through with all of the goals I set forth to finish in 2013 given the time frame I'm on but it doesn't bother me since, despite all the hardships I had to endure and continue to, I feel it was worth experiencing.  My unit is an infantry unit so fitness is crazy important (though my M.O.S. itself is not infantry) and we usually have to work later than others given the type of tasks we are to pursue (usually from 0600-1700).  I'm just starting to get used to things here but there are cool people from all around so I'll be alright...  Besides all that, I'll update with what I'm currently doing in-terms of projects.

Hey everyone!  I'm back, sorta' kinda of...  I've graduated BCT and now I'm in AIT, which naturally means I have more privileges and can get internet access during "personal time" to summarize as much as possible.  I don't have my wacom 22HD or yiynova MSP19 electronic drawing tablets with me but I DO have my laptop from home and will be getting/purchasing the wacom 13HD that came out this year sometime next week.  I didn't bring the wacom 22HD with me since it was a bit on the large side and would be a bit of a hassle to carry around given the life style I'll have over the next 2 1/2 months while I receive training for my M.O.S.  Like I promised, I'll resume working on GLS in my downtime among other things so this will be a short journal entry.  Thanks for reading!

Hello everyone, this could be my last journal entry for the next 2-6 months so I'll try to extrapolate on a few things...

Yes, I'm off to Basic Training today which means I probably won't be able to read your replies or responses to this particular journal entry, other journal entries, or my art gallery in general for quite some time.  But I encourage you to comment and respond if you must because once I'm back I will get back to you (depending on the nature of the comment, of course).

Unfortunately I wasn't able to finish the GLS prologue before the weeks end and I'm still fairly early in the stages, but I'll continue to work on them once I'm back...  But!  I do have some panels that are nearing final to let you all know I'm not just jerking you around...  XD  They're from various pages from the prologue so they won't spoil much of anything.  And note that they aren't completely finished or finalized AND still requiring some tweaking...  I'd feel bad if I left you all with nothing so here are the links:  

s1193.photobucket.com/user/Jku…

s1193.photobucket.com/user/Jku…

s1193.photobucket.com/user/Jku…

So on and so, I don't have much time left so I have to cut this entry short...  Wish me luck!

It's about that time again...or rather it's over due, which it is.  Hello everyone!

It's been well over two months since my last journal entry so I'll give you all some updates on the latest happenings regarding my goals as well as some imminent changes to my plans.    For one, I'm in my third month of school and my semester will end in about two months in early May.  The year is pushing along pretty fast.  I've also successfully enlisted into the Army and will begin BT in May.  I made sure that I wouldn't be able to head off until the middle of May after my college semester has ended.  As well, I've decided to do active duty as opposed to mere reserves.  The pay grade will be far greater and will help me accomplish more goals in terms of finances.  I'll have up to 9 weeks of BT and 9 weeks of advanced, so altogether I'll likely be living away from home over 4 months if they're consecutive.  But for the time being I'm finishing up my first semester.  As for the job I'll be getting/MOS, it's not a combat job (though it's naive to believe one is completely "safe" just because they don't have a combat job).  I won't be receiving info where I'll be deployed after Basic so I can only talk about what I know at the present.  Considering...it's great to know if all things go as planned, I'll have a secure source of income.  I've already started conditioning so I've already got quite a lot to look forward to this year.

 In other news, I  got a wacom 22HD early in February thanks to my brother so I have something more advanced than the yiynova MSP19 I purchased last year (though the yiynova tablet is still fantastic).  I've been improving my craft with sketch book pro and manga studio 5 and indeed will be sharing more concept art and reference sheets I've made in the none-too-distant future.

As for GLS, I'm still in the designing stages which may be unfortunate to some but I want to be as thorough as I can...  I've (still) been researching page layout and storyboards and have discovered many great articles and in particular, a great youtube channel that goes into digital comic book making...  I'm not sure if I've talked about them in a past journal but here's a link to their YT channel, Mangachasers: www.youtube.com/user/mangachas… .  They do very intuitive tutorials using their characters Sen and Kai in video presentations that often utilize sketch book pro and Manga studio (EX 4), such as this video:  www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nlkNZ… about making a manga (or more accurately, the making of a manga page).  I don't always take time to promote people, so if you're also in the beginning stages of developing your own comic/series and and need something more, per se, visually enticing to help guide you don't stray too far from their channel!  They also have versions of their comic/manga online in the form of presentation type videos so that may be fun to some of you.

More on GLS:  I wasn't  able to get to GLS outline chapter 100 by the end of last year but at the moment I'm on chapter 93's outline (which is the longest yet, nearly 18 pages worth of content for me to work from in the future!).  I intend to get to chapter 100's outline by the middle of March.  I've added some of the concept art for GLS to the facebook page which may stay exclusively there for the time being, so here's a link to some of it: www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbi… & www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbi…

The first GLS FB page link leads to the frontward view of the character's faces and their designs as currently updated.  From left to right: Jeremiah, Raseph, Gheena, and Hemif, the main Jkuheeroes.  The second link leads to the Jkuheeroe cadets, from left to right: Edja, Roxanna, Marcus, Adjinix.  I also have some QR codes I've made leading to the GLS FB page and Mangamagazine that I will be sharing at some point in the near future.  So on and so, don't feel shy about giving the page a like, here: www.facebook.com/GodlikeStreng… and sharing if and whenever.  It would help me out...

Regarding project TOTA, it's moving along smoothly.  I intend to finish outlining by the end of March and well into early April.  Beyond that, there's not much to say.  

There's also news regarding Whytmanga and his comic/manga Apple Black.  I know it doesn't always seem relevant to me or my goals in talking about others on first glance, but I simply like pointing out talent and great people out there.  Anyhow, according to his latest video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5ItOz… he has finished Apple Black (chapter one, anyway) and intends to submit it to publishers very soon which is pretty awesome!  With that said, it could be as much as a month before we get any word on what's to come next.  It causes me to reflect on where I could go/be with GLS someday if I just keep pushing.  Let's all wish him luck and our support in all his efforts.  But not only because he's a lone individual working to bring his project(s) to light, but also because his plight is the same as many of us out there who want to get our stories out there.  So on and so, there's still a lot for me to get done as well, so I'll keep my head up.

As I promised in my previous entry, here is the journal that will go over my New Years Resolutions and the like...  I hope some others will do the same today given that in my timezone it is the day before January 1st, 2013.  To start off, I'll go over my long term goals and the schedule I have set up for myself.  Here goes...everything:

*Finish outlining The Owlykes of the Timberwood Alps (January 2013 thru March 2013)

*Storyboard over half of GLS Sequence 0-1 (January 2013 thru October 2013)

*Finish writing The Owlykes of the Timberwood Alps (April 2013 thru November 2013)

*Publish The Owlykes of the Timberwood Alps (December 2013 thru 2014)

*Grow more adept at digital painting.

*Start video blogging on my YT channel (and dabble in topics related to my content).

*Start taking up and finishing commissions and art trades.

*Join the army reserve-part time (January 2013 through June 2013)

*Enroll in a college (January 2013)

*Begin drawing out  and colorizing GLS Sequence 0-1 (2013)

*Overall just improve as a person!

So as you can see, I have put quite a lot on my plate for 2013...  Here's to hoping I'm able to accomplish even just one of my goals next year!!!  I'll start going over the semantics over such goals now, starting with the very first!

Finish outlining The Owlykes of the Timberwood Alps (January 2013 thru March 2013):  This one has been pressing my mind for the longest time!  Ever since I began writing/outlining in 2011 I've been thinking constantly about finishing this story and therefore having my first, broadly available published work in the world of literature out there for all to see!  Sadly I gave Project TOTA (The initials for the project) little to no attention for the year of 2012 and I want to change that!  Before I can move on to writing the book in its completed form I must finish the outlining process, which I am about half-way through.  Thinking about it honestly, I could have been much further along by now had I chose to work on it far more often, but alas, this gives me something to work toward in the first quarter of the year 2013!

Storyboard over half of GLS Sequence 0-1 (January 2013 thru October 2013):  GLS Sequence 0-1 is due for some serious work and what better initiative to start with than that of which is offered by the coming of a new year?  The script is about done being finalized and I have relatives who are proficient English writers (teachers, etc.) who can offer their input on the logic and structure of the plot, along with the believability of the characters.  I never realized scripting and finalizing a script could be such a tedious process; from correcting grammar, leaving personal annotations, and cutting off and adding on bits of dialogue to strengthen areas of the plot, storyboarding a total of 219 pages of script isn't going to be a cakewalk!  Luckily I have friends and the internet to help me with research and the appropriate approach for this great task!  There are many hurdles ahead, and just when you think it will be a short process, if you're serious about making something, don't think it will be easy because the best things in life are usually hard to achieve!  Sadly I can't promise to see a comic in 2013 quite yet, but do know that GLS isn't forgotten and I've just gotten started on the the next step...

Finish writing The Owlykes of the Timberwood Alps (April 2013 thru November 2013):  Continuing from the previous portion of the entry about Project TOTA, I aim to finish writing the story in 2013 and have it published by the year of 2014...  But let's not look too far ahead into the future and focus more on actually getting it written before thinking about which publishing press to take it to, though it's never a bad idea to think a few months or years ahead.  To let anyone curious know, it is not going to be a comic like GLS, but I do intend to do some illustrations for the book!  If you want, check out my gallery link here:  akaraah.deviantart.com/gallery… just for some artwork based on the story, but it's more conceptual than anything.  Anyway, I've dedicated quite a bit of thought towards this "epic" of mine, so I hope to get it out to the world for everyone to see in a year or two more!

Publish The Owlykes of the Timberwood Alps (December 2013 thru 2014):  At this point in time there's not too much more to say because I don't have enough of a manuscript at the ready to present to any potential publishers so all I can say is that I will share more regarding publishing later in 2013 once most of the story is written and I've contacted some companies about this work.  With all that said, once/when I do take project TOTA to any publishing companies, know that books can take as long as a year before they are even printed and appear in stores, so if things go as planned, it could take as long as even 2015 or longer before my first would-be novel will be out...  In the mean time, if you want to help me out, you could always like the Project TOTA FB page at this link here: www.facebook.com/pages/The-Owl… and help me increase publicity, it's only one Facebook like away, folks!

Grow more adept at digital painting:  As you may have noticed, there's no ascribed time-scale for this goal since this is generally what I plan to to do as the year goes on just by creating more art.  I saw a lot of improvement in my digital painting and overall art skills over the course of 2012, especially when Colors! 3D first launched in 2012.  A lovely program, but for my bigger projects I intend to use greater drawing programs and evolve as an artist!  So don't shy away from giving me a few pointers and constructive criticism, you never know what it can do for someone until you put it out there!

Start video blogging on my YT channel (and dabble in topics related to my content):  Like nearly everyone out there who is active on the internet front, I have a Youtube account.  Which I intend to use much more frequently as time goes on.  I've got nearly everything I need to make a channel dedicated to my art and to talk about topics (a decent video camera, good computer, etc.) all I need now is decent editing software for videos and I'll be good to go.  Though I'm not much of a camera person so maybe I'll start with voice capture software.  I'm unsure about this, but I feel taking the next step and creating videos based on my content in the future is somewhere I'd like to go.  Youtubers such as Whytmanga (Odunze), Ronaproject (Rynan Ingels, R.I.P. Anthony), Koizu, and the more broadly-known Mark Crilley show it is possible to create a broad social circle with other artist and aspirers in the mix.  I don't yet have a plan on how to execute this or exactly when in 2013, but if my other goals come along smoothly, know that this is expect to rise along with the other goals.

Start taking up and finishing commissions and art trades:  It's funny how the mind is...  Just over five or more months ago I was actually bent AGAINST art trades and commissions.  I wanted only to draw what I wanted, but I found that there's a satisfaction in drawing for others and building up a reputation for creating better than subpar art.  For example, one of my favorite DA artists, Robaato makes many-many commissions.  But that's not all, through commissions and art trades, he made many friends and is quite the successful artist because of it.  However, not only that, but he has his own comic book series and projects underway.  What he is currently working on is a comic called Rat Rage (the prologue available in his gallery) and he is one of the primary artists/designers behind an Indie game called Cryamore which I am looking forward to seeing debut (link to their tumblr here cryamore.tumblr.com/post/39071… ).  So on and so, if you'd like me to draw something for you be sure to message me here on DA!  

Join the army reserve-part time (January 2013 through June 2013):  This is one of my more short-term goals and the initial steps have already been taken!  I took the ASVAB practice test back in November and passed, so the next step is taking the fully-fleshed out test in January and being able to enroll as a parttime Army Reserve member.  At the moment jobs are still hard to come by so I need a guaranteed source of income while I'm in attendance of school while also financing whatever future projects I decide to tackle in the near future.  Some might think it strange that I want to join the Reserve for financial help, but then again, there are not incorrect reasons to join the Reserve, even if they are shameless (which I don't think that reason I shared is).  I'll be rescheduling to take the test on or after the 3rd of January, and taking it on the 7th, so wish me luck!  But even if I do pass, it could take from as little as a month to a fully-blown out year before I'd actually be enlisted, with 10 weeks of basic training.  My only concern is if I'm enrolled in college at the start of next year and I end up passing and having to go to basic, but it conflicts with my education.  Perhaps if it were during the summer of 2013 then I'd be in luck...  So best wishes on that...

Enroll in a college (January 2013):  I mind as well mark this off as done since I finished enrolling during early December  and don't have classes until the 17th of January.  You can read my previous entry for the details regarding college.  As for orientation, they're on the 5th and 9th of January...  So there's not too much to say about this goal other than waiting to actually GO to college.  My last year experience made me at least one year wiser regarding college and higher education, so I can only press onward and try my best.

Begin drawing out and colorizing GLS Sequence 0-1 (2013):  Similar to the goal of storyboarding GLS, this will take a long time since I will be going solo on this comic book project of mine.  I put the generic goal time-scale of 2013 because I don't have a good estimate on when I'll be able to start this particular phase because it would require me to have a lot more done in the drawing portion, and let's not forget about line art/inking.  If anyone has any advice on how to approach this phase, please feel free to inform me!  I plan to share some GLS artwork during the new year to develop my ability to draw my characters and to increase the consistency between my art.  So this goal may likely carry into 2014 which won't really surprise me if it actually does.  My Sketchbook pro 6 copy, which, according to Fedex Smartpost, is Out for Delivery today, will arrive and I can further improve my craft as an artist.  Testing my many digital drawing tools, I feel sketchbook pro may be the most practical to use when crafting this work of mine...

Overall just improve as a person:  What more is there to say?  I'm a flawed person just like anyone else!  I procrastinate far more than I would like to and I'm socially awkward at times...  I want to improve myself so it starts with recognizing and acknowledging both my limits and my flaws.  I like who I am, but I know I can be a better me...  So here's to a better me, and a better everyone else!  Everyone have a Happy New Year and believe in whatever good thing you can do for yourselves and other people!  Thanks for reading my ambitions and any further commentary you may offer...

...2013, here we come...!