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The King of Karaoke by ~mercnash:iconmercnash:

Categories Fan Art > Manga/Anime > Digital > Movies/TV

©2009 ~mercnash
:iconmercnash:

Artist's Comments

Ok, ok, ok. 800MB. 800MB. This was one really big PSD, I can tell you. It crashed computers, it kept me up, it made me late for my Photomedia class. It gave me rabies.
The Cat King and Natori (His advisor) are probably some of my favourite Studio Ghibli characters. C.K. just has such great lines- "Thanks, babe!" and poor long-suffering Natori! I find The Cat Returns to be a really vibrant and enjoyable film.
OK, so this was for (yet another) Madman contest- the theme being "Villains at Home". So the Cat King is banging out some sweet karaoke tunes. Naturally.
This is actually a composite of three drawings- I mixed pencil and ink work because I wanted to try something like the watercolour/cel style of the movie....well, at least I learnt some stuff from it. Kids, always remember to clean up your lineart first- there are some ugly inky bleeds here. XP I'm quite happy with how the cel-shading worked- I'm not particularly experienced with the shading of the cell.
And have you ever tried to draw a TV from the back? They come out looking really weird. Weeeiiiirrrddd!
I'm in two minds about this. Thanks to ~RollingEye and his girlfriend for their helpful critique- it was too late to fix those problems but I think they really helped me get a nice crop. Also thanks to the girl who showed me where the DVDs go in an Apple Mac. Apple Macs- they're not just for spontaneous combustion anymore.
Well, wish me luck!
Cat King and Natori are from Studio Ghibli's The Cat Returns.
Oh yes, and I do do commissions. (+10 subtlety)
Critiquers will be showered with cookies and monopoly monies! Every little insight helps me get better at this.

Comments


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:icondodger-d:
=dodger-d May 1, 2009, 3:10:03 AM
Wow thats improvement!
I'm super impressed! I really love the facial expressions. XD

--
I am The Batman
Psychological issues
MY PARENTS ARE DEEEEEEAAAAD!!!!!
:iconmercnash:
~mercnash May 1, 2009, 3:11:12 AM
That's the beauty of never, ever updating- you seem to improve in leaps and bounds.
Daaaaw, thankyou!
:icondodger-d:
=dodger-d May 1, 2009, 3:11:35 AM
I lol'd.
<3

--
I am The Batman
Psychological issues
MY PARENTS ARE DEEEEEEAAAAD!!!!!
:iconmercnash:
~mercnash May 1, 2009, 3:15:08 AM
Then my job here is done.
:iconomega5ooo:
~omega5ooo May 1, 2009, 5:39:20 AM
The cell-shading turned out surprisingly well! I personally think it's way easier than a different approach.

One major gripe I have with this piece is the difference between the characters and the background. I understand you wanted to recreate the look of the Anime, but the backgrounds there don't have pencil lineart. It just seems weird mixed with the super-clean lineart you used on the characters, kind of like it's still a WIP.
But I know that painting backgrounds is a pain and whenever I try to do it, I half-ass it, so I really shouldn't talk.

The expressions of the characters are awesome, their anatomy is well executed (I like the hand holding the mic) and the TV doesn't look weird at all to me.

The composition could use some work though, I think. It feels slightly cluttered and somehow I can't shake the feeling that a view more from perspective of the advisor would have gotten across the concept of just how embarassing/freaky the situation is better.
I realize that if you had placed the Point-Of-View behind him, you wouldn't see their expressions, but there should have been a way to go with that POV and still show their faces - maybe a mirror somewhere in the king's room and you could have had the advisor not looking at him directly, but rather leaning on the wall outside the room all shocked, catching breath. Something like that.
Honestly, I'm just thinking out loud, I think you'd need to sketch it out to see whether that POV would truly work better, especially when you consider that the focus of the picture should be on the king due to the theme of the contest. :shrug:

Anyway, it's a good pic, and I'd love to see more cell-shaded stuff. Good luck in the contest.
:iconhero-of-justice:
=Hero-of-justice May 1, 2009, 8:11:35 AM
Awesome work! Really great, Merc!

--
I will search till the day that I find him. The man who will light up my life with a lantern of love.

And hey, check out my web comic, kay? it's good! [link]
:iconmewhaku:
~mewhaku May 1, 2009, 2:28:32 PM
Poor Natori - I can only imagine the King's voice... he was crazy. XD
The cel-shading is gorgeous! =D

--
Coraline is better than Twilight. Yeah, crazy Cullenism followers, I said it. Something IS better than Twilight.
-----------------------------------
“Roses, they’re symbols of ‘love’, aren’t they, my little Wybie.” the beldam said.-O.Wybie's Story
:iconmercnash:
~mercnash May 1, 2009, 3:42:35 PM
Thanks!

--
"The extent of my madness is only the beginning of my adventure."- Unattributed
:iconredrodent:
*RedRodent May 1, 2009, 4:19:20 PM
:lol: Very nice! :XD: I remember this guy.

As far as the 800 mb file goes... Did you really need it to be that huge a resolution? :XD:

--
R.O.U.S.'s do exist!!

#IamAnthro
:iconsombraro-o-doom:
~Sombraro-o-doom May 2, 2009, 2:20:29 PM
LOLOLOL. I love that movie. xD It totally doesn't exist in the ghibli museum though. My heart wept for it while I was there.

--
Diagonally parked in a parallel universe.
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