Hanatsuki here ~

I just wanted to add my voice to the choir; I draw in a manga style, both from a traced model and free-handing. (traced model means I trace an outline that I like and then fill in the face and clothes free-from style, add accessories, choose colours and background, and then finish. I have whole note books of models, and they don't charge me anything! :} !)

Lately, I've been doing more with pure free-form. I particularly like the Korean style, along the lines of Model (Long chins, wide shoulders, narrower eyes, very long hair, and 'spider' like fingers). I don't know if anyone out there knows what I'm talking about, but, if you do, please post here or e-mail me.

I was devastated when I found out there are no Art Courses for this style, here in America, even on-line! It's all going into the Video Game field, instead. Ho-hum. I thought about trying to just make one myself, but I lacked the energy. Recently, it seems like Art Courses are taking a back-seat anyway, so maybe that will improve in the next few years.

Also, I've noticed that retailers have a lack of art supplies recently; mostly it's crafting supplies or scrap-booking. I hope that swings around again soon. If anyone knows of a good retailer in the Olympia, WA area, please let me know.

I guess that's all I have to talk about for now, please reply.

Chao (This is actually taken from an Anime ending theme. If anyone recognises it, let me know :})

First of all, quit your habit of tracing models. Take a few hundred figure drawing classes and learn to sketch by eye. It doesn't matter what style schools teach, you need to learn a few fundamentals first of all. Alternatively, if you really want to learn the Japanese way of drawing manga and you have lots of money, you can enroll in a Japanese language school, get a student visa in Japan and work part-time to pay for some of your expenses. If you're young enough you can live with a homestay family for little cost. After your Japanese becomes functional after like 5 years, you can enroll in a Japanese animation school.

Be careful, though. Some people find it a lot more difficult to learn languages, and Japanese is one of the hardest to learn, so it may take more than five years to "become functional" (or even intelligible) with it.

As for "Chao", I'm guessing it's from "It's Gonna Rain" by Bonnie Pink (from Rurouni Kenshin).