Hey guys, long time no see! I got some good news. A while ago my doctor finally found out what I have. It's called P.O.T.s and no it's not a weed. It means Postural Tachycardia. Basically it means that the nerves controlling my blood vessels aren't working right. When I stand up they're supposed to close to keep blood in the head. Instead they're still open so the blood is being drained from my head causing low-blood pressure, light-headiness and fainting. So I've been taking salt tablets, drinking a lot of water and wearing compression tights. I've been getting better so I've also been able to go out by my self at times!Aside from my health I've been working on my art. With the help of my bro and sis I've realized that my art style was not the best of me. While I love manga, I feel that drawing it for a while kind of limits my abilities to draw realistically. I'm getting better at anatomy and now I'm practicing real faces (like my brother's face! I actually got it right!!). After drawing for observation I never realized how good I was at drawing (I'm not trying to be egotistical). It gave me more confidence in my work, that now it can really be original. It doesn't mean that I don't love manga and anime anymore, no no no. I still love that shit and I'm not giving it up. But I am getting better at art and that makes me happy. There is one manga that kind of follows that improvement.
Manga Review: Nightschool: The Weirn Books
Story and art by: Svetlana Chmakova
I known the creator of the book from her previous manga "Dramacon". That one was very funny, had a cute manga style to it. But when I saw this manga I immediately saw improvement. And I like it. The book tells about a young girl Alex who is a weirn (a type of witch) accompanied by her astral (a shadowy figure). Alex was home schooled while her big sister Sarah worked as a night keeper for nightschool. A school for Demons and magical figures that takes place at night. When Sarah disappears without a trace, Alex searches for her by going to the very school she avoided. At the same time there are a group of hunters lead by their teacher Daemon. Daemon gets a signal from one of his students, a young seer named Marina who is working for werewolves. When he meets her she tells him of a vision she had of seven children causing massive destruction. He then retrieves her and takes her home where the other students protect her. At the same time the werewolves want their seer back. That's all I can say without spoiling anything. The plot itself doesn't just focus on one character. It spans out to many different characters. While I like the story I really like the art. Here I can tell that Chmakova really improved her art. She still maintains a "manga" style but she expands on it with great coloring skills, good anatomy skills, dynamic poses and ethnic details in the face (that you don't see too often). Her clothing looks and folds in the right way and her detailing is subtle yet immersive. I like it when artists improve their work instead of limiting themselves to a style that "works". Real artist are not like that. They always work hard to improve their style like coloring or anatomy. When an artist shows improvement in his/her series it shows that he cares about his art and isn't just comfortable with one style. I applaud Chmakova for taking that leap as an artist. I know I'll continue to work on my art until it's unbelievable!
P.S. the top image is a little self-portrait I drew. :D
