Re: TOKoR Artbook

[Tartra]

This picture got me happy all over again! He's having too much fun. Oh, Eric! I knew I made you for a reason. You bring a smile to everyone's face.

Absolutely adorable; that's all I can say or need to say. You know you're awesome at this, Time.

[Guest]

Yeah, he makes everyone happy except for Jason. XD

And thank ya.

[Tartra]

No one makes Jason happy because everyone picks on him, and he's got only himself to blame for that. If he didn't make it so damn amusing, we'd get bored and bother... I dunno - that stewardess.

[Guest]

Agreed. Jason is so fun to pick on.

★ The Joy of Eric

Alright, here is the finished product. ^.^ I also put Jason in there, but I didn't really like how I drew him, so I left him unfinished. :I

[Tartra]

This very literally made me crack up again. This is great! You completely captured the emotion and it's impossible to interpret this in any other way than he's dying of laughter. Jason does look a little wonky, though. :/ Ah, well.

I love this guy. Seriously - half these characters are only worth being in the roleplay after you draw them. I don't think I'd like any of them nearly as much without these pieces, so thank you very, very much.

[Guest]

Woohoo! I'm glad you enjoy them - it's the reason I make them! And I love all these characters to death - every one of them.

[Guest]

★ Let's Bounce!

Just an image I got in my head and decided to draw it. Yes. It's Xander. AGAIN. Whenever he says "Let's bounce!" I always imagine him making that "finger-gun" gesture, or similarly snapping his fingers once. Like, "Let's bounce!" *snap* And I drew him smiling for once. He makes frowny face and "I'll murder you while you sleep and your little dog too" faces so much, I decided to give him a "rape" smile this time. :3

I accidentally put him in a Convertible rather than a Corvette though.

★ Stephanie Repose sketch
★ Stephanie Repose sketch 2

Since you're so fond when I do realistic sketches, I decided to do another one of Stephanie. Tried over and over and over for this one before I got it to look right and still, I think the eyes came out just a bit too big. =( I'm very stuck in the anime style. Also, I took more time with it and tried to add value and details - took about an hour for that part of it period. But, I'm fairly happy with it.
Trying to draw her looking cool and aloof.

EDIT: Added the second one. Went for a more vulnerable looking pose. *shrugs* Came out better than the first.

★ Jason sketch

Tried it with Jason. I think the shading makes him look older. Also, I think his hair looks a little big, too.

★ Alexander sketch

Either Alex or Xander. Not really sure which. I use to think of Xander as a lot more smiley than I do now, but Alex isn't much of a smiler either. So, this could either be Alex's neutral/worried look, or Xander's neutral/scowl. *shrugs* Also, too much shading. @_@ My hands are starting to hurt, lol.

[Tartra]

You remember how I spent all that time before telling you how amazing you are and fantastic your work is and how honoured I am to be allowed to use your art for something as simple as an avatar for my profile? I officially feel like I was insulting you by doling out praise when I had no idea how spectacular you are at this. Time. Seriously. I'm absolutely astounded by the precision - not just the effort - that went into this. Have you actually looked at what you're capable of? I'm still trying to understand how someone could possibly be this skilled. I have thoroughly run out of ways to tell you how much I love this, which isn't a good thing because I know I'm going to be seeing more.

Alright - let's try a top-down approach.

I cracked up when I saw Xander. It was adorable, and I definitely agree that that's the gesture he should be making. The only reason it never clicked in my head before is because almost every time he does say it, he's floating in his mind-space and can't actually do things with fingers. But it's implied! We now know that!

The white-space around Stephanie works perfectly. With all of your other sketches, anyone can say that the reason there's white-space is because there simply isn't a background to go with it, but in these two, it's part of the picture. It feels so complementary and brings such a rush of poise around her, like she's in a cloud or simply refusing to show us everything, and that piles on the mysteriousness of her expression. She very clearly knows something we don't and I can't get over how serene she is.

THIS IS MY FAVOURITE THING OUT OF EVERY SKETCH YOU'VE EVER DRAWN THAT I'VE SEEN, EVER. DO NOT CHANGE THIS IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM.

I'm gonna have to say this is Alex. It's just hits me in that way. And I like the fact that you took the rough sketch and ran with it, so it brings on an extra feel of familiarity to it. I'm not looking at a stranger with him, and it's incredibly comforting. I can't imagine how bad your hand must hurt after shading all that.

(Yiiiiiiiii Jason's smile! )

[Guest]

I'm absolutely thrilled you love them! I didn't originally think about adding values to them, but after doing the first one I really liked the level it added to the picture. So, I kept doing it. And yes, there will definitely be more. I'm gonna redo everybody. The concept sketches I did before of everyone took about 10-20 minutes each, depending on how hard it is to get them out and I tended to blend the anime style into the real - what it actually is, I get lazy, make the eyes too big and don't fix them and just kinda scribble a line for noses, etc. and I just do basic outlines of the face and features. Each of these newer ones takes 1-2 hours to get out. but looking back at the others, I much prefer the way I'm doing these. So, I will continue on in this way. ^^

You described the look I was going for with Stephanie, perfectly. I'm really glad that you're able to pick that up from the sketches - or maybe we're just in tune.

And yes, Xander's pic came to me while Abram and I were in Wal-Mart yesterday morning - we'd just gotten the last thing we needed and he said something along the lines of "Let's split." Instantly thought of Xander's "bounce" catch-phrase and the rest of the idea flowed from there.

[Guest]

★ Benoit Eyebrow Raise sketch

OMG! I had so much fun doing this one! I rewatched The Matrix Reloaded and took a screenshot of the Merovingian at the perfect moment! Then I sat down and looked at it and put it down on paper. The whole time, I couldn't get that French accent out of my head. But anyways, another picture to add to the growing Benoit fanclub.

More to come; I think I may stay up all night again... :I

[Tartra]

I refuse to show this to my earlier mentioned friend on the basis that she needs to stop printing out your Benoit art. I honestly think it's getting unhealthy. O_o

I am now going to re-watch this movie.

[Guest]

Nonsense. When she makes herself a life-size doll and puts this sketch of Benoit where it's face should be, and then murmurs French phrases as if "HE" were saying them and lights cigarettes for him, THEN it's unhealthy.

[Tartra]

I refuse to share this notion with my earlier mentioned friend on the basis that she'll do it. But at least we'd get a Benoit doll out of it.

[Guest]

Ha!

"Are your friends idiots? Slobs? When they hang out at your house, do they add a lack of class to the general vicinity? Well, put up with their crap no longer! Just get the Benoit Party Doll! Standing at a whopping, 5'9", anatomically incorrect, with a sketch of the Merovingian pasted onto his face, he'll reinsert that much needed snobbery into ANY situation! Now all your friends can endure your passive aggressive abuse through a doll of an arrogant Frenchman! They'll know just how much you think they suck when your Benoit Party Doll curses at them in French and blows smoke in their faces! Benoit Party Doll also makes an excellent gift - afterall, Grandma does get lonely and she'll hardly know the difference between verbal abuse and loving attention anyways! Get your Benoit Party Doll today because we're only making one...you sick, twisted freak.

**Disclaimer: Benoit Party Doll does not talk or move or blow cigarette smoke. All talking and movement will have to be done manually...like a dummy. Which won't be awkward at all! Please do not leave cigarette's burning in Benoit Party Doll's mouth unattended. In fact, you probably shouldn't be setting fires around your Benoit Party Doll. The "sophisticated pompous ass" effect is degraded when your Benoit Party Doll is covered in burns and scorch marks."

Annnnd, now that I'm done entertaining myself, I think I lied when I said I was staying up all night. >,<

[Tartra]

Is it weird that I'm thinking 'SOLD!' the whole time I'm reading that?

You get some sleep. I'm going through some writer's block with my next post, purely because I've been looking at numbers on a computer screen alllllll daaaaaay and can't take it anymore. ;_;

[Guest]

Alright. ^^ If you need any help brainstorming, just holla!

[Tartra]

Will do!

[Guest]

★ Jean sketch

★ Melvin-Eric sketch

Was really uncertain about this one, because I've never drawn realistic Melvin-Eric. At first, my husband complained that he looked too old, so I altered it a bit. He seemed ambiguous about whether or not it's "fixed" as far as the age(Melvin was like, 25-30, wasn't he? Or was he younger?). And then I added the glasses and he said he looked "goofy".

I always draw the Agents first, for some reason.

★ Gwen sketch

★ Osono sketch

Not sure why I drew her yelling. Thought it fit though.

[Tartra]

I'm literally trying so hard to work on my presentation, but I keep getting little beeps on my phone telling me you've done more. D: It's a double-edged - uh... lollipop, I guess, because I do enjoy it.

Is it weird that Jean reminds me of Dennis Leary and Melvin-Eric of David Spade? My goodness, I'm happy now. I love those guys.

[Guest]

Actually, Melvin is Spade - I used him as something to look at while drawing the hair and mouth - he has a nice smile. ^^;

I'm sorry! D= I did not realize I was disturbing you - I'll just wait to put them up if I do any more tonight.

[Tartra]

NO DON'T WAIT TO PUT THEM UP. You are definitely not distracting me. I just wanted to give you a reason in case you start wondering why I'm online and not saying anything.

And he's got a great smile. It's his best feature. Good choice.

[Guest]

★ Nathan sketch

I think this is the first sketch I've done of Nathan - besides cartoony drawings. I'm not sure if the features are right, but it's how I've always imagined him since he was first described in the role-play. I'm particularly fond of the paranoid look I gave him.

[Tartra]

He looks like he knows something's immediately off to the side in the shadows. The expression came out top-notch.

I AM POSTING AND IT IS NOT 9:30! But it's okay, because I'm almost done and I'm planning on staying up tonight anyway. I've got recycling to do.

[Guest]

★ Xander sketch

Tried to go for his scowl with this one. I don't think I quite made it - he looks almost sad instead of "I will kill everything that moves." Also, I added a distinctive shadow under his eyes that will be absent when I draw Alex - just like with the anime drawings of them.

★ Battle Worn Alex

Just a picture of Alex for once. Throughout the role-play, the poor guy has suffered through a myriad of injuries, but the constant state of threat his life is in, he cannot stop and tend to them. So, I let him sit for a leetle while and just rest. Xander might have an extreme resistance to pain, but it's Alex's body. Believe me, you DON'T want to see a drawing of the guy's foot. Funny thing is, at least half of those are a result of Xander's abuse.

★ Bedhead

I imagine at some point since being paired with Xander, Alex must have tried to get a coffee machine to solve the problem of the little addict in his head. And I imagine Xander making a big fuss about it.

*shrugs* Just an idea I had, thought it would be cute to draw a sleepy Alex and tried to think of a scenario where it would fit.

★ Demotion

Non-Red version

Here is an idea I had a long time ago but I completely forgot about it. Since I've got a bunch of time to wait, I remembered and decided to draw it finally. It's illustrating Jason's demotion. Eric hears about his fumble with Nathan and whips out a stack of forms for him to sign as he lowers his rank. I figure this is more his reaction to having his suit taken away - which was an addition to him being demoted.

The words on the document say:

"Contract"
"Death Failure"
"Loss Error Shame"
"Record Control"
"Insane"
"Perfect"
"Withdrawal"
"Rank"

Just some random terms that might have been going through his head at that moment when he was being pressured to sign the documents. Kinda made them all squiggly to indicate his world fallin' apart and stuff. Not really sure why I put "contract" on it.

[Guest]

★ Benoit House Party

Benoit alone
Stephanie alone
Eric alone

This is not finished yet! Put Benoit and Stephanie together. She almost doesn't fit, but I think she'll do alright. Such a party animal!

Edit: Added Eric. Made him eating pizza. Kinda boring pose, but at least he's enjoying himself - whereas Stephanie just looks like she's a piece of furniture. I like drawing him absurdly larger than everyone else. Heh.

Finished! My intent was to make Jason look completely wasted, heh. It was a silly idea but I think it turned out alright. I was going to add a background - green and black - but when it came down to it, it was just too difficult. So, I'm gonna leave it as is.

[Tartra]

I've been very silently stalking this and getting more and more excited. I can't believe how much detail you put into Benoit's shirt. The folds make it incredibly life-like even if you were trying to use your anime style. It's got that perfect balance between both methods again and it'll be worth the ear-splitting shriek of joy my friend's going to belt put (although she might've started silently stalking you on her own by now. The other three look great in their special way too, but it's kind of unfair that you made them try to steal the show from badass Benny.

[Guest]

Thank you, so much. And I know! I almost didn't finish this. After I drew Benoit, I was like, "Goodness, he looks like he's just having a great ol' time! " But the last few pictures I've done have been solo pictures and I felt like I was kinda cheapin' out to leave it when the original plan was to make it a group picture. But I agree, Benoit, since he was the first, came out the best - although, I'm particularly fond of Jason's pose and smile. X3

[Guest]

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Original version
Gwen version

The Pain of the Fallen

Here is a scene from the role-play that I got an idea for, so decided to illustrate it. It's the scene when Gwen gets grabbed by Rudy at the restaurant and Alex and Xander don't make it in time to save her. For a few minutes, it almost seems like Xander has a heart - and then he cripples Alex by giving him full control of his broken foot. He was making a point of course, but still, I thought the image of Alex suddenly falling to the ground unable to breath because it hurt so much was an especially striking image.

The original version of this, his eye doesn't look so "agonized", so I altered it a bit to make this one. And I also did a second version in GIMP that articulates his lamentation about losing Gwen a bit more than this one does.

[Tartra]

This makes me so happy. Just seeing it gives me so many wonderful thoughts. I can feel the emotion coming out of this piece and it's honestly the tiniest bit painful to look at. I don't know if it's because you and I have a perfectly clear idea of what he's dealing with at that moment (we've gotta do something about that foot) or if it's really just that easy to connect with off the bat, but it's great. And I have to say, I really liked the background on the Gwen version.

[Guest]

Thank you! I'm glad you like it! ^.^ I was particularly fond of the scene - of course, I loved Xander getting almost slightly sentimental, but in addition to that, I loved his "Yeah, I would chase after, but I don't wanna land flat on my face, thanks. Your foot's broked - here, wanna see? =D " attitude. And I cringed while reading the description of Alex crawling weakly on the ground and gasping for breath. Very powerful and I felt so bad for him.

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Jason sketch 3

This took me three hours to get out, but I think the effort paid off! I made another one, but the eyes came out crooked and it made me mad. So, instead of giving up, I buckled down and spent more time on it, taking it slow to make sure it was right. And I'm very proud of myself!

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– Yeah, he could do that shit, too –

Alright, so I get all mushy when it comes to Jason and Stephanie. I just can't help it. With her emotional problems and him being so confused and paranoid about her mood swings - one minute she wants to kiss him, the next she's trying to be professional; one minute she wants to get close and the next she's ordering him not to show concern for her - it's interesting and nothing is completely straight forward. Flip-flop. Flip-flop. I love it. ^^

So, a kissy picture. :3 I need to get drawing pencils. 8[ No. 2 just doesn't achieve the full range of values I want to articulate.

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Stephanie sketch 4

Just another sketch of Stephanie. I think she looks very "Renaissance".

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Falling Apart

Somewhat of a spoiler for the role-play. Stephanie breaking down when she loses Gwen and the EDP completely collapses on her, resulting in a violent emotional whiplash.

I tried to go for something a little quicker and "sketchier" with this one and I didn't concentrate too much on accuracy or details or making it very clear. So, it's kind of rough and almost blurred and - I hope - emotionally charged, to better emphasize the mood of the subject matter.

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Xander Badassery

Other than Stephanie and Jason, my favorite thing to draw is Xander. But...everybody already knows that. No explanation needed. Gave him a gun. He looks pissed and he's beautiful. I've given him too much "red" for backgrounds; it's overused. So I made it green just for the heck of it this time - I need more green in my TOKoR drawings, anyways. I didn't even try with the gun - it's just a black, menacing thing and we all know what it is.

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