Moving...

Some of my readers on Blogger may have noticed that I do put "this post was on www.darksirengames.com earlier".  Dark Siren Games   is my website that I have had for a while now.  Before the website, I had this Blogger.

When I am finished with Captured, I am going to just leave a final post directing people to my website.  I am grateful for all the people that do read this Blogger.   I need to start directing people to my site.

Nanowrimo Rewards Expiring

I was sent an email from Nanorwrimo.  This email told me that some of my rewards were going to expire.  One of these rewards were my chances at getting a few hard copies of my rough drafts for free.  So I'm taking part of this month to finish up typing some rough drafts so I can use the rewards that I have.  

New Video is Up

I'm finishing the artwork for this game.  I just have one more scene to go.  Then I got to do the facial expressions.  This is technically a redraw of an old drawing I did some time ago.

My anatomy drawing has changed.  I'm not sure if I'll ever touch color pencils again.

This post was already on www.darksirengames.com

Finishing Rough Drafts and Rewriting Captured

In the Meanwhile...

While finishing the artwork for Captured, I completed a rough draft for a fantasy BXB visual novel for National Novel Writing Month in 2014.  I have just completed a Science Fantasy BXB visual novel script without the motivation of a challenge.  Both scripts are being reviewed by offline English Nazi yaoi fans who are very critical about their literature.  I will start dedicating a lot of time to bettering my drawing skills when it comes to male anatomy.  

Finishing Up Captured...

I like to thank everyone who has been keeping up with me throughout the years.  I have finally gotten to rewriting the draft for Captured.  I am making sure that choices make sense and that there are no spelling errors.  My artwork has improved over the years but I am not going to go back and redraw sprites, backgrounds, or scenes.  I will redraw such things in later visual novels if I need to.  The draft was written a year ago, so this will be interesting. 

Reading Books is Helpful

I've always been told that reading a variety of books is a nice way to gain a lot of knowledge.  A few months back, I decided to review a about Jennifer Hudson on my vlog channel. The book helped me have a better understanding of writing in first-person.  I have been writing in first-person a lot lately when writing scripts for visual novels.  Generally, one of the most helpful tips for writing is to read a variety of books.  I hardly read non Fantasy books so Jennifer Hudson's book was a nice change for me. 

For my BXB visual novel, the setting is on Mars.  Searching on various NASA websites, and message boards for space fanatics is not enough.  The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must book was a book I was reading for quite a while now.  Being able to read through a thick book on a seven hour flight, while not having access to the internet, was helpful.

Why All the Research?

I have been doing some worldbuilding for two stories that I am writing while finishing up the artwork for Captured.  One of the worldbuilding websites I am using is 30 Days of Worldbuilding and the other is Fantasy Worldbuilding Questions.   Worlduilding has helpped keep my mind together while I write the first drafts for these stories   I am not a person who can wing a story on the first try and I need to do a few outlines before starting the rough drafts.  If anyone wants to write something not centered in the real world, then giving both sites is worth a look. 

 

Enjoying the Single Life

After ECPI University...

I tried to join a few starting video game companies.  For a while, I blogged about my time with my first video game company.  This company had a name already registered, a few people willing to join, and a few marketing deals with a few other companies.  Unfortunately, people within the company lost interest and fell off the face of the Earth, the lesser skilled people did not want to put the time in to better themselves, and then left the company and I was still in Sam's Club getting annoyed with the lack of dedication from others.  

I finished my work within a week, while others were ready to talk about the mmorpg they finished playing and not the 3D work they were supposed to finish weeks ago. 

My other game company....was in the same boat as the previous video game company but this company had dedicated people willing to work for free before the company took off.  Believe it or not, I actually used this website to convince the manager to "hire" me on his team for character concept work.  He had me do landscape concept work instead. Unsurprisingly, he found my landscape artwork to be unimpressive and would wonder why I was so bad at drawing landscapes.   Eventually, I ended up leaving the company. 

I Was Angry...

There was a few times when I could have joined some companies that were starting but could pay me immediately.  The first company I mentioned had a good way of talking me into not joining any other company because, one day, the company would grow and have a lot of benefits for me in the future.  Well first company sunk due to the manager becoming broke and I have no idea what's going on with the previous companies I mentioned.  

I'm Fine With Just Getting Help With Music and Beta Reading... 

As of right now, for writing, drawing, advertising, and programming, I have me, myself, and I to that work.  I have two people for music and two offline people for beta reading/playing.  I think I like this team and I wouldn't ask for more.   I just wanted to reflect on some bad choices that I have gone through in the past.  I often slowed down my work on my visual novel and writing in order to help out with the other game companies.  Well, not anymore and, this year, I hope to finish my first visual novel. 

New Image to Work On

This is a traditional version of my next image that I am going to be working on right now.  I'm debating on recording this one or not.

Facebook Page Activity

So one day I logged on to my Facebook account and received a notification that my Dark Siren Games page got 104 page views.  I barely visit that page so that alert caught me by surprise.  I would like to contribute more often to that page but I'm not sure what to post. 

What I currently post is work in progress drawings, finished drawings, and links to recent YouTube videos.  If you do like my Facebook page, then please tell me what you like about the page or what I can do to improve the page?

Tired of Deviantart and I Post on Tumblr More Often

Tired of Posting on Deviantart 

I feel like Deviant art is a place for finished work.  I do appreciate the groups that allow for specific artwork (such as the many English visual novels or art critique groups).  Without those groups, I feel that my artwork will just get a favorite and nothing else.  For those that do like following my artwork, please look at my Tumblr page.   

Tumblr

On my Tumblr page, I can post videos, mini blogs, artwork, and updates of my artwork.  I know Deviantart has the option for me to post revisions of my work, but I love posting daily updates of my work on Tumblr.  If I did the same thing on my Deviantart page, then that would come off as spamming.  

I guess I will be using Deviantart just to talk to fellow artists as I do not know many non artists who visit Deviantart in the first place.  For those that love my Tumblr page, please look at my YouTube page.  I have videos showing my speed painting. 

Second Special Scene is Done

Above is my speed painting process through the whole thing.  Comments are always appreciated. 

Working on My Next Special Scene

Of course this is being recorded and is going to be on my Youtube channel this month...hopefully.  I plan on releasing a video for my Youtube channel once every month.  

 I am very happy with this image.  I think I have improved over the years.  To think I only have four images left to do, amazes me.  I keep missing details on Amenti's (the mermaid) arms.  Thankfully, unlike the last piece, I got this mistake in the rough draft process.

The YouTube Channel is Up!

  Just like last post, I said I was going to make a Youtube channel, and now the first video is up.  If you want to see how I draw and color, please look at my channel.

  Of course, I am open to any input, advice, constructive criticism, whatever.

Happy New Year and a Few Goals

Happy New Years Everyone!

I have some goals for this year.  I have been posting videos of me talking about something art related on my vlogging channel; especially in this video. 

One of my goals for this year is to make a youtube channel for Dark Siren Games.  The channel will have me showing my progress in visual novels and game engines but only when the work I am doing is related to a project I want people to see. There will be progress videos for Bernard's Secret and Captured.  

Drawing random or fanart characters will go on my vlogging channel while speed drawings of characters for my visual novels will go on my Dark Siren Games channel.  Does this makes sense? 

Throughout 2014, I brought RPGVXAce, Spriter, and some tutorials for Unity. I also have flash.  There might be videos on those software as well.  Not tutorials but just what I have been doing with the programs. 

When Captured is done, I will devote a ton of time to drawing male anatomy and real people in general.  It's time I make my anatomy in my drawings much better. 

www.darksirengames.com 

Some Time After Winning National Novel Writing Month

It's been some time since I have won National Novel Writing Month.  National Novel Writing Month is an challenge that happens once every November.  This is when a person decides to sit down and write 50,000 words in a month.  I won last year's nanowrimo and won this year's challenge again.

Next year, I want to publish my first electronic book on my indie author website: www.indieauthortiffany.com.  I will be publishing my 2013 nanowrimo story on that website but this year's nanowrimo challenge was different for me.  I decided to make the challenge about my next visual novel story.  Captured (previously known as Trapped) is nearly its final stages of development.  I can not work on the visual novel's artwork on the go, so why not write a story while I am out and about?

Bernard's Secret

Bernard's mermaid mother tried to escape with him at an early age of twelve year's old but failed.  Forced to live with his paranoid human father for years, Bernard has grown a low tolerance for everyone on the island he lives at.  One day, he hears the voice of his mother calling to him from the sea.  She tells him that if he does not find her during his eighteenth year, he will die an agonizing death at the hands of the gods.

There's a reason why he's stuck with his father and why his mother is unable to come get him.  Bernard's Secret is a boyXboy visual novel.  I had lot's of fun writing the rough draft.  The story is really dark right now and hast a ton of metaphors.  I'm going to have fun with it.

This is Going to Take a While

 

A few weeks ago I began working on the final scenes for Captured (formerly known as Trapped).  I'm not used to doing drawing with multiple characters and a background.  Most of my work on deviantart has just a character and no background at all.  This image above has made be think about perspective and my character designs.  I accidently left some details out on Amenti (mermaid main character).

I will try to color in those details and not not forget about them on the other special pictures.  My next issue is that I'm not sure how to put these scenes into the ren'py engine, but I will get to that part later.  Maybe I will make a thread of this on the lemma soft forum.  Maybe...

Coloring multiple characters and the background will take a while but I am putting 1 to 3 hours a day into making this visual novel now.

Changing the Name for Trapped

Hello guys!

As it has been brought to my attention that the tittle Trapped has been taken.  I have been thinking of a new name for  my visual novel right now.  I'm thinking of Fish Tank and Caught!  Anything to deal with a mermaid being stuck in a tank for long periods of time. 

Last Background Image is Done!

I think I am improving each time I get to use Photoshop.  This is the last background image for Trapped.  I will now be working on special character scenes.  I have six of them to do in total. 

Since making this game, I have learned more about Photoshop, anatomy drawing, and writing better.  There is going to be a lot of mismatched artwork.  

Of course there is a possibility that I could be adding in more background images or redoing or touching up on old images.  I will do this after drawing and finishing the special scenes.  

I need to redo the story as what is written in the ren'py engine is a rough draft.

Then...next is collecting all the tracks from both of my wonderful music artists.  One of their websites is here  Both artists have volunteered to help me with the music.  I am happy to finally have people to count on.

Lastly, I need to find another tittle for Trapped as the name was already taken by another visual novelist.

This post was already on www.darksirengames.com

Some More Additions (music)

Hello guys.  I am currently working on finishing the rest of the artwork for Trapped.  Music has always been an issue for me.  On the video where I experimenting with ren'py for the first time, I forgot to add music.  

This post is not about me asking for someone to do some music for me.  I already have two people willing to do music for me as of the beginning of November.  It really helps to have images available to show these musical artists so they can get a good idea of the story.  I'm no longer the only one working on this visual novel.  This is such a good feeling for me right now.

National Novel Writing Month

November is almost over.  On the first day of November was the start of National Novel Writing Month. National Novel Writing Month is when a person sits down and writes 50,000 words in one month.  If using Ariel font and 12 sized font, then that is roughly 118 pages.  This is a rewarding challenge that I have managed to take on in 2013 and finish.  

This year, I want to make the story I'm currently writing into my next visual novel.  The visual novel will be BxB but, for right now, I am working on the main story and not the romantic choices eyt.  Here is a summary that is a work in process:  

"Rey was rescued from a car filled with water, when he was twelve. His mother was never found. The experience left him desiring to find his mother who he knows survived the incident. She told him that he must find the seashell and kill his humanity if he wishes to become whole. Anyone has been told this on the island, have become murderous monsters upon their eighteenth year."

You can follow my Indie Author Tiffany  website in order to see my progress.  

This post was already on www.darksirengames.com a few days ago. 

Learning From Anime Conventions (Nekocon 2014)

Nekocon 2014

Last Friday was Nekocon 2014.  Like any anime convention, I had the chance to speak with people who are into the same anime and video games that I like.  The panels this year were what I needed to feel inspired and ready to continue working on Trapped, National Novel Writing Month, and my anatomy drawing practice.

 In an ironic sort of way, I visited a panel in which the panelist showed us how he made video game music and the music rules that applied to modern and old video games.  On the same day, I was contacting with a man who emailed me, saying he is interested in making music for Trapped (more on that in later posts).  The Making a Strong Female Character; More than Just a Sword panel, there was a lot of talk on making MENTALLY strong female characters.

There was some good ideas.  I always think of the character's personalities, flaws, motivation, perks before thinking about their gender.  From the panelists suggestions, even battle girl in bikini armor number 123,454,564 could be an interesting character with good writing.  It was also nice to hear that one of the panelists was adding some fanservice for females after having just fanservice for males in his work for a long time.

One thing that really stuck with me on that panel was the concept of fridging and how bad it is.  The idea makes me shudder.

 

Artist Alley

At the artist alley, I wanted to see some work that would get me inspired to pick up my tablet pen again.  In the above picture, the artist's work drew my attention rather easily.  We spoke for a bit and she told me how long she was working on her anatomy skills and how she goes about attracting people to her art table.   I would like to sell artwork in the future at conventions but, for this year, I will work on putting some of my work for auction at the next Nekocon.

You can view the artist's work here.

 

Yaoi, Yaoi, and More Yaoi

There was the History of Yaoi and Yaoi Cliches panel.  I always like going to the yaoi panels, as I get to hear different opinions on yaoi from people who love yaoi.  My boyfriend, being that amazing boyfriend that he is, often accompanies me to these panels.  At the History of Yaoi the panelist explained that game developers have used yaoi to their advantage in attracting people to play their games (example is Chris and Wesker from Resident Evil, Jin and Ragna from Blazblue, etc).

I spoke with the panelist for Yaoi Cliches and she told me to find ideas for yaoi through Tumblr.  Considering the stuff she showed during her presentation (from Tumblr) and my boyfriend's horrified face (he saw more than stuff than he could handle this time), I'll have to be brave while searching Tumblr's dark places for ideas. The best part about the panel was learning what men could and could not take during intimate times.

Till next time for Nekocon.

This post was already on www.darksirengames.com a few days ago.