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[tickyhead]

Hey there all, if this is the wrong forum please don't hesitate to berate me. I'm a starving art college student with plans to sell my talents for you fine otaku fanime fans. Since I'm not really up to date in the anime and manga world (I read One Piece regularly, but lately I haven't had time for finding new things) I'm asking you the people what kind of characters you want to see on art prints this year. It's a chance for me to gauge how likely I'll make any money and find some new anime/manga in the process, and a chance for you to make sure you see something worth buying this year!

If you want to see my art style, I sadly don't have anything current online atm (my school work is all nude men and women anyway thanks to the multitudes of figure drawing classes I have to take, so it isn't exactly up to Fanime's standards) but you can see my old work up to late 2009/early 2010 at my website, http://www.mystikskies.net/

Please note that it has been over a year and possibly two since that gallery has been updated, and my grasp of anatomy and color has vastly improved.

So anyway, tell me what you want to see, and maybe you will!

EDIT: To see what I already have planned for fanime, you can check out my list of things to do/done at: http://www.mystikskies.net/fanime11.html

Just added: Pin designs!

[Somecoolname]

I gotta say, if you draw Nico Robin, I will fight anyone to get that piece.
I like your art style, and I think alot of people will, it looks like you do different styles, from skimming through your site, the fanart and the sketchbook pieces had a variety of styles and that's something really good, you can use different styles for each series/subject and it's sure to get someone's attention.
I know people will say to do the popular and the newest characters but some of us prefer to stick with old favorites, or the rare shows, so I'd suggest:
Nico Robin(I look everywhere for stuff featuring her and rarely am successful)
One Piece
Saiyuki
I'd say Sailor Moon but do it in a different style than anyone else's to make it stand out more(like base it on Da Vinci's women or Botticelli's women, You know?)
Fruits Basket
Gundam Wing
Fushigi Yugi..
I might be forgetting other animes, but those were really really popular a few years back and I know I miss them.

Or do the newest shows, (I'm behind on new shows myself, actually) but I am a rabid fan of 'Princess Jellyfish' and "Kore Wa Desku Zombie?"(or however it's written, heh) so maybe stuff from those will sell well?(I know I'd flip if I saw a Yuki piece, she's so elegantly pretty)
Or do rare shows that have cult status, like Kyo Kara Maoh or whatever. Oh! Or even Japanese movies, like 'Survive Style +5' had a woman with these really cool outfits, someone might like seeing an artist's take on her outfits, or 'Rookies' or or HanaKimi, something. In my opinion, everyone does the same things over and over, so it's a relief to see someone do something vastly different, whether it's in style or in content, so that's why I'm suggesting old animes no one talks about anymore, instead of Naruto/Bleach/DragonBallZ/Etc. I'm sure, though, no matter what you choose, you'll sell well, you have a variety of styles you can employ to appeal to different aesthetics.
I hope that helped?

[tickyhead]

Actually that helped immensely, thanks! I'm a huge fan of One Piece as well, and I agree that Nico Robin does not get nearly enough fanart lovin'. The Sailor Moon idea is really interesting, too! I can already imagine some awesome DaVinci- and Mucha-inspired pieces to try.

Right now I'm also thinking about one or two pieces for my own favorites; Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, YuYu Hakusho, One Piece (I'll definitely include a Robin print just for you! ), FLCL, and TTGL.

Very telling of how long I've been out of the anime loop, yeah? :B TTGL is like the only exception.

[Somecoolname]

OMG Mucha is one of my favoritest artists EVER(if not the number one) if you do any Mucha inspired art, I'll be on that like..peanut butter on bread.And Sailor Moon suits his style, I think.

I knew there were other old animes I was forgetting, YYH and Cowboy Bebop were good animes to see back then. I think the ones you've thought about will work, I know more people were really big on Cowboy Bebop, everyone loved Faye.

 I am doing a little dance over here for the Nico Robin print, and you haven't even started it yet, haha!

[tickyhead]

Added my Fanime List-o'-Things to the original post. Same website I gave the Artist Alley folks, so everything will be updated regularly as things are completed/plans are changed.

[Hachimitsu-ink]

Added my Fanime List-o'-Things to the original post. Same website I gave the Artist Alley folks, so everything will be updated regularly as things are completed/plans are changed.

Just to be on the safe side, There is another artist in fanime that does the Sailor moon artworks on Scroll paper and in color! So you might end in competition with her as well.

but the list he describe seems acurate of what people want on the art side. Sometimes you can try and do something different than what others are doing.

I'm really sorry if your  a starving artist! (i'm also one of them as well) but I know you wil find something interesting and make some allowances from everyone else!.

[Somecoolname]

Tickyhead- So I see you're doing a Da Vinci Nico Robin, I am so excited. I'm worried I won't be able to find you though, will you have a big huge sign or something, I can use to look for your booth?

Hachimitsu-Ink- There's someone doing scrollart with the Sailor Scouts? That sounds intriguing. But I agree, to try to do art in a different way/technique will grab people's eyes.

Looks like you have two people supporting you, tickyhead

[tickyhead]

Somecoolname: I don't really know what my both is gonna look like...I was thinking I'd just get some of those fold-out presentation boards you see in science fairs to save time and money :B maybe if I get four, stack em up into triangular columns, and throw a banner up top with my website name? It'd certainly grab attention. Misspelled words ftw.

Hachimitsu: I'm not too worried about competition, it sounds like her merch is vastly different from mine anyway, from how you described it. Plus, I'm sure more than two artists will be selling Sailor Moon fanart, it's pretty popular.

[Hachimitsu-ink]

three...
IM partially one of them!....

IM just having issues with the papers since they constantly keep burning them!....

Well its your choice how you decorate the booth....

If your going to add a banner may want to save money and do it fast because by now everyone has one - two months left before fanime arrives...
not forcing your or anything but, I wanna make a big reminder that I know you can do things amazingly in less than 2 months!..

Im just trying to figure out whats best for me to sell and not to sell
was going for pins but im having more and more experimental problems!....

Mental reminder -_-!.... I need to make poster Prints!

[tickyhead]

Just got my shrinky dink paper (already need more, of course...gotta find a place to buy in bulk!) and after many experiments, I think I've figured out the right size and baking time for my pins. here's a few preview shots:
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa101/tickyhead/fanime%20things/2011-04-01_22-56-54_275.jpg
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa101/tickyhead/fanime%20things/2011-04-01_22-56-32_668.jpg

I had to change the original designs slightly to make it easier to cut out and harder to screw up, and also so they could shrink and still have room for pin backings.

Thing to do this weekend: Find a cheap local place to order professional 11x14 prints, work on Sailor Mucha and DaVinci Robin!

[Hachimitsu-ink]

IM glad your doing the shrinky dinks. Im just working hard to create the Pins and the glues.. APparently I found out I could've added white paint as a bg protection layer thing so I kinda screw up most of the pins. erh just out of curiosity, did you use copics?

[tickyhead]

Nope, I found shrinky dink paper I can run through an inkjet printer. Granted, recreating a bunch of memorable (albeit hard to get a clear shot of sometimes) icons at 600 ppi was not the most fun I've ever had, but it's more efficient in the long run and it makes sure everyone is getting a quality item and not one of my screw-ups!

[Elimeno]

Nice, team Gurren.  you already have one sold

[tickyhead]

Still working on things, but it's been slower than I anticipated due to general slacking off and school work. But enough of that, here's the rough sketch of the Sailor Moon Mucha piece I'll be selling.

http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa101/tickyhead/fanime%20things/sailor-moon-mucha.jpg

1. The big circles are going to have the other sailor scouts' faces in them in the style of Mucha's Ivy piece--basically a bust with flowers/leaves in their hair.
2. I had to give Usagi a little more meat on her bones to keep with Mucha's style :\ shoujo characters are seriously skinny. I tried to make it look more athletic than "curvy".

[Somecoolname]

THUMBS UP. I can't wait to see the finished product. I like Usagi with more meat, she looks more 'real'.

Also, DaVinci Robin? Did I read that right? That's freakin' fantastic! I can't wait to find your booth and grab a Robin print..

[Somecoolname]

So, Fanime came and went, and I couldn't find you in the AA, tickyhead! Did I miss you or did you not come? I'm pretty upset I couldn't get a Nico Robin print from you I'm sorry I missed you