Chiyasha

First of all, I wanna say to AzureWolf that your advice is really valuable to those want to learn to play piano from the basics. I read them too, although not a beginner anymore but I am not a pro too. Just an average piano player. Better to start off with getting a book on how-tos. That always explain notes, scales, key signatures and music terminology in detail yet language-friendly (easy to understand). With them books, at least, you can teach yourself (nobody's bugging you for playing wrong notes:animeswea) how to play piano. And it's a great way too, cuz you are learning the placing of notes at the start yet on the same time, you grow more familiarise with sounds of each key pressed (then suddenly began to play music which made you familiar over something). You develop your own styles too! Another best thing to self-taught piano is there is no need to take theory exams:animesmil Just take time to master your piano skills, that's the best part. My experience of playing piano is somehow odd to me. I did take piano lessons in music school when I was young but then quit once reached pre-teens. I thought I wasn't destined to be an amazing pianist, so self-taught guitar at early teens. But in years later, I gave myself the chance to polish my piano skills. Self-taught this time, (depended on music source i.e songs) I grew very appreciated that I somehow created my style of piano playing, at the same time, memorising key sigs and notes with struggle. I feel myself like a pro out of nowhere. What I am trying to say is, make use of self-taught. It's much more effective and also it's opportunistic to stimulate creativity and develop own styles! It's not necessary to hire a piano teacher, she'll play the same thing too, only that she'll bug you and say with a musical tongue which all you can do is guess. Finally--- YES, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE! Nuff said. If you avoid that, hardly there's any point why should you start this anyway.

:animesmil The rocket surfing moment will never die! :animeswea I guess I should watch more episodes of DMC anime... one episode can't support anything! The fighting scenes surely had to cut down its time... this version is just for watching, not playing. There's always the theory that if there's too much action, there'll be less of a point to illustrate the main plots of the story. Mwaahahaha, I do sound like a hypocrit man! I watched until episode 4 on YouTube and now I got the excitement and thrills and adult humour too:animesmil I am still trying to know the main story of this anime but heck, I should take my time watching the show. Yeah, the fighting scenes are minimal but the form are very swift, dramatic and intense in effect! Okay, I guess anime version of DMC is greater than its manga. New of storyline, I should say, so nothing of deja vu while watching. Worth watching finally:animesmil My fav episodes so far are 3 and 4.

Hard Gay is surprisingly an entertaining entertainer! I watched the 'Hard Gay Ramen' episode on YouTube and it's absolutely hilarious, no matter how ridiculous this guy being so gay, it's very great! I am definitely looking forward to watch more Hard Gay episodes on YouTube during my free time (damn college). He's a legend to me.:animesmil

Okay, I'll try my best to give you some valuable advice on making manga. Experience does not have to be working as a manga artist in some publishing company. Experience is from the time you start making your manga FOR THE FIRST TIME. So it's good that you are starting, better make use of your experience to master your manga art. My experience of making manga is always up and down. Because I need to spend a lot of time finding new ideas to start a new storyline or even strengthening the plots within the storyline. It's better to start off with writing up the story--- obviously it's the most BASIC yet HELPFUL guide in creating the elements and the characters within the manga you work on. Get an empty book (A4 refill pad or copy book whatever, as long it's not blank) and put a label '"Name of Manga":Script Book'. That is where you put your ideas and you develop how each chapter should start off with. Always make it script form--- NEVER a narrative description that ends up in many paragraphs. we don't have time to read over that long development!!!!--- the only simple reason writing in script form is easy to catch up with the plot while you are making your manga. You know where did you stop and where the plot goes, which is more easier and time-saving. When it comes to character design, try to make your characters unique in any way--- don't make it too bold, too bland, too odd, too unbalanced or else it'll change the storyline directly. Also find inspirations--- I remembered last time I made a manga there were 4 men who has the elements of the guys from the band Interpol. These characters looked slick and serious, noir comedy within their cold eyes, which are influenced by Interpol's songs. They work well in the story I wrote, then I made the manga (got abandoned for a while :animeswea)---. Take your time finding inspiration! It's not easy to design the most unique characters in one time. Take time also to make short biodata (in BULLETPOINTS) of each characters for easy referrence. Finally, you need to discipline your focus. I know this sounds off the mood but being a manga artist (as a career or as a hobby) needs to be very focused on the manga he/she works on. That way he/she won't taking too much time off. Of course, if your daily life is busy, make some hours between the gaps you think you can cope working on your manga--- an hour or two will do! can be script-writing or drawing). You cannot abandon your daily stuffs like homework, so be time-wise. AND NO MIDNIGHT manga work UNLESS it's Saturday or holidays. Don't put a lot of stress to yourself, you need a break too. This avoids writer's block and also improves your need to be inspired in making new plots or strengthen the plots and characters' personalities. Finally (again:animeswea), you need PASSION to work on your manga. It involves discipline too because, think about it, that you achieve something awesome in working on your own manga. Without your determination and passion, you will definitely won't start working on your manga!! I leave out submission part cuz I am not sure how to say it. I did submit one manga at TokyoPop two years ago but it's for Rising Stars of Manga '05 competition so it's not really an ambitious career type of thing. I hope my advice is good enough for you. Please ask me if you need more help. FINAL P/S: if you are using how-to-draw manga books, don't rely on them all the time. Just learn the most basic elements and then you develop your style!

To me, the top guitarists would be... - Kirk Hammett: I love Metallica during my early teen years and I simply got attracted to Kirk's swift powerful yet dramatic solos in most Metallica songs. Probably the best is in Kill 'Em All, Ride The Lightning and Master of Puppets albums. And he's definitely cool. Tracks like 'Enter Sandman', 'Nothing Else Matters', 'Seek and Destroy', 'Master of Puppets'. - Matt Bellamy: I read a lot of views on this guy until an argument brought up whether he deserves to be one of the top guitarists in the rock history. Some say he shouldn't cuz his guitar-playing techniques are not so fascinating, just the usual. I think he should be one of the top guitarists because he is very into technology--- one of his electric guitars is heavily customised which definitely have envied many guitarists. The sound and tone of the electric guitar he configures are so powerful, fiercesome and shrillingly amazing, thus bringing up sort of theathrical mood in songs. Once he play off them riffs on his guitar, hell, that's amazing. Also, he is so passionate at playing flamenco songs on guitar. Tracks like 'Plug In Baby', 'Unintended', 'Hysteria', 'Micro Cuts'. -Angus Young: If I left this guy out, I know myself I am insane. His energetic performance simply blows my mind off. And he's the only guy who is still charming wearing his school uniform-like apparel. Nuff said, really cuz we all know he's the best. Tracks like 'Thunderstruck', 'Night Prowler', 'Highway to Hell', 'Let There Be Rock'. -Robby Krieger: Hehey, I bet this one will make you lot wonder. I know that, probably, in general he's not that a great guitarist but to me, he is. Fusing indian tunes (he plays sitar) and rock blues and jazz, which had definitely shaped the Doors' music style with direct effect. Also, he was the 'secret weapon' of the band, according to Jim Morrison. Without Robby, heck, there won't be the Doors and forever more their demos would be rejected by record companies. Tracks like 'Light My Fire', 'When The Music's Over', 'The End'.

I think it's definitely action-packed, comedy and fantasy animes. Like: You Are Under Arrest, DragonBall, Samurai X (Rurouni Kenshin), Nia@7, Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailormoon, Doraemon, Chobits. But my choice on anime kinds can be fussy (damn my fussiness:animesigh). It's all up to the quality of the story. Characters won't be a big deal to me, because characters are made up of the entire story divided by many plots. If the story sounds so similar and predictive, I got bored easily. If the story's so uber depressing and very into aggression and dwell in pain, I could not go on, which that will make my mood even worse!

[quote name='Meggido']Ummm...the anime is actually a completely separate story from any of the games and any of the manga. As has been discussed before it actually comes between the 1st and second games. Also I highly recommend not holding it to the first episode since it does slowly improve. The DMC3 manga as I've heard either comes after the game or before the game. I'm not positive which I heard but that's the main reason it's not the same story.[/QUOTE] I know the anime version has a different story... which is definitely alienate my knowledge on Devil May Cry. But still, I dislike the anime... it's not necessary at all! Forgive me for being rash and critical, I am still trying to watch more episodes of this anime on YouTube just to understand the story even more comprehensive... but I don't know, it's the expectation thought in my head always put me off:animecry: The manga is not the best. I think the time setting is as same as the one in the video game version! :confused: Only there are change in characters--- Dante has a sort of sidekick named Enzio, and why would Dante want a person to assist him in searching the mystery left behind by Arkham? I thought he's a wanderer who is naturally knows everything before everyone does. I don't know, there goes my weakness again: giving rash views on the first volume of DMC3 anime. The major story, I believe, it's the same, but maybe between the gaps the storyline's edited for the sake of this manga, which we all can do just read and see, not batting our thumbs and fingers on the book. Still, in my current opinion, I find anime and manga version of DMC are not necessary--- I guess it's very opportunistic for DMC afficiandos, but to anime and manga lovers, it's a gamble, really.

The first time I seen DMC anime was on YouTube this summer. And I was really disappointed, man. :cussing: That's the worst anime I've seen in my life. I began to like Devil May Cry is when I played its third game and it's my fav game of all time. The storyline was well-written and the humour never dies in that game--- Dante must do something hilarious, no matter how impressive he was being himself (lol,the part that make me phwoar is dante surfing on a missile rocket:animenose weird at its best). Ok, back to its anime version, I simply hate it. There's no life in the story itself, it's all just goth and darkness looks, the story's predictable and dante was being so damn serious--- unlike in the DMC games. Then enter a little girl we know nothing of. Then a bunch of tycoon demons being gluttony and cool to seize inheritance of the deceased. Whatever that's in the first series, it's not attracting my attention easily. The fighting scenes--- ok, the best one is the 'shadow screen fighting' in the opera house. That I think it's the only thing that attracted my attention with amusement. Then its manga came out. Worse, its DMC3 manga. HELL--- the story is not the same!!! The mood is not there at all!! It's just dreadful and boring to read.

I remembered I watched anime for the first time when I was 7. I watched Sailor Moon with my oldest sister and I loved the anime. The anime was about saving the world from heebeejeebies and evils... only the heroes are women--- sailor scouts. You know that the usual stereotype that men defeat evil to save mankind... so I guess I watched something different to make me be a loyal fan of Sailor Moon (maybe think differently too).From that I began to learn how to draw anime. Then it stopped air on tv 6 years later:animecry: It only stopped 'til SuperS Sailor Moon:animecry::animecry:

Weird habit while watching anime ei... hmm, I think mine's being such a fussy critic. I love watching anime on tv, dvd and youtube but I cannot stop being fussy and critical--- like them fantasy (goth, scifi, horror etc) animes, I always have very short attention span while watching them and suddenly becomes bitchy ("this is so boring/this is so predictive/this is just as same as the previous one/this is too serious/this makes no sense").:animesigh I know it's very disappointing though... but that's how I react!!!:animecry: That's my weird habit.

[QUOTE=Tical Blue][B][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]Angry Inch[/COLOR][/B] [I][COLOR=DarkSlateBlue]My sex-change operation got botched My guardian angel fell asleep on the watch Now all I got is a Barbie Doll-crotch I got an angry inch ... My mother made my tits out of clay My boyfriend told me that he'd take me away They dragged me to the doctor one day I've got an angry inch ...[/COLOR][/I][/QUOTE] :rotflmao: Anyway, the funniest song I've heard recently is The Beer Song by the one and only Weird Al Yankovic :animesmil He used one of the classical music pieces from an opera called Carmen... it always played during the trophy ceremony of Grand Prix races. The Beer Song (click here to see a funny Trigun clip along with this song:[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9ROBdkVlPU[/url] ) Oh... what is the malt and liquor? What gets you drunken quicker? What comes in bottles or in cans? (Beer) Can't get enough of it (Beer) How we really love it (Beer) Makes me think I'm a man (Beer) I could kiss and hug it (Beer) But I'd rather chug it (Beer) Got my belly up to here (Beer) I could not refuse a (Beer) I could really use a beer, beer, beer Beer, beer, beer, beer, beer, beer, beer, beer I can't remember how much I have had I drank a twelve-pack with my dad (BURP!) That's my son the drunken manly stud I'm proud to be his bud Here have some pretzels No, I'll call it quits Those things give me the shlits (ha ha ha) Drink with your family Drink it with your friends Drink till you're fat, stomach distends Beer is liquid bread, it's good for you We like to drink till we spew! Ew! Who cares if we get fat? I'll drink to that As we sing once more... What is the malt and liquor? What gets you drunken quicker? What comes in bottles or in cans? (Beer) Can't get enough of it (Beer) How we really love it (Beer) Makes me think I'm a man (Beer) I could kiss and hug it (Beer) But I'd rather chug it (Beer) Got my belly up to here (Beer) Golly, I adore it! (Beer) Come on dammit, pour it! Do it for me, brew it for me Feed it to me, speed it to me (Beer) The most wonderful drink in the world HOORAY!!! (BURP!)

[quote name='Snake'sLover18']okay this is what i heard the creator of metal gear solid is coming out with a movie based on metal gear and the cool thing is that he is going to be one to direct it. i think i saw a movie preview on it on youtube and it says it will be out in 2009. what do you guys think?[/quote] I have not heard such a thing about MGS The Movie! But the trailers on YouTube are mostly fake :animecry: Is this source really came from the official website itself?!?!? You know there are many MGS titles... which one the creator wants to make into a movie? If they are making the first, yay! :animesmil Any info on actors/actresses involved? :animesmil

Oh yea, I love craftworks too, apart from drawing anime. Especially jewellery. Last summer I did pendants (cardboard, paint (poster+nail enamel) , wire and pva glue) and I grew addicted doing 'em. I have loads and I should scan 'em and show you if I have the time. ^_^ And I have a sort of liking over BUTTONS. I used buttons as rocks for rings. The finished button ring looked awesome once I wore it. Oh yea, I definitely going to scan 'em for you! Also, love your Totoro plushies! :animesmil

:catgirl: I guess what inspires me to start drawing is from my sister, who loved to watch Sailormoon during her childhood years (I was 8, I think). I saw her drawing Usagi Tsukino on her sketchbook and it was beautiful. I couldn't draw properly. Then I got addicted to draw anime. I keep on drawing, practice to make my anime drawing as perfect as possible. Now, I am proud that I can draw anime very well, and I should thank my sister for this spontaneous occurence in the past. :cool:

[QUOTE=White][COLOR=DimGray][FONT=Tahoma]I don't really get what you mean. You mean like colouring only a certain part of an image a totally different colour but leaving the rest the same? If so just use the wand tool, edit the tolerance to your liking and change the Hue/Saturation of the selected area. *shrug* You could also use the magnetic lasso.[/FONT][/COLOR][/QUOTE] Yeah, you colour on certain part of the drawing but it must be on a separate layer at least! On the background, it must be black and white. The trick is let white fill in with colour. You don't need to use lasso tool (ever realise there's traces of white lines after applying colour? :animedepr ). Anyway, back to the trick, on a separate layer, which has colours, choose a layer effect you like (be experimental at this!). For example, Multiply layer effect. If you choose Multiply on this layer, the white part of the background will be coloured in with less effort, therefore foolproof in appearance. Give any qs!