Art Post: Shinji Gets a Makeover
After five hours in Photoshop and a hell of a lot of eyestrain, Shinji Kato from NIHILISM:
(click the image for full-size)
Tablet-drawn, mixture of styles. I’m experimenting a bit so the styles aren’t blending together quite right yet, but I figure with some practice I’ll be able to get it straight.
This version of Shinji is 18, a senior in high school. I feel like there’s something a little wrong with me for drawing a high school student who looks like that.
Those of you familiar with Shinji probably find him a bit odd looking, since his hair’s shorter and inverted: silver on black instead of black on silver. He’s also more solidly built (well, anything’s more solid than my old spider-leg art style) and darker, somewhere around the appropriate color for a tanned Japanese boy instead of the death-pale color he used to be. Just as the concept had to evolve to be viable as a YA novel, so did the characters.
Those of you not familiar with Shinji, well…you have no idea what I’m talking about?
I…need to go do something that doesn’t involve my eyes and the computer. I’d wanted to try a drawing of Roman and another of Ken, but I’m all blurry and eyesore. So…later.
13 Comments
Submit a Comment
Recent News
05.04.12
- When in Rome
Line: Ever After
Open until 07.31.12. - Guilty Pleasures
Line: Flirt
Open until 06.30.12.
------------------------ 04.26.12
Check out the latest new books from my Entangled authors: Diane Alberts' DIVINELY RUINED and Robin Bielman's WORTH THE RISK!
------------------------
My superhero novella, From the Ashes, comes out from Entangled Publishing in August of 2012!
About Adrien
On the Shelf
Dauntless
Jack Campbell
Stuff
Yeah, I’m just going to stare at him with my mouth open for another five minutes… I like him a lot better this way. *stares*
Hee. I’ve been wanting to try this for ages, but hesitated since my last attempt at “realistic” Shinji didn’t turn out so well. But working on the story and changing him around some prompted the urge to try again.
…close your mouth, dear, before something flies in.
Holy crap! Nihilism! It was one of the first online comics I started reading back in the day! This is a wonderful surprise!
I like this look for Shinji, it’s definitely more badass, with a hint of I-need-a-hug-but-if-you-give-me-one-you-die type of expression. I like the idea of you turning Nihilism into story form, just to see how the characters have evolved.
Adri, you are truly a man of many talents. This is absolutely amazing.
Peace, love and chocolate chip cookie dough!
It’s surprising me how many people are reacting with “OMG NIHILISM!” I posted the pic to Livejournal, too, and people there said they remember the comic and loved reading it. Considering how erratic I was in updating, art style, etc. and considering how cheesy the story was…it amazes me that it left a lasting impression on so many people, and kind of gives me the warm fuzzies.
If you guys are interested I can post bits from the novelization, though it’s definitely different. It takes place in America (Shinji’s a transfer student trying to get away from the others), and Ryougi’s been replaced by a girl named Ember. So it might not strike the same chord, as it has been heteronormalized for mainstream.
^ So very interested.
My favourite part about the comic was the art style and the characters, (regardless of how erratic you thought it was) I liked how it wasn’t like all the other stereotypical “yaoi” comics of the time. I looked forward to every page (it was my salvation on my down days as an exchange student in France)
Yes, yes I am VERY interested in reading the novelization! Heteronormalized? Bring it! A definite twist I am looking forward to reading!
Peace, love and chocolate chip cookie dough!
~laughs~ Really, Lala? I’m glad you enjoyed it so much back then, but wow…that’s highly flattering. I’m glad it wasn’t stereotypical, but at the same time wish I’d done a better job of it – and wish I’d spent more time studying and practicing my technique before I tried it.
I’m working on chapter two right now; when I’m done I may post the rough draft of the first two chapters tomorrow. It’s bothering me a little, as I’m taking a bit of a different approach in the writing; there’s an instant juvenile sexual attraction when Ember meets Shinji, so there may be too much focus on his appearance in the first few pages (because that’s basically what she’s focused on, in between getting stabbed between the eyes with weird hallucinations). I’unno, it feels like I’m Gary-Stuing Shinji, but…I guess we’ll see how it goes over.
I’m already looking forward to reading
I actually already posted it, but took it down for a number of reasons:
1. I needed to fix something about Ember, which required a whole new opening scene.
2. Don’t want to make it public, but it’s really twitchy to have to hint at clues for the password which you guys can guess but others can’t. Don’t feel like making you go on a scavenger hunt to figure out the password.
3. Rereading the post where I linked it, there’s a lot of embarrassment and excuse-making. Which means it wasn’t ready to be seen, even as a very, very off-the-cuff rough draft. Since I made the changes to Ember I’m much less embarrassed by the story as a whole, which means maybe now it’s ready for you guys to peek at it (although still, rough draft, blah blah, the usual). Cycle back to #2 as the problem. May just e-mail the password to all those who expressed interest.
Take your time with it until you’re happy with it and then decide how to get it to the ones who’d like to read. You’ll be more comfortable with it, I think.
I think I’m okay with the first two chapters being read now. (Though chapter three, oh my god. I have a feeling that one’s going to be totally rewritten later. I just wrote the soppiest frigging Futsu-nushi-no-kami/Susa-no-wo flashback. It’s so embarrassing.) If you guys are still interested, I can just e-mail them to you directly.
I’m definitely interested
So, ah…can we order one of him on Amazon?
Also? *flicks Adri’s ear* That’s for ever saying you didn’t have talent. You’re freaking amazing, love!