Pen Suggestion and Comparison for Drawing Manga/etc

Whether you are a cartoonist, illustrator, manga/anime artist,etc, choosing the pen you will you use in your work can make a major impact. As with some drawings you feel the need to choose a pen that will run smoothly. The best types of pen are the ones the gel or loose liquid ink kind.

The first pen, I would like to interdouce, is 'Faber-Castell Pitt Artist Pen.' It is waterproof, and has indian ink. There are many different sized tips, and is very convienient if you don't want to carry a bottle of indian ink with you with the addition of the other pen to dip it in. So not only is it more convienient, it is also less messy. The average price for a single pen is around $3. This pen is one I actually tried,and I love it! The fine point is the only one of it that I have so far, because really, $3 for a pen =/

*It is also available in colors, and in packs.
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The second pen, is the 'Sakura Pigma Micon Pen.' It has many different sized tips: .20, .25, .30, .35, .45, and .50. It is priced around $3.50. I haven't tried this pen, but it seems to be everywhere, so if anyone used this pen then please provide an input. ^_^


*It is also available in colors, and in packs.


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The third pen, is the "Pilot G-2 Gel Pen." It can actually be much less tha $1. I tried this one, and it works okay. But sometimes the ink clogs up. There is also not very many point sizes.






*It is also available in packs.

TheCreationRealm.Com -Official site

The Creation Realm has moved up to a whole new level! The project has now turned into socialnetworking/community site, go to www.thecreationrealm.com if you haven't already, to connect with other artists,writers,musicians,and the like! =)

The items I made using Lost Wax Casting/Hot Wax Casting

(This is a brief summary of the process only)Basically, this process is which a model of the object is made of wax, either carved from or build up using hot wax, representing what you want the final oject to be. You then attach "sprues," which are sticks made out of wax, to the wax model to support it, and stick it into the base of the flask. You pour a creamy white fluid called "investment" into the flask, the fluid then dries. The flask is then put into a kiln a few hours for a "burn out," when the flask is taken out, the wax model is no longer there, but it have made an indentation in the investment. You take off the base of the flask, and place it in the centrifuge, which somewhat looks like a big round tub. From there you melt the metal, later you operate the centrifuge to shoot the metal into the flask.

For the heart shaped candy box pendant, I carved each heart out of wax, and used hot wax to drip some "candy" into "the box." When I casted them, i casted them in bronze. Then later soldering the two hearts together, and soldered on a brass bail. I had to use a lot of solder for this project, since the hearts were quite heavy. It was also very hard to polish the inside of the box, where the "candies," were.

For the rose on cuff, I builded the rose up using hot wax, casted it in bronze, then soldering the bronze rose onto a brass cuff. It was very difficult to solder this rose onto the cuff,since the rose was a bit heavy, perhaps next time it would be easier if the cuff was to be curved after soldering, to give the rose a better balance when soldering. It was also hard to polish the rose, since they were so many small curve along the rose.

These pieces were quite time consuming, I really hated having to saw off the sprues after they were casted.

Digital Art

The theme of a contest I entered long time ago was "Life is better with art in it," a digital poster contest. I didn't won but I was selected as one of the finalists, so not bad for a first time digital artwork. The illustration was done by me, and thanks to my friend Kirill for helping me achieve the the see through and 3-D effect, and his choice of font, because I didn't had the program at the time to finish the final touches, so I did nearly all of it by the Paint program(Yes, I know, such an old program,isn't it?Haha.)

The lion and the sheep

The lion and the sheep-One of the most important stories ever

The ancient parable in the East is that a lioness was jumping from one hillock to another hillock and just in the middle she gave birth to a kid. The kid fell down on the road where a big crowd of sheep was passing. Naturally he mixed with the sheep, lived with the sheep, behaved like a sheep. He had no idea, not even in his dreams, that he is a lion. How could he have? All around him were sheep and more sheep. He had never roared like a lion; a sheep does not roar. He had never been alone like a lion; a sheep is never alone. She is always in the crowd; the crowd is cozy, secure, safe. If you see sheep walking, they walk so close together that they are almost stumbling on each other. They are so afraid to be alone.

But the lion started growing up. It was a strange phenomenon. He was identified mentally with being a sheep, but biology does not go according to your identification; nature is not going to follow you.

He became a beautiful young lion, but because things happened so slowly the sheep also became accustomed to the lion while the lion was becoming accustomed to the sheep. The sheep thought he is a little crazy, naturally. He's not behaving — a little cuckoo — and he goes on growing. It is not supposed to be so. And pretending to be a lion...but he is not a lion. They have seen him from his very birth, they have brought him up, they have given their milk to him. And he was a nonvegetarian by nature. No lion is vegetarian, but this lion was vegetarian because sheep are vegetarian. He used to eat grass with great joy.

They accepted this little difference, that he is a little big and looks like a lion. A very wise sheep said, "It is just a freak of nature. Once in a while it happens." And he himself also accepted that it is true. His color is different, his body is different; he must be a freak, abnormal. But the idea that he is a lion was impossible! He was surrounded by all those sheep, and sheep psychoanalysts gave him explanations: "You are just a freak of nature. Don't be worried. We are here to take care of you."

But one day an old lion passed and saw this young lion far above the crowd of sheep. He could not believe his eyes! He had never seen such a thing nor had he ever heard in the history of the whole past that a lion was in the middle of a crowd of sheep and no sheep was afraid. And the lion was walking exactly like the sheep, grazing on grass.

The old lion could not believe his eyes. He forgot he was going to catch a sheep for his breakfast. He completely forgot the breakfast. It was something so strange that he tried to catch the young lion. But he was old, and the young lion was young — he ran away. Although he believed that he was a sheep, when there was danger the identification was forgotten. He ran like a lion, and the old lion had great difficulty in catching him. But finally the old lion got hold of him and he was crying and weeping and saying, "Just forgive me, I am a poor sheep." The old lion said, "You idiot! You simply stop and come with me to the pond."

Just nearby there was a pond. He took the young lion there. The young lion was not going willingly. He went reluctantly, but what can you do against a lion if you are only a sheep? He may kill you if you don't follow him, so he went with him. The pond was silent, with no ripples, almost like a mirror. And the old lion said to the young, "Just look. Look at my face and look at your face. Look at my body and look at your body in the water."

In a second there came a great roar! All the hills echoed it. The sheep disappeared; he was a totally different being — he recognized himself. The identification with sheep was not a reality, it was just a mental concept. Now he had seen the reality. And the old lion said, "Now I don't have to say anything. You have understood."

The young lion could feel strange energy he had never felt...as if it had been dormant. He could feel tremendous power, and he had always been a weak, humble sheep. All that humbleness, all that weakness, simply evaporated.

This is an ancient parable about the master and the disciple. The function of the master is only to bring the disciple to see who he is and that what he goes on believing is not true.

-Victor Parker

Master of Winter-A poem by Linda Lieu

Wind slapping my hair back into my face,
cheeks numb,
and fingers barely moving,
trying to walk further,
but the wind nearly knock me over.
It hisses at me,
like a waiting beast.

The wind tonight is consuming me,
you,
everyone,
yet they say the power of a man is the most powerful thing that ever existed.
Wobbling,
stumbling,
falling,
hits the ground,
unable to get up.

No one can fight this wind.
They say mankind is strong,
but nature is stronger.

-Linda Lieu

My Life(Shen's)

My Life has been something special, maybe the most special thing my family has given me. I thank them for giving me everything to help me grow, love, family, friends, and moral lessons. Except, that I found something I didn't have from my family, that was my dream. I never knew that my music would go this far already. I started playing the Piano since my senventh grade year. And now what am I? I am a Senior attending Grant High School. This is my last year of High School so I plan on performing my songs as much as possible to encourage people to achieve the dreams no matter how hard it it. I also have a "Crew" of musicians also. We are called Hopes.

Why? Living life you would need hope to keep your dreams alive. What does Hopes stand for? I say it stands for, "H-ave O-ur P-eace E-xistence S-ervice". All my music is about life, family, love, friends and emotions. Everyday there is a new lyric for me to write because I see things change so much from yesterday to today. Living my life, I learned, there will be people and obsticles in my way, so it's better to forgive those who hurt you then to forget about them. That's just me! I can't live my life holding grudges on people just for hurting me. That is another way that helps me grow strong and positive. I am just being myself.

First Blog

Hi. I'm Andrea Tanti, from the little island of Malta. I'm a wierd kid with an overactive imagination. I'm 18 years old and it's Christmas.

This is my first blog. I'm pretty sure no one will read this, but, if anyone does. Welcome:)
I won't write much this time seeing as there's not much to tell anyone about.

It's Christmas, not really my kinda holiday but whatever, had a pretty average day anyways, the family went out, i was dragged along and eventually sent home for not being "merry" enough.Well, I'll be posting some poetry later, and maybe some prose if i get down to writing anything.it's nothing special really but some people seem to enjoy it.