yasmeensh

[yasmeensh]

Following up the story update:

I was talking with my brother about my characters in a modern AU setting (Neanderthals would still be alive and well), and we came up with the idea of having a mini modern AU comic after every chapter, fittingly titled 'Neandershorts'.

I sketched out a modern Junar. He is going to be an emo teenager. He's already got the black hair and dark tired eyes.

[yasmeensh]

3+ years!!!

Sometime in the last two months I had an epiphany: the story works so much better with Junar as the main character. Previous main characters became side and minor characters, or even altogether gone. But this version serves the theme I had in the mind since the day I first started brainstorming this project. This was going to be a Neanderthal story after all. I loved writing about and drawing Junar from the moment I came up with him, so it was inevitable.

I started writing out the story a while back, and oh boy, it will be long. I sketched out the above illustration with my two main characters, the Neanderthal siblings Junar and Jaya. I haven't precisely shared much on what this story is even about! I don't intend to do that anytime soon, especially to the public. But I will share the current logline:

A Neanderthal teenager leaves his family on a journey to find a healer that could cure his sister's sight. On the way, he encounters something more powerful, but incredibly dangerous: magic.

I also applied the plot to the 4 Act story structure and IT FITS SO MUCH BETTER THAN WHATEVER I WAS DOING BEFORE!

Now onto figuring out the best scripting method. I either script the whole thing in prose (it's a graphic novel, so there will be a lot of prose besides the illustrations and dialogue). Or script everything through thumbnails to immediately move on to drawing.

Authors and artists out there, any thoughts/experience to share about scripting?

Time to make a post about my project! I wrote a little on it before (in the tags lol), but here is the idea: stone age/early neolithic period in a fantasy genre. I want to explore the stories and myths of ancient civilizations (which possibly trace back to this period) + homo sapien & Neanderthal interaction!

It’s fun to think of this time period with fantastical creatures like dragons, mermaids, and sea monsters in them. Couple that with ancient megafauna!

Art historians often speculate that cave art & stone age sculptures had a spiritual function. It had me thinking about how magic and curses were an important element in ancient civilizations’ stories (think even in biblical text). So where did this all originate from, so much that people would have great experience with them? It must be a very very ancient unknown past, probably the stone age period of humanity. This time period has huge potential for fantasy exploration! I want to explore all these ideas and make a story out of them. Here are some illustrations I made, with more under the cut, featuring the so far only OC (placeholder name for now is Tam. Short and simple) and his father-figure Neanderthal friend! I have a bit of a story in mind and other characters, but nothing concrete while I continue world-building. I will share more as I continue developing!

Keep reading

[yasmeensh]

Do you have a favorite ALTTP character? 😁

Hello! Well, aside from Link, then it would be flute boy? We don't know much about him. I wish we did. We don't really know much about any character ;-; And Sahasrahla's wife because she didn't believe the wanted signs and trusted Link <3

(old art)

[yasmeensh]

Neanderthals my beloved

Sketches from my paleolithic graphic novel project. There are a LOT of changes. I haven't actually changed the story but the POV and main character did. Sorry Tam, but Junar is just so much cooler. It's mostly the fact that his own 'side story' aligns so much more with the core of the message I'm trying to tell through this project. It works better when we follow his own adventure. So from now on this story going to be in Neanderthal POV.

I've been writing the opening, and it features a younger Junar and baby Jaya. It's a lot of teeth in these drawings because I'm reading about children's dentition to get their looks right :P Also, Junar and Jaya's mom makes her first public appearance.

[yasmeensh]

what are you favorite characters in adventure of link?

Hmm. Good question, anon. I haven't really thought of it... And now that I do, it's Link, of course. Link my beloved.

I'll take this opportunity to give a shout-out to the magicians and doctors of Hyrule who aid Link without charge. He doesn't use a single rupee in this adventure. He either gets everything for free because he is the hero or he has access to the Royal Family's treasury.

I don't how Link's magic is replenished... Let's say it's in the form of a yummy cup of tea.

[yasmeensh]

Do you have a favorite part so far in the count of Monte Cristo? Or character? Sorry im obsessed with the book and art! 🩷

Hello! Sorry for the late reply! I've been getting sooooo many scam asks lately. I sat down to sift through them and delete them and found your ask!

I just finished chapter 45 "Shower of Blood".

There is still a lot more major characters I am yet to meet, but I gotta say I like Pierre Morrel. So far, the man has been very sincere and is the most honest and hardworking character. Idk about his son yet. I am still recovering from hearing about the story of Benedetto. Oh my GOD he's a demon. We're only told what he's done up to the age of 11 or something and he's done more evil than Villefort, Danglars, and Fernand combined. I think. I still don't know how these three made their way to the cream de la cream of society. Evil schemes I assume.

[yasmeensh]

Zelda Osamu Dezaki screenshot redraws.

I am an admirer of Osamu Dezaki's art style. I made a mock screenshot of my OC in his style. Then I thought, what if I did that for my favourite series ever, The Legend of Zelda? I love to imagine a Zelda anime in his style. Well, I ended up drawing three of them.

Note: A lot of people are making ghibli style or whatever choice style art using AI and I'd like to say: F*CK them and F*CK AI. This is the first time I use this kind of language on my blog and I'm sorry if it upsets you, but!!! It has to be said! If you want something from your imagination to become reality you need to make it yourself. Actually APPLY that imagination of yours into hard work and the results will be so worth it. Drawing these takes a lot of time and effort, and it's worth it. People need to understand that they gotta enjoy the process! Nothing is more valuable than what is created by our own human hands. If you want something to exist in this world, then you need to take the time to learn how to do it. You can't take shortcuts all the time. And to that, here are some WIP shots and a speedpaint under the cut.

For all of these, I start by sketching on paper. It's easier for me to find forms this way.

Afterwards, I draw over a photo of the sketch on CSP

Followed by blocking in colours. Afterwards I do shading and post-processing.

Here is a speedpaint:

Here are some screenshots from various Osamu Dezaki animes. He's a great inspiration for me. I'm sure many of you have watched at least one of his works, which include Rose of Versailles, Lupin the 3rd, Black Jack, Treasure Island, Ashita no Joe, and the list goes on.

[yasmeensh]

behold, the first anime Neanderthal. I just really wanted to see my Neanderthal character (Junar) looking like he came out of an 80s/90s anime. I can draw so I have the power to make it become reality >:) hehe process images under the cut.

Drew it on paper first, because I always find my forms much better that way.

Re-drew it on CSP then coloured

After the final image I added some blur and noise effect.

[yasmeensh]

Have you read the abridged version of the count of Monte Cristo?

No. I'm reading Robin Buss' unabridged English translation.

So far I'm just over 1/3 through. The Count is about to visit Albert. Can't wait for his eventual meeting with Fernand (I'm pretty sure he lives right next door, on the same estate) 👀👀👀

[yasmeensh]

Time for some Neanderthal sketches. It's just Junar and Jaya.

[yasmeensh]

I can't believe this is 4 years old??? Time flies. I still like it :)

Since Link was already an established hero during Zelda2, I like to think that the lost Darunia town kid would have recognized him and instantly started asking him all sorts of questions.

[yasmeensh]

Count of Monte Cristo #1

I started reading the Count of Monte Cristo last Tuesday and I'm already 200+ pages in. IT'S SO GOOD WHY DID I NOT READ IT EARLIER!???? I was intimidated by the fact that it's 1,200+ pages long but I am now dreading the day that I would be done reading it. I'm obsessed with this book.

I kept thinking about that one sentence telling us that Edmond was secretly happy about the abbe's failure because it meant he could talk to someone now after years of loneliness. I imagine he'd have a smug expression :P spoilers? Perhaps. I'll tag.

[yasmeensh]

Summary of art for 2024! I haven't drawn a lot throughout the year. As you can see, for some months all I can offer is a sketch. But I've certainly had very active months! Overall, I'm happy with this year's work. My top 3 are:

Bear catching Salmon

2. Zelda II comic: The Blood Curse (read here)

3. Chimpanzees on a tree

A growing passion of mine since last year is wildlife painting. I've improved since I first started drawing in this genre and I'm happy with the progress :D I'm also very happy that I'm starting to better figure out how to paint in gouache and acrylics.

I've met my goal of practice comic-making too. It's one comic, but it's still something! I've also surprised myself by trying to make some paleoart xD I know I'll be doing a lot of it for my comic set around the upper paleolithic. But the homotherium piece was just purely my curiosity trying to visualize the new findings of the mummy.

Onto next year!

[yasmeensh]

Hello! I have two other very good paleofiction books that you might enjoy. They are Moctu and the Mammoth People and it's sequel The People Eaters, by Neil Bockoven, and Jih's Journey by Xavier Giovanni McClean.

I haven't heard of these before! Thank you for telling me about them! I'll add these books to the paleolithic fiction catalogue, too :) I've been looking for a fiction book to read, so I'll start with one of your suggestions!

[yasmeensh]

I'll just mess this up if I keep working on it, so I'll stop here. My attempt at painting an adult homotherium.

It's the first time I paint snow so hopefully it will be better next time 😅

[yasmeensh]

watercolour-painted sketch of my Neanderthal baby girl Jaya. Her brother killed a wolf. It was sick and has patchy fur... but would still make for a good coat.

[yasmeensh]

another blast from the past.

gifs i made from a famicom commercial featuring animated clips for The Legend of Zelda: The Hyrule Fantasy.