deviantART: by:Yamino

Maka hiamoe...

~Yamino — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 23:41:57 PST

My family just got back from Hilo, the rainy side of the island. OH MAN I am so sleepy! It's good to be back at a hotel that has internet. I'm a serious addict...

First thing I see: Several submissions to the Sister Claire food contest I'm running! YAY! You guys are the best! I was starting to get seriously worried. I'm glad to know you didn't forget about it! <3 But a lot of you did forget to send me your address in your emails, lol. Please send me your address if you still want to get a personal postcard!

I have TONS of photos to post, and I need to figure out some way for people to see those texture photos without them getting that 404 error. I was even getting it sometimes, but then I thought I fixed it. Now I'm not really sure what the problem is. D: I uploaded them all, and the links are correct... It must have something to do with them being such big files. I hope I figure it out soon, because I have a lot more textures to upload.

And more photos of crazy Hawaiian stuff, too! We walked across a (cooled) lava flow to see the lava flowing right into the ocean. Of course, we were about a mile away, and couldn't ACTUALLY see the lava, but you could see huge billowing clouds of steam and smoke and gases rising out from behind the silhouetted black rocks, with the glowing making impressive orange light shows on the smokescreen. Sadly, with the nightfall and the added fact that the lava was over a mile away, I couldn't get any decent pictures. It was really a powerful experience that photos can't do justice to.

Speaking of impressive light shows, on the hour long drive back to Kona tonight, I saw the the big storm we'd been in in Hilo, only now it was behind a mountain. There were massive flashes of lightening every few seconds lightning up the sky and casting the mountain in silhouette. I couldn't believe how bright it was! It was almost as if a giant was waving a flashlight around behind the black mountain.

And the stars here are clearer than anywhere else on Earth! It's amazing how crisp they look, it's as if I've been looking at the night sky half-blind all my life and now I have corrective lenses to see the sky. I'm told it has something to do with atmospheric currents or something, there's no disruption to make the stars blink and look blurry. Another thing I have always tried to see but never managed to catch is the "green flash." Supposedly for the same atmospherics conditions, this is one of the best places in the world to see it.

All these naturally occurring phenomena combined really impressed on me what why the Native Hawaiians came up with all these colorful tales of gods and supernatural beings to explain these "supernatural" sights. Many of my readers have expressed a curiosity about what my religion is, or if I even follow one. I have to say that I don't follow any definite religion, but the idea of religion itself is something I find endlessly fascinating.

The legends we have created, the structures we have built, the explanations we find for all these inexplicable events- that amazes me. I don't deny that occasionally religion has also brought a lot of terrible things with it- wars, discrimination, extinction of some indigenous cultures... but I don't think we often dwell on the amazing creativity and art and mythology humans have made in the name of religion, either. It's really kind of mind-blowing, if you think about it.

Hawaii is a strange and wonderful place

~Yamino — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 00:49:03 PST

..with fruits that looks like insect larva and rock-solid sea urchins that look like squishy blobs. Photos and more here: [link]

Update on sign language and Hawaii!

~Yamino — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 23:14:39 PST

I made a post with new sketches, and another video of me practicing my ASL, this time on a noisy, bumpy plane ride. The media-filled post is here!

Sign Language practice and CA

~Yamino — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 22:55:44 PST

I made an update on my travels to Southern CA, and a video post showing me practicing some sign language! I think it's coming along! [link]

P.S. Dear ASL speakers, PLEASE tell me how to sign "comics." And I do mean visual comics, not "comic" like "comedian." Because that's all I can find, and it's not correct. XD; Until I learn this magical, extremely important sign, I'll have to keep finger spelling "C-O-M-I-C-S".

Goodbye for a bit, and updated contest rules!

~Yamino — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 18:10:57 PST

Next time you hear from me, I'll be in California or Hawaii! GOODBYE DREARY, MUCKY GREY SKIES. HELLOOOO SUN! 8D

Incidentally, I'm still needing some entries for that bakeoff contest! Do people hate making food that much? D:
I STILL ONLY HAVE ONE ENTRY. AAAAGH.

You know what, I decided I will send a postcard to ANYONE who enters. Email me with a photo of your submission, and include your address, and I'll mail you a postcard from Hawaii! There will be a little sketch on it too, surely! YOU HAVE DRIVEN ME TO DESPERATE MEASURES.

Remember, no cooking is necessary! The only rule is that your entry has to be edible.

For a reminder on the rules and stuff, check this post:
[link]

Devious Journal Entry

~Yamino — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:53:46 PST

Ever since I got enlisted by Freen in Green, I've been trying to practice my singing and get my voice back into shape. I found a way to filter my voice to do a T-Pain effect. Naturally, I had to test it on some real T-Pain material:
[link]

Also, a "song" I made up off the top of my head. I JUST WANTED TO TEST THE EFFECT but when I showed it to my friend she demanded that I let her use this as a ringtone (?!?!!?) so I figured if masses of people are going to hear it, I might as well post it. IT IS SO STUPID but it was fun to make up a song on the spot. XDD
[link]

YAMINO SINGS! (Coraline!)

~Yamino — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:20:32 PST

Just for the hell of it, I recorded the "Other Father Song" from Coraline. I found the instrumental, and I couldn't resist. It's so CUTE. (And gets stuck in your head so easily...)
[link]

The original instrumental was a bit low for my taste, so I recorded an acapella version more in my natural range:
[link]

IF ONLY I COULD PLAY PIANO

Ty Lee's Sisters~

~Yamino — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:12:48 PST

I had a conversation with my friend a moment ago about the names of Ty Lee's sisters. I thought you might find it amusing.

Yamino: if I was ever in an avatar RP again, I'd want to have a scene where azula and ty lee visit ty lee's house XDD
Yamino: mob of sisters: PRINCESS AZULAAAAAAA *fangirling*
Yamino: Azula: Simmer down ladies, there's enough of me to go around...
Yamino: Ty Lee: *sulks in a corner*

Ivy: God, that would make for the orgy of gods. XD

Yamino: I'm planning to draw it someday, when the idea of drawing a mob of girls doesn't make my wrist cry XD

Ivy: lol That poor, abused wrist.

Yamino: I imagine all Ty lee's sisters would have similar names, too
Yamino: Ty Lee, Mei Lee, Chun Lee... lmao
Yamino: Bruce Lee

Ivy: Wei Lee, Kaylee...

Yamino: Mai Lee Cirrus
Yamino: Hey Lee, Slow Lee, Sneezy

Ivy: Donner, Dasher, Blitzen...

Yamino: Alvin, Simon, Theodore

Ivy: Larry, Curly, Moe

Yamino: Blossom, Bubbles, and Bitch XD

Ivy: LOL

Artist Pimpage

~Yamino — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:39:59 PST

I just discovered 's Avatar fanart, and it's KILLING ME. (In a good way.) You should totally check it out.

Some of my favorites:
[link]
[link]

(This reminds me of Grover's "Monster at the End of this book!!")
[link]

[link]
[link]
[link]

First Podcast Interview: TEAM UNIT CREW + FREEN IN

~Yamino — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:05:13 PST

I joined in on my first ever recorded interview with the Team Unit Crew Podcast!

Interview highlights include: Inspirations for Sister Claire! Uses for Claire's Panties! Potty-mouthed language! Yamino sings NEVER GONNA GIVE YOU UP! Discussion about the Sister Claire Theme Song being published on Rockband Network! And Yamino's thoughts on mudkips, Asian food, and other things you never really cared to know!

Until they become an official podcast on iTunes, they are posting their podcasts on Youtube. Due to the 10 minute limit on videos, the interview had to be split into 10 parts:
Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGE127eUAUI
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lCApTJ88ow
Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPU00p7gqRg
Part 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-KXK_Iz49zs
Part 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHUJmnhwldU
Part 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXTfBWSol4Y
Part 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMnz2rHO2uk
Part 8: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5Cv4uNWwZg
Part 9: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcAlXXs_EKQ
Part 10: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5GwEKVyyWQE

I disappear after the end of part 7, because I had to go eat dinner, and it was getting very late in Belgium time. XD Hopefully, I'll have some more interviews in the future, this was a lot of fun!

In related news, if you listen in, you'll also hear from the band Bluefusion/Freen in Green, which I'll be singing with soon! So, look forward to some original songs being posted here in the future. I AM OFFICIALLY A FREENER WEENER. (I'm not sure what that means, really, but I'm sure I'll figure this out along the way.) Here are some samples of their work so far:

http://freeningreen.bandcamp.com

Looking forward to it! 8D

Gabrielle Shirt came in!

~Yamino — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:16:30 PST

See pics here:
[link]

WOO!

Nightingale Animatic!

~Yamino — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:09:37 PST

WATCH THE ANIMATIC HERE!

Just to recap, Emily (the first girl we see) is deaf, so naturally she's bored out of her mind at a concert. Sofie, her cousin, and the protagonist/superheroine of the story, is blind, and takes her music VERY seriously. She's a bit mean to drag her poor deaf cousin along to these things, but she likes her company (even if she spends most of the time correcting Emily's manners.)

I had a lot of fun making this, mostly as a test to try my hand at animated storyboards. Yes, I cheated a bit with the photos, but I'm using my wrist as an excuse, and they are real photos of a real church in Amsterdam, so it's not like they're randomly picked. (Of course, if this was a movie it would all be filmed, anyway. XD)

I used iMovie to make this, even though I tried first with Final Cut Pro. I just can't get anything to work with that program! I guess I'm not PRO enough! D:

New Cubees: Sister Catharine/Sister Cat

~Yamino — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 21:02:15 PST

Two new Sister Catharine Cubees! I have revamped the format to ALL the Cubees to PDF, so now everyone should be able to download them and print them without problem. Click the picture to go to the Cubee page. Have fun!

Devious Journal Entry

~Yamino — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:10:05 PST

Ok, so I was inspired after slaving away for 3 and a half hours making some special gingerbread cookies... And I decided that since I can't provide you with new pages due to my tendonitis, it's time for a new contest!

I called it a "bake-off" because originally I was thinking of making it just for cookies, but I know some people can to really fun stuff with bento-lunches and things like that. I'll leave it open to you to allow for maximum creativity!

Here are the rules:
1. Your entry must include one or more of the characters from Sister Claire.
2. Send in photos of your entries to claire @ sisterclaire.com. You may submit as many entries as you like.
3. Your entry must be entirely edible. Any sort of food is acceptable... baked goods, sandwiches... salads!? You'll get more points for being creative.
4. Deadline is December 20, winners will be posted on Christmas!
5. If you win, I'll write you an email to notify you and ask you for a mailing address to send your postcard! And of course, everyone's submissions will be featured on the site.

I will be in Hawaii for Xmas, in case anyone is wondering. I'm sure I'll be able to find some interesting postcards there.

Now, to show you some examples, I have just finished baking my own batch of Sister Claire gingerbread men... obviously, mine won't be included in the voting, I am too lazy to send postcards to myself!

It was a LOT of work, because I had to make everything from scratch, aside from the Gingerbread mix, which my mom bought at an American base an hour away. I made the black frosting, colored my own marzipan, and painstakingly hand-shaped all the figures. After that, I had to try to put the frosting on with my fingers and a knife, due to us not having any proper squeezy tubes for it. Also, much to my chagrin, there was no yellow food coloring... so I had to improvise on Gabrielle and Claire's hair, as well as their crosses. But all things considered, I think they came out pretty well!

For closeup pics of my cookies, check out the Sister Claire gallery.

Sister Claire shop is online!

~Yamino — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:41:59 PST

The long-anticipated store is finally a reality!

As well as the t-shirts I had been showing you guys, you can also buy Claire's panties! Don't worry, I won't ask what you plan to do with them. If you order now, you should get your shirts/underwear in time for Christmas! ;D

Gabrielle t-shirt: Update

~Yamino — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:46:31 PST

So, the company I was trying to get printed with fell through, so I'm looking at other options my friends have suggested to me. Mysoti seemed like a good idea, but when I started to make the t-shirt, I realized they only have really muted color options for the fabric. This won't do! My graphics must be blindingly neon bright!

However, until I find another suitable provider, please let me know what you think of the design on black:

I think it looks ok, but it's not at all what I wanted. T_T Does anyone know any on-demand t-shirt printers that offer vibrant colors? For the record, here is Mysoti's PINK and BLUE colors, for your consideration. I find them appallingly underwhelming, myself, but then again, I'm kind of obsessed with candy neon colors. I'd like to hear what you guys have to say. o-o

Also, the design looks surprisingly good on brown. Should I make this an option?

Gabrielle Animation

~Yamino — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:01:08 PST

I found an old animation I did a while back:

Any time I dabble in animation, I remember why I decided not to major in it. XD;

It's really cool to see my characters in motion, but doing any more than a few frames of Gabrielle's hair in motion would make me want to die. Did you know that in Pocahontas, they had a whole animation team JUST for Pocahonta's hair? Gabrille's hair is like... 3 times longer and more complicated than that. XD;; It's probably even harder than animating a whole second person. D:

And around the same time, I also made these:

Call for Guest Pages

~Yamino — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:18:46 PST

I'm afraid I have some Bad News: My tendonitis is getting worse than ever, which means I have to take a break from typing and drawing. My doctor says that to make any significant healing, I should rest for at least 3 weeks.

That means I have to find another way to update Sister Claire in the meantime! T__T On the bright side, I'm probably going to find some use for those puppets I made ages ago! And maybe I'll make some little sculptures with the extra super-sculpey I have left over from college classes, and sell them in the store? (Which I'm working on right now. )

How can you help? I'm so glad you asked! XD If you're interested in submitting a guest page, I'd be happy to post it. Please follow these guidelines:

a) Make sure the final page is 600x900 pixels. This is very important, or it won't fit.
b) If you want to use the same font I do, use Sunday Comics. This isn't required, but just FYI.
c) This goes without saying, but please keep it P-G13. Don't do anything *I* wouldn't do!
d) Please mail it to me at claire @ sisterclaire.com, and in the email include the name you wish me to credit, and your website if you have one, so I can link to you.

Additionally, any fanart would be appreciated too, and I'll post those more regularly from now on. As with the comics, please include your Name and Website (if applicable) in your email.

I'm thinking of also setting up a template for a copy-paste Sister Claire comic- something in the vein of the infamous Dinosaur Comics, only with blank Sister Claire characters, and running a contest to see who comes up with the best captions. I'll come up with a prize for that as soon as I figure out the details.

If you have any other suggestions, please send them my way! I really apologize for the delay in updates, but my health comes first. T_T Not being able to draw and missing updates is really bringing me down- I don't know what to do with myself! I might take up finger-painting or something.

STAY POSITIVE! STAY POSITIVE!!

Gabrielle Shirt- Coming soon!

~Yamino — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 15:32:18 PST

So I got this little number all designed. It's just a matter of finding a suitable on-demand printer. There is one option I'm really hoping for, and I'm just waiting for a reply back to get the O-K. Of course I will let you all know ASAP when it's ready to order! And boys, I thought of you too.

Of course, there's a blue girl version and a pink boy version. Because I don't like discriminating.

Tv Drawing??

~Yamino — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:34:54 PST

Check it out! I'm DRAWING ON MY TV!

This is way more fun that it should be.

P.S. No, this is not the next page of Sister Claire. It's actually a very old page I drew as a school assignment, and not part of the planned story at all. This and other concept art will be exclusive to the first printed Sister Claire book.

Learning about Sign Language and Princess Leia

~Yamino — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:22:46 PDT

I love my mom. She knows about my research to make Nightingale, and how I'm trying to study Braille and Sign Language to make the story as authentic as possible. So she went and got me two books on learning Sign Language! <3 It's actually a lot easier than I thought. I'm naturally a kinetic learner (I learn best through physical motions and activities) so I'm really having fun teaching myself the basics.

I got another book which has more phrases. This is so cool, I normally only ever had books like this to for trips to other countries. Having a Sign Language phrasebook makes me feel like I'm preparing to go to a country of deaf people. (Well, in case I do, I'll be well-prepared now!)

My new blind friend who I met at ASIANIM told me one could learn Braille in half an hour. I think he's overestimating my abilities, but I do think it's not that much harder than learning Hiragana or Katakana, which both took me less than a week. He also showed me some cool things when we took the train and subway back to Brussels, like how to feel for the raised lines in the station that tell a blind person where to find points of interest, such as maps, stairs, platforms, and information booths. And I always thought those stripes were for decoration... Ah, you learn new things every day.

Also, while in NYC, my parents saw Carrie Fisher do a live comedy show. I thought the Playbill poster image was very amusing:

Watch me draw!

~Yamino — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:35:05 PDT

Broadcasting live now! See me at [link]

Delinquent Girl Boss!

~Yamino — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:12:27 PDT

Guess what DVD collection I finished watching tonight! Here's a hint.

It kinda makes me want to drop absolutely everything and start writing a new comic about Sukeban gangs.Â Why, why were there only 4 movies in this collection?!Â I need MOAR.

ASIANIM 09 + BD Collines Oct.

~Yamino — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 13:09:12 PDT

I made a big summary with tons of photos + sketches and fanarts (Several of Ty Lee...) of the two conventions I went to this weekend! Check it out!
[link]

Pixiv Pimpage

~Yamino — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 06:56:13 PDT

(Art belongs to Usuhara.)
I just made a big post pimping some of my latest fav artists from Pixiv. Check it out: [link]

Friends at F.A.C.T.S.

~Yamino — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 04:33:05 PDT

On the first day, I made friends with Marissa Delbressine. As far as I know, she doesn't have a DA account, but you can see some of her very talented work on her portfolio site (it's still under construction: [link]

I also met her at the same table as Marissa. Together with some other friends (whose contact details I can't find! I'm sorry. T_T) they were there to represent their Dutch Doujinshi circle, OpenMinded. I will probably be participating in their upcoming yuri anthology in the near future, and maybe their others too, if my wrist allows.

=tikopets: She draws really cute animals, and has even worked for some digital pet sites.
She's also got a portfolio site here: [link] Worth checking out!

Screencasting is a Go-Go!

~Yamino — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:19:41 PDT

Taking the tip from a bunch of other artists I've noticed doing this, I decided to try my hand and live screencasting. Thank you everyone on Twitter who helped me figure this out and troubleshoot! I'll set a date in the near future and let everyone know ahead of time, so that they can watch me draw something in realtime. Toot-toot!

My Biggest Tutorial Yet!

~Yamino — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 17:01:45 PDT

Hey guys! I always get asked about my drawing method. I've finally put together a HUGE tutorial, (using my recent Witch drawing as reference) covering everything from start to finish. Check it out:
http://www.sisterclaire.com/?page_id=1654

Enjoy, and I hope this helps!

F.A.C.T.S. and MoccA

~Yamino — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 13:59:23 PDT

I know it's kind of early, but is are any of you artists planning to get a table/hotel for MoccA in NYC next April?

I have to plan these things waaaay ahead in order to not pay outrageous plane prices. I've always wanted to have a table at MoccA though... If I was able to split with 2-3 people, I bet we could all afford it.

Oy, Kate Beaton! If you're reading this, would you like to split a table with me? ;D It would make my millennium.

In other news, I made a net profit of 40 Euros at F.A.C.T.S... pretty impressive, considering I went there as a visitor and not an artist.

I made friends with a group of Dutch girls who self-publish their own comics, and they actually bribed one of the event's organizers to BRINGÂ MEÂ AÂ TABLE. O_O And I just happened to have my business cards and posters handy to sell... along with my notebooks to sell sketches.Â Sweet deal, man!Â I look forward to seeing them again next time they stop by Brussels. <3

I also met a girl who is only 21 and yet already has done art for several of those 'adopt a digital fantasy pet" sites (in the vein of Neopets.)Â She drew a really cute picture of Claire and Evil Cat, which I'll take photos of when it's not midnight and pitch black in here.Â I also bought a 3 DVD box set called "Pinky Violence:"

It's all sukeban (psycho highschool girls) yakuza, yankee, and female samurai type stuff.Â My mom took one look at it and said"This looks like porn for lesbians." C'mon, mom. You make it sound like a bad thing.

Nun Fu t-shirt! Tell me what you think!

~Yamino — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 09:46:33 PDT

I just submitted my first t-shirt design to Threadless for critique. Let me know what you think! Click here to critique it on Threadless!

If enough people like it, I'll submit it for real, and it might be the first available Sister Claire t-shirt!

Lotus Noir and F.A.C.T.S.

~Yamino — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 06:53:47 PDT

Yesterday I went to a small dedication event at a local comic shop, le Lotus Noir. The other artist there was Phillipe Jarbinet, who draws a WWII inspired comic called Airborne 44, a very different style and story from mine! Nonetheless, I had a lot of fun talking to people and practicing my French (and having them practice their English with me!)

I'll be attending F.A.C.T.S. in Ghent next weekend, if any of my Belgian readers are interested in meeting me there!

Unfortunately I didn't learn about it in time to get a table, but that's just as well since my wrists still haven't healed fully, so I shouldn't be spending all day drawing. If I'm still here in a year, I plan to have at least one Sister Claire book printed and ready to sell, along with all my illustrations which can be sold as prints and posters.

Sailor Moon VS a Velociraptor

~Yamino — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:56:43 PDT

So, I was looking through my old artwork tonight, and I found some really hilarious/creepy stuff. I forget sometimes just how many art styles I mimicked throughout those years, and how my strange sense of humor was always there, even in 6th grade. This picture seems to best represent my highschool years:

I made a lot of monster drawings, too. Very far from the cutesey colorful stuff I'm known for now. I also found a French version of the first comic I ever made:

I was looking at these, and I thought to myself "I wonder if any of my readers/watchers would be interested to see just how much my style changed over all these years?" When I did the interview meme, a lot of you asked questions about the development of Sister Claire, and looking at this old work makes me think about just HOW MUCH stuff has really affected my art and storytelling. And it's kind of crazy just how many styles I imitated until I finally came up with something that felt "mine," and even then, I didn't arrive to that until about a year ago. CRAZY.

So my question is, would you be interested in seeing a big post with a bunch of my old, really crappy art? If nothing else, it should be inspiring...

Interview meme: My Response!

~Yamino — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:54:17 PDT

Here are the promised answers to the interview questions! And boy, I got a lot of them! O_O

When did you come up with the idea for the Sister Claire story? Was it a long time coming or did you have the idea and then instantly start the comic?
Basically, I was at a point where I was getting to my senior year in college, and I felt a bit lost. I had a lot of ideas for comics I wanted to work on, many of which I'd been holding onto for years, and although I really liked them, I had to be honest with myself. They lacked originality, and they were poorly planned out. I decided I should come up with something fresh and new. I wanted to make a story that really represented everything that I would want to read in a comic- comedy, adventure, a bit of drama, but most of all, a story about someone finding their meaning in life. That may sound a little too serious for Sister Claire, but despite all the silliness, at it's core it is about Claire's growth from a shy, insecure nobody into a stronger person.

The story didn't come to me all at once, though. I worked on it for well over a year, re-writing it in my college scripting classes and getting critiques from my peers, teachers, and visiting editors. The story went through at least 5 or 6 MAJOR overhauls before it became what you see now, and even to this day I'm still not working with a fixed script. Every day I think of more things to change/add, which may not be the best way for some people to work, but I find it the best method for me.

What inspired you to make Sister Claire?
Mostly it was being in a wonderful community at SCAD where I was constantly surrounded by creative people. I saw all the cool projects they were working on, and it made me feel like I really needed to get off my butt and start on something of my own. However, I think the real spur came from an unpleasant incident. I won't mention who, but a certain high-profile comics editor came to my college and reviewed my initial concept art and story, and he absolutely hated it. He told me "Nobody is interested in reading about a pregnant nun!" and basically told me that I was wasting my time with it.

Rather than curl up into a ball and cry, I decided I was going to prove him wrong. I decided to stop waiting for a publisher to pick up my idea, and just start self-publishing it as a webcomic. The rest is history!

What are your influences?
Aside from my own experiences in Catholic school (In Rome, Italy, where the really hard-ass nuns are!) I take a lot of influences from things that interest me. Most of my readers have picked up on the strong Powerpuff Girls/Junko Mizuno influence on my art style. I am a big fan of the Japanese art-site, Pixiv, because I just love all the crazy stuff people post there. Some of the artwork there is so creative and phenomenally colored, I've saved tons of pictures from there as color reference. I like to give little "shout outs" to things that inspire me in the comic itself- like throwing in some pop culture references and characters. As far as the storytelling, I really like stories about a group of friends going on an adventure. I think that deep down, that's what everyone wishes they could do. I'm interested in psychology, and I try to work elements of that into my character's personalities.
(For more about the creation of Sister Claire, read my "About" page. )

How did you eventually came to this style?
I started out drawing very strange drawings as a child. Here are some examples:
One...
Two...
Three...
Yeah, don't ask me. I have no idea what that was about, either...

In highschool I really got into anime and started drawing really crappy fanart. It wasn't until college that I finally started doing some life-drawing and learned to draw proportions properly. Once I had more or less figured out how to draw realism, then I switched back to my stylized artwork and found it not only easier, but much better looking.

Which SC character do you most relate to?
I relate to all of them on some level, as any decent writer should. As it is, I haven't shown much of the other character's personalities other than Claire. I associate with her self-consciousness, but not nearly to the level of anxiety that she has. If I had to pick one character I was most like, I think it would be Catharine. I can...

Interview meme!

~Yamino — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:40:09 PDT

I noticed a couple of cool artists I'm watching have done this in the past, so I decided to give it a go!

If you have any burning questions to ask me, post them in a reply to this entry, and I'll do my best to answer them! They can be Sister Claire related, general art/technique related, or whatever. I'll try to answer the Sister Claire ones if I can, but I don't want to reveal any huge spoilers, so I may not be able to.

Before you even ask, my current underwear is...*checks* my lucky blue and white pirate-themed undies!

Since some people are asking pretty similar questions, I'm going to compile them all into my next journal post. Now, ask away, my pretties!

Meet Yamino!

~Yamino — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:43:39 PDT

"I don't want to see
half-masticated food, dude
so shut yo damn mouth!"

- a haiku by me

In other news, I will be attending two upcoming comic (aka bandes dessinÃ©es) events in Brussels, Belgium. One will be a dÃ©dicace at the Lotus Noir (Rue Vanderkindere 277, 1180 Bruxelles) on October 9th:
http://www.lotusnoir.be/
http://lotusnoir-info.blogspot.com/

I will also be attending the next BD Collines event, which I believe will be the 16th of October:
http://clubbdcollines.blogspot.com/

If you can, come see me! I know most of my readers aren't in Brussels, but someday I swear I'm going to make a trip across the Atlantic and try to hit up a big con so I can meet as many of you as possible.

Pirate sketches

~Yamino — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 06:10:53 PDT

I spent the last TWO DAYS trying to get my 83 comic pages in order to set them up for future printing. 83 PAGES! I can't believe it's been almost a year already! And I've have more pages if it wasn't for my tendonitis flareup.

The next comic pages are, as many of you have deduced, going to have a marine theme. This may or may not be a preview:

Ohtori Amsterdam Dating sim!

~Yamino — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:39:52 PDT

I've always wanted to make one of these stupid games for the hell of it. Today, I finally found the means to do it! A delicious little freeware program called Renpy!

This game is an homage to a roleplay I've been in for the last 5 years, which is in turn based off Revolutionary Girl Utena. It takes place at the sister school mentioned in the anime, Ohtori Amsterdam. The setting is in 1992, before the anime series, and has an all-original character cast (except for Anthy and Akio, of course.) This game is a parody of the OA roleplay, Utena, the Utena dating sim (4 Days in Ohtori) and just dating sims in GENERAL.

In other words, this is pure stupid crack. XD

It's not a complete game yet, but I played around with the commands to test out the software, and made a little preview of what may eventually become a full-length interactive game.

DOWNLOAD!
PC/Windows version: http://www.yamiloo.com/game_pc.zip
Mac Version: http://www.yamiloo.com/game_mac.zip
Linux: http://www.yamiloo.coml/game_linux.bz2

Happy Birthday, Sister Claire!

~Yamino — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:54:40 PDT

It's September 4th, Claire's birthday! No, not the anniversary of the comic (that's December 1!) but Claire's birthday. XD

My good friend made this drawing to celebrate:

Claire is 23 years old, and a Virgo. (But you all knew that already, didn't you?) XD
Â

New Sister Claire page!

~Yamino — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 19:00:38 PDT

I managed to finally get another page done despite having this brace for most of the last week and a half. If I work slowly, it should be fine. It hasn't been bugging me so far, but I won't push my luck!

Anyway, check out the new page here!

Abandoned House, Hidden Poetry

~Yamino — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 11:37:15 PDT

I visited an abandoned building today and found some hidden poetry on the wall! [link]

Sister Claire Puppets Test!

~Yamino — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:46:05 PDT

Check out the video here!
[link]

Sister Claire Puppets!

~Yamino — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 15:27:04 PDT

As I had mentioned earlier, I decided to make some Sister Claire puppets in an effort to come up with some extra content for the days I can't draw. I wish I could make nicer ones (Something along the lines of these would be my ideal) but I'm awful at crafts, not to mention anything involving sewing. I've heard those Avatar Puppets were very hard to make, as well. Maybe if the puppet thing works out well, I might give a shot at trying something more "Potter Pals" style, it looks simple enough that even a doofus like me could manage it. I found this useful FAQ, so I may try it eventually!

Look forward to some puppeting madness soon! I sure wish I had some female friends here to help me with the voices, it'll be weird doing both Claire and Gabrielle myself. My brother is willing to help out, I'm just not sure he fits the role...

Behind the Scenes!

~Yamino — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:51:24 PDT

I posted several concept sketches and photos of a festival I attended in Antwerp, Belgium over at my art journal. Check it out!

Tendoniatus Update!

~Yamino — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 08:53:00 PDT

Tendonitis, smendonitis! I'm teaching myself to draw with my left hand!
[link]

NOOOOOO. T_T

~Yamino — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 15:06:55 PDT

Due to factors out of my control, Sister Claire and my daily DA postings will be on brief hiatus. Read the full story here:
[link]

Re: Comissions

~Yamino — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:38:20 PDT

Ok, so several people have expressed interest in commissions, which I really appreciate! <3

I know most people (including myself) don't have lots of money to toss around, especially in this tough economy (hence, me trying out commissions. XD) Since I've never done them before, I'm going to start asking around my other artist friends how much they charge so I can set a fair and affordable price. I'll be getting back to you guys about it once I have a more solid idea.

Incidentally, if any of my artsy commissioning friends are reading things, how much do you charge? I'd love to get everyone's feedback on this.

Commissions!

~Yamino — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 17:36:33 PDT

I'm thinking of taking commissions. I could do anything from character drawings to fanart to short comics. What do you guys think? Would anyone interested? o-o

Sister Claire Icons!

~Yamino — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 10:05:44 PDT

I just updated HUNDREDS of Sister Claire Icons for livejournal/forum avatars/whatever you want up on my art blog:
[link]

They're like colorful little gumballs! I'd say "collect them all" but I don't think you're allowed that many icons, even with a payed account... Check em out! ;D

And now, for something completely different.

~Yamino — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:46:57 PDT

Many of you know me for my drawings, but I bet most of you didn't know that I also like to sing and voice act! I've been so busy with all my visual arts that I've had very little time to work on the audio stuff. I'm planning to make some audio samples to toss onto my portfolio site this summer.

Here's one I'm working on now, as a singing sample. I'll have to completely re-record it, because I originally recorded it in my old dorm with terrible acoustics, and where I had to be quiet because the walls were paper thin. Also, there are just some part of the song that need to be tweaked... at one point I actually forgot where I was and started to sing the wrong part! Agh!Â Also, the high part is a little TOO high for me.Â You can hear that I'm much more comfortable singing the lower half of the duet. ;D

Listen to the MP3 here: [link]

It's the Oscar winning song,"Falling Slowly" by Glen Hansard and MarkÃ©ta IrglovÃ¡ from the movie "Once," and one of my favorites!

Made a Deviantart Portfolio Thingamajigger

~Yamino — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:14:06 PDT

[link]

It's kind of pointless though, I really would prefer you go to my REAL portfolio site (which is prettier and has more artwork on it). You can find that here: [link]

NEW AVATAR CAST PHOTOS: Azula, Ty Lee, Mai

~Yamino — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 06:09:21 PDT

ALL NEW PHOTOS AND DIRECTOR COMMENTARY! Check it out here!
[link]

Yamiloo.com is Online!

~Yamino — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:10:33 PDT

After countless hours of slaving away at this, it's finally up!

[link]

My professor and dear friend who helped me with this site passed away very recently in a tragic accident. I want to dedicate the site to him, because without his support and teaching, it would not exist! Thanks to him, I was able to pick up from where we left off and finish the coding on my own.

Enjoy!

End of the World!

~Yamino — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 11:18:42 PDT

I found out that Bob Heske is making a comics anthology about the End of the World: [link]

I've decided to submit a comic, but I'm having trouble thinking about how the world should end...I'd like to do something sort of tongue in cheek. So, I'll turn it over to you... how do you think the world should end? If I like your idea, I might use it to make my submission. (Be as serious or silly as you like!)

Yamiloo.com

~Yamino — Mon, 11 May 2009 23:48:55 PDT

I'm almost done working on my portfolio website. It will be up shortly at [link] .

Power Call for Artists

~Yamino — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:47:24 PST

This is awesome. Thanks stalechips for the link, and thanks tumorhead for making it.

"When I am run down and confused
I recall the identity
That I gripped with a clenched, unshaking fist -

I AM AN ARTIST
I MAKE!

I must scratch at the earth with dirty nails in a desperate attempt to leave my eternal mark!
I have the arrogance to think I am a god of creation-
I make my world into my own image!

Art is comfort! People hurt us!
Art is true! My reward is equal to my effort! People cheat!
Art is loyal! It has no personal agenda! People betray!
Art is honest! It is what it is and nothing more! People lie and deceive!
Art will always be there for us! People always leave!

I am flawed, but I am focused!
I know who I am! Let there never be doubt!

I AM AN ARTIST
I MAKE!"

Problems uploading

~Yamino — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 11:06:19 PST

This is really ticking me off. I've been trying to upload a small jpeg image, and I'm just going to give up on it for now. Why can't we have a simple, non-applet based upload option? This is one of the many reasons why I am a deviantart LOATHER.

I was trying to upload some newer (less crappy) things to my gallery, but it looks like fate is against me. =/