Here is an experimental article; as I might do more artist focus in the future. I don’t expect their content to be always the same. Il will certainly depends of the material I have at hand and my knowledge. I have acquired Let’s Make Character CG 2 month ago, but as you could expect from the title, this is no artbook. So how will I review this book which certainly doesn’t fall in the artbook category? In term of illustration, there is only 3 new one in this book, certainly for the explanation. So instead of reviewing the book itself, I will dig inside Shimeko‘s artstyle as I flip through the pages of this book as she has a truly unique artstyle which I appreciate very much. I have limited skills when it comes to drawing and coloring, but I hope this will also help people who are learning, as I’m filling this article under the “Learning to draw” tag. The new illustrations are processed and saved in PNG, the rest is raw resized JPG. [PNG: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4]

Shimeko start first with a sketch, drawn on paper, then she ( because it’s always better when the artist is female even though I don’t know! ), ink in Photoshop. I won’t comment much this part, but the sketch doesn’t have a lot of details, so most of them are drawn during inking.

The coloring is really what makes Shimeko’s style unique. She first start by giving a general look of the skin color. Also it seems like she already gives some substance to the eyes by using a gradient. As a noob in coloring, I know also that a lot of people make this mistake: they start to color in detail one part of the body, leaving the rest blank. This is also true for sketch and lineart; but having seen some step by step explanation from some artist. I think they all give a general feeling of the illustration color scheme. This is certainly an important step as it determines the contrast type, the color coherency and of course, the general feeling of the image.

The book also have some technique, apart from the step by step explanation. Here we have Shimeko’s coloring stroke. The first one is an hard brush with varying size, like ink; the second is like an airbrush, and the last one is more like watercolor, with varying opacity. While I have an idea how to do ink and watercolor with the pen pressure setting, I’m not sure for the airbrush as it looks more diffusing than the default soft brush in Photoshop with dynamic size.

Of course, the lineart doesn’t remain plain black with most artists, as the surrounding color has an effect on the visual perception and in fact, the black will no longer look black. Shimeko used brown here for eyes lashes, and all other the stroke.

Then, Shimeko do a basic shading of her illustration. At this stage it looks already quite like a digital drawing, without much details left to add; but she doesn’t have this digital style and in fact, her coloring as people know s rather soft and painting like. The first step in this magic is certainly her light casting. Objects reflect light and give certain shade to other element. It’s the case here for leaves and strawberries.

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To finish her artwork, Shimeko makes a copy of her artwork, then apply a gausian blur and modify the fusion mode and opacity. The difference isn’t so visible in the book as the images are a bit small. Then she adds the frills to the dress. As it’s simple frills, she draw them by hand and lastly, she modify the curves. Once again, I can’t tell the visual difference, but here is the finish artwork.

The book has 2 more illustrations with their step by step coloring. The process is bit different for these 2 but I won’t get in details. At the end of the book, there is also 2 other illustrations, but they are already on the Internet, either in digital form or as a scan. Ultimately, this book is really nice if you want to learn Shimeko’s style, and if you do understand Japanese as it’s not easy to get anything from the images. I also hope that I will be able to do more of these focus in the future.

Cuffs / Sphere / Cubes – Several artist

Cuffs is the eroge company behind Amesarasa, Sakura Musubi, Garden, and more. They always have some stuff for the Comiket, especially the wallpaper collection and calendar which feature several artist, and it seems they are also collaborating with other companies. Notably for the calendar, there is Karory, Izumi Sakurazawa, Kantoku, Gayarou, Cuteg, Natsume Eri, and for the wallpaper, H2SO4, Kurot, Darupu and moreee. I never got any of their previous collection, but I always found them really good from the rip I have seen.

Aside of this, there are some rough sketch sold, NSFW dakimakura.

Palette – Izumi Tsubasu

Contrary to Cuff, Palette only has one artist, Izumi Tsubasu, who did the illustration for their last eroge, Mashiro Iro Symphony – Love is pure white. The set is of course based on their last game, and of course, I can’t read what is written *sigh*, but it seems really nice, especially the mugs lol. I can see a paper bag, a shitajiki , and I will guess that number 3 are stickers.

Palette will also sell a dakimakura of the heroine, Sena Airi, the OST of the game, and some pillows.

Suzuya – Ryohka

I’m disappointed… no sign of icon. 03. Instead we have a set with a NSFW oppai mouse pad, a Ranka calendar, which see to feature only one illustration, and a keychain. The set is in a funny file, the front with school mizugi and stockings illustration, and the opening side has been cut and designed to look like… the bottom part of the school mizugi! Oppai mouse pad were already quite stunning when I first discovered them, but a mizugi file… I’m simply flabbergasted.

Not included in the set is Suzu:can Vol. 17, which is a collection of hentai doujinshi by Ryohka.

Pixel Phantom – Kamiya Yuu

Pixel Phantasmagoria is an interesting doujinshi for 500¥; it has 14 pages of color illustration, and 30 pages of monochrome. It seems to be original art, as I like them. Maybe I will give a try to this artist.

The rest is Touhou related, with a 20 pages hentai doujinshi, and towels.

Mizukichan – Goto-P

Goto-P is simple like his/her awesome art; there is only one doujin. P6+ is just 20 B5 pages collecting recent artworks. I don’t need anything else, except maybe money now.

Carnelian

So much stuff… that I had to photoshop a bit every sample. First of all, the 25th volume of BENIGYOKUZUI, full color 14 doujinshi with Bayonetta, Macross Frontier, Nyan Koi, Persona 4, Azumanga, Evangelion, Umineko, Bakemonogatari. This could be interesting to get. Then there is a doujinshi with the art of Kao no Nai Tsuki, both color and monochrome which I’m not really interested in.

In fact, I prefer the winter set, featuring idols in a booklet, a bag, a snow ball, with several illustration and a snow ball, in which you can change the background with several illustration, and they are double faced with a calendar at the back. Finally, the set includes 2 random badges. Not in the set is some kind of towel or blanket.

Nick Ninth – Onineko

Onineko will illustrate another doujinshi for Nick Ninth. A B5, 18 pages doujinshi in full color, featuring a story. There is also a CD bundled with it. I have already pre-ordered it on Toranoana and this will be my first doujin from Onineko, yay.

Onineko will also be in a collaboration doujinshi with Asida Cako, Happa, Hara Yuuu and Noasan(?). I don’t know any of these artists, but a quick look at their site is rather reassuring, they are not bad.

Shimeko

This doujinshi is also a bit disappointing, for the simple fact that it’s a collaboration one. It’s 52 B5 pages with artist I have never heard of. You can see the full preview of the doujinshi by clicking on the image; it’s simply too large for my blog xD. The theme is Toki wo Kakeru Shoujo, and Summer Wars. I don’t think I will get it.

REI’s ROOM – REI
Private Garden – Tsurusaki Takahiro

REI will have a collaboration with Tsurusaki Takahiro. First of all, there is 2 clear files. REI will illustrate Nene Anegasaki from Love Plus and Tsurusaki illustrate the cute Midori and Milk. No news from GREENWOOD on that end. Then there is a bag, with the same illustration for REI while Tsurusaki drew Bakemonogatari this time.

Then REI will publish a doujin, with 75 pages collecting his sketches for the eroge Magic A Rider

More Love+, with pillow cases, bed sheet, T-shirt.

And to finish, some Touhou, a 20 B5 pages monochrome doujinshi, with a manga inside, and more pillows! Too many pillows for my own good here…

Snow Ring – Dmyo

Dmyo is rather easy. Another Dmyotic, 16 pages. We can expect it to be full color, and it seems to feature Vocaloid, Black Rock Shooter, K-on, Touhou. Otherwise, Dmyotic 3.0 seems to make a reapearance and finally, there will be a DS case. I might get Dmyotic 6.0, at the end to round up my order.

Sugar-Ringo – Juna

A Korean artist I discovered while looking for the C77 artwork on Pixiv. Her style remind me a lot of Dmyo, but otherwise, not much information on the doujinshi for C77, except that the title, Irogami and Donuts Hole, the latter being an illustration book.

Strawberry Pink – Cuteg
White World – Piah

And to finish, some Cuteg. First doujinshi is a collaboration between Cuteg and Piah. It’s based on the manga Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai which I really like. But The problem is the lack of information on her doujin, either on her website or her Pixiv. Sweet Impact has the subtitle girl’s collection, so I may pray it’s full color. It might be one of this random doujinshi I might try to get not knowing what the content is… Then Cuteg will have some of her old publication

Here it’s, the 1kg, 2cm thick artbook from Pixiv, and I guess anticipated by artbook collector. I was expecting the same format as the Pixiv Girls Collection, but it’s not, and in fact, I’m a little bit dissapointed.

Pixiv Girls Collection was an artbook which emphasized more on illustration. There were a page spread section at the beginning, with wonderful art from chosen artist, and the rest was mostly half pages illustration, but still enjoyable.  The printing quality was also high, making it the thickest artbook I have ever owned until now.

Huke got a 4 pages treatment

Pixiv Official Book 2009, maintain this quality, but the focus is in my opinion, more on artist.
There is in fact, 1 to 4 pages per artist ( mostly 1 ) in alphabetical order. Unlike compilation book where every artist get a page spread illustration, there can be several illustration per pages, up to 7. Also notable, is the lack of tearfish. It’s now a cover with avatars from the artist featured.

I wish Koto had more pages

Same for RYO

The result is that illustration are sometime too small. The book presents 122 artists, with a little banner on top, to get their PIxiv ID, and their website. It feels more like some sort of index to browse Pixiv even more since I don’t browse Pixiv on a regular basis. There are lots of them, but here they choose some good one, and the book is a good way to discover them.

But let’s move to the content. Scan are not good, but most of the illustration are in fact already available on Pixiv. It’s also why I only link to Pixiv. Nevertheless, I will try to improve for other release, starting to prevent book from moving <.<

Tatetsu Keto

I usually don’t like Vocaloid. I don’t search for it in particular, but sometimes, when it’s different from the usual Vocaloid art, I appreaciate. It’s too bad the art was too large for scanning, so there is the binding discoloration. Hopefully, it’s on Pixiv, and in quite good resolution.  The resolution of the picture on Pixiv is in fact high enough for a 300dpi printing as large as the one in this book. Also, that cow hat is fun.

K,Kanehira

Other than character, there are also some landscape  featured, or even some photo or male images which won’t appeal to moe fan. But they are really rare.

Nardack

Nardack fill the hole left by tearfish as a Korean artist. I like that chubby  style and the color. It’s like Hyung Tae Kim making moe art. This is even more visible on this image ( it’s on the other page )which seems to be from Magna Carta.

Aruya

Aruya presents us with two different style. I already knew the soft style, used on the right; with little to no outline, mostly with contrast of saturation. On the left, I just discovered a more contrasted style, with defined outline, which is a change.

But if there is not enough soft style, there is still Shimeko and Onineko who are more well known I guess. They are quite similar in style, so I like them both.

Mirunai

On another note, Mirunai is an artist I have overlooked. I quite like the blue haired girl there.

In the end, it’s a nice book, but still my main gripe is the size of some illustration. I would have prefered less images per pages, maximum 2 like it was mostly in the Pixiv Girl Collection. But there some full pages one and some aren’t too small. But as I said, for me it’s a browsing guide for Pixiv. Some art are in higher resolution on the website or were printed elsewhere. If you are a regular Pixiv lurker, I think this artbook would  be less less interesting unless you like paper since chance are you have already seen the artwork.