amazing!

Really nice work, great start for a sketchbook! Setting the standard high :)

Pressure's on! Thank you :) It's a nice book so I want each piece to count ;)

I need to find out exactly what the seal means. It was a gift from about 14 years ago...

Brush calligraphy is very satisfying to make as well as view; it captures the exact moment. Each line shows the haste, confidence and mood of the artist, and each flaw :P In Japan, samurai as well as priests used calligraphy and sumi-e (brush painting) as a meditation since it requires relaxation to create the finest characters and flow. My nervousness shows in the tilt and imbalance, but the abstact quality looked nice enough.

Gorgeous.

-Spiritwolf.

Thank you! I remember the "Bending Bamboo" piece you got at Conifur back in the day...it's time to make more Asian inspired work again :)

I agree, and the Bending Bamboo sketch was awesome!

-Spiritwolf.

ooo i love this one ^^

Thank you :)

I like the shading style. It adds texture as well as dimension. That's some smooth calligraphy too. My writing is just as sloppy in English as it is in Japanese X3

Practice!! It's very enjoyable to make brush work. I like the contrast of modern art and traditional calligraphy, like some anime-mecha with big chunky kanji characters splashed all over. *lost in thought* This has inspired a new image...hmmmmmm :)

Oh yes, yes, I do believe another wise bird told me the magical art of "practice" I don't have anything other than a pencil, so it's not so easy to practice. I just stick with the digital and adjust the thickness to make it clean, but it just lack that natural flow of traditional. It's a good blend you have. I like when american artists mix their art knowledge with the Asian influence, I think it makes for something interesting without making it too foreign, a friendly amount of exposure, I'd say.

Oh, wlel good to have you inspired to work again. I figured when you wrote that last journal that was you in self reflection about things, everybody needs that~

If you're interested, it's easy to find good and inexpensive calligraphy brushes at art supply shops. A $5 brush can last forever, and get a bottle of india ink (I use watercolors) since it's consistant. Or a brush pen. There are good books on proper stroke placement since it's actually vital to the composition and skill of writing Japanese/Chinese characters. But doing it over and over is the key :)

Well i'll have to keep it in mind the next time i'm in an art store. I haven't been to one in ages, that and I need to refresh myself on kanji. I know there's a lot to learn. That and maybe get Rosetta stone to polish on the Japanese, that is, if I get any use for it, perhaps something to get after my life changes to something more promising, thanks

It's gorgeous, sir. Thank you. I'm so glad you like the book. :)

By the way, your seal is just "fuku" meaning "good fortune." The modern form is 福、but the older form uses a more stylized radical on the left side.

AWESOME. Thanks for letting me know what the seal means! I've always liked the style, and trying to see how the design has been altered from the more modern/normal characters is fun. I should get something more custom in the future--many ukiyo-e artists had multiple chops.

And I love the book. It's pretty special and will get good use :)

Love the shading here, it brings depth to a 2D image, your style of cartoon bear is very cute.

Lovely !