feel the experience - Finnish/ Global Game Jam 2015

*A conversation held around December 2014

"We will host the next Finnish/Global Game Jam 2015 at our school" <-- my teacher

"Great! sounds cool!...uhhh...what we're gonna do there?"

"Its the event gathering where you make a game in 48 hours"

"...."
"Wait WHAT??
"How the HELL you possibly do that???" -_-

*dramatic music*

That is my friend, what I was thinking back then.
I went into panic-anxious-excited-mixed feeling mode because at that time i don't have any idea what is it. It's the first time for me (and our class) to participate.

The funny part was when someone asked me what is that event about, this is my answer ;

"I don't know (with confuse face)...its...well...you make games with other people...under 48 hours...sounds fun and cool...we got a free t-shirt...oh and we got a school's credit also...uhmm...yeah...like that" XD


But anyway,

We survived the whole things. Our awesome team got the job well done and we are so proud of the outcome (woohoo!).

The event was held at 23-25 January 2015 and it is worldwide. Global Game jam is the biggest game jam event ; check their website here to learn more since I'm bad at explaining things.

The first day we didn't actually start making the game. We form the team, watching some videos, getting to know each other, and blah blah...

aaaaand *drumroll* waiting for this year's theme! Its the time we were waiting for since before the D-day you don't know what's the theme will be.

This year's theme was "What do we do now".

We decided that the game will be a jumping platform with super-cute-unicorn-cat-character that need to choose what it want to do (according to the theme, d'oh!).

So, here's how it work.

The player need to choose whether it want to free the poor little chicks in the cage or to eat the tasty chicken legs. Each of the decision the player make will affect the game.

The chicks will make you slimmer, but faster the game's pace.
The tasty chicken legs will make you go fat and more fatter and harder to jump, but slowing the game's pace.

The fun part is the two player mode that either you can work together to the top, or kick others down.

Hence the name "Karma Cat" (We hope you got what we mean xp).

Here's the gameplay video or you can go to this link;

And you can actually play it also in this link. Don't forget to put the sound on, it is so awesome that it will stuck to your head after a while.

Surprisingly I though that we are going to stay up super late that we all going to transform into some brain-eating-zombie-state after the event, but it is not that bad after all.

Tired? yes.
Did I turn into zombie? barely, but fortunately not :p

To make it simpler here's what I felt about this event :

The fun-happy part

- You met other people (did I mention about meeting other NERDS?).
- It is not a competition
- It don't need to be finished game, it's just for fun!
- You experience how you develop a games in really tight time.
- You learn how to organize better.
- I got to see how other's make a games.
- Pizza...pizza..and pizza...since everyone is lazy to move from the computer, so pizza guy are our best friend here.
- I got free t-shirt.
- School's credit.
- Like I said before...it sounds cool :p

The annoying part

- They put the live webcam whole time. I can't pick up my nose! everybody is watching!
- The class room somehow turned into a hellish-hot since there's too many people.
- Its not actually 48 hours, it is LESS than that.
- They said if you're not having fun you doing it wrong...but then if you have fun all the time, then something is wrong.

The verdict 

Will I participate again? Absolutely yes!
the next year will be held at 29-31 January 2016.

Lastly, here's the photo of our awesome team member...skully-fy and pixel-fy by my friend :p

Team Karma!

Graphics : Emmi Malkki, Maureen Lukito Alkkiomäki, Moona Miettinen
Programmer : Antti Alkkiomäki, Joonas Jakobson,  Sakari Malkki
Sound designer : Jan Kanerva

cactus robot design - artworks

We had this fun task at the school to choose one object then we need to design the robot version of the object. I have a really fun time doing this task.

*Except when it came to drawing the actual object.*

I am not very fond of drawing realistic object so it took more longer to do the actual object. I'm satisfied though with the final outcome. I will probably color it in the future but i think its nice the way it is now.

So this is the real object that i chose. I was thinking of doing a teddy bear plushie. But teddy bear plushie is too mainstream, so I chose cactus that has been with me for year or so. People always said that cactuses are the easiest to care. I always almost every time kill this poor spiky plants XD

And these two are the design that i made. I was suppose to do only one but i can't choose which one is nicer. I love them both! 

I rarely do some robot-mecha stuff (i don't like scifi too much either). It was a challenge for me to do it. After browsing plenty references (and sobbing in the corner of the wall) i remembered Megaman games that full of this hybrid robots-mecha-style. So after some few sketches, i finished these two in the end :D

*Wait, what kind of school again? why making these?is it art school or what?...*
ehmmm...

Sooooo, this August 2014 i got accepted to games and animation line school in Helsinki.

Yay!

*ok this might be a little bit late news, oh well* :p
Anywayyyy I am really happy with it. I am really satisfied also for my decision to focus more into games industry since this is my dream since i long time ago.

*Best decision ever!
...oh sorry I think i got some dust in my eyes now*

flowers & llama - artworks.

*Happy to get my drawing-mojo-back!***

I tried to do more of different style painting. I think it's good to try different styles so I can get a new techniques also to mix with.

For this ones, i used watercolor pencils that *lurked* in my drawer for a really long time ( always buy first, use it...much much later...if i even remember it ).

I didn't sketch first since i want to get that *sketchy* look for the line art. The finishing went into computer like always, trying not to edited it as too much since this suppose to be traditional painting.

I always have a soft spot for whimsical things and following one of the awesome artist online for inspirations. For this time, I got the inspirations from this awesome artist.

For the theme ideas? i don't know, i just randomly draw it. I think the second one looks like a Llama monster mix maybe lol :p

the milk factory - redrawing

Sometimes when i browse through my computer folders and saw my old drawings ; 

"OH MY GOD ARE THESE EVEN MY DRAWINGS?!?!?" 

(then fainted..or covering my face with pillow XD)

Anyway, 

this is one if my latest redraw-work. Back then i got bored since I don't know what to do with it so i just leave it and forget it for a long time until now. 

It's amazing how you can see the difference you can make after years to years ;)

I called it "milk factory" since i often imagining if there's some giant-monster-cow for real. 

Then came a question ; how many liters of milk it will produce?

welcoming the 2014.

Finally I decided that is better to organize 1 blog only. So i merge my old imajinasimaginatia blog together with my main one salvadorkatz. You can still see my old posts from the imajinasiimaginatia in here also.

For this Christmas 2013 i made some drawing so i can print my own christmas card. After i sketches and doodling ( and tons of glögi and piparkakku - gingerbread ), here is the final result. I am really satisfied with it. 

I drew some small "goodies" in a rounded wooden ornaments and sent it together with the cards.

I love taking photos for hobby and last year 2013 I decided also to bought new camera so i can maximizing my hobby. I felt with the current point&shoot type camera ( its a pocket camera ), i didn't get 100% what i want in my photos. 

So I pick Fujifilm X100S ( that break-popping-my-original-budget-ouch ) after pestering my old co-workers and photographer friends ( and long hour stalking the internet ). I haven't use it for long time but i'm quite satisfied for now. 

I move my photo gallery to flickr since they changed the design to my taste, neat, professional looking and easy to navigate. 

Here is the link http://www.flickr.com/photos/salvadorkatz/

This photo is one of the result also for using X100S,

welcome to my world - artwork

I have to admit, i rarely make some drawing for someone else. It's because i'm shy and scared they didn't like it.

I didn't trust myself. That is, my drawing skill.

That was the past. The past me.

Now i realize that i need to trust myself if i want to go forward. That i can do this.

For the first time ever ( i think this is really the first time ), i push myself to ask my fellow bestie who is a great illustrator also ( check her blog guys here ), to think of some theme for me to draw for her as a gift.

After a day, she said she want a red whale ( that after a while i just realize that was her icon, lol ), a boy, and a city that resemble Russian Saint Basil's Cathedral.

I know she like a fantasy and conceptual theme as much as i am,
so i was thinking to make this all in some container,
i imagined a bottle, to represent that this is her imagination inside her head,
a world inside,
and she welcome anybody who want to look inside it.
Anything can be happen inside it.
A playground, imagination, a world inside.


so here is the outcome,
welcome to my world.

hope you like it :D

world and us - artwork.

From the early childhood, I always love to draw my own original characters.

When i'm still at high school, i remember i have one friend that want to make a comic book with me. We sketch, draw, discuss the storyline, the characters, everything. 

We we're so excited with it. But because back then we have lot of paperworks, home works, this and that, we eventually forget about it, for that we grow up and take different path ( she's a doctor now). 

Until one day, that i feel the urge to revive the characters that we both build many years ago. 

It started when i look my old sketches that i have ( i always collect them somehow ) and i'm surprised i still have the sketches.

So here it is, the "revival" of original characters that we make long time ago. Too bad i already forgot their name and story. But i still remember that they both are like brother and sister. The blue one are really chatty, can't fly because it have a small wings, the pinkish are silent one and can fly. 

both are a mix of squirrel, bird, and...uhm...butt? lol.

don't laugh, many people think we draw a butt-face animals. 

I remember i have the idea from the old comic book that i love so much, pank ponk ( i can't find this anymore sadly ) and mokona from magic knight rayearth.

Maybe i will not, and never make a comic book out of it after all. But with this, i will remember it for the rest of my life.

how i work.

I appreciate lot of great illustrators that not afraid of showing other how they work, and even give tips and tricks on doing it. It's wonderful for learning from them.

Honestly, I hate some illustrators that act arrogant and meanie with, especially, newbie. I still wondering why, but hey, people have they own personality and reasons so let's skip this thing for now.

Admit it,
we all copying other people's style and drawing at first. Human born and learn to do things by copying other people, and that's natural. Inspired by others are natural and normal.


It's what I call a study.

You copy it, 
you study it, 
you practice it, 
break the elements, 
explore it, 
then put it in your own style 
and develop it even more,
be playful with it,
be creative,
Do not plagiat. Please.


Plagiarism it's different ; it's not a creative and not a smartest things to do.


Truthfully, I believe that I still need lot of training, experiences, and keep on learning. But here I will show you my usual basic steps when i do illustration works.

The steps for every single people are different, It's best we try what's the best for us :


1. Sketching


Manual drawing ; yeah as traditional as it might seems - pencil and paper. I don't know why but doing sketches with tablet still give me a wobbly-sluggish feel, it didn't feel same with the traditional one.

I do a really rough sketches first, tweak it here and there, and usually leave it a while or a day, so i can see if there some error.


*This work like magic, if you do a drawing or maybe other things also - leave it for sometime or day. Sometimes our eyes are too tired or too used to it that we often didn't see any error. That's why it's nice to *give-a-break* to our eyes.


*Other trick to see error ; put your drawing facing the mirror and voila! you can see clearly if there's error or some unbalanced elements like the right ear are bigger than the left one, or the right *boobs* are slightly more bigger than the left...wait, what???

2. Inking


Still manual and traditional way ; with pen and ink. The permanent ink, i find out they mostly are paper friendly- it didn't *blot* the paper and eliminate the OMG-my-line-art-are-damn-ruined expression.

I'm not picky with paper, but i prefer the one that usually smooth texture - it's more easier later for removing the eraser debris.

There is something calming when I do bold-thick line art inking. It give some relaxing feel ; that's why i chose this style as the best for me.

After finalizing inking the line art , the fun part! ; remove all the pencil mark with eraser. Do it gently or it will tear the paper, and make sure the ink are dry already.

3. Scanning

Loud and clear, nuff said :p

4. Coloring


Finally we're going digital!

Tablet is your best friend here ; but for simple coloring I used my normal mouse. Just clean out the line art, pick a color, paint all areas, then after you finish for the first time, take a break again sometime or day. Duplicate - flatten it, adjust the color, and save it for further pleasure,

Done! :D

Upload it and admire your works.

freak show-artwork.

Some week-ago, i bumped into some post talking about a really old movie called freak (1932). No, i don't think i have guts to watch it somehow it's seems too gore-ey-bloody movie ( i have a weak heart for this kind a movie ). 

But then i get interested to search for the screen pictures of it and fascinate with how human can be like that. You see, all the actor and actress in there are a real people with bizzarre unusual features.

Freak show are like a normal circus with animals and flashy tents and so on. The differences are they mainly displaying this bizzarre *freak* people. You can read the article about it more here.

It may seems cruel, but this is one of the *fast* way for them to get a job, partner, friends and most of all, being famous. I read from some articles, not all this people surprisingly feel bad working like this, they actually enjoyed it being famous and how people interested on them.

This inspired me for making this artwork, how they are uniquely fascinating and strange at the same time, i pick the idea more from the cheerful side of the freak show. 

For my personal opinion, they aren't *freak*. They are gifted people with unique features they got in one package. 

Being different is awesome. :D

enlightenment and new kitty scarf.

Recently i've been having a heavy artblock and felt that i'm bad at everything, I felt lazy.

I saw peoples are more fond of a high-end-fancy-complicated-tech-painting-you-know-i-paint-this-for-long-long-hours-y-know! 

No, not that i said its a bad thing, i think effort plus hardworking are always the winner. 

But every person have their own strength and weakness, and it's natural for it. A quote said that you can do anything, but not everything. You can't be good at everything, that's a thing that every person need to understand and accept it. 

I just realize that until yesterday when i talked with my partner and remember a tutor said that than you try to "fix" your weakness, why not trying to grinding your strength instead? 

There's must be some reason why you good at something, that you enjoy it more for doing so. 

I know we always been taught that we need to fix our weakness and not showing it to other peoples. To be sarcastic, we must--can-do-anything! that's weird and unrealistic. Its true that its nice to tackle your weakness. But if you don't like or enjoy it however you try to fix it it wont be 100% nicely. 

why?

it's simple, 

because you don't enjoy it. 

It's good to try and learn new things, try to get out from our comfort zone. Some of the new things will fit nicely into your enjoyment.

but what if the new one didn't fit? at some point it will frustate you and it will ended up making us feeling down, starting to blame ourself. 

I learn that it's more better to trick ourself for "covering" our weakness by make the strength point more, that so good that people won't notice it. 

How many artists there that we can recognize easily by their style? Do you realize that usually they have their own distinguish style that we make us say, hey thats his/her drawing! i know it! 

All of this make me to think again and give me an enlightenment, to accept this. It leads me into new point of view, to make my strength more and "covering" the "weakness" while learn to fix it bit by bit, but not taking so much time and my energy for one that i didn't enjoy. Find some style that really suits your personality the best. Artworks should representing yourself, otherwise it's just a piece of lifeless works.

And i don't want a lifeless artworks.

And to be simple, 

isn't drawing suppose to be enjoyable and as an act of expressing yourself? : )

**I've ended up with drawing one of my muse for the whole of my time ; cats! I got the idea for this drawing when i played with my parent in law's cats. they look really fluffy to cuddle and getting warm to hug! so here it is, a kitty.scarf :p