Schin Illustration

2011-05-02T23:31:00.001-07:00

Eeek. Sorry guys. The reason why I have not been updating here is because I have moved my art blog to Tumblr. It is simply easier for me to use. Please click to go to the new blog:

http://schin-art.tumblr.com/

2010-10-10T20:55:00.000-07:00

Sarah Miller's tattoo of The Brief Glimpse on Kylee McWhinney won first place in the Extra Large Female Division in the Baltimore Tattoo Arts Convention 2010.. and will be in the future magazine of Skin Arts. Awesome job!

Also as a heads up.. I now have a Facebook Fanpage. Please like me at:
http://www.facebook.com/schin.art

2010-09-16T22:47:00.000-07:00

I'm in Digital Arts magazine September 2010 :) Check it out! http://www.digitalartsonline.co.uk/

2010-08-14T19:09:00.000-07:00

My painting The Brief Glimpse tattooed by Sarah Miller onto Kylee McWhinney.
It turned out looking great! :)

2010-08-03T20:38:00.000-07:00

" Artist Proof: Schin Loong aka “Luciole” was raised in Malaysia and at a very young age found herself spending hours sketching fantasy artwork with mainly markers and watercolors. Eventually her passion evolved into an interest in Japanese manga and anime. She enrolled in art school in Malaysia after deciding to get serious about her passion for art. As she worked through college, she was inspired by the digital arts and began producing art digitally, producing pieces using a tablet, Photoshop & Painter, as well as using a mix of watercolor and other digital elements for her work. In 2007, she moved to the United States to attend the Ringling College of Art and Design, where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree with high honors. Schin now works out of Nevada and continues to amaze us with her awesome illustrations."

An interview with Artsprojekt :) Please click to read!

as yet untitled

2010-07-17T19:49:00.000-07:00

I haven't had the chance to paint any personal paintings for awhile.
But here is a work in progress of one that I found time to do.

ImagineFX #50

2010-06-13T08:56:00.000-07:00

I kind of forgot to mention this..
Back in December 2009, The Brief Glimpse got the back cover for ImagineFX's 50th anniversary issue. It was supposed to be the front cover but Andrew Jones got it instead, damn, how can I fight with that? Lol! I'm still happy to be on the back though.

2010-04-25T02:34:00.000-07:00

This is the second session of the tattoo!
Each session needs 2 weeks in between for the skin to heal. I'll keep updating as I get the pictures.. it's really exciting for me to see this come to life on someone's skin. Sarah Miller (the tattoo artist) is incredibly talented!

I've recently started work as a graphic designer+illustrator in Las Vegas!
What a change, what a city. I'm slowly getting used to it, though. My favorite way to unwind after work is several sessions in a sauna. There's nothing like sweating to mellow out.

The best compliments involves pain..

2010-04-07T19:59:00.000-07:00

This is mind blowing for me.

This is a work in progress of my Brief Glimpse painting being tattooed on Kylee.
The tattoo artist is Sarah Miller.

Exotique 5

2010-01-25T12:11:00.000-08:00

The Four Beauties is in Exotique 5.
There's lots of gorgeous paintings in the book and it's an honor to be within em.

tempting persephone.

2009-12-18T12:55:00.000-08:00

For Tempting Persephone's blog.
This was fun and quick!

Work in progress here:

I think I'll make bookmarks out of em :D

The Peppertree Press

2009-12-06T19:06:00.000-08:00

Anyone in Sarasota, Florida? Pick up a copy of the Peppertree Press Magazine :)
The Brief Glimpse is their front cover for Fall 2009 and there's a little blurb in there about my work, too :) Go check it out!

The Moth Eater

2009-11-22T00:24:00.000-08:00

Process for The Moth Eater, second in series to The Rose Eater.
I took my time painting her.. whilst gathering inspiration from the beautiful autumn colors.
It's really my favorite time of the year, the weather is beautiful, the leaves are pretty.. I wish I can capture all the colors that my camera can't!

hey, no cheating!

2009-11-20T02:54:00.001-08:00

This is a caricature portrait of my friend Val.
He wanted a painting of himself surrounded by mini-Vals in his different personas:
the gambler, the filmmaker, the superhero, the don juan and the lacrosse player.
I'm not sure about the cat, though. Maybe he just likes cats.

orange.

2009-11-11T20:41:00.001-08:00

A collaboration with Dan Howard.
He was going to scrap this but I rescued and colored it.

Ink girls

2009-10-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

Yikes, it got cold here fast!
I made these with ink and sepia color very quickly one night.
It's really fun to make.. I'm gonna make more :) They're on my ebay currently.

Schin is always hungry

2009-10-20T02:55:00.000-07:00

I had waaaaay too much fun painting this one.
It was originally a sketch in my sketchbook.
I think I'm gonna make this into a greeting card or something.

ACEOs!

2009-10-18T18:41:00.000-07:00

I'm really into ACEOs and Art cards recently. They're collectible 2.5x2.5in cards,
and since they're so small, they're really quick and fun to make.
I've been selling them on my Etsy and Ebay page.

Oh, and I've also made a Craft blog, for my craftsy nonsense!

2009-10-07T19:38:00.000-07:00

The Rose Eater

and

Le Teatub

in

CHEW!

2009-10-07T19:31:00.000-07:00

The Forbidden Fruit.
For me, the story of Adam and Eve is more than a religious story.
It is so full of symbolism and hidden meanings that I can't help but be inspired by it everytime.
This is a little picture I made but one day I hope to paint this famous painting in its full glory.

The Brief Glimpse

2009-09-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

I call this one The Brief Glimpse.
Many people prefer this version over The Rose Eater.
Personally, I like them both equally :)

Le Teatub

2009-09-14T00:29:00.000-07:00

I haven't done a watercolor piece for a long time..
It was fun! A real nice break from the usual digital pieces I've done.

The Rose Eater

2009-09-10T15:48:00.000-07:00

Dragoncon was really fun!
I got to speak with many artists I admire.. and had long discussions on developing as an artist and I left feeling really inspired. It is always wonderful for me to get suggestions and direction from artists, and I will keep these in mind for my future paintings.

To the left is a painting I was working on, called The Rose Eater.
I am currently making a second version of this painting.

2009-08-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

The Darkstalkers Tribute book by UDON is out, and I am very very honored to have my work beside such wonderful, kickass works.

Go get it and be inspired by 296 pages of awesome!

2009-08-08T12:50:00.000-07:00

Tomoe Gozen

Tomoe was especially beautiful, with white skin, long hair and charming features. She was also a remarkably strong archer, and as a swordswoman she was a warrior worth a thousand, ready to confront a demon or a god, mounted or on foot. She handled unbroken horses with superb skill; she rode unscathed down perilous descents. Whenever a battle was imminent, Yoshinaka sent her out as his first captain, equipped with strong armor, an oversized sword, and a mighty bow; and she performed more deeds of valor than any of his other warriors.

A quick painting for Visions of Zosimos.

Livestream and markers

2009-08-04T20:07:00.000-07:00

So I jumped the gun and bought myself a 72 Copic marker set, since my 3 year old 32 set is dying one by one. I'm really excited to receive it tomorrow, and to use it on some commissions.

I've also signed up for a Livestream, go check it out. It's still very new to me though, so I will be painting at random times while getting the hang of it. Once I feel I will start on a worthwhile painting, I will announce the time and date.

Final Four Beauties canvas print for bids

2009-07-11T02:05:00.001-07:00

24 x 30 in laser print canvas. LE 3/3, sealed and signed

I am happy to say that my second Four Beauties canvas print did well at Anime Expo 2009, and so the very last canvas print will be on sale at Otakon Art Show 2009 (Baltimore, July 17-19). I have only made three 24 x 30in canvas prints of this artwork, one for my parents, one sold at AX and the last one will be at Otakon. So if you're interested, please come to the event and place a bid :)!

ANN Interview

2009-07-11T01:52:00.000-07:00

Please look in Anime News Network's Gallery for an interview of me and my work. I'm afraid I feel very shy as the interview made my minor recent work seem like a big deal. Still, thanks ANN for the feature!

Recently I have been very busy with my internship and miscellaneous freelance work which includes very fun things which I never thought I would do: online dress up dolls, baby doll and animal designs, web design illustration, etc. Definitely not what I'm used to, but it's really good experience and I'm having a blast!

In the sky with diamonds

2009-06-02T01:40:00.000-07:00

Design for Malthea.
This was all kinds of fun!

2009-05-14T01:59:00.000-07:00

I like how these two pics have their own feel :)
Done for Kelly.

Senior Show 2009

2009-05-07T22:48:00.000-07:00

On the table: portfolio, postcards, business cards, and sketchbook.

The show pieces (except for Snake Girl) are for sale for $200 each.
They are about 2 x 3-3.5ft each, acrylic on canvas print. The hangers are included!

Bunbun and ducky

2009-05-06T16:19:00.000-07:00

It's almost Graduation and I can't escape the sadness whenever I look at the piles of brown boxes in my room.
So I painted some baby animals to help cheer myself up.
I hope it'll cheer you up too!

Best of Ringling 09

2009-05-05T01:38:00.000-07:00

I am very proud and honored that The Four Beauties was chosen to be included in the Best of Ringling Show 2009, among all the beautiful Illustration works selected by Shawn Barber.

The Monstrosities of the Femme Fatale

2009-04-28T00:37:00.000-07:00

Jellyfish: "Flesh & Bones"
Spider: "Death & Trust"
Snake: "Love & Lies"
Plant: "Meat & Poison"
Octopus: "Blood & Water"

Artist Statement
The first thing I want to capture is the moment when these monster women grasp their prey through understated violence.
The second thing I want to capture is the contrast of cold silence and gentle movement.
Different moods and themes were used to convey each of the women's personal monstrosity. My intention is to keep the concept subtle with only a few clues dropped in to suggest their animal nature. It is my hope that the viewer shape his or her own story for these women based only on the paintings and their titles.

2009-04-28T00:26:00.000-07:00

A cover redesign, I chose to paint 'An Improper Aristocrat' by Deb Marlowe.
I've never read the book, so I had to use my imagination for the cover.

2009-04-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

My take on 'Scorpion and Isaki Fish with Root Ginger' by Hiroshige.
You can see the original print by the master here.
Hiroshige was influenced by Western still-life with his fish series, so I thought I'd take it further and make the fishes a little more realistic.

My apologies to whoever who can read Japanese: I know those scribbles make absolutely no sense! I was blindly copying the original calligraphy :D

Tarot card design

2009-04-03T17:27:00.000-07:00

For game design, I chose to paint the Death card.
The box mockup was actually very fun to make!

The Femme Fatale

2009-03-28T11:16:00.000-07:00

A sneak peek of my monster girls for the Ringling Illustration Senior Show 2009, and our poster, very kindly designed (and photographs taken) by Jessica Willet and Matthew Crotts.

My little pic is smack dab in the middle right with a burgundy border. You can see a larger version of it here. They also used my Bitch sketch on the other side of the poster.
I wish there's a way to show the larger version of the other student's portraits and sketches too, they're all awesome <3 You'll just have to come to the show to see it for real! ;)

Butterfly Kisses

2009-03-15T20:16:00.000-07:00

Longing or loss?

The bottom right red space is meant for text.

Love & Lies

2009-03-07T19:10:00.000-08:00

Progress of the Snake Woman, second in series of my senior project "Monstrosities of the Femme Fatale."

I shoes you!

2009-03-05T22:37:00.000-08:00

I got the idea for this during the Hallmark workshop, but it was passed over for my donuts picture. I still like the concept, so I doodled the watercolor in my sketchbook and rigged up this design.

Swapping shoes and socks is another silly thing I like to do, too :D.

The batter to see you with

2009-03-03T19:18:00.000-08:00

A greeting card illustration that I did during the Hallmark Ringling College Workshop. I don't know about you, but I always have the urge to do something silly like use donuts as glasses!

Meat & Poison

2009-02-20T16:27:00.000-08:00

"Meat & Poison" 2009
My senior project for Ringling College is called the Monstrosities of the Femme Fatale.
This is the first of a series of five, the Plant Woman.
I'm still tweaking some details, so I'll include a statement when she's done :)

SOI Student Scholarship Competition

2009-02-17T20:44:00.000-08:00

"My Mug" "The Four Beauties"

I am happy to say that the two above images were selected for the Society of Illustrators 2009 Student Scholarship Competition.
Of the 5,600 pieces entered, 145 pieces were chosen from schools across the country.
My school, Ringling College managed to snag 34 spots out of the 145.
The show will be in New York on May 8, 2009.

Last year, my Woody Allen caricature was selected for the 2008 competition.

Take me with you

2009-02-17T20:39:00.000-08:00

I wish I could swim so I can go diving and look at the wonders of the sea.
But for now, I content myself with painting my imaginary adventures.

Katsucon

2009-02-15T19:29:00.000-08:00

I saw this circular rainbow on the way to Washington DC.
At first I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me or the plane window was creating a weird effect,
but it was a real, natural rainbow. I only made the photo colors more saturated, but otherwise, it's just as I saw it!

I am very happy to have met many of you at Katsucon 2009! It was a great event and I am fortunate to meet many awesome artists, friends and art enthusiasts alike. Thank you for those who stopped by and said hi, or bought a print or two, or shared thoughts and comments on my latest artworks.

See you next year! :)

Marilyn Wine

2009-02-06T18:45:00.000-08:00

A wine design project, I chose Marilyn Wines.
Using Marilyn's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" and "Seven Year Itch"'s iconic looks, I used the same concept to design a red and white wine.

Work in progress

2009-02-05T00:39:00.000-08:00

One in a series of paintings I am doing.
May I introduce the Carnivorous Plant Lady,
although I do plan to give her a cooler name when I'm done!

Ringling Art Show

2009-01-28T21:23:00.001-08:00

I'll be selling prints and some handicrafts at the Ringling Art Show this weekend.
January 31st from 10am - 3pm at the Ringling College Exhibition Hall :)

If you're at Sarasota, you should drop by and see us!

ImagineFX #40 FXpose!

2009-01-26T19:25:00.000-08:00

Be sure to get a copy of ImagineFX #40, I am featured as the FXPose for that issue! Weee!
There's a great interview with Adam Hughes (who I also interviewed in October, 08) along with workshops about creature design, anatomy and realism painting.
ImagineFX #40 should already be out in the UK, and will be out in the US and everywhere else starting February 4, 09.

My mug

2009-01-21T00:36:00.000-08:00

Self portrait, January 2009

These are my fetish boots

2009-01-14T15:36:00.000-08:00

It's nice to be back in sunny Florida, back to school :) The first week is always a little empty, so I've just been finishing this pic up. I've got two more to do though.

Those crazy boots boggle my mind!

2009-01-11T21:52:00.000-08:00

"Love Conquers All Things"

Well, its back to school. I can't wait to get started! I have plenty of projects and ideas to start with. I think this blog will be full of new work soon :) Yay!

2009-01-09T19:31:00.000-08:00

Just something I am currently working on.

This year I am going to:

Eat healthier (no, not a repeat from 2008, 2007, 2006, etc)
Experiment with more styles
Work more play less
Read more

Gosh.. it's 2009 already. Time flies!

Little goldfish

2009-01-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year 2009 everyone!

This is just a little sketch I made recently, using pen, ink and watercolor.

2008-12-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

I think of her as a cute 5 year old :)

Merry Xmas!

2008-12-23T10:15:00.000-08:00

These little things are just so fun to create! I'm gonna make more and more!

Dividers

2008-12-13T01:24:00.000-08:00

I really like doing these divider things!

Sleep well, dear butterflies

2008-12-12T08:38:00.000-08:00

Is it Winter break already?
Time flies, it seemed just like yesterday when I stumbled upon this place, dazed and confused.
My mind has cleared up a little though. Have a great Winter break, and come back in the Spring refreshed and rejuvenated!

Schin's Charms

2008-11-30T16:25:00.000-08:00

I had too much fun making these charms and photographing them..
I'll have them up in my Etsy shop when I have more time to photograph the rest!

Persephone Destroys the Light

2008-11-27T21:04:00.000-08:00

Finally, the painting is done. I'll probably tweak it around for the next few days, but I think I want to get started on a Christmas card or something.

The picture next to it is a beautiful poster for Wong Kar Wai's 2000 movie In The Mood For Love. At first the movie was just normal to me, but I found myself going back to it over and over again. I love the music (the movie soundtrack has inspired many of my recent paintings), colors, story, actors (so classy DX), fashion etc. It's a rather slow movie to digest, but I love painting while watching it <3
The Criterion Collection version has some pretty awesome deleted scenes and alternative endings that can give a wider perspective of the movie.

Persephone & Hades 2

2008-11-26T10:38:00.001-08:00

This is turning out to be very fun to paint! I think in a way it is the theme that I am most comfortable with: romantic environments, pretty girls, flowing cloth, flowers, etc. I do so miss painting like this.

In other news, I'll be at Katsucon 15. Come see me at the Artist Alley on February 13-15 2009, at Hyatt Regency Crystal City, Arlington, VA. I'll post the table numbers once I get em.

For fun, I made an Etsy shop. I'll add more products and stuff later. God I love Etsy!! I just want to buy everything in there.

Persephone & Hades

2008-11-23T22:12:00.000-08:00

New painting, Persephone and Hades. I always liked their story.. it's got all the cool things: God of the Underworld, innocent virgin girl who eventually turns into a fearsome 'Iron Queen' and earns the title 'She Who Destroys the Light' (damn!), estranged mother-in-laws, captivity, change of seasons and.. pomegranates. Just so much fun.

Still working on the bodies, I don't think I'll ever be happy with it...

Popcorn

2008-11-22T10:58:00.000-08:00

Finally Popcorn #1 is out, with my image Equus in it. The book is great quality, with a zillion awesome artworks and interviews inside. I can't stop flipping through it!
They used my old name 'Luciole' on it, and edited my blurb adding the 'stunning thing' *blush*. It was the silliest blurb too. Everyone listed their accomplishments and things, but I just wanted my platforms and bellbottoms..

Light 2

2008-11-15T19:26:00.000-08:00

Must.. continue..

Light

2008-11-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

Gah! This is already pissing me off.

Border design

2008-11-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

I made a sorta border sketch today. Feel free to print it out and use it as a memo or something.. but don't sell it!

4 Chinese Beauties design

2008-10-28T16:09:00.000-07:00

Well, here are the designs for this image if it's a real book cover. We liked the third one best, and there's a few more changes to be done on the image and the design before it is finalized. Phew!

My next project will be steampunk. I know I know.. done to death.. but I love the designs of it, and it was so fun going around looking at all the steampunk blogs and personalities. Some of these people take their interest really seriously though.. going to great lengths to modify an item, but the computer on the left is probably the coolest thing I've ever seen, ever.

4 Chinese Beauties

2008-10-26T22:46:00.001-07:00

Almost done..! I really like how the fourth one turned out, though now it seems like she's not fitting in with the others.

Sometimes I wish I was in graphic design.. I love so much of what they do, but I can never pull it off without making cheesy designs.

Adam Hughes interview

2008-10-26T22:34:00.000-07:00

1. When did you first become interested in illustration?

I first became interested as a small child; I think almost all children like to draw and create. I think the difference is, while 90% of all children grow out of this phase, a few of us don't and we end up being creative our entire lives.

2. Where did you get your training or schooling?

Unfortunately, I am self-taught. I was to dumb to be able to win a scholarship, and too white/middle class to qualify for government aid. So, I went about learning it myself. The first thing any school should teach its students is the skill of self-instruction. Being able to figure things out for one's self is the best thing in the world.

3. How did you get started in the business of illustration?

When I was 19, I started taking my samples to conventions to get professional critiques on my work, and try to improve. At my 3rd show, someone critiqued my art and then offered me a job. Other than a 90-minute window in between MAZE AGENCY and JUSTICE LEAGUE AMERICA, I haven't been without illustration work in 22 years. I guess that's saying something.

4. How do you go about self promotion (websites, mailing, source books etc)?

I use MySpace, DeviantArt, and my website. But my work kinda does all the self-promotion; I draw stuff, and people seem to end up seeing it.

5. What advice would you give a student entering the field of illustration?

1. Never stop drawing; there's no ceiling on your skills in art. You can always get better the more art you create. And 2. When your hobby becomes your job, it's time to find a new hobby.

6. Would you have any general tips or ways to improve oneself in illustration?

Personal dissatisfaction and self-loathing do WONDERS for me. I'm never quite content with the work I produce, so I never get comfortable. I always strive to do better the next time. The best tip is: know your weakness. A man's got to know his limitations. If you know what aspects of your art that you excel at and what you are weak in, you can focus your time trying to improve your weak spots.

Good luck,

-AH!-

He sounds so humble and nice! I was melting by the time I finished reading this.

4 Chinese Beauties

2008-10-25T17:20:00.000-07:00

An update.. I'm getting a little sick of this!

Marta Dahlig Interview

2008-10-22T07:41:00.000-07:00

Well, I interviewed several people for my class homework thing, and only selected one (Adam Hughes), so I'm going to post the others here so these wise words won't just be hidden away in my email archives.
The first one is from Marta Dahlig.

1. When did you first become interested in illustration?
I have been painting since my earliest childhood, so painting has always been extremely close to my soul. I took interest in digital art 7 years ago, at the age of 15. Since then I have gradually left the traditional media in order to explore the digital techniques.

2. Where did you get your training or schooling?

I am purely self taught. The only art-related subjects I went through in high school, and those regarded the history of art and architecture. Painting itself I have learned by observing the artworks of artists I admired and trying to figure out their techniques. I am a believer of "learning by doing" - it was all a mater of trial and error before I started making progress.

3. How did you get started in the business of illustration?

To be honest, it all came very naturally. I started displaying my artwork on various internet forums from the very beginning, in order to receive some feedback and improve at a quicker rate. With time, as my works got better, I started receiving my first commissions from private individuals. It only took a couple of months more for me to get my first commercial commission (I was lucky enough to cooperate with one of the biggest European publishing houses), and since then it all happened very fast - more and more commissions came and I quickly found myself drowning in work :) I can't say I complain, though!

4. How do you go about self promotion (websites, mailing, source books etc)?

Well I didn't ever do self-promotion conciously, e.g. submitted links to any linking services nor did I buy banners and such. In fact, I still don't have my own website (even though I own a domain name)... :) The publlicity and promotion all came naturally with the Internet galleries I submitted my works to (most specifically - deviantart.com). They were my source for feedback and attention-catchers in one. The more I developed, the more people visited my site.

5. What advice would you give a student entering the field of illustration?

I would say: Do not to copy anyone else's style just because it proved successful. Even though the field of digital art is big and broad, going the safe, already explored ways isn't really going to get you anywhere. Try to question everything you see and ask yourself, how can painting you admire be improved, what are they lacking, how could they be more original or more captivating?
A mixture of ones style is, in the end, a mix of things you admire enriched with your own sensitivity, emotions and thougths.

6. Would you have any general tips or ways to improve oneself in illustration?

There is only one tip, I think: be open to people. Be open towards opinions - positive as well as the negative feedback. Do not let groundless criticism down you, but appreciate every word of constructive criticism you get. After all, noone i perfect and none painting flawless - realizing that will help you expand your horizons towards new points of view and thus new levels of improvement.

4 Chinese Beauties

2008-10-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

The four legendary Chinese beauties: Xi Shi, Wang Zhaojun, Diaochan and Yang Guifei. I'll post their full stories when I'm done with this.

The crazy wedding hat on the second one is going to give me alot of trouble!