Welcome to my FAQ! (updated 8/6/2009)
This is a comprehensive list of questions that have been asked of me over time. (And holy crap it is long. It's hardly a FAQ, more like a really long interview lolol)

A day will come when I make a short, clean version but for now, enjoy the read

They're categorized into "general" "art and me" "art; technical" "art misc" and "personal" (some questions can fit into several of the categories, but I tried)
If you still have questions, feel free to ask me anytime.

General:

Do you take commissions?
Personal commission slots are open very rarely, and when they are open I'll usually have a journal up.
I'm actively doing commercial work though. If you want to contact me about anything work related (such as using my art for publications) or that you really want me involved in a project, drop me an email.

Do you take art trades/requests/collaborations?
No

Do you have your own manga?
No, I have no intention of becoming a manga artist, though I do love the idea of sitting down and drawing a colored webcomic! Something between western/eastern comics, mmmm. Already have some ideas going around in my head, so maybe sometime soon.


How did you learn about dA?
It was either neopets or portalgraphics. For the former, there was this time when there were SO many good artists on it (I was like 12 and easily inspired--infact some of them are on my watchlist right now!) and they all had dA accounts and I was all like holycrap I will join dA and post my artworks one day and be just liek them!


How do you suggest are some of the best ways to develop concepts?
Ideas just pop up sometimes when you get a sudden burst of inspiration, and these are important for developing larger concepts like stories which take time and a lot of planning. For me, it's just: pile ideas/concepts together and find a way to work it out while sticking to a fundamental idea that I'm trying to get across.


Can I draw your characters?
Yes, I'd love that!


Are you going to make a website someday?
I hope I can get one set up soon, haha


Will you make an artbook?
I'd like to, and you'll definitely know about it when one comes out.


Are you involved in any projects?
Yes, and you'll know about them when they're completed!


Can I use your art for...
Icons/banners: yes (please credit)
Wallpapers: yes (please credit)
Website layouts: (please credit with a link to my dA)
Commercial use (or printed media that will be distributed): contact me through email
Anything else: please ask


How do you make your merchandise?
I don't make them. My partner in crime, Alison, does. Obviously though, the images are printed out and the materials purchased at a crafts store, and put together by hand. How else?


Art and Me

When did you first start drawing?
Before I could remember. And if I remember correctly, that was around..age 3?


When did you first start CGing?
2004. My CG style was pretty underdeveloped until around late 2007 or so.


Do you listen to music to inspire you when you draw? and if so, what kind of music?
Yes, of course! I like just about everything, but here's a more specific list I like to listen to depending on my mood:

Muse, Anberlin, The Killers, Mintjam, BFMV, Ludo, AAR, We The Kings, Jesse Mccartney, Kokia, The Maine, S.F.A., Soundtemp, Sting, Jason Mraz, Rammstein, ATL, 38th Parallel, Armor for Sleep, Saosin, Yellowcard, Anggun (etc)


What kind of mood do you prefer to draw in?
It's hard for me to draw when I'm worried...anything else is okay.


Have you ever taken any non-school-required art classes? Or does everything you know about art come from personal study? Or a combination of both?
Most of my techniques were self taught. Classes:
In 11th grade, I took AP Studio art, and in 12th I took Portoflio (there wasn't much learning going on in the latter, just more works produced)
Classes can help with learning the foundation for creating good art.


What are your aspirations artwise? Have you taken art classes in highschool? Do you plan on going to artschool after?
I'd like to be a conceptual illustrator (character design), children's storybook illustrator, comic artist, and fine artist! That's a lot I know, but I've actually started touching on all of those areas. Hopefully I'll be able to find some sort of direction soon, or maybe be able to do all?
I plan on going to artschool, yes. In the future, maybe when I graduate from college. I'm aiming for Tokyo Art University.


Do you use references?
Yes, and if you're asking this question, I suggest you do too! For anatomy, color schemes, even the most subtle references purely for inspiration can help get it just right. Live models and anatomy books/references are essential during the learning process.


Growing up and now, who are some of your most inspirational artists? Are any of them on deviantart?
Growing up, I'd say Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (artist for Evangelion/several other gainax projects) since his .hack//sign and eva works really inspired me to develop my anime style. Before that, there was the whole Sailor Moon/Magic Knight Rayearth/Disney phase which helped me get started. I really admire galou, bara-chan, rem (tsulala), and gunmgally from dA. (And those are just the more anime styled inspirations I've had!)


What kind of artist do you have the most respect for? What kind of artist do you have the least respect for?
I respect artists who are comfortable with their own style and become widely recognized for some originality they possess. I'm interested about the artists themselves as well. Often times their fame, personality, and controversy overshadows their art, but as long as their art inspires me, who really cares?
And before I get off topic, I have the least respect for artists who, even if they posess the skills, have no originality. It's still okay to copy artworks/art styles during the learning process, when you're still finding your way.


What is the most difficult thing to draw for you?
Symmetry, inorganic objects (buildings, machines) that take rulers and patience to draw.


Do you ever work with traditional media?
Yes. When I work with traditional media, it's (usually) not anime styled either.
While I don't paint on a frequent basis, the past two years in high school I've learned quite a bit about traditional media & fine arts.


Where does your inspiration come from?
Every day things, other artworks. Things that makes me think, things that I'm compelled to put on paper.


How long did it take for you to learn anatomy?
I don't think I've learned it, even now. It's a progressive thing. I never made much effort to sit down and "learn" anatomy but it comes naturally if you draw and observe more.
Here's a helpful site to help with poses/proportions:
[link]


What do you do when you have an artblock?
I go out and do something more meaningful with my time, rather than sitting around pooping out crappy art and constipating about how constipatingly hard it is to draw anything decent. OR, even better, I draw lots of little sketches and sleep on it.
Watching America's Next Top Model is a last resort, one which I've been doing a lot of lately...


Do you plan when you draw a pic? or just go with the flow?
Sometimes; sometimes the most random doodles turn out beautifully expressive and the most carefully planned pictures turn out to be a disaster e_e


Does art run in your family?
Definitely! My bro, for one. I hear my dad's pretty artistic but I don't think he has time to draw. My dad's brother (or my uncle) also drew for a living at one point.


Art; Technical

I'm a beginner; what programs should I get to practice CGing?
I don't recommend photoshop directly for CGing; using my style as an example, the lines would look disastrous if done with Photoshop's standard brushes.
If you're comfortable with photoshop, chances are you'll catch on to all the other programs easily. But if you're purely trying to get a grasp of how to ink, work with layers, and add digital color, then obviously a cheaper and more drawing-oriented program would be preferable. I'd recommend easy paint tool sai, not only because it's what I'm using but because it's ridiculously simple (imho) but also because it has all the basic functions needed to be an efficient CG program (and many of those functions are easier to control than photoshop)

Here's the link for a trial: [link]
It doesn't cost much; 5200 yen or so. if my currency conversion isn't totally off, that's like $55 (give or take a few)


What's your usual order of work?
Sketch digitally, ink digitally, color digitally. I don't have my scanner here...


What brand of tablet do you have?
Wacom Intuos 3 6x11". Recommended!


What programs do you use?
Easy paint tool sai and photoshop CS2. Very occasionally I use open canvas, and gimp sometimes to do calligraphy brush effects.


When doing digital drawings, what is their original size?
I work at high resolution, ranging from 2000~4000 pixels (in width or height) usually. 300ppi, usually starts with A4 setting.


And for traditional (as in, paper size)?
Anything from A4 paper to large canvases (100 cm high) and papers.


How many layers do you usually use to create an image digitally?
Depends on the image. I try to work with as few as I can because it gets confusing/messy/annoying/large filesize. I don't use separate layers for shading.


How long does it take for you to draw a picture? And for the background?
Not that long. I rarely finish pictures in one sitting and depending on complexity, it could take from 3~10 hours. I'm not a detailed background person, but if it came down to that I suppose twice as long.


How do you come up with/design a background?
For a backdrop to compliment a simple character art, I choose patterns/designs/motifs/colors/a composition to bring out the subject. As for environmental backgrounds, just whatever's fitting I guess. I don't give much thought to background.


What brush tools/settings do you use/whats the correct way to create lineart/vectors or brush tool?
In sai: I work with .7~1px pen (the first tool in the box) to ink. And sometimes 3~7px to add line variation. I use the next 3 brushes (to the right of the first tool) in combination to paint/cg. They are all usually in standard setting, and occasionally I'll change the opacity to get lighter strokes.
Correct way to create lineart: there is none. Lineart can be thick and thin, messy and blurry, or sharp and inconsistent if you like. The important thing is just to focus on what you want your piece to look like, and whether that lineart is the style you're going for, otherwise you'll get distracted.


How long did it take you to develop your own style? How?
I don't think I really have a style, since I've been influenced by so many different things. But even in the anime works you see in my gallery, there's not much (style-wise) that's consistent about my works. I like to experiment, and this experimentation has been going on all my life. An artist should go looking for a style, since your style will reflect your personality and emotions as they come most naturally to you, and that's what's defining.


When did you start to improve the most in your art, and how?
In the past year, 2008. There's a pretty dramatic shift in style since my first posted artwork.
Everything drawn before 2008 to me now is just..OLD and unrefined. I keep drawing, that's how I improve.


What's your favorite art media?
To use: digital, because it's efficient and easy to undo mistakes (which saves a lot of time--something artists all seem to lack), edit colors, explore different composition possibilities, etc.



Art Misc

Do you have a tutorial/video tutorial out?
No, please stop asking! The reason why I haven't made one is mostly because my drawing style is very inconsistent, in terms of my methods of CGing. I'll most likely make a tutorial regarding technical stuff like how to draw certain objects or work layers but sorry to those who're wanting to know how I color or come up with an image, since I don't really know either. It's a messy process. I'm hoping to find my way in due time and then share some practical tips with you all.


Where do you get your textures from?
CG textures.com, or various sources on dA (I usually link them in the artist comment). I also have some royalty-free resource books that come with CD roms. Textures actually aren't hard to get, just use a camera and take pictures of things with patterned surfaces.


What are some tips you can give to artists who share similar taste in the anime/manga genre?
If you're serious about drawing, don't confine yourself to one style of art. Browse variety, lots of it. Mainstream, lowbrow, pop, classic renaissance works, fashion magazines, american comics, anything. When you see something you like, try drawing the part that grabbed your attention. Learn human anatomy, perspectives, and how to compose images. This should be a no brainer because these things will plague you every time you draw.
I'm assuming "similar taste in the anime/manga genre" is referring to my style (or "style" haha); I draw inspiration from all sorts of influences and artistic styles, and it's important to have substance (something meaningful to you) that can be reflected in your works. Maybe like, if you really love bishounen or something


Got any artsy tips to give?
1. Remember that no matter what it is you draw, it's never a waste of time
2. Learn the basics of art
3. Don't draw to please others (unless you're doing a commission, then YES, PLEASE DO)


Here's some recommended reading, books related to art that I think can be helpful to everyone:
Sketch Book for the Artist by Sarah Simblet - an amazing book by an amazing artist for all artists, beginner or professional. It covers just about every topic there is to know about the fundation of drawing. Lots of pieces by master artists explained, and great sketches by the artist herself.
Guide to Figure Drawing by Anthony Ryder - a detailed book on how to capture the essence of the human figure by an incredible artist. There are lots of gorgeous drawings and just as many words! Great for both artists who like learning through words or simply viewing the pictures. Just a note; this isn't an anatomy book so don't expect any drawings of muscles of skeletons. The book's focus is how to do figure drawings, from the composition to shading, etc.
The Art of Animal Drawing by Ken Hultgren - believe it or not I do like to draw animals in my free time, and this book is a wonderful collection of animal drawings (with little text). Anatomy, bone structure, movement, poses, and caricatures are all printed with clarity for easy reference.


Personal/Misc:

Are you a guy or a girl?
I dare you to take a wild guess. ?__?


How old are you?
18, and I was born Feb. 3, 1991.


How do you pronounce your name (Ein)?
Like the German word!


Where are you from?
Nantou, Taiwan

LIFE STORY: I was born in Taiwan and 3 months into my life I moved to Chicago. In 3 years I was back in Taiwan, and 4 more years passed before it was back to the states again, this time to DC. I spent most of my childhood there until more recently, I returned to Taiwan for a year and a half and now I'm in Bangkok, Thailand (I've been here for 3 and a half) I'm in Taiwan now!

For those wondering, I speak accentless (or regionless?) American English, and I speak fluent Mandarin with a tinge of ABC that probably won't ever go away. I also understand the Taiwanese dialect, and people in Taiwan like to make fun of my Taiwanese.


What college are you planning to attend? What are you studying?
I'm going back to Taiwan to attend Tsing Hua university to study Foreign Language/literature.


Do you have any other passions besides art?
Collecting artbooks, photobooks, gourmet food, travelling, health, extreme sports, fashion, guys from bands, and bishounen


Is there any anime/manga you really hate?
Macross Frontier, Monochrome Factor, and Gurren Lagann (to name some of the more recent ones) but I can't think of more off the top of my head since I haven't been keeping up with new manga/anime. Too many crappy new series!


What are your favorite anime series? Favorite pairings?
I like Yukikaze, Le Chevalier D'eon, DMC (ova), Gundam 00, Fruits Basket (anime), Kenshin (anime), and Samurai Champloo (manga and anime).
I think Avatar would count as a favorite series, since it does kind of fit the anime category.
My favorite pairings are Rei/Jack from Yukikaze and any and all from Le Chevalier D'eon, as well as Lockon/Revive or the Trinity Bros x meisters from Gundam 00.


Personality wise, are you extroverted or introverted?
Both! I'm not shy in the normal sense, but I sometimes I prefer peace and quiet (I think it's an artist thing), so I'd pretend to be busy and turn down invitations to go out or something. And then stay at home like a hermit and draw until my brain melts or I feel like going out. Still, I like to be with people and I love to have fun, though I can't help feeling a bit disconnected sometimes.


This isn't about you personally, but I'd love to know more about the characters you regularly draw (Reese, etc)
My original characters are tied to stories I'm working on. Reese in particular (since you asked) is the protagonist of one of them. I really hope to post more info/artworks about these because I'm eager to share them too. and I'm planning on turning them into webcomics! *motivates self*


Would you give a shoutout on TV to your fans? If so,what would you say?
I can't imagine what TV show I'd be on but sure, why not? I'd probably just be thanking everyone for their support... yeah, the usual. Not too creative when put on the spot. But really, thanks! I wouldn't be here without you guys.


Do you larve us?
Yes, thanks to everyone for being so awesome! I don't think I could imagine my life without dA now. All the people and opportunities I've had have really changed me a lot and helped me grow. I LOVE YOU GUYS, THANK YOU. A lot of my inspiration comes from you guys too, knowing that there's someone who wants to look at things I draw is probably the most encouraging thing of all. It's a lot of fun sharing artwork ^_^/