A Very Happy New Year to all of you. May 2013 bring lots of joy & prosperity to you guys. Keep healthy & Best wishes!

I was going to post this earlier but Comic con came up. It was tons of fun & I accomplished everything I set out to do there. Presentation went off with a bang, Wacom had a great turnout & I made some Awesome friends & had the opportunity to spread the love of Anime /Manga over a larger audience.

So a few weeks back I started a poll where I wanted my watchers to choose pic that i would feature in this journal. It can be anything,, a pic done by you or a commission of your character or a pic you simply like. Here's a few of them. You guys are the backbone of my confidence ever since I joined DA & I'll be always grateful to my watchers for the support they've shown. I know i can't please everyone all the time, but I hope this makes up for it. If you want to be featured all you gotta do is watch & the comment in this journal & i will keep adding the pics at the end of the day... Heres goes...Hope you enjoy.

Feel free to fave this feature & share it so that everyone getds the love & views they deserve...

  
    
  



Have fun & please be sure to check out & support my webcomic The Beast Legion

... Yup It took me by surprise too... But Wacom India's Country manager contacted me today & they have decided to name me the brand Ambassador of their Anime/Manga initiative they plan to promote here in India.

I wanted to share this little moment of success that means so m,uch to me with all of you, my watchers on DA. Deviantart is where I started to grow as an artist, where I got my first paid commission, where I got my inspiration & most of all support from all of you. However Beast Legion winning the Comic Con India award has really helped me further my prospects.

I can't say what the future holds with this development, but for now I will be holding a seminar on creating manga styled art & comics at Comic Con, Bangalore on the 8th & 9th of September. I',m hoping everything goes smoothly & hoping that you guys keep supporting me in the future.

So Thank you & Take care.

Beast Legion contest:
So I'm holding a very small Beast Legion color contest. For more details visit ... [link] & read the rules. I hope you guys will participate for your chance to win the first 4 issues.

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Wacom Intuos 5 Review


OK so I've been meaning to write a review for the new WACOM Intuos 5 I bought a few weeks back since I wanted to diispell some rumors that have been going on around the net.

First of I will have you know that I' have switched Directly from the Intuos 3 to the Intuos 5. I have no experience with the Intuos 4 so I will not comment on that throughout the review.
Lets start with:
Packaging. Wacom has always been applauided for the way its tablets are packed & accessories organized. However it has out done the previous version this time. The box itself makes you feel proud to be an owner of such an Awesome product. Not only does it contain the stylus & the tablet, but now it comes with 10 spare nibs. 6 of which are standard, 2 with the pencil feel, one for the airbrush & sketching. Not only that it now comes with rings that allow the user to remove the pens outer top cover incase the nib gets fixed which is brilliant.
It also contains 2 dvds, one for the software itself( which is also available easily online on the Wacom site) & a huge software start up bundle which includes a licensed version of  Photoshop elements, Corel Painter Sketch pad, Autodesk Sketch Book Express, Nik Color effects filter plug-in.

Look & Feel: The Intuos 5 far surpasses its Intuos 3 predecessor . The look of the tablet is outright royal.  This time the tablet is fully black & Ergomonics are made more convenient for both left handed & right handed users. The keyboard shortcuts(though I rarely use them from the tablet) are very efficiently placed  & there is a radial area under the buttons that's acts as a file menu for instant saving, undo, redo etc which is amazing. My only problem is nothing of that is labled on the tablet itself so for the first few days you'll have to look up the tablet preferences software to get a hang of it.
The tablet also contains some very slick glow in the dark LEDS that make sure you draw with the  required area & it acts as a guide for both new & old users. I can give this in writing, as even my 6 year old niece was able to draw at the first go without any problem which she never could with the Intuos 3. For those who have not used tablets , the thing is you draw on the tablet but the image will appear on the screen. So it usually takes a were or two to synchronize yourself.
The new stylus is what I feel is the highlight of the product. The old one always had a rigid feel( I'm not complaining as I've worked with it over 5 years now) but the new pen is absolutely easy on the hand. You can keep drawing to no end. I finished 6 pages of my comic at a stretch without the slightest strain on my hand which always used to happen during the Intuos 3.

Usability: The new tablet is extremely easy to use. The default setting are almost perfected to give a pencil like feel  however they can be easily customized & tested using the patented Tablet Preferences software that Wacom Provides always. The Pen comes with 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity & indeed gives you the feel of a pencil especially when you use the pencil nib. One problem still persists it's the jagged linework in Photoshop if you draw in zoomed out view. I wish they come up with a way to counter that. It can be overcomed at times by customizing brushes but I'm never one for that method.

Software Compatibility:  Wacom has made sure the tablet is compatible with every king of software be it regular operating system tasks, 2-D Animation or 3D Animation. It works flawlessly with any software.
Heres where I dispell some of the rumors that have been circulating on the web about the pen pressure no detecting in Paint Tool Sai or Autodesk mudbox. Those are rubbish.  Maybe they have fixed the problem with the latest driver, but the tablet works brilliantly with both softwares.  It was one of the reasons it took me so long to decide on whether to buy it or not; as I use Paint Tool Sai extensively for final line art. However with the new pen, you really don't need Pain Tool Sai to finish the job because it gives excellent results directly in Pshop.

Touch Feature: Well this is the new feature that comes with the Intuos 5. It is extremely efficient if you are using Photoshop Cs 5 & above. You can now use finger movement to easily rotate, zoom in & out of the pic without have to depend on commands. Not only that there are certain brushes that are custom made for finger & hand art. The feature is not a necessity but really helps speed things up!

Pricing: The Wacom Intuos Medium version costs around Rs.27,000 MRP. I know to a lot of people it may seem a bit steep, but trust me the tablet delivers more than what it costs. Wacom products have always been know for their long life & durability. My Intuos 3 still runs perfectly. So this is one time investment. That's all that I can sum up for this Amazing product. If you are a professional artist, or even a person who wants to seriously take up digital art this is the tablet you should go for.

Overall rating : I can easily give the Intuos 5 a 9.5/10 rating for a tablet in it's range. I still feel there is room for a little improvement when it comes to the pen/paper feel but it can easily be overlooked for the other amazing features it provides.

Hey guys,

So first off, had to share the Awesome news. I bought a Wacom Intuos 5 just the other day & I gotta say this thing is Amazing. I never had the chance to use the Intuos 4 so this experience is even more fantastic. The tablet is perfectly designed & the I love the feel that the new surface provides. So here's a pic or two. I'm so glad a bought it despite the rumors that it was not compatible with Pain Tool Sai, a software I use on a daily basis. I'm glad the rumors are rubbish. The tablet works perfectly with it.





Live stream over...

Now that i have free time on my hands I've decided to create a journal entry for my recent commission rates. These rates are for personal art commissions only & not for commercial purposes:

Single Character(Line art) : $15


Single Character(Flats) : $25

Single Character(Cell Shaded): $35
  

Single Character(Soft shaded): $40


Illustrations: $80 onwards depending on number characters & BG. Note me for rates.


Animation Single character(low action): $50 for the first frame & $5 for every unique frame


Hope you find the rates reasonable & look forward to working with you guys.

So I can finally reveal a recent International animation I did for UK based music producer Dan Le Sac & Sarah Williams' video Play Along. I was approached to do this around a month back & it was two weeks of effort but enjoyed every second of making this video as it had some awesome characters to animate. Again the Animation is done solo & the the backgrounds are done by my Amazing partner in crime My animation starts at around the 1:36 mark. Enjoy the video.  I will be posting some of the character animations here on DA very soon.

[link]

HI everyone,

I'm guessing a lot of you are really excited for Free Comic Book day today. I am as well but sadly we have no such thing here in India.

But in order to celebrate the day in what little way I can I have uploaded hi rez Pdfs of my Webcomic the Beast Legion Parts 1 & 2. So If you haven't checked it out or read it yet, now would be a perfect time to read the chapters at one go & get a feel of the comic & how it all began.

I have been working really hard on this series for the past two years & want to get it across to as many people as possible as I'm sure it's the dream of other webcomic artists as well. I hope you guys enjoy the issues as much as love creating them.

You can find download links to the first 2 issues HERE .

If you enjoy, please do share it.

Take care.

:thumb158266413:

Ever Since Comic Con in February things have really gotten great on my end. I will soon be entering into a publishing deal for my webcomic series The Beast Legion which I'm really excited about. I've been working really hard on it & hoping I can reach as many people as I can with the stories & adventures of Xeus. I want to thank each & every one on Deviantart who has been showing constant support for the comic since the get go. I realize not all my watchers like it but I will keep on going & hope that someday you guys give it a try.

After the Comic won the award, I have been interviewed at so many places & the exposure has been so Amazing. I only rewcently found out that I will be having a full spread feature in the next edition of Animation Reporter - India's largest Animation & Arts magazine this April & coincidentally it releases on my Birthday. Apart from that I will now begin to work on a weekly page strip for a local comic company. Also my Animation freelance career has been going great. Apart from that been working on the next Naruto fan animation which I hope you guys enjoy.

With so much happening, I get very little time lately to focus on stand alone illustrations but I promise I will try my best to create & post them whenever I can. but I am still open for commissions so let me know if you are interested.

Another Awesome news, I will soon be Announcing more details about the Very first Beast Legion Tribute art book which will be released to celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of the webcomic & will have illustrations done by some of my favourite DA Artists who have offered to contribute. More on that in few days.

Apart from that I have been enjoying a ton of Anime both new & old. As you probably already know I've become a die-fard Fairy Tail fan as of late & it was sad to see Bleach end yesterday. Just pre-ordered Naruto Shippudden Ninja Storm Generations last night & can't wait to try it out,

...So that's my current standing. I'm thankful to all of you my watchers, for standing by & supporting my work. I really appreciate it. DA is like my second home now (well, maybe third after FB ) But it has been one of the biggest factors for influencing my art.

Hey guys,

   As you know I run my own webcomic The Beast Legion & enjoy doing it so much. However running the comic is one thing & promoting online is a whole different Beast. So far I have been doing both solo but there are a few places that I need to promote it online & it can get a bit costly.

   However that being said, I haven't reached a phase where I need to ask for donations as the site generates a decent revenue, but I am willing to open 4 slots of $15 for single character full body(Flats). Once I complete the commissions I will mail you the instructions of how to send the money but I can only accept payment via paypal at the moment.

This will include any existing character, OC, creature design ...anything.

Just comment here or note me with descriptions or ref pics. This offer will only be up for the next 34 days after which I will resume my normal commission rates. Thanks for taking interest.


Jazyl.

It's been an Awesome two weeks for me ever since I left for Comic Con India. My webcomic 'The Beast Legion' won the award for 'The Beast Webcomic' at the Comic Con India awards & I managed to sell over 360 sets of the comic as well as inaugurate the WACOM Bamboo Manga.



A truley grand event which saw the likes of Chris Oliveros, Gary Groth & the Legendary Robert Crumb grace the stage. So When I got back I decided that I'd create 2 features highlighting some of my favourite web comic that I myself read at regular intervals if not weekly.
I hope you enjoy this feature & delve into this Aesome World of Webcomics. I have picked three of my fave pics from each of these amazing comics... Enjoy!

Please take moment & fave this journal & spread word about these Awesome comics & their creators who work so hard to update them weekly.

In no particular order...

Fey Winds by


The Meek by


Tales of Aeria by


2-Masters by



Spindrift by


KickGirl: Mystery Babylon by


EverBlue by


Carciphona by


Gemutations by


Evan Yeti by


Romantically Apocalypic


Alter by


Planes of Eldlor


Oswald Chronicles by &



Tamuran by


Lavender Legend by


Red Moon Rising by


And for Good measure here's my webcomic  The Beast Legion...


...But there's more .Part 2 will be posted next week

... And what a week it turned out to be!!

Beast Legion bagged the Comic Con India Award for 'The Best Webcomic Series' . I'm humbled at all the support you guys have shown from across the web for the manga be it Facebook, Twitter or anywhere else. It's truly a motivating factor to keep the comic going.



I was kinda stunned when I was asked to inaugurate the WACOM Bamboo Manga tablet by none other than Wacom India's Country Manager Mr. Rajeev Nagar who was gracious enough for giving me the opportunity. Another highlight for me was a chance to meet & gift a set to Mr Chris Oliveros of the ever popular Drawn & Quarterly.

Also I was expecting a huge crowd at the Comic Con , but WOW there were 35000 people who visited the convention over a 3 day period & we sold around 400 copies in the time frame. Here's a few pics from the event.More to come...

Just 7 more days left for The Second Annual Comic Con India & I am so excited to be a part of it this time. Beast Legion has been nominated for the 'BEST WEBCOMIC CATEGORY' for the Comic Con Awards.

With an estimated 40000 visitors ovcer a period of 3 days from Feb 17th to 19th at Dilli Haat, New Delhi, it promises to be huge. Comic Con Express Mumbai was Awesome but this one going to be 5 times that.Here's hoping I can keep up with it. I look forward to seeing all Beast Legion fans here India & hope to interact with you guys the best I can!

I'll be selling the first four issues there.

I will also be selling a few posters

And as always those who buy the set will be eligible for a Lucky draw & win a Lord Dragos T-shirt.

Here's where my stall will be at the convention... i.e Stall 24A

Hey guys, I've decided to do a special livestream in 10 mins. First one to comment get to request a single character of his choice...the catch... It need to be an existing OC of yours. Post the description & the ref pics in the comment itself.

I will then be sharing my Pshop coloring method, as I color that OC. So stay tuned...cause the stream starts in 10 min at

[link]

I'm really happy to welcome all my watchers & friends. I hope I can live upto your expectations for the year 2012.

I am opening a few  Character commissions now that work load has lessened & I need to gather some money to promote my web comic The Beast Legion online. So here are my rates...

Single Character Colored  ( Bust) - $10
Single Character ( Full body Sketch) - $15
Single Character Colored Cell shaded( Full Body): $25 (+$15 per additional characters in the same pic)
Single character Colored Soft Shaded ( Full body): $30 (+$20 per additional characters in the same pic)

At present I do not take commissions for Mecha (Transformers are ok) or vehicles & Weapons).

If you are interested note me with full description & ref pics(if any) of your characters. Payments will only be accepted via Paypal.

Regards,
Jazyl.

Hope you guys have a great day & A Brilliant 2012 ahead. Wishing you all the best!!



Regards,
Jazyl.

Last Monday I was approached by a national paper here in India, 'The Afternoon' to shed some light on my webcomic series the 'Beast Legion' . I was absolutely honored & humbled by the experience & had a great time discussing my thoughts on the subject. The interview went in print this Wednesday & I wanted to share this little success with all of you here on DA who have been following me all the way ... You're support, comments & inspiration is whjat drives me to create characters stories & art & I hope you enjoy the read...



My only gripe was the chose one of my crossover arts at the last moment instead of a page from the comic due to size issues but i guess thats ok. The interview can also be read in pdf & color...  [link]

Hey  guys,

As you can see, my current sub is coming to an end. So I've decided , FOR THE FIRST TIME, to open Commissions for points & subs. Heres how it's priced:

Single character , Line art only  - 250 points or 1 month sub

Single character Flats - 500 points or 3 month sub

Single character (Full colored)  - 1 year sub

2-3 character Illustration - 2 year sub.

Do note me if you are interested cause I'll only keep this offer open for the next week after which i'll be forced to buy a sub on my own. Look forward to hearing from you.