Hello and welcome everyone! April has come and gone by in a flash! It's almost the end of the month! Let me remind you that 's April Contest: "April Showers bring May flowers" is ending in less than 3 days! Hurry up and submit your entries to the contest before the deadline!

Now, we're here to celebrate April's Manga and Anime Artist of the Month!! Aren't you excited? I certainly am!
So without further ado, let me introduce you to the amazing *littlebabyshoes! I found her art through our contest The G.A.M.E. and I immediately fell in love with her art! She has an absolutely beautiful style and all of her works are filled with life and dazzling vivid colours! There's nothing in her gallery that doesn't draw a smile on my face!

 
Here are some of her works:

Getting to know a little!

Hello there! Why don't you tell us something about yourself? We'd love to know a bit about you!

I don't really know what to say. I'm an extremely simple person. I like having fun, I like learning, and when I have the opportunity to share both with people, I'm the happiest! An interesting tidbit about me though is that I'm always the very first person to laugh at a joke. Yeah, I'm one of those people. LOL "orz

What influenced you to start drawing manga and anime styled works? Have you tried or considered switching to another style different than manga? (realism, cartoon, abstract, photography…)

I grew up watching anime like Sailor Moon, Dragonball Z, and Pokemon. It felt natural to take up a manga/anime style of art since that's where my interests lay.

As for different styles, I actually started off drawing anthro/furries since I had fan characters based off Brian Jacques' Redwall series. I don't think I'd ever 'switch' to another style, though. Dabbling in other styles, trying them out, and studying and learning from those styles is important for my growth as an artist-- and I do do that-- but my first love is and probably always will be anime/manga!

What is the part you love the most about drawing in manga style? And the least?

The storytelling! The reason why I took up drawing in the first place was to discover another medium to tell stories. Manga offered that. Its movement, composition, sequencing, and so much more is unique to it. No other style has it to the same extent. Check it out the next time you pick up some manga to read!

What I don't like about drawing in manga style though is the negative stigma associated with it. There are assumptions that the art looks the same, that we have little to no understanding of anatomy, that manga/anime offers very little in terms of growth... But every style has strengths and weaknesses. It's all a matter of taking the time to see what about it makes it shine.

Show us your favourite piece from your gallery! How about another one you love from someone else?
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This one is my favorite because I spent a quarter as much time on it than my other works and it still looks as good (if not better) than anything else I've drawn. LOL "orz

I'm actually madly in love with a pixiv artist who mixes her manga/anime style with classical painting techniques. You can check her out here [link]. But in deviantArt, it would have to be this piece by ~Ryo-ta.
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Beautiful movement, beautiful lighting, beautiful color palette... This is exactly why I love the manga style.

I'm in love with your characters! Can you give us some insight on their story?

Wh-Wha-- //// I'm not sure which one you mean though, haha! But here's one of them~

Prince Elias is the second son of the King, though most people liken him to a queen than a prince or even a princess. An obedient, beautiful, God-fearing youth of grace and quiet strength, Elias is the picture of nobility. But in his heart is unrest as he denies and punishes himself for his attraction to men. His noble life is thrust into disarray when his brother is murdered and the throne is usurped. He escapes, but ultimately has to decide whether or not to accept the freedom he had always wished for or to take back the throne he knows is now rightfully his. His inner conflict tackles 'identity' versus 'society', and his story grapples between the forces between 'duty' and 'desire'.

How is your creative process like when you create a new character for your story?

It depends on whether the story is character or plot-centered. Interesting characters are characters that move the plot forward. The first thing I decide when creating a character is their role to play in the movement of the story. Afterwards, it's a matter of deciding on a core set of values. Everything else like personality just neatly falls into place after establishing what it is that a character values most. (For example, a soldier that values integrity would probably be serious and unwilling to compromise, but if he also valued family, he may be willing to throw away his honor in order to secure their safety.) It's also important to realize that environment plays a key role in the development of a character. (For example, an only child acts differently than if they grew up with multiple siblings. Even which child they are (eldest, middle, youngest) will influence their personality!)

I usually do designing last or not at all LOL I never really know what any of my characters look like until I draw comics.

What do you love the most about drawing/creating them? Are you considering drawing a manga to tell their story?

Honestly, I love everything about drawing and creating characters! But if I had to choose one, it'd be the process of building them up. There's a lot to explore and discover. Human beings are multifaceted creatures full of contradiction, flaws, strength, and growth. I love people and I love characters. It's a glimpse not only into another life, but also into someone's heart.

Haha, I love drawing comics!! I actually do draw a fair amount of manga strips; I just don't post them on my dA. But a full-blown manga is still out of my reach. I have a few ongoing ones on my Smackjeeves account (that I don't update hahaha)... But the pace of my hands is slower than my brain.

Maybe one day I'll conquer it...!

What piece of advice would you give to every person out there who wishes to follow the Manga artist path too?

This isn't just for manga/anime artists, but expose yourself to a lot of styles. Try a lot of things out. Make sure to foster your love for art. Find an artist that inspires you and learn from them. The key to improvement is not only to practice, but also to study. This means buckling down, actually look at a piece, see what works or doesn't work, and applying that knowledge when you practice. Just looking doesn't work, and just drawing without a goal doesn't work either! Aim to learn something for each piece you work on, even if its a doodle. I can guarantee improvement!

Is there something else you'd like to say to our readers? Feel free to express yourself!!

Things might be tough, not just in art but also in life, but don't ever lose sight of your goals. Take everything one day at time, one step at a time. Always keep moving forward. One day, you will reach it!