I was undecided about whether to submit this wall, but @crimsoncyanide asked so nicely that I had to :) Thanks, Crimson, for all the support!
I made this for the AP Clash 2010 round 1. The original image was vectored, but at the last minute my awesome computer ate the vector file, forcing me to improvise by coloring the original manga image. The bg is hand painted using stock as guides. Enjoy!
Original description: [readmore]For the challenge of The Human Condition, I first began by contemplating what theme I wanted to bring to the topic. The obvious ones for me were strong emotions, whether they be love or hate, and I wanted to do something less obvious than that. Another element of the human condition that I thought of was the desire/exploration of the boundaries of freedom. This ultimately led me to pick the image I did, from the Clamp manga Clover.
Clover has a great story-line through which to explore this topic. For those not familiar with it, a short synopsis courtesy Wiki: "Clover is primarily about a young girl called Sue. In the futuristic world that she inhabits, the military conducted a search for gifted children nicknamed 'Clovers,' who seemingly have the magical ability to manipulate technology. Demonstrations of their powers include teleportation and summoning weapons from thin air.
Classified according to how powerful they are, the children were then tattooed with a symbol of the Clover Project, with the number of leaves on the Clover indicating their power. To date, Sue is the only "4-leaf Clover" discovered. Along with other "Clovers", Sue was imprisoned to prevent her contact with other humans."
With this in mind, I chose an image of Sue that would represent her desire for freedom as well as her imprisonment. I wanted the wall to incorporate the element of infiniteness, something humanity is always reaching for, so I placed Sue over a background of a skyline. The entire background was hand painted, using stock photography for inspiration. Sue herself would have been vectored, but at the last minute, my computer literally ate the vector file, and poof! it was gone. Without time to revector her, I cleaned the manga scan and colored it. I chose this particular image because Sue's expression is multifacited, and her positioning evocative of my theme of the innate human desire of yearning for freedom. (On the flip side of that, the wall would also then touch on her captivity, which is again an element of human history and the desire for power, yet another element of the human condition, so you can see how the wall can be interpreted in numerous ways).[/readmore]
Saving…
2 years, 9 months ago
I love the way you colored the manga img! And the bg is awesome painted! Also I like the feeling this wallie gives! fav! <3
2 years, 9 months ago
This is really pretty! Amazing that you colors this from a manga scan. It has really nice lighting and all over a nice atmosphere. +fav
2 years, 9 months ago
I'm really grateful that you did submit this wallpaper. While I can understand not wanting to submit it, especially after what happened to the vector, I still think that the piece itself is worth submitting. One thing that always appealed to me was how lengthy your description was. Granted, one can easily make something short and offer the same message, but being able to offer such an in depth thought, background behind and making of comments really made it enjoyable to read.
I can't began to express how tragic it is that your computer decided to sacrifice your vector for a higher purpose. While, in certain aspects, coloring the manga image actually works rather well, I still wonder what it would of looked like with the vectored image. Still, I can't began to commend you on such a great choice of scan. Choosing one that so subtly expresses her facial expression and wings really helps expand upon the desired feeling. Once again, it really is such a shame that you lost the vector to this. I can only imagine how much frustration you held for your computer.
In terms of the background, this is what I really like a lot. You could of taken a more typical approach and made it sort of like a prison, or a closed off room. However, by making it an open background with the sky stretching endlessly and putting her constantly climbing upward is a perfect way of expressing it. Freedom truly is part of the human condition and I'm so glad that someone decided to touch upon that. The background looks absolutely stunning, which I wouldn't of expected any less from you. I think it's pretty incredible that you used stocks as the base, because it helps focus even more so on your talent as an artist. I especially love the lighting and how it focuses on her. Showing that she'll continue to ascent higher and higher, no matter how far it takes her. That in itself made a huge impact on me when I first saw it, and still does now.
I was saddened that you weren't able to advance, but the fact that you stuck it out after the vector loss and even joined in round 2 at the last minute really shows that you never give up and I deeply admire that. I'm just glad that you submitted this great piece so that the rest of AP can see a completely different perspective that no one explored in round 1 of AP Clash.
2 years, 9 months ago
Sorry to hear about your vector. But I still love this wall. I think you really were able to capture the light's passage through the window. It really does remind me of how in life, you really are limited in what can be seen from a single point of view.
2 years, 9 months ago
whoa...the bg takes me to wonderland (XD) but in a good way =) and i love the bg you did it all goes in perfectly together
2 years, 9 months ago
It is a very calming wallpaper!
2 years, 9 months ago
Yeh the vectoring was unfortunate, your concept is awesome and your technique is strong. Thanks for submitting afwells. +fav
2 years, 9 months ago
LOVELY very goood work :)
2 years, 3 months ago
The image you've selected is beautiful and expresses exactly what you mention in the description. That wish of freedom and the lonelyness. You colored it in a very nice way^^ and the background also is nice and makes an atmosphere of hope.
1 year, 1 month ago
i really like it, thank you very much !
1 month, 4 weeks ago
Cute angelic girl climbing the ladder,the clouds in the background are excellent,interesting art.