Influence map

Hello again !

So, from what I understood by reading the description, this map is a tool made by oneself, for oneself, like a patchworked motivational poster. Right ? I could use one right now so...
There are so many things I could put up there…

Done.

Now how about I explain a little ? You’ll get to know a lot about me through this and maybe appreciate my art in a different way. Who knows…

A - This combines a few things. First, it's an "at night" pic, mostly the time of day when I start to “live”, when I draw/work best. It has a special mood, reminds me of old anime series such as City Hunter, Sailormoon, Fushigi Yûgi, Aishite Night and such... (even if it comes from Naruto, please don't see much in that... -_-"). I lived in Japan when I was 3 or so and back then those series would be on TV. I know my mom used to leave me in front of Japanese TV, and it had to be of great influence since, several times now, I “recognized” some shows I thought I had never seen before. (I’m not sure I’m saying this right, my English is a bit rusty.)
It's also a restaurant on the picture, it reminds me how much I love Japanese food and how it always gets me in a good mood. (It's decided, today I cook ramen ! X3)

B - Milo, my cat. Now this is a story that deserves to be told. All my childhood years, I wanted a cat. But since we travelled so much, we couldn’t keep any pets. 2 years ago, I decided to settle down in France for a while, thus giving me the opportunity to have... a cat (I now have a cat and 2 huge dogs <3).
So, my little sister went on a week-end trip to a friend of a freind's farm and came back with this very WILD yet beautiful kitten. It was love at first sight (well, on my side that is). That tiny orange hairball was brave enough to stand up to our first (still huge) dog. This cat was no ordinary cat. He's still much of an amazing cat, he doesn't like to show he cares, he runs away from EVERYONE... except me.
I took such care of him when he was young, I was patient, I raised him as a dog x3 (whenever I want to see him, I just call his name and he comes along, he can fetch stuff and we even have cute conversations from time to time, meow !)… he must think of me as his mother.
How is this an influence ? Easy. Whenever I’m feeling gloomy, I just have to pick him up and as he starts to purr, I feel so loved by that VERY independent creature that it gives me the strength to do anything.
The day I find a boyfriend that makes me feel as good as that, I marry him.

My cat’s adventurous life in the jungle of our backyard also inspired a couple of short stories and is the theme of a few of my deviations.


C – Arts & crafts material. As I started a business selling art supplies, I searched for reference pics to get an idea on how to organize my store.
When the project failed for lack of financing, I was devastated. It has been almost 6 months now and I’m just starting to rethink the project and find the strength to start over in a different way. Never give up on your projects. If they fail, it’s okay, you can always find a way to rebuild on top. For me, it was drawing again. Drawing made me realize how much this was important to me.
Looking at all that colorful paper makes me realize how bad I want to see this through. I will build myself an empire and live off my passion : drawing.

D - Matsumoto Leiji, at work. This pic makes me laugh. I love to see great artists in their natural habitat.

E – Emma Peel. I remember watching The Avengers when I was a kid and I promised myself to grow up to become as elegant and confident as that character. This is still true.

F – Okane Ga Nai, my favorite yaoi story. I like to read manga scans when I have a little time.
Reading is always a good way to rid your mind of stress and just have a good time.
Generaly, when I’m done, I just HAVE to draw something. I feel oppressed if I can’t.

G – Now this is something important. Whenever I don’t know what to draw, I browse the net in search for ideas. I think *pandabaka is today the artist I look up to the most. Not only is she talented but she’s kind and willing to share her knowledge with outstanding tutorials. Thankyou !
Artists I visit to find inspiration : …

H – Disney ! I was fed classic Disney motion pictures everyday when I was a kid. It has had an influence on my way of life and art, I think.

I – I hate Bleach almost as much as I loved Zombie Powder. Too bad Tite Kubo had to stop that first story because the audience didn’t like it. I remember, I first read this when I was starting to draw. It had a huge influence on my drawing style.

J – I spent 2 years and a half studying art history after high-school. The classics can be motivating too. I felt the urge to paint or draw after certain classes.

K - Indiana Jones. I wanted to be him almost as much as I wanted to be Emma Peel.
Plus, my father looked just like Sean Connery in this particular role. I had a strong bond with my dad. His death changed my life forever, unlike Indi, I couldn’t find the cup to save his life in time but I held his hand and stood beside him till the end.
This picture motivates me to treasure my past and never forget how strong I had to be to go through it. When you survive things like that, you can never feel weak again, no matter what.
If I manage to write a story and design an original manga one day, it’ll have to be filled with exciting adventures ! That’s the way I choose to live my life, thus the way I choose to draw.

L - Yû Watase. My favorite professional manga artist. Reading her stories, her tutorials, looking at her pictures just gives me wings. I want to be as good as her and one day, with hard work, I will.

M - M for Music. I cannot draw, live, without a bgm… I listen to many different styles of music; classical, pop, ost, rock, techno, electro, acoustic…
This picture, is not only breath-taking with vivid colors and sexy figure, but it also reminds me of Daft Punk, my all time (French ) favorite music gods.
Original deviation :

Well ! this was LONG. I hope you found the courage to read it all. I will see by your comments if you did.
Original sheet :