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| BrendanKeeley
BrendanKeeley
♂️
[1425440]
[2005-02-13 02:03:49 +0000 UTC]
"Brendan Keeley"
(United Kingdom)
# Statistics
Favourites: 591; Deviations: 322; Watchers: 209
Watching: 513; Pageviews: 63443; Comments Made: 6283; Friends: 513
# Interests
Favorite visual artist: PhizFavorite movies: Drop Dead Fred, The Nightmare before Christmass, Guys and Dolls...
Favorite bands / musical artists: Megumi Hayashibara
Favorite writers: HP Lovecraft
Favorite games: Currently, probably the Dawn of War series, but Starcraft is probably my all time favourite.
Favorite gaming platform: PC
Tools of the Trade: Pencil and pen.
Other Interests: Cartooning, ancient religions, radio shows from the 1940's
# About me
Current Residence: EnglandFavourite genre of music: Opera
Operating System: Windows XP
Shell of choice: Armour Piercing
Favourite cartoon character: Ran from Urusei Yatsura! "The memories keep coming... baaad memories..."
Personal Quote: "You just don't understand my genius!"
# Comments
Comments: 1411
Thankyou very much. I really appreciate you taking the time to message me like this. ^_^
I actually ended up having a very quiet birthday this year, but it was still very nice.
And how have you been? Has life been treating you suitably well recently?
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Sorry for not relpying quickly.
Depression hit me hard.
Currently I need to find a way to get to Sakura-con this year.
my friend is not going, she'd rather to to Everfree (pony con)
As for cosplays, I really want to try making something for a change.
Art wise. At a stand still.
I have to inspiration.
you?
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Sorry for not relpying quickly.
-- That’s okay. I realize that real life issues have to come first every now and then.
Depression hit me hard.
-- I’m sorry to hear that life has been treating you so rough recently. Do you want someone to talk things through with, or is this more of a personal matter you’d rather not share?
Currently I need to find a way to get to Sakura-con this year.
-- That’s rather unfortunate. I’m not really much of a con goer myself, but from what I gather it is common practice for people to go together in order to share the expenses, right?
-- Is there no local con you can go to? Or is there something specific about Sakura-con?
my friend is not going, she'd rather to to Everfree (pony con)
-- The pony fan base seems to still be gaining momentum, but I didn’t realize that it had gone as far as having specialized pony cons. You think there would be enough pony related goings on at any anime/comic con to keep people satisfied.
As for cosplays, I really want to try making something for a change.
-- That’s a good idea. I know several cosplayers, and it seems like they get as much fun out of actually making their costumes as the do from wearing them. It’s a big part of the hobby, and in many ways it’s an art form in it’s own rights.
-- If you’re feeling down, and a little lost art wise, perhaps taking up something new like making your own costumes is the way to go? Trying something new and exciting is often the best way to kickstart your imagination, and you did say it is something you’re already interested in trying.
-- Have you got any ideas for what costume you might like to start out on?
Art wise. At a stand still.
I have to inspiration.
-- That’s unfortunate. If you’re stuck, art wise, have you thought of expanding your horizons a little and trying something new?
-- It seems like a lot of your art is fanart featuring the same few characters/series over and over again, and while there’s certainly nothing wrong with that, your horizons do seem a little narrow.
-- Have you thought of trying fanart from a totally new series? Or trying a fan comic even?
you?
-- September’s usually pretty busy for me, art wise, since it‘s the start of the Christmas rush. All the card and Christmas illustration work I get commissioned to do needs to be started well in advance, so everything can be printed up and ready in time for December, which means I’ve been spending a lot of my time drawing Santas and Christmas trees recently.
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hehee.
It's okay. Talking about it usually maks things better.
But I've more or less cried it out o my system.
thanx anyways.
Yes there are local cons, but Sakura-con is the best.
It's a lot more fun. More Hellsing cosplayers. More Hellsing love.
And going out of the country is fun.
YES!, I don't know how I found out this charactr but I'm totally pumped!
The Next cosplay is Bayonetta, and it's going to be a challenge.
I've never played the game so I don't really know about the character.
I just might need to play it.
Art. Lol. It's just I don't feel like it at all. And if i don't fel like it, my art lacks.
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I just thought I’d take this opportunity to drop by to wish you a Merry Christmas, and all the best for the new year! ^_^
- Brendan
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hey thanx, and sorry for the very very late response.
It was okay.
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That's okay. Sometimes real life has to come first, especially over the holidays.
It's nice to see you back on DA again though. I particularly like this picture roxxi980.deviantart.com/art/Th… which you uploaded here recently. It seems to really tie into the Germanic tales that serve as such an influence for the character of RipVanWinkle. While we know next to nothing about the characters official past, it seems like a reasonable assumption that it might well involve all sorts of dark adventures in Germany's black forest, given the strong ties she has to Der Freischutz, coupled with the other Germanic connections she has.
Who knows, perhaps this is where she goes into the "wolf's glen" to forge her magic bullets. ^_^
I don't know how much of this you actually thought about when this picture was taken, but that's my first impression upon seeing it.
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It's okay. Talking about it usually maks things better.
But I've more or less cried it out o my system.
thanx anyways.
-- No problem. Glad to hear that you’re feeling a bit better. ^_^
Yes there are local cons, but Sakura-con is the best.
It's a lot more fun. More Hellsing cosplayers. More Hellsing love.
-- I’d have thought that Hellsing would be fairly well represented at most anime cons? While it might not be as popular and influential as something like Naruto, I was under the impression that it still had a reasonable following.
-- Perhaps the Hellsing subject matter is something of an acquired taste? You’re either into Nazi vampires eating one another, or you’re not, and there probably aren’t many people in between those two extremes.
-- What is it about Sakura-con that means it attracts more Hellsing fans than other cons? Or is it just bigger than the other cons, and attracts more of everyone?
And going out of the country is fun.
-- I guess you could sort of see it as a mini vacation, if you wanted to. A chance to really get away from everything for a while, and maybe see a few of the sites while you’re there, time permitting.
YES!, I don't know how I found out this charactr but I'm totally pumped!
The Next cosplay is Bayonetta, and it's going to be a challenge.
I've never played the game so I don't really know about the character.
-- If you’ve never played the game, and don’t know anything about the character, why do you want to cosplay her so much?
I just might need to play it.
-- That’s a good attitude to take! Nothing like a good excuse to buy more video games. ^_^
Art. Lol. It's just I don't feel like it at all. And if i don't fel like it, my art lacks.
-- I think everyone feels that way a bit. If you hearts not into something, you’re never able to put the same amount of effort into it. Artists in particular, just seem rather more susceptible than most to that sort of thing.
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No problem. You're very welcome. ^_^
It's certainly a very impressive piece of work. The idea is very simple, yet you've executed it very well.
You see a lot of themed pictures on DeviantArt, characters based on zodiac symbols, or various colors, or the seven deadly sins... and the artist inevitably has to walk the razor edged tightrope between it looking too over the top and silly, and it being to understated and not really standing out.
What you did in your picture, was create a costume that is very aesthetically pleasing and original. You managed to make something stand out enough to be interesting, without being too over the top to be taken seriously, and that's something I felt was worthy of recognition.
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No problem. ^_^
After seeing your latest picture, I thought it best to add you to the watch list.
I'm rapidly growing rather impressed with your versatility as an artist, and I feel that your work is certainly worth keeping an eye on.
Thanks for returning the favor, by the way. I appreciate the support. ^_^
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No problem. You're very welcome. ^_^
You're artwork is certainly coming along very well, and I felt that it was important to let you know that. As an artist myself, I know how much it can mean when you realize that all the hard work you've put in has been noticed and appreciated.
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Thank you so much!
I appreciate it a lot!
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No problem. You're very welcome. ^_^
You're artwork is certainly coming along very well, and I felt that it was important to let you know that. As an artist myself, I know how much it can mean when you realize that all the hard work you've put in has been noticed and appreciated.
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No problem. I'm curious to see what work you'll end up producing next. ^_^
Oh, and speaking of producing work, how's the new cosplay costume coming along? Have you decided what wig you're using yet? It's such an unusual character to be working on, that it can't help but be interesting to see what the end result is like.
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....cosplay,hm.
well, I'm going to get the dress make.
As for the wig. Well, It's still undecided.
I know, a lot people won't get who my character is. They'll just think I'm cosplaying a Cat girl.
But I really don't care.
As long as I'm happy. I guess
Are you a cosplayer?
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That’s suitably reassuring to know! I wouldn’t want to think that I was boring/annoying you with my meandering comments of seemingly exponential length. ^_^
--
I can see what you mean about your choice of cosplay. Given how much of cosplay seems to revolve around instantly recognisable characters, dressing as such an obscure figure might well be a somewhat unusual cosplay experience.
I think that this cosplay is probably one more suited to gaining it’s share of recognition on the internet however. While it may not have much appeal to the average anime fan ( who, to be fair, is very unlikely to even recognize the character ) it should be of much more interest to the online Hellsing community.
But, as you say, as long as you’re happy who cares what anyone else thinks of it.
--
Sadly no, I am not personally a cosplayer.
Cosplay isn’t really a big deal over here in England. Although anime conventions are starting to take root over here now, they are still somewhat unusual even among the anime community, and seen as more or an American/Japanese phenomenon.
Also, I’m not really much of a fan artist, so I wouldn’t really be that interesting in cosplaying as someone else’s character. I’m more interested in exploring my own artistic ideas than I am interested in re-interpreting other peoples.
I’ve got nothing against fanart, or fan artists, I just feel that I have somewhat outgrown it. I still draw the occasional bit of fanart for peoples birthdays, and that sort of thing, but that’s about it.
That said, I do have a soft spot for historical re-enactment, and would be much more inclined towards trying that at some point, time permitting.
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Well said.
(Sorry so short. Kind of busy at the moment)
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That's okay. I fully realize that it is unreasonable to always expect an in-depth reply, when you consider just how much I write. Not everyone has access to the same amount of free time that I enjoy, and it would be wrong of me to expect someone who's time is much more limited than my own to put the same degree of effort into a correspondence that I do.
Time is a finite resource, and one which must be be carefully rationed out on a case by case basis. I realize that occasionally real life just has to come first, and I respect you enough to recognize your right to distribute your time as you see fit, according to your individual needs.
With that said, thank you for letting me know where things stand, and here's hoping we can talk at more length at some more favorable time. ^_^
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Hehee, No problem.
Thanks for the chat.
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No problem.
Here's hoping we can get back to it at some point when we've got some more free time. I'm sure I could still write another several dozen pages discussing the minutia of the Hellsing Manga if given the chance. ^_^
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According to DA, today is apparently your birthday, so here’s wishing you happy birthday and many happy returns! ^_^
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No problem. You're very welcome. ^_^
Did you have a suitably decent birthday? Did you get anything nice?
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yep.
Didn't get that much.
but I still loved them all
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I know what you mean. It's the thought that counts.
By the way, is that a new avatar? It's good to see you're putting your new artwork to such good use. ^_^
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hehee.
The picture is Kouta's character Azmodeus.
And thanks.
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I thought it looked familiar, and to be honest, when dealing with you the list of potential candidates isn't particularly difficult to compile. ^_^
It seems like you've taken quite a shine to said character recently. Any news on the proposed cosplay outfit yet?
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Well , I guess I am taking a shine to that characer.
But Rip Van will always be my favorite.
I got my wig already, and as for the outfit.
I'm geting a comissioner to make it for me.
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To be fair to her though, Rip is a rather hard character to have to go up against in a popularity contest. ^_^
If you don't mind me asking, what is it about this new character that appeals to you so much? I can see why Rip has such appeal, she'll a fascinatingly original character, but what is it about Azmodeus that catches your attention? I'll admit that she has a pretty neat character design, artistically, but I'm not really sure what else she has going for her that would make her stand out from the crowd.
It's good to hear that your costume is coming along so well. It should turn out really well if you're able to get a commissioner to help make it.
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Well, for sure the character design is appealing.
I don't like what happens to her in the story, it's a bit much.
Maybe, because she's linked to schrodinger.
It's cute to think that Schro has a mother.
Kouta's dōjinshi characters are all cool in their own ways.
I think it's neat that he used his other characters from his dōjinshi and incorporated them into Hellsing.
Thanks! I can't wait til it's finished.
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Yes, it is certainly a very interesting character design. It's also very different from most of the other Hellsing character designs, which helps her stand out a little more. Most Hellsing characters seem to wear military uniforms, or at least have a very uniform feel to their designs ( which is fair enough, given the setting of the comic ) so Azmodeus' costume seems very feminine and elegant in comparison, with it's soft flowing lines and lack of sharp edges and bulging pockets.
Compared to Alucard, who's hat, trench coat and gun once again fail to make him stand out from the crowd in any way beyond that of a piece of hay trying to stand out in a haystack, it's no wonder that Azmodeus' design is so eye catching.
You're right, her back story isn't exactly nice, but then Kouta isn't really know for doing "nice" in his comics. While Azmodeus may have to suffer through more than her fair share of unfortunate circumstances, it's not like the other characters aren't being shot, ripped limb from limb and eaten on a regular basis.
That said, Azmodeus' situation is bad right the way through the story, so in that sense she has things much worse than most. While Rip may meet an unfortunate end, she at least get's her moment in the proverbial sun ( not literally of course, what with the whole vampire thing ) before things start going wrong.
You're right, it is something of a twist that "Schro" has a mother. I guess that all the characters must have had mothers at some point, but none of them really feature in the story. Integra's family get some screen time, but most of them only plot against her and then try to kill her, so it's not really giving off much of a sense of "happy families". While her father seems to care for her, having him gruesomely murdered before her eyes probably racks up enough childhood trauma points to last a lifetime anyway.
The other side of the "Schrodinger's mother" aspect is somewhat less favorable to her though, since it makes her more of a foil character for Schrodinger, rather than a character in her own right. It's like how Kanga is simply "Roo's mother", and isn't portrayed as having much of a life or personality that goes beyond that. The perspective is definitely that she's his mother, rather than he's her son, and that makes her seem much less developed as a character as a result, being almost an extension of her son's character rather than a person in her own right.
Anyway, the whole mother angle does bring something new to Hellsing, and it doesn't make the setting seem much more well rounded. Part of the problem with having a story focused around ancient, mysterious vampires means that no one really has much of a back story, so having a character with a very distinctive beginning makes a big change to the overall feel of the setting, at least in the way I interpret it.
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That was a lot to take in.
It seems you do have a point with your example of Roo and Kanga.
You have given me a new angle, on the subject.
Hm, the last paragraph is something that I have thought of.
Having known the back story of the other characters besides the main protagonists, is very interesting. It's neat reading Kouta's dojinshi then reading/ watching Hellsing. Because he did incorporated them into Millennium. You could say that it's there back story.
I've only read 2 of then, but I'm still planning to read more of them. Like the one for the Captain.
Also, I'm just expanding my fandom.
I feel, and I'm pretty sure my friends think that I have only talk, cosplay, watch, read, breathe Hellsing and are sick of it. Heh, Do you have any recommendations for Anime, TV series, Cartoons that I could occupy myself with?
(My little pony is out of the question.)
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I can see why you might find it quite a lot to take in all at once. I certainly have a habit of writing at length, when given the chance.
I guess that‘s the risk one has to take when you give me the opportunity to talk about so many interesting things. ^_^
As for Roo and Kanga, that’s just a prominent example of the phenomena. A lot of characters in stories derive a lot of their role simply via their relationship to other characters. In a sense, Kanga is merely an extension of Roo’s role in the story, like an accessory or item he happens to have.
I’m not trying to do Kanga down though, and I think that what personality she did develop was quite a nice one. She may have started out as Roo’s generic mother, but she did develop beyond that, at least to some extent.
Azmodeus however, still seems to be stuck in that “Schrodinger’s mother” stage, where she has yet to break free and establish an identity in her own right. That could just be because she hasn’t had enough screen time to really develop as a character, although it could also be a limitation in her scope as a character. She has potential, certainly, but I feel that is all she has at the moment.
Ironically, in Hellsing it seems to be the main characters about whom we actually know the least. Both Alucard and Alexander have little to nothing of their past reviled for much of the series, and in many ways neither of them has much of a personality either. It seems like in Hellsing, the more screen time you get, the less interesting you are allowed to be. While we don’t know much about Rip’s past either, she at least has a personality with it’s own quirks and charms, as opposed to just being “man with gun who shoots people”. While she starts off blank as a character, she develops as a person really quickly, revealing all sorts of hidden charms in rapid succession, as opposed to living in a perpetual state of bland.
Perhaps some of this is simply because the author felt he could take bigger risks with the minor characters, and allowed them to be a bit more extravagant personality wise as a result? Some of them turned out a lot better than others, sure, but it does seem that the real creativity of the setting lies around it’s proverbial edges.
You’re right, you could say that the doujinshi is Azmodeus’ back story, although I would still view it first and foremost as Schrodinger’s back story. It shows where Schrodinger comes from, and while it does reveal some of Azmodeus’ past as well, it really feels more like a link in the Schrodinger chain, rather than a separate storyline in it’s own right.
A story really needs a beginning ( which is not necessarily the real beginning ) and an end, where as the Azmodeus doujin feels more like an event, rather than a story in it’s own rights. It’s a narrow window, showing one little bit of the character, almost like a still shot showing a small ( although important ) part of her life. Put that one still shot with the rest of Schrodinger’ s other shots however, and you start to get a little series with a beginning, middle and end.
Do you know how many hellsing doujin Kouta made? I’ve only really heard of a couple, but from what you said you indicated that there were a lot more of them out there.
I don’t think I’ve ever really seen you as someone who only talks, cosplay and Hellsing. It’s true that you only really show a certain side of yourself on DA, but that’s okay. There is a tendency on the internet for people to present only one side of themselves to the public, and that’s to be expected. It can be hard to put so much of your personal life online for everyone to see, so I don’t really blame you for not putting more of yourself on display than you are comfortable with.
In regards to broadening your horizons, series wise, I might be able to help. I’d probably need to know a little more information first though. What sort of things are you looking for? Action? Comedy? What is it about Hellsing that appeals to you? Are you looking for something like it, or something very different from it?
And don’t worry, I’m not a my little pony fan either. ^_^
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No problem. I thought it was a really nice picture, and it deserved another +fav.
The pencil shading was really smooth, and everything blended together very well into a coherent picture, which can be hard to do with pencils if you're not careful.
While it's up to you how you work, I think you're showing a real aptitude for pencil work here, and I would take advantage of that if I were you.
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Wow, thank you! I'll keep that in mind!
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No problem. ^_^
Obviously you don't have to try anything you don't want to, but it might be worth bearing in mind.
Also, while we're on the subject of pencil shading, have you ever thought of trying colored pencils? Given your proficiency with the standard version, it might be worth expanding your repertoire a little if you get the chance.
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^///^ Yeah, but they're the Crayola colored pencils I've had since the sixth grade XD
I've also used markers (better quality ones, thank God), but it didn't really end too well o3o
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I think that most of us end up hording an ever expanding collection of old art materials. I've still got some of the acrylic paints that I had when I was taking my exams. As long as they still work, it doesn't really matter how old they are.
Oh dear. I'm sorry to hear that said foray into marker art didn't go so well. What went wrong?
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Oh, good to know I'm not alone on that one!
I just didn't really know how to use them, and I ended up making a huge mess XP
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Don't worry. You're certainly not the only one. I would imagine that a lot of artists end up collecting an eclectic range of artistic tools over the course of their careers.
I often find myself holding onto old paints and things "in case they prove useful one day", and given how much of art is about having the right tool for the right job, it seems like a reasonable attitude to take.
That's a rather unfortunate end result, but I shouldn't let it put you off too much. As you said, the problem was due largely to inexperience, so with a bit of practice you should figure out how to get a good end result from your markers.
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Btw, I'm trying write a novel online on this blog: [link]
if you interested in doing a comic or illustration for the story I am writing let me know!
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I'm afriad that depends very much on weather you are willing to pay me anything for doing so.
My day job is working as a professional illustrator, so I certainly have plenty of experience when it comes to illustrating stories. It does however, also mean that I can't really afford to spend time doing so without some sort of financial recompence.
If you are looking to commission some illustrations, then feel free to e-mail me, or send me a DA note, and we can discuss prices.
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That's alright I changed my mind.
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