Riniapple

Japanese Canadian Illustrator & Webcomic Creator ✿ ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ

[riniapple]

Hi everyone! Long time no post (๑>◡<๑) As some of you are aware, I have been working steadily towards the release of my webcomic, “Heart on a Stale Canvas”. I announced in my most recent YouTube video that I am aiming to have my comic up on Webtoon the first weekend of October. At that time, I would like to hold an art print + sticker giveaway to celebrate the release of my webcomic and hitting 10k subs on YouTube ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆ I really hope you are all looking forward to it!!

Today I am sharing with you all a couple of panels from Heart on a Stale Canvas. “I’m so proud of you” 🥹💕 Yes, YOU. For getting up each morning and continuing to move forward despite how difficult things may be in your life. If you’ve been moving steadily towards reaching your goals, I am proud of you. If you’ve been taking teeny tiny baby steps, I am proud of you. If you’ve been in a rut and have been taking some time to stop and recharge, I am proud of you. If you are lost and are trying to find yourself, I am proud of you. If you are an artist, bravely sharing your work with the world, I am proud of you. I hope you are proud of yourself tooヽ(；▽；)ノ💕 Sending lots of love and light to all of you lovely humans!

Until next time!

[riniapple]

Hi everyone (о´∀`о) I hope you’ve all had a lovely week so far.

I’ll be honest, I’ve been feeling a bit overwhelmed lately. There is so much I dream of doing when it comes to my art and yet, so little time. I’ve been pushing myself very hard to work on my webcomic, YouTube videos, and other illustration projects whenever I’ve managed to find a spare moment, but it’s been tough. There is still so much I want to do but I can feel myself becoming quite exhausted. It actually makes me quite sad…

I’ve been thinking a lot about putting more time into my art. This intense longing. It’s such a scary feeling. But how lucky I am to have something that makes me feel so alive.

Only time will tell.

[riniapple]

Hi everyone!! ☆〜（ゝ。∂） Long time no post!! I’ve been on vacation the last few weeks travelling around Europe!

I haven’t had much time to work on my comic / art / YouTube because of all the travelling (I think I’ve been hopping locations once every 2-3 day??) but I haven’t stopped thinking about my art, not for one second. I cant wait to pick back up and finally start posting my comic on #webtooncanvas !! ♪(๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)♪

Today I am sharing with you a couple of my favorite panels from a page I completed right before I left on my trip. I really hope you like them (^｡^)

Until next time!!

[riniapple]

Hi everyone! (*´꒳`*)ノ Happy Thursday! I hope you’re all having a lovely week so far💕

Today I am posting something a little bit different. I don’t normally post pictures of myself, but I thought it’d be nice to share a screen capture I took from my most recent YouTube video project — filming myself creating an entire comic page from start to finish live over 9 hours ･:*+.\(( °ω° ))/.:+ I know I know!! It all sounds a bit crazy, and this definitely won’t be a normal thing for me to do moving forward (trust me), but I thought it’d be super cool to have something like this up on my YouTube since I haven’t been able to find anything quite like it yet online — a friend to work on your comic with and to share along in the entire process the whole day.

I know this video will certainly not be everyone’s cup of tea, but if it makes at least one person feel a little less lonely in their comic-making endeavours, then I’ll be happy with it (о´∀`о)

Until next time!

[riniapple]

Hi everyone!! ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ I hope you all had a lovely weekend!

It feels like it’s been a little while since I last posted. I promise that I’ve been working steadily towards to release of “Heart on a Stale Canvas” (*≧∀≦*) I’ve also been putting together a *verrrrryyyy* long video project that’s been taking a bit of extra time (x_x;;) I’m hoping to have it up on YouTube by tomorrow! *crossing my fingers*

Today I am sharing with you a work-in-progress shot from the most recent comic page I’ve been working on. This was my favorite panel from the page ( ´ ▽ ` ) I think this is one of the first scenes where Hina feels comfortable enough to let out a bit of her frustration. I’m totally here for it! |(￣3￣)|

Until next time!

[riniapple]

Hi everyone! ♪( ´▽｀) Happy Saturday! I hope you’re all having a lovely week so far ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡

I was planning on filming a video for YouTube today, but the lighting has been pretty bad because of some pretty heavy overcast which doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon. I think the Universe *might* be trying to tell me to take a bit of a break this weekend, especially since I’ve been going at my illustrations, YouTube, and work pretty hard lately (x_x;;) I hope you can all understand (>.<;;)

On the bright side! I do have a panel to share from the most recently completed page from my webcomic, “Heart on a Stale Canvas”. This establishing shot was my favourite panel for sure (^｡^)💕 I may get started on thumbnails and sketches for page 6 later today… or maybe I’ll play some Animal Crossing(??) ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ We’ll see…

Until next time!!

[riniapple]

Hi everyone! (*´꒳`*) Happy Monday!! I hope you’re staying cool and hydrated in this sweltering summer heat _(:3 」∠)_ It seems the heat wave that has hit my city isn’t letting up anytime soon.

Today I am sharing with you all something a bit different than usual!! Do you recognize this character by chance? Does the word “meatball head” ring a bell ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)?? Hehehe, that’s right — it’s Sailor Moon!

After reflecting on my childhood influences in my recent Story Time video on YouTube, I felt inspired to take a brief step away from working on my comic to make some long-overdue fan art of Sailor Moon! This was an absolute joy to make!! I decided to choose my own outfit for her, rather than put her in her usual sailor uniform. I think it turned out wonderfully!

If any of you are interested in my drawing process, I have it all documented in my most recent YouTube video! Please feel free to give it a watch if you’re curious ☆〜（ゝ。∂）　*Link in bio*

(Wow, look at me being an social-media-savvy 🤣)

Until next time!

[riniapple]

Hello everyone╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ Happy Sunday! I hope your week is going well so far and that you are staying cool in this summer heat ☀️

Today I am sharing with you something a bit different! This is actually an image I put together as a thumbnail for my most recent YouTube video where I share some character design tips and showcase all of my character reference sheets from my comic, “Heart on a Stale Canvas”. It was so cool to see all of my characters come together in one image（≧∇≦） 💕 So I thought I’d share this image here as well (>~<)

It’s just starting to hit me how *real* this comic is starting to become. It started off as just a rough sketch of a character that I didn’t even know would be apart of this story. And now, I am nearing the completion of my 4th comic page! I can’t wait to finally share what I’ve been working on! I hope you’re all looking forward to its release on Webtoon （＾Ｏ＾☆♪

Until next time!

[riniapple]

Good morning everyone! ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ Happy Wednesday!! I hope you’re all able to soak up this sunny summer morning 🌻 (At least here, where I live! ^ A ^;;)

Today I am sharing with you a photo of a page of lineart I recently finished for my comic, “Heart on a Stale Canvas”. With this project, I’ve decided that I’d like to hand-draw both the bubbles and the text to create this sort of cohesive homemade, analog look throughout this comic despite this being all digital art. It takes a bit of extra work, but I think it’s well worth the effort. I think these sorts of hand-drawn details make the comic feel a lot more personal and charming! (о´∀`о)

I’m especially proud of this page since the panels were quite busy with dialogue, backgrounds, and characters. It took a bit longer than it usually takes to lineart a page, but I think it turned out quite well! Now, on to coloring! ٩( 'ω' )و

[riniapple]

Hi everyone! ╰(*´︶`*)╯♡ I hope you’re all having a lovely Tuesday!

Today I’m just sharing a super simple line art drawing from a panel of my comic, “Heart on a Stale Canvas”. I’ve now moved on to coloring, so I’m working steadily on that ٩(^‿^)۶

As some of you may know from my most recent video and my stories, I’ve been procrastinating a bit on producing these pages. It’s been a while since I’ve undertaken such a big project. I’m still trying to figure out how to best build a habit of sticking to a regular comic-making schedule.

Right now, I’ve been drawing pretty consistently during the first hour of the day and during my 45 minute lunch break. However, it’s when I get home after work that I’d like to spend more time on it x_x;; I think I’m just struggling a bit with the fatigue that comes with working from 9-5. Most days the last thing I feel like doing after work is sitting down at my desk to do more “work”. I’m really trying not to think of my project this way. I’d really like to think of it as “play” instead! I’m hoping to get in at least another hour or two after work every day, leaving my weekends free to take a proper break.

I’m gonna give myself a nice pat on the back today though for drawing after work! Baby steps! The more I repeat this behaviour, the easier it will become 💕

Until next time! (●´ω｀●)

[riniapple]

Hi everyone! I hope you’re doing well (o^^o) It’s been a little while since I last posted, but I promise I haven’t forgotten about my comic! I’ve been busy writing and editing my story.

This week I finally started thumb-nailing the first few pages. The process has been a bit slow since I’m still trying to figure out my workflow, but progress is being made! Today I finished the very first page of “Heart on a Stale Canvas”. After playing around with some stylistic choices, I finally managed to finish illustrating this page. I’ve stayed true to the color scheme I decided on a few months ago, keeping the palette very calm and minimal. I’ve also made a point of using a slightly larger pencil size to avoid getting toooo into the details, especially for those pesky establishing shots (> A <) Sometimes I find it hard to stop myself from over-rendering each panel, but I’ve gotta keep reminding myself that most people don’t spend more than a second looking at each one!

Overall, I’m pretty pleased with how the first page turned out. I wanted to share with you the first few panels of my story just to give you a bit of a taste of what’s to come! I really hope you like it (＞人＜;)

[riniapple]

Hi everyone! Long time no post ( ´∀｀)

Today I am sharing with you all an illustration I’ve been picking away at over the last few weeks. I haven’t had much time to draw with all the travelling and with work, but I tried my best to find a few minutes here and there to work on this. It’s an illustration of Hina and Kei eating ice cream on a beautiful summer day. The sun is out and the birds are singing. Flowers line the streets and a lush tree provides the perfect shady spot for the two to enjoy their summer treats.

I tried to stick to the limited palette I’ve chosen for the comic, so this illustration took a bit of finicking around with to get the colors, light, and shadow to look the way I wanted it to. I’m pretty happy with the way it turned out.

Fun question for you all! What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Mine’s hands down salted caramel. Mmmm 😋🍦

[riniapple]

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all having a lovely week so far ╰(´︶`)╯

Today I am sharing with you something a little different than what I’ve shared in recent months. This is the first full illustration I’ve made for the comic I’m planning on making. I’ve decided on the title, “Heart on a Stale Canvas”.

This illustration is of Hina heading out early in the morning. She’s probably off to work or maybe to run some errands. The sun is still coming up, gradually illuminating the sleepy city. I imagine the sound of birds singing and the occasional car passing by. It’s a bit chilly out, so Hina’s got her favorite red scarf on. I had a lot of fun playing around with light and shadow in this early morning cityscape (o^^o)

I’ve yet to start thumbnailing for the actual comic, but I’m certain I’ll start working on them shortly. For now, I’ll play around with making illustrations of my characters until I’m happy with my story outline.

Until next time!

[riniapple]

Good morning everyone! Happy Sunday (and Father's Day)! I hope you’ve all had a lovely week so far (о´∀`о)

Today I am sharing with you the *final* character sheet I’ve created for the comic I am planning on making. This character’s name is Mitsu, a.k.a Mom, and she is the mother of Hina and her little sister Himari. Mitsu is strong-willed, a bit hardheaded sometimes, and full of love for her two daughters. It’s tough being a single mom of two, but Mitsu always finds a way to look on the bright side.

That marks the end of my character creating endeavours for this comic! I’ve had so much fun putting these sheets together and getting to know the quirks of each of my characters. Now that I’ve completed these designs, I’m thinking about what to do moving forward. My story outline is just about completed, but I’d still like to let the story simmer before committing pen to paper. I’m certain there are a few sections that could use some reworking and shuffling around.

In the meantime, I’d like to work on some promotional art for my comic! Art of my characters interacting with each other and the world that I’ve created. I think this will also allow me some time to better understand how my characters and world will look illustrated all together. I’m hoping to use some of these illustrations as cover art for my webcomic as well (*'▽'*) I already have a concept in mind for my first illustration and can’t wait to get started on it.

Until next time! ☆〜（ゝ。∂）

[riniapple]

Hi everyone! Happy Thursday (°▽°)/

Today I am sharing with you a new character sheet I created for the comic I am planning on making. This character’s name is Miyu and she is a classmate from Hina’s middle school. Miyu is best friends with Seina and is nearly always by her side. Unknown to Seina, Miyu has a bit of a crush on Hiro. Though, she won’t admit it.

I believe that is character sheet #12 that I’ve completed! One more left before I’ve created character sheets for all of the characters of note for my story. It’s been a journey, but I’m glad I’ve taken the time to make all of these. They’ll come super in handy when I get to working on the actual comic.

Until next time! (●´ω｀●)

[riniapple]

Hi everyone! Happy Wednesday! I’m feeling a bit better after fighting through a pretty rough flu. I can't wait to get back into the swing of things again (^｡^)

Today I’m sharing with you all a new character sheet I made for the comic I’ve been planning on making. This character’s name is Seina and she is a classmate from Hina’s middle school. Seina is not only popular, but she is the top student in Hina’s year. Hina admires Seina a lot and would love for Seina to want to be her friend. At the same time, Hina can’t help but feel a bit of envy towards her.

I have two more characters sheets that I’d like to make before I start working on my comic. I’ve been writing and re-writing sections of my story whenever I find a spare moment— on the train to work, in the evenings before I sleep, in the mornings before I head out for the day — I’ve just about finished it aside from a few scenes that I’ve yet to flesh out a bit more. I can’t wait to get started on it (*^ω^*)

Until next time!

[riniapple]

Hi everyone! Happy Friday (^○^) I hope you’ve all had a great week so far!

Today I am sharing with you a new character sheet I’ve created for the comic I’ve been planning on making. This character’s name is Hiro and he is another classmate from Hina’s middle school. Hiro is very well-liked by his classmates. He’s especially popular with the girls ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°) I wonder what Hina thinks of him…

I have two more classmates from Hina’s middle school that I’d like to make character sheets for and one more for a character that has yet to be revealed on my instagram page.

Until next time! ☆〜（ゝ。∂）