Sakura Wars Series

After a long time I'm back again!

I stopped walling for a while because of mainly two reasons:

1) I was very busy studying for my University exams and I could devote hardly any time to the projects I wanted to make.

2) I can say somehow I had lost the inspiration and motivation when I had to make wallpapers/vectors. Whenever I had time in my hands I want to wall something, at least a PNG but everything I made I didn't like it. I mean things didn't turn out to be the way I wanted so I feel very frustrated with myself :(

However, I decided that I had to try to make a vector and I found this lovely scan

To tell you the truth I wasn't very sure about this project because I thought the scan I chose was quite difficult to vector. But then I started vectoring the image and I realised I was doing pretty well. I made the vector in Illustrator and then I added the shadows and highlights in Photoshop. You can see the process here. Then I continued with the background (this is the first time I draw an entire background with my digital tablet and I know, perhaps it's not very realistic but what I wanted to make was just an interesting landscape for the character. I really had fun making it!:3). Again, you can see the process here. The grass that is behind the cherry tree is actually a photograph of a landscape.

About the title... well I took it from an episode of Oh! My Goddess's series (I know it's not very original but I think it really suitable for the scene).

Textures and patterns: I always try to make my vectors quite different from the original scans because I want to add my own style to them. I think textures give an unique touch.

Kimono's patterns

pattern 1 http://www.the-oro.com/masterpiece/137.jpg
pattern 2 http://patterns.ming-ling.net/blueroundflowers_lg.jpg
pattern 3 (photoshop pattern)

Credits

Eyes http://mree.deviantart.com/art/Coloring-Eyes-in-Photoshop-29300384

Kimono http://cfraser.deviantart.com/art/Photoshop7-Clothing-Patterns-3896809

Sky http://jocarra.deviantart.com/art/Jen-s-Star-Tutorial-27844160

Tree http://calisto-lynn.deviantart.com/art/tree-tutorial-part-2-87673091

Cherry blossoms http://kaze-hime.deviantart.com/art/Kaze-Hime-s-BLOSSOM-TUTORIAL-32383993

Moon http://sd-dreamcrystal.deviantart.com/art/SD-s-Moon-Tutorial-32479647

Grass http://sadir89.deviantart.com/art/Grass-tutorial-81436446

character's process

background's process

Original version

Making vectors/wallpapers is a real challenge for me because I'm learning how to use softwares like Illustrator or Photoshop and I really hope I can improve in my next wallies. I think this wallpaper took me a month an a half or so. I put so much effort on it so I hope you like it.