F.A.Q

How long have you been drawing/ When and why you begin to draw?
I’m drawing since I was little (since kindergarten time I think) because it brings me a lot of fun, and become my passion.
I drew a lot of animals and disney (but mostly animals like Lion King, or Dalmatians). I drew a tones of it and I flooded my teacher’s desks with gift pictures. I started to draw m&a when I was 13-14 when I’ve get my first computer and felt in love in sonic the hedgehog games series. I drew hunderets of pages of sonic doujinshi, and that was the beginning of my adventure with drawing comics (and single pictures).

What is your favourite part of the process - sketching, linearting, colouring, adding last touches, maybe designing or thinking about the picture?
I love to doodle. I have few layers of paper under my mouse and keyboard, and I’m scribbling there everything what will come to my mind. It’s very chaotic and rough, but also there is a place when some of ideas are born, and sometimes I’m drawing more detailed picture based on my scribbles.
I like designing, or finding a nice themes for my pictures.

What inspires you?
Almost everything. Even socks on my bed – then I’m deciding to draw for ex. My chara in fancy socks as the main theme of the picture. Also big influence has nature, food, it makes me think about new designs which I want to draw.

How old you are?
22 now, but not forever, so I will tell that I’m from 20 july 1988. (also there is information in my profile page).

What are your favorites artists?
I don’t have concrete fav artists. I rather like the concrete pictures form various artists.

What are your fav games?
On console I like to play pokemons, some cooking mama, also love Mario series (bowser inside story, Mario kart etc <3 ). On PC I like to play in economy/strategic/rpg games like roller coaster tycoon, ragnarok, icewind dale. I usually don’t play in games where are too much action, cause I’m a slowpoke, and can’t paly in it (there are some exceptions, or I need to be in mood). But I enjoy watching how my geek-sister is playing. We’re like to make lulz sometimes while playing.

Fav Movies?
I enjoy some movies, but my faves are mostly the most lolzy ones like kung-pow. Also like starwars (the old ones <3 )

Fav Music?
I enjoying most of Damon’s Albarn music, also the same with Imogen Heap. There is some love for Japanese music too – I like fantasy sounding music, the biggest pleasure for my ears are Yoko Kanno, some Sound Horizon, FictionJunction, see-saw, and many more.
Also like few single songs from various kinds.

Fav Manga/anime?
I’m not reading a lot mangas, but I started reading One Piece recently, and I like it a lot.
Also i'm watching DBZ kai with my sisters, cause we have so much fun and lulz <3

Did you take any art classes or are you mostly self taught?
I’m mostly learning by myself. But I was in public high school of art for 4 years. I learned few things there, but also I wasted a lot of potencial, cause I was lazy bum. Now I’m continuing learning by myself.

What is your favorite style of art? Favorite medium/tools to use?
I enjoy pieces from every styles. I enjoy looking at some realistic pictures, even if I don’t like to draw in this style, like photography (love national geographic ones, they are really inspiring <3) .
About tools, I like everything. Some of them are hard to use, or need a lot of effort, but results can be interesting. For lack of time, my fav one is tablet, for traditionals I like to use markers (letrasets, touch and copics)

Who is your favorite OC and why?
Emily, that’s because this character was created by giving her a lot of my own character. Some of her act is very similar to mine, also she has mostly the same interests, so I feel very comfortable with drawing her and her behavior. But also Emily =/= me, so do not judge me by her behavior, cause I also drawing her in situations acting like I’d never act like that.

Do you attend any conventions and if so, which ones and how often?/ Are there any conventions that you hope to attend in the future?
I’m going only to local conventions, because of my phobia. I also don’t go to the convention in other cities in my country, but I’m orking on it. I’m planning to go on Japan Expo someday. *scaredashell*

Chich flavour of icecream?
All sherbets, pistaccio and mint.

Are you more of a traditional artist or digital?
I like digitals more, cause they’re faster and has ctrl+z. But traditionals are awesome too. I love to draw both.

Is there anything that you find hard/tiring to draw?
Perspective, and architecture but I recently started to learn it. It’s hard and time consuming, but the effects are lovely. Also I’m still practicing feet and fabric folds. They’re hard indeed.

How you got such talent? And give a long answer, not only "practice". What do you think is the best advice to give to aspiring artists?
I can’t don’t tell about practice cause it’s true. Also a lot of patience. It’s like a rpg game – gain experience to get higher levels. It lasts years, but you will be satisfied after looking at 1-2 years older pieces. Also use references, models to learn catching proportions/anatomy. But don’t only draw lines – try to understand what you draw, how it’s built. Try to think in 3D. If you can’t draw hands, make 20-30 quick sketches of them in various poses each day, trying to understand their shape, curves and bends. Also don’t refuse constructive criticism – some of it may really helps. Practising needs a lot of time. I’m drawing about 7 years and still making mistakes and have problems, so don’t worry~

How much time do you take to do a simple sketch, before starting giving the details?
Depends on theme, composition or pose. It may takes from 20min to 2h (when I’m stuck)

How long does it usually take you to make a detailed sketch?
It depends, but including  concept sketch/doodle (which takes most time), and then tracing by lightbox it may takes 2-4h

You get the 'effects' (like the flowers on the backgroud, lights, stars...) from internet, you do them or download?
Both. Mostly I have them from free-brushes/patterns/textures sites, but I also made some of my own, like scanned some fabric or paper, or drew some brushes I’m using.

What are the normal steps/process for when you create manga pages?
First the storyboard. I’m doodling panels and compose the frames. Next I’m making the doodle of main page, next there is lineart, black spaces, screentones and text.
For some processes or tips you can visit my comic blog - meagocomics.wordpress.com/

What do you do to make your lineart so nice? Is it the tablet? What're your settings?
I’m drawing my lineart in paint tool sai by ink pen. It have usually x0.1 3-5 size. The canvas is A4 or A5 (~210x290; 210x148mm) and 300dpi. In photoshop I used 3px basic round brush.

what traditional art tools do you use and what's their brands?
Mechanical pencil 0.3, mix of various brand colored pencils, gouaches (sorry don’t know the brand D: )  Winsor&Newton brushes (000 size for tiny details), liners – sakura micron, millennium, copic multiliners, Ink and nib for traditional comics (various brands), letrastet markers, touch markers, copic markers, for digital wacom intuos3 A4 size (pentagram at this moment).

When is Meago Saga being printed in english?
It’s hard for me to answer that question. I have translation in plans for sure. But there is a lot of material, and I and my friend who helps me with translation have own lifes, and there are always things with bigger priority. But I’m thinking about it all the time, and I really hope that we could find some time or get an occasion to finnish it. At this moment only ½ of the first volume is translated (about 100 pages)

When is the next vol reids manga due out?
It depends on my life priorities. I’m trying to be active with this series as much as I can. But there are some delays, sometimes because of my lack of time/possibilities to draw it, also the same with translation. Please be patient, I won’t give up this project.

Why did you change from Reids Family to The reids?
I just think that The Reids is more simple than Reids Family. Also the logo was easier to do.

I live in other country, How Can i buy meago's mangas?
Meago Saga is available only in Poland, and I don't have own distribution of it yet.
My other publications and stuff is available by mail order from me. There is link to the more info all the time on the top of my journal.

Where do you print your books ? Is it a firm in Poland ?
Mainly, I'm printing and publishing my stuff by one of my friends who has m&a publishing house and internet store. He helped me with preparing the stuff for print, and ordering it in the print house. But also, there is an easy(?) way, to order the prints in print house by myself. Me and my friends who're publishing their stuff, searching in the internet for print house with the good prices and service, we need to prepare our stuff for print in good resolution etc (mostly in .pdf, and using indesign for it). Also we need to invest money in the certain amount of copies at first.