SOUZOU²

Gotta love Open Source

admin — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:04:07 +0000

It looks like there’s been a major update to Ren’Py, the framework SOUZOU² will be using for Tanjoubi Purezento and other games. The really exciting news is that this update introduces GPU-accelerated graphics. Meaning that the high quality full-screen animation that I wanted to implement in TanPure is more feasible. The new graphics engine also supports arbitrary graphics scaling and window resizing, while maintaining the original aspect ratio. I can’t wait to really dig into the new version!

A Present Of Sorts

admin — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 02:43:03 +0000

After a stretch of inactivity, progress has started back up on SOUZOU²’s first project. The project, is a game; ‘Tanjoubi Purezento!‘ (Or ‘TanPure’ for short), which will be a Japanese-style adult adventure game for Windows, Mac, and Linux computer platforms. Writing is progressing, with the story a lot more fleshed out now (So to speak) and ideas for the visuals developing. The initial idea was committed to .txt nearly two years ago.

Inactivity

admin — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:22:55 +0000

Not much going on lately, I’ve been busy with electronics projects which I will link to later. Haven’t been drawing much, just bought extension cables for my Cintiq so I can use it more comfortably.

Right now, I’m working on new category icons for Tokyo Toshokan. It’s worth mentioning that Edward_K, who runs TT, also very generously loaned me the $2000 for the Cintiq way back when.

IS get!

admin — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:00:56 +0000

So, I haven’t had much to say recently, having various non-art-related tasks and undertakings lately. Today though, I bought a great drawing program. IllustStudio from Celsys, makers of ComicStudio. It has a lot of the features of ComicStudio, is geared more towards full-color work, has many NEW features, and costs about as much as a new videogame, as opposed to ComicStudio’s $300+ pricetag. Currently it’s Japanese-only, though there are some simple translation hacks out there….within a couple months of its release. (That should give you some idea how popular this program is!)

Anyway, more later! (Maybe actually kinda.)

GDIAF

admin — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 17:29:24 +0000

Swift (from #moe), Liru (from #mistakesofyouth, and now #moe), and myself have latched on to the idea of anthropomorphising some of the things I say to tell off stupid people on IRC. We have started with ‘Go Die In A Fire’-tan. A young girl, dressed in black clothes that incorporate a flame motif, and carrying or utilizing some means of making fire and burninating things. (A flamethrower, a giant match, a flame-spewing mechanical horror, etc.)

My character drawing ability lags rather far behind Swift’s so mostly I’ve taken up a more conceptual and art direction-oriented role in the images so far, though I was involved in the mechanical design of a flamethrower, which I drew for one of Swift’s character designs. All in all, I’d say we’re having a lot of fun. I’m also getting the hang of using SAI, which is really fantastic.

Later, I’ll put up a gallery of what we’ve done so far.

Soon to be open to the public.

admin — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 16:19:38 +0000

So… Site design nailed down, just a few more tweaks to really make it ‘home’. How does everyone like it so far?

As I said in my introduction, I can’t really draw all that well— something I am working on —so I hope to gather other like-minded individuals (Hopefully with better drawing ability.) and set us upon various goals.

At any rate, I’m going to put together a front landing page and disclaimer, and the site will be effectively open for business, so to speak.

バカも一芸の自己紹介 – Bakamoichigei’s Self-Introduction

admin — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 19:45:20 +0000

Greetings everyone,
I’m Bakamoichigei, also commonly called ‘Baka-chan’ or just ‘Baka’. I am the founder— and currently the only member —of SOUZOU². I take my pen-name from the Japanese idiomatic expression 「馬鹿も一芸」 meaning ‘Even a fool has one talent’.

While I can’t draw very well, I am a competent graphic designer, photographer, and 3D modeler. I also do a lot of writing, hopefully a lot of it will make it into future projects. I have some great ideas.

I am also a tinkerer, designer, and all-around damn smart guy. (And oh-so-humble!)

I have 15 years of experience with Adobe Photoshop, and I’m hell-on-wheels in Illustrator. I’m also fairly good with Newtek Lightwave 3D, and have a good ten years experience with that package.

As a rule, I tend to listen to music while I’m working. Usually one of two big playlists; ‘ASIAN KUNG-FU GENERATION’ or ‘the pillows’. But I occasionally throw on some random music that I’m in the mood for.

Some of my favorite artists include:
Range Murata (Character, mecha, and costume designer. Most notably of Last Exile)
Junji Ohkubo (Mechanical designer. Most notably of Steel Battalion)
OKAMA (Character designer, all manner of thing.)
Yoshitoshi ABe (Artist, designer, creator. Notable works include Lain, and Haibane Renmei)
Kozaki Yusuke (Character designer, No More Heroes, Speed Grapher)

The sorts of projects I am interested in pursuing include animation, comics, and games. Some of my ambitions include being able to sell something I have made at Comiket. It’d be nice if everyone absolutely loved it, too…but a lot of the things I create, I create for me. Whether it be a visual novel, a short story, or a comic…I make it because I want to see my story told that way. And hopefully, others can derive enjoyment from it as well.

Anyway, look forward to lots of good things here in the future!

—Bakamoichigei

Welcome!

admin — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 08:58:35 +0000

そうぞう (so)(u)(zo)(u) Souzou, a Japanese word that can be written a couple different ways, with different meanings.

When written one way, 「創造」 it means ‘creation’.
When written with different characters, 「想像」 it means ‘imagination’.
Both words are phonetically identical, using the same four syllables.

Thus, そうぞう² or SOUZOU².
Creation and Imagination.