...but why does it always feel like one? We're all competing, jealous bastards and 99.9% of the time we're fighting with ourselves. Always trying to out due the last drawing or our best drawing. It's an un-ending cycle that can drive us insane to the point that we're panting and heaving towards a finish line that doesn't exist. And what for? Because we enjoy doing art?

As my art professor once said, "Art is not fun. It's painful, unrelating, and destroys an sense of calm. Whoever says that art is soothing to the soul isn't trying hard enough."

So the question is why do we put ourselves through this torture?

We've go through those 'droughts' where nothing seems to come out right or where there really is no ambition to do anything but scribble crap onto wandering sheets of paper; which is always, ironically, the best things we've ever done. We let it consume our minds day in and day out to the point were we lose sense and touch with reality as ideas run around behind our eyes taunting us relentlessly as our hands struggle to grasp whatever it is our brain is trying to communicate. We pour out half our soul into these things letting them come to life and become our children that we jealously protect from others' harsh comments and words only to realize that they are merely an extension of our thoughts and cannot bleed. We fear rejection, standing naked as we display ourselves before others, and fear acceptance by those who like to swim with the tides of society belittling the effort and heartache we placed into each drawing. Our frustration mounting until at last we enter a state of total insanity and bi-polar tendencies attacking everything from our art to ourselves with an anger that can only be surpassed by God. We scream and cry tears of bitterness letting it blur or vision as we enslave ourselves to this painful task of producing art and creating, within our Zen-like state, an art that has us sighing in relief that everything we had just gone through was for the sake of this one picture... only to begin the cycle all over again.

Art is not a race but a struggle to express and capture our minds within a flickering moment and meant only for those who can endure such things with a spirit of steel.

-Just pissed so don't mind me. *grumbles* I don't even have a reason to be angry but I just am.

Is Ro-Chan/RoChan your real name? What does the "Ro" stand for?
Ro-Chan/RoChan is just my handle/pseudonym that I have been using for ages. I use it everywhere, so if you see a Ro-Chan/RoChan chances are that it's me! 8D Ro does not mean anything though. D:

What's your real name then?
Ari, it's Hebrew for Lion (Rawr, I'm a lion. >:3) which is why there a lot of lion jokes when referring to myself.

Speaking of names... what's with that kanji as your signature?
It is not kanji it is kana and more specifically it is hiragana. It reads Ari. >:3

Where do you live?
Jacksonville, Florida home of the Jacksonville Jaguars! >:3

How old are you?
Older than most people think.

What is your sign?


What do you draw/color your art with?
Whatever is handy/I feel like/lying around. I have no real preferences. I doodle and draw everywhere with just about everything traditional and digital.

Digitally, I mainly like Corel Painter, Open Canvas, and Oekaki. Also, most often than not, I'm using my Wacom Intuos 2 tablet.

Traditionally, I draw with mechanical pencils ((anywhere from .3mm to .7mm lead)) or prep for a color drawing with a Prisma Non-Photo Blue color pencil. I also use Micron ink pens mostly to do inking, but I also use variety of other pens too. To color I prefer Copic Markers.

What inspires you? Do you use references?
Everything inspires me! I'm a highly visual person so everything I see somehow tries to incorporate itself to what I create (music helps me to focus on the moods). But mostly I'm inspired by the greatest artist of all time. God.

Oh I love using references! 8D I reference backgrounds/poses/colors/styles at anytime that I need them! It's not a bad thing to use them because art is a visual thing and it's really hard to get your brain to work with your hand. Mainly, however, I rely on myself as the reference and sometimes I drag my sister to pose for me! >:3

When did you start drawing?
I've been drawing since I was a kid. I have proof! Finger painting was very fun. xD Truthfully I've always been drawing and my art teachers in elementary school used to teach me all kinds of neat and interesting things. Also in 2nd grade I decided I wanted to be an animator and of course forgot about it. It wasn't until I was in 8th grade that I decided art was for me.

How did you learn to draw/color so good? Can you teach me/do you have/do tutorials?
Well, part of it is because I studied art for a really long time and the other part is because I take what I like from other artists and use it. I went to a magnet high school where I learned to draw for 4 years and then I studied art in College and have a Bachelors of Fine Art in Drawing and Painting. In those 9 years I was always taking figure classes and learned to draw the figure. Mainly it's not an instant type of thing. There is talent involved too but it's really a matter of practice.

I have a total of 2 tutorials currently in my gallery. I do hope to do more in the future but they are time consuming so please be patient.

If you're so into 'art' why don't you have more in your gallery?
One day I will actually work on my portfolio. D:

What's with all the anime/fanart? Why don't you draw American Comic or Disney fanart?
I do not read American comics as much as I used to so while I am still a huge fan of Superman and Wonder Woman, I am not too fanatical to draw them. As for Disney art, I have no excuse except I have not thought up any drawings for them.

And another thing! Why don't you draw Yaoi/Pr0n?
Because I believe that homosexual relations and pornography are immoral in the eyes of God. I will not draw Yaoi/Yuri because I neither like it nor support it. I will not draw explicit art because I believe sex, and anything related to sex, is a private matter and should not be published. I do not mine drawing nude art or 'sexy' art though because it is not pornography. :]

Do you accept requests/commissions/art trades/etc?
Art requests are only taken when I wish to have ideas to inspire me to out of an art block, and I do not always finish the requests.

I only do art trades if I instigate them.

I do take commissions when able to do so. I always announce when I am open for commissions.

You didn't reply to my comment! You didn't say thank you for the fav/watch! T^T
Sorry. I don't have much to say to comments that don't ask me questions or motivate me to say something. In other words, if your comment only consists of "That's great/cute/awesome!" Then the only thing I can say is "Thank you" which is repetitive and impersonal. Eventually I just start to copy and paste the comments and if it gets overly tedious I stop until I find myself bored again. I don't like doing that and you don't want me to do that either.

I visit everyone's main page that watches me or favorites something of mine. I do make an effort to thank people and if there is something of interest there to me then I may go and peek further into the gallery. I can't comment on everything and everyone. So if your gallery holds something of interest to me then I'll watch you. I never know what I might find. >:3

How can I contact/get in touch with you?
Leave a message on my front page or send me a note.

OMFG I love your art!! Can we be friends??!!11
NO! >__>;; Er... I mean... I don't mind being friends with anyone! >:] But if you come across like that I'll totally freak out and become very evasive. So please don't try to become my instant friend. I don't work that way and it will only make me want to avoid you.

I love your art so much, can I put it on my web page/image gallery/etc?
NO!

I don't like my art getting around without my consent. If I want something somewhere I'll submit it but not the other way around.

Can I edit your pictures for an icon/web layout?
Yes. You don't need to ask permission for these purposes but it must be for PERSONAL reasons. In other words, it can't be anyone else's use but yours.

Can I cosplay as your Genderbenders?
I am more than happy to let people use the designs for their sewing talents ((as I have none)) and only ask for two things:
o1. Give credit
o2. Provide pictures.

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Last Updated: o1.o8.o9