BluNikori
One of the most polished and spirited artists the Archive has ever seen,
BluNikori has taken this month's trophy on the strength of her vibrantly
colored character pieces with their feel of soft, energetic realism. Her
extensive work has long merited this recognition.
     |
In the Artist's Own Words:
| “ | Oh goodness WOW! What an honor! Thank you so much, everyone! Ever since I
first found The Lion King Fanart Archive a few years ago, I've always
thought AotM would be a really cool thing to work toward, but it's hard
to believe that I'm really part of it now! =D. Thank you to all my
wonderful friends both online and off, to my family, to Mr. Tiemann for
creating such a place as this, and especially to God for giving me such a
wonderful talent!
When I really think back on it, Lion King has been a very big part of my life. My sister and I used to spend hours each day watching and re-watching the movie, and reenacting our favorite scenes with the accompaniment of the soundtrack! ^_^ It will always be my most favorite animated feature, and I believe that by learning to draw the characters, I have developed a greater appreciation for the story, art, animation, music, and all that went in to creating Lion King. I have developed a better eye for the subtle details in drawing and coloring that can bring a picture to life and give it such powerful emotions, and this is what I love about The Lion King. No matter what age, it's so wonderful that people from just about everywhere can recognize Simba when they see him and smile ^__^. TLKFAA was what first brought me to the wonders of an online "community." It's friendly, let me meet new people and artists who shared my same interests, introduced me to Oekakis and message board communities, and has given me the inspiration and opportunity to improve my own art as I learn from so many wonderful artists and friends. And I want to thank all my friends and everyone I've known here for helping me to develop both as an artist and as a person. Since I became a part of the Archive (and I believe because of what I have learned here), both my friends and I have noticed a great improvement in both my cartoon and realistic art. Drawing is what I love, and even though I'm studying science and medicine in college, my ultimate goal is to someday become an animator for a great company like Disney, or a storybook illustrator for kids. Most importantly, I've learned that being happy with what you do is what matters most in art and in life. Drawing is my passion, and I hope to always be able to draw. I have fun creating art and characters, and it just makes it all the more special when it makes others smile, too. But whether or not others appreciate or like what you do, I've realized that what it means to you matters more. So no matter if you can "draw like the masters" or barely draw a stick figure, remember that if your art makes you happy, then you've accomplished your goal. With a dedication to what you're passionate about, and lots of practice and an optimistic attitude, you will always continue improve in whatever you do, and be able to experience the joy of creating and learning from something you love. Thanks so much everyone! I couldn't be here without you! Fweeeee!!! ~Nikori |
” |
   |
Though it started out quite crisp, BluNikori's art has only become more and more polished in its finished linework. Fans of her work are struck by the smoothness of the outlines, making the images look like the work of highly-paid professionsals—and certainly worthy of being included in a portfolio for BluNikori's likely future career in the art or animation world. With her sense of expression and character mixed with the impeccable and gleaming look of her colorful and masterfully digitally shaded final products, the character pieces she produces are irresistible, likely to potential employers as well as to fans of her work.
BluNikori is at the same time exploring other media, such as Oekaki boards, where she spends a lot of time and effort learning to parlay the medium's challenges into advantages. Oekaki pictures lack the antialiased smoothness of her accustomed digitally-colored pieces, but they have a spontaneity to them that combines with BluNikori's already well-tuned ability to express an emotion or a gag on a character's face, and results in some truly delightful little images that are every bit as satisfying as the full-sized work she continues to create. Not all of it is on-topic, but her dedication to bringing her and her friends' characters to life exudes an energy that transcends the boundaries of topicality. After all, the majority of what BluNikori draws is firmly on-topic, with a lot of canon Lion King characters in the mix, reminding us all why we're here.
Congratulations, BluNikori, on this well-deserved recognition!