As promised, a new layout after my exams! I would consider this layout as one of the simplest I have made over the past 2 years. This design strays away from my usual cute and colourful style. There are no kawaii cartoon (or panda for that matter) characters nor bright rainbow colours. I find this change very refreshing but I’m not sure if others feel that way too. It made use of just pastel colours and the entire design revolves around the Sakura flower.
This layout is inspired by both the art and soundtrack of the animé Hakuouki: Shinsengumi Kitan. I am totally in love with this animé especially the art – beautiful cherry blossoms featured in many scenes and not to mention learning a bit more about the history of Japan. I have been listening to the soundtrack for a few days before coming up with this design. In conclusion, love or hate? 
Scan credit to animepaper.net
Continue reading "New layout: Back to Basic – Sakura"
When will some people ever realise that not everything on the Internet is “free for all” to take. Just because majority of the content on the Internet are publicly available, it doesn’t mean you are entitled to take and use it as your own. You don’t just dip your hand into the sea, fish out a design, redecorate and throw it back into the ocean as if nothing has happened. If everyone is doing it, what will happen to the design community in the future?
If we are talking about images found via Google search, they may also be protected by copyright or creative commons licenses. So what makes them think they can just use and edit it? Changing the colours doesn’t make it any more unique. All I ask for is a little respect for designs and art which I think all artists and designers out there are as well. The increase of such ignorant Internet users are really frustrating for us. I value inspiration and I’m sure all designers in our community will be glad to be a source of inspiration. But there’s also a thin line between inspiration and copying. After all the time and effort we spend working on a design, it got ripped off and the ripped design actually destroyed the original creativity and concept. Though I won’t get discouraged and will continue working on my designs, it’s actually depressing to know what happen to my creations. Will such acts cause creativity and originality to die out? What are your views?
I think I have just coin a new meaning for fishing – the act of copying in the online community. I thought it sounds nicer than just copying. 
On a last note, stop fishing for designs and create your own. Let’s work together to build a better community for everyone!
I haven’t been designing much this year except the current layout at Amour Chaleur you are looking at and a few random cartoons and comics. I really like this candy house layout hence it’s going to stay till June when I’ve the time to put together a new one. So I’ve been spending some time during the past month to work on a customised layout for Diana at molemole.sg. She didn’t gave me a theme or anything so it’s just freestyle for me. I’ve only met her once or twice but she seems like a really happy, friendly and cheery person so the huge orange sun seems like a good idea to me.
It’s a beach theme with a bit of woody feeling. It wasn’t the kind of design that I had on Amour Chaleur with splashes of colours all over. I thought it was something different from my usual colour schemes. I love taking on projects like these because every project is a learning experience for me. I get to draw new things I’ve not drawn before, like the coconut tree, slippers and seashells.
I seems to draw the weirdest thing. Bird with a black magician hat on the beach? Definitely not something realistic but then again, cartoons open the door to imagination and the unexplainable. Some may be slightly confused by the header because I have combined the sky, ocean and land together. I reckon if you are looking far away from a beach, you will somehow see the sky right above the sea too! Let’s also just say I’m kind of jealous of the layout because it looks nicer than my candy house. 
With that said, pop by to molemole.sg and check out the layout live!
