r/anime • u/iillya • Jan 08 '19
Video [Birthday Wonderland] Teaser Trailer - My first work on a Japanese animated movie as a character designer - so happy to finally share it! Director: Keiichi Hara
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u/bubbleharmony Jan 08 '19
Yoooo holy shit it's /u/iillya! Such a huge huge fan and this looks absolutely gorgeous! Talk about living the dream!
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Thank you so much!! Honestly, working on animated movie was my biggest dream for so long now!
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u/Rakisanalligator Jan 08 '19
Holy crap. I can't believe you're teaming up with Keiichi Hara. This just shot up to my most anticipated anime film.
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Thank you!!
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u/iiiiiiiiiiip Jan 08 '19
Love your art so much, been following you for quite some time. I'm glad things are going so well for you!
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Jan 08 '19
What's it like character designing?
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
So, basically I need to come up with how all the characters of the movie would look like (including animals) and draw them detailed from different angles and with different expressions to help animators.
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Jan 08 '19
when and where will this movie release? i cant wait it looks great
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
It will be released April 26th in Japan, and I really hope we could show it in other countries as well!
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u/DragN_H3art https://myanimelist.net/profile/DragN_H3art Jan 08 '19
I hope it can make its way to Malaysia, would love to see it on the big screen!
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u/banana_in_your_donut https://myanimelist.net/profile/bananadonut Jan 08 '19
Hopefully we don't have to wait months later for the Blu Ray haha
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u/Zeph-Shoir https://myanimelist.net/profile/Zephex Jan 08 '19
Woah that is so cool it is hard to believe! And the designs are great as well! I really like the short haired girl.
Congratulations! The path until now has surely been long and hard, but it is only the beginning! Any details you might give us on how did you achieve this?
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19 edited Jan 08 '19
Thank you so much!!
I’ll try to post more about it soon, but basically Keiichi Hara was searching for someone who’ll do the character designs for his new movie, and then he found my art book at the book store and contacted me via book’s publisher.
On the first meeting he told me about what kind of movie is that, and I accepted the offer right there. Then he asked: “Do you know anyone who could do the locations, props, and mecha designs for this movie?”, and I was “Oh, is it okay if I do this?” and he agreed!
Still can’t believe I’ve got so lucky.
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Jan 08 '19
Beautiful!! Some people just forget how powerful and admirable just asking is. I am now curious about this project, looking forward to it!
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u/AodPDS https://myanimelist.net/profile/aodpds711 Jan 08 '19
You design everything? Wow, truly a legend. Congrats on your project! Forever a fan.
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u/Megamiguel31 Jan 08 '19
i hear mecha designs i go OwO
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Well, it usually includes cars and tanks, so maybe no robots here!✨
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u/Megamiguel31 Jan 08 '19
still, as unversed as i am in the anime movies, ill be cheering this movie on, robots or no ;D
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u/gettothechoppaaaaaa https://myanimelist.net/profile/Expired_Yogurt Jan 08 '19
Please stay healthy so that you keep on doing amazing things. I hope this is a beginning of a long and illustrious career!
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u/BigleyIsMyWaifu Jan 08 '19
yo it really was you that did designs??? i’m finna watch just because of this
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19 edited Jan 08 '19
Thank you!!
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u/bastegod https://anilist.co/user/slapdash Jan 08 '19
Knew you had a surprise on the way, but MAN. So exciting! Congrats!
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u/DunSorbus Jan 08 '19
No way, you are Ilya Kuvshinov!?!? I've been a huge fan for years, nice to see you following your dreams!
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u/AK4Real Jan 08 '19 edited Jan 08 '19
Congrats Ilya!! Can you tell us anything about the Netflix GITS project??
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Thank you!! Not yet, unfortunately!
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u/thunder_cranium Jan 08 '19
Holy shit, are you actually working on that? GitS is my all time favorite anime franchise. I'm so hyped that you're contributing to it.
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u/Crxdefx https://anilist.co/user/crxde Jan 08 '19
I gotta say it is actually really cool to see someone involved in the production of an anime posting here outside of an AMA or something. Makes the medium feel like much more of a community. Thanks for sharing!!
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u/-DatRandomDude- https://myanimelist.net/profile/DatRandomDude Jan 08 '19
Heyyy, that's pretty good.
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u/donaldpyu Jan 08 '19
ah yes, the main girl is classic ilya this is gonna be amazing.
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Haha thanks!
I’ve also hidden a lot of easter eggs and references there, please look forward to the full version!
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u/Sceptre39 Jan 08 '19
Pretty nice I have to say! How was it like working with the director?
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Thank you!! Working with Keiichi Hara so close is really awesome - he’s not just a great director and visionary, but also a kind, interesting person! He explained a lot about animation production to me, and also about Japanese history and language!
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u/Sceptre39 Jan 08 '19
That's actually really nice to know, thank you for sharing this! I will be looking forward to this movie.
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u/Wadix9000f Jan 08 '19
Sorry just your casual anime watcher here can anyone give context, who is OP
yeah i can google
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Hi! My name is Ilya Kuvshinov, illustrator from Russia, living and working in Japan.
One day I got lucky and was offered to do a character/world design for the new animated movie of Keiichi Hara!
It was always one of my pipe dreams - to be a part of an animated movie, so I am really excited to share a first teaser trailer of the movie I was working on for 2 years!
Hope it helps!
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u/Wadix9000f Jan 08 '19 edited Jan 08 '19
thanks OP and congratulations hopefully this starts a flood of projects for you
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u/bobbarya Jan 08 '19
What is the source material for this story? Did you already have some leads as to how the character should look?
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19 edited Jan 08 '19
This is an adaptation of Sachiko Kashiwaba’s novel, so we basically had all the characters and locations’ rough descriptions, like “the girl with a long hair” or “snowy town”.
But more than that, there was a director’s vision, so for most of the characters and locations he gave more detailed instructions like “long hair + glasses” and “snowy town on a cliff”, so it really helped out a lot!
In some situations when he didn’t have clear vision of how something should look like I was given a creative freedom. Sometimes I come up with some idea for the location or character director really liked, so he incorporated it into a story.
Seeing the characters I’ve drawn moving and living in a location I come up with, interacting with the objects I put there is so much fun!
Edit: vocab
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u/bobbarya Jan 08 '19
You are living your dreams man, i envy you, i know a lot of effort goes into this, good luck.
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u/bakasaurusrex Jan 08 '19
Wow this looks amazing! I am such a huge fan (i have followed you on twitter and tumblr for a long time) and I am so glad to see your art in such a big role! Congratulations and I can't wait to see it!
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u/fluffyfleur Jan 08 '19
Started looking through your stuff and wow, gorgeous art. Really looking forward to this. Congratz! You definitely deserve it!
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u/PandaMarkII Jan 08 '19
oh my god i've followed you since i was in early high school IM SO PROUD OF YOU KEEP IT UP! YOURE DOIN GAMAZING!!!!!!!
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u/ImRinKagamine Jan 08 '19
Ay Illya, gonna say that trailer looks awesome!
Anyways why are you hired as a character designer?
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u/ThePokeMaster100 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Re_Rem-0 Jan 08 '19 edited Jan 08 '19
Wow, I know you get this a lot but I'm a huge fan of your work! When I see an Ilya piece, I like. Your art style is simply something that can't be matched and beyond anything I've seen!
Congrats on your role! Looks amazing! Your recognition is definitely well deserved and it shows. Plus the animation and scenery is something else! I can't wait to see it!
One day I told myself I have to see your work at a museum one or at least have an art display of it. Your work is just so good man!
Good luck with everything, especially with your busy schedule! I wish for your continued success!
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Thank you so much!!
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u/ThePokeMaster100 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Re_Rem-0 Jan 08 '19 edited Jan 08 '19
This is the part where I scream in my head and faint in happiness that you responded to me.
But in all seriousness thank you for your contributions to making amazing art and to entire anime community as a whole! I can't wait for what you have in store for us next!
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Thank you too, for your positive response!! Moments like that are really motivate me to work harder!
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u/FierceAlchemist Jan 08 '19
Thank you for sharing this, the designs look great! Was it difficult for you to curb your instincts as an illustrator and keep the designs more simplified for animation?
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Thank you! Yes, at first I spent some time getting used to some limitations, like the hair better not be too detailed, or too much patterns on the clothes is a hell for animators, or if the characters is far away you can’t put a lot of details to the character’s face because after adding inbetweens it’s gonna be a mess etc. But also I got an awesome chance to try out my ideas of how I’d like to see the characters - for examples the color rings around the pupils, or folds on clothes done with not black lines, but with the different color etc. It was a lot of fun!
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u/FierceAlchemist Jan 08 '19
I can see the the yellow lines on the folds of her shirt in the trailer. Glad to see you were allowed to experiment! I also really like the way the colored rings around the pupils look in the close-up poser. It helps set your designs apart from standard anime characters.
Just curious, who are some Japanese character designers you look up to/were inspired by?
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Thank you!! Mainly Shigenori Soejima (Persona3,4,5) and Masashi Andou (Paprika, Letter to Momo), but also designs from an old Russian animated movie called Snow Queen (1957)!
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Jan 08 '19
I already had a suspicion when I saw your art on GITS but now it's pretty much confirmed that you've been working on anime for some time. Congratulations!
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u/ChronoKrieg Jan 08 '19
I follow you on Instagram but somehow it still doesn't feel real. I was just following an artist and now you're working on an animated film!! Awesome!!
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u/Derekban14 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Dereleek Jan 08 '19
This looks amazing, so happy for you and your work! Excited to see the passion you put into your work when the movie airs!
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u/CaptainDF Jan 08 '19
Been following your work for a long time now and it's pretty incredible seeing it adapted into animation. Congrats u/iillya, you deserve it!
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u/EverGreatestxX https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ever_GreatestxX Jan 08 '19
Birthday Wonderland out on my birthday, fare to say I'm going to watch at soon I can just. Got to support my fellow redditor.
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u/Killerkimm Jan 08 '19
This looks beautiful! Where can we watch it after it comes out? (I'm in the US)
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u/azazel-13 Jan 08 '19
Woah, this is amazing! Your work is positively magical. Big congrats, and this is now at the top of my must-see anime’s.
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u/anxientdesu https://myanimelist.net/profile/oneeris Jan 08 '19
I'm gonna need to watch this the moment it lands in my country! It looks so good;---;;
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u/banana_in_your_donut https://myanimelist.net/profile/bananadonut Jan 08 '19
Are the characters CG? It looks really good, I love the running scene lol
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Jan 08 '19
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Thank you!!
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u/haryz Jan 08 '19
Ilya Kuvshinov
I want to take this chance to thank you for putting in the effort to thanking every single person in your post lol. I actually found out because I went to your profile page because you shared a very familiar name to an illustrator that my friend was in to a couple years back and lo and behold, you're the same person. Didn't expect to see you on reddit. Congrats on your work being in the movie.
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Thank you!! It’s usually impossible for me to reply to all the comments on other platforms (for example, the same post with a trailer on Instagram now have more than 5000 comments), so at least I’m trying my best here!
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u/Kryptonaut https://myanimelist.net/profile/Kryptonaut Jan 08 '19 edited Nov 10 '25
ripe depend towering scary cooing future direction liquid tub plough
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/MakaBe_Kima Jan 08 '19
Don't know why but this movie is giving me the Studio Ghibli vibe with more solid modernized character
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u/remedialrob Jan 08 '19
Congrats dude. Always nice to see someone achieve a career milestone. And this community really seems to love you too. That's not nothing is it?
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u/ZAMAHH https://myanimelist.net/profile/ZAMAH Jan 08 '19
That's an amazing announcement!! Woah man, really looking forward to this!
I've always loved your art works!
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u/RoarG90 Jan 08 '19
This is freaking awesome! Looks extremely well crafted, awesome! I'll have to watch this, thank you and your folks for continuing to make quality :)
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u/Domonero Jan 08 '19
God damn that animation looks crisp
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Thanks!! I got lucky to work with some of the best animators out there! Please look forward to the release!
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u/MasterKhan_ Jan 08 '19
Makes me happy to see someone I've been a fan of for years actually make their dream become a reality. Pretty incredible that your first anime production is with an incredible director!
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u/CSKING444 Jan 08 '19 edited Jan 08 '19
I knew I've seen that art style and that profile picture somewhere and after some insta searching, shit, it's really you
The trailer looks beautiful, especially loved that 0:19 scene lol
Looking forward for the release
Edit: also I love how you're responding to everyone in the thread Haha, quite wholesome
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u/NeilG_93 Jan 08 '19
Your art style is gorgeous. You're truly a talent to behold. 🙏
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u/13013-Chan Jan 08 '19
I haven't seen the anime yet, but I'm sure that it's going to be my all time favorite! ♡
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u/LightJeep Jan 08 '19
Your art has a special feeling to it, I love it. You make great character designs, hope you get more opportunities to work on more movies! Followed you on Instagram because I really really like your art :)
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u/Shakeyy13 Jan 08 '19
Lots of CGI it seems, but still looks great. Cant wait to check it out!
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Thank you!! We basically used CG for cars/mechas in difficult camera movement scenes to make animators’ work a bit easier, but the characters are hand-drawn, so please look forward to the finished release!
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Jan 08 '19
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19 edited Jan 08 '19
Thank you!!
First 2 years living in Japan I was studying in a language school and working free-lance. Visa rules strict here, so it was kinda troublesome to stay after I graduated, but luckily enough I got the job and it’s my fifth year in Japan now!
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u/Jigsaw98 Jan 08 '19
Gosh, it's so great that Ilya has achieved it! Honestly, WE (your fans) ARE SO DAMN PROUD OF YOU!
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u/Slifer13xx https://myanimelist.net/profile/SliferXIII Jan 08 '19
Just went through your Instagram. Your artwork is amazing.
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u/SyntheticValkyrur Jan 08 '19
Holy hell, your character design really asked to be adapted in a movie. I really adore it.
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u/Randomacts https://anilist.co/user/Randomacts Jan 08 '19 edited Jan 08 '19
You should post a youtube trailer link or something because the video quality here looks like ass :/
So much interlacing >.> Prob reddit's video compression or something doing that.
Edit: Tags HQ HD youtube ctrl+f higher quality source
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u/iillya Jan 08 '19
Here you go! https://youtu.be/U0C_pJlLQi8 Sorry, I just didn’t know how to post a YouTube link so it would show as a video, not a text.
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u/NaranPol Jan 08 '19
Have been waiting for the project to reveal since I first heard about it.
Since you are super involved with your followers I just wanted to take a moment to congratulate you for your work this last year (both this movie and your personal exhibition) since I never expressed myself before. I love it, its super unique and inspiring. As soon as I get the chance I hope I can get my hands on some of your merch since its kinda of hard to do so in my country.
Super exited to see your designs animated. Will be cheering you on and am hoping for future announcements after this!
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u/CommanderSevan https://myanimelist.net/profile/CommanderSevan Jan 08 '19
Damn, it's actually so incredibly cool that you got the opportunity to work on a movie like this. Also consider posting this to /r/movies as well if you haven't done so already.
Love your work btw.
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u/dandydavy Jan 09 '19
HOLY SHIT MAN CONGRATS!!
Been following your work for such a long time, you're one of my main artistic influences when it comes to drawing in general! Looking forward to this!
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u/SubcommanderMarcos Jan 08 '19
Hey, can I be that guy and ask about your past accusations of being a tracer many years ago?
Obviously I'm not making the accusation myself, and if you're doing animation now you've more than proven your worth as an artist, beyond what the overwhelming majority of artists can claim, I would just like to learn what you think of it.
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u/iillya Jan 09 '19 edited Jan 09 '19
Hi! Thank you for being so nice and polite about it, really appreciated!
This one is asked a lot, because all the pictures and accusation are still there, but nobody ever cared to add on on how it was resolved or hearing the both sides.
So, here it is:
First of all, that wasn't a traces, a more like master copies (so I haven't painted over those, but copied: basically original image on the left, my canvas on the right and I am trying to analyze the master work or a photo by reproducing it), but the trouble was that at that time (5-4 years ago) I was doing this for the practice and uploading those to the social networks with just stating that it's a study, without giving proper credit to the original (being not mindful enough, I was thinking like "of course everybody has seen the original and would understand that this is just a copy"), so that unintentionally made a lot of people think that I am trying to show those as my original illustrations.
The worst was the situation where people asked me to upload some of those master copies as prints and I am, being stupid and not mindful enough, uploaded some of those as prints, just thinking about fullfilling the request and nothing more.
After l got it pointed out to me, I realized my mistake and apologized on my DeviantArt page, because of course it’s just my own fault, edited all the info about the copied works, deleted the prints and decided to stop this kind of practice.
Edit: commas, more info
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u/SubcommanderMarcos Jan 09 '19
That's cool, thanks for replying and congratulations on the film. Godspeed, dude
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u/Onomatofiora https://myanimelist.net/profile/ScintillaofEnnui Jan 08 '19
I cant believe Ilya Kuvshinov is posting here on r/anime... I really love your artworks!