My name is Ashley Parker and I am a former student of the Victoria College of Art. I have a deep interest in the Japanese anime style drawings like the ones shown in the graphic novels. I started drawing anime when I was about ten years old after seeing the animated T.V. show ‘Pokemon’. After I started reading the Japanese style graphic novels, I wanted to be a manga illustrator. ‘Manga’ is the Japanese word for ‘comic book’ and also could be interpreted as ‘graphic novel’ which are very popular in Japan.
I love Japanese culture. The kimonos people wear in ceremonies or festivals are very beautiful, and I would like to learn their language.
I grew up around video games, English translated anime television shows and graphic novels, so I started drawing all my art with a similar look. Although I mainly draw in the Japanese style, I am also branching out to include plant life, animals and buildings.
I prefer to draw with pencil and fine tipped pens, but I recently discovered I also love to use pen and ink as well as acrylics. The majority of my artwork is currently done on the Bamboo drawing tablet, hooked up to my computer. This allows me to use rich deep colours and other options not available with traditional tools.
