Thanks to everyone’s amazing support over this last month, we’ve reached the initial financial goal within 48 hours, got to all the stretch goals, and have even added one more – let’s see how far we can get until tomorrow! If you join, you will not only be able to get the book with an amazing jacket and coloured interior pages, but also a special behind-the-scenes bonus booklet, an original artwork on a shiny shikishi board, and the chance to win one of five original pages for the webcomic bonuses!
A unique artwork on a coloured, glittery shikishi board has been unlocked
for anyone who orders the book package and above, isn’t it pretty?:D
Even though we have reached the initial goal, every support counts! Since so many more people than expected joined the campaign, more books will be printed, and the stretch goal bonuses have made the expenses rise to more or less 2500€. Everything that goes beyond that sum will be kept to pay off my upcoming monthly legal expenses as an independent worker, thus allowing me to fully focus on finishing the book without worrying about finances. Every cent you invest in this campaign will be given back to you somehow – be it through physical products, my time, or all the passion and motivation I’m capable of. Believing in my work is the most precious gift you can offer me, and I’ll make sure to give back to you as much as I can <3
By reaching the 2K stretch goal, every book will be accompanied by a special behind-the-scenes booklet containing all the creative sketches and chara-designs made for this first volume!
WIP of the last chapter’s inking : D
Anyways, let’s do it! Still four little days to go! : D
If you are looking for an opportunity to learn how to draw manga, I would be so happy to guide you! Here is an overview of my upcoming workshops. Of course, I remain open to any proposition or suggestions – please feel free to contact me for any inquiry!
Workshop at Ecole Privée Fieldgen
Occasional workshops
MANGA MADE IN LUXEMBOURG @Aalt Stadhaus Differdange
During the Manga Made in Luxembourg week, I will be animating a two-lesson workshop about character-design, where you’ll learn the basics of drawing and creating characters, in order to eventually create a hero for the Aalt Stadhaus Library! Please enroll by contacting Aalt Stadhaus at (+352) 58 77 1 -1921. Workshops take place on Saturday 20/04 from 14h-15h30 and Thursday 25/04 from 15h30-17h30.
In collaboration with Fachmaart Robert Steinhäuser (Leudelange, LU), new workshops are planned for the Spring Trimester (April-July), for 2h each Saturday! Beginners can take on the first course, while the students who attended one of my former workshops can go over to the advanced level with a completely new program. Limited places – please be quick if you wish to enroll!
This trimester offers you 10x2h lessons with defined lessons and a specific program. To allow the students to advance together on an equal level, please be aware that newcomers will not be allowed throughout the entire trimester.
From July 15th-26th, you can be part of a 30h creative summer camp in Luxembourg-City! The basic workshop will allow you to learn the basics of drawing manga, character-design and more, leading to the final creation of your own story. As for the advanced workshop, anyone who has already participated in one of my former summer camps is welcome to discover a completely new program where we’ll go into further detail to boost your artwork and skills. As it is the case every year, an exhibition of your artwork will take place during the last day, among with many other talented artists, sculptors and crafters. Limited places – please be quick if you wish to enroll!
With L’Eclat de Verre (Howald, LU), you can take part in manga workshops twice a month, with 2h lessons usually every second Thursday from 15h30-17h30. There will be a given program; however, the structure is free and topics may vary according to the students needs. Unlike at Steinhäuser’s, the group is planned to be smaller and will thus allow a more in-depth mentoring for everyone. You may start any time throughout the entire school year – no matter your level in comparison to the other students, I will chose specific topics that fit your personal needs and wants to help you develop your skills! Please contact me for pricing, dates, inscription and further info.
Clubhaus beim Kiosk (Schifflange, LU) offers a unique chance for regular manga workshops as well! For a start, two introduction lessons are planned on Thursdays, 2nd and 16th May from 19h-21h. You will be able to discover the basics of manga drawing and character-design, and be able to create your own characters at the end of the two lessons! Depending on the inscriptions, 2h-lessons will be planned regularly afterwards. Topics may vary according to the needs of the students, with smaller groups allowing an in-depth mentoring for everyone as it is already the case at L’Eclat de Verre. Please contact me for pricing, inscription and further info.
Leaflet drawn by my students at Fachmaart Robert Steinhäuser
And if nothing of the above suits you…
For schools, libraries and businesses
If you wish to book me for a few hours or a day, for a special project or simply to offer your students a relaxing drawing time… I’d be happy to send you my catalogue containing various seminars and workshops proposals – or we can see to create a completely new topic for the occasion! Please contact me via the Contact Form or at sabrinakaufmann.art@gmail.com !
For private lessons
Did you not find anything that suits you? If you wish to suggest another schedule or ask for one-to-one private mentoring, please contact me via the Contact Form or at sabrinakaufmann.art@gmail.com and I’m sure we’ll find something that suits your needs!
Patreon Online Lessons
My Patreon Online Lessons are also available anytime, with numerous tutorials and downloads every month, as well as a one-to-one guidance and feedback on your own artwork. You can work whenever and wherever you want, and benefit from online mentoring throughout the entire month! Subcription on Patreon.com/SabrinaK
Thank you so much for your trust, and I’m looking forward to drawing with you!
Hey guys! It’s been a while since my last blog post, and I’m thrilled to share that amazing news: Illustrated Fairytales’ book release will finally see the light! French version, around 180 pages, soft touch jacket cover, selective varnish, upgraded artwork. I’ve been working hard on that series to offer you a beautiful print release, and it’s finally coming true – but I need your help to make that project come true!
From April 2nd to 30th, you can support IllusFairy’s crowdfunding campaign on Ulule!
By donating the amount of your choice, you can preorder your copy, add a unique signed drawing to it, get limited art prints, original artwork or even appear as a protagonist in one of the upcoming chapters. Your donations will allow me to finance the printing, to offer you a beautiful and professional book print.
Comic authors in Europe are often working long and hard hours for little results – the book market is harsh, and the pay is often ridiculous for all the work that is involved in the creative process. To me, sharing stories to put a smile on people’s faces has always been and remains my main goal, which is why I love webcomics. This system allows me to draw without the pressure of a publisher and deadlines behind, and most importantly, to be close to my readers whom I cherish so much.
As a logical continuation of that bond with my audience, I chose crowdfunding to make the book come true. I really believe that together, both readers and authors can make amazing projects happen while getting out mutual benefits for each side. I can’t wait for it, and hope you’ll be excited to participate in this journey as well!
IllusFairy started as a free webcomic back in 2016, and is my most cherished project so far. Initially, I wanted to draw beautiful dresses, historical settings, and sharing short stories – since I love the Brothers Grimm’s and Andersen’s fairytales, this seemed to be the perfect project. Motivated by my readers’ adorable feedback, I went with the more obscure stories and decided to push further, with a small analysis on the historical and symbolic background for each story. After a long hiatus due to the hardships of starting out as an independent artist, I resumed the series – and now, the long awaited book release is finally close!
The book will feature the five most recent chapters:
Frau Holle
King Thrushbeard
The Emperor’s New Clothes
The Rose Elf
The Pentamerone.
The official book release is planned for July 2019 – until then, I’m working hard on finishing the two last tales and all the bonuses:D
If you are curious and want to discover the first chapters, you can read them online on Tapastic (EN) and Mangadraft (FR). I hope you’ll enjoy your read, and maybe you’ll want to join us on Ulule for that amazing journey. Thank you so much to everyone who will believe in that project!
Let’s join forces to make that project happen together!
I wish you all a Happy New Year! You already got my end-of-2018-blabla in the latest post, so let’s start with the news!
News and updates
Let’s start with the Wednesday blog posts here, which will be stopped. It may not seem like much to you, but preparing posts every week takes some time and, after reviewing my 2018 productivity as well as current and upcoming projects I wish to focus on, I have decided to take a break from blogging, though I love sharing thoughts with you. Nevertheless, there are still different ways of you to stay updated, depending on your interests:
Manga – IllusFairy published for free with updates twice a week Tapastic
All my news and projects without exception in a detailed monthly newsletter,
along with other tutorials, sketchbooks, art lessons and more Patreon.com/SabrinaK
I’ll never emphasize it enough, but for freelance artists, Patreon is a hugely valuable platform. Your support allows us to support our daily needs, and moreover, slowly move away from commissions and other projects we have to do in order to maintain a living, in order to regain more time and thus focus on creative work that benefits you – more illustrations, more manga pages, more videos, more tutorials, you name it. Don’t forget, through supporting and artist’s work, you are also supporting other people who, like you and me, want to draw and dream. If you’d consider supporting me on Patreon, you’ll get both a bunch of monthly art perks, as wells as my deep gratitude<3
New events have been planned for 2019, and as always, you will find them in the Events section. We have a good mixture of conventions, workshops, and an exhibition with two fellow Luxembourgish manga artists – I invite you to have a look at the events to discover more. The section gets regularly updated, so don’t forget to check it regularly if you don’t want to miss anything!
I’m also quickly advertising my art lessons again, for which new spots are open. There is a given program, though the structure is freer and topics may vary according to the students strengths and weaknesses, seeing as the smaller groups allow a more in-depth mentoring for everyone.
New lessons are starting at L’Eclat de Verre (Howald, LU)on January 10th from 15h30-17h30 and will take place every second Thursday. Other lessons are planned in Sanem (LU) on Saturday mornings from 9h30-11h30. You may start any time throughout the entire school year, without commitment – no matter your level in comparison to the other students, I will chose specific topics that fit your personal needs and wants to help you develop your skills!
Example of some students’ work last trimester at Fachmaart Robert Steinhäuser (LU).
Winter Sales
Last but not least: Winter Sales are starting! Many discounted products are awaiting you in my Shop: goodies, prints, originals, tutorials and former Patreon downloads, … The offers last during the entire official sales period in Luxembourg, so you have until Saturday 26th January to shop to your heart’s content!
Happy Holidays! I hope you’ve had a wonderful Christmas time, and that you’ll enjoy your New Year’s Eve with friends, family and all the people you love and who are dear to you! For this last 2018 post, let’s wrap it up with some more Christmassy artwork ♥
You might already have seen them in my shop or during events, seeing as they have been used as postcard motives – but since I never posted them correctly, here are the proper scans! Which one is your favourite?
Bye bye, 2018!
And with this, we’ll conclude 2018 – to me, it was my first complete year working freelance. Now, I’m still struggling and I’m still not able to make a living on my own, and it is often challenging since you never know what will come next, or whether you’ll actually be able to keep this up – clients and projects come and go, unexpected things happen, … Nevertheless, despite the hardships, I’ve loved every moment of it, and your lovely encouragements on conventions, social media, or other encounters kept on motivating me to always surpass myself. So – thank you, you’re amazing!
A big, big thanks also goes to my Patreon supporters who’ve all been there for a good while now. I’ve tried many things, got sidetracked with some projects, had my doubts with others – and they kept on hanging in there, showing me their love and support over all those months. They’re my absolute heroes, so let’s give them some applause!
Elythe, Georges, Sven, Lühk, Thibault, Hoai Thu, Alessia, Cathia, Madeline, Juliette, David, Hélène, Philippe, Ronny – love you all so much!♥
And… what comes next? For now, I am wrapping up some projects, planning ahead new ones and events as well. I’m thrilled to share them with you as time will go by, and I hope you’ll be there to discover them. Once again, thank you so much for your adorable support during 2018, you’re the best!
How was your 2018? Have you achieved your goals?
Do you have any good resolutions for 2019? : D
Having regularly stumbled across the owners several times on conventions over the past few years, it was natural to go visit their newly opened Manga-T Metz manga café – second time I’m visiting one, and the place happens to be not too far away from Luxembourg. I invite you to visit it as well if you’re in Metz someday! (yes, it seems that I’m posting only travel blog articles as of late… promised, we’re going back to artwork next week;)
Melli and Usu, the cafe’s eccentric and lovable owners.
Shop Tour
At Manga-T manga cafe, you can read manga, or taste various Japanese snacks and beverages while watching an anime on their big television screen. After several years of planning, a successful crowdfunding campaign, and the help of their “big brother” Manga-T Dijon, the shop was finally launched in November. All the contributors got their name on a big wall picture in the cafe itself, and I just discovered that I have deleted the photo before posting it… sorry 8D
Cozy area where you can have a drink or snack while reading or watching anime
The cafe is divided into three areas: first the “restaurant-bar” place, then the counter and merchandise place where you can get both Japanese snacks as well as creations from local artists, and the library area where you can find over 4.000 manga. For the bonus parts to make the clients feel at ease, they also have a super cool Japanese toilet with heated seat (I didn’t try it though because of a former trauma with those things… I once made water shoot throughout the entire room, so I’ve eventually learnt to refrain from touching random buttons XD), as well as a big television screen in the bar area, and even a small traditional table where you can sit on cushions on the ground.
Concerning the food, there’s a huge variety of snacks and beverages you can try. I ordered a Sweet Potato Latte, which is apparently a Korean specialty, and which tasted like vanilla milk while being violet. Being a total fan of taiyaki, I hoped to get one, but discovered that they are only available on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday – the other days are for mochi (which are yummy as well – especially the strawberry ones). So, if you’re going for the taiyaki as well, remember to get there on the correct days!
Wanna give it a try? Whether you’d like to have a nice time reading, eating, meeting with friends, or just to discover a new place – the next time you’re in Metz, make sure to stop by, it’s worth your time ; )
Japanese snacks, manga library and local artists’ corners.
Find Manga-T Metz
4 rue Gambetta
57000 Metz
France
Open every day 7/7 from 14h-19h
For more info, opening hours and photos, visit the café’s Facebook or Instagram!
I promised to share my experience in Mons, Belgium since it’s not every day that I get to visit farther away places for work. I went there for the Mons Livre book fair, with a departure on Friday 23th, and return after the event on Sunday 25th November. Here we go with a little guided tour!
Mons Livre
Work comes first, so let’s talk about Mons Livre, which took place in the Lotto Mons Expo, a big event hall, where I immediately went to set up my booth upon my arrival in the early Friday afternoon. The organization was so sweet, all the exhibitors were nicely greeted and got a welcome package with various info and a water bottle – overall, the booth setup was quick and smooth.
During the week-end, the fair was open to the public from 10h-18h. Other author friends had formerly notified me that there were many visitors – if I remember correctly, there were 8.000 registered visits last year – and they didn’t lie, seeing as the halls were crowded from the very beginning. When noone was at my booth, I alternated between advancing on IllusFairy’s next chapter, as well as talking to my lovely neighbour. Both of us had been placed next to one another, seeing as we were the only manga artists there.
Mons Con photo by Marcel Vanden Bemden
Speaking of my lovely neighbour, I’d like to introduce you to her: Lostmemory Coralie, author of “Numéro Invalide“. When the organizer told me she would come in a wheelchair, I wasn’t sure about how to address her, but she was so sweet right from the beginning. To make things short, an operation went wrong several years ago, and since then, her health has slowly been deteriorating, but she keeps on fighting, sharing her story as a manga to spread hope and support other victims of medical errors. I was amazed to see how strong she was to continually stand up to doctors and justice, and she is just such a kind and adorable person. Please show her some love and spread the word about her comic, she deserves it<3
And while we’re at the acquaintances, I was also able to meet again with Manon Elisabeth d’Ombremont, a dark fantasy author. We had met three years ago during a convention and it was nice to see her again after all that time. If you like plots with dark twists, I invite you to discover her world as well!
After setting up my booth, went straight to my hotel to drop my stuff before visiting the city. I had chosen the Congress Hotel Mons Van der Valk, which I didn’t expect to be so greatly located – it was a 10min walk away from the center, and a 2min walk away from the Lotto Mons and a shopping center. Honestly, it was the first time I could wake up late and go by foot to a convention, and it felt great XD
Anyways, what can I say about that hotel except that I totally love it? It was clean, with a free parking lot, a nice staff and perfectly located. To relax in the evenings, I adored the jacuzzi bathtub. Since I had booked it around 10 months in advanced, I had been able to get a Junior Suite at a very affordable rate.
For general travels at a cheaper rate, I recommend you Booking, for which you can sign up by using my personal link if you’re not there yet. I know I’m shamelessly promoting it right now to get a commission out of it XD, but if you use this link, it allows you to get a 10% cashback on your first stay. Besides, I really enjoy this website, seeing as it allows you to cancel hotels up to 24h before your check-in (I’m used to booking hotels at a cheap rate before I even got events confirmed – if I happen not to be accepted, I can easily cancel it without fees), and after three stays, you get into a “genius program” which allows you to save 10% on various hotels (it worked for me, so I guess it’s like that~).
Hotel Congrès Mons Van der Valk (photo from their website)
Anywaays, going back to Mons, I used my Friday afternoon to wander through the city. I love the elder architecture back there, and the shopping streets also had some original shops beside the classical big companies we’re used to see everywhere.
What I appreciated most concerning the location of the hotel was the fact that the Grands Prés Shopping Center was directly next to it, and I could easily get something to eat in the evenings – really, it was just in front of the Mons Lotto where I was working, and I could pick up a warm take-away and head straight back to the hotel at the other side of the street. The first day, I got something from Asie à Tik, an Asian food restaurant which is super yummy. I’ll always remember their foie gras and mango sushi!
Otherwise, I discovered a cheaper way of eating complete meals while being abroad. Usually while being in a hotel, I used to order room service, go to a restaurant, or eating cold sandwiches, seeing as there are rarely kitchens in the room – all of which are often pretty expensive alternatives. In Mons, I discovered that the Carrefour supermarket within the shopping center offered to reheat food in an oven or microwave for free – basically, you could just reheat any of the numerous takeaways in the supermarket, which were way cheaper and still as good. (and that’s it for the random tips for traveling artists who try to save money:D)
Some night photos taken in the Centrum of Mons
Overall, I had a nice week-end with a kinda vacation feel to it. I will probably not go back seeing as there are too many expenses involved, but I’m glad to have been given this traveling opportunity and to have met wonderful people!
Have you already been to Mons? Where do you like traveling?
December rewards overview, available for sign-ups during the entire month!
If you, too, would like to get started as an artist, if there are things I can teach you, or if you are simply interested in my work, you might wanna consider supporting me on Patreon, where you can get your hands on exclusive guides, art lessons and tutorials, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at my current projects. I am currently focusing on two types of rewards: the creative ones with artwork, and the instructional ones with guides and lessons.
More news are available to my Patreon supporters via the Patreon newsfeed! I’m trying to offer more work-in-progress and project news through the Patreon feed. Current Patreon supporters have immediate access to it as well as a notification to their mailbox – if you wish to discover the news as well, the feed unlocks for every new supporter!
As some people requested, I have completely translated my Patreon page in French, along with a FAQ section since the same questions keep coming back, and which will also soon be available in English. You can access the French version below, or find it in the first few lines on my Patreon: Guide Patreon FR ici!
A special Christmas package has also been sent out to all my current Patreon supporters – if you haven’t received it by the beginning of the second week of December, something must’ve gone totally wrong with the postal office. If that is the case, please notify me asap so I can send you a new one♥
Artwork
“Fruits des Bois”, which was unveiled at the Walfer Bicherdeeg last month, is our monthly artwork for in-depth studying and comes along with a commented guide, step-by-step photosand the material references in the exact order as they have been used for each step, as well as a 1h real time video. You can see it as an explanation on how I work on illustrations, or as a guide to help you with your colorations using Copic Markers.
Though, I have to admit that I got a problem with the recording. While editing some screenshots with Photoshop, the colours went well, but I didn’t manage to get them right with my video editing program, Filmora Wondershare – does anyone know if there are more in-depth parameters, or do you know a good, free or not too expensive video editing program?
ArtClass – Corrections
I didn’t actually plan on releasing an ArtClass this month, but managed to find the time to create one, which is in my eyes an extension to my former “Beginners’ Mistakes” lesson. The goal here is to focus on analyzing amateur artwork of some of my former students, in order to spot and avoid some of the classical mistakes artists tend to do when starting out.
To illustrate how to proceed, I have recorded anin-depth correction of a former artwork of mine. It illustrates many common mistakes, how to spot them with easy guidelines, and is concluded with a redraw. So, by the way if you’re wondering how I have evolved, here’s a “drawthisagain” with 10 years in between 8D
And, since it’s Christmas soon, my former “Beginners’ Mistakes” ArtClass is also sent along with this lesson. If you missed it or wish to start out with two lessons for this month, you can get it for any signup in December!
In this art lesson, you will get:
– “Corrections” voice-over video lesson
– PDF print-out with recap and pictures
– redraw time lapse + real time video
– 2 sheets with various pictures to analyze
– individual feedback and mentoring for the Student Tier
ArtJourney Special
ArtJourney files are my response to people asking for more behind-the-scenes work and are a monthly series of sketchbooks with annotations, ideas, exercises, used resources and inspiration. Each file gives you a tour through my private sketchbooks and personal research on specific topics. On the contrary to my illustrations, the sketches will be far less glamourous – but I think they will be a good insight about how to evolve as an artist, and I hope they will help you understand concepts to use for your own artistic journey!
Part 1 – Nude Sketchbook
37p. PDF with all sketches of November and comments for each session.
Nude classes have continued this month, so here’s the second part of my sketchbook! This month, we worked with an elder male model who gave me a hard time at the beginning. He wasn’t fat, but had a bigger belly, and had some body parts with flabby skin. In my drawings, he switched from looking too fat, too young, too weird, and I eventually got to understand his body type at the very end of a 3h lesson – but well, it was always funny and challenging. Even if challenges appear in front of you, now matter the area in your life, I think they are useful to help you evolve. Instead of feeling down, try to see the opportunity, and let them help you grow. It may take time and efforts, but in the end, you’ll see the results;)
Part 2 – Anatomy Sketchbook
30p. PDF with all sketches of November and comments for each part.
Besides nude classes, I have also been working on personal studies over the two past months, mostly focusing on anatomy and myology. Though it was sometimes very frustrating, especially since I tried to apply muscles correctly upon the skeleton, I eventually ended up getting a more solid grasp of human anatomy. As you can see below, sometimes I was so tired from studying that I started getting pretty weird thoughts… so, for instance, a random Colossal Titan with an Eren just randomly appeared in my sketchbook while working on back muscles 8D
Anyways, as mentioned last month, ArtClasses will resume in January with a special series on anatomy. I’m doing my best to keep them as simple and useful as possible, and I hope they’ll help you!
You can join Patreon and unsubscribe at any time. Your subscription also allows you to claim other perks, such as previous rewards, corrections and one-to-one guidance to improve your art, surprise packages, etc.
Last month, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Naturpark Our in order to illustrate a Luxembourgish tale in comic version – a story about a bull haunting Vianden. I have to admit that I had never heard about it before, and it nice to discover and illustrate it. Seeing as the project had to be released for Halloween on Naturpark Our’s Facebook page, I tried to give the part with the bull a darker, “halloweenish” feel. The tale is to be read from left to right, and I hope you’ll enjoy discovering it!
THE BULL
Texts and story provided by Naturpark Our Layout and illustrations by Sabrina Kaufmann
Do you know other Luxembourgish tales? Or are you fond of any other folk tales?
Tell me, I’d love to discover them! : D
Walfer Bicherdeeg 2018 ended once again and like the last years, I’ve loved every moment of it – be it with old friends or newcomers, you offered me the opportunity to draw for you, to talk and laugh with you, and I’ll always cherish those memories. Thank you so, so much!
For that event, I teased two new illustrations which could be discovered upon visiting. For those who missed it, here are the proper scans, with a new queen and a new lady from my food series! Both of them will now be available as an A4 Deluxe Print on upcoming conventions, as well as in my online shop. So, what do you think of them? Which one is your favourite?:D
Fruits des Bois & Queen of Darkness
What’s next?
Conventions – For the Belgian people among you, my next stop is already this week-end at Mon’s Livre, 24+25th November from 10h-18h, booth 196 in the “Littératures de l’Imaginaire Corner”, and will be the last big event of the year. I hope to meet you there!
Insta Art Raffle – A new Instagram art raffle will be published shortly, and will allow you to win an original artwork through a special concept – but for the complete conditions, surprise for now! It will be unveiled in an Insta post this Friday, and I hope to count you in! If you’re not on Instagram yet, you can follow me @sabrinak.art
The year is slowly coming to an end, but I am already planning upcoming projects, some events for next years have already been confirmed… You’ll know about it all in due time;) Until then, thank you so much for always being there, you’re the best!
Illustrated Fairytales – Chapter Covers
