pixiv

Though I've toned down my expectations for Quarterly Pixiv issues, Quarterly Pixiv Vol. 03 still managed to be a bit of a let down in terms of illustration content. But the lovely cover illustration by Mebae was enough to convince me to buy it in the first place ^^;

As more and more artists discover Pixiv, the competition for getting into the yearly Pixiv Girls Collection becomes tighter and tighter. While it may be hard on the artists, that competitive edge has made the Pixiv Girls Collection 2011 one of the most beautiful artists' collections I've ever purchased.

Much has changed since the first issue of Quarterly Pixiv Magazine. For one, the lovely poster is gone, replaced by nothing. On the other hand, the magazine is now much more "how to" art focused, with just about every artist featured doing an illustration walkthrough or presenting tips and tricks for Photoshop or SAI. The artists' interviews are much shorter than in the first volume as well, leaving space for longer art tutorials.

The first volume of Pixiv Quarterly was released May 28th, marking yet another way to consume the media generated by thousands of artists on the online art community. The premiere issue features a lengthy discussion on Black Rock Shooter, as well as how-to art and interviews with well-known artists.

This feels like an odd way to describe an art book, but Pixiv Girls Collection 2010 is really a lot of fun. It's enjoyable to look through, and you can take it to the next level where every time you see an art piece you like (and this will happen a lot, I guarantee it) you can go to the artist's Pixiv page immediately and see more art work, because this time they've included the Pixiv artist ID number next to each illustration in addition to the name!