Rin / Len Asics Zavanna Flats

Continuing on with the Vocaloid series, here's the second set from Vocaloid, the super cute Rin and Len Kagamine!  This pair was made with small feet in mind - the shoes are a size 6 in womens.

These two were sold as a two-for-one in the Vocaloid series.  Meaning that for the same price, you got both Rin and Len's voice packages in the software!  And they're so huggable and cute.  It's not even funny.  Normally I don't like yellow as a color... but somehow, they make it WORK. 

For tasteful internet users, you should recognize their poses very clearly.  That's right, they are doing the Caramelldansen.  I still remember that trend like it just hit the raging masses.  One small video triggered this massive user response to have all of anime do the dance.  In tribute of that, Rin and Len are posed dancing as well.  Aside from that, there's a lot of new stuff in these shoes that I've implemented.  Things such as using an additional marker to my usual acrylics, and allowing some paint to run on the sole of the shoe.

Copic's Multiliner pens were used here to create the musical notes that run along the straps at the top of the shoe.  There was a lot of juicy design in the top of the shoe, so I added to it by throwing musical notes for good measure.  Don't try and read too much into the notes, they're there to be pretty.  Or maybe there IS an actual song there?  Hm...

I did the usual adding of names here too - Kagamine Rin / Len are placed at the side of the shoe that faces the outside, and to top it off, the pink paint runs down onto the sole of the shoe!  It's a super light coat, so it shouldn't peel off when you're walking about.  I'll have to experiment with painting on the sole more - while paint on the sole is a risque move, the aesthetics of the design moving from the shoe to the sole is awesome, I think.

And finally, the mandatory number of the Vocaloid is placed on the back.

My next pair will actually not be the 3rd Vocaloid.  I have another project that needs to get done first before I can get Luka in.  That, and Luka needs a suitable shoe to look pretty on, which... has not been found yet.  But rest assured, she'll be here!

Miku Converse

After a bout of inspiration, I finished these kicks as another pair for NDK - so without further ado, here's Miku from the well known Vocaloid series!

For those of you that don't know Vocaloid, it's a piece of software made by Yamaha.  The software features vocal banks such that if you input lyrics and a melody, it will sing to your tune!  You can further tweak and modify the voice so it comes out the way you want it, and then add it to the rest of your composition to make a song.  You can find several composers using Vocaloid on the internet based on the sheer amount of music originating from it.  Interestingly, this has given all Vocaloid characters virtual celebrity status - they're famous and can sing, but they don't really exist as people.

I was troubled with making this pair.  These particular shoes sport different materials from the usual brand of Chucks, and as such could not hold paint as well.  But I did a lot of experimenting with acrylic ink and it had wonderful results.  You won't be able to see it as well here in the pictures, but the ink has this metallic sheen to it, so when you walk around with Miku, her hair will shine and shimmer.  It's pretty badass.

I'm most proud of the text I put on the back.  I have a thing for text.  Something about stylizing font or making a few words read differently really appeals to me.  That, and it makes it feel official.  So the backs of the shoes are emblazoned with Hatsune Miku's name and her Vocaloid number.

I'm planning on releasing a series of shoes for each of the three main Vocaloids (Miku, Lin & Ren, and Luka), so expect to see the other two!

Phantom of the Opera Flats

And now for the next inspiration, the Phantom of the Opera!  A classic musical that I'm sure everyone's heard of, all involving a certain man with a certain mask.

This was a fun pair, though difficult to start with at first.  These shoes have been painted over with a very flexible black fabric acrylic paint, so the texture is different from most fabric shoes.  Additionally, the texture of the figures and the texture of the black paint are one and the same, so there are no tactile differences. 

I had never done text before, but it was very awarding when the brush met the shoe.  A liner brush works true wonders in these kinds of situations, and I now love my new paintbrush after its stellar performance.  Also did a bit of blending technique here to transition between the blue and white elements of the text.

Overall a fun piece, and an refresher from my usual anime / video game inspired works.