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JohnSu — Puppet Strings

Published: 2010-10-04 06:19:22 +0000 UTC; Views: 118765; Favourites: 6021; Downloads: 1570
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Description Alright, here is a picture I actually spent time (started about 2 weeks ago)!

Caroline is an artificial daughter developed by a creepy guy with a lot of time and money and no children. However, the research and construction took a long time. By the time she was completed, he had found a woman who loved him for his money and not for his looks, and she had borne him a stumpy little babyling to call his own. So! Now she is kind of like the really expensive juke box that the family likes to show off to guests.

Because the technology for making artificial people is complicated shit, Caroline's head is purely decorative. Her face is painted on, and she cannot process visual stimuli. She can, however, hear what is happening around her and emulate a voice using whatever musical instruments are at hand. Speaking of which, her arms are a viola set!

Caroline stores her memories as melodies, which she likes to play back on occasion to remember them. Sometimes she will also make up melodies about what it'd be like to be a rhinoceros and tip over carriages.


This was a real fun one. I tried using multiple shades again like I did in Mamenoko Jack , but this time with much more vibrant colors and lighting. I was hoping to capture the feel of Capcom's arcade graphics from the 90's, but I didn't actually have any references so this was mostly from "impressions." For the background, I actually referenced some Totoro art! I should do that more often - they have some beautiful trees.

Made in Flash
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Comments: 569

chibi-kyo-chan17 [2014-02-13 23:26:43 +0000 UTC]

really nice piece!

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Dream-Beam [2013-03-09 18:19:16 +0000 UTC]

This has always been my favorite art on this site <33
I always come back just to see it, awesome job!

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phikazumi [2013-03-05 14:08:30 +0000 UTC]

Wow!
Check out my gallery,I have goods too!
Your drawing is BEAUTIFUL

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lynchkidme [2013-03-01 10:27:21 +0000 UTC]

OH THIS IS JUST RADICAL, SO BEAUTIFUL, SUCH A CREATIVE IDEA, PIKA PIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

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PandaIsHungry13 [2012-08-06 16:06:29 +0000 UTC]

Meh guhstah. :3

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puppetjarihop [2012-08-05 04:49:23 +0000 UTC]

great drawing its got to difficult to shake hand and to be taken seriously with viola set arms. can they interchangeable with other instruments

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JohnSu In reply to puppetjarihop [2012-08-07 20:19:50 +0000 UTC]

she cannot dock with a piano or an organ.

But an accordian is OK.

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Interimnity [2012-07-04 02:28:37 +0000 UTC]

How can she play different notes (chords) in her viola arm if she doesn't have fingers?

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JohnSu In reply to Interimnity [2012-07-07 00:03:37 +0000 UTC]

she can turn the knobs and change the tension in the strings!

or she plays very simple melodies

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Interimnity In reply to JohnSu [2012-07-07 02:21:20 +0000 UTC]

That's acceptable.

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That-Writer-Kid [2012-04-21 02:38:37 +0000 UTC]

I just realised she can only play four notes. No fingers to press down the strings.

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JohnSu In reply to That-Writer-Kid [2012-05-12 17:07:46 +0000 UTC]

she can turn the knobs individually to change the tension in the strings!

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That-Writer-Kid In reply to JohnSu [2012-05-13 00:58:50 +0000 UTC]

I'll take that.

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Hawkheart29 [2012-04-11 00:09:52 +0000 UTC]

a musical android, that's a first for me.

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Luna-Rai [2012-04-02 16:49:09 +0000 UTC]

wow quite beautiful

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freebird429 [2012-01-29 19:01:07 +0000 UTC]

Very nice picture. Like the back story as well.

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Beatrix-soleneg [2011-12-18 14:26:29 +0000 UTC]

I love it !! very nice job !!

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oscar-ojisan [2011-11-02 04:03:03 +0000 UTC]

........beautiful...........

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MarceloCielo [2011-09-19 18:21:27 +0000 UTC]

Amazing!

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poxto [2011-09-01 22:06:11 +0000 UTC]

After the initial shock of the brightness, this is soooooooooo pretty! The trees especially, I love trees and I wish your trees were in my backyard. Yayz!

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Teepet [2011-06-25 18:50:45 +0000 UTC]

Oh no! A viola? I was gunna fav it when I thought her arms were a violin set.

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calibor24 [2011-06-14 22:44:19 +0000 UTC]

~HOOOOOO~ @3@ You can paint so well! Im envious! T^T

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lunartakiro [2011-06-03 02:32:18 +0000 UTC]

Nice work! I know I'm kind of late to the party on this one, but I'm sort of new to tablet drawing myself and I was wondering if you could give me any pointers on how you did some of the lighting/texturing in this piece.

Love your work, keep it up!

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JohnSu In reply to lunartakiro [2011-06-27 16:29:23 +0000 UTC]

ummm...
*gestures in the air*
kind of like that

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fegie [2011-05-30 09:19:42 +0000 UTC]

Aw, her story is sad... But the colors in this are very lush & vibrant.

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fkg-illustration [2011-05-29 02:25:09 +0000 UTC]

You have a beautiful imagination.

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pigflight [2011-05-20 00:05:14 +0000 UTC]

Wow, this is pretty.

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acqtai15 [2011-04-24 04:58:30 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful.... Thats all I can say. I love music and art so this made me cry at its beauty...

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BtoK [2011-03-31 20:05:06 +0000 UTC]

nice style :3 excelent colour :3

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Takeshi1993 [2011-03-16 18:18:24 +0000 UTC]

So YOU'RE the person who drew this. I've seen it all over gaia.

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JohnSu In reply to Takeshi1993 [2011-03-31 16:03:43 +0000 UTC]

oh cool! I'm glad it's making its way around

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Momo-The-Joker [2011-03-13 21:55:24 +0000 UTC]

I love this so muchX3

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FionaASiren [2011-02-26 11:05:47 +0000 UTC]

I would love to have one like her.

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FragmentedIllusions [2011-02-20 00:58:03 +0000 UTC]

Aaah such pretty colours! -entranced-

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Coffgirl [2011-02-18 00:34:33 +0000 UTC]

ah....your work..always make me happy. :3

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WateryGrave [2011-02-16 19:12:44 +0000 UTC]

This is lovely. xD

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liveandreloaded [2011-02-16 14:28:19 +0000 UTC]

Beautiful.

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bluchimera [2011-02-08 22:44:05 +0000 UTC]

What happens when she needs to tune the viola? Those things go out of tune as soon as the weather changes?

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JohnSu In reply to bluchimera [2011-02-18 22:28:06 +0000 UTC]

she can turn the knobs since it's part of her body.

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chibimeli [2011-01-31 01:31:05 +0000 UTC]

its a very beautiful work

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Kuryree [2011-01-29 02:45:21 +0000 UTC]

Yay! She has a viola and not one of these stupidstupid violins!

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Pixies-poke [2011-01-25 05:36:06 +0000 UTC]

I feel sorry for her having been made then replaced

She is quite adorable! Very nice colour composition and background also

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allamulax [2011-01-23 00:02:22 +0000 UTC]

She looks cute yet she has some touching story.
Overall great work!

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Aish-chan [2011-01-05 07:15:33 +0000 UTC]

its so pretty! love the background too!

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Chercitia [2010-12-31 06:58:46 +0000 UTC]

I love the colors *_* Really cute!

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kwonton [2010-12-31 03:41:04 +0000 UTC]

i really like her story ahaha

it's cute and funny and interesting. can i expect more of caroline in the future?

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JohnSu In reply to kwonton [2011-01-06 05:57:27 +0000 UTC]

I have no plans for her, but it doesn't mean I never will!

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zoogoesrawr [2010-12-31 03:39:35 +0000 UTC]

How on earth do you make this stuff in Flash.

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Hidden-Member-Ruise [2010-12-30 22:04:12 +0000 UTC]

Stellar background!

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Originsin [2010-12-29 11:02:53 +0000 UTC]

Man, you draw like this with flash?!? Unbelievable.. Really! Keep it up!

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