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fyredrake.net
original anime manga comics illustrations character design
by sonia leong - professional artist & illustrator
other projects

This area showcases selected projects, publications and other appearances, with the most recent being near the top. Please click any image for larger views. For a textual summary of all of my publications, please view my formal biography.


Girls FC

Walker Books: Girls FC
I illustrated the covers for this series of books by Helena Pielichaty. A heartwarming and funny series of children's books about a girls football club and their wacky players, 9-12yrs. I've read all of the books so far and I love them! The girls are so real and take life as it comes.
~ [Buy Girls FC1: Do Goalkeepers Wear Tiaras? from Amazon] ~
~ [Buy Girls FC2: Can Ponies Take Penalties? from Amazon] ~
~ [Buy Girls FC3: Are All Brothers Foul? from Amazon] ~
~ [Buy Girls FC4: Is An Own Goal Bad? from Amazon] ~
~ [Buy Girls FC5: Who Ate All the Pies? from Amazon] ~
~ [Buy Girls FC6: What's Ukrainian for Football? from Amazon] ~
~ [Buy Girls FC7: So What If I Hog the Ball? from Amazon] ~

Girls FC Girls FC Girls FC Girls FC Girls FC Girls FC Girls FC

IT crowd

Channel 4: The I.T.Crowd, Season 3
I was contacted by Channel 4 in 2008 because they wanted me to contribute some artwork for Season 3 of the award-winning UK sitcom The I.T. Crowd in order to dress the set with my anime/manga illustrations. You can spot my artwork in Jen's Office! Below are some small screenshots from episode 3 (Tramps Like Us) and the images used:
~ [Buy The I.T. Crowd, Season 3 DVDs from Amazon] ~

IT crowd IT crowd Briony & Sueto-chan Angel


URBIS promo

How Manga Took over the World 2008
This touring exhibition was launched at the Manchester URBIS Centre and ran from 13 March - 21 Sept '08. It is now on display at the hub, Northampton from 17 Feb - 3 May '09. I created the mascot Umeko, she is seen throughout the exhibition in different styles and poses to match the various themes. Below are some photos:
URBIS photos URBIS photos URBIS photos URBIS photos


50 Manga babes

50 Manga Babes to Draw and Paint by Chi Han Li
Discover how to draw and paint 50 groovy girls from different styles and genres of manga art. Each character is presented with a full-page final image; working sketches; detailed instructions for lineart, coloring, and shading; sketches showing a range of poses and perspectives; and advice on color palettes, clothing, and accessories. All techniques are clearly explained, from finding inspiration to using both traditional and digital media. You will also find indispensable advice on manga female body shapes and proportions as well as information on rendering traditional Japanese clothing. I was one of the main contributors to this how-to-draw book.
~ [Buy 50 Manga Babes from Amazon.co.uk] ~

Dark Elf Pixie Sporty Miko Mecha Pilot Angel Geisha Martial Artist


I, Hero series

I, Hero by Skidmore and Barlow, Sonia Leong, UKŁ4.99 each
I, Hero is a series of choose-your-own-adventure books for children 8 years old and upwards, launched in 2007. The books are themed as follows: Viking Blood follows the journey of a young Viking warrior seeking to avenge his village; Code Mission is based in WWII where you play a British spy undercover in occupied France; Death or Glory tracks your progress from slave to celebrated Roman Gladiator; Gorgon's Cave takes you on an adventure through the fantastic creatures of Greek myth; Pirate Gold needs to be recovered with the help of Francis Drake; Save the Empire by solving a Victorian mystery as a detective. Two more titles will be released later this year.
~ [Buy Viking Blood from Amazon] ~
~ [Buy Code Mission from Amazon] ~
~ [Buy Death or Glory from Amazon] ~
~ [Buy Gorgon's Cave from Amazon] ~
~ [Buy Pirate Gold from Amazon] ~
~ [Buy Save the Empire from Amazon] ~
~ [Buy Space Rescue from Amazon] ~
~ [Buy Strike Force from Amazon] ~


500 manga Characters

500 Manga Characters by Sweatdrop Studios, UKŁ14.99
The biggest collection of manga clip art ever collected on one disc is at your disposal with 500 Manga Figures. Now you can create stunning artwork quickly and easily by using this vast collection of high-resolution (300ppi) images that are ready to use in any project. Not only that, but the book teaches you how to use professional colouring techniques, add figures to backgrounds and create your own manga. 500 Manga Figures is perfect for designers looking for that Japanese pop-culture look, or for manga fans to create amazing artwork without learning to draw. Experience the power of manga x500!
~ [Buy 500 Manga Characters from Amazon] ~

My largest contributions were Teenage Female contemporary, Teenage Female traditional, Action, Gothic Lolita, Child Female and Adult Female

Related images:
Action girl - high kick Action 1 Action 2 Adult female 1 Adult female 2 Traditional female Teenage female Gothic Lolita 1 GOthic Lolita 2 Child female


Manga Clip Art

Manga Clip Art, by Hayden Scott-Baron, UKŁ14.99
"Manga Clip Art" by Hayden Scott-Baron (Dock from Sweatdrop Studios) is a combination of book and CD. The CD contains thousands of variations of ready-made manga lineart illustrations from professionals, and Adobe Photoshop Elements. The book starts off with a digital colouring tutorial, then showcases the combinations of lineart that are possible.
~ [Buy Manga Clip Art from Amazon] ~

My contributions/appearances were Contents; Traditional Asian pg70-73; Male Warrior pg74-77; and Female Warrior pg78-81

Related images:
lineart female lineart male


Popcorn (2007)

Popcorn (2007), DVD RRP UKŁ24.99
During winter 2005/2006, I was asked to create the comic book character, Yukino for a British movie, Popcorn (Directed by Darren Fisher, starring Jack Ryder, Jodie Albert). Jack Ryder plays Danny who is essentially an otaku fanboy about the character Yukino. When he goes to his local cinema and discovers a girl working there, Suki (Jodie Albert) happens to resembles Yukino, things get silly. My work appears in various key moments throughout the film to showcase the resemblance between comics and real life. Visit the official movie website at www.popcorn-themovie.com
~ [Buy Popcorn on DVD from Amazon] ~

Popcorn website Popcorn website Popcorn screenshot

Related images:
Girls by the pool Yukino, brandishes sword Yukino in Chinese outfit and gun Yukino on the beach Yukino as a dominatrix Yukino as a mecha pilot


HeroCard Cyberspace

TableStar Games LLC - HeroCard Cyberspace
HeroCard Cyberspace is a strategic game of careful manipulation and vicious combat. Players use Avatar figures to gain control of networks, which allow them to score and place more Avatars. As the game progresses, the board itself evolves, and players must use firewalls and link tokens to maneuver themselves and their opponents. Dueling is accomplished by the HeroCard system, but the losing player gets "hacked," and must forfeit their actions to the winner. Visit the TableStar Games LLC - Herocard Cyberspace website at www.tablestargames.com/cyberspace.html

Myself and several of my colleagues from Sweatdrop Studios were hired to create artwork for the table top adventure card game, Herocard Cyberspace. I was the lead artist/project manager, creating the bulk of the character art/colouring and overall look.

Related images:
Sinner: Airswipe Bouncer: Gladiator Frame Bouncer: Shock fist Sinner: Smart Drink Bouncer: Subdermal Kevlar
Sinner: Vamps Cryptomancer attack on Bioengineer: Worm Proposed cover art for card game Sinner/dancer character


Drawing Manga

Drawing Manga, by Selina Dean, UKŁ9.99
"Drawing Manga" by Selina Dean covers all the beginner needs to draw their favourite types of characters, including people, monsters and mascots. There's advice on drawing figures, adding expressions, designing clothing and posing your characters. An essential section is included on creating different characters, examining the design points which make each character unique. Other sections cover the practical techniques needed to create comics - developing storyboards, creating layouts, scripting, including backgrounds, and using inking and colouring techniques. A final chapter includes some more advanced techniques to enable readers to create finished artwork on their own.
~ [Buy Drawing Manga from Amazon] ~

My contributions/appearances were What is Manga? pg9 lineart; Styles and roles pg11 (Shoujo); Working with reference pg14-15; Child Female pg58-59; Teenage Male pg61; Monsters pg75 77; and Creating Comics pg88

Related images:
Beach babes Chinese Dancer Sweet little girl and a skipping rope Fantasy knight and winged unicorn Cute little witch


IMAF logo

International Manga and Anime Festival (IMAF) 2005
I designed the official mascots for IMAF 2005, the i-Team. I was also involved in judging the competition in 2005 and 2006, which had an US$85,000 prize fund. Visit the IMAF website at www.imaf.co.uk
The mascots were used all over London County Hall:
IMAF doorways IMAF columns IMAF displays IMAF standees

Related images:
Group picture of the i-Team Bori, fiery space captain Jake, laid-back crew member Pixie, genius mechanic and her faithful mecha pet Yuri, wise wizard


NEO Magazine

NEO Magazine, UKŁ3.99
I have been featured in the UK's only Asian pop culture magazine many times, the majority of appearance being through Sweatdrop Studio's month feature, "Manga School". I was also the first of five winners from NEO's first Manga competition in 2005. NEO Magazine is available from all large newsagents throughout the UK and subscriptions through their website, www.neomag.co.uk

#25: Nov 06: News, Manga School
NEO mag front cover NEO mag page 21 NEO mag page 36 NEO mag page 37

#24: Oct 06: Digital Art feat.
NEO mag front cover NEO mag page 04 NEO mag page 36

#23: Sep 06: Artist Showcase
NEO mag front cover NEO mag page 38 NEO mag page 39

#22: Aug 06: Manga Rev, RSOM
NEO mag front cover NEO mag page 32 NEO mag page 33 NEO mag page 70

#18: May 06: Tokyopop RSOM
NEO mag front cover NEO mag page 49 NEO mag page 50 NEO mag page 51

#17: Apr 06: Tokyopop RSOM
NEO mag front cover NEO mag page 24 NEO mag page 25 NEO mag page 26

#10: Sep 05: Manga School
NEO mag front cover NEO mag contents page NEO mag page 1 of article NEO mag page 2 of article

#9: Aug 05: Creating Manga 2
NEO mag front cover NEO mag page article

#8: Jul 05: Manga Competition
NEO mag front cover NEO mag mini comic cover sample spread of my comic


Wacom Wacom Cosplay

Wacom-Europe: Manga Campaign
Wacom is the leading manufacturer of graphics tablets. Since 2005, I have been working with Wacom-Europe on their manga campaign, I created the Wacom Catgirl as their mascot, written tutorials for Wacom and have provided demonstrations of their product on numerous occasions.
Visit their Manga website at www.wacom-europe.com/manga


Draw Manga

Draw Manga, by Sweatdrop Studios, UKŁ9.99
"Draw Manga" by Sweatdrop Studios goes back to basics explaining what the manga style is and the tools and materials needed. There follows a series of tutorials in depth on how to build up your characters from first principles - facial structure, anatomy, proportions then leading to individual character elements such as eyes, hair, accessories and clothing. Subsequent step-by-step projects show how to put all of the individual elements together to create effective manga characters. It finishes with projects from the masters - creating polished pieces of manga-style art using various mediums, such as markers and watercolours.
~ [Buy Draw Manga from Amazon] ~

I was the Sweatdrop editor and lead artist on this How-to-Draw book, commissioned by New Holland Publications. I wrote many of the key tutorials, and managed and co-ordinated this project. Sections written and illustrated by me include Introduction; Tutorials: Head, Figures & Proportion, Action lines & Poses, Clothing; Step-by-Step Creation: Male Child Alternative, Teenage Female; and Projects from the Masters: Coloured Markers

Related images:
Romance marker pic Action girl kicking Alternative Child Boy Teengirl Clothes Figures Drawing the Head


Images and website are copyright © Sonia Leong 2003-2009 unless otherwise stated
Don't use my images without permission. Hotlinking is not allowed