Nice to Meet You — Long Long's Live2D Journey From Zero
From my first time touching Live2D until now, I honestly can't even count how many version updates I've been through — and to this day I still love this software just as much. In my heart, it's basically like a video game.
Back when I first got into Live2D in 2021, I fell head over heels for it instantly — the idea of turning a flat 2D image into a fully three-dimensional model was just so captivating to me. But I had zero art background going in, and I ran into some seriously huge walls along the way — why does everyone else's turn out three-dimensional while mine's still just a flat piece of paper? What even IS perspective? How do I even use half these program features? I taught myself step by step, and honestly I don't even know how many rotation rigs I wrecked along the way. In the end, even with all the pros' rigs pulled apart to study, mine still came out flat.
After a year of teaching myself, so by 2022, I felt like my skills had leveled up enough that I started volunteering to rig other people's models for free just to build up more experience. 2022 ended up being a real turning point for me — I landed my very first paid commission from an angel of a client, and around the same time I found out about Soda's Live2D course. Feeling like my own progress had been way too slow with not much to show for it, and getting more and more frustrated with myself, I told myself I HAD to catch that second cohort. Not just for my own growth, but because I didn't want to let down any future clients either — and I was able to combine what I already knew with what I learned in class, which finally cleared up a ton of technical stuff I'd been stuck on for ages.
And then during this course, out of nowhere, I actually caught Soda's attention. One day in class I suddenly got asked if I'd be interested in being a TA, and I was honestly floored — answering classmates' questions during the course had already taught me a ton myself, and since I'd been trusted with this, there was no way I could let Soda down, or the whole third-cohort juniors either. I'm going to keep working hard and grow so I can answer every question that comes my way. (Attaching the cutest chibi course art from this cohort)
Lastly, I really hope the studio keeps thriving and growing, with more and more amazing talent joining in — and I truly believe that one day, everyone out there is going to know the name SodaArt.
