MegaMan Juno

 "MegaMan Juno"
(MegaMan Juno from the Mega Man Legends)
 
Maybe it was just the shock of this character, who came almost literally out of nowhere in the last few minutes of Mega Man Legends, or his strangely calm, callous demeanor, but something about Juno stuck with me. Once I discovered no official art exists for his character (despite one very rough draft, which hails from one guide book), I knew I had to somehow make up for that...

I tried my best to mimic Hideki Ishikawa's at-the-time style to allow it to mesh with his other designs from the game, though going with the lighting used on the reaverbot illustrations, since he tends to fit in better with them than characters like the Bonnes or even MegaMan, himself. I don't declare it 1-for-1, by any means, but I think I got fairly close. The red digital-esque lines were a challenge to pull off, but I think they came out good given what I was working with. The final touch was giving it a "scanned" look, using some filters and reverse-DNR, just to really cement it into looking "official."

 December 6, 2015
Micron pens, Pigma pens, Photoshop Elements 7.0
4224x5746 pixels

Zero Gravity

 "Zero Gravity"
(Samus Aran from the Metroid series)
 
Samus has always been a bit of a hot topic in the classic gaming community. From her reveal at the end of the original Metroid game on the NES, she's always been a bit of a paradox. A slender, athletic woman with the drive of a typical male warrior, and no real weaknesses or stereotypes that tend to hold female characters against that glass ceiling. The epitome of a strong woman, with the only real traces of femininity are held entirely in her physical form, of which is usually hidden under her massive power armor. I wanted to kinda show a balance of that strength, while keeping the piece a bit more stoic. While it's difficult to avoid sexuality when rendering her in her famed Zero Suit, I did so to show her only weakness - not that she's female, but just that she's human.

I chose to still have her armor in the form of a silhouette around her, which I stylized to look like a scene of her Gunship's approach to the planet Zebes; her once-home and her mission field in the original NES game, Zero Mission, and Super Metroid.

Sorry to get all preachy, I actually just always liked that angle of Samus's character - something Other M sorta went against and almost ruined... Ironic, since I picked that version of her Zero Suit, just because I like the aesthetics of it more than from Zero Mission.

 September 17, 2015
Micron pens, ballpoint pen, Prismacolor Markers, charcoal pencil, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

The Planet's Battle

"The Planet's Battle"
(Emerald Weapon, Ultima Weapon, Ruby Weapon, Sapphire Weapon, and Diamond Weapon from Final Fantasy VII)
 
This one took me quite a bit longer than I thought! (lol)

I always liked the concept of the Weapons from FFVII. Something about a "natural mecha" was very interesting to me, especially when I was younger. That giant-robot-meets-kaiju appearance and backstory made these unique in the Final Fantasy realm, as well as their almost ambivalent purpose.
I threw in the battle between the White Materia Holy and the Black Materia Meteor, using the Lifestream versus Sephiroth's Negative Lifestream. So it was a theme of black vs. white, green vs. red, and the Weapons as the neutral middle.
 
I started this one only a couple months ago, getting the lineart done in only a couple of days, with full satisfactory. but coloring it had me stumped. I had roughly two other attempts, with one getting rather far before I started to feel unimpressed with the turnout. To be honest, even this final one doesn't quite feel like it's anything like I envisioned. Perhaps something like this was better left to digital mediums. (lol)

Unfortunately, the worst part is some of the finer coloring details may have been lost in the scanning process, due to my scanner washing out light colors. Something I can usually correct in post-scanning, but the complexity of the outline rendered that difficult, if not, impossible.

August 24, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, ballpoint pen, Prismacolor Markers, charcoal pencil, colored pencils, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

Hell Closer

"Hell Closer"
(Original Character)
 
A piece I penned 3 years ago, and a complete overhaul of an illustration I did even further back. I very much love utilizing Art Nouveau styling, even if it is difficult to pull off the natural flow that Mucha was always able to achieve. But despite that, I still had to try, and think it came out better than I anticipated, even if the background is a bit lacking in detail.

I'm trying to get into reusing some of my old original characters, maybe even working my way back to the story itself, but this is a decent start, I think. I have another piece in mind to pair with/counter this piece. Hopefully, I can get that one executed soon.

The banner, for those not fluent in Latin, roughly reads, "The worn down soul seeks rest."

July 22, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, ballpoint pen, Prismacolor Markers, charcoal pencil, colored pencils, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.
(*Paper texture added digitally via Photoshop Elements)

Blue Twilight

"Blue Twilight"
(Mega Man 5)
 
An illustration done for Capcom's Mega Man Legacy Collection Art Contest, the objective is to reimagine a cover art for one of the 6 classic Mega Man titles contained within the collection. I chose Mega Man 5, as I liked the idea of making a genuine rivaly between Mega Man and Proto Man (or was it???). I added a few elements exclusive or new to that game, including Dark Man, a prominent villain toward the end, and also Beat, with 5 being the assist character's first appearance. Also, who's that we spy at the bottom...? (lol)

This piece had a lot of ambition and passion poured into it, and I think it shows pretty well. with the moody color palette, added details, and toned shading, It's a strong possibility this is one of my pictures I can say turned out even better than I anticipated.

And, thanks to whatever deity/deities are in charge, the impression carried over to the judges, as it stands among the other 5 winners of the contest! I'm extremely excited to be chosen on this, and congratulate in fullest the other winners, as had they entered in the MM5 category, I may not have made it! ^^;;;

July 15, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, ballpoint pen, Prismacolor Markers, charcoal pencil, colored pencils, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.
(Border color added digitally via Photoshop Elements)

Buster Vine

"Buster Vine"
(Final Fantasy VII / Vinesauce)
 
A quick illustration I made for Vinny of the video game stream site Vinesauce, who's recently been playing Final Fantasy VII, Ironically a few weeks prior to the announcement of Square Enix's remake.
I decided to make it look like the loading screen image, but placed his signature Vineshroom next to Cloud's Buster Sword.
The main illustration is done in my usual traditional means, however, I did some extra digital work to my submitted versions on the Vinebooru, to be used either as wallpaper/splash images and also as a "BRB" during their intermissions.
Sadly, whether he ever actually saw the pieces is forever a mystery to me. :\

June 21, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, ballpoint pen, Prismacolor Markers, charcoal pencil, colored pencils, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

"Buster Vine" & "Buster Vine (Ver.BRB)"

June 21, 2015

Compiled and edited on Photoshop Elements Editor
Cursor sprite taken directly from Final Fantasy VII game assets

Those Chosen by the Planet - Set 4

"Those Chosen by the Planet" (Set 4)
(Vincent Valentine, Cid Highwind, and Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy VII)
 
Part 4 of the FF7 project. This one finishes off the playable roster with Cid and Vincent. I managed a solution to keep this from just being two characters and to pair with Zack, I brought in Cloud in his Shinra Guard uniform from the Nibelheim incident, looking all mopey and ashamed. (lol)

While I anticipated keeping all the textures of black material diverse on Vincent to be a challenge, I did not foresee Cid's design being so complex in its color palette. He also features several interesting efforts, such as the lenses on his goggles, the light from his cigarette, and the patches on his bomber jacket.

June 21, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, ballpoint pen, Prismacolor Markers, charcoal pencil, colored pencils, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

Those Chosen by the Planet - Set 3

"Those Chosen by the Planet" (Set 3)
(Zack Fair, Cait Sith, and Yuffie Kisaragi from Final Fantasy VII)
 
Part 3 of the FF7 project. This set introduces the secret characters into the mix, with Yuffie. However, when I realized that the numbers were gonna be off by one if I just stuck with the playable characters, with 3 to a sheet, there'd have only been one person on the next set. So, I opted to add bonus characters, starting with Zack, Cloud's friend from SOLDIER (As well as the protagonist from Crisis Core). But with Vincent and Cid left, that's still only two characters for the fourth set... Or is it?

I never noticed how much color separation Yuffie's outfit has until I went to color this piece. Needless to say, she was the hardest on here. However, with the added pencil hatching effect on her fishnets and the tassels of her headband, I think the effort shows more, as well. Sadly, in the case of Zack, I'm not positive I color matched the blues I used on Cloud's picture very accurately. :\

As mentioned with the previous sets, I am hoping to sell these as individual prints, later down the line, probably as 5x7's.

June 20, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, ballpoint pen, Prismacolor Markers, charcoal pencil, colored pencils, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

Those Chosen by the Planet - Set 2

"Those Chosen by the Planet" (Set 2)
(Barret Wallace, Red XIII, and Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII)
 
Part 2 of the FF7 project. I decided to wrap up the crew gained in Midgar, as well as Sephiroth.

I had a bit of a difficult time with Barret, largely due to me not having perfect colored markers for his proper palette, but I think I got it close enough. Sephiroth provided some further worry, mostly because of his all-leather ensemble. But, once again, I think I pulled it off with minimal gripes.

As mentioned with the previous set, I am hoping to sell these (as well as the rest of the cast when I get to them) as individual prints, later down the line, probably as 5x7's.

June 7, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, ballpoint pen, Prismacolor Markers, charcoal pencil, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

Those Chosen by the Planet - Set 1

"Those Chosen by the Planet" (Set 1)
(Cloud Strife, Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough from Final Fantasy VII)
 
A project I thought up a bit back to make illustrations of the FF7 cast in art styles reminiscent of their in-game field models, but didn't really have a complete execution in mind. I just decided to do individual character pics, with roughly 3 per sheet.

Since these three are arguably the main characters within the protagonists, I did them first. While I started them based on those blocky, Popeye-armed renders, I decided to give them some visual aesthetic to make them more pleasing.

I'm in progress of doing the rest of the main cast, and am hoping to sell these as individual prints, later down the line, probably as 5x7's.

June 7, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, ballpoint pen, Prismacolor Markers, charchol pencil, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

Nightmare

"Nightmare"
(Zio and Dark Force from Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium)
 
A commission for CainsLove Crafts (who is also my wife, lol), whom grew up with the original Phantasy Star series for the Sega Master System and Genesis. While I've not played them, personally, I've seen her play through all of them, so my grasp on their stories are fair.

I tried to make this very scenic, almost like a painting. I originally intended on having it paneled, but went against that once I realized how constricting it would look. Various layers of marker, colored pencil and chalk pastels were used in making Dark Force blend as well into the background as I could, as well as making the mist have a fog-like feel to it. The atmosphere of the picture turned out a bit better than I thought it would, honestly, and definitely leaves a foreboding presence fitting of the scene it's replicating.

May 27, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencis, chalk pastels, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

I, II, Red, Blue

"I, II, Red, Blue"
(Zaku I, Zaku II, Char's Zaku II, and Gouf from Mobile Suit Gundam)
 
This was a fun parody of Dr. Seuss' "One fish two fish red fish blue fish," utilizing everyone's favorite Zaku variants... Wait...

I can't recall what exactly inspired me to do it, aside from the obvious "This is no Zaku, boy" line from Ramba Ral. I do know that whatever it was, it's admittedly one of the more clever things I think I'd come up with! (lol) I was stewing on when I was going to do this one completely, but when a friend who's moving soon told me he wanted to commission me to finish it, I jumped on it, if only for the sake of not having to mail it off later. I do wish I could have made the background a bit more consistent, but I've done worse, I think.

May 11, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

Tenkaichi

"Tenkaichi"
(Son Goku from Dragon Ball / Dragon Ball Z)
 
As mentioned before, Dragon ball Z was, like many others, my true entry into anime, being the first serial show I had watched that was largely serious (at the time) and had quality animation. While I wouldn't find out for a while that it started as a parody/gag manga, Dragon Ball still is among legend here in the West, with people here still holding in high regard today, even with newer series like Naruto, Bleach, and One Piece taking similar reigns.

I used to draw DB stuff so much when I was younger that I never really required references for Akira Toriyama's style. However, 14 years is a long time, and I actually found myself looking through his artbooks and manga to make sure everything looked true to his vision. Although some parts looks more like Tadayoshi Yamamuro's versions... ^_^;;

I had a few concepts in mind for this before going with what you see now. I had efforts to worm in The two newest iterations of Goku from Battle of Gods and Resurrection 'F'. However found it too busy for what I wanted as just a simple homage to the mighty Super Saiyan, so I decided to just stick with what was faithful to the manga. I think it gives the visual palette some nice contrast, so I'm overall pleased with this one!

May 8, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

Cat•Nin•Den

"Cat•Nin•Den"
(Polly Esther, Speedy Cerviche, and Guido Anchovy from Samurai Pizza Cats /
Pururun, Yattaro, and Sukashee from Kyatto•Ninden Teyandee)
 
This is a LONG over due piece, in my own opinion, as this was probably the first anime I had ever seen knowing it was from Japan but still ignorant of the term "anime." Samurai Pizza Cats (as it's known most of the world over) was my gateway to anime, as its airing soon met with the early syndicated Dragon Ball Z, and netting me into the broad realm of Japanimation. And despite its loose (if at all existent) translation, silly plots, and non-stop pop-culture references (all of which are quite dated, now) made this show such an enjoyment to catch!
Pizza Cats is one of those that has a strong enough following in most of the western world, but little in the ways of fan art. Especially faithful fan art. And while I've seen LOTS of amazing liberal interpretations of the crew, I felt it necessary to pay the proper homage to the Nyankee group.

If you grew up with this show, you know why it's a classic. To those that have not, I suggest picking up the box set recently released by Discotek Media. And to those who feign uninterest...
"TEYANDEE!?!"

May 1, 2015
Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

Seventh Heaven (Redo)

"Seventh Heaven" (Redo)
(Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy VII)
 
I admit it. Growing up, this was likely my first fictional crush. Of course, I was also 12, at the time. 
Among many, MANY things Final Fantasy VII is known for, it's safe to say that Tifa is arguably one of the most popular outside of the gamer stratum. At a time where kick-ass female characters were starting to emerge, she also had the deep personality and character to keep her from being just another pretty face.
I did this picture digitally back in 2007, so almost 8 years of new techniques and broader study of anatomy and "physics" made this picture a "Definite" on my redo list. This one also challenged me with the lighting and shadowing, to which I think turned out far better than anticipated. The biggest change to the old one was sort of me trying to blend her original appearance with her Advent Children one, going for her white top and miniskirt with the apron/cape and pink ribbon being the only tack-ons from her movie visage.
Also note the barely visible "VII" in the background...

April 24, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

Fly, Gundam!

"Fly, Gundam!"
(RX-78-2 Gundam from Mobile Suit Gundam)
 
I'd wanted to do just a picture of the granddaddy Gundam for some time now, and figured I'd do something with a bit of classic space scenery. I'm trying to get used to doing backgrounds since a lot of my commissions have requested them. Also, White Base. 
I penned this pic some time last year, but finally decided to color it. I had the intention of making this an 11x17" piece, but I noticed that 90% of my unfinished work is that size, so I figure that's likely my problem. (lol)
I didn't expect this picture to have the level of shading I put into it, but ended up evolving almost unconsciously. The exploding mobile suit orbs were fun to do, since I wanted to make them look more than just orange glow-orbs, like they appear in most of the 90's works. A nice little test piece that brings a good homage to the father of real mecha, I think.

 
April 20, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

Proof of Existence

"Proof of Existence"
(Mewtwo and Mew from Pokémon: Mewtwo Strikes Back)

This was another piece I penned last year but didn't get around to coloring until today. One sitting, at that. Mewtwo and Mew have always tied for first place as My favorite Pokémon, and the first movie probably helped with that.
The composition was inspired by a display by Tamashii Nations when they showcased the Mewtwo D-Arts. I tried to put some subtle diversity into how I colored the two characters, making Mewtwo's shading much more haggard and jagged, while making Mew's more calm and steady.
In retrospect, I honestly wished I had done the background colors in shades of purple and violet, but I don't have enough markers to give it the effect I put into it. All in all, I think it turned out better than I though it was... ^_^;;
 
April 18, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, and colored pencils,
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

Builders

 

"Builders"
(Char Aznable, Haro, and Amuro Ray from Mobile Suit Gundam / commission)

This was a commission requested, once again, by Falldog over at Otaku Revolution, done for his Layman's Gunpla Guide page for his 6th year anniversary. Sadly, that was a year ago, and I missed the deadline by a tremendous margin, due to alot of RL issues, several consistency problems with the art itself, and a complete drain of my motivation. Thankfully, he was extremely patient with me, and when I started feeling motivated to work on art again, I knew I had to get his pieces done.

The two characters were drawn individually as separate illustrations and compiled into a single banner. Drawing the runners on Amuro's image proved to be the biggest pain, while coloring something as complex as the box and manual on Char' image had no issues. Kinda weird, but whatever. (lol)

*watermarked per request for usage protection.
April 15, 2015   
Illustrations: Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, and gel pens,
on two 8.5x11" cardstock.

Banner: Compiled and edited in Photoshop 7.0 and Photoshop Elements.

Variables

"Variables"
(Ultimate Armor X and Black Zero from Mega Man X4)

As stated previously, I love Mega Man X, and while I played each game as they came out, the first I ever beat was Mega Man X4 for the PS1. The rich graphics, immersive soundtrack, and nice anime cutscenes greatly enhanced what it was like to play a video game. The other aspect I loved were the hidden armors for X and Zero that could only be obtained by a code. And while Zero's was nothing more than an aesthetically pleasing palette swap, X's Ultimate Armor was like switching the game to ultra easy mode, but still made it fun to play!

Aside from keeping both characters poses relatively unaltered, the biggest challenge on this picture was replicating the clear effect on X's armor. Digital manipulation would normally be the workaround for something like this, but with my markers, I don't have that liberty. And while I think I could have done better in some spots, I am still quite pleased with this one's turnout.
 
April 14, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, and gel pens,
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

Maverick Hunters

"Maverick Hunters"
(X and Zero from Mega Man X)

I've always loved the X series Mega Man titles. Because of their more hardcore setting and fun, interesting gameplay, it feels like a true sequel to the Mega Man franchise rather than just another chapter of the same story. I also love the approach of the rivals-in-arms friendship of X and Zero. This illustration was a bit of a gush for me, pouring out my love for MMX onto paper is something I've not really done since I was young. Even less, it be an original piece.

In a rarity, this one actually turned out better than I anticipated, with no issues on marker-bleed or misplaced colors to note. I do wish I could highlight Zero's Z-Sabre better, but I'm afraid of overdoing it's effect, so it is what it is.
 
April 13, 2015
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, and gel pens,
on 8.5x11" cardstock.