Lingering

"Lingering"
Key illustration

"I looked into your eyes, and all I saw was my own weakness.  And your sapphire eyes saw everything— Crystal clear.
I just wanted to be stronger. To be worthy of your love. To protect you.  Like you protected me.
Can you… Can you grant me your strength… One last time? …"

The first new key illustration in a while, I can't talk about too many specifics for this one from a story perspective. Just know there's a lot of reasons for the composition that translate to metaphors of their place in the story.
Since my other pieces from this line used either blue or pink undertones, I figured these two are removed enough from their connections to merit their own unique look.

January 30, 2020
Sakura Pigma pens, pencils, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, and POSCA paint pens
on 14x17" smooth bristol stock.

Fated Sword Dual Balance ©Studio OZKai

A New War

"A New War"
(Mobile Suit Gundam series / Commission/Gift art)

Possibly my most ambitious illustration, and doubly so for a commission, I really tried to go for styles that suited each unit's contemporary look from their native series, but joining them together in a similar shading technique; using chalk pastels and colored pencils to simulate an airbrushed look. Getting the colors on each suit to reflect their on-screen palettes was challenging, but pays off well and it makes sure each one is distinct from one another.
This was originally commissioned as a 9x12" piece, however I had fears I would not be able to do it near justice at that size and opted to do the larger size myself. The client was a good sport with me and ran with whatever I had in mind, and I am extremely thankful for his rolling with my indecisiveness during this process.

January 21, 2020
Sakura Pigma pens, pencils, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, charcoal pencils, gel pens, POSCA paint pens, and chalk pastels
on 14x17" smooth bristol stock.

Deceitful Empress

"Deceitful Empress"
Mobile Suit Z Gundam / Commission/for Mobile Suit Breakdown

This was my final piece for 2019, but being a commission, I had to wait for them to publicly unveil it first. This is one they wanted me to keep my own personal stylings but using the villainous Haman Karn and her signature mobile suit, the AMX-004 Qubeley.
It took some work to get their poses to work with one another, especially with the Qubeley's unique geometry, but I think its perspective does its menacing presence justice.

You can find their official post on their patreon here!

December 9, 2019
Sakura Pigma pens, pencils, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, charcoal pencils, and POSCA paint pens
on 9x12" smooth bristol stock.

Mist

Mist
______________________________

"Quit playing around, Surge..." 
The aloof woman can vary the density of her body, and to serve the Black Phoenix, she'll use her powerful fists against all who oppose them.

Mist
Age: ??? / Height: 5'6" / Weight: 158 lbs.
Birth Date: February 15 / Zodiac: Aquarius / Blood Type: AB
VI: Kira Buckland

______________________________

[Illustration Info]

Mist

A companion character to Surge, a sibling in fact, Mist will first appear near the climax of book two. Like Surge, she is another brawler-type fighter, but she can control the density of her body's consistency, meaning she can either be condensed like a diamond or thinned out to almost a vapor. She uses the former to deliver strong, heavy-hitting attacks, and can use the latter as evasive maneuvers.
I based her appearance as an homage to WWE's Asuka, though mostly with the hair coloring, and I designed the outfit to kinda flow with Surge's style. Her colors are considerably more muted compared to her brother's, though it still contains a few brights to keep it from looking completely drab.
I was a bit worried with the hair at first, but after getting the colors on the skirting, it balances out pretty well, I believe.
 
October 17, 2019 
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, and POSCA paint pens
on 14x17" smooth bristol stock.
 
Fated Sword Dual Balance ©Studio OZKai

Surge

Surge
______________________________

"Humans are all so humorously fragile — they're nothing but a spark to my luminescence." 
With manipulation of atmospheric pressure in his possession, the arrogant man aligns himself with the winged shadow looming over Ogelna.

Surge
Age: ??? / Height: 6'2" / Weight: 212 lbs.
Birth Date: April 30 / Zodiac: Taurus / Blood Type: AB
VI: Stefan Martello

______________________________

[Illustration Info]

Surge 

A new character I developed on the fly who will make his appearance toward the end of book two, along with his sister, Mist. I realized I sorta had all my cards on the table after book one, and I needed to add new players to keep the story from getting too linear, plus for further world building. It doesn't stop with these, either, I've got a good deal of new faces in the works as the story unfolds further. I developed these two to be villains that truly work in tandem, and Surge in particular has powers over atmospheric pressure, allowing him to manipulate wind and even lightning. 
For his design, I decidedly took some inspiration from Shinsuke Nakamura of WWE fame, but definitely tilted it toward something that works withing the otherworldly confines of Ogelna. Getting the colors to work with both the regular master light source and the electricity was interesting, and a bit bold. Aside from just plotting out the shading with markers, I also used chalk pastels to create the overall luminescence which I took an eraser to "chisel" in the shape, and completed the effect with the white POSCA paint pen. 
I hope as the story progresses this becomes a character you love to hate (lol).
 
October 17, 2019 
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, chalk pastels, and POSCA paint pens
on 14x17" smooth bristol stock.
 
Fated Sword Dual Balance ©Studio OZKai

Tifa -LIMIT-

"Tifa -LIMIT-"

Been a while since I've done fan art stuff, eh?
I figure with Final Fantasy VII Remake just around the corner (somehow wasn't lost to the dancing crabs) it'd be a good time to do some art for the roster's redesigns, of which Tifa's was definitely the most anticipated — and most divisive — by the fans. (Personally, I think it's perfect.)
This was a bit of a test to see if I could carry over my own style to other properties, and I think this is a note of success on that front. Also, pushing myself on more dynamic posing and even motion, as is seen on the kicking left foot.
The colors follow the same way I've been doing my own characters, with no-frills coloring with deep shades being subdued with light lavender over a hatched pencil base layer.

September 1, 2019
Sakura Pigma pens, pencil, Prismacolor Markers, charcoal pencils, and POSCA paint pens
on 9x12" smooth bristol stock.

Lonely Prayer

"Lonely Prayer"
Key illustration

"Should we ever part, look up at the moon. I shall always watch you from it...” 
The words echo ceaselessly through Rhapsody's memories, as they're the last words she heard from her mother before she disappeared 4 years ago...
This illustration was a massive overhaul of a redo that I had been inspired to do, and only the second TRUE full illustration I've done for the story. Rhapsody has a fascination with Lyuna, the moon of Ogelna, and thus join into a major focal point.
Her color palette compliments the nighttime setting beautifully, but provided quite the challenge to make look natural in the darkened tints and tones of the moonlight. Her staff was also, as usual, a pain to do, but the glow on the tree from the orb was the major payoff of having it in shot.

August 6, 2019
Pencils, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, charcoal pencils, gel pens, POSCA paint pens, and chalk pastels
on 14x17" smooth bristol stock.

Fated Sword Dual Balance ©Studio OZKai