The Master's Will

"The Master's Will"
(Mega Man Legends 2)
 
To say this is a long time coming is an understatement. You all know I'm a fan of Mega Man, but Mega Man Legends is the series that truly grabbed my attention and never let go. The new gameplay notwithstanding, what reeled me in was the amazing story, which was so well written in mysteries that not only your character wanted to solve, but YOU wanted to solve. Legends 2, in particular, did a fantastic job of diving further into this story element; a massive risk for a Mega Man title, to be sure. One that seemingly did not pay off as well as we'd like...

I wanted to focus on the biggest enigma of the series, Elysium and its overseers, the Master System. Nothing of all of them grouped together exists, and it's something I'd always wanted to do for quite some time. I threw Juno in there as well. Despite his absence from MML2, he was the one to drop the bombshell on our hero (and the player) at the tail end of 1. I also snuck in the silhouette of Sera's final form, making her the dividing line between the Master and those who were to keep his order.

Colors were tripping me up pretty bad on this, as I had multiple markers run out on me, and being short-funded for resupplies, had to make due with what I had. Some was salvageable, some had to require some trickery to fix or hide. I debated making a space scene at the very top of the background and have it fade at the midway point, but decided against it. It's not the illustration Mega Man Legends deserves, but it's definitely one I needed to do.

April 6, 2016
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, normal pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock

We Change the End

"We Change the End"
(Proto Man from Mega Man / Based on The Megas)
 
Along with the last picture I posted based on The Megas' History Repeating: Blue and Red, I did this one for Proto Man, giving him a much more worn, aged look. I went with his Break Man visage to go more with the song "I'm Not the Breakman," which gives Proto Man a much darker history, filled with betrayal and jealousy, seeking revenge on the One who stole his role as Dr. Light's "son."

As with Mega Man's, I wanted to give the background a more simple watercolor look to contrast with the rough inks of the lineart, giving the overall look a strong manga-panel feel. Since Proto Man's base armor color is red, I went with green to contrast with and help him pop. Though, unlike Mega Man's, whose colors were more vibrant, Proto Man's are more muted and subdued. In all honesty, I think I'm happier with the outcome of this one than the other one. lol

March 19, 2016
Ballpoint pen, Prismacolor Markers, charcoal pencil, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

The End Begins

"The End Begins"
(Mega Man from Mega Man / Based on The Megas)
 
I recently reintroduced myself to The Megas through their latest releases, History Repeating: Blue and Red, and this rechurned the gears of my gritty Mega Man iteration. I changed the design from my previous homage, instead focusing on a more stoic sort of suspense, with destruction all around him.

I wanted to give the background a more simple watercolor look to contrast with the rough inks of the lineart, definitely giving a strong manga-panel look. I also focused on orange hues to help contrast the blue of Mega Man's armor, though bringing it down to slight purple to not be too offsetting.

 March 19, 2016
Ballpoint pen, Prismacolor Markers, charcoal pencil, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

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

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)

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.

Death Does Wear Blue

"Death Does Wear Blue"
(Mega Man/The Megas)
 
I did this piece, not only for Mega Man (or Rockman), but also for The Megas.
If you've ever listened to their music, they make rock versions of BGM from the Mega Man games and give them lyrics, largely from the perspective of the robot masters, and make out Mega Man akin to a god of death, destined to pull them from their steel mortal coil. It gives a strong feeling of "history is written by the victors."

My first full illustration in Prismacolor markers! I had some real fun taking the liberties of making Mega Man look truly frigtening whilst still retaining what makes him iconic.

"Get Equipped with Fear!"

Back in 2009-2010, The Megas found my picture and posted it on their site. Sadly, their site has been overhauled and the fanart section since removed.


February 02, 2009
Micron pens,, Prismacolor Markers, and colored pencils
on 9x12" cardstock.