Libra

"Libra"
Key illustration

For this illustration, I wanted to achieve a good balance without 1:1 symmetry. It's sort of a precursor to Terra's duality, which is something major within the story, both thematically and within the events, themselves.
I tried my best to set this up so that if you blocked half of the picture on either side, you'd get a completely different feeling picture, without it feeling too jarring in the middle. Balancing the different tones of the same colors was a challenge, to say the least.

February 3, 2019
Sakura Pigma pens, 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

Dreams

"Dreams"
Key illustration

I knew I'd get around this one, but I'm definitely glad I waited.
Like all my recent illustrations, I did this on a large sheet of bristol board, with Terra being the only inked portion on here. The trees got a very loose outline in pencil, but were made mostly straight in marker. The large bird in the sky was also more defined in blue colored pencil and colored so that it looked high in the sky.
All the lighting tricks you see were done with colored chalk pastels and a lot of anxiety. This is also the first time I've done this illustration where I had the crop area in mind when coloring the piece (the colors exceed a good few inches past the crop area for good bleed).
The original piece was called "Fate," but I changed it to match the title of the first chapter for which it's the cover to.

June 25, 2018
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, gel pens, POSCA paint pens, and chalk pastels
on 14x17" smooth bristol stock.

Fated Sword Dual Balance ©Studio OZKai

The Prophecy

"The Prophecy"
First volume cover illustration

Yet another redo of this illustration, but one I'm far more proud of in size, layout, and overall execution.
On top of updating their faces to be more consistent with their updated illustrations, I changed the coloring style, the angles at which Oni and Elysium are facing, made their hair longer and curl up higher to act as strategic censoring, and even made the lighting distinct on each character.
The background phoenix is now just black with a radiant red from the center, which is mostly obscured by the forefront figures.

June 23, 2018
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, gel pens, and POSCA paint pens
on 14x17" smooth bristol stock.

Fated Sword Dual Balance ©Studio OZKai

Terra

Terra
______________________________

Terra is the main protagonist and wielder of the sword Dual Balance.
A skilled swordsman and hunter for his hometown of Gaf. In his errand to locate the other two fated swords, he will stumble into a quiet war a millennia old.
Within, he will find out the truth behind its bloody past, his blade, as well as his "self."

Terra Altum
Age: 23 / Height: 5' 6" / Weight: 172 lbs.
Birth Date: September 27 / Zodiac: Libra / Blood Type: AB
VI: Chris Patton

______________________________

[Illustration Info]

Terra (Ver.2018)

I know, I just redesigned him nary a year ago, right!? 
But, something was bothering me too much about, not only how I designed him, but how I was designing the all characters in general. I felt I was over-complicating them, especially faces. I was so caught up in making things distinct character by character that they ended up over detailed, leading to an almost unintentional similarity. So, I decided to look back at my first drafts from 2004 (Yes, this has been in my head for that long...), and simplified what needed and just let the art and poise do the talking.

Another thing that helps is the size and coloring. Instead of working my usual 8.5x11" stock, I decided to use 14x17" bristol board, allowing me larger areas to better express the details, especially in his armor and clothing. And the colors I wanted to look less "anime" and more fantasy, so I subdued the shading and tried some new blending methods. 
All around, I feel it to be a vast improvement over all 3 of my prior designs of him, all while returning to the roots of my first draft.

I'm also doing a new signature specifically for my personal creations.
 
June 5, 2018

Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, and gel pens
on 14x17" smooth bristol stock.
 
Fated Sword Dual Balance ©Studio OZKai

[Dual Balance] Terra

[Dual Balance] Terra 
(Original Character)

Key character illustration for my story "Fated Sword Dual Balance."

Terra is the main protagonist and wielder of the sword Dual Balance.
In his quest to locate the other two Fated Swords, he will stumble into a quiet war a millennia old. Within, he will find out the truth behind its bloody past, his blade, as well as his "self."

November 13, 2017
Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.
(*enlarged version and text added digitally via Photoshop Elements)

Fated Sword Dual Balance ©2017 Studio OZKai