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.

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

Run to the End of the World

"Run to the End of the World"
(Xenogears / redraw)

A redraw of a sketch by Xenogears character designer Kunihiko Tanaka, with complete color composition by myself.
Tanaka's original sketch can be found on his Day Visions blog here.

February 12, 2019
pencils, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, gel pens, chalk pastels, and POSCA paint pens
on 9x12" smooth bristol stock.

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

Maestro and Muse

"Maestro and Muse"
Key illustration

For whatever reason, these two are my favorite characters to draw, so I decided to do a key piece featuring them.
I wanted to have a very dynamic sense of flow with Rhapsody's hair and cape, but herself looking stoic and solemn. I decided to do her staff fully aligned rather than alternating the wings as I felt it would mess with the composition.
To make sure Nocturne didn't stand out too much, I wanted him to appear faded, even distant, so I had to go with lighter colors for his usually black outfit.

February 1, 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

Guardian

"Guardian"
(Final Fantasy VIII)

This is a piece that has sat shelved for almost 5 years, now, but recently found again. I had considered starting it over from scratch with actual inked lineart, but decided to finish the piece as is. It was meant to be a sort-of self-gift for my wife and I's wedding, however my inability to complete it until now makes it an early fifth anniversary present.

The lineart of this was done in colored pencil, somewhat color-matching the held colors, akin to what I did (technically later) on my fist Breath of the Wild piece. I believe my original plan for the background is what lead me to walk away from this piece for so long, as I intended to fill the grass with flowers matching the petals blowing around the foreground of the image. In order to finally finish this pic, I ultimately scrapped that concept, as I had no practical way of accomplishing this effect confidently.

May 13, 2018
Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, chalk pastels, and gel pens
on 11x17" cardstock 

Doth Thou Desire the Power?

"Doth Thou Desire the Power?"
(Xenogears)

There's not a lot I can say about Grahf that isn't spoiler-territory, but suffice to say he's definitely one of the more sympathetic villains in the massive story of Xenogears. His outfit also stands out a lot, reminiscent of a dark royal jester. It's the type of design that leaves an impression.

To start with the obvious, I was inspired by those variant covers to BOOM! Comics' Power Rangers done by Goñi Montes. And as Grahf is the masked villain of Xenogears (For good reason), it just sorta clicked.
Coloring was interesting given the detail of his outfit. A LOT of details scattered among the ensemble, and the colors were difficult to do in a way that made the focal points pop.
The background - what little there is - was a mix of markers and chalk pastels, but for the final, I did a little blurring to mask the harsh pastel marks that refused to blend.

May 1, 2018
Micron Pen, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, chalk pastels, and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock 
Background blurring done digitally via Photoshop Elements 7.0

Samael Waits for You

"Samael Waits for You"
(Hellsing)
 
Casually speaking, I'm not usually one for violent supernatural thriller series, anime or otherwise, but something about Hellsing -or more specifically, its OVA- stood out to me. I don't know if its how well its story is told, the interesting mix of supernatural creatures and military, or even its surprisingly apt grasp on history and the woes of churchdom (on more than just Catholicism, at that). Or maybe it's how well Team Four Star had been doing on their Hellsing Ultimate Abridged. I dunno, but it was definitely a series that actually stuck with me in a positive way. My wife enjoyed it more than me (Which is saying a bit), so she commissioned this piece from me... Back in January.

Needless to say, like many pieces I do that are of the larger format, I got overwhelmed and shelved the piece well into the inking phase. But, of course, I decided to pick it back up and finish inkin as well as color it all in one day. I should really stop caving to my anxieties.

The many eyes, as well as the shadow matter they dwell within, were my biggest issues with the piece, but all came together pretty well. I remember feeling a little "unwell" after doing all the impaled bodies on the right-hand side of the piece, but I tried my best to keep them more silhouetted. A lot of this picture took me outside of my comfort zones, so hopefully they don't come off as too subdued.

September 23, 2017
Normal pens, Micron pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, gel pens, and chalk pastels
on 11x17" cardstock

Komm Süsser Tod Ver.:||

"Komm Süsser Tod Ver:||"

(The End of Evangelion)

 
A redo of a piece I had done way back in 2005, this piece was both a nod to one of my favorite movies (still, to date), as well as an overall visual of how far I've come in the last 12 years. I saw The End of Evangelion in my late teens, so I definitely feel I saw it at the ideal point in my life to have the biggest impact (heh), and that it did. Evangelion as a whole influenced a lot of my current social perceptions, and rightfully shaped me into who I am today (for better or for worse).

While the prior version was inked on a legal size (14x8.5) sheet and colored digitally, this version was done on 11x17, and traditionally. Kind of an incidental flip on the franchise's current trends. My understanding of anatomy has improved dramatically, but I've seemed to have lost the ability to mimic Sadamoto's linework styling (though saying my first version was a successful attempt would be an attack on his talents).

Things like the background were much more fleshed out, and each character has been added some dynamics to their prior stoic and bland forms. The Eva's wings have also lost the inked lining to their shape, and are now all colored and a brighter color. The starburst around the sun was the riskiest part, but I feel it paid off when viewed with the whole of the work.

May 29, 2017

Micron pens, Pigma pens, Prismacolor markers, colored pencils, chalk pastels, and gel pens

on 11x17 cardstock

"Komm Süsser Tod"

(The End of Evangelion)

Unknown, 2005
Normal pens and PainterClassic

1307x800 pixels

First and Last

"First and Last"
(Xenogears, Elly, and Fei from Xenogears)
 
February 10th, 2016, marked the 18th anniversary of Xenogears release in Japan of 1998. And it's one of those games where you either never heard of it or it became one of the largest, most narrative-driven, and controversial JRPGs you've ever played, especially at its time. And I still feel it's a game that does not get near the amount of love it deserves, from either fan or its own rights holders, though it plant the seed for Tetsuya Takahashi's two spiritual successors series, Xenosaga for the PlayStation 2 and Xenoblade for Nintendo systems.

For this piece, I wanted to focus on the last scenes of the game, which involved the ultimate reunion of Fei and Elly in the dimensional rift of the final battle. I'd been wanting to do an illustration involving the titular mecha Xenogears for quite some time, however, this proved difficult as it's by far one of the most complicated designs I've ever seen, and can look really strange from the wrong angles... Fei and Elly came together with surprisingly minimal complication, though the lighting style started to baffle me as I approached the lighter shades.
Also, I threw in a hidden "character" for this piece; one that only people who've completed the game would recognize, and even then, may have a hard time recalling. (lol)

 February 16, 2016
Micron pens, Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, charcoal pencil, colored pencils, gel pens, and chalk pastels
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.

Message from Another Time

"Message From Another Time"
(from DAICON III & IV Opening Animations)

An homage to the first animation made by studio GAINAX (At the time, called DAICON FILM), the DAICON opening films are two of the most impressive pieces of handmade animation I've stil seen to this day, and the song used (unlawfully, sadly) on the DAICON IV video makes the visuals even more impactful paired with the amazing work of just 12 people.

As for the picture itself, I had a slew of personal experiments, using both markers AND colored pencils as main mediums, baffling angles, and several color-traced objects (The ship, The glass of water and the burst effect). I tried my best to update the characters from their old '80's appearance while remaining faithful to the source. In the end, some of my own personal stylings come through, but I like to think it aids the picture more than hurts it. ^_^;;

July 13, 2014
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, gel pens, and chalk pastels
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

Year of the Comet

"Year of the Comet"
(MS-06S Char's Zaku II / Commission)

Another commission by Tom Winnicki for his and Ashley Moore's 3rd year anniversary. The theme was, obviously, Char Aznable's infamous "3x faster" trope, so I seated the couple in the captain's Zaku cockpit. A few interesting challenges from this included keeping the attire in the realm of U.C.0079, doing the decals and graffitti on the Zaku itself, and lastly, doing a sky with hazy colony interior visible. Despite my best efforts, this one ended up being a bit late due to unforeseen health and work issues, but still managed to tough through it and get it done for him.

Jun 11, 2014
Ink pens, Micron pens, Prismacolor markers, colored pencil, chalk pastels, and gel pens
on 11x17" cardstock

Mercury Crystal Power

"Mercury Crystal Power"
(Sailor Mercury from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon SuperS)

Another Sailor Moon-themed Christmas present, her favorite is Sailor Mercury/Ami/Amy. To remain consistent with the Usagi picture I did previously, I went with her SuperS appearance, which is actually far more subtle, with only longer tassels on the back bow. I must admit, I made her look considerably more mature than I had intended... I'm just no good with super-skinny body types, but that's okay. This can be considered a bit more "realistic," I guess. XD

December 17, 2013
Normal pens, Micron pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, chalk pastels and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

Moon Cosmic Power

"Moon Cosmic Power"
(Sailor Moon from Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon SuperS)

A Christmas present for a friend, I've - for some reason - always wanted to do fan art for Sailor Moon, but my knowledge is limited, based only on some of the earlier seasons and select episodes. After recently getting a lot of resources for character drafts and knowing I have friends who loved and grew up with the series, I decided to do a few pieces. The SuperS iteration stood out to me, being just different enough to show Usagi/Serena as the leader, but I definitely gave her a much more stern, serious face. Perhaps, too serious. ^_^;;

December 16, 2013
Normal pens, Micron pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, chalk pastels and gel pens
on 8.5x11" cardstock.

The Black Gear that Screams 'Death'

"The Black Gear that Screams 'Death'" (Disambiguated)
(Fei, Id and Weltall from Xenogears)

A complete redo of the Awakening, I redrew all three using more consistent references, as well as proper color charts to make sure the characters and Gear were as accurate as possible. The plan was to do a collage with these (as I did with the previous version), that will look like an old 90's anime LD jacket, which can be seen below.

August 7, 2013
Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, colored pencils, chalk pastels, and gel pens
on two 8.5x11" cardstocks.

  

"The Black Gear that Screams 'Death'"

August 8, 2013

Compiled on Photoshop 7.0
Left version: logos added | Right version: no logos

Waiting

"Waiting'"
(Original character for commission)


There's not a lot I can say about the character, himself, since this is an OC by the client (and what little I know, I'm bound to an NDA).
Like with Peer-to-Peer, this was another very experimental commission, where I tried my hand at weather effects. While painstaking in it's execution, the result is actually quite satisfying, and making sure everything was "flowing" in the same direction challenged me quite a bit.

June 14, 2013
Micron pens, Sakura Pigma pens, Prismacolor Markers, chalk pastels, and gel pens
on 11x17" cardstock.

Peer-to-Peer

"Peer-to-Peer"
(RX-178 Gundam Mk-II and MSZ-006-3 Zeta Gundam III / Commission)

This one was especially interesting, as I got to stylize two real-life people into a Gundam illustration. But, more noteworthy, I am probably the first person to draw the Zeta III in classic 1985 style. XD Everything from the lighting, the sky, scale and proportions, and even the time crunch was a challenge on this piece, but I loved every minute of it!
Commissioned by Tom Winnicki for his and Ashley J. Moore's 2-year anniversary together!

May 22, 2013
Ink pens, Micron pens, Prismacolor markers, colored pencil, chalk pastels, and gel pens
on 11x17" cardstock

The Struggle Within

"The Struggle Within"
(Fei Fong Wong, Fei (young), Id, Karen, and Grahf from Xenogears)

Originally penned back in 2008 but lacked the ability to digitally color it (computer issues), this piece sat dormant for almost 5 years until I had finally had enough and colored it in my new traditional methods. I feel this would work well had I continued my attempted manga adaptation, but even standalone, it's one of my favorite pieces from recent.

May 13, 2013
Ink pens, Prismacolor markers, colored pencils, gel pens, and chalk pastels
on 11x17" cardstock

Angel of Death

"Angel of Death"
(Kuja, Vivi Ornitier, Zidane Tribal, and Freya Crescent from Final Fantasy IX)

As a "classic" Final Fantasy fan, I never understood why FFIX never gets more attention. I mean, it had everything that makes A Final Fantasy a, well, "final fantasy." But I digress.
This illustration was an attempt to redo an older piece I did way back in 2004, now that official art has finally been released publicly. However, with even my composition understanding broadening, it can hardly be tied to the old drawing.
This one also had an experimental purpose, where I tested using a white chalk pastel to mimic rain bouncing off of surfaces. Stuff like this really gets my brain going, and I love it. Though I'm sure I forgot some places...

April 21, 2013
Micron pens, Prismacolor markers, colored pencils, gel pens, and chalk pastels
on 8.5x11" cardstock