Every time I draw fan art I gotta go to the deep end. Coupla googled reference pics won't do, no. If I feel I'm not enough familar with an IP I'm gonna draw, I research. Hard.
The Kunio-kun stuff ya've seen from me? Oh lemme tell ya, there's so much lore diggin' behind my versions of the red-head Kunio 'n' the guy-with-blue-pompadour Riki... I needed to know what's established in the games, 'n' what blanks I needed to fill. To get me personalities that create the stories that fuel my “character moment” illustrations!
different personalities” is my favorite type of character moment.
Exactly same goes with other people's original characters. Rediscovered that in July 2025's Art Fight, the big art giftin' event that's all 'bout drawin' others' OCs. Had a blast as ya can see!
Diggin' into character descriptions... Combin' thru the details in character sheets 'n' reference images... Inhale it all. Use it to fuel an illustration that'll be every bit true to the subject.
The most thrillin' moment, be it Art Fight or legit commission? When I hit the send/post/submit/whatever button that sends the result to the oc's owner. “They gonna be so, so happy”, I tell myself! I've made sure my piece honors their character; accompanied it with my lil' story to boot. 'Cause everyone deserves that extra sumthin'~
Not gonna lie tho; I usually feel teeny bit worried that I've interpreted sumthin' poorly. But, time 'n' again, I've found the worries unnecessary. Recipients, they're always bonkers delighted! So I guess I'm doin' my thing right.
I know I could play it safe 'n' simple, by drawin' easy profile pics. Or characters posin' coolly in void. But that's not me.
“What's the situation?”
“What're they in the middle of?”
“What were they doin' when thing happened?”
“How they react to the thing?”
I wanna show characters in the middle of a scene. It's the natural way to bring out anyone's personality, after all.
I've also got this natural drive to gift folks with my versions of their stuff. In my very first years of elementary school, I wanted to draw what my best friend drew. Apin'; a child's way to show appreciation. Now tho it'd border plagiarism, hahaa...
Even today, I wanna “smack” others with a piece so awesum they gasp or laugh in reaction! Sum my dearest pals I've hit so many times with my art that it's hard to get a reaction from 'em anymore... But that jus' fires me up even more!
Dig thru the lore. Create a moment from the characters. Make sweet art outta it! That's what I mean when I call myself an artist of character moments ✦⭑