06 March 2018

Patreon Chibis - Mika and Ranger

In this blog post, I'm going to share a group of chibis that I recently created in January as a way to show supporters, and especially potential supporters, of my Patreon what a "chibi" actually is, since chibis are a big part of the rewards system there. I decided to draw two human chibis, one in physical media and one in digital, and two animal chibis the same way. I hope that the four chibis together will be enough to show the variety of subjects and finished looks that my supporters can choose from when they receive a chibi drawing as a reward.

Ink, marker, and colored pencil on index paper, 4x6", Completed January 2018

So this chibi is the first human, done in physical media. I used a photo of myself from a 5K race that I had run just the weekend before as reference. This drawing is pretty much all in line with the reference photo except that I changed the color of the mug I was holding (it was an awful neon green originally) and added a generous red tint to my hair and eyes. And well, of course I went really strong with the blush on the cheeks, just as I always do with chibi humans X3

View the real time creation of this piece on YouTube: youtu.be/0sRxMCSOt1s
Buy this drawing as a print or art merchandise: http://fav.me/dc4dtb8  

Ink, marker, and colored pencil on index paper, 4x6", Completed January 2018

Next is the first animal, done in physical media. I decided to draw the Studio Mikarts mascot, Ranger, a black and red (as opposed to tan) Shiba Inu. I had only ever drawn her once before and I realized that not only was she a perfect subject for this series of chibis, featuring the artist and the mascot serving as examples of Studio Mikarts, it was a great opportunity to draw her with my current level of skill. I still like the original drawing of Ranger, but this one is definitely much more well done.

View the real time creation of this piece on YouTube: youtu.be/mny-zrfUc6I
Buy this drawing as a print or art merchandise: http://fav.me/dc4gcb4

Manga Studio and Lazy Nezumi Pro, 4x6", Completed January 2018

This chibi is the second human, done in digital media. I used a reference photo of myself again but this time chose a completely different look. Instead of a sporty, post-race runner, now chibi Mika is a glamorous newlywed! Indeed, I used a photo from my wedding reception as reference for this chibi :3 My chibi dress turned out super cute, lol. I was able to use a lot of techniques here that really show what's different about what I produce in digital media.

View the real time creation of this piece on YouTube:
youtu.be/B1vspQgBQro (Part 1) youtu.be/t8NDJt185fI (Part 2)
Buy this drawing as a print or art merchandise: http://fav.me/dc4nelz

Manga Studio and Lazy Nezumi Pro, 4x6", Completed January 2018

And finally, this chibi is the second animal, done in digital media. It's the Studio Mikarts mascot again, Ranger the black and red Shiba Inu! The two previous drawings I've done of her were both stationary positions so this time I searched for a really active, dynamic reference image. I think Ranger looks even better leaping! Shows off her pretty markings. In fact, I had to decide on her fur pattern in some areas while drawing this because the other positions never showed those areas of her body. The biggest thing I gave her in that respect was the cute skunk stripe on her tail :3

View the real time creation of this piece on YouTube:
youtu.be/nWHKWd8thEc (Part 1) youtu.be/gSxe-CcFIKw (Part 2)
Buy this drawing as a print or art merchandise: http://fav.me/dc4reop

As I said at the top of this post, I created these chibis as reward examples for my Patreon supporters.  That could easily include you!  Every backer at the $5 level and above gets entered into a monthly contest for a free chibi character.  Some higher support levels include discounts on art commissions (which obviously could be used toward chibis) and the top level includes a free chibi each and every month, on top of the chance to win the monthly contest!  You can check it all out and become a member of Studio Mikarts here:  https://www.patreon.com/studiomikarts