Note: rather than create new posts for each WIP milestone, I’ll be updating this same article with the next milestones, with the most recent update being on top.

(Updated 11/12/2020)

Well this is bound to be late! 2020 was quite the trying time for everyone, even yours truly. This year is setting up to be my slowest output year since my “return” in 2014. I have 4 pics up so far. Personally, I feel like I have two more in me before the end of the year. This is one that I want to have done and completed by the end of this month.

Since this will be the new platform for WIP Artwork, moving it away from Twitter and Instagram, I should probably bring everyone up to speed when what I’ve been up to with the concept sketches. Before the COVID lockdowns, I had invested in the entire color spectrum of Faber Castell brush pens. Before I would use the limited color range of the Pigma brush pens for a couple of concept sketches (which I’ll be bringing onto here soon). Once I bought the Faber-Castells, I become more open to coloring in my concept sketches, especially for getting colors early for the eyedropper when I actually begin the full artwork. I’ve also been moving further back into traditional art, with the end goal of doing mixed media artwork with vector inking on digital, Printing it, then doing India-Ink/Watercolor on it (you can thank Robaato for inspiring me on this).

So what’s going on here with Azuki-Tan? She’s the 6th Pocky girl that I’ll be adding on to the Pocky-tans that I created back in 2018. Actually bounced this idea with one of my co-workers from my then part-time job. I want to hold off on some details until the finished product. For now, I just want to mention that Azuki-tan is based off the limited time Japan-exclusive Azuki Pocky, named so after the azuki bean. The coloration of the kimono design is based off of the packaging of the Azuki Crunch variation. I didn’t insert the floral design above Azuki-tan into the kimono since, by hand, it’s be pretty laborious. But, like her cohorts from 2018, it will be inserted once the main artwork for her begins.