Ahoy!

My name’s DeadPhoenX (or DPX for short), rose-tinted anime artist specializing in pinups of retro ladies! Born and raised South Bronx native. I’ve been drawing for most of my life, eventually getting serious about it in the Summer of 2006. I learned how to draw in an anime/manga style mostly on my own, inspired by the likes of Yoshitaka Amano, George Kamitani, J. Scott Campbell, and Genzoman. When I’m not drawing, I’m mostly playing videogames, particularly retro ones from the 80s and 90s. I tend to gravitate towards RPGs, platformers, fighters, and puzzle games.

Pre-2006
The Beginning

I started out on Traditional, using Prismacolor and Crayola colored pencils. I eyeballed artwork from games like Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 and Capcom vs. SNK, eventually moving on to drawing my own original characters.

2006
Going Digital

I started showing my artwork online on a fansite, and eventually DeviantArt. I also switched to digital art, using an old Windows '98 and Picture Publisher 7.

2009
First Upgrade

I upgraded to new laptop after losing my old PC to a short circuit with a peripheral. I started using GIMP 2.6, opening the doors to more techniques. The RDP gallery would also open this year.

2010
First Tablet, Focus On Retro

I got my Wacom Intuos4 as a Christmas gift, further opening the doors to even more techniques. I'd also begin focusing on old-school ladies from videogames, anime, cartoons and comics as my primary subject matter for drawings.

2011
The Wired Fish

I began a gaming blog called The Wired Fish, devoting much of my time there to writing articles and graphic design when it was still active.

2014
"The Return"

I returned to doing artwork after my time on TWF. I expanded my audience to Pixiv, and began doing variants to some of my artwork, as well as doing more scenic backgrounds.

2016
10th Anniversary Celebration

Commissions would finally open. I upgraded to Clip Studio Paint, eventually retiring GIMP completely. The first iteration of The Blue Fish Apartment opens on FC2 blog.

2017
2nd Major Upgrade, Patreon Opens

I upgrade to a custom built computer with artwork and artstreams in mind. I'd also finally open a Patreon page.

2019
Cintiq

Along with getting a second monitor in 2018, in 2019 I would upgrade to a Cintiq 16, a display tablet, thus retiring my aging Intuos4.

Pre-2006
The Beginning

I started out on Traditional, using Prismacolor and Crayola colored pencils. I eyeballed artwork from games like Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 and Capcom vs. SNK, eventually moving on to drawing my own original characters.

2006
Going Digital

I started showing my artwork online on a fansite, and eventually DeviantArt.. I also switched to digital art, using an old Windows '98 and Picture Publisher 7.

2009
First Upgrade

I upgraded to new laptop after losing my old PC to a short circuit with a peripheral. I started using GIMP 2.6, opening the doors to more techniques. The RDP gallery would also open this year.

2010
First Tablet, Focus On Retro

I got my Wacom Intuos4 as a Christmas gift, further opening the doors to even more techniques. I'd also begin focusing on old-school ladies from videogames, anime, cartoons and comics as my primary subject matter for drawings.

2011
The Wired Fish

I began a gaming blog called The Wired Fish, devoting much of my time there to writing articles and graphic design when it was still active.

2014
"The Return"

I returned to doing artwork after my time on TWF. I expanded my audience to Pixiv, and began doing variants to some of my artwork, as well as doing more scenic backgrounds.

2016
10th Anniversary Celebration

Commissions would finally open. I upgraded to Clip Studio Paint, eventually retiring GIMP completely. The first iteration of The Blue Fish Apartment opens on FC2 blog.

2017
2nd Major Upgrade, Patreon Opens

I upgrade to a custom built computer with artwork and artstreams in mind. I'd also finally open a Patreon page.

2019
Cintiq

Along with getting a second monitor in 2018, in 2019 I would upgrade to a Cintiq 16, a display tablet, thus retiring my aging Intuos4.

Pre-2006
The Beginning

I started out on Traditional, using Prismacolor and Crayola colored pencils. I eyeballed artwork from games like Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 and Capcom vs. SNK, eventually moving on to drawing my own original characters.

2006
Going Digital

I started showing my artwork online on a fansite, and eventually DeviantArt.. I also switched to digital art, using an old Windows '98 and Picture Publisher 7.

2009
First Upgrade

I upgraded to new laptop after losing my old PC to a short circuit with a peripheral. I started using GIMP 2.6, opening the doors to more techniques. The RDP gallery would also open this year.

2010
First Tablet, Focus On Retro

I got my Wacom Intuos4 as a Christmas gift, further opening the doors to even more techniques. I'd also begin focusing on old-school ladies from videogames, anime, cartoons and comics as my primary subject matter for drawings.

2011
The Wired Fish

I began a gaming blog called The Wired Fish, devoting much of my time there to writing articles and graphic design when it was still active.

2014
"The Return"

I returned to doing artwork after my time on TWF. I expanded my audience to Pixiv, and began doing variants to some of my artwork, as well as doing more scenic backgrounds.

2016
10th Anniversary Celebration

Commissions would finally open. I upgraded to Clip Studio Paint, eventually retiring GIMP completely. The first iteration of The Blue Fish Apartment opens on FC2 blog.

2017
2nd Major Upgrade, Patreon Opens

I upgrade to a custom built computer with artwork and artstreams in mind. I'd also finally open a Patreon page.

2019
Cintiq

Along with getting a second monitor in 2018, in 2019 I would upgrade to a Cintiq 16, a display tablet, thus retiring my aging Intuos4.

At a Glance
Click either the left or right arrows to see specific tools.
Wacom Cintiq 16
My Current drawing tablet. One of the more affordable options Wacom offers. It doesn't have touch guesture and only works with the pen, but that's fine by me since Palm Rejection tech is still too finicky for my taste. It doesn't have Express Keys either, but that's rectified by the item in the next slide.
Legacy: Intuos4 (2010-2016), Mouse and Laptop's Touchpad (2009-2010), Mouse Only (2006-2009
Razer Tartarus V2
Primarily made for PC gaming (particularly First-Person Shooters), I use this to quickly access different tools in Clip Studio Paint, as well as to change the brush size and zoom in and out with the joystick. Much preferred over any tablet's Express Keys.
Legacy: Razer Tartarus V1, Generic numpad
Custom Built PC
I won't go into specifics since different specs will apply to different needs. But with help from a brother-in-law, I built this PC with RAM, processor speed, and storage in mind. I have 16 GB of RAM for livestreaming (whenever I can), A Ryzen 5 to process large images, and about 3TBs of storage to put timelapse footage and large images in it.
Legacy: Pre-Built 2011 PC (hand-me-down) (2015-2017), Compaq laptop (2009-2015), Pre-built early 2000s PC (hand-me-down) (2006-2009)
Clip Studio Paint Pro (Ver. 1.11.8)
My drawing software of choice. On PC, you only have to pay for it once, and it goes on sale often. Once called Manga Studio and made mostly for comics, it can now handle a variety of tasks, including graphic designs, animations, and 3D Integration. It even includes timelapse features. Best to stick with the latest version of 1.0 since 2.0 is set to be subscription based.
Legacy: GIMP 2.6.7-2.8 (2009-2016), Picture Publisher 7 (2006 -2009)
PureRef
Added this recently. Basically a giant mood board that can hold all of you references in one window. Way better than sifting through images in CSP's sub view.
Pose Books and How-to Books
One of the first things I go for when planning a new pic. I also have an older pose book for more action-oriented poses. I also have an old How To Draw Manga book that teaches Manga Tone Shading, as well as a newer book on how to do certain backgrounds and objects. (Pictured: People and Poses by Buddy Scalera (2006 Version), How to Draw Backgrounds Using Digital Tools, How To Draw Manga Super Tone Technique, Sexual Nude Pose Book act Hibiki Otsuki, Visual Nude Pose Book act Makoto Toda, Sexual Nude Pose Book act Fukada Nana)
Body-Chan/Body-Kun
Another great way to get started on a pose. I mainly use this to replicate a pose from one of the Pose Books and/or get a different angle from it. Kinda hard to come by a genuine model online nowadays as most are bootleg.
TBLeague Model
A new addition to my arsenal. Doesn't fully replace the Body-Chan, but able to give me a better reference for specifics that I may not find easily online or in Pose Books.
Clip Studio Paint's 3D Model
When all else fails, my last resort is using Clip Studio Paint's 3D model. I can adjust the proportions to closely match what's needed, and then pose it. Even using 3D object alongside models. The downside is that this takes longer to do than posing a Body-Chan/Kun/TBLeague.
Legacy: Mikoto 3D
PoseTrainer
For a short time, Posemaniacs was taken offline due to the end of Flash Support. It has since returned. However I still use Posetrainer for muscle and bone referencing. It is in Japanese, but there are some cues to help you navigate through its options. The arrangement of the muscle and bone is simpler for me to follow compared to Posemaniacs' new detailed 3D model. But you can't go wrong with either site.
Visit PoseTrainer
Clip Studio Assets
Has a variety of brushes and 3D objects and models. Several brushes I've used before. 3D objects can also be downloaded from here for tracing and referencing. Most of the assets are free, but there are some better ones available for a price.
CGTrader
When Clip Studio Assets doesn't have what's needed in terms of 3D objects, then CGTrader is the next best option. Keep in mind, outside of CSP's own filetypes, CSP can only read .obj (with .mtl for textures) and .fbx files.
Previous
Next
At a Glance
Click either the left or right arrows to see specific tools.
Wacom Cintiq 16
My Current drawing tablet. One of the more affordable options Wacom offers. It doesn't have touch guesture and only works with the pen, but that's fine by me since Palm Rejection tech is still too finicky for my taste. It doesn't have Express Keys either, but that's rectified by the item in the next slide.
Legacy: Intuos4 (2010-2016), Mouse and Laptop's Touchpad (2009-2010), Mouse Only (2006-2009
Razer Tartarus V2
Primarily made for PC gaming (particularly First-Person Shooters), I use this to quickly access different tools in Clip Studio Paint, as well as to change the brush size and zoom in and out with the joystick. Much preferred over any tablet's Express Keys.
Legacy: Razer Tartarus V1, Generic numpad
Custom Built PC
I won't go into specifics since different specs will apply to different needs. But with help from a brother-in-law, I built this PC with RAM, processor speed, and storage in mind. I have 16 GB of RAM for livestreaming (whenever I can), A Ryzen 5 to process large images, and about 3TBs of storage to put timelapse footage and large images in it.
Legacy: Pre-Built 2011 PC (hand-me-down) (2015-2017), Compaq laptop (2009-2015), Pre-built early 2000s PC (hand-me-down) (2006-2009)
Clip Studio Paint Pro Ver 1.11.8
My drawing software of choice. On PC, you only have to pay for it once, and it goes on sale often. Once called Manga Studio and made mostly for comics, it can now handle a variety of tasks, including graphic designs, animations, and 3D Integration. My drawing software of choice. On PC, you only have to pay for it once, and it goes on sale often. Once called Manga Studio and made mostly for comics, it can now handle a variety of tasks, including graphic designs, animations, and 3D Integration. It even includes timelapse features. Best to stick with the latest version of 1.0 since 2.0 is set to be subscription based.
Legacy: GIMP 2.6.7-2.8 (2009-2016), Picture Publisher 7 (2006 -2009)
PureRef
Added this recently. Basically a giant mood board that can hold all of you references in one window. Way better than sifting through images in CSP's sub view.
Pose Books and How-to Books
One of the first things I go for when planning a new pic. I also have an older pose book for more action-oriented poses. I also have an old How To Draw Manga book that teaches Manga Tone Shading, as well as a newer book on how to do certain backgrounds and objects. (Pictured: People and Poses by Buddy Scalera (2006 Version), How to Draw Backgrounds Using Digital Tools, How To Draw Manga Super Tone Technique, Sexual Nude Pose Book act Hibiki Otsuki, Visual Nude Pose Book act Makoto Toda, Sexual Nude Pose Book act Fukada Nana)
Body-Chan/Body-Kun
Another great way to get started on a pose. I mainly use this to replicate a pose from one of the Pose Books and/or get a different angle from it. Kinda hard to come by a genuine model online nowadays as most are bootleg.
TBLeague Model
A new addition to my arsenal. Doesn't fully replace the Body-Chan, but able to give me a better reference for specifics that I may not find easily online or in Pose Books.
Clip Studio Paint's 3D Model
When all else fails, my last resort is using Clip Studio Paint's 3D model. I can adjust the proportions to closely match what's needed, and then pose it. Even using 3D object alongside models. The downside is that this takes longer to do than posing a Body-Chan/Kun/TBLeague.
Legacy: Mikoto 3D
PoseTrainer
For a short time, Posemaniacs was taken offline due to the end of Flash Support. It has since returned. However I still use Posetrainer for muscle and bone referencing. It is in Japanese, but there are some cues to help you navigate through its options. The arrangement of the muscle and bone is simpler for me to follow compared to Posemaniacs' new detailed 3D model. But you can't go wrong with either site.
Visit PoseTrainer
Clip Studio Assets
Has a variety of brushes and 3D objects and models. Several brushes I've used before. 3D objects can also be downloaded from here for tracing and referencing. Most of the assets are free, but there are some better ones available for a price.
CGTrader
When Clip Studio Assets doesn't have what's needed in terms of 3D objects, then CGTrader is the next best option. Keep in mind, outside of CSP's own filetypes, CSP can only read .obj (with .mtl for textures) and .fbx files.
Previous
Next
At a Glance
Click either the left or right arrows to see specific tools.
Wacom Cintiq 16
My Current drawing tablet. One of the more affordable options Wacom offers. It doesn't have touch guesture and only works with the pen, but that's fine by me since Palm Rejection tech is still too finicky for my taste. It doesn't have Express Keys either, but that's rectified by the item in the next slide.
Legacy: Intuos4 (2010-2016), Mouse and Laptop's Touchpad (2009-2010), Mouse Only (2006-2009
Razer Tartarus V2
Primarily made for PC gaming (particularly First-Person Shooters), I use this to quickly access different tools in Clip Studio Paint, as well as to change the brush size and zoom in and out with the joystick. Much preferred over any tablet's Express Keys.
Legacy: Razer Tartarus V1, Generic numpad
Custom Built PC
I won't go into specifics since different specs will apply to different needs. But with help from a brother-in-law, I built this PC with RAM, processor speed, and storage in mind. I have 16 GB of RAM for livestreaming (whenever I can), A Ryzen 5 to process large images, and about 3TBs of storage to put timelapse footage and large images in it.
Legacy: Pre-Built 2011 PC (hand-me-down) (2015-2017), Compaq laptop (2009-2015), Pre-built early 2000s PC (hand-me-down) (2006-2009)
Clip Studio Paint Pro Ver. 1.11.8
My drawing software of choice. On PC, you only have to pay for it once, and it goes on sale often. Once called Manga Studio and made mostly for comics, it can now handle a variety of tasks, including graphic designs, animations, and 3D Integration. My drawing software of choice. On PC, you only have to pay for it once, and it goes on sale often. Once called Manga Studio and made mostly for comics, it can now handle a variety of tasks, including graphic designs, animations, and 3D Integration. It even includes timelapse features. Best to stick with the latest version of 1.0 since 2.0 is set to be subscription based.
Legacy: GIMP 2.6.7-2.8 (2009-2016), Picture Publisher 7 (2006 -2009)
PureRef
Added this recently. Basically a giant mood board that can hold all of you references in one window. Way better than sifting through images in CSP's sub view.
Pose Books and How-to Books
One of the first things I go for when planning a new pic. I also have an older pose book for more action-oriented poses. I also have an old How To Draw Manga book that teaches Manga Tone Shading, as well as a newer book on how to do certain backgrounds and objects. (Pictured: People and Poses by Buddy Scalera (2006 Version), How to Draw Backgrounds Using Digital Tools, How To Draw Manga Super Tone Technique, Sexual Nude Pose Book act Hibiki Otsuki, Visual Nude Pose Book act Makoto Toda, Sexual Nude Pose Book act Fukada Nana)
Body-Chan/Body-Kun
Another great way to get started on a pose. I mainly use this to replicate a pose from one of the Pose Books and/or get a different angle from it. Kinda hard to come by a genuine model online nowadays as most are bootleg.
TBLeague Model
A new addition to my arsenal. Doesn't fully replace the Body-Chan, but able to give me a better reference for specifics that I may not find easily online or in Pose Books.
Clip Studio Paint's 3D Model
When all else fails, my last resort is using Clip Studio Paint's 3D model. I can adjust the proportions to closely match what's needed, and then pose it. Even using 3D object alongside models. The downside is that this takes longer to do than posing a Body-Chan/Kun/TBLeague.
Legacy: Mikoto 3D
PoseTrainer
For a short time, Posemaniacs was taken offline due to the end of Flash Support. It has since returned. However I still use Posetrainer for muscle and bone referencing. It is in Japanese, but there are some cues to help you navigate through its options. The arrangement of the muscle and bone is simpler for me to follow compared to Posemaniacs' new detailed 3D model. But you can't go wrong with either site.
Visit PoseTrainer
Clip Studio Assets
Has a variety of brushes and 3D objects and models. Several brushes I've used before. 3D objects can also be downloaded from here for tracing and referencing. Most of the assets are free, but there are some better ones available for a price.
CGTrader
When Clip Studio Assets doesn't have what's needed in terms of 3D objects, then CGTrader is the next best option. Keep in mind, outside of CSP's own filetypes, CSP can only read .obj (with .mtl for textures) and .fbx files.
Previous
Next

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