Comic Fiesta 2009

I was browsing your gallery and you have a way of merging a classic feel of painting with trendy vibrant colors and postmodern popular anime styles. I love this mix. It's something you don't see every day. People are always trying to draw JUST like someone else or just like the other art styles out there. Anime is one of the most popular styles which keep artists struggling to match their favorite anime or manga with their pencils and sketchbooks. You’re different though. You take these inspiring styles merge them and make something unique.
In this piece, you are expanding off of the anime style and giving it a whole new, almost vintage look. The paint strokes and colors really add to this effect. I love the playful, cutesy mood you can achieve with chi-bi but you went even further and enhanced that mood with a choice of warm, soft colors and textures. When people think of a painting with a warm mood, one would imagine a lot of yellows, oranges and browns. But you were able to incorporate some really vibrant and cool colors as well without disrupting the mood. I love the blues and purples you've added into the value of the figures. The Contrast between the few cool hues and the majority of warm hues, I think, enhances the whole atmosphere giving it form, balance and a well established mood. The map is also very well done. It's simple, feels like a real old faded map and suits its purpose as a background well.
There are a few proportion problems I can see in the figures however. I know when it comes to chibi, the rules of proportions are nearly ignored but there are still some you need to be aware of. The hand pointing on the girl is a little off. I can’t quite put my finger on it but it doesn't really look like she is clenching her other fingers and they appear to be starting past the knuckles. The guys arm is also a little weird maybe it just looks a little too big or a little too muscular for a chibi. Again, I'm not sure exactly the reason it looks a little off.
All in all I really like this piece and that’s mainly the reason I wanted to critique. You really have a unique style and talent.
~Ledious