Ninjara in Color

Drawn as a final test for my return to coloring with markers. I used Design 2 and Prismacolor markers. I'd like to add a background, but I haven't the time at the moment. I was hoping I'd find something appropriate in my photos to use, but nothing worked for me.

Ninjara is one of my favorite comic (or anthro) characters. She's from Dean Clarrain and Chris Alan's TMNT Adventures. (Set to be republished this year through Mirage for TMNT25). I used later issues of TMNT Adventures as well as the Ninjara mini-series in Furrlough for reference and kept the mini's slightly simplified version of her outfit.

My first intention with this drawing was to render Ninjara in my realistic anthro style. However, while getting references and drawing it my love for Chris Allan's artwork overwhelmed me. His art had a HUGE influence on me growing up. I realized how much I still have to learn from him. His style of cartooning is supercharged with emotion and detail and so, so less complicated than mine. I tend to over-complicate a lot.

So I started working in something very similar to his style, no crosshatching, bold, black shadows... and then I got really bust and had to step away from the art for a few months with the inking unfinished. When I came back I'd forgotten what I was doing and went back to my old habits. I ended up adding all sorts of shading and had to go over the whole piece again to balance it out. The end result was an interesting fusion of my original intention with Chris Allan's style.