First pictures in Photoshop

This is my very first picture done in Photoshop, featuring my eponymous OC, Steimei. I went wild with the various features that weren't in OekakiBBS. Looking back, it's interesting to see how I tried to transfer my Oekaki coloring style into a different software. Also, I couldn't figure out how to make the lines transparent.

I went completely buckwild with layer styles and special effects. That's what Photoshop's all about, baby!

This is my OC, Ebak. (Pronounced E-bake) She is a primordial version of my OC, Emily. 

Fun fact: unbeknownst to me for many years, "ebak" is a Filipino slang word for evacuating the bowels. Be careful about making up your own names and words... you never know what it might mean in a nother language!

I loved coming up with those fancy dress designs. I was obsessed with Fushigi Yugi at the time and all the fancy outfits.

This is my OC, Marawe. (Pronounced MARA-way) 

She is the original incarnation of what is now Herrington. They are so far apart they are completely different characters at this point. Marawe was a priestess. I borrowed a lot from Fushigi Yugi.

Mermaid warrior. Honestly? I still absolutely love this one because of the the design and the colors. I'd draw her again.

Another mermaid warrior. I loved giving people and animals wings, even if it makes no sense. The only other explanation is that they're actually space mermaids. Which is actually a lot cooler in my opinion.

One of my favorite things about being an artist is the memories associated with each picture, even if it has nothing to do with the picture itself. I was just wrapping up 6th grade. I was just starting my art journey, spending lots of time on Deviantart and drawing in Photoshop. Summer of 2005 was epic. (As I would say.)

I love this one because it's such a bad artwork but so honest and free about its intentions:

• Obnoxious lens flare
• Illogical color choices
• Random rainbow
• Badly drawn background
• Liberal use of textures and effects

It's a bad picture, but I miss the experimental freedom that came along with it. Childhood is magical!

Here's Ebak again. I entered this one into a contest for something and genuinely thought I would win. Can I have some of that naïve confidence back?!

Starry Hair

Ahh, these drawings make my heart sing with nostalgia!!! They were done in the now-defunct OekakiBBS. This online drawing app was my first serious foray into digital art. It helped me make a relatively easy transition into Photoshop.

OekakiBBS was the bomb. You could have your own website where people could draw and post pictures they did in Oekaki, and others could comment on it. It was basic HTML coding but highly customizable. I'm so sad this isn't a thing anymore. Communities were so much more tight-knit back then. There was a tremendous overlap with Deviantart and (the also defunct) Sheezyart. What a time to be alive that was!!!