One of The Two Characters From My Next Piece!

Hey everyone! So excited to share a bit more about the process behind my latest ink drawing of this *young knight*. As you can see, he's got this slightly flustered expression with his *arms crossed*, and I really wanted to capture that relatable feeling. A lot of you have been asking about how I get into character design, especially for anime-style pieces, and I thought I'd share some tips! When I'm thinking about designing a character, whether it's an original like this knight or fan art like a *Sanji pfp*, I always start with the emotions. For example, for this knight, I imagined a scenario where he's caught off guard, maybe a bit embarrassed, which led to that *flustered expression*. It's similar to how I'd approach drawing a Chopper worried expression – really focusing on the eyes, eyebrows, and mouth to convey that specific emotion. Even subtle details like the crossed arms can tell a story. For those of you who've been wanting to learn how to draw Luffy gear 10000 step by step (or any character, really!), I'd say breaking it down is key. Start with basic shapes, get the pose right, and then add details like the full armor and the *sword on his back*. Don't be afraid to use references! For this knight, I looked at historical armor but also incorporated some stylized elements to give him that *anime appeal*. And when it comes to rendering in *black and white ink*, layering and varying line weight is crucial to make the armor pop and define the different textures. Another thing I love about creating characters is imagining their stories. This knight is part of a larger project, and I'm already thinking about the dynamics with the second character. It’s a bit like imagining a scene for a fanfiction, say a Koby x reader ao3 scenario – what would their expressions be? How would their bodies be positioned? What kind of armor or outfits would they wear? Thinking about these narrative elements really brings the drawing to life. I really hope this gives you a little peek into my creative process and maybe inspires some of your own drawing adventures! Whether you're sketching out your favorite One Piece character or bringing your own original heroes to life, remember to have fun with it and really let the emotions shine through. Can't wait to show you the next character soon!