Illustration Friday: "Welcome"

For this week's topic, I did a quick drawing of a Maneki Neko. The Maneki Neko is a Japanese lucky charm and can be seen frequently at the entrances of various Japanese restaurants and shops. Their paw is held up, which "welcomes" the customer in. They are supposed to bring good luck and many customers. I think they're really cute, so I'm an avid collector of them. : )

The Japanese writing at the top reads "irasshaimase," which means "welcome" in Japanese (as in "welcome to our place of business"). The Japanese character on his bell means "good fortune" and the coin he is holding is called a "koban," which were used in the Edo period for currency. It reads "ten million ryou." The ryou, an old Japanese monetary unit, is roughly equivalent to a thousand dollars, so ten million ryou is a great fortune.

Done in Photoshop. Enjoy. : )

Illustration Friday: "Strong"

For this week's topic, "strong", I did a quick doodle of a superhero hamster. I call him Super Ham. : ) He's just flexing his muscles and showing off his super strength. It's no doubt from all the veggies he eats. Not sure what his main powers are, though.

Done in Photoshop this week. Now back to editing tons of photos to put on Flickr... I'm really backlogged. Anyway, enjoy!

Illustration Friday: "Magnify"

I wish I could have spent more time on this illustration this week, but I haven't been feeling particularly well lately. I ran out of time and wasn't able to add a background like I wanted. At least I managed to get something done for IF, though. : )

Anyway, this should be pretty self-explanatory for the topic this week, "magnify." This little guy seems to like the attention of having the magnifying glass put on him while the others seem a bit indifferent.

Done in Illustrator this week. Hope you enjoy!

Illustration Friday: "Caution"

Here is my entry for Illustration Friday this week. The topic is "Caution." Ever been around somebody who looks pretty threatening and you don't want to make any sudden moves? That's how this little green monster-guy feels while waiting for the bus. He has to exercise caution so as not to disturb the angry-looking guy next to him. I'd be pretty scared, too.

Done rather quickly in Illustrator this week. I've been a lot busier than I thought recently, so I rushed a bit to get this one done. Hope you enjoy! : )

Illustration Friday: "Wrapped"

Here is my entry for this week's Illustration Friday. It's a bit rushed, but I'm busier than I thought this week with my college classes. I'm not the biggest dog fan in the world, but I LOVE Welsh Corgis; they're just so cute with their big ears and short stature. If I ever had a dog, a Corgi would be it.

This is probably more "unwrapped" than "wrapped," but hey, he's wrapped up in ribbons. Done in Photoshop. Enjoy and thanks to everyone who visits my drawing blog! : )

Illustration Friday: "Impatience"

Here is my entry for this week's Illustration Friday. I wanted to do something with penguins, so I illustrated this for the topic. The poor Emperor penguin chick is getting "impatient" and wants to be fed. Unfortunately, his dad hasn't caught anything yet. Ice fishing can be tough... I know it's a little too "Christmas-like" for the summer, but it helps me cool off. : )

Done in Illustrator. It's a similar style to the rooster one I did in a previous week. I'm beat, so I'm off to bed. Hope you enjoy!

Illustration Friday: "Modify"

I had a hard time coming up with an idea for this week's Illustration Friday topic, but I somehow managed. Guess I'm just tired this week. Anyway, this snail had to fit in in its new urban environment, so he "modified" his shell by doing some fancy graffiti. I think he will blend in just fine. : ) Yes, his name is Steve... not sure why. His look ended up looking a little 1990's, whoops. I'm not a graffiti artist or anything, so pardon the mistakes.

Done in Photoshop. Splatter brushes used for the brick wall are from DeviantArt. Lots of great brushes there!