*ahem*

it's mah birthday~! 8D yay me! xDD *wonders what gifts she'll get* *isn't allowed to open them til her official birth time* so i've got a couple hours to go...

<EDIT> i've changed my avatar. no more random hot sauce bottle XD now i am the pruple timpani all over the internet xD </EDIT>

randomness... [link] the author of the article is asking everyone to spread the word, so yeah.

and now to the main reason for this journal.....*drum roll* XD

i got the idea awhile back after browsing someone's gallery, to start doing art features in my journals. unfortunately, i forgot which artist i wanted to feature..... ...and have not bothered to look them up again due to extreme laziness... *has 1,000+ unread messages/deviations* bu~t, i still like the idea.....
so call it a feature, or a shameless plug (it's both xD), but today i'd like to talk about the work of an excellent artist: my best friend, *KaizokuShojo.

Kai works with a variety of media, her favorite of which being ink, followed by charcoal. she is famed on the web for her fan art, and does a wide variety of original works as well, including writing. she has an original manga series in development called Sword Hunter. i'll show some art from that here.
so...now i shall display a large variety of her work, and discuss some of it and what makes it noteworthy. i have a slight problem in that...not being a subscriber, i can't show the thumbnails of her work here. but i'll link directly to the pieces, and if you actually care and are reading this, you can click them and see the awesomeness for yourselves.

Disclaimer: Sword Hunter and all of its ideas and affiliated characters are the property of KaizokuShojo.

Saros--penwork
i chose to talk about this pic first, because it is my favorite of all the art Kai has on dA (i think XD) and it may be her best work of all, that i have seen. this is a pic of the character "Saros" from Sword Hunter. it was done with pen on plain old printer paper.
one of Kai's greatest strengths is her detail work, which is displayed wonderfully in this piece. i could stare at that hair for hours, and the texture on the black shirt is all deliberate. notice the subtle shading on the edge of that shirt, and the two slight folds in it as well. those goggles look so awesome that i can almost forgive series like digimon that make goggles look dorky (no offense to digimon; takuya and koji rock ). *ahem* the excellence in the shading give the pic a very realistic perspective; i'm sure i could reach out and touch that soft hair, or pluck that cigar from his mouth (which, by the way, is also done in excellent detail). the tiny things she gives focus too such as the cigar smoke slightly obscuring the image of the shirt behind it shows how intelligent and conscientious Kai is, and how much she truly cares for the art. everything about this piece is exquisite.
i was so in awe over this pic (still am) that i didn't even notice that the character's eyes have no pupils. Kai quickly corrected me and told me that his eyes are simply all white. but no, he is not albino or anything. to get the answer why, you'll have to ask her *is plugging Sword Hunter* XD

Calig Brush Pen Link
okay...in an effort to keep y'all's interest... (XD) i've chosen this one next. it's Link, from Legend of Zelda, playing an ocarina. it was drawn with a caligraphy brush pen ([link] if you don't know what it is, but i think Kai's has a larger brush on it)
one thing Kai is very particular about is that her art is a true representation of the character; if a drawing doesn't look like a character, she trashes it. this is an excellent representation of link. one look at those eyes, and you know it's him. not to mention the ears, clothing, etc...XD anyway, one of the things that awes me in this pic is how she managed such perfect width lines everywhere, as well as perfect shading. the things which need accenting are accented perfectly, and the things which need to blend in are also perfect. she has a gift for detail, which y'all will soon see is undeniable. how she managed that hair, and that shading, i'll never know...

A Well-Dressed Man
next, a favorite of Kai's, and quite a good many other peoples' as far as the Sherlock Holmes fandom is concerned. that's right, this is the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes, in his glory, drawn in ink.
just like with link, the great thing about Kai's Holmes is how she strives to make him as close in appearance and manner to the real thing. and considering how little information the books give about his appearance, she does an exceptional job.
another great thing about her art is the life each piece has. she puts some of herself into everything, and the emotion in Holmes's perfectly drawn eyes here is a reflection of part of her soul. that piece of soul, that life...is one of the greatest factors in making a true artist.
the crispness and precision of her lines in this piece are enviable, and so perfect that one would expect that this was drawn with a tablet. but no, it was hand drawn with micron pens and colored on the computer. i can honestly say i'm jealous of her ability (in the nicest possible way ). also, noticing how much attention she's given to the shape and detail of the ear, the adam's apple, the hair and hairline... i could keep going, but i'll trust that you not only get the idea that she's brilliant, but that you'll notice this all for yourselves

Adoration
as i've said, Kai is an aspiring artist. but for the first featured piece of writing, here is a piece of her poetry. i chose this piece for two reasons. first, because no discussion of Kai would be complete without talking about her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and her life's complete devotion to Him. second, because it is purely excellent. the construction of the poem, the flow, the language...everything is just perfect, and i love reading this one over and over. she is as gifted with writing as she is with drawing, and i wish this poem were longer because of its perfection and how it moves me.
Kai's soul is shown so plainly in this, moreso than in any of her drawings. a glimpse of who she is is present in this piece, as well as her total love for God. and she gives a perfect view of who He is, that any Christian would be glad to see, and impressed by the great witness she provides through this and other poems, as well as drawings. Kai's faith defines her, and i'm proud to have a friend who loves God as completely as she does.

Supa Angry Cyborg
i would be tarred and feathered if i didn't include some of Kai's inspiring charcoal work in this feature. speaking as one who fails epicly with charcoal (and has seen many others also fail with it) no one is more impressed by Kai's charcoal work than i am.
one of Kai's inspirations for her style was One Piece artist, Eiichirou Oda, and i would also be badly beaten if i didn't include some of the fanart which first made her famous. so here is Kai's perfect rendition of the One Piece character, Franky.
if the crispness of her lines with ink astounded you, the charcoal will knock you down. again she manages perfection in every single aspect of the piece, from the thickness of the lines and the exquisite details, to the shading and depth. in her own words, skill with charcoal comes from developing one's own style with it, and lo~ts of q-tips. but skill like this doesn't come from a shading implement. every aspect of this piece is as perfect as the rest of her work, right down to the beady eyes. i know i sound repetitive, but there are only so many words to describe perfection.
a study of Kai's work by any artist would be time well spent

Grandma
JB as Sherlock Holmes--SIGN
here are two rare examples of Kai's pencil work, as well as her realism. the first is her grandmother, the second is the late Jeremy Brett. i randomly decided to put them together. each is excellent, for all of the aforementioned reasons including her details, shading, cleanness, soul, and technique. it's impressive to see someone as good at realism as she is, while also being an excellent stylist. in the picture of her grandma, i'm particularly impressed with the work around the eyes and glasses, and in the JB pic i love the subtle shading near the nose, as well as the great care she gave to properly texture the clothing. in the pic of her grandma, notice how she took time to draw the eyebrows behind the rims of the glasses, and how in the JB pic she took time to do the stitching on the cuffs of the dressing gown. i'm in serious awe looking at these pics. Kai, you're incredible.

PokeBattle
nidorino, i choose you! XD there are other examples of Kai's coloring, which i'll also feature, but i just had to make special mention of the pokemon pic ^^ in this, we see again Kai's devotion to a fandom, and how she strives for accuracy in her representation. i have no doubt that she made sure nidorino's teeth looked exactly like that before drawing them, and i love how she made sure the stadium lights gave off a certain glow and how she advertises for Pokemon Red and Blue on the stadium seats. the shading is excellent as always, and i love how she managed to create the shadow of gengar to appear as though he's moving. again, how can i describe perfection? XD looking at Kai's art will give a pretty good definition.

Violin and Sitting-room
no discussion of Kai's work would be complete without this piece, so this will be the last one i discuss in detail. the rest i'll be featuring, i'll just talk about in brief.
where to begin...well, i think i'll talk about my impressions and thoughts of the piece the first time i saw it, so you can see how my thoughts on Kai's art grew from interest to immediate awe. kind of a....tour of the art, from my perspective.
obviously, the first thing to catch my eye was the violin. in the style of a baroque viol, it stands as the center of attention in this well-balanced pic. my eyes went up and down the neck, to the tailpiece and finally to the lovely F holes, and then my eye caught the first detail that made me give the piece a closer look; i saw how percectly she had drawn the strings, first dark against the wood of the body, and then white against the ebony fingerboard. and not only are they straight and perfect, but she even drew the difference in thickness of the four strings. wow.
then my eye drifted down to the objects upon the table. the exquisite pen and ink bottle, the detail upon each and every paper, and especially on that box...whatever it is. tissue box? blotting-paper box? it's lovely no matter what. and she even managed to show the magnifying glass working, and very believably. the way the papers are scattered and torn speaks to the personality of the room's occupant, which is yet another great testament to the excellent quality of Kai's work.
next, my eye was drawn to the work of art over the fireplace; a beautiful painting of the reichenbach falls in switzerland, which is a foreshadowing to the "end" of the Sherlock Holmes stories. as i was staring at the incredible detail of the painting, my eye drifted to the telltale jackknife in the mantelpiee, the paintings on the wall, and the delicate pipe rack on the other side. all these things are indicative of who lives in this room, so if the viewer did not know, they should soon be able to deduce it.
my eye traveled from the texture of the wallpaper, to the bookcase set back on the other wall, and then forward to the desk again, and the books standing upon it. not to mention the books propping up the violin. it was then that i noticed the violin bow, and my eyes went to the bright fireplace, and then to the shadows that light was casting. especially the shadows cast by and against the armchair. such beautiful shading and accuracy as to depth perception, and perfect texturing of the material...
and then i realized, the room was not empty. how could a room radiating such life be empty? i should have known it... but then i saw the sleeve of a rumpled dressing gown and a hand resting on the arm of the chair, and a heavy trail of smoke rising from in front of the chair. the detective himself was sitting there.
i stared for a moment, and then let my eyes take in everything. the detail, the shading, the textures, the precision, the cleanness, the execution, the little subtleties that make it more than a drawing, but an extension of the artist herself...
this is my friend Kai. a born artist, gifted by God.

now, i'll link to other notable pieces with less discussion of them.

Sherlockian Wallpaper
i love this piece. my friend somehow makes cliches work, and in the little catchphrase on this wallpaper. and she shows off her photo editing skills here, having chosen great screenshots to emphasize different aspects of the detective, and still the wonderful balance shows that she truly is an artist.

F-Zero charcoal doodle
i chose to include this, to provide more of a balance between how much art of people i am featuring, versus other things, as well as show another fandom Kai is involved in, and more charcoal work. this is a few racers driving in mute city, i believe. i'm not familiar with F-Zero. but in terms of art, i'm impressed with the details and textures, and notice in the lead car--you can just make out the driver behind the glass.

Knight-errant
one word. DETAILS. hand drawn tree bark. in ink. what more needs to be said? well, there's also the handsome knight in the suit of armor *is in love with the cape* and that detail in the belt, and the coat of arms... the sword and the scabbard... just look at it, before i start going on for paragraphs like i did with the violin pic

Inadequacy
another excellent piece of poetry, and another glimpse into Kai's heart. knowing her as i do, i would have titled this piece with the last line instead of the first.

Dr. John H. Watson V1
Hmm...XD
well, this is curious. i doubt she intended to draw these two fellows in the same pose with similar looks on their faces, but in her character studies of Dr. Watson and Inspector Lestrade, Kai did just that XD and as always, she captures the essence of the character and has achieved their perfect appearance, despite virtually no descriptions in the books. for her to accurately capture the appearance of the characters based mostly on their personality is true talent.

Take me home to
anyone played King's Quest? if you've played game VI, then you'll recognize the dangling participle, pun so very intended here's another example of really awesome coloring, and details, and total cuteness *loves the textures and color balance in the background*

Precious Mask
more Legend of Zelda art, with the happy mask salesman as the focus. like the violin pic, this is another piece abounding in subtle details that show off her abilities. from the detail of his clothing, to the rooftops inside the wall, to the leaves of the trees in the distance, this piece is every bit as excellent as the rest of her art. i'm particularly fond of the details in the grass and rock facing.

random SH eye
a small but beautiful sketch of a realistic eye. even in a small pic such as this, her skill is shown wonderfully and the heart is still moved.

Investigate
Kai rarely dabbles into photography, but she is good at it when she does. but the real art in this piece is cosplay. as Mr. Sherlock Holmes, she gives off the perfect air of sophistication, authority, and intelligence.

Dodongo
Legend of Zelda again. may i just say, wow this is more ambitious than anything i'd ever attempt, and not only is it ambitious but it's a success. totally awesome.

Sanji "Toddler Troubles"
Crocodile and Sand
here are two more One Piece pics for you Oda lovers XD both of these are utterly incredible, and i could stare at them for hours, studying the details. if you appreciate good art, you'll definitely take a look at these. *has been staring for several minutes herself*

Lord Honda
Shinobi Design 2
here are two more of Kai's wonderful ink pieces, also from her series Sword Hunter. don't be fooled by the name, there are no cars involved XD *shot* Lord Honda is a great and wise ruler in the series, who is also a Christian. and rather a handsome devil if i do say so myself and the shinobi are the primary villains of the series, and this is one of their uniform designs, with a cool weapon too. brilliantly done, just as all her work is.

Random SH faith Writing
Sword Hunter Excerpt
here are two more pieces of written work. the first, a calm and introspective piece about the Sword Hunter characters. the second, a dramatic piece with a killer cliffhanger, also from Sword Hunter.

Promise
and last, but certainly not least, another piece of Christian art. this one was colored with copics and drawn in ink. a fine way to finish this art feature, and to sum up Kai as an artist. she serves God first in all she does, and He's blesssed her with talents in art that leave me in awe every time i see her work.

i could feature so many more pieces, but i fear i've gone on way too long already but Kai's art is worth the attention, so go check out everything else in her gallery. even her scraps are awesome