Hello, friends!

Thanks for stopping by to check out more of my artwork. Today I am sharing a chibi illustration done of Ahri from League of Legends. She is by far my most favorite champion to draw from the game. Her long hair and fox ears are so fluffy that I've drawn her multiple times. This is actually my 2nd iteration of the same drawing, but you will see the 1st version in this post. Maybe you will like one version over the other?

Time taken: 8 hours

Materials

Wacom Intuos 3 Tablet, Medium
Paint Tool SAI

The Process

Going into this, I knew the specific pose to give to Ahri: something that shows off her adorable, temptress side while emphasizing her flirtatious curiosity. My goal was to show both cuteness and innocence in this picture (even though we all know Ahri isn't so nice, heh). The pose were most likely my favorite part to sketch, as it portrayed Ahri as this pure fox demon who just wants to play~

This is the lineart and inking phase! I kept pretty close to my sketch as possible, which is usually not the case many times (if you've seen my other Anime Art posts). I kept the hair very simple so that the shading and coloring process later will be very simple.

Now it is time to put down the "base" colors. Base colors are the basic, foundational colors that will start off your coloring process. You will then later add shadows and highlights. If you haven't noticed, I used a very washed-out version of these color choices. The red is an off-red and faded maroon; the blue has a much more grayish tint, and the tails are not white, but instead a beige or tan. I like using the color picker tool and color wheel so I can preview what the tones will look like before I lay down the colors.

Shading has been added to the entire character now. I like to use tints of other complementary colors instead of just choosing darker shades of the same color. For example, on Ahri's dress, the red portions are shaded by a slightly more purple and violet mixture.

In the hair, there is a bit of purple and green as well. Her eyes also has a combination of both yellow, purple, and hints of pink. Colors are so beautiful and vibrant that I try to add a splash of everything somewhere on the picture!

I also add a technique called "fringe" that is available on Paint Tool SAI, which adds a line of darker colors at the edge of the shades. If you look at Ahri's legs, near her upper thigh and knee, you can see a small mark of dark brown that outline the edge of the shade. This is an effect that I like to add to make the shading more visible.

Now the finishing touches. Here, I add some highlights like in the eyes, and skin. I also added a bit of a fade effect on the tails to give it a more ethereal look. A yellow overlay tone is also added to give it even more of a saturated look. In some areas of the picture, you can see spots of white colors airbrushed into the final illustration.

Looking back at it now, I am not too fan of the blurred look, nor do I think the yellow background and text give it too much of a meaning. I should have chosen something better or completely leave out the background!

Version 2

After about 3 or so months, I decided to change up the style of my coloring. I moved away from the more washed out and saturated result and wanted something a lot more vibrant and colorful in general. I enjoy the neon edges and highlights throughout the picture. All the colors have more purpose and effect. You can see tints of several colors much more obviously, like in Ahri's eyes. I really enjoy this style right now!