Subject matter: Akira (nekomata)
Materia Artistica: Inking pens
Reffernces: I used a photo reffernce from a national geographic for the exact pose of the zen archer cause i did not wish to screw it up the background is a vignette of a tori gate and garden and a Open Crysanthemum fan.
Notes: My charachter with a Daiku (great Bow) part of being a warrior in fuedal japan was being able to weild a bow with great profeciency. as it was often the first weapon used in older style duels as the foes would face off from hundreds of yards away (it was very formalized but got down to the nitty gritty of swords during the tokugawa era) i used crystanthemums and butterflys (on the kimono) as symbols for Akira's full name Shima Akira ("family" name first) which translates into Island or Garden or the many autumns spelled with differnt kanji his name akira can also mean brightness so i tend to alternate between the meanings and often use both in the same image. anyway butterflys while not a traditional autumn image for japan is for me for the great butterfly migrations in the fall and crysanthemums are tradtional for autumn