The final of the commission for Okami. A portrait of his character in a sakura grove, in a light rain (character is the property of Okami).

A lot of discussion went back and forth between the patron and I. One of the biggest obstacles to conceptualize were markings for the character, which were being left up to me. I finally decided on a horimono tattoo, and as Okami pointed out, to steer the tattoo away from the stigma of being associated with criminality, I incorporated the symbol of a sakura tree with blossoms, a well-established symbol for bushido, the samurai's path. Over time the tattoo was scaled back in complexity for future artists, should they wish to use the idea as well.

Clothing colors were also undecided, eventually opting for muted, earthen colors, adding dirt and fraying near the bottom to illustrate the long travels of the character. I similarly put the hair up in a stylized topknot, again trying to add an air of dignity to the character.