For My Portfolio: Uraomote (preview) (Patreon)

I posted about these characters once before, but I decided to use them as my first portfolio building project! I'm taking my time with it, making sure the lines are cleaner and that I find a balance between historical accuracy and taking some artistic liberties (mainly with hair). I'm trying my best with the information and translations I can find. If anyone has more knowledge on the older periods of Japan, especially the clothing they wore, then I welcome any corrections or suggestions!

I haven't even finished the initial sketches yet, but I plan to at least do flat color on all of them, including textile patterns! This is very ambitious for me, but I'm already a lot further along than I thought I would be, and I haven't given up yet. Who knows when I'll finish, but the progress I've made already is a good sign.

As you can see, there are 'two' versions of each character, hence the name Uraomote, meaning both sides/two-faced:

For the Yokai ( Jorōgumoand Nekomata) it means their human forms. 

The ghost of a noble woman who haunts the grounds where she used to live. 

A retired Kunoichi who became a reclusive mask maker. 

The once high ranking warrior, now a wandering, masterless Ronin. 

And finally, an Onnagata (a male actor that plays female roles)

As usual, I paired together the characters that are significant to each other. None of this will go into the portfolio, but just between us...this story is very gay. 😉

What does everyone think so far?