Last September, I had the honor of meeting a very talented young artist by the name of Flora Rose, also known as Raven Momoka. She was the featured artist of an art show at the Cafe 116 in Ashland, Oregon. Not only that, but earlier that year she was awarded best artist in her age group at the Medford Comic-Con. Don't let my words alone impress you, please take a moment and browse through her gallery and discover why her work impresses.

During our meeting at her art show, my wife and I were invited as cosplayers to help enhance the atmosphere. I was dressed up as Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time while my wife came as Zero Suit Samus. Although I didn't come as an artist, Flora and I came to discuss her amazing work and we swapped stories and techniques. It's not very often that I meet another anime artist in person. I'm more of an online kind of guy, so it was great to make a local connection.

The Line Art

I suggested to Flora that I would love to work together on an art piece, a collaboration between digital artists. I sent her one of my line art drawings to color and she sent me something, too. By coloring each other's work we can help promote each other as well as have the opportunity to practice our coloring techniques on a drawing that wasn't made by our own hand. She sent me this line art drawing of Wonder Woman, an amazing piece of art if I do say so myself.

The Flat Colors

One of the most interesting things to learn about Flora's drawing technique is that she uses the same drawing software that I use, Clip Studio Paint EX. I have been using it for a longer time and she was very interested in learning more about its features and capabilities. One of the techniques that set us apart is the use of anti-aliasing. I have it turned off while she uses it create soft lines in her line art.

The Finished Illustration

I went with a cel-style coloring technique for this piece. I really like Flora's drawing style. It reminded me of something simple like the animated Justice League series from the early 2000s, but with a lean towards the more mature depiction of the comic books. Not quite anime, but I can tell there was still an influence if you examine her facial features.

This was a positive experience and I am open to collaborating with Flora Rose (Raven Momoka) again in the future. Likewise, I am excited to see how her coloring of my drawing turns out when she's finished. It's great for fellow artists to work together, inspire one another, and learn new techniques while at it. If you are a fellow digital artist, I invite you to contact me if you are interested in working together in collaboration.