Life Update
Hey everyone! It’s the 5th of September, and I’ve finally managed to sit down to write this. It’s been a bit of a chaotic month for me — I’ve been sick (a few times now), went to a wedding, got sick again, and… well, I’m currently sick while writing this too. I’m spooning chicken noodle soup between typing, and I’ve taken enough tablets to rattle: cold & flu, hay fever, echinacea, and a multivitamin.
Because of all that, the game project is on pause for now. But this post isn’t about the game. Today, I want to share something different — my first full art project on this site, and one that means a lot to me.
I’ve just finished a set of five art pieces for Team Pink, a women’s League of Legends esports team. Next Wednesday they face Dark Seals in the finals, and I wanted to do something special for them. I missed making art during their first split, so I set myself the challenge this time around: five members, five champions.
It’s been more than 30 hours of work, countless layers, a lot of trial and error, and a big learning curve in shading and rendering. But above all, it’s been fun, rewarding, and motivating. Let me take you through each piece.
Naomi × Soul Fighter Gwen
This was the very first piece of the set, and it ended up being the most experimental one. Gwen’s giant drill curls and her pure white breastplate were both really fun but also a challenge. Shading white without making it look flat or hollow took multiple tries, and I must have redone the colouring on the whole piece three times just to find a process that would carry across the rest of the series.
Because it was the first, I got stuck in loops of iteration, which made it feel like the “least fun” piece to work on — but looking back now, I’m actually really proud of it. The curls turned out beautifully, and the lighting across the folds and outfit feels strong.
Naomi herself was a joy to draw. She has really defined cheekbones and a nose shape I loved sketching, and we went back and forth until it felt right. For her shirt, I designed a Gwen-themed graphic tee, inspired by something I found online. Originally I thought about incorporating Gwen’s scissors into a hand gesture, but had to abandon that idea because it read as a not-so-friendly symbol here in Australia. Instead, I kept it simple with a peace sign.
When I was sketching Naomi’s hair, I had Stevie Nicks floating around in my head for some reason — even though she looks nothing like her! What I was really going for was that textured, salty “beach curl” effect, and I think it gave the piece a great sense of movement.
In the end, Naomi’s piece became my “test subject” for the series, but it set the foundation for the rest. Challenging, frustrating at times, but so worth it.
Emma × Heartsteel Kayn
I’ve drawn Emma before, and I’ve also drawn Kayn before — but always in his Snowmoon skin. This time, she wanted Heartsteel, and I was more than happy to mix it up. The result is probably the most educational piece of the set for me.
Kayn’s outfit is so striking, especially the leather jacket with its folded shoulders and gradient collar. Shading that was tricky but fun, and it pushed me outside my usual habits. The hardest part, though, was his body. I draw muscle a lot, but I don’t shade muscle very often, so I had to look up references for six-packs just to understand how light played across them. It was new territory, but I loved the challenge.
Emma herself was, as always, amazing to draw. She has such good proportions, striking lips, and eyebrows that always look perfect — little details that make sketching her face really satisfying. I swapped her usual necklace for a Heartsteel one to match Kayn, and even matched her black nails to Kayn’s eye colour. It was one of those subtle “matchy matchy” details that made the piece feel cohesive.
The big struggle here was shading black hair. With Naomi, I’d been working in pinks and light tones. With Emma, my shadows were actually lighter than her hair, which looked awful. I ended up with four separate layers just to wrangle her hair, and it set me up for every other dark-haired character in this series. Painful at first, but invaluable in the long run.
Kayn himself needed multiple revisions — I redid the entire mouth, adjusted the eyes, and changed his hair styling to something I didn’t particularly enjoy rendering. At the start, Emma was worried he was looking too much like Viego, so I did a careful side-by-side check to make sure the proportions were right.
In the end, though, I really like this one. Kayn is always fun to draw, Emma is always beautiful to work with, and this piece was the one that taught me the most.
Lucy × Mythmaker Jhin
Lucy’s piece was a monster. She originally offered to pick an easier champion skin if this one was too much, but I wanted to challenge myself — and wow, did I get what I asked for.
Mythmaker Jhin is so detailed it borders on overwhelming: the ornate mask, the sweeping shoulder piece, the textured armor. This one took close to eight hours, but once I got into the flow, it became the most rewarding of the set.
The armor’s scale texture in particular was strangely satisfying. Two colours, some light and shadow, and suddenly it looked touchable. The mask, too, was an absolute joy — the kind of piece that makes you stop mid-process and just think, “yes, this is coming together.”
Lucy herself is stunning to draw. Soft waves in her hair (my favourite kind to render), delicate features, and an overall elegance that carried perfectly into Jhin’s theatrical aura. It was at this point, my only real concern was avoiding “same-face syndrome” across the portraits, but Lucy’s likeness felt distinct and natural, and I think at this point I had captured everyone’s individuality well.
This was definitely the hardest piece, but it turned out beautifully. Every hour was worth it.
Lunar × Corporate Mundo
This one might be my favourite of the whole project. Honestly, I didn’t care much for Mundo before this, but after drawing Corporate Mundo alongside Lunar, I see him differently now.
The aura in this piece is HUGE, and Lunar just looks like a certified baddie. Sunglasses, wavy hair, striking eyes — everything about them was a pleasure to capture. I said it once, I’ll say it again; I wish I could draw myself this awesome.
The real challenge was Mundo himself. Unlike the other champs, he doesn’t have warm undertones, so I had to switch to cooler blues and purples while still layering in pink highlights. Getting that “undead but alive” balance right was a new puzzle, but I loved it. I even gave him a butt chin just because it felt right.
There’s something about this piece that I can’t stop looking at. It’s bold, stylish, and has so much personality. Definitely my favourite to work on (Sorry team :p).
Hannah × IG Rakan
The last piece in the series, and the one I’m still colouring as I write this. Rakan’s IG skin is new to me — I’d never drawn or played it before — but I’ve really enjoyed it. His ears, his gloves, his hair… they all carry such flair.
The hardest part has been Hannah’s skin tone. I went through too many iterations where it looked too pale, too orange, or too yellow before finally settling on something that felt right. Her straight black hair was another challenge, but I’ve learned a lot about layering highlights and shadows with darker tones by this point.
Hannah herself is gorgeous to draw — elegant face, sharp lips, and hair that catches light in such satisfying ways. I added a jacket into the design (I love drawing jackets), and worked the texture into something between felt and leather.
This piece feels like a strong closer. Not the hardest, not the easiest, but a great balance of detail, personality, and flow. By the time you’re reading this, it should be finished, and I can’t wait to show the whole set together.
Reflections
This project has been a grind — over 30 hours of work in just a week, countless revisions, and many late nights — but it’s also been one of the most rewarding creative challenges I’ve taken on.
I’ve learned a lot about lighting, shading, and rendering, but also about process: how to organise layers (still chaotic, but better), how to adapt when something isn’t working, and how to take feedback without losing momentum.
Team Pink themselves have been amazing to work with. They’ve given me honest feedback, pushed me to get details right, and been nothing but supportive. I probably won’t take on another five-piece sprint anytime soon, but I’d absolutely draw for them again.
Most of all, I’m proud to have supported women in esports. Visibility matters, representation matters, and if my art can play even a small part in hyping up a team like this, then I’m glad.
What’s Next
After this, I’ll take a short break, then return to learning the game engine and pushing the prototype forward. I’ll keep you updated on that process if you’d like to follow along.
Outside of art and games, I’ve got family visits coming up, a barbecue tonight, and nacho cob loaf on the menu. And in a small victory, my nose cleared up while writing this — so hopefully I won’t sound too miserable at dinner.
Thanks for reading, for supporting, and for being part of this journey with me. Here’s to Team Pink, their finals next week, and to a future with more visibility for women in games.
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