Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of those animes that are on the list of "must watch" for any anime fan. It's almost impossible not to have some strong opinion about the series, either positive or negative. Regardless of the story itself, Asuka was one of my favorite characters because of her design and depth of character.

She comes across as rough and tough, but it's only a mask to hide her insecurities and fear. All she wants is to experience love and acceptance, perhaps not in the best of places but it's a characteristic that makes her relatable.

The Wire Frame

My wire frames tend to be very simple, but they really do a good job of determining the flow and emotion of the character. I wanted to show Asuka with spunk and optimism. She's confident in her piloting ability and she's not one to turn down some friendly (or not so friendly) competition. Pose for victory!

The Sketch

Asuka's hair is probably my favorite thing about her. She's got the two hair clips that hold her hair up, but it's not quite a pigtail because of the sheer volume. Her bangs are also quite fun to draw and go all out with the multi-directional spikes. Anime hair is not subtle, and that's why I love it so much!

The Line Art

The EVA suits are so iconic and recognizable, a staple for the series. Long before Zero Suit Samus was ever getting her sexy on, Asuka and Rei were the pioneers of the plug suit and they wore it well. These form fitting full body suits resemble a diver's wet suit, but are designed to help the pilot synchronize with their mecha units.

The Flat Colors

The previous time I illustrated Asuka was sixteen years ago, and I was only a geeky middle school student. The inspiration for this character's revisit was a result of an Inktober challenge from a few years back. If I had the kind of free time I had as a kid, I would draw more fan art of Asuka without a doubt.

The Finished Illustration

I have a video showing how I illustrated the background for this one. You can watch it here on Youtube. Interestingly, I originally colored the line art but decided to tone it down for the final image. The darker line art fit better for some reason, perhaps because the original source (the anime series) used black lines for the animation. I primarily illustrate fan art featuring Nintendo characters, so it felt good to step back into mainstream anime and try my hand at an old favorite again after so many years.