illustration sketches

I've been working on some new fine art illustrations for no particular reason but being very inspired by some influences in my life, and that I'm tired of the rat race that is the corporate world.  I guess it's sort of a relaxing escapism for me.
The above has some incorporated pop graphic elements with a realistic liquid splash as well as the Balinese dancer's realistic rendering.  I'm looking to juxtapose certain elements to help with the surrealist elements of the seemingly lack of gravity to her hair and scarf.  The scarf is pushing towards the more graphic elemnt side of things as well to tie in the whole frame.

A good deal of research has gone into my work recently as reflected above.  This is a sketch of Callisto, a nymph who was impregnated by Jupiter, who is also one of Jupiter's larger moons, and (depending on which account you want to follow) was shot by Artemis after realizing she was no longer a virgin, as nymphs were supposed to stay chaste.

(un)Commisioned

Here is a pen and ink illustration I did for my friends. 

I like illustrating extreme angles as it presents more of a challenge to me spacial wise, but I also see the inherent challenge of making a portrait interesting enough for someone to want to stare at it longer than the average peson stares at a piece of art.  This was done in a traditional style of pen and ink, with a pencil sketch and ink laid on top of that.
Then I made a color version for their respective phones. 

I did simple coloring in photoshop leaving some of the space white as not to distract from the colored shapes that I wanted to accentuate the most, namely the hearts.  I think the background coloring helped emphasize the three dimensional pose and made the hands come forward even more.

Mermaid Meat

I had a show a little while back, I think right before I started classes.
Again there were pretty girls, as I tend the female form over the male, but the main focus was Japanese goblins, or Yokai.  A secondary focus was kimonos and textile and the patterns they can create.  I mixed in some pop references for a little spice.
These scans are taken from prints and an advertisement card (not of my design, but Ximena of Skeleton Key Tattoo):

( Flyer for show)

 Ohaguro-bettari

 for Kuniyoshi

 Umi-Bozu for Hokusai

 Rokuro-kubi

 Mermaid Meat

Kitsuni