Moon Warrior

Request from a Japanese fantasy. Hope you like it, man!

I didn't draw the whole body because I wanted to focus in the samurai's face: although he is raising his katana against someone (or something), there's no rage, no hatred in his face. Because, when you fight, you kill - but you can also be killed; and if you die in rage or hatred, your soul will never be at peace.

The reference for the kimono is an illustration of Rurouni Kenshin that appears in the book Kenshin Kaden. Outlines in pencil, coloring and light effects in Photoshop. Used mostly a combination of airbrush and burn tool for the shading. I was a bit iffy about the twinkling stars, but then, concluded it was a way of giving it the magical, fantasy atmosphere I wanted...

The writing at the bottom is a haiku quote taken from Peacemaker Kurogane - tankobon version, volume 2 pg. 32. It says (and this is my translation, so sorry if it sucks):

"To the north of the water,
To the south of the mountain,
The moon of spring"

For the ones who don't know, haiku is a Japanese style poem. It's short and freqüently looks senseless because the main goal of this kind of writing is not passing a message, but creating an atmosphere. Sometimes it's not the word, but the sound of the word that matters...