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Hello guys, I'm a Jeuz, today I'm going to share my illustration of a Samurai with his baby dragon. I'm a proud to be a Filipino and I really like to explore and know about foreign culture, because knowing such things never fails to amaze and surprise me.To know how they've live their life and in the past and present, the food, their beautiful landmarks, and anything that country is known for. Aside from sharing my illustration, let me share to you a basic information I know about Samurais and Dragons also, since they're my subject in this blog post.

About Samurai

The Samurai, we can call also call them by "Bushi", were the premodern warriors of Japan. Once we say premodern, it is the period before the modern era or current time in Japan. Then they eventually created a military ruling class, which later on became the highest social caste of Edo period (1603-1867). To give you an idea about Edo Period, it is basically the time when there is a great economic growth, strict social order, a stable population, no more war, and people are in the enjoyment of arts and cultures. How amazing to live that kind of era right? I really would love to. But there are things that wont last forever. Edo period later on came to its end.

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So that's a little bit of info about Edo period, moving on, Samurais also have a various weapon in their arsenal, like bows and arrows, man, (sighs) It's really my big dream to hold and fire a real bow and arrow, if you still remember Legolas (LOTR), he's my childhood hero, he's so cool while fighting, using his and arrows, a pretty bad ass character, sorry for that throwback, hehe. Next is spears and gun, if I had to choose my weapon during a war between bows and arrows or a gun, I think Imma forget my own childhood dream and start reloading my gun! haha! Don't judge me, its about life and death situation.
But the main weapon and greatly symbolizes the Samurais is their magnificent sword, "Katana". This is on of my favorite that I want to own and place on my collection someday, for me a katana, holds a thousand story of war, courage, bravery, and heroism that its wielder hold. And somehow most filipinos, especially children often mistakenly call Katana Sword as Samurai,

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Samurai's Code

The Samurai also devoted to live their lives according to the ethic code of Bushido which means ("The way of the Warrior") (hearing this code gives me chills). Strongly in Confucian in nature, Bushido emphasize's a notion a great loyalty to one's master, self discipline, respect, and ethical behavior. And to add most Samurais follows or practices the teachings of Zen Buddhism. you can check about Buddhism here

History

The Samurai origin can be traced to the Heian Period presses to subjugate the Native people in the Tohoku Region. During that time warriors (Samurais) were increasingly hired by powerful and affluent Landlords. They later had grown sovereign (being dependent) of the central government and they established and produced Army on their own.

There are two most powerful landowning clans, which is the Minamoto and Taira clan, and afterwards they dare to defy the central government and a battled each other for power and sovereignty over the whole country. Minamoto Yoritomo transpire as a victor and set up a new military government in 1192, headed by the Shogun or military supreme commander. And the Samurai would rule over Japan over 700 years during that era.

Every era also experinces downfall, during the chaotic era of warring states in the 15th and 16th centuries. Japan is divided into dozens of independent states, and have a unvarying war at each other. It is also the time and era when ninja, warriors specialized in unorthodox warfare, were most vital.

The country was finally reconcile and reunited in the late 1500s, and a fixed social caste system was created during the Edo Period that brought the samurai at the peak, followed by the farmers, artisans and merchants commonly. During this stage, the samurai were enforced to live in castle towns, they're only ones allowed to carry and own swords and they were paid by rice, given to them by their daimyo or feudal lords. Also to add, Samurais that don't have their masters were called Ronin and somehow caused some minor disorder during the 1600s.

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Moving on let me share to you a little bit info about dragons.

Dragons

One of the mythical creatures that I always to be crazy about is Dragons, I mean, every kid in this world is pretty amazed and intimidated by Dragons. They're pretty magnificent and captivating for me. How I wish they really exist ( I mean the good and can be a pet type dragons haha) That's why I almost went crazy after watching the last episode of Game of Thrones, where the the wall was blasted with blue fire and destroyed by the Ice Dragon revived by the Night King! deyymm, that was so epic! Sorry for that burst of emotions, Iv'e got carried away, haha.

Moving on, Japanese dragons (日本の竜 Nihon no ryū) are diverse legendary creatures in Japanese mythology and folklore. Japanese dragon myths amalgamate native legends with imported stories about dragons from China, Korea and India. The style of the dragon was heavily influenced by the Chinese dragon. Like these other Asian dragons, most Japanese ones are water deities associated with rainfall and bodies of water, and are typically depicted as large, wingless, serpentine creatures with clawed feet

Indigenous Japanese dragons

The ca. 680 AD Kojiki and the ca. 720 AD Nihongi mytho-histories have the first Japanese textual references to dragons. "In the oldest annals the dragons are mentioned in various ways," explains de Visser,[1] "but mostly as water-gods, serpent- or dragon-shaped." The Kojiki and Nihongi mention several ancient dragons:

Yamata no Orochi 八岐大蛇 "8-branched giant snake" was an 8-headed and 8-tailed dragon slain by the god of wind and sea Susanoo, who discovered the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi (legendary sword of the Imperial Regalia of Japan) in one of its tails.
Watatsumi 海神 "sea god" or Ryūjin 龍神 "dragon god" was the ruler of seas and oceans, and described as a dragon capable of changing into human form. He lived in the undersea Ryūgū-jō 龍宮城 "dragon palace castle", where he kept the magical tide jewels.
Toyotama-hime 豊玉姫 "Luminous Pearl Princess" was Ryūjin's daughter. She purportedly was an ancestress of Emperor Jimmu, Japan's legendary first emperor.
Wani 鰐 was a sea monster that is translated as both "shark" and "crocodile". Kuma-wani 熊鰐 "bear (i.e., giant or strong) shark/crocodile" are mentioned in two ancient legends. One says the sea god Kotoshiro-nushi-no-kami transformed into an "8-fathom kuma-wani" and fathered Toyotama-hime, the other says a kuma-wani piloted the ships of Emperor Chūai and his Empress Jingū.
Mizuchi 蛟 or 虯 was a river dragon and water deity. The Nihongi records legendary Emperor Nintoku offering human sacrifices to mizuchi angered by his river engineering projects.
The myths about Emperor Jimmu descending from Toyatama-hime evidence the folklore that Japanese Emperors descend from dragons. Compare the ancient Chinese tradition of dragons symbolizing the Emperor of China.

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Sources and Reference

I hope you've learn something from it. I think that's all I can share to you and here's my Illustration

"Calm Night"

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I hope you liked it, btw I've gathere's 35 screenshots to share the process and guide you

The Process

First is, I search for stock footage on a samurai and I've imported it on Adobe Illustrator

The next thing I did is to start tracing the subject using pentool

To give you an I idea how to use pentool check this out:

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Moving on, I've just hide my layers to see the progress (tracing)

You just need to be patient in tracing your subject

You don't need to do that 100% perfect, atleast close to being accurate

Tracing the Katana

After I'm done tracing the basic line art, I start adding accent to it

Check this out

Adding more detail to my line art

See how it add effect to the line art.

I've made a drawing of my own version of Japanese dragon

Then I start tracing it
Btw, I made myself as a reference with the samurais face, at least I can experience being a Samurai through illustrating hehe

Here's the photo reference, I've look for a angle that fits with illustration

hiding the reference layer, this what it would look like

Adding scales

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Here's the thing, I've planned of using red outline and colors for my work, but I've made changes at decided to use shades of blue in my work

then I've start filling spaces with colors

Loving the result

adding colors to baby dragon, you can also use color swatches as guide.

Almost done

And I've added a Japanese character of word "Courage" (it is one of the most important thing should a possess, courage!) I've made looked like glowing to give emphasis.