So, I decided to try and recreate Obanai’s Slayer Mark the other day. Just kinda popped into my head. You know, the snake pattern he gets? Always thought it looked pretty striking, figured I’d see if I could get it down on paper, or something close anyway.
Getting Started and Gathering Stuff
First thing, I had to actually figure out what it looked like properly. Sounds easy, right? Well, not exactly. I spent a good while just scrolling through images online. Lots of fan art, which is cool, but sometimes they take liberties. Finding clear, consistent shots from the manga or anime took some digging. Some angles showed it differently, you know?
Reference Hunt
- Looked for manga panels.
- Searched for anime screenshots.
- Compared a few different views to get a general idea.
Finally got a few images I thought were decent enough to work from. Decided to just go with simple pencil and paper first. Nothing fancy. Grabbed my sketchbook and a basic HB pencil.
The Actual Trying Part
Okay, so I started sketching. My first attempt? Terrible. Honestly, it looked pretty bad. The curves were all wrong, the proportions felt off. It was supposed to be like snakes wrapping, but mine looked more like tangled noodles. Yeah, not great. Crushed that piece of paper up pretty quick.
Took a deep breath. Tried again. This time I focused more on the overall shape and placement, thinking about where it sits on his face and body. I started lighter, trying to map out the main lines before committing. Still wasn’t easy. Getting that specific serpentine flow is tricky.
Things I Struggled With
- Getting the snake heads right.
- Making the pattern look like it’s part of the skin, not just slapped on.
- Keeping the lines clean. My hand wasn’t as steady as I thought.
I must have erased and redrawn the main section, the bit that goes across the face, about five or six times. Each time it got a little better, a little closer to what I saw in the references. Used a softer pencil, like a 2B, to try and get some darker lines in once I was happier with the basic shape.
Getting Somewhere
After messing around for probably an hour or so, I finally got a version that felt… okay. Not amazing, definitely not professional or anything, but it looked recognizable as Obanai’s mark. You could tell what it was supposed to be, which was my main goal really.
Didn’t bother with color this time. Just wanted to nail the line work. Maybe I’ll try that next, perhaps with some markers or even digitally. But for a first proper attempt at drawing it out, focusing just on the shape and flow, I felt pretty alright about it.
It’s kinda satisfying, taking something you see and trying to replicate it yourself, even if it’s just a sketch. Makes you appreciate the original design more, too. You notice all the little details when you’re forced to draw them.
So yeah, that was my little project. Got a decent sketch out of it. Stuck it on my wall for now. Maybe I’ll try tackling his sword design next, that looks like a challenge too.
