Fan Art I’ve Made & What It Taught Me🎨

A love letter to the characters who inspired me to draw

Hi sweet soul~ 💖
Before I ever knew how to color in layers or pick a pastel palette… I was just a soft, imaginative kid who loved video games, magical girls, and cartoons.
And the first things I ever drew? Weren’t my own characters.
They were the ones I adored — the ones I played as, watched, cried with, and giggled over.

This is a little story about the fan art that shaped me, and what I’ve learned from drawing characters I didn’t invent… but deeply loved. 🌸

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

🎮 My First Fan Art: Tiny Kong & Donkey Kong Days

The first character I ever truly loved drawing was Tiny Kong from Donkey Kong 64.
Her playful energy, sassy vibe, and long pigtails made her feel like a cool big sister to me.
I’d draw her over and over again in the margins of notebooks, on scrap paper, and even in MS Paint (lol).
Looking back… she was probably my first “OC self-insert.” 💫

She taught me that it was okay to feel bold, expressive, and wild — even if I was shy in real life.

And through her, I learned the joy of style copying — observing how characters were shaped and colored, and learning by doing.

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

🌀 Sanrio & the Joy of Simplicity

As I got older, I fell head over heels for Sanrio characters — especially My Melody, Cinnamoroll, and Kuromi.
Their soft lines and minimalistic charm were the opposite of what I used to draw, but they taught me something powerful:

✨ You don’t need a million details to tell a cute story. ✨

From Sanrio, I learned that shapes and expression can say so much — and that softness is an art form too.

I still channel that philosophy in my sticker art today.

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

🌙 Magical Girls & Drawing Emotions

Shows like Sailor Moon and Shugo Chara had a huge influence on my dreamy side.
I was always drawn to characters who were a little insecure, a little emotional… but still strong in their own way.

When I drew Hinata Hyuga from Naruto, I saw myself in her.
Quiet. Sweet. A little unsure — but full of heart.
Fan art of her wasn’t just copying… it was relating.

It taught me how to draw emotion, and how to connect my own feelings to the lines I was making.

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

🧚 Zelda, Aesthetic Love & Fantasy Vibes

My love for the Legend of Zelda series helped me embrace fantasy, mood, and magic in my drawings.
I loved sketching characters like Link and Zelda — not just because of their design, but because of the feeling they gave me.
Peaceful, brave, ancient, soft.

Zelda fan art taught me how to blend softness and strength — and how to use colors to create mood, not just “pretty.”

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

🎀 What Fan Art Gave Me

Fan art taught me:

• how to study what I love

• how to build emotion into design

• how to observe shape, color, balance, and mood

• how to express feelings through a character — even if they weren’t mine

But most importantly?

It helped me become the artist I am today — one who’s still learning, still dreaming, still evolving 

🌙☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

💖 Final Thoughts

I still draw fan art sometimes.
And I think I always will — not because I’m out of ideas, but because it feels like coming home.
It’s where I started, and it’s still one of the purest forms of love I can express.

If you’re just beginning your journey, or still figuring out your style —
Draw your favorite characters.
Draw the ones that made you feel something.
Let them teach you, like they taught me.

You might just find your true art voice in someone else’s story. 💕

,With sparkles and sketchy hearts
Chiisai Tsukiko aka Tiny Moonchild 🌙🎨