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 🌙🎨

How I Found My Art Style (And How It’s Still Evolving)

 

How I Found My Art Style 

(And How It’s Still Evolving)🎨

Hi starlight~ 🌙
If you’ve ever found yourself scrolling through dreamy art accounts wondering, “What’s my style?” — you’re not alone.
As an artist, finding your voice isn’t always instant... it’s a journey. A soft unfolding. And honestly?
It’s one I’m still on. ✨

But today I wanted to share the first spark that started it all — and how my style continues to shift and grow like a garden under the moonlight. 🌸

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

🐾 It All Started With Cats (of course!)

The very first time I truly wanted to draw digitally was when I discovered CreamHeroes, now known as Kittisaurus on YouTube.
Claire (the creator) would draw her cats and turn them into the cutest merch ever. Seeing her turn daily cat life into cozy, bubbly, magical content made my heart explode.
I thought:

“I want to do this too. I want to draw my kitties. I want to make people feel the joy I feel when I look at them.”

That dream became my first step — and that step became Katto Land, my cat Instagram! 🐱💖

(You can still find it @kattoland — it’s on a little hiatus right now, but I fully intend to post again when life calms down!)

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

✨ My First Kawaii Steps

Back then, my friend told me:

“Hey Tiny, you should make stickers of your cats and other cute stuff! You already love photographing and drawing them — why not share it?”

She helped me brainstorm, and that’s how Katto Land was born.
And when she gifted me my very first Domestika course on kawaii art… it changed everything.

I learned about:

• kawaii proportions

• gentle color palettes

• face styles & softness

• and the joy of simplicity!

But even then, I knew — I had so much to practice. And that was okay. I didn’t need to be perfect. I just needed to start. 🌙✨

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

🌱 Letting Myself Evolve

So here’s what I’ve learned so far about figuring out your art style:

✨ 1. Don’t rush it — style takes time

Art style isn’t something you “unlock” one day like a badge.
It’s something that forms slowly, every time you create something with love.
Draw what excites you. What soothes you. What weirds you out in a good way.

🌸 2. Collect what sparks joy

Create a little inspiration garden:

• Save art that makes you feel something

• Look at games, shows, fashion, toys — not just other art

• Ask: What colors am I drawn to? What shapes feel comfy to draw? What themes pop up again and again in my sketches?

Your style is already whispering to you — listen for its soft voice. 💫

🐾 3. Copy to study — then remix it as your own

It’s okay to study from other artists (with credit and kindness).
Trace anatomy, mimic cute eyes, break down sticker designs — this is learning, not cheating.
Just make sure you eventually let your own voice take the lead.
Your style is like a recipe: you might borrow ingredients at first, but you’ll add your own spices in time.

🧃 4. Create “just because” art

Some of my favorite style shifts happened when I was just doodling for fun:

• Sketching a random chibi cat

• Reimagining an old drawing with my current tools

• Playing with a limited color palette

Not every piece has to be for Instagram or your portfolio.
Let yourself play. You grow fastest when you’re having fun. 🎨

🖤 5. You don’t have to pick just one style

You’re allowed to have:

• a sticker style

• a VTuber style

• a comic style

• a weird spooky side style

 

They are all valid. And they are all you.

You are a galaxy — not a single star. 🌌

 

Even now, I’m still learning what I like to draw.
Some days, I love drawing stickers, sleepy cats, and pastel planner pages.
Other days, I find myself imagining something spooky. Something dark but cute.
There’s a quiet shadow in my imagination too, and I’ve started dreaming of making art that blends kawaii and horror in a cozy, strange way.

That’s why I no longer pressure myself to choose one single “style.”
I’ve realized that:

Art is an expression — and expression is our true artstyle.

When we let our hearts guide our hands, that’s our signature.
We don’t have to limit our ideas or color palettes, or characters.

We’re allowed to grow and shift and explore — just like the moonchild selves we are. 🌕

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

💖 Final Thoughts

If you’re still “figuring out” your art style…
Be gentle with yourself.
Start where the spark lives — even if it’s a sleepy cat, a lo-fi playlist, a random sticker idea, or a ghost holding bubble tea. 👻🧋
Let yourself play. Let yourself change.

Your style isn’t something you find all at once.
It’s something that finds you as you follow your joy.

So to all my fellow soft artists with big dreams:
Keep drawing, keep evolving, and never stop exploring your weird, whimsical, wonderful self. 🌸💖

,With love and messy sketches
Chiisai Tsukiko aka Tiny Moonchild 🌙🐾

Happy Mother's Day 💐

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom

Today, I celebrate the strongest, sweetest, and most beautiful woman I know — my mom.
Thank you for your unconditional love, your healing hugs, and for always being there with a tender smile.
This little chibi portrait is a gift for you, inspired by your beauty and light.
You are and will always be the best mom in the world!

,With all my love

Chiisai Tsukiko

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

Feliz Día de las Madres, Mamá

Hoy celebro a la mujer más fuerte, dulce y hermosa que conozco — mi mamá.
Gracias por tu amor incondicional, tus abrazos que sanan, y por siempre estar ahí con una sonrisa llena de ternura.
Este pequeño retrato chibi es un regalito para ti, inspirado en tu belleza y luz.
Eres y siempre serás ¡La mejor mamá del mundo!

,Con todo mi amor
Chiisai Tsukiko

☁️🌸☁️✨☁️🌙☁️✨☁️🌸☁️

💐 To All the Beautiful Moms Reading This 💐

Happy Mother’s Day to every mom, abuelita, and nurturing heart out there.
Your love, strength, and care make the world a softer, safer, more magical place.
Whether you're a mother to children, pets, or dreams — today, we celebrate you.

,Con cariño
Chiisai Tsukiko