Okami-Chan: Red Rides East (with speed-paint video!)

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Preface:

"Okami-Chan" was inspired by two of my favorite legends: The Creation Stories of Japan and Little Red Riding hood. These stories from Eastern and Western cultures I believe speak to each other, as they both paint a journey of creation and self discovery.

In Japanese, Okami litterally translates to "great spirit" or "wolf", and the story of Amaterasu is one of Japan's most famous. Legend has it, that Amaterasu (as a shape shifter, and often portrayed as a wolf) painted the earth and the sky and more importantly the islands that formed the nation we know of today as Japan. Goddess of the Sun, Amaterasu is a guardian over all that is Good and protector against Chaos/Evil.

In contrast, the wolf in the story of "Little Red Riding Hood" is often seen as evil, and yet without the wolf Red would not have explored the woods in search of herself. As per the story, she comes out on the other side of the tale wiser, yet wiser still would she be if only she embraced and befriended the nature of the beast.

So in much the same way, the story here is slightly altered as Red climbs aboard a most spectacular guardian, and rides east in search of herself.

It started with a Sketch...