I haven't posted any of my drawings in a while, but I've been really busy.

Here's the next installment in my Hime Series, Botan-Hime, or Princess Peony. The Peony is considered the King of the flowers in traditional Japanese aesthetic, so I decided that my peony princess would be dressed as the finest of them all. She is dressed in the fashion of the Heian Period (794 to 1185), which was the golden age of Japan. It was the height of art and refinement, when Japan took its leave from Chinese imitation and became it's own country. The clothing reflects this, and when the kimono as we know it today began looking less Chinese and more Japanese. The clothing has many different titles, commonly referred to as juni-hitoe, but called the karaginu-mo by those in the know. In the beginning, any number of layers could be worn by ladies, sometimes numbering in the twenties or thirties, but sumptary laws later ordered it down to five. Other layers were added for formality. Colors were used not only to symbolize nature but showed rank as well. There were two broad realms of color that were forbidden to most ladies and those were reds and purples. I have my princess dressed in those colors because I wanted her to be high-ranked, most likely related to the Emperor. She also has designs on her silks, making them even more sumptuous.

Along with the traditional image of the peony as the king of flowers, I tried to add my take on what the peony means. For me, the peony is a delicate, feminine flower. The blush pink of its petals never really symbolized the power it has in Japanese aesthetic, so I tried to make the girl herself like my image of the peony, which is delicate, fragile, and girlish. I hope I got it.

Hime Series-
Sakura Hime-[link]
Kiku Hime-[link]
Fuji Hime-[link]
Ajisai Hime-[link]
Ayame Hime-[link]
Asagao Hime-[link]
Ume Hime- [link]
Tsubaki Hime- [link]

Colored Pencils, 9x12.