This is the sketch that started it all.  Though the sketch is rather rough, sketches always have an energy that no finished piece can ever quite achieve.  I love my cleaned up version of Justice, but I think this version just might be my favorite.  This picture was inspired by some morbid little part of me that was dissatisfied with the rather tame depictions of the Goddess of Justice that are normally to be found in courthouses and murals.

In the drawing of the picture I was practicing several things. First and foremost was practicing drawing clothes, her clothes are supposed to be a kind of a thin gossamer robe draped around her, similar to classical Greek depictions of clothed figures. Second I was practicing proportion, positioning, and was trying (but failed to) draw the figure being looked down on from a shallow angle instead of just strait on. I think I must have picked the angle to be too shallow. I was also practicing some tips and techniques I got from the fun How to Draw Manga website, and that shows up in her face and neck, as well as a little of her legs.

Finally, I was practicing cell shading because I'm quite frankly tired of doing nice smooth realistic shading since it takes forever. Cell shading has a look I just love, and it's vastly simpler and takes much less time.