I was inspired by Ghost of Tsushima, referenced a detailed traditional style, but used a nice gradient to create a “mystical” feeling. I really enjoyed this pose, a firm stance for the samurai emphasizing his presence, heavily relied on reference for this piece.

Tested out a background to add to a fog effect, invoking a phantom feeling. I envisioned this as a possible skin for a game, so took creative liberties with the design (more based in fantasy than reality).