I commissioned   uglylilmonster for a sketch at wildnights a few years ago but I never got around to doing anything with it. I decided to attempt to draw something last night but nothing was working for me so I worked on this sketch instead. I stumbled across a new effect with a custom brush I had created and this is the end result. I redrew all the lines in sai then moved it over to photoshop for the effects and coloring.

"To purify yourself you must wash away all
external defilement, remove all obstacles from
your path, separate yourself from disorder, and
abstain from negative thoughts. This will create a
radiant state of being. Such purification allows you
to return to the very beginning, where all is fresh,
bright and pristine, and you will see once again the world's scintillating beauty."

"Be grateful even for hardships, setbacks, and
bad people. Dealing with such obstacles is an
essential part of [life]."

"Failure is the key to success;
each mistake teaches us something."

• Morihei Ueshiba, The Art of Peace

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5Dz1bzWQ4Q

Two souls entwined as one;
forged in the fiery heart of a star,
I will never be undone.