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Process

The work behind
the world.

Every OniArt piece begins with an idea — a scene, a mood, a character, or a place that feels worth exploring.

The finished image may be digital, but getting there is a process of inspiration, direction, experimentation, selection and refinement.

Pencil planning sketch of a fox overlooking a Japanese mountain environment
A red fox sits on a wooden deck looking out across a dense autumn forest framed by traditional Japanese architecture
SketchFinished
Finished artwork — Japanese Autumn Fox Retreat

01 Inspiration

It starts with something that stays with me.

Ideas can come from anywhere.

I find inspiration through TikTok, Pinterest, artwork, photography and other corners of the web — sometimes it is a colour palette, sometimes a character, an atmosphere or simply the feeling behind an image.

Rather than recreate a single reference, I bring different influences together and begin imagining a new scene around them.

02 Building the scene

Before there is an image, there is a world.

I start with a rough idea and build outward from it.

The environment. The character. The lighting. The colours. The atmosphere. The story behind the moment.

Through prompting, I gradually describe and direct the scene I am trying to create.

“I paint the scene through the prompt.”

The goal isn't simply to produce an attractive image. It is to find something that captures the world I had in mind.

Fox scene perspective study marked with horizon and vanishing point guides
Perspective study — horizon, vanishing point and subject placement
Small pencil study of a seated fox viewed from behind
Subject study — silhouette and viewing angle

03 Exploration

The first image is rarely the one.

10–20generations for a typical concept

A concept will often go through 10–20 different generations while I explore how it could look.

Composition changes. Lighting changes. Characters change. Sometimes the entire direction changes.

Some results are interesting but wrong. Others get close without quite capturing the idea.

I keep exploring until one feels like the image I was trying to find.

04 Selection & refinement

Generation creates possibilities. Selection decides what survives.

Once I find the strongest version, the process moves into Photoshop.

I correct visual problems and bad anatomy, clean up areas that distract from the image, adjust colour and grading, and refine the overall presentation.

Not every image needs exactly the same corrections. The work depends on what the individual piece needs.

Annotated samurai character planning sheet with colour and costume notes
Character planning — palette, costume, motif and focal details
Detailed pencil study of a samurai woman with mask, hand and sword details
Character study — pose, expression and detail

05 Final detail

The last pass happens up close.

The artwork is upscaled and reviewed at higher resolution.

From there, I work on finer details and any remaining areas that need attention before preparing the final image.

Only then does it become part of OniArt.

A serene Japanese mountain landscape framed by vibrant pink cherry blossoms and distant peaks
Finished artwork — Cherry Blossom Mountain

Tools & transparency

Digital tools are part of the process.

Generative AI is one of the tools I use to develop OniArt.

My workflow has included ComfyUI, Midjourney and other digital tools, alongside Photoshop for correction, colour work and refinement.

The technology helps me explore possibilities. The concept, direction, selection and decision about what ultimately becomes an OniArt piece remain part of my creative process.

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