Karatesann.Art

Venezuelan artist living in the US, a hearty mix of fanart, writing and OCs, and realistic pencil drawings. - everything I post is my work.

[karatesann]

Huge thanks for supporting Frisson, it genuinely makes my day to see even just one person engaging with the story. I came up with a little surprise part 2 of the little holiday comic from yesterday, now from Erik's POV, including an image that causes me very severe cuteness aggression.

[karatesann]

Mini mini comic for the holidays. A tiny bit depressing, but I wrote it so it tracks :p

[karatesann]

For a drawing to start 2026 off, I'm trying to see which type of character people are most interested on, so I grabbed two OCs with basically opposite vibes (pics below).

Pls Choose One Pretty Please

Erik (small fluffy child)

Norman (Buff old man)

Voting ended onDec 23, 2025

[karatesann]

Gotta be probably the least surprising results ever, but it makes me happy that folks here are as much into the cutesy side of things as I am <3

[karatesann]

For a drawing to start 2026 off, I'm trying to see which type of character people are most interested on, so I grabbed two OCs with basically opposite vibes (pics below).

Pls Choose One Pretty Please

Erik (small fluffy child)

Norman (Buff old man)

Voting ended onDec 23, 2025

[karatesann]

(This is a WIP) - Leviathan, Final Fantasy XVI. Genuinely one of the most visually stunning bossfights, just ever.

[karatesann]

Scary Wolf

Times are tough (as usual), so I felt like drawing something cute, and writing something dramatic.

Waxing lyrical about my story below, please be warned that it is in quite a depressing and personal way:

It has been a little over a year since Frisson first started publishing on Webtoon (missed the anniversary, oops). I haven't taken the story anywhere near far enough for readers to know what I want to do, let alone what I want to say thematically, there's only a chapter and a half. Still, as the year ends, I keep thinking back about why I first began writing this story and what I hope that people are going to get from it.

I've mentioned it many times online and in my personal life. Frisson is based on my experiences growing up during the Venezuelan crisis, all with living in awful conditions, living in constant fear, and being persecuted for who you are, even as a child. The reality of my situation as a Venezuelan, and now as an immigrant, is that I am someone who has experienced a particular kind of isolation. I know that, if I tried to tell the story of my life, many people would see it as tragic. I knew how it felt to fear for your life most of the time, thinking that any given day could be your last, vindicated by loss after loss of friends and family to illness or violence.

Of all that I've gone through, I've always thought that the worst part was the loneliness of it all - going through constant tragedy is one thing, tragedy is part of the human condition no matter what even if some cases might seem worse than others, but feeling that no one is on your side during those times is a completely different monster. Having no one to talk to, to share your grief with, to even allow you to cry in their presence. It is a very particular kind of pain that I wouldn't wish on anyone, and I became familiar with it from a very young age.

That's why Erik is a 8-10 year-old kid in a sea of young adult protagonists. My story and my grief is not unique. My surviving classmates, my old friends, and those kids that are currently in the country, there's no telling how many children are going through that same isolation or how many adults still carry those scars to this day. A crisis like Venezuela's takes a different, scarier and more monstruous form when you're so young. You can't really tell what's happening to you. All you know is that things are going wrong, that you're always in some mysterious danger, and that all you can really do is hide, shut up, and hope. When you're so young and going through such things, all you ever want is someone, anyone, to hold your hand through it.

Behind the funny faces, the blood and the violence, the action and the fun sci-fi concepts, my drafts are completely full of cutesy, earnest shows of affection. Lots of hugs, cuddles, crying, words of reassurance, characters openly expressing their appreciation for each other. In a way, I write these things for my own comfort, thinking about what I needed during those times, or what I wish I had experienced back then, bordering on venting, even. But when I think about what I'm trying to show an audience, in a very unrealistic and childish way, I want people to read Erik's story and feel comforted as well. Not Venezuelans, Latinx or immigrants necessarily, but anyone that has felt that loneliness at some point. That it is okay to feel like you needed friendship, love, or companionship when you never had it, and that it is okay to be hopeful that you'll eventually find it - Because, in the end, we all do.

[karatesann]

FFXVI

This was my first Final Fantasy game ever and it goes so hard </3 I wish I had more people to talk to about it honestly

I didn't work with a resolution quite high enough to carry the reflection on Clive's eye, but an attempt was made.

[karatesann]

Company

The following is an excerpt from my Webtoon 'Frisson', for a scene I am planning to add in the future. For context, Erik is a kid, aged somewhere between 8 to 10 (probably younger, honestly). Lucy is not his mother, but has been taking care of him for a long time while looking for his parents. Erik is being actively persecuted because of his unique appearance. I might have made myself tear up a little.

Erik wakes up in an open field of grass and sunflowers. The sun is setting, tinting the already yellowed plains a warm, nostalgic orange. Erik looks down at his hands and feet, all the fur on his body is now gone. His eyes are dark brown, instead of the bright, ruby red they had always been. He reaches out to touch his ears, he can't find the furry, wolf-like ears, having been replaced by smooth skin. Something about this makes him feel at ease, as if he had taken off an uncomfortable costume.

He stands up to look at his surroundings. The field stretches beyond what he can see, nothing stands out, except for a lone tree a good distance away from him. Erik can hear someone calling his name from that tree- a woman. It is a familiar voice, even if he doesn't realize who it might be. He starts cautiously following the voice toward the tree. He clutches his chest as he hears the voice more clearly, feeling a sense of closeness he hasn't felt in a very long time. His pace quickens, his steps more desperate. A slight grin forms in his face, with no fangs or tusks in sight.

The woman's form becomes visible under the tree. A slim silhouette which face still can't be made out. He arms spread delicately as she readies an embrace. Erik almost makes it to her.

Then, Erik wakes up again. Alone, laying on the old couch in Lucy's living room. He wipes tears off his eyes with his arms, despite not remembering having cried. He feels the fur against his face, looking down as his hands to find claws where there were none just moments ago.

He quietly walks up to Lucy's room. He shyly peeks over her bed, making sure she's still asleep. After some hesitation, Erik climbs on the bed, making sure he's laying as far from Lucy as possible, facing away from her.

Lucy: ...Hmm? - Lucy sleepily looks behind her back. Erik refuses to turn around to face her, embarrassed. Lucy lets out a soft chuckle. - Aw, can't sleep? - Erik doesn't respond. Lucy gently pulls the covers over him. - It's okay if you need company. I don't blame you for being scared.

Erik: Sorry.

Lucy: Don't be. You can sleep here if you need to. I always tell you.

Erik: ...Sorry.

Lucy: Stop apologizing already. Go back to sleep.

[karatesann]

This probably causes a bit of whiplash considering I've only been posting fanart and OCs so far, but I also make plenty of semi-realistic pencil and ink drawings. Most of them are more directly related to the Venezuelan crisis, which is something I have been making art about since I came to the US. Fair warning, while OC and fanart pieces will be the most common from me, there will be a few more political pieces regarding Venezuela. I understand it is not a topic of most people's interest in the broader art space here but, at the end of the day, I started making these to try and make these issues known outside of the country.

I also want to mention that I'm always open to questions if anyone is curious about life in Venezuela and/or what is going on there. I lived there until I was eighteen, and people always ask me all sorts of questions in person.

I have a series of three drawings with this realistic sticker style, this being the first one. The inspiration for the composition is probably obvious, but the 'sticker' has the logo of Chavez' political party, which often portrayed his eyes. It is a very unsettling thing to see that logo everywhere, from walls to billboards.

[karatesann]

Episode 3 (or the beginning of chapter 2) of my Webtoon is now up! I promise nothing too bad happens to him, check it out!

https://www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/frisson/ch-2-the-boy-with-the-sad-eyes-part-1/viewer?title_no=1006787&episode_no=3

[karatesann]

Erik, in the third episode of my webtoon (coming soon). Isn't he a sweetheart?

[karatesann]

Excuse the James jumpscare, I need to do color studies for grad applications and I've been playing a ton of Silent Hill, so I just went and J*mes'd all over the place. Might look a little uncanny.

[karatesann]

This probably causes a bit of whiplash considering I've only been posting fanart and OCs so far, but I also make plenty of semi-realistic pencil and ink drawings. Most of them are more directly related to the Venezuelan crisis, which is something I have been making art about since I came to the US. Fair warning, while OC and fanart pieces will be the most common from me, there will be a few more political pieces regarding Venezuela. I understand it is not a topic of most people's interest in the broader art space here but, at the end of the day, I started making these to try and make these issues known outside of the country.

I also want to mention that I'm always open to questions if anyone is curious about life in Venezuela and/or what is going on there. I lived there until I was eighteen, and people always ask me all sorts of questions in person.

I have a series of three drawings with this realistic sticker style, this being the first one. The inspiration for the composition is probably obvious, but the 'sticker' has the logo of Chavez' political party, which often portrayed his eyes. It is a very unsettling thing to see that logo everywhere, from walls to billboards.

[karatesann]

Norman the 'Rocket' - Some character concepts and design notes.

The Concept:

Norman, nicknamed 'Rocket', is a 56 year-old retired boxer, known for his supposedly inhuman strength and speed, actually a skillfully disguised type of strength-enhancing mutation.

Norman is a particularly rare mutant, a 'blood-boiler' (name pending </3), someone who has the ability to overexert his physical capabilities by quite literally burning the energy stored in his body, exponentially accelerating all physiological processes. In the case of Norman, this takes the form of increased muscle mass and the production of more force during muscle contraction. This also produces much more heat than it usually would in a common person, to the point where smaller blood vessels can combust.

All of these enhancements come to a fairly obvious price: Norman's overall physiology remains the same as a common human, but with some of his functions taken to the extreme. The use of his powers comes with a myriad of potential issues: blood vessels and arteries can burst, tissues deteriorate far more quickly, and his skin is not exactly fireproof. In his current design, he has lost most mobility of his dominant arm after a specially gruesome fight, and has started to wrap special bandages around his arms, which can continuously burn for extra damage, but serve as an exhaust for the heat coming from Norman's abilities.

The Story (Pending):

I am not necessarily planning for Norman to show up in Frisson any time soon, but his is a concept that I really enjoy working with. The following is a very crunchy summary of what I have written so far.

Norman is a single father, he has a teenage daughter: Andrea. Although he is a reasonably good father, his career as a boxer caused him to be absent for a significant portion of her life. His success as a boxer is most directly tied to his abilities as a mutant, but this is something that had to remain hidden from the public.

His retirement came earlier than expected, once a miscalculation caused him to reveal his powers during a championship match. Beyond becoming a disgraced public figure in the eyes of most people, this caught the attention of 'the Foundation', a research company that imprisons mutants, and the main antagonist organization of the story.

Norman quickly accepts that he will eventually be taken away from his daughter, dedicating his time to spending what would be his last moments with her. The Foundation had a change of plans, however, they take Norman's daughter instead, seeing her as a younger, healthier example for the 'blood-boiler' mutation.

Left alone with the guilt of having caused his daughter to be imprisoned, Norman turns himself in as well, in the hopes that he can somehow find her.

---

I know this needs a lot of work - I studied biology so I like incorporating physiology when I think about how these mutations actually work. With varying degrees of success... but still.

[karatesann]

I'm Glad You Exist

The following is a writing sample for my comic, 'Frisson', involving Erik (pictured above), and Lucy, the protagonists, trying my hand at addressing stand-ins for real life experiences with discrimination in smaller scenes.

'Could you believe it? Those... um, mutants, out on the street. I thought they were all gone!' - Roberta, the seller at a tiny bodega rants to Lucy. The latter knows where the conversation is heading, but is powerless to stop it without causing suspicion, or cutting the transaction for a pair of sandwiches short. Erik stands next to Lucy, waiting impatiently for the right time to leave. He cannot quite understand it yet, but he senses an emerging hostility in the room.

Lucy: Oh, well... I... - Lucy knows she cannot refute her openly, nor is she willing to side with her completely, stuck in a limbo of passive agreement.

Roberta: You know what I've heard? That the poor things are just born like that.

Lucy: Yes... Yes that's how it usually happens. It's genetic by definition, just like height, or hair color...

Roberta: Lord. I can't imagine having kids being one. How could you possibly bring that life into this world in good conscience? - It is here were Erik's starts to break. Roberta had been nothing but kind to him the many times they had met, being gifted candy and receiving warm welcomes to the bodega whenever he walked in. But he realizes then... Roberta doesn't know him. Not fully. His large, wolf ears folded inside pair of large headphones, fur concealed in heavy winter fabrics, bright, red eyes behind a pair of sunglasses; to her, he just looks like any other kid, even with that conspicuous outfit. He is used to having his guard up in front of armed military, masked men, goverment officials... not typical people that were not outwardly hostile, or that Erik perceived as an obvious threat to his life. Not the kind old lady in the corner.

Roberta: At least they've taken most of them away. - Roberta continues, to both Lucy and Erik's dismay. Erik is about to interject, but Lucy stands in front of him, trying to avoid making a scene. - Hopefully things will get better, once they're all gone. Right? - Lucy sighs, seeing that Roberta is finally done getting her change.

Lucy: ...Right. Sorry, I have to get going. Thanks again. - Lucy practically runs away from the shop, gently pulling Erik with her form his arm. As they step outside, Erik looks at the ground, dejected.

Lucy: Are you okay? - Erik does not respond. He is still trying to reconcile what he feels was a deep betrayal. - Don't mind her. She's just... Ignorant. Maybe even a little crazy. - Lucy chuckles awkwardly.

Erik: But she was so nice to me and... Is it all because she doesn't know I'm...

Lucy: I know, I know. Some of the nicest people can still harbor awful things. - Lucy crouches to Erik's eye level, seeing him at the verge of tearing up. - Sometimes they're just misguided. You don't have to listen to her.

Erik: What if we tell her?

Lucy: Tell her?

Erik: That I'm not... That I'm...

Lucy: When people have chosen what to believe, it's very hard to make them change their minds... no matter how obviously wrong it is.

Erik: But...!

Lucy: And it is not your responsibility to do so anyway. You know she's wrong, don't you? Why bother? - Erik stops protesting, Lucy noticing she might have made the wrong choice of words. After what feels like a long while, Erik speaks again.

Erik: So... She would be happy if I didn't exist? If she knew I was like this?

Lucy: Geez, kiddo... - Lucy takes time to figure out how to respond without making Erik feel even worse than he already is. - I'd like to think she wouldn't. Not really. But we don't need to go and find out. Your safety is what matters most. Understand? - This clearly does not work, seeing as Erik keeps his head down most of the way home. It takes an even longer silence for Lucy to speak again.

Lucy: ...I'm happy you exist. I hope that's worth something.

[karatesann]

Diego Brando's Scary Monsters

I can't believe I realized image posts have titles in my what, THIRTEENTH post?? DAMMIT

Anyway, second of a series of posters I have been making in waiting for the adaptation of Steel Ball Run, trying to do one per stand/arc. I'm still taking suggestions! Coming up next at some point is Civil War, then Catch the Rainbow.

[karatesann]

Sonar

And if I say I don't expect to play Dispatch any time soon, but I still love him, then what :(

(relatively quick drawing)