Full design sheet of my fursona's new fur pattern, minus the naughty bits (which I'll probably never draw anyway). Ehh, yeah I know I made those two 'glove' marks different, just trust the close up on (right above my head, on the back study).

Aelius Wolphirse © Nick Hardin

This here is an OLD pic of my fursona. I drew this about a year or two ago, and it's one of the few that I color. As soon as I can get a little bit more comfortable using colred pencils and such, I might try and get a few more colored pics in (either that or I get Photoshop).
Aelius © Nick Hardin

One of the sketches I did at FWA, a concept of my fursona's dolphin form, along with his weapon (a combination of a zanbatou and a pike staff).

Aelius © Nick Hardin

Here's my primary fursona, the wolf, along with his perferred weapon: the bo staff. I was experimenting with anatomy a bit (he certainly looks like he could use a burger here), but I don't think I'll keep him THAT thin...
Dang I screwed up his head and eye.....

Aelius © Nick Hardin

Hoverboarders

Here's a neat idea I came up with; sort of a mix of concepts from Back to the Future and Jet Set Radio.
In a dystopian city, one of the only ways that benevolent rebels can express themselves and have fun is cruising through the city on the hoverboards, evading the authorities and turning the entire city into one huge playground to stunt race in.
I didn't have any characters for it, so I just threw in my fursona and Melon as two members of the infamous Phoenix Riders crew (there are a bunch of different crews throughout the city, sorta like clubs).
Aelius is seen here sporting his prized XR-7 Razor, a board designed for high-speed trick racing. Beside him, Melon is holding her trusty GR-19 Tsunami, a well-balanced stunt racer designed for high-flying acrobatics.

Here's my submission for Andrew Dickman's Tail Chasers character contest over at DeviantArt. Full description there:
http://www.deviantart.com/view/25081177/

Alexandra Cadir © Nick Hardin
Tail Chasers © Andrew Dickman

...and here's the brainiac of the crew, Aquamarine. She's quickly becoming one of my favorites, probably because I always liked the gentle, shy types in a lot of cases.
You might notice some differences in style, maybe even improvement as these scans go on. Evidence of my skill improving, I hope.
For more JV stuff, you can also check out Steven Swanson's VCL directory here at the site

Aquamarine © Nick Hardin

I decided to test out my new Bristol pad, and I really like this thing! Big drawing area for minute details and easily erasable with minimal smearing! Here's the latest character under the Aelius name, Aurelia Wolphex, or "Aurawolf" or "Aura" for short. Yes, this is a DEFINITE improvement in art style. I hope I can keep this up...

Aurawolf © Nick Hardin

Bunny Sages

Drew this for Easter; I had bunnies on the brain all week! It would've been customary for me to put Melon in an Easter pic, but I decided to use her Raikonian version, Maia. It appears she's recently met the rabbit sage from an earlier pic, who now has a name: Riso Kel.
I'm not quite sure how a beautiful young girl from the windy plains of Giara would meet a humble young lad from the thick highland forests of Mec'sarree, but apparently their paths have crossed and they seem to connect pretty well ;)
For those curious, the runes under my signature spell out "Happy Easter!" in Auran (still working out the kinks in that alphabet).

Here's my entry for Rei Vegan's character submission contest for his DSV Nautica comic. As I'm a fan of it, I simply had to try ^_^

DSV Nautica © Dion Turner (Rei Vegan)

Damion Axel © Nick Hardin

For years I've wanted a manta ray morph, yet i could never figure out a way to get one that looks good yet keeps those cephalic fins on it's mouth. I later gave up, hoping to try again some other time. Then I found an eagle ray by Carolyn Mitchel, and *ding* the lightbulb switched on. If I couldn't have a manta, then why not have my SECOND favorite ray? And thus, Fa'Leena was born. Carolyn Mitchel, if ya see this... thanks for helping me out of my dilemma.
Fa'Leena Aurica © Nick Hardin

Another contest submission, this one for JL Anderson.
I... apologize for the roughness of the pic. I had an idea for the contest but after finishing Hoshiko's figure, the background sorta messed up on me when I started it, but here we go!

As crew members form bonds with their captain, some strive to gain acceptance from their superiors, and playful flattery sometimes works. It looks like Hannah finally found a method that Hoshiko would have no choice but to notice.
What is she staring up at? A gigantic snowskunk with the odd likeness of herself. Hannah is over there in the background (bundled up thick, since snow isn't really a Fennec's natural environment) finishing up on the tail =P

Hoshiko and Hannah © JL Anderson
Art © Nick Hardin

Here's Jade, the sexy kitsune with mad ninja skills and a butt to match (or so she likes to think, at least).
Her fur is actually black all over, 'cept for the bangs, but I didn't feel like putting my pencil through such torture (but my poor inkpen might have to... ).
For more JV stuff, you can also check out Steven Swanson's VCL directory here at the site

Jade © Nick Hardin

Joshua the Samurai

Gift pic for my buddy Joshua Knode (also known as Joshua the Samurai).
I've never drawn a great panda before, and on the same note I haven't been drawing many males lately either, and since this pic kinda got stuck in my head a few weeks ago I've been itching to put it on paper.
I like it, but I guess the major mistake I made is the position of his swords; technically their curves are supposed to be mounted upward, rather than down like that against his hip. Regardless, this actually turned out better than I was expecting.

Art by me (Aelius)
Character © Joshua Knode

Here's the con sketch I'm most proud of... the fennec form of Aelius (also known as Kaili in some circles). His preferred weapons? The wind swords. See those holes on the back of the blade? That portion is made from an ultra-tough ceramic compound and when the blades are swung, wind going through the holes make it sound like they're singing. Kaili here is a skilled wielder of them, using a fictional martial weapon art called Xi'Kar Inverted Wave Sword Style (they're almost always held inverted; the style is designed to keep the weapons between the weilder and his/her opponent. Masters of this type of style are virtually untouchable because of this).
Dang I screwed up his legs... and his expression... > .<

Aelius/Kaili © Nick Hardin

Weee! I'm back in my artist groove! Here's a li'l piccie of Kanta playing around, more to come in the future!

Kanta © Nick Hardin

Melon's Earth Day

Melon loves spring (she was born in the Spring), and loves green landscape, so for Earth Day (and Arbor Day), she planted a tree! I think it's either a maple or a pecan...

Welp, I've been doing some redesigning of my fursona... here's my head design. Full body ot come soon...

Aelius Wolphirse © Nick Hardin

Man, I can hardly believe this one came out the way it did. I was literally praying for this to come out exactly the way I had it in my head, and guess what? The prayers were answered here. I don't normally say things like this about my own work, but I gotta say this one is one of the most beautiful I've ever tried, and she's still a sketch!
This... is N'Tera, a lone shark female who is at the time wondering about what is going on, why she is there and what is it that is happening to her? (a few things answered once I can get inking, colorwork, etc. done. Look for more of her around here, I've really been getting into this character lately).

N'Tera and artwork © Nick Hardin

I never gave this guy a name, aside from "the big dog". I had quite a bit of free time after wieght training, so I figured I'd try out a different freehand artstyle, hoping that I could get drawings done faster and with less hassle. It worked. I got this done in five mintues, and was practically no trouble at all. I might start using this style more often...

This is a sketch of another R-Force character... I need help here.
does her body (head, torso, limbs, etc.) all look in good proportion with one another? Email me with your comments (or check the forums when I can get that posted there).

Athena and the R-Force copyright © Nick Hardin

This is my latest "character" drawing that I've done. She's a half-goddess named Sri. I made her for a project in my Latin class (my teacher let me use furries for mythical characters- yes!).
Sri © Nick Hardin

I'm starting to like this freestyle/freehand method when I just want to do simple drawings in a short amount of time.
Terrik © Nick Hardin

You wouldn't like me when I'm angry....
This is my fursona's dark side, as cold as an abyss and as fierce as a cyclone, packing the ability to sprout razor-sharp blades from anywhere on his body.

Aelius "Razorwolf" © Nick Hardin

This version is a bit more graphic than the previous sketch type, as the use of ink lines gave the blood and shadows a deeper look. I also redrew the tear streaks from his eyes. Check the previous pic for an explanation of who this is

Aelius "Razorwolf" © Nick Hardin

Rix's new Shocksuit design

I got inspired to redesign Rix's ShockSuit. The old skin-tight outfit with loose cloak combination seemed too simplistic and I was having a hard time nailing his figure with that thing billowing everywhere, so I decided to liven it up a bit. As always, the friction-proof material rarely, if ever, gets caught on things and can be quickly released if need-be. The cape also helps to shield his back.
I've also redesigned the R-Force's insignia, which you might have a tiny glimpse at on his chest. For years the dragon was their symbol, but I began to realize that in the story's mythology, dragons were actually used as living tanks to fight AGAINST Sages in the old days. I opted instead for a Pegasus, which would be the bastion that a new breed of Sages would rally behind.

Here's the next one up for ShockSuit arming - Rix Hunter (the name is COMPLETELY a coincidence, as I've never seen or even heard of Robotech when I created him ). He'll probably loose the gray fur coloring when I ink him, so I wanted to keep a pic of him like this before I do so.
Interesting triva here, Rix was the initial design that I based my fursona on, which came about a year or two after Rix's creation. The main problem here is that now I have to redesign Rix's form so he looks DIFFERENT from Aelius! At the same time, I gotta keep him from looking generic, as I've wanted to give him a special individual look for his part in my upcoming novel. Enjoy!

Here's the next one up for ShockSuit arming - Rix Hunter (the name is COMPLETELY a coincidence, as I've never seen or even heard of Robotech when I created him ). He'll probably loose the gray fur coloring when I ink him, so I wanted to keep a pic of him like this before I do so.
Interesting triva here, Rix was the initial design that I based my fursona on, which came about a year or two after Rix's creation. The main problem here is that now I have to redesign Rix's form so he looks DIFFERENT from Aelius! At the same time, I gotta keep him from looking generic, as I've wanted to give him a special individual look for his part in my upcoming novel.
Calm yourselves, ladies...

Rix Hunter © Nick Hardin

Mach Sprint

This is an older pic (as you can see by the date and the fact Rix is in his older uniform).
One of the first Auran abilities Rix (inadvertently) demonstrated in the story was the "mach sprint". It doesn't LITERALLY make you run at supersonic speeds, but you can temporarily run a whole lot faster than any normal person (and even a normal Auran) would be able to. It's one of the few times Verrocite actually charges its owner's Aura instead of the other way around, and a useful ability.