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Description
this was something I felt like I had to do.
I've always liked Rei, ever since I saw her as part of a promotion for the first run of Evangelion in a TV magazine back in 2002. She was one of the first characters i started to draw regularly, trying to improve my practically non-existant drawing skills. There is something special about Rei, she was a character that redefined an entire generation of anime girls.

So here I am, 8 years later and that little bit better informed about the world, and that little bit better skilled at art, and I still count Rei as my most favourite character of all time, and i still can't give her any justice.

With the relaunch of the Evangelion franchise in the last few years, the availability of the different EVA manga has gone up. I've read Angelic Days and am reading Shinji Ikari Raising Project (and still reading the original manga, which has yet to be completed!!!) and whilst they are both very good alternate versions of Evangelion, and I am enjoying them very much, the way they portray Rei is...wrong. That's not to say i dont like their versions, indeed, both of those versions of Rei are insanely cute.
Its just that its not the version of Rei that so captured my 15 year old imagination.

I don't know what it is about Rei Ayanami. Something about her stoic facade, her inability to express emotion... in other characters its cliched and boring, but in Rei its what makes her...Rei. As Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Evangelion character designer, and my fav Eva artist) puts it "she's the kind of girl you long for, but there's nothing for you to hold onto." The mystery, the mystique, the translucense of a broken doll.

I poured over all my Rei images trying to capture her essense in this picture. Apart from the fact I made her WAY too chunky (>.<) i dont know if i succeeded or not. There is nothing definitve to grab onto. yet every time i gazed into those crimson eyes, i could sense something there. Rei has such this powerful stare, which is both empty and intense at the same time. That was the one thing i tried to capture more than anything.

i know this all just derranged ramblings of a love-sick fanboy so, for now, enjoy my latest rendition of Rei. one day i will be able to capture her and put her on paper. until then she will continue to haunt me, my own personal spectre. No matter how many versions of Evangelion are produced, the original portrayal of Rei will always be my favourite, the wisp of girl who has somehow managed to transcend time, to become a permenant feature of this world and yet will forever be beyond our grasp...

Rei Ayanami (c) GAINAX.

Description
this was something I felt like I had to do.
I've always liked Rei, ever since I saw her as part of a promotion for the first run of Evangelion in a TV magazine back in 2002. She was one of the first characters i started to draw regularly, trying to improve my practically non-existant drawing skills. There is something special about Rei, she was a character that redefined an entire generation of anime girls.

So here I am, 8 years later and that little bit better informed about the world, and that little bit better skilled at art, and I still count Rei as my most favourite character of all time, and i still can't give her any justice.

With the relaunch of the Evangelion franchise in the last few years, the availability of the different EVA manga has gone up. I've read Angelic Days and am reading Shinji Ikari Raising Project (and still reading the original manga, which has yet to be completed!!!) and whilst they are both very good alternate versions of Evangelion, and I am enjoying them very much, the way they portray Rei is...wrong. That's not to say i dont like their versions, indeed, both of those versions of Rei are insanely cute.
Its just that its not the version of Rei that so captured my 15 year old imagination.

I don't know what it is about Rei Ayanami. Something about her stoic facade, her inability to express emotion... in other characters its cliched and boring, but in Rei its what makes her...Rei. As Yoshiyuki Sadamoto (Evangelion character designer, and my fav Eva artist) puts it "she's the kind of girl you long for, but there's nothing for you to hold onto." The mystery, the mystique, the translucense of a broken doll.

I poured over all my Rei images trying to capture her essense in this picture. Apart from the fact I made her WAY too chunky (>.<) i dont know if i succeeded or not. There is nothing definitve to grab onto. yet every time i gazed into those crimson eyes, i could sense something there. Rei has such this powerful stare, which is both empty and intense at the same time. That was the one thing i tried to capture more than anything.

i know this all just derranged ramblings of a love-sick fanboy so, for now, enjoy my latest rendition of Rei. one day i will be able to capture her and put her on paper. until then she will continue to haunt me, my own personal spectre. No matter how many versions of Evangelion are produced, the original portrayal of Rei will always be my favourite, the wisp of girl who has somehow managed to transcend time, to become a permenant feature of this world and yet will forever be beyond our grasp...

Rei Ayanami (c) GAINAX.