Hungry_Clicker is an extremely talented Japanese digital artist who I think you ought to know about. He’s best known for his contributions to the fighting game community, drawing stylish pieces based on the characters of Street Fighter, Tekken, Super Smash Bros. and countless other series. The incredible speed at which he works is a large part of his artistic identity, as a new game or character reveal (or even the end result of a tournament) could be followed up with a related portrait within minutes, fully polished.
His work is highly respected by the FGC and many others, but while fighting game characters comprise the bulk of his portfolio, they are not his only interest. He occasionally treads into Legend of Zelda territory, and we should be very glad when he does, as the resulting product is always a striking new look for the characters we love.
The piece I’ve chosen to highlight is his vibrant rendition of the legendary hero, Link, looking especially fierce.
This portrait of Breath of the Wild’s Hylian Champion is unlike any other I’ve come across. When you first see it, you’ll probably be drawn to Link’s eyes first. Large, emotive eyes are a specialty of this artist, and here, Link’s gaze is intense and battle-ready. His flowing hair, too, has a wildness to it that suggests he’s moving with an energetic purpose. You could imagine this being his expression when he defends Zelda from Yiga foot soldiers. Or, maybe it’s when someone tries to take his snacks away.
Hungry_Clicker’s style also stands out from the rest because of his immaculate use of shading and color. Despite the ferocity of the artwork, his shading is deceptively soft, blending shadows and contours with a very gentle hand. The trade secret is using a bold, vibrant color palette to contrast this softness. The most striking feature that results from this style is clearly the electrifying blue used for Link’s tunic and eyes. The cyan highlights flickering in his irises handsomely evoke a kind of gemstone glow, sharply enhancing his wicked glare. Seriously, whoever stole Link’s rock cakes had better give them back.
Aside from its obvious aesthetic beauty, part of the appeal of this piece is that it accentuates a side of Link that we don’t see very often in Breath of the Wild. Normally he carries a stoic, calming demeanour, even in tense or dangerous situations, but this portrait provides a glimpse at what it might be like if his inner beast was unleashed, even just a little.
Overall, it’s an incredible rendition of Link, created by a true master in the digital art space. If you’re interested in seeing the master at work, Hungry_Clicker also has a YouTube channel where he shares time lapses of his paintings, showing off the intricacies of his craft. I’ll certainly be keeping up with his progress, so I can see more amazing pieces like this.
