In 2009, my focus shifted more towards art studies, and my work started taking on a more painterly style as I learned about value, light, and rendering. This is where my style entered a weird, awkward phase that took me years to grow out of. I think this came mainly from the confusion about what type of art I wanted to pursue. I just knew I wanted to be a great artist and make a living doing something art-related. At the time, I bounced between illustration and concept art, with animation becoming less of a focus.