Redraw: Super Saiyan 4 Goku

Super Saiyan 4 Goku

Dragon Ball has been an essential part of my life for as long as I can remember. It’s helped me connect with family and friends, motivated me to exercise, and is one of the core reasons why I got interested in art. Its founding themes of betterment and love truly impacted me and my life.

So when Toriyama passed… it really hit me hard.

I wanted to pay tribute to him and do it in a way that felt personal to me. So back I went, through all my old sketches that I still had from when I was 10 or 11. It was tough to find one of Goku, and all I could really turn up with was one of Super Saiyan 4 Goku. (I even signed it! 🤣)

While I am happy that I did this redraw, I do wish I had chosen a different old drawing to remake. Toriyama wasn’t the one to design this version of Goku; it was a man named Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru. A character designer at Toei at the time.

At the end of the day, I’m pleased with how this redraw came out, as it shows how far I’ve come in 13 years and solidifies how important Dragon Ball has been on my journey of art journey. Honestly, I’ll just do another redraw of something that’s more connected to Toriyama.

I did find a Gohan drawing I made in the same year as Super Saiyan 4 Goku, so perhaps I’ll redraw that!

2011 vs 2024