alicenpai

character designer & illustrator who loves history and fantasy!

event schedule
resume (zines, clients, press)
portfolio (conventions & merch)
about me & faq
learn about my stories and ocs!

* all new emails as of jan 27 2026 will come from my proton email to reduce spam. you're still welcome to email me at alicenpai(@)gmail(.)com!

top to bottom: most used -> least active

stores / where you can find my merch!

Physical stores:
- Artist Alley Shop - Toronto - permanent shelf
- Artist Alley Shop - Montreal - permanent shelfOnline shop updates: will be postponed until further notice due to Canadian made goods subject to 50% tariffs entering USA. See HERE (Cdn govt website) for more info.

last updated: sept 27, 2026

learn about my stories and ocs!

Both of my stories - Lost and Found Children & The Magician's Protegee, are near and dear to my heart. Due to life obligations like school in the past, work, convention/merch schedules, I unfortunately haven't progressed in these stories as I would have liked over the years. My dream is to one day create stories that impact people, as other people's stories have changed me.You can learn more on my tumblr! And feel free to check my story highlights on my instagram (either one of the "art" highlights or the "OC" ones). More art (& merch!) is underway... coming soon!

Lost and Found Children: A search for their missing parents lead twins Flynn and Nate to fall into a deep darkness, unraveling secrets about their family and the country they once trusted.A story about mystery, overcoming trauma, blood family vs found family, the fear of growing up even in adulthood, the fear that you are not who you wished to grow up to be. The characters explore their identities in a post-war torn society, and witness their love being tested in that wildly changing world.

The Magician's Protegee: In a distant, idyllic future where robots and humans coexist - a healthcare android lives day to day with his adoptive daughter, patients, and their ragtag android and human friends.The story is a light-hearted, slow-paced, slice of life series - but it will also deal with complex topics like artificial intelligence, existentialism, and the fear of outliving the people you care about the most.

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event schedule

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about & faq

- I go by the penname Alice online! Any pronouns are OK
- Chinese-Canadian artist from Ontario
- I mainly just draw what I like and my tastes range vastly!
- I try to post art every 2-3 months, feel free to come and go as you please!For any unanswered questions, the best place to reach me at is via email or my anonymous ask box.As of Mar 2026 - you're also free to direct message me on Instagram (do not message on twitter, bluesky, or tumblr as I check those infrequently.)

art usage/ reposting
brushes/ programs
commissions/ store faq / zines

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small business / artist alley

I have been operating as a small business owner since 2014 at numerous large conventions and small events throughout Canada! Please check events for more info.

selected press

Interview with Character Hub in 2022

clients & collaborations

other skills

I also like 3D modelling (Autodesk Maya), and web programming languages (can understand HTML, CSS, JS, and PHP).

zines resume

I've been involved in over 30 zine projects since 2015.Currently my zine workload is closed indefinitely, apologies! I may still be up for your project depending on the topic, feel free to reach out via email & I am always up for friend zines! Do not DM me your zine invite on social media.I co-moderated the Rewind: Ghost Trick zine in 2017-18, with Snotprince. My responsibilities included bookkeeping, cover art, graphic design, formatting, marketing, merchandise.Please do not ask me for the PDF for any zines, I cannot distribute the Ghost Trick zine due to not having permission from every artist for doing so. I am neither the host for any of the other numerous zines I worked on, I would recommend asking the respective host.-2026
• Persona.wav volume 2, a risograph Persona 1-5 zine, hosted by Cmykeyz (contributed 2 page illustration spread)2025
• Collectanea Historia: An OC Storybook Zine (cover artwork & character profile)2024
• Dungeon Meshi: Cookbook zine (merch: sticker sheet & lenticular sticker)2023
• Eternal Ephemera: Witch Hat Atelier fine art zine (merch: postcard & charm)2022
• Object Head original zine 2023 (page)
• Hemisphere: Witch Hat Atelier five seasons zine (2 page spread)
• The Great Meiji Tarot: The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles tarot deck (page)
• Turnabout Century: The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles zine (page)2021
• Nice Vibe: Bleach fashion zine (2021, merch: postcard & sticker, hosted by Andy)2020
• Burning Love & Burning Soul: Promare pinup zine bundle (page)
• Ignite: Promare zine (page)
• Lights, Camera, Fashion: Hunter x Hunter fashion zine (2 page spread)
• Running Wild: BNA Brand New Animal risograph zine (2 page spread, hosted by Rollround)
• Thousand Lives with You: Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Gyro & Johnny AU zine (page)
• Turnabout Melodies: Ace Attorney music zine (page)2019
• Game On!: WLW sports original zine (page)
• Rufukamu: Fire Emblem zine (page)
• Curse of the Couture: Castlevania fashion zine (page)2018
• Enigma: Professor Layton zine (cover)
• Back to the Beginning: Harvest Moon zine (page)
• Dearly Beloved: Kingdom Hearts 15th anniversary zine (page, hosted by Krys & Charles)
• Moondust: Land of the Lustrous zine (page, hosted by Rollround)
• Only I Am Missing: Erased zine (page)
• Ace Adventurers: Ace Attorney fantasy zine (page & merch: charm)
• Year One: My Hero Academia zine (2 page spread)2017
• Persona 5 tarot card deck (page & postcard, hosted by Med)
• Bee Avenue: Ace Attorney café zine (page)
• Dress Up: Persona 5 costume swap zine (page)
• Memento Mori: Zero Escape zine (page)
• Cat Burglar: Persona 5 zine (page)
• Rewind: Ghost Trick zine (2017-18, moderated with Snotprince – in charge of bookkeeping, cover art, graphic design & formatting, marketing, merchandise)2016
• Hey, 90's kid!: 90's anime zine (2 separate illustrations)
• Ties that Bind, Ties that Break: Fire Emblem Fates zine (page)2015
• Hope, Faith, Love, Luck: Zero Escape zine (page)

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art usage

*OK: icons/ profile pictures, blog/ phone backgrounds.If you use my art on social media please leave a visible credit somewhere!NOT OK: reposting, tracing, editing my art, selling, printing, claiming my art as yours, etc. If you use my art as an icon - do not promote harassment, hate speech, violence, or any other generally problematic behaviours - I will ask you to remove my art as your pfp, I DO NOT condone that kind of stuff.TWITTER/ TUMBLR/ INSTAGRAM: I prefer my art to not be reposted on these platforms, especially Instagram.OTHER PLATFORMS: for smaller communities, or a non-English speaking community (e.g. Weibo, VK) may be okay, please ask! Please also ask if you wish to translate my works!

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portfolio related questions

What happened to your animation portfolio? / Can I ask you for advice on my portfolio? As of right now, I am mainly focusing on artist alley and my small business. For that reason, I do not think I am the best person to offer advice in regards to animation careers, I deeply apologize!Can I reference your art in my school assignment? Honestly I think my work and my online demeanor is a bit embarrassing... but as long as you ask me beforehand, I'd be okay with it!

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brushes/ programs

Like fandoms, brushes/programs come and go depending on my mood. You can ask me about a certain drawing if you're curious. I do my work entirely in Clip Studio Paint. UPDATED: removed timeline for brushes used earlier than ~5 years ago due to irrelevancy.Animations are done in CSP.Lineart/sketching:
- apticho brushes (sketching)
- artemus pencil brushes (2021-2023, lineart)
- chomoran (around 2021, sketching)
- Shiyoon Kim - paid (lineart, most recent)
- panaP brush (sketching & lineart)
- default round brush (sketching - most often) - I tend to sketch with a default brush, especially if I'm going to line over it later. In the past, pencil brushes tend to make me obsess over the cleanliness and aesthetic quality of the brush, so I prefer a basic brush so that I only focus on poses and structure.colours:
- "drew" watercolours (most recent)
- su cream pencil (2021-2023)
- daub - paid (basilicus 10, 11, 12)
- ditlev fine art brushes (original link to gumroad was taken down)
- a variety of brushes are used whereever to apply texture, especially for my most recent artLineless art:
- meruz brushes (most recent)
- daub - super bundle - paid (2021-2022)

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are you open for commissions?

Due to my workload I don't take commissions often, but if you have a query feel free to email me!

when are your store openings?

I usually open my store 2x a year, during the spring, and during the fall/winter. My personal store on Bigcartel will open and close periodically, depending on leftovers from con season and on my workload.For more information on when my shop is open, please keep updated on Instagram and Twitter.

will you ever restock _?

If an item is marked as "last chance" I do not plan on restocking it. In all honesty a lot of it depends on my enjoyment of the drawing & how long it's been in circulation... I'm very fickle with my art! Some things are just not meant to last forever... but I really appreciate your interest in supporting my art in the first place!

prints

You can view my inprnt store here, it's open year round! Remember that there are frequent site-wide sales on prints and free/cheap shipping days.

zines

Please refer to this page.Can I invite you to my zine?
Currently my zine workload is closed indefinitely, apologies! I may still be up for your project depending on the topic, feel free to reach out via email & I am always up for friend zines! Do not DM me your zine invite on social media.Can I have the PDF for __ zine?
Please do not ask me for the PDF for any zines. I do not have permission to share the Ghost Trick zine either, some of the artists are no longer active.

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will you ever draw for _ fandom again?

Like the styles I choose to wield - it really depends on my mood and my workload! In some cases, I would really like to, though the timing might not align with the brainrot (haha). Some fandoms are captivating only in the moment, and although I respect the series, I do not have interest in drawing it again! My interests span far and wide and I don't necessarily draw everything I like!

what fandoms do you like?

My tastes vary wildly and I don't always have time to draw what I enjoy, but I try to draw as many of my interests as I can! I've always had difficulty writing down my fandom list because they always change, but here's a general list - I typically enjoy seinen manga, anime within the realm of dark fairytales/ fantasy/ surreal, JRPGs, horror games, and a variety of live action TV and movies :) I think it's important and healthy to engage with genres outside of what you like to draw, so I'll try almost everything if I have time!

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what are your art influences?

I pull influences from just about anywhere and everywhere! My tastes are very eclectic and I just draw what I like!Jun Mochizuki, Ryoko Kui, Kamome Shirahama, Yoh Yoshinari, Kii Kanna, Hidari, Kenichi Yoshida, are just a few anime-influenced artists I look up to.Cartoon/comic/animation influences: Kingkaiser, Annette Marnat, Sophie Li (mmcoconut), Milt Kahl, Bruce Timm, Kaiba (2008), bande dessinees (Franco-Belgian comics) in the style of ligne claire (esp Tintin, also recently Alex Alice), Claire Hummel, Tracy J. Butler (Lackadaisy), W.I.T.C.H. (comic), 90s UPA revival (Powerpuff Girls, Dexter's Laboratory, Samurai Jack), etc.I also primarily take influence in art movements/trends such as baroque art, art nouveau, art deco, gothic Victorian aesthetics, illustration's golden age, mid century advertising/culture, European storybooks/fairy tales. Some favourites are Earl Oliver Hurst, Alphonse Mucha, Dean Cornwell, Henri Matisse, Alice & Martin Provensen, Sheilah Beckett.Because of studying animation, it's been ingrained in me to watch a lot of films, and I also implore others to do so as well, if you don't already! Movies are essentially visual short stories - bite sized worlds you can visit. Films are full of character development, world building, and interesting/ fun plots that you can visit in the span of 2 hours and be back just in time for dinner, both good and bad. Building a vast media library is integral to growing and having fun as an artist, in my opinion.

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