HelgaPataki

Helga from the cartoon series "Hey Arnold". I wouldn't call myself a "die-hard-fan" or anything, but I certainly appreciate this character. She's a 9 year old girl with very little going for her, especially when it comes to her family. Dad's a self-centered work-a-holic, Mom's an alcoholic, and her big sister is the flawless center of attention. All of this adds up to aggression that scares potential friends away. The best thing she has in her life is her obsession with a sweet boy named Arnold, who is kind to her no matter how much she picks on him. He brings out the good in her, from inspiring her to react more gently to situations to inspiring her gifted writing skills. There's a theory that she truly is the main character of the series, being the forgotten girl who longs for the attention of the boy next door, and hence the title: Hey Arnold!

I was gonna use a photo reference of a girl looking angry and tough, but then saw one that looked like the child was hiding a painful secret. "THAT one...." I thought to myself, "... is Helga Pataki."

Drawn with a photo reference I found online. Materials: mechanical pencil, computer paper, eraser, my finger for smudging, and Paint Tool Sai for minor touch-ups.

UPDATE:

I did one of Arnold since all of you seemed to like this one so much: fav.me/d8j56fa

Plus, you guys got me curious about what he'd look like IRL anyway.