Grown-up Helga (Hey Arnold)

Helga Pataki from Hey Arnold, grown-up and still fond of Arnold. Isn't she sweet ?

Helga is an interesting toon character, both visually and psychologically. She behave like a devil, but she is one of the fans' favorite characters. You have to be touched by her strong feelings, especially when along the episodes you understand that she is mean only because she is actually very sad deep inside, not only because of Arnold. Those strong feelings make this character very 'living' and endearing. She is also definitely one of the funniest characters of the show.
She was designed to look everything but pretty, but you can easily make her look pretty. I found that most people would expect her to turn into a very attractive girl when she grows up.

Here she is about fifteen or sixteen.
At some point she necessarily had to give up that funny hairstyle she had as a kid. But her hairstyle is an important part of the character's figure, I could not remove both her tails, so I gave her that hairstyle some manga girls have with a tail on one side only. I think it suits her pretty nicely, and it makes her look more "girly" and less agitated. I imagine by then she would have partially sorted out her conflicts and have become a slightly more friendly person.
She is a cheerleader so she can cheer for her beloved Arnold who is a member of the highschool basketball team.

I tried to express the tenderness of being in your room when you are a teenager, on this cool lonely short moment after class and before your parents get home, lost in a reverie about your sweatheart.

First time I use an airbrush for the shading. Looks nice, but not easy...

Overall, there are plenty of little things I am not satisfied with in this picture.
Her hair on her tail looks more straight than the rest.
Her eyes look a little strange.
The wall on the right looks bad.
The folds on the blanket are not that good.
I still have an hard time drawing hands, but I am improving.
It lakes 'life', not sure why, maybe because both drawing and coloring is just 'quite good' but not accurate enough.

Please comment.