We got a chance to chat with amazing artist Nokomento about her art and her involvement in the making of Romance Central. This die-hard Bodie fan tells us all about her creative process and her history with the Dance Central series!
“I am Nokomento, I am a full time freelance artist. My hobbies are playing video games and drawing and then drawing some more...”
Noko began her rhythm game career by playing a PC dance game and learning routines in the game that were only available in other regions via YouTube. Because of these searches, she came upon a video of Kerith from The Glitterati competing against Bodie of the Riptide Crew. Once Bodie had won the competition, Noko’s dance career (as well as her heart!) was ignited and the rest is practically history.
Now, with over 1,500 followers on Twitter and nearly 30,000 favorites on DeviantArt, Noko is a dedicated fan-artist with insane talent and respect amongst the community. We wanted to incorporate a real fan of the Dance Central series into the making of Romance Central, and Noko was the perfect fit. The first fan art she ever drew of Dance Central was Bodie on April 16th, 2012 - the very same day that she first saw those gameplay videos of Dance Central 2 online. Even from that day, it was destiny.
![[Bodie First Drawing (Noko)]](https://hmxcorp-www-live.s3.amazonaws.com/media/uploads/Bodie_First_Drawing_Noko.jpg)
Noko’s first drawing of Bodie from Dance Central 2. Find more of Noko’s works on Bodie here!
Noko was asked to create our “win” images for Romance Central, which are the screens players land on when they have successfully captured the hearts of Emilia, Aubrey, Oblio, or Bodie. Beginning from a basic concept, Noko began the creative process by doodling some quick sketches together to get each character’s silhouette down. From there, she added in multiple layers and, in her words, “Sparkles. Sparkles everywhere.”
The WIP of Bodie’s “win” screen in Romance Central by Noko
When asked what she was most excited for in making art for Romance Central, Noko answered without hesitation, “Bodie’s win image.” Also, “I like getting feedback from the Romance Central group through email. Seeing their views on the characters was fun.”
So which Dance Central character is Noko most compatible with? “With all of them being fit and healthy, I’d say none. But I'll answer Bodie either way.”
The “win” screen of Bodie in Romance Central by Noko
Noko and her works (tagged as “Nokomento”) can be found on:
She is most frequently found roaming around on Twitter and can best be contacted there. Searching the hashtag “#nkmtART” will get you any and all things related to Noko and her art!
As our final question, we asked Noko if she had any parting words for Romance Central and Dance Central fans. Noko’s reply:
“1. I would like to first call dibs on Bodie.
2. Keep on dancing and that the Groove is in you~”