Ok- if you wanted ninja in that case, then something pyhisical, like weapons or something that would suggest ninja or fighter. Maybe the expression would suggest that they are still battle ready even when calm. The expression seems too kind, which is why I chose mage. He seems too passifist in this picture. People that regularly see death have a different expresion, even when calm
NP. There's alot about art that people are assumed to learn when they draw for long enough. Sometimes you need to research it. I've got a small libuary of referance books. Photography books are actually really good for compositions and stuff... they don't concentrate on drawing.
Alright, I'll definitely get some reference books. And I'll just keep working at it, so hopefully I'll discover some more techniques or tricks through that.