Finished - 'Flight'

And now, 'Flight' is finished. I was trying to get the background to look like James Gurney's Dinotopia work, but I didn't quite pull it off.


'Flight' | inks, copic markers, white pencil, white gel pen | 9x12 | Commission


My wrist is in a lot of pain, so if we could refrain from critiquing this, I'd appreciate it. In fact, I think I'm just going to lock comments. Too tired and too sore right now.

I have no idea what set the wrist off this time. Things were going along fine until I hit the clouds in the background. The clouds, they are my enemy. I'd shake my fist at them, but I can't make a fist right now. Bah, I'll shake my fist at the clouds later. For now, aspirin.


"Aim for success, not perfection. Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism."
-- Dr. David M. Burns

Sketchbook - Lost the groove? Let's get it back!

It's been a month and I've only done nine sketchbook pages. I'm so disappointed in myself. I wanted to do a page a day for practice. What happened?

No matter. When you trip, there's nothing for it but to get up and try again, right? Right. So, here's to a fresh start on the sketch-a-day goal.

I really need practice on anatomy and movement. So, I did a quick Google Images search for "belly dancers" and tried sketching the basic forms underneath.



I'm still trying to figure out how to build the body up structurally. A solid body needs a solid structure underneath. Which means, I'll be focusing on stuff like this in my sketchbook for the moment. Not terribly interesting to look at, but hopefully something I'll find helpful.

I also found my old pack of Verithins, which are nice to sketch with. Soft like pencils, but they don't seem to smudge as much. Sometimes I just want a soft pencil instead of the pens.

Okay, on to shading. I've 'Flight' to finish up. Later!


"There comes a moment in a young artist's life when he knows he has to bring something to the stage from within himself. He has to put in something in order to be able to take something out."
-- Mikhail Baryshnikov

Finished - 'Fangirls Say Squeee!'

Hey guys! I've Laurie's image finished up. It was hard to resist adding a touch of sparkle to Terrence's face. Why sparkles? He's not an author, he's a vampire. A vampire running across a teen vampy romance fangirl. I fear for his safety.


'Fangirls Say Squeee!' | inks, copic markers, white pencil, white gel pen | 9x12 | Commission


I did sneak some sparkly ink into her braces and the poster behind her. Got to have the sparkles.

'Flight' will be finished up tomorrow.


"Art knows no limit, and the artists will never achieve perfection."
-- Bente Borsum

Inks - 'Flight'

And now, the inks for 'Flight' are finished. Woohoo!



I'll do some coloring later this evening. Which means, I should have both pictures finished up by the end of the weekend. I apologize for how long these have taken to complete. Thanks for putting up with me!


"If you want an interesting party sometime, combine cocktails and a fresh box of crayons for everyone."
-- Robert Fulghum

Inks - 'Fangirls Say Squeee!'

Today has been spent inking while listening to Most Evil running in the background. Here's the result so far.



So cool! Now I'm debating whether to move on to 'Flight' and continue inking or starting the coloring here. Hmm... choices, choices. Probably best to go right into inking 'Flight'. That will give plenty of time for the inks to fully set before coloring. I don't want to risk any ink streaking.

But first, I need to pop my wrist. It's locking up again.


"Pleasure is spread through the earth in stray gifts to be claimed by whoever shall find."
-- William Wordsworth

A quick thank you

Hey guys! I've been pretty preoccupied lately. Still, that's no excuse for losing track of things, especially when it comes to appreciating what someone has done for you. Thank you guys for the books and supplies off of my wish list! I really appreciate it! The income from commissions will be going towards paying some bills as well as maintaining the markers so I can keep working, so my ability to purchase learning materials is pretty much shot for a while. *laughs* Thank you so much!

Also, thank you to everyone who's donated to CN:H lately. Closing the Supporters area removed the income that paid the hosting bill for the year. While we've a plan in place to keep the comic up and running, Matt and I appreciate the help!

I hope the change to two updates a week is working out well for everyone. It anything, it should hopefully make the story move a little faster. It also means I need to keep a close eye on the buffer to make sure I don't get too low. I've still a few months before I need to start cranking on CN:H pages again. Enough time to get into a commission groove which should help me juggle taking commissions and making comic pages. A little variety in what you do really helps.

Thanks again!


"Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn, or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude."
-- Denis Waitley

Con badge - Darc

It's finished. The first con badge I've made in... what, three years or so? I can't recall now. It was a lot of fun, now that I've realized I can use a printout of the name done on the computer as a lettering guide. I think I'd rather do these than the larger commissions. While they don't pay as much, they sure go a lot quicker.


'Darc' | inks, copic markers, white pencil, white gel pen | 4x6 | Not Available


The white was done with a colored pencil this time. I might want to take a few commissions for these at cons and I'm not interested in dragging the white paint and brushes with me. The colored pencils are much easier. Though I think I'd like to invest in some more gel/metallic pens. I've a few golds and silvers left over from my old Prismacolor markers, but a little variety might be nice.

I'm still without a laminator. All the ones in town are a little pricey, so I'll probably just order one online.

Tonight I want to do at least one button sample and then a bit of inking. I still have 'Fangirls Say Squeee!' and 'Flight' to ink. I haven't forgotten, I just can't seem to get my mind to focus on bigger projects these last few days. It's just all over the map.


"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."
-- Pablo Picasso

Clean sketch - Con badge

Me as a corgi? Why not? Here's the clean sketch of my con badge sample. Inking will begin once Matt and I return from the chiropractor's.




"If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them."
-- Phil Pastoret

Sketchbook - Con badge roughs

Morning guys! Something's got me feeling insanely nervous today, but I don't know what it could be. I just feel all twitchy and anxious. Because of this, I've switched gears for the moment and am trying to work up a sample badge for when commissions open up.

I don't want to use a CN:H character for the badge sample. Thing is, I don't have a character that represents myself. So, I tried coming up with one. I thought maybe a pink corgi. They're chubby like I am, after all.





The corgilope idea, while cute, is a little much. It also looks too much like a deer. So, I'll just stick with the regular corgi.

Here's the rough template of the badge. Since I'm still in need of lettering practice, I figured I could use a printout of the name done with a font as a guide. The badges will measure around 4x6 and be done on Bristol with the Copic markers.



Now to transfer this to the Bristol and see what happens. Maybe getting another item off of my 'To Do This Week' list will help curb the nervous jitters. I don't like feeling like my body is vibrating.


"Did you ever walk into a room and forget why you walked in? I think that is how dogs spend their lives."
-- Sue Murphy

Finished - 'Foxy Dancer'

Guess what I just finished... Yep, 'Foxy Dancer' is complete. Woot!


'Foxy Dancer' | inks, copic markers, white paint | 9x12 | Commission


Done on 9x12 Bristol board with Copic Multiliners, markers, and opaque white paint. Oh, and my thumbnail. The paint went on a little too thick in some places, so I thinned it out by scrapping it lightly with my nail once it had dried. What? It worked.

She was a lot of fun to draw. So many nice, bright colors that I don't normally get to work with. I hope she turned out well.

Tomorrow is for inking. I've 'Fangirls Say Squee!' and 'Flight' to finish up before I work on the commission samples that I'll need for next week. So much to do! And so exciting! Later!


"When you do a thing, do it with all your might. Put your whole soul into it. Stamp it with your own personality. Be active, be energetic and faithful, and you will accomplish your object."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Base fur vs. final fur

I've still the background and her outfit left to go - I kept getting distracted over the last few days. But, I have her fur just about finished. All that remains is to darken some of the inked lines and add the white highlights. All of which will be done once the shading on the whole image is complete.



Quite a difference, eh? The main part of her fur was done with eight colors - her tail tip and hair, five each...

Main Fur:
YR21 - Cream (base color)
YR23 - Yellow Ochre
YR24 - Pale Sepia
YR14 - Caramel
W7 - Warm Gray No. 7
W8 - Warm Gray No. 8
W9 - Warm Gray No. 9
110 - Special Black

Tail Tip:
W0 - Warm Gray No. 0 (base color)
W1 - Warm Gray No. 1
W2 - Warm Gray No. 2
W3 - Warm Gray No. 3
W5 - Warm Gray No. 5

Hair:
E27 - Africano (base color)
E29 - Burnt Umber
E49 - Dark Bark
W9 - Warm Gray No. 9
E07 - Light Mahogany

Just lots of layers and blending the darker colors with the lighter ones. I'll be the first one to admit, I'm not great at working with these markers. I'm no expert, that's for sure. But, I think I'm getting a little better. It just takes a lot of practice. Blogs like 'I Like Markers' are a great help as well.

I'm just getting back into the swing of things, so it takes me a while. I still keep trying to hit ctrl-z now and then. Too much time working digitally, I guess. I'll get the hang of things eventually.


"The key to everything is patience. You get the chicken by hatching the egg, not by smashing it open."
-- Arnold Glasgow

Base - 'Foxy Dancer'

Just a quick update on how the coloring is going. The base colors are now finished. Which means, I'll be starting the shading after a quick break.



Her fur color and pattern will be added in during the shading. The base color is just for the lightest part of her fur. It's easier to add dark colors to light, than light to dark. The white flecks will be added at the end with a bit of paint.

Luckily I picked up a refill of Cool Gray No. 1 (C1) yesterday. I ended up running out while working today. I think one of the things I should add to the new commission policy is that there may be a delay if I run out of a color.

While I could run up to Dick Blick for a replacement, it's a three hour round trip through heavy traffic and I'm not guaranteed that they'll actually even have the color I'll need - they don't seem to keep all the colors in stock. Which means, I'll be ordering any replacements through their online store from now on. Since online orders can take a week or more to arrive, all I can say is if I run out... expect a delay. I just don't have the money at the moment to stockpile refills for each of the colors that I have.

Hopefully people will understand. Also, hopefully we can avoid it. I'm keeping an eye on the colors as I use them and noting which ones seem a little thin. Still, sometimes they just surprise you.


"Don't be intimidated by your materials."
-- George De Groat

It's guest art time!

Good morning! This morning I have guest art to share! I know, it's great, right? I love when I can make a post about guest art, because it means I received new art! Which, always makes me happy.

Today's piece is by Aaron Mocksing, the creator of 'Keeping Up With Thursday'.



If you enjoy CN:H, I'd recommend giving 'Keeping Up With Thursday' a try. Go on, you know you want to. You know, I think it is the first time Moraine has ever been drawn by another person. Neat!

You can find more of Aaron's art at his deviantArt and Fur Affinity accounts. Thanks Aaron!

If you'd like to share your CN:H art with us, please send it along and we'll post it on the blog and in the gallery. Nothing above a PG-13 rating, please.

As for myself, I'm getting another late start today due to sleeping in. I also need to color today. Yesterday was actually Matt's birthday, so we hung out and ran around town all day. When we returned home we were both tired so, we hung out some more, then went to bed. Hey, we're party animals, us two. *grin*


"Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional."
-- Chili Davis

Inks - 'Foxy Dancer'

Morning! The inks were finished up late last evening, but I didn't get around to scanning until just now. 'Foxy Dancer' is nearing the finish-line.



Which means, I get to work with the Copics today! Yay! I love my Copics. You know how some people are into collecting things like novelty spoons or figurines or sketchbooks? Well for me, it's become Copics. One day, I will have every marker color. They're my version of Pokemon. And I get to play with them! Squeeee!

Yeah, I'm way too happy about that.


"Being familiar with art materials and what you can do technically, will only heighten your ability to express emotion."
-- Donna Baspaly

Clean sketch - 'Flight'

Hey guys! Clean sketch number three is ready for inking and waiting in the hopper. Dino rides! That would be so cool to do except, knowing me, I'd probably freak out. I'm terribly afraid of heights.



I think for this one, I'll leave the farthest part of the background un-inked. That way, the markers will blend a bit and make that area look softer and further in the distance. There should also be some light tiling on the larger part of the dome, but I want that to be done with markers as well. I think it'll be too distracting if inked.

Okay, a quick break, then on to inking 'Foxy Dancer'.


"Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul - and sings the tunes without the words - and never stops at all."
-- Emily Dickinson

Sketchbook - Timed sketches

Morning guys! Matt and I were planning on heading out to Ikea for one of those cheap lamps with the movable arms, but the snow that's currently coming down put a stop to that. So, we'll try sometime next week. The reason for the lamp? We're still working out how to mount the webcam close enough so the drawings are visible. Yesterday, I ran across this on Twitter. That should work nicely! Which means, I should be able to start doing live draws soon. That'll be fun.

Today my goal is to get the clean sketch for 'Flight' all set, then start inking 'Foxy Dancer'. I'd like to have the colors for that one complete by tomorrow evening. I used to be faster at this stuff, but lately I feel so frustrated, discouraged, and slow. I just don't know what it is.

For now, I've some sketchbook scratchings to share. Just some timed draws using the gesture tool on Pixelovely.Com.





I don't know about you, but I think I'm getting worse, not better here. Hmm... maybe I should change my approach a bit. Study the bones and muscles themselves instead of the full figure with the skin on. *blinks* Okay, that just sounded creeper than intended.

I should probably use pencil as well. I've been sticking with ink mostly because I'm using both sides of the sketchbook paper and I don't want one image smudging into another. Maybe you're not supposed to use both sides? I don't know. All I know is, if I'd only used one side of each page, I'd be half-way through my second sketchbook already. As is, I have about forty more drawings in this one to go. So, it comes down to cleaner scans and being able to work in pencil or save paper and money on sketchbooks.

That's something to think about later on. Right now, I've sketching to do. And maybe, some playtime in the snow. Holly loves doing corgi flops into the drifts. Later guys!


"Your doubt can become a good quality if you train it. It must become knowing, it must become criticism."
-- Rainer Maria Rilke

Clean sketch - 'Fangirls Say Squeee!'

What is it with me and eraser dust these last two days? It's all over everything. But no matter, for I have emerged triumphant. Here's Laurie's clean sketch, ready and waiting for inking.



I'm starting to realize that while working on multiple images at the same time in stages - all the pencils, all the inks, all the colors - works for some people, I'm apparently not one of them. It just seems to slow my down. Hmm... I'll have to take that into account when commissions open again. Everyone has their own methods of working. That's all there is to it. Hopefully this fact won't upset anyone.

Okay, one more sketch to do. I get to draw a dinosaur! Cool! Then, it's on to inking. But first, I need to brush off this eraser dust. It keeps clinging to the drawing desk!


"If anything, the overriding emotion is gonna just be excitement."
-- Christa McAuliffe

CN:H Issue 11 now complete on the site

Morning. I'm getting a late start today - just woke up a bit ago, actually. I'll get back to sketching here in a bit.

Before I do, I wanted to point out that Issue 11 of 'Code Name: Hunter' is now complete on the site. Yep, the last page went live this morning. So, if you prefer to read comics in chunks or just want a quick refresher, now's a good time.

Issue 11: Uneasy Alliance
Between funneling questions about the founders, dealing with a red head during her PMT, and finding out he's been assigned as royal baby minder, it's shaping up to be a long, dull evening for Max. Or is it? The time to renew the treaty with the Fey Courts is here.

Issue 11 is twenty-four pages in length and starts here. Issue 12 will begin posting on the site Monday. Enjoy!


"Activate yourself to duty by remembering your position, who you are, and what you have obliged yourself to be."
-- Thomas Kempis

Clean sketch - 'Fangirls Say Squeee!' (WIP)

The lighting's starting to muck with my eyes, so it's probably time to stop for the evening. Here's how things look so far.



I'll finish the sketch up first thing tomorrow morning. Then, it's on to China's.

I love the fangirl. She makes me smile. I've a silver metallic pen that I think I'll use for her braces. *grin* Hmm... how to do the bookshelves? I could use some art tape to attach the Bristol to a piece of newsprint. It'll make setting a vanishing point for the bookshelves a little easier - since the point will be quite a ways off of the Bristol. That could work.

But, that's for tomorrow. For now, night all!


"Ever since I started to get recognition I've picked out certain fans and reverse-stalked them."
-- Jim Carrey

Clean sketch - 'Foxy Dancer'

It took most of the day - I was drowning in eraser dust, I swear - but the first clean sketch is finished. The composition sketch was done quickly and had some anatomy issues in the shoulder and upper torso, so I pretty much started over.



I'm going to try to get one more clean sketch done this evening. Hopefully I can get both sketched up, but I'm not sure. It depends on how long they take and the lighting situation.

I love my studio corner, but I really need more light. It's okay during the day, but once evening hits - or if it's just a cloudy day - visibility goes down fast. We used to have a few spare lamps around. Maybe they're in the basement.

Okay, time for a quick break, then back to work. Later!


"To shake your rump is to be environmentally aware."
-- David Byrne

Sketchbook - Random practice

Due to 'The Sick' I didn't get much of anything done yesterday. I also don't seem to be making much headway today either so far. Urf. But, I did do some sketchbook scratchings yesterday. Just more practice work.

References for the images were from the gesture tool on Pixelovely.Com, Google Image Search for "hands", and the Mannequin app.







Okay, back to trying to get more work done. I have sketching I want done by this evening.


"When the head aches, all the body is the worse."
-- English Proverb

Sketchbook - Composition sketches

Morning! Yesterday was unfortunately lost due to 'The Sick'. I swear, my immune system is shot. If Matt gets sick, I get it within a day. And, for some reason, it sticks with me longer. I'm still not quite up to snuff, but I want to get some work done today. So, let's see what happens.

On today's agenda are the clean sketches of the pieces below. China, Laurie, and Tyler have been nice enough to let me draw their characters. These will be fun! I'll get to do so much with color here!

For China...


For Laurie...


For Tyler...


I had another idea initially for Tyler's image. I was thinking his Cross Fox gal would make a good agent. Unfortunately, I couldn't get the composition down, the goal was to show her face as well as the fur pattern on her back. So, I went with the belly dancer idea instead. But, here's the rough.



Thanks again for letting me draw them guys! I really appreciate it!

As for commissions, they're still closed. I've yet to figure out how to write the commissions page in a way that prevents my being taken advantage of or misinterpreted. I also need to figure out how to work commissions around CN:H work. The more I think about the sprint idea, the more it sound like a bad plan. (Cons get in the way for one.) I like the way the 'DreamKeepers' guys are handling their commissions, though keeping people waiting for possibly years would stress me out to no end. I have no confidence that some asshole won't be jumping down my throat because their image isn't done immediately, despite being warned that it will take time. Still, realizing that I haven't done any CN:H work since November is stressful as well. The longer I go without working on the comic, the less inclination I have to go back to it.

I'll figure something out. I usually do. For now, I've laundry to start, Vicks to take, and more scanning to do. Later.


"Few artists are able to accurately assess just how valuable and great their work is – or how much it will be appreciated by its audience. In other words, insecurity is the name of the game."
-- Suzanne Falter-Barns

Sketchbook - Brush pen anatomy

Morning guys. I now have my glasses replaced and a pair of trial contact lenses to use for a week. So, the sight is back. That's nice. Matt came home early yesterday afternoon, which made me lose track of what I was planning to do. So, I need to start sketching today. But first, I want to contact everyone to make sure I can share the images I'm doing for them - both in progress and finished. I'm comfortable with everyone I'm working with at the moment and have a good idea of what they're going to say. But, I still want to have confirmation for my own peace of mind.

For now, I have some sketchbook scratchings to share. I really did miss doing these practice pages over the last two weeks. I don't know why. They're just relaxing, I guess.

This time I wanted to try sketching with the Multiliner brush pen. You know, just curious about what would happen. It was fun. I think I'll be using that as well as the Rapido Sketch pen for these anatomy roughs from now on. References for the images were from the gesture tool on Pixelovely.Com.





I've been told, though, that the Multiliner SP brush pen is not liked by many artists. I don't understand why, I personally love it. The Pentel brush pen, which most people seem to prefer, just annoyed me. It could be because I don't have an education or background in art, so I'm using the pens wrong or just not grasping a fundamental somewhere. With that in mind, if might be best to take my supplies and media recommendations with a grain of salt. Remember, I have a degree in librarianship, not the visual arts.


"An artist feels vulnerable to begin with; and yet the only answer is to recklessly discard more armour."
-- Eric Maisel

Sketchbook - Watercolor dancing girl

Hey guys. I'll be starting today's sketch-work here in a bit. For the moment, I wanted to share this quick.

One of the things I'd like to do is start experimenting and getting into the habit of using different media. One of the first on my list is watercolor. I haven't used watercolor much since high school - I did one thing back in 2004 before I lost my pan watercolors. So, I haven't messed with them much in over sixteen years. Which means, I'm a little rusty.



Okay, quite rusty. But, it was fun! I'd forgotten how textured watercolor paper is. My pens did not like it. Not at all. Reference was from Google Image Search, "belly dancer" - photo.

I still have a lot of practice and learning to do, but they were definitely enjoyable to work with. Watercolor seems a lot more forgiving than markers. Make a mistake with the markers... it's hard to fix. Make a mistake with the watercolors... wet it down a little more, blot up the extra with a bit of tissue, and lay more color down.

It also went fairly quick. Maybe two hours total, including the sketch. Yes, I see more study and practice with watercolor in my future.


"Because watercolor actually moves on the paper, it is the most active of all mediums, almost a performance art."
-- Nita Engle

Sketchbook - Belly-dancers

Hey guys. I don't have much to report today. Mostly I've just been trying to decide how I want to move forward. I really appreciate the advice and support from fellow artists over the last day. It's helping me restructure my commission policies. Not to mention, finding out that you're not the only one who's had this sort of experience helps.

I've a few people in mind who I trust to give me ideas for practice images. So, I'll be working on their pieces this next week. No, I'm not looking for anyone else nor am I opening up free slots. If I want any more practice pieces, either Matt or myself will chose who gets them.

In the meantime, I wanted to try to work in a bit of drawing today, so thought I'd sketch something that makes me happy. And, oddly enough, belly-dancers make me happy. They're graceful and I love the outfits. Though my dancers are a little less than lovely in such a sketchy form.



I'm debating whether I want to just offer themed commissions from now on. I chose a theme, like belly-dancers, and we go from there. I really want to avoid people hiring me to illustrate scenes from their novel projects. I've got my own magnum opus and it's a handful on its own. I really don't want to work with another person's right now.

Still, it's something to think about. For now, I'm pretty much blind due to my glasses being damaged and my being unable to get an eye appointment until tomorrow evening. So, it's going to be a quiet night to go with a quiet day. Maybe I'll catch up on some reading. I'm always behind in that lately. Later guys.


"Don't argue for other people's weaknesses. Don't argue for your own. When you make a mistake, admit it, correct it, and learn from it -- immediately."
-- Stephen Covey

Commissions closed for regrouping and restructuring

Hey guys. I've spent the last three hours or so trying to figure out how to address this gracefully and diplomatically. Unfortunately what it comes down to is... I don't have the level of eloquence required at the moment to do so. Still, I'll do my best.

For the time being, commissions are closed. Furthermore, all outstanding commissions have been canceled and all payments refunded. While I know my words can't set things right, I do apologize greatly for this.

Unfortunately, this is the first time I have opened commissions in over four years. And, I naively expected an experience similar to what I had back then. Needless to say, that's not what I got. I'm not sure what changed in the last four years. Maybe people themselves have changed or perhaps, the comic itself has changed how people view me as an artist. I'm afraid I can't say.

Upsetting people was the last thing I ever intended when I started this. To be honest, I hoped that commissions would help me rekindle a love of drawing as well as bring in a bit of income. I wanted to make others happy as well. But, I seem to have done the opposite.

Two things led me to this decision. The first were commissions that were so detailed in their descriptions and the client's desires that they left no room for artistic interpretation. This resulted in me becoming concerned that no matter how I tried, I would never be able to make the client happy. Unfortunately, I can not see a scene exactly as a client views it in their head. No artist can. This is why allowing for some leeway is appreciated. But, I digress.

The second, was having a client request that I remove the art that I spent days on from the web. I was not made aware that this would be desired ahead of time and it caught me by surprise. It also hurt me. I admit, I was very proud of that piece. And while the character was his, it was my ability that brought the piece alive. To be told that I couldn't share it cut in a way I'm not even sure I myself understand. All I know is, I feel betrayed that my work is good enough to show other artists as a guide for how to draw the character, and yet I can't share it as a sample of my abilities. But again, I digress.

These issues coming to a head one right after the other over the last day and a half has left me feeling uneasy about my abilities to perform to the level that I expect of myself. In other words, I fear any work I do on current commissions will be sub-par. And frankly, I'm not comfortable with offering clients sub-par work. I may not have a reputation for commissions - and after this evening any reputation I receive probably won't be a good one - but I can not in all consciousness continue if my work will not be worth the client's time and money.

Hence, the refunds.

As to what happened to the various commission pieces and progress sketches, I have removed them from my galleries, my computer, and destroyed the sketchbook containing them. Since I'm not sure if any other clients feel the work shouldn't be shared, this seemed to be the best option. I apologize to anyone who may have enjoyed the images.

As the title of the post says, I'm going to regroup and restructure my commission policies. I'm also going to work on practice pieces to smooth the kinks that I'm currently feeling out of my work. While I plan on opening commissions again, when I do it will be with a much clearer idea of what to expect and keep an eye out for.

Please accept my apologies for all this.


"You can learn a line from a win and a book from a defeat."
-- Paul Brown

Sketchbook - Self portrait

Random sketchbook scratchings because nothing I draw seems to be working today. I hate discovering something that I just can't draw, no matter how I try. I know, you can't draw everything. Still, it's upsetting.



Seriously, it's been one of those days. I really need a hug.


"There is nothing fiercer than a failed artist. The energy remains, but, having no outlet, it implodes in a great black fart of rage which smokes up all the inner windows of the soul."
-- Erica Jong

Sketchbook - My Little Darcy?

Morning. Today is for completing the commission I wasn't able to finish last night due to the marker running out. Hopefully, some sketching as well.

As for right now, here's today's sketchbook scratchings. Hey, I said I wanted to draw at least one non-commission related thing a day. I never said it would make any sense.



Time to get started. Later, guys!


"Don't be afraid to look silly."
-- Tara Strong

Sketchbook - Chaos in the Goblin Market

Morning! One of the things I wanted to do this year was keep up with the sketchbook scratchings. I wanted to have at least one new sketch to share each day. And what have I done since the new year? Not much. I've been worried that if I do any non-commission sketching, people would be upset that I'm not working on commissions instead. So, I haven't done much.

Still, I don't want to lose the habit of keeping a sketchbook going. I really need the practice. So, I'm hoping it's okay with everyone if I set a goal of sketching at least one non-commission image a day. I'd really appreciate it.

For today, I did a rough of Max causing chaos in the Goblin Market.



See, Max can be a little bad-ass when the situation strikes. He just tends to be mopey the rest of the time. And yes, some agents will use their bands to hit people with. It's usually very effective.

Speaking of which, I went back and read over Issues 11-14 quick last night, and was so upset. Thanks to trying to figure this whole anatomy thing out, all I see now are errors. Pages I was pleased with just a few months ago now look so wonky. *sob* There are times when I wonder if I'm getting worse at this, not better. That's the nature of learning, I suppose.

Anyway, I need to get to work. I've coloring to do today. Later!


"If a man will begin with certainties, he shall end in doubts, but if he will be content to begin with doubts, he shall end in certainties."
-- Sir Francis Bacon

Fun with Sharpies

One of the entries on Art Student Owl this morning read, "lose more brain cells to Sharpies than to alcohol and drugs." Which made me laugh. Then, it reminded me of the first - and last - time I ever used a Sharpie Magnum.

For anyone not familiar with the Magnum, it's a... well, the term I'd normally use isn't one you can say in polite society, so let's just say it's a monstrous marker and leave it at that. Yes, that's a photo of one to the right. Yes, it does fill your whole hand. And yes, it reeks! It reeks so bad!

I'd done stuff with Sharpies before. I remember deciding to stipple a large drawing while in high school with just Sharpies - probably because my mom was a crafter, so there were always Sharpies lying around the house. So, I'm familiar with the smell. Or so I thought.

Then I found the Magnum. The reason I went for such a large marker was because of my dad, really. He wanted a drawing of his latest car project with one of my "dog-headed people" and I thought, 'wouldn't it be neat if the background was all black?' I was still using Prismacolor markers at the time, and they kept running out on me at an alarming rate. So, the last thing I wanted to do was lay down multiple passes with a black Prismacolor. The Magnum seemed like a great plan.

And it worked! It covered the paper very well. A nice coat of black in two passes. And then... stunk forever afterwords. I waited about three weeks before I finally sent the drawing out to my dad, and when he received it, he called to ask what I'd used because it still smelled so bad. My response, "put it in a frame! Put it in a frame, now! Otherwise it will stink up the house!"

Yeah, the Magnum disappeared pretty quick after that.


"The rankest compound of villainous smell that ever offended nostril."
-- William Shakespeare

Assignment one - critique

Meanwhile, guess what just arrived today... the critique of my first assignment from the Kubert School correspondence course. I didn't do too badly. Though I did forget to add my age to the assignment sheet. *oops* (In case anyone is curious, I'm 33.)

I need to remember to draw a character's legs so they can actually support that character's weight, my foreshortening needs work, and my backgrounds were confusing, but I'm very happy with the critique. They gave me some wonderful red-lines to use as guidance for the future. Especially for the top-down shot, which I always have a hard time pulling off. Awesome!

Here's the critique...



And here's the assignment without the correction lines for comparison...



They say I have potential! That is so cool! I must remember to pay more attention to the backgrounds next time. I treated the assignment like a page out of a currently running comic, not the start of a comic. Bad move.


"You can teach a student a lesson for a day; but if you can teach him to learn by creating curiosity, he will continue the learning process as long as he lives."
-- Clay P. Bedford

Sketchbook - My practice sketchbook needs some love

Morning guys. Today is set aside for clean sketches. Two full color commission roughs have been okay-ed, which means they're moving on to the detailed stage. Still going slower than I'd like, but providing the wrist holds I should be able to get a lot of work done this weekend.

Meanwhile my poor practice sketchbook has been neglected this week. All the sketches I've been posting have been from the commission roughs sketchbook. My main sketchbook, for my anatomy practice, has been left all alone. Which, makes me sad. So, I did a few quick scratchings of fuzzy-haired dude from the gesture tool on Pixelovely.Com.



I also received an email from the Kubert School a few days ago, saying my assignment has been critiqued and is on its way back to me. So, that should arrive next week sometime. I'll be sure to share the results of the critique here for anyone who's interested.

As for myself, I'm going to gather the references and email printouts that I need and probably head downstairs to work. As I mentioned earlier, I banged my right forearm up bad Wednesday. And, it's still painful and swollen. Will be for a bit. I've been able to get around it while working on the preliminary sketches because I've been holding the sketchbook in my lap and not letting the forearm touch anything. But, for the clean, detailed sketches I need to work on a more stable surface - the drawing board. And, my arm is going to have to rest on that. So, I'd like to be near the fridge where the cold packs are stored. I'm gonna need them. *laughs*

I'm off to get started. Later!


"Be not afraid of going slowly; be afraid only of standing still."
-- Chinese Proverb

There's one problem with working in tradtional media...

...Your supplies end up taking over your desk. Between getting ready to start work on commissions, rigging up a system for the live draws coming up, and tracking down supplies and references, my work area is quickly becoming crowded. But, it's a happy kind of crowded.

I need to print out copies of the commission emails to be sure I don't loose track of anything or accidentally delete some info that I'll need later. I also want to do some research on lions, wolves, digitigrade legs, kimonos, Japanese gardens, RAF formal dress, and 1940s wedding dresses for the first three commissions. Which means tomorrow will be a day of tea, research, and study sketches. Yay! *dances*

But yeah, at the moment there are pens, pencils, watercolors, and books strewn about. I need to get everything in its place. It's like a compulsion or something. I can work in a little bit of chaos, but too much makes me nervous. Probably because I worry something will tip over and destroy what I'm working on.

I'd gotten so used to all my tools being contained in the computer, I forgot how quickly traditional supplies can run wild. Especially in a compact space. *laughs*

Oh yes, the camera! Matt came up with a way of hooking a webcam up so it can stream while I'm sketching - since I'm not working digitally at the moment. It took a bit for us to figure out just how to position the camera, but we finally came up with a method that works. What did we use? A kitchen rail from Ikea.



Ikea's kitchen department is filled with useful stuff. The pails my supplies sit in as well as the magnetic tins on the wall are from Ikea as well. Hey, it's affordable and durable. The view from the camera will be along the lines of what's below.



I haven't fully set up the stream channel yet, so I don't have the address or a schedule planned just yet. I'll get on that here in a bit. I'm thinking of streaming a few days a week for an hour or so. Mainly sketches and maybe the occasional specialty print - one of the things I'd like to do this year is start making limited prints to raise funds for charity. Or, perhaps some quick request sketches now and then. We'll see.

For now, I need to finish straightening up so I can get right to work tomorrow. Thanks guys!


"The sign on my studio door warns, 'Beware of Flying Brushes'."
-- Earl Grenville Killeen