CD/Centra/Kristen | 36 | She/Her/Y'all | Hetero Cisgender Jedi Scum | NoAI

Likes:
Magic: The Gathering | art books | frogs | rocks and nature hikes | old 80's cartoons | retro and vintage advertising art | handheld consoles because my childhood was about being on the go

Pets:
P. terribilis — 1.2.3 (The offspring are several years old, but I suspect they might actually all be female since I haven't heard them call!)
R. imitator — 1.0.0 (single and ready to flamingle)
M. klappenbachi — 0.1.0




I noticed you haven't been present on FA for a few years. Why is that?

My recent illustration work isn't anthro/animal in nature (so I don't want to gum up FurAffinity with it!), and I've taken a bit of a social media break to learn traditional media. Digital art is my first love and how I learned to paint, but with the advent of gen AI I've found myself gravitating more towards things in the physical world. :)

It's also nice to create just for myself once in awhile! I do a lot of work that never sees the light of day, although I really should get back to posting regularly.



Where do you work, and what do you do?

I currently work as a freelace illustrator. From Fall 2023 to Spring 2024 I had the amazing opportunity to be an illustration adjunct at University of South Florida, which was a ton of fun and really taught me a lot about how I approach my own art!



I see your commissions are closed, but I still want something!

You are always welcome to send me a note! I'm always up for taking interesting projects on, but please don't feel bad if I decline; sometimes I have freelance or other unavoidable obligations.



Where did you go to school, and what did you major in?

I received my associate's degree at a community college, then transferred to Virginia Commonwealth University to obtain a BFA in graphic design. Surprisingly useful and relevant to illustration — the drawback being that you gain the superpower of being able to see bad design everywhere.

For those who want to illustrate for a living — school and major isn't nearly as important as a portfolio (as you can tell from my school background, I'm not exactly a classically trained illustrator!) If you're aiming to illustrate full time, consider who you want to work with and tailor your pieces for each client. Make your portfolio look like it could fit within the client's own universe of characters and stories, while still keeping your unique take on it.



Do you stream, or post process videos somewhere?

I have in the past, and I'd love to again! I'm currently trying to figure out how to film/livestream myself painting in oils, but this is a bit beyond my wheelhouse at the moment.



Would you mind redlining my artwork? Can you be my mentor?

If you have burning questions, feel free to ask! That said, I only have so much free time and may not be able to help you as much as you'd like.

I don't currently offer paid mentorships, but I'm open to talk about it. Worst thing I'll say is no, right? :)



Do you have any sort of tutorials available?

I did... but I deleted them off deviantArt since most of them were over 12 years old and pretty rubbish. You're really not missing anything! That said, I'm always open to suggestions.

In the meantime — check out James Gurney's series of books, Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter and Imaginative Realism: How to Paint What Doesn't Exist.



What computer/tools/programs/brushes do you use?


(I always list what I use in my descriptions!)

For digital, I use a Mac Studio Ultra, a large Intuos Pro/Huion tablet, and near-exclusively Photoshop (hard to quit; it's a great program with a lot of features). A lot of my sketching is done on a 2015 iPad Pro with Procreate. Don't feel you have to buy a Mac, or need a Wacom tablet. They are just my personal preference and not essential to making good art.

For traditional I'm a bit more experimental and flexible, as long as it's an artist-grade material. I almost exclusively use cotton paper (Bahong an Arches are both great), panel (mostly Ampersand Aquabord, Claybord, or old Stampbord that I've gessoed) and recently fell madly in love with QoR watercolors.



Can you advertise me?

Aww heck no my dude, just pay FA for an ad!



Do you attend any furry cons?

Sometimes! I've attended Furthemore, Anthrocon, and FWA before. I haven't gone in quite awhile, though; maybe it's time!



I have questions/comments!

Note me for e-mail, or... just note me! :)