Howdy everybody. RipRoarRex with my first new journal of 2017. In November. Y'know, the usual.



In case you've been hiding under a rock the past week or so and haven't seen it, recently I finally managed to complete a new piece of artwork - Rexar Relaxing (2017 Anniversary Edition), a remake ten years on of my very first picture shared with the fandom. And I think it's rather good.

Seems you folks thought the same. In fact, I've actually been quite staggered by the response - this picture has racked up more favourites and comments within its first ten days online than any of my other pieces managed in the same time frame, and by a long way too. I'm not sure whether it's a result of the absurd realism of it, or whether people were just enjoying it in a nostalgic sense as a commemorative piece, or whether folks were just expressing their relief that I wasn't dead.



I mentioned when I first submitted the piece that I was looking to produce an alternative version using Rexar's black and red away football kit, as I know some of you expressed a strong preference for that uniform in the past. I didn't submit such an alternative at the beginning because I needed to do some fairly substantial reworking of various layers in order to apply the colour variations, but I've since found the time to carry out that work. This new version can be found here.

I also said in my original description that, having spent weeks doing an intricate skin texture on Rexar's sole, I was a bit miffed that the texture didn't show up very well after resizing to within FurAffinity's 1280x1280 limit. (Yes, I am aware of the workaround, but I generally try and stick to the limit anyway.) As such, I've decided to upload some hi-res versions on my website - specifically 2400x1611, which is very close to the full-size resolution I was using on the original working image. There are three hi-res images covering the same alternatives as before: The original home kit image, a 'clean' version of the home kit and an away kit version. (If there's much call for a 'clean' away kit version, I might do one...)

The full list of versions can be found below - I've added this same list into the previous submission descriptions as well:

Standard Resolution
Home Kit
Home Kit, Clean
Away Kit

Hi-Res (2400x1611)
Home Kit
Home Kit, Clean
Away Kit


On another note, a number of you who read the absurdly long description under my original submission of this image picked up on my remark that this could be the last picture I ever do. Right now, just to ease your fears, I don't think this is very likely at all - having had some time to recover from the ordeal that was completing this picture, I'm actually feeling some fresh motivation to work on some new stuff and some unfinished projects that I've had on hold throughout this year. The remark wasn't intended to deceive though - I do acknowledge that I will almost certainly have to stop doing artwork at some stage, possibly in the not-too-distant future, in order to free myself up for pursuing other things in my life.

Hopefully though, I'll still entertain you all with a few more things yet. So as ever, watch this space.



Thanks for all the comments and messages of support over the last couple of weeks, guys. It's been good to see you all again.

RRRex