Hello everyone!

I'm writing this journal to keep my followers in the know about a few updates I've recently made to my art pages.

First and foremost: I now have a Telegram channel! https://t.me/akirainart
This is the best way to be notified instantly of the latest updates! Want to know as soon as commissions are open, but can't always dig through FurAffinity notifications, or worried about missing posts in the non-chronological algorithms of Facebook or Twitter? The Telegram channel is my attempt to take care of all that! I've found that many of my clients come from Telegram or at least have a Telegram account, so figured it would be worth exploring.

Second: Payment methods for commissions.
Starting from when I next open for commissions, the commission form will have an option to select which payment method you want to use. PayPal is still available and readily accepted, but if the client is paying with a credit or debit card, I will be sending the invoice through Square by default.

Third: Slight tweaks to my Patreon tiers.
I don't currently have any patrons at the $5 or $10 levels, so I adjusted the rewards slightly to (hopefully) make more sense. I've added the benefit of early access to the $5 level and above: if you become a Patron at at least this level, you'll get to see new artwork three days before it's posted anywhere else! Additionally, I've changed the monthly custom artwork at the $10 level from a headshot sketch to a bust sketch - since if you're getting artwork every month, you probably want something with a little more variety and flexibility! I might continue to tweak the options for custom artwork in the future, but once I have at least one patron at those levels, I'll be asking for my followers' and patrons' input before making any changes.
To balance the tiers and keep the number of rewards reasonable, I've removed the critique option for now - it might just be the contrast effect, and being constantly surrounded by really good artists at a very serious art school, but I don't have a lot of confidence in my critical eyes at the moment. XD

Thanks for reading everyone! Please let me know if you have any comments or concerns. I'll be back with more updates on commissions and other business around early June.

Hello everyone,

It's already visible on the front of my profile, but wanted to announce in a journal as well: I'm closing commissions for a bit, as both my slots are full currently, and once those are done I need to work my way out of a mountain of schoolwork.

I'd like to reopen again before the end of the semester if my schedule allows, but if not, I will certainly be opening for at least some things again at the beginning of June.

Thanks, and stay tuned!

Hi all!


I just launched my Patreon page this morning!
Now you can see lots of exclusive content, sketchbook pages, WIP images, and even get custom artwork every month, all while helping me work toward making art into my career - pledges start from only $1 per month!

>>Click here to view my page on Patreon!<<


If there's anything else you'd like to see as potential rewards or reward tiers, I'm always taking suggestions too!

Hey everyone, just wanted to give an update, partially to follow up with my previous journal mentioning Patreon.

I was hoping to launch my Patreon by now, but basically right after I posted that journal, I had to take my computer to get fixed. I anticipated it only taking a few days, but for some reason the fix ended up taking over a week. I was without my computer (and thus my files) the whole time, which put a dent in a lot of things I was working on, including the setup of my Patreon. (And my checking my FA messages, and I have to catch up on all that again. XD)

And now that I finally have my computer back, I'm getting work done in preparation for Anthro New England this weekend! This is pretty much the highlight of my year, since it's the one convention I get to regularly attend in the area and actually enjoy while I'm at college. In a bit of a rushed fashion this year, since it's at the beginning of the busy spring semester instead of the middle of the more relaxed winter semester, but still exciting.

So, progress on Patreon will resume once the work and catching up on homework surrounding ANE is over! It will be a bit delayed from what I had hoped, but life stuff like technology fixes happens - the important thing is that I'm still working on it.
Thanks for reading!

Hello all!

I've been trying to come up with more things I could do to help my art career move in the direction I want to lately. One of those steps is that I've been working on setting up a Patreon! In exchange for a monthly pledge starting from $1 per month, you'll be able to get exclusive content and insights into my artistic process that I don't post anywhere else.
It will be available in a week or two, once I have all the materials together. I wanted to let you all know now, not only because it's exciting but also because I wanted to ask for your input!
Is there anything that you've always wanted to see from me that I might add to Patreon? What part of becoming more involved with an artist on a personal level gets you most excited?
The sky's the limit - anything that gets posted here, I could consider a potential reward for Patreon (or implement elsewhere in my artistic practice)!

Thanks for your thoughts!

Hello all,

As of late I have been feeling some dissonance between the work I'm doing as an artist now, and the kind of work I'd like to be making in the future. Because of this, I am going to consider altering how I take commissions.

Short version: Commissions for everything EXCEPT Character Drawings and Full Illustrations will be closing indefinitely starting Friday, January 26th. Even if both of my commission slots are full, as long as you fill out my commission form before this date and I confirm you for a slot on the waitlist, you can still get commissions for any type of art I have available.

Long version: (i.e. why I'm doing this)

I am currently a full-time student at an art college, and have been taking commissions for some extra money in between college work. This leaves very little time for "personal" work, especially with my relatively slow pace. Most of my commissions end up being smaller pieces like badges and reference sheets, but ultimately I'd like to be doing more characters and full illustration pieces. Currently I feel the need to be working toward my eventual illustration career and not just my gallery of furry drawings (though these aren't mutually exclusive). So, I've decided to shift my focus to more "complete" artwork, at least for a while.

It's going to take me a while to figure out a system for commissions that works, and on which I will ultimately be able to support myself at least partially once I'm out of college in spring 2019. So there might be some odd, temporary changes in the near future as I test things out. But the first change is: one week from now, starting on Friday, January 26th, all commission types EXCEPT Character Drawings and Full Illustrations will be closing. Any commission forms I receive and confirm in the next week will be put on a waitlist, so you CAN still get artwork of any commission type as long as you fill out a form before then!

Hopefully with this refocusing of my time, I'll be able to improve on my skills regarding full illustrations and media more, and make these kinds of artwork more worth the time I put into them and the price I charge for them.

Once the 2018-2019 academic year is over, or if I decide to before then, I may reopen for all commission types, depending on what I'm doing over the summer and where I end up. (I'm trying my hardest to find an art-related internship, currently.)

Eventually, I may limit how many slots I have for certain commission types, alter what kinds of artwork are available as commission to begin with, or adjust prices based on the higher demand for certain kinds of art. But I'm not sure yet.

Thanks for reading!

Hello everyone!

If you've ever had the thought that my art might look good on an object or as a print - I recently started a Redbubble storefront! I'm gradually adding more things to it as ideas come to me and as I make more artwork, so even if you don't see anything that catches your fancy yet, stay tuned! C:

https://www.redbubble.com/people/akirainart?asc=u

Thanks for looking!

I'm really excited for Anthro New England coming up in February so I decided to try special themed badges!
This year's con theme is "To the Sea!", so if you're going to ANE you can get a badge to show your spirit for the theme - shipping and everything is free and badges will be sent out as they're completed to make sure you receive it on time for the con!
(I do not have an Artist Alley or Dealer's Den table so I will not be doing in-person pickups.)

They're $45, about 4.5 inches in diameter (might be slightly wider or taller depending on how the composition works out) and come with a moderately complex background to set the scene for your character.
(Example 1)

If you want one I am ONLY taking orders through filling out this form here:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1.....rm?usp=sf_link

Orders for these will close February 9th to make sure everything is on time!

Hello everyone,
Quick reminder that you only have a few more days to snag a special Halloween-themed badge from me! You get a waist-up badge with the added perks of a background and a colorful construction paper backing, and free US shipping, all for $50.

Just fill out my commission form, select "Badge (Waist-Up)" and write in a Halloween theme for your character to get the deal!
https://goo.gl/forms/4xjhsKYozUgAuvpF2

I'm keeping this open through October 5th unless I get a sudden influx of orders.

Is anyone else as excited about Halloween as I am? I know it's still September but I'm trying to get ready early due to balancing art with college!

I'm offering a special deal on 5x7 Waist-Up Badges: if you order a badge with a Halloween theme, you get a custom background and a colorful construction paper backing, and the price is slightly lower for my normal Waist-Up Badges at $50! As always with badges, shipping in the US is free.

Just fill out my commission form, select "Badge (Waist-Up)" and write in a Halloween theme for your character to get the deal!
https://goo.gl/forms/4xjhsKYozUgAuvpF2

I'm taking orders for these until about the first week of October, depending on interest, in order to aid in timely delivery for everyone. I wouldn't want to have a badge delivered AFTER Halloween after all that!

Hi everyone,

I'm doing a sale on ALL commissions from now until Labor Day (September 4th)! All prices are 15% to 25% off for this limited time. See all prices here!

Think you'll want something before the sale is over? Just fill out my commission form here!

Depending on circumstances, I reserve the right to shorten or extend the sale.

Thanks!

Hello everyone,

I would like to make all of my followers aware of a recent change to my Terms of Service.
I have changed my policy on fan art: I now allow commissions for fan art, such as anime or video game characters like Pokemon.
If you've been wanting a commission but have been holding back due to my policy on copyrighted characters, this may be your chance for some artwork!

If you are interested in a commission, you can fill out my form here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1.....rm?usp=sf_link

Please read my updated Terms of Service at http://aki-rain-art.weebly.com/commissions.html for more details.

These are closed now! I can still take a waitlist, but once these are done I will likely decide to put the price back at $70 to match with my normal colored fullbody commissions.

***

I decided to open for a few watercolor and colored pencil drawings for $40, which is over 40% off my usual price for fullbody colored character drawings!

Example: Click!

I'm only taking a few so make sure to note me (or email me at aki.rain.art [at] gmail.com) very soon if you want one!

The price might go up for characters who have complex designs or many different colors.

These are approximately 11x17 drawings, so I CAN ship them to you but it would be more expensive than usual - about $10-15 within the US.

I just received my prints in the mail which means I am all ready for a Dealer's Den table at Furvana Field Day on August 5th!

It's at Lowell Park in Everett, WA a week from this Saturday - If you're in the area, why not come see me! yupuffin and I will have a selection of a few prints and will be open for commissions! And if you're in the market for a new partial fursuit, we'll have one of those too!

And it's not just a Dealer's Den. There will be tons of other fun events going on too, like games - you know, like a real field day!

Cross your fingers, feathers or what have you for good weather, and maybe I'll see some of you there! :D

Here's my commission form for anyone who is interested!

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1.....rm?usp=sf_link

Nothing much has changed, except I figured it would be easier to initiate the conversation through a form and set it automatically over e-mail rather than having to negotiate multiple FA notes with the information.

Commissions will be opening again on July 8th! Early on that morning, the new commission form that I have for people to fill out (instead of e-mail or note conversations which can get kind of convoluted) will go live. I will be posting a link in a journal, on the front of my FurAffinity page and under my Commission Info tab, and on my website.
As always, you may also contact me through the Naturama Project website, if you would like to make a donation to a wildlife organization for your art instead of paying me directly. (You also get a 40% discount on colored pencil illustrations this way!)

My previous journal says that I would open again on July 9th, but I decided to open a day early to allow extra time for correspondence.

I will probably start with 3 commission slots, so be ready when the form goes live a week from today!

If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment, send a note, or e-mail me at aki.rain.art (at) gmail.com.
Thanks everyone!

Hello everyone,

Starting on June 9th, I will be on a trip to study abroadand I will probably not be active on FurAffinity until I return on July 9th. Please understand that my replies to comments, notes, etc. will be heavily limited, and I will probably not be checking watch messages much for that period of time.

I am taking an art course about Irish mythology, so I may be uploading some of the work I make there when I get back!

Additionally, when I return I am planning on fully opening commissions. My current plan is to open inquires right when I get back, on July 9th. I'm probably going to have a new Google Doc so people have the option to fill out a form instead of sending an FA note.
Commissions through the Naturama Project, where you can donate to wildlife organizations, will still be open as well!
I'm also planning on starting up an ad banner here on FA, so keep an eye out for that :3

Everyone have a great rest of June!

Me, to myself, before going into the meeting:
I think aside from human faces (and sometimes humans in general), I'm pretty good at drawing... my color could still use a little work... but how do I get better with composition? Maybe my art isn't interesting because my composition is bad?

My teacher in the meeting:
Your composition is actually your strong point and your color is decent, you just need to get your drawing and your values to where it's caught up with those and your paintings will be fantastic!

???? I'm so confused! X'D Maybe it comes from my teacher seeing only my classwork, which is very different from everything else I do, but this is the exact opposite of my impression of my own work!

What do you all think? Where can I improve the most? Is one of us right, or neither?

Are the FurAffinity advertising banners really 300x90 pixels? For some reason when I make a 300x90 document on Photoshop it looks way smaller than the banners on FA (and I'm not zoomed in on the page). o.O Maybe there's something weird with my laptop resolution?

But yes I am considering getting one..

Hi everyone, I recently started a Twitter account for my art! If you want to see more WIPs and posts daily (or almost daily), not just the finished pieces I upload to galleries like FurAffinity, then you may be interested in taking a look!

*** https://twitter.com/akirainart ***

I would love to follow other artists on Twitter as well, so if you have a SFW art Twitter page then please feel free to link it below!

Hi everyone,

I've decided to close commissions for a while. It's very helpful for me to take commissions, but I need to make sure I take care of myself during the times when college is busy, and for me that means closing commissions at the moment.

I will be keeping commissions only through the Naturama Project open. This means you can still get colored pencil illustrations (go here for more information).

I might reopen in later this summer. I would like to reopen earlier if possible, but I'm studying abroad for most of June and the beginning of July which is exciting! And I don't want any possibility of suspending people's commissions for a whole month and making them wait. I may decide to open for smaller things like sketches and badges, or do some YCHes, but I'm not sure yet.

Thanks for reading!

Hello everyone!

I just got some badges laminated and am sending out my first large badge done for someone else today! To celebrate, I would like to do a sale on badges!

My 3x4" headshot badges, normally $35, will be $25. And my large waist-up badges, which are a little under 5x7" and usually $55, will be $45. Shipping to anywhere in the US, badge holder (small) or lamination (large) and a badge clip are included in these prices.

This sale will last until February 20th. I only have one open commission slot right now, but as long as you contact me between now and the end of the day on February 20th, even if I have a waitlist, you will get the deal.

I may end the sale early if I get too many, but I doubt I will so I'll see how it goes!

Please send me a note here OR an e-mail at aki.rain.art (at) gmail.com with what kind of badge you would like and a character reference and I will get back to you!

Thanks!

So... It seems like I have to write another journal asking for advice.
This Tumblr post got to me.
It seems like a lot of the other students at my art college are able to at least slightly support themselves by selling their art or doing commissions. And, I keep reading posts about how the furry community is a good space for commissions. So I feel a little let down as a furry artist in art college who can't manage to sell her art.

I can't figure out why I consistently upload art for years and still get barely interest at all. I am grateful that in the last few days one of my long time clients has approached me for another commission. However, not including that, my commissions can be open for months and I won't hear a peep. (Hehe, bird puns.)

I've tried trades and YCHes to generate interest in my art. I did a couple trades with people on DeviantArt, but nobody here was even interested in doing an art trade with me. My first YCH went really well but this second one is going unnoticed. I've added different types of commissions that might be popular, such as badges (which I didn't do for a really long time).

Really, can my watchers tell me if there's something I'm doing wrong, or I'm not doing that I should be doing? or if my art just isn't good enough? Or if my prices are too high? (I mean, if that's the problem, tough luck because I'm not lowering my prices, but that's why I have lower price point items such as sketches and avatars.)

Hello everyone! This is for anyone who might be interested in commissioning art from me - I'm doing commissions for an event and it's a special deal!

If you like animals, I highly suggest you check out the Naturama Project. The idea is that artists offer commissions for a certain amount, and that amount then gets donated to a nature conservation group.

As you can probably guess, I am participating in this event as an artist! But not only do you get to donate to help animals, and get art out of it - I'm offering full colored pencil illustrations at a discounted price! Usually commissions like this are $80 or more, but if you commission me through Naturama (Click here - I am the first artist listed on the page) you get a full colored pencil illustration with a background and one or two characters for only 55 Euros (about $58 USD)!

Whether or not you decide to commission art from me, I hope that at least some of my watchers decide to read more about the Naturama Project and perhaps get involved!

Where are you staying At/How long will you be staying?
Staying at the main hotel from Friday afternoon to Sunday at about noon.

How are you traveling to/from the con?
Taking the train from Providence.

Who are you rooming with?
Nobody yet... I don't know any furs in the community THAT well. OTL

Who will you be with?
Whoever I find I guess!

Where will you be? How is the best way to find you?
You may see me as my barn owl fursona; other than that I will likely be either browsing the Artist Alley/Dealer's Den or going to panels! I don't know the best way to find me out of suit though I have gotten comments that my hair is distinctive. XD

Attending any events?
Auditioning for the dance competition for sure. I'll see what else I'm going to once the schedule is up.

What do you look like?
http://www.furaffinity.net/full/18912580/
Hm... let's see if I can find a picture of myself as a human....

What is your gender?
Female

How old are you?
19

Can I Be Your Friend/Are you mated/looking for a relationship?
I would be happy to meet new friends! Please keep it at the friend level though.

Mated / Relationship: Not something I typically talk about with people...

How tall are you?
5'5"

Can I talk to you?
Please do! owo I'm sorry if I appear shy, my brain works slowly!

Can I hug and/or snuggle you/Touch you?
Hugs are fine, especially if I'm in suit! You get big feathery birb hugs! :3

Are you nice?
I think so

Are you cliquey?
I don't think so

Are you Fursuiting?
Yes!

Do you do free art?
No

Do you do trades?
Ask me - I'm not constantly open but I may consider it.

Do you do commissions/Can I Give you Money for things?
Yes, I am WIDE OPEN for art commissions!

Are you buying art?
I'll have to see what's there since I just paid for a new partial suit of my second fursona...

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Just say "Aki" in a relatively loud voice. But not so much as to startle me.

Can I take your picture?
Yup!

Can I ask you to dance with me during the dances?
Yeah, sure!

Can I buy you food/drinks/Take you for dinner?
Maybe?

Do you attend parties?
Nope, not a party person.

May I kidnap you to my room?
No thank you.

Will you tell me your room-number and can I surprise visit you?
No thank you.

What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Um... to not forget my choreography in the dance competition!

Are you attending any other cons in the next year?
Newcon PDX 5 and maybe one day of Furlandia