Hello everyone!

I recently only had some items open for commission and not others, but now I'm open for anything from single-character sketches to full illustrations!

See full prices and terms of service HERE!

Here's everything at a glance -
3x4" Traditional Badge: $40 (including shipping)
Icon/Avatar: $25
Colored Pencil Illustration: $80+
Digital Illustration: $75+
Pencil/Graphite Illustration: $50+
Sketch: $20+
Colored Sketch: $30+
Digital Flat Color: $40+

Artwork will be started in January of 2017 if ordered now! Send me a note or an e-mail at aki.rain.art [at] gmail.com if you're interested!

I also have a couple of ideas for YCH sales, so stay tunedif you're interested in those at a discount from the above prices! :3 I'll be announcing them sometime between late December and mid-January.

Hello everyone!

I'm planning on doing a YCH flatsale in the next month or so and was wondering if there's anything in particular people might like to see?
Post ideas here! I can't guarantee following any specific one but I'm open to suggestions!

The sale will be at a discounted price compared to my normal commissions since it's a YCH rather than fully customized.

I was thinking a little about something today, and I'm wondering if this sounds logical...

I'm wondering if maybe the reason I haven't been happy with any of my artwork the past couple of years is because school has forced me to work on any for-fun drawing (i.e. most of the stuff I upload to the Internet) bit by bit, spread over several weeks, instead of all at once wen I first come up with the idea.

Before I thought it was because I wasn't improving at all, but now I'm wondering if it's just because of how my free time is distributed. Maybe if I suddenly had weekends free or something, like I did two years ago, then I would still be happy about where my artwork was going.

I realized suddenly that I have a lot of sketches I made a couple weeks ago that I really wanted to color once I got the chance, but now that time has passed, I have other things I really want to draw instead. And of course I can start them, but the next time I have free time to continue working on those drawings will be in a week or even two or three, so I won't be excited to work on them anymore. So my feeling in anything I finish ends up kind of dying out before it's really even gotten started.

It's not that I don't know how to stay committed to a drawing - just, this is USUALLY what happens now.

Does this make sense?

I would love to be able to fix this somehow, but really I'm such a slow artist that with the few hours of free time I have, there's no way I can finish a single drawing in a week. The most I can do is a colored doodle with lots of errors. And while it's sort of finishing something and fun in the moment, it's not very satisfying at all.

(And no, it doesn't get better with practice. That's what I've been told for the past few years and I've only ever gotten slower.)

I already don't use a lot of the characters I have, so it might be weird to think this...
BUT I feel like I want to make some characters of unusual animals!

I have 5 wolf characters right now (Matsuri, Cross, Kagami, Waterise and Lydia), which is I think why I don't use all of them - they're all wolves so they're not very different from one another.

But I went to the zoo the other day and now I want to make characters of these animals:
Moon bear
New England cottontail rabbit
Giant anteater
Matschie's tree kangaroo
Squirrel of some sort (maybe Eastern gray squirrel?)
Perhaps a bat of some sort (like a straw-colored fruit bat)

What do you all think? Any other animals you think are cool but you don't see enough artwork of?

Hi everyone!

First I will be writing about limited openings for commissions!

I said that commissions might open this past summer, and they didn't because I was WAY busier than I anticipated... But now, I will be able to open commissions for certain types in a limited number of slots! I will also be able to take payment by debit or credit card and not just PayPal accounts.

The types that will be opening soon will be Character Badges for $40 and traditional Sketches for $20 (please see the Commission Info tab of my gallery). My current plan is to open one slot per week.
I will also take a waitlist if there are enough people interested. I will then do commissions in the order of the waitlist.
I am planning on opening for commissions on Sunday, September 25th. (Each subsequent week will also start on a Sunday.) If you are interested in a Sketch or a Character Badge, please note me on that day to claim your spot!
However, please know that I can only mail Character Badges right now, and not Sketches... it has to do with the supplies I have with me right now. If you really want your sketch mailed to you (and as long as you are in the United States), I can mail it in November free of charge.

Aside from commissions (and actually a little related), how things are going for me now that summer is over!

I WOULD offer Avatars and Colored Sketches as commissions, but... both my tablet and my art program stopped working. TTATT I may open them up once I figure things out, but I probably have to buy an up to date tablet (as opposed to my really old one) first.

Over the summer, I had very little free time, and I was mainly focusing on crafts (i.e. my new fursuit feet)... now that I've moved into college again, I don't have my feet to work on, so I've been taking up my free time with preparing to take commissions, drawing, and working on my choreography for the Anthro New England 2017 dance competition. Who else is going to ANE 2017?!

Also, I am taking some illustration classes and will probably be posting whatever assignments I get that intersect with the furry/animal subject matter I usually tend toward. :3

Hello everyone,

A few months ago I made a journal stating that I would be changing how I take commissions. I have rewritten the Terms of Service and changed prices. This means that my visual commission sheet shown as a submission on my account is no longer accurate until I update it, so please keep this in mind.

To anyone who is interested (or curious), please view the changes either on my website [HERE] or on my DeviantArt journal [HERE].

Commissions may open sometime this summer if I feel I can manage it.

Thanks!

If so, follow me on Twitter!

I dance both in and out of suit, which can be positive or negative depending on how you view it... but I wanted to mention it in case people get mad at me for breaking the magic ;D

https://twitter.com/Akirain64

Also, if anyone is going to Furlandia in a couple of weeks, watch for me in the dance competition there! If there is a Furlandia meme, I will be filling it out as soon as I come across it.

Hello everyone, I just got back from Anthro New England, and since it was the first time I took a train to a fur con rather than driving, it created a question for me and I'm looking for input...

How do you all manage to pack bulky fursuits when going to fur conventions if you aren't driving to the con?

The only way for me to get to ANE was by train/subway, and because of my fursuit, I had to use a giant suitcase that I felt was too big for the space on the train. I would like to come to the convention again next year but I feel like a better way to transport my fursuit there, with a suitcase (or suitcases) that fits on the train better, would be ideal.

I had a full suit this time... do people usually just bring their partials in cases like this, out of necessity?

I'm so excited to meet everyone! Anthro New England is less than a week away >w<

I will be entering the dance competition (crossing my feathers that I get in!), so come see me and everyone else who's in it if you're going!

I uploaded a little freestyle dance today to a random song that I thought was catchy, just so I existed at least a little on the Internet before the competition. :P
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vv_01wmJbcs

Also, I find it hilarious that my fursuit head has managed to detach itself from the base... only a few days before the convention and my first dance competition... My sister (who made the fursuit) has much more sewing and general fursuit-making experience than I do, so... this will be a fun fix. XD

Hello everyone!
This is a reminder that, while my normal commissions are still closed, you can still get artwork from me by contributing to the Naturama Project!

The money for the artwork will be donated to an organization that helps animals through this project, and you get some custom art in return!

For more information about the Naturama Project, click here!

This time I am offering an 8.5 by 11 inch (22.9 x 30.5 cm) colored pencil artwork with a full background for 30 euros (about $32).

Please contact me about this if you are interested!

Sorry, I can no longer guarantee that the artwork will be done by Christmas, especially if you are outside of the US and our time zones are very different (so communication might be slower).

I am most likely going to Anthro New England in Cambridge, MA in January 2016! It's going to be my first convention on the east coast of the US - is anyone else going?

Hopefully you will also see me in the dance competition (which will also be my first)! Possibly more on that later.... ;D

I still feel mostly invisible more often than not. It seems like people I watch are really involved in all sorts of things and I'm just awkwardly on the outside of things because sometimes I feel like I don't feel like I fit into any one fandom very well... And when putting your art on the internet, people say to be consistent and just give it time, but I'n such a nervous person and it seems like I just go unnoticed and time doesn't help as much as it should, and I don't have enough of it...

I also seem to have a lot of difficulty communicating in artwork. I try to convey particular messages or emotions but it seems like nobody understands them unless I use words (which, sometimes, defeats the purpose), even though other artists seem to be able to do it just fine..

Sometimes my vague feeling that something is wrong is stronger than at other times. I don't know if I'M doing something wrong or if the world is somehow working against me... But I'm still worried about being able to make art my career as much as I want it to...

Hello again everyone!
If you are interested in helping animals and enjoy making any kind of art - traditional, digital, sculptures, crafts, music, anything - then I would like to tell you about the Naturama Project!

With the Naturama Project, you can take commissions for any kind of art that you make, and all of the money from the commissions gets donated to an organization of your choice (selected from several different options) that works to save animals.

The Naturama Project has been running every year since 2011, and artists from all over the world can participate.

Here is the artwork from all the past years to give you an idea!
http://naturama-projekt.org/en/gallery.php

If you would like to join or have any questions, you can e-mail info[at]naturama-projekt.org or you can see this journal on DeviantArt:
http://fav.me/d93t9om

I will be participating in this project that starts in about a month, so if you are interested in some artwork from me but would like to make a commission part of this project, stay tuned! ^^

Hey! Just letting everyone know that I'm back from my trip and I'll be able to continue posting artwork and more of the Boundaries comic now. ^^ I'll be slowly easing back into the world of the Internet now.

Hey everyone!

I'm going to be selling some of the prints of my art :3 I have quite a few that didn't sell at conventions and I have no idea when my next con will be so I figure I'd temporarily offer the opportunity to buy them online!

The prints are all 8.5" by 11" (21.6 x 27.9 cm) and not full bleed. They are $12 for one, but if you want to order multiple, the first one will be $12 and each additional will be $8 (all of this includes shipping). Please note me with orders. Payment will primarily be taken by PayPal; please ask about other methods.

Below is a list of the prints I currently have. If there is any of my work that you would like as a print but do not see here, please note me! If I get enough demand for one, I may make it available as a print.

Available Prints:

Giratina
Aihi (Sun/Jenday conure)
Western Tanager
The Leap (Cougar/Mountain lion/Puma)
The Fox
The Crossing (Red wolf)
Luminous (Gray wolf)
Cross - Power (Anthropomorphic wolf)
And Autumn Sun (posted on DeviantArt but not here).

I guess these have been on my mind lately since I feel like I've seen a lot of posts and journals around such as "Need extra money for ___, opening commissions" and some of my friends talk about raising money with their art commissions:

Is there a special trick to getting commissions (for real money, not on other websites for fake currency) or something?
I advertise a bunch by putting a link to my information in every submission, but I get them very rarely online (i.e. once every 3-6 months MAYBE). even on websites that are supposedly good for commissions.

I already comment on and favorite others' work, and submit to groups all the time. Perhaps it's because I don't post as often as other people do so I don't get as many followers? Or my style isn't just something people are looking for? Or maybe it has to do with being online and not in real life, since I've done better in my experimental Artist Alley ventures?

Hi everyone! :D
I'm planning on making some more prints of my work soon to sell at conventions, so I was wondering whether anyone had any specific artworks they would like to see as a print? Whether you would actually buy it, or whether you would just like to hang the work on your wall if you happened to have it, I would love to hear. ^^

Additionally, if anyone has any general suggestions on what they might like to see as a print from me but I haven't drawn yet, I'd be happy to hear those as well. In particular I'm looking for suggestions for Pokemon, since I'm hoping to do more art of Pokemon at some point, so I would love to hear what kind of Pokemon people like and what kind of art people buy.

Thanks for the feedback and continued support! Also, if someone has already commented what you were thinking, please feel free to leave another comment agreeing with them! If I really like an idea that is suggested and a lot of other people like the idea, I'm more likely to try it out.

I usually use white gel pen for highlights in my colored pencil and marker drawings, but it seems like the ink doesn't come out very smoothly, and only works about 50% of the time. I was wondering if any of my watchers use a particular brand of gel pen that works well? I'm currently using the Gelly Roll brand.

Hello everyone!

I'm not sure how much of an answer I can get for this, since I don't know many people on here. But there also aren't many other places that I'm on to ask a question about fursuits.

I was wondering, is it possible to dance in a partial fursuit that has a head made of resin? I've been told it's possible, but they seem a bit heavy to me (maybe just because I'm used to foam heads?) and I was concerned it would come off my head and break or something.

I'm not planning on doing anything crazy - I've already tried rolling on the floor in one of my dances and i kept bonking my head really hard, so I've given up on that. xD But if my head was always above my limbs, would it be possible to dance in a resin head without endangering the head, or myself?

To everyone who stopped by my Artist Alley table at Rainfurrest today! :D It was my first time in an AA at a convention and even seeing that people wanted to glance at my work was encouraging. You guys are all awesome, and thank you for the new views/watches <3

The second version of the meme with all the questions I haven't answered yet! They're probably more relevant to what I will be doing at the con anyway.

Con Plans
My main plans are to try to get a spot in the Artists Alley and to enter the dance competition. I'll probably fursuit for a while and go to a few panels, too!

Do you do free art?
Sorry, no. I enjoy making people happy, but I'm really slow at art so I feel stressed with free art on top of all my other ideas and commitments and I probably wouldn't put my full effort into it/deliver it on time ;A;

Do you do trades?
I would love to! Sounds like an amazing way to meet fellow artists.

Do you do commissions?
Yup! :3 I'll also be taking commissions at the convention. (Even if I don't get into the AA, I guess I wouldn't mind people finding me if they want one? XD)

Do you have prints / CDs ?
Yup, working on making prints right now. I'm so excited!

Do you do badges?
I hope to in the future, but at the moment, I haven't had very much practice so I don't trust myself to do a good enough job to make it worth people paying me.

Will you have Art in the Art Show?
I can't attend for the whole day (maybe not at all) on Thursday, so unfortunately I can't enter the art show.

Will you be bringing a fursuit?
Yes! One of my fursona Aki-rain, the barn owl with yellow markings. Still haven't made a partial for Matsuri but still hoping to have one at some point in the future!

Will you be performing?
Dance competition~

Will you be at any panels?
Not running any, but going to some. Will take a closer look at the schedule when con gets closer :P

If you're pissed off, should I approach you?
Probably not. I try to be friendly with everyone so I would feel really bad if I snapped at someone just because I didn't feel like talking D:

Are you nice?
I like to think that I am, but I guess it's up to you?

Cliquey?
I don't assign myself to any certain group.

Can I ask you to dance at the raves?
I don't go to raves.

Stolen from  crystumes
Also, aaah there is another meme for this what do I do

Hotel:
Whichever one it is at! May not be staying in it the whole time since I am only a 30-40 minute drive away, though.

Arrival/Departure:
Not going on Thursday, may go on Friday in the evening, and Saturday and Sunday for the whole day.

Means of transportation:
Car! >:D

Sharing a room with:
Famliy

Who do you hang out with?
My mom and sister, and then whoever! From my experience, most people at conventions are really nice, so I don't mind striking up a conversation with someone random or someone who I happen to be sitting next to in a panel. :D

Gender:
Female

Preference:
Unspecific? I don't know if I have one since I'm not really into the idea of relationships, at least at the moment.

Relationship Status
Nothing really.

How old are you?
I don't give that out, sorry o3o but if you see me at con you are welcome to ask!

How tall are you?
5 feet 5 inches or so?

Are you an Artist?
Definitely. Drawing, painting, singing, dancing... also hoping to get into sewing so I can make myself some costumes.

Do you have a sketchbook?
Totally. I use it as a sort of artistic journal and I can't imagine life without it now.

Are you a Fursuiter?
Yeah, I get in my fursuit every now and then and I'll probably be in the parade.

Which Fursuits will you bring?
My only one, Aki-rain the barn owl, made by my sister, with an updated head.

Can I ask to wear one of your suits?
No thanks. (I didn't know this was something people actually asked, though?)

Would you wear one of my fursuits?
Nah. I get uncomfortable enough in my own. XD

Attending parties?
Nope. I go to bed early, and probably won't be in the con space after 9 PM or so. And parties are a little too much for me.

Do you drink?
Nope.

Can I buy you a drink?
Sure. I usually drink juice, or hot chocolate, and I'll drink soda if there are others and it's a sort of social thing.

Do you smoke?
Nope!

Are you attending any panels?
Probably a beginner sewing panel, any art panels that I find interesting, and some to do with performances?

Stage or public performance?
I love both. Public performance is easier simply because I don't have to qualify, though. (Was a bit disappointed when I realized they're having preliminaries for the dance competition this year, since I just wanted to be on stage like my sister was last year but I probably won't be good enough to actually perform D:)

How do I identify myself to you?
I usually recognize usernames, and if that doesn't jog my memory, perhaps describe your art style or say "I'm a watcher on FurAffinity/deviantART/etc."

Rules of engagement (physical contact)?
Be predictable if you hug me, ask first when I'm in suit. And don't otherwise touch me without my permission please. (Except, I don't high fives or handshakes or things like that.)

How can I find you?
Hoping to be in Artist Alley on Saturday or Sunday, but otherwise perhaps look for my badges of Aki-rain and Matsuri?

Can I talk to you?
Absolutely! I love talking to people.

Can I give you lots of money?
That would make me uncomfortable if I wasn't doing art in return or something.

Can I give you stuff?
Depends on what it is. I don't like wasting things so free stuff hasn't always been something I've liked, but I love anime or animal-related goodies!

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Hugging is fine, snuggling is reserved for people I trust and have known for a long time.

Can I come to dinner with you?
I wouldn't mind going to dinner with someone if it's very casual, and I could bring a group along with me.

Can I invite you to dinner?
See the above.

Can I hang out with you?
Absolutely! Please don't feel bad if I have somewhere to go, though, I might be busy this con. D: I don't like stopping conversations but I also get stressed easily.

Can I take your picture?
Sure! I would prefer if I was in my fursuit rather than out of it, but I guess out of my suit is fine too? As long as you let me know if you post it on the Internet or something.

How do I know if you're not looking to socialize (angry, busy or upset)?
I walk really fast, so if I'm walking somewhere particularly fast I'm probably busy. If I'm upset, usually I'm really quiet, my voice is lower and my expression shows it. And my posture will be a little more hunched and withdrawn.

Personality Type?
Stressed easily and sensitive. But I love talking to people, and I don't mind if people are awkward or accidentally say something wrong, since it happens to me all the time. I'm going to enjoy this convention and be positive as well as I can! I also love the laid-back atmosphere of Rainfurrest; it's very different from the feeling of anime conventions, especially larger ones. (No lines? What? :D)

What's your goal for the con this year?
Get into the Artists Alley! It would be my first time selling any of my art to people off the Internet so I'd be really excited if that happened. :D

I don't know if anyone here is into anime or anime conventions, but letting everyone know just in case (and because I'm so excited that the schedule is out) that I'm going to Sakura-Con this year on April 18th to 20th! I'll be there in the morning on the 17th too to hang out.

I won't actually be in the Artist's Alley but I'll be attending panels, cosplaying and wandering around if anyone else happens to be going! ^^

Hmm, first meme here... I hope I'm doing it right! xD


What made you choose the species of your main fursona?
I've just always been into owls. I was choosing between a barn owl and a short-eared owl, and I went with a barn owl simply because I've liked them for a lot longer and they're easier to draw.

Is your fursona just like you, or how you want to be?
I haven't thought about this much. I guess she's kind of how I want to be, since I don't imagine owls having my personality or anything very easily.

Does your fursona have the same personality you have?
Mostly. I think she's a lot calmer, though.

Does your fursona have the same dislikes and likes as you do?
This is another one I never thought about much... I think so.

Does your fursona look like you at all?
Barn owls are tall and long and thin, which I guess is like me... I didn't intentionally incorporate anything into her design though.

Is your fursona the same gender as you, if not why?
Yes.

Do you have more then one main fursona?
Yes. The one I'm focusing on here is Aki-rain my barn owl fursona, but I also use Matsuri the gray wolf as a sort of fursona to represent my musical side because sometimes it's really difficult to pose an owl dancing or such and fit those wings on the page at the same time.

Do you have a back story for your fursona, if so does it have anything to do with your own history?
I haven't thought of a backstory. I've always thought of a fursona as a representation more than a character, so I never really thought about making one.

Is your fursona mated, if so is it to your real life significant other?
No, she is not.

If not are they looking for a mate, or are they a swinger so to speak?
No.

Is there something special about your fursona that you think sets them apart from others?
Not really.

Do you have much art of your main fursona/s?
I have a few pieces, but not a lot.

Would you ever consider parting with your main fursona, if so why?
No. I have a fursuit of her, so that would pretty much waste that.

If you suit, do you have a suit of your main fursona?
Yes, a full one. ^ And I would like to get a partial of Matsuri at some point.

Have you ever roleplayed with your main fursona, or do you prefer not to?
As I mentioned above, I generally think of a fursona as a representation rather than a character, so I've never really felt compelled to role-play with my fursona.

Do you consider your main fursona to be a part of you in any way?
Well, I designed her, and I have a fursuit of her, so I guess artistically?

Hi guys! I had a blast being in my full suit at RainFurrest. :D There's still one day left of the con, and while I'm not planning on wearing it again, you never know what will happen!

As I was watching the dance competition, I was thinking maybe at some point I should have a partial fursuit of my wolf character Matsuri... but I have no clue where to start! If anyone makes wolf fursuits or knows of someone who takes commissions with then, you can give me a heads up and I'll look around. I'm not planning on making any decisions in the near future, but I will need some help getting started at looking at fursuits and stuff (I'm kind of a newbie at this whole thing).