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patch notes 7/5/2025
Posted 4 months agoit's gonna take me a while to go through 15 years of submissions, but I'm in the process of tagging All The Things. all the characters starting with the most important ones. setting my status to Visible, as it were.
I've been putting this off for a very long time; I was thinking of doing it anyway before FA changed their labeling system and enforced the keyword minimum, but now it's just as well I have to follow through.
better late than never. the world is on fire and my own body tried to kill me last month. if I never accomplish anything else, I should at least get rid of my hangups about putting myself out there to a wider audience out of concern that someone might interpret the work in a (sexual/kink) way I didn't intend.
it's real lonely out here and I am trying to make it less so! hello! please don't make me regret this furaffinity, I love you
I've been putting this off for a very long time; I was thinking of doing it anyway before FA changed their labeling system and enforced the keyword minimum, but now it's just as well I have to follow through.
better late than never. the world is on fire and my own body tried to kill me last month. if I never accomplish anything else, I should at least get rid of my hangups about putting myself out there to a wider audience out of concern that someone might interpret the work in a (sexual/kink) way I didn't intend.
it's real lonely out here and I am trying to make it less so! hello! please don't make me regret this furaffinity, I love you
unfamiliar feelings
Posted 4 months agosurgery recovery is weird because I'm already feeling more or less well enough to return to my job (whether or not it's actually a good idea right now) but then one (1) sneeze feels like I'm tearing open. things are... okay. the biggest hassle right now is grocery shopping and trying to find things that 1. I actually want to eat and 2. aren't 90% pure lard. appetite is good but food has never been so unexciting. I haven't noticed that much of a change in things I can comfortably eat but I'm just trying to play it safe right now, I don't need any more bad times, thanks. folks have been really kind and supportive, not just online but also at home and work, and I really appreciate that. I need to get over the idea that people are cold and unsympathetic. I also need to be less afraid of asserting myself honestly, even if I only ever get to do it in spaces like this. if you're following along: thank you.
guess who had emergency surgery!!
Posted 5 months agothis guy!! guess who lost an organ today?? also this guy!!
tl;dr I had been having weird stomach/abdominal pain off and on randomly for a few years that was always too short-lived and sporadic for me to seriously investigate it, but this week it started recurring daily and last night my gallbladder finally said Nope, Fuck You! Didn't rupture thankfully but it would have, so I'm glad I swallowed my pride and trusted my instincts and had my kind roommate drive me to the ER last night before it could get any worse. Unfortunately I learned that morphine doesn't do shit for a raging infection and now I truly know what 10/10 pain feels like. But the surgery itself was nbd. My first time going under, actually, not the surgery I fuckin WANT lmao but it wasn't bad at all and I was able to go home only five hours later, feeling almost normal, just tired and the incisions are a lil sore. Some Friday the 13th I guess! Damn!!
I learned my lesson here and I want to stress that if you're trying to suppress mystery medical shit, don't. I get it, we're all broke and dying on the inside, but I got lucky here. If I had been too stubborn to go to the hospital I would have ended up going anyway with a whole other fun bucket of complications. If you're getting random abdominal pain, please take it seriously, I was pretty ignorant of the signs but in retrospect it was obvious. Love yourselves, don't be a dipshit like me.
In other news I'm gonna attempt to return to artfight this year, not sure how active I will be but I wanna draw cool ocs! my username over there is mongoosefangs if you wanna check it out!
tl;dr I had been having weird stomach/abdominal pain off and on randomly for a few years that was always too short-lived and sporadic for me to seriously investigate it, but this week it started recurring daily and last night my gallbladder finally said Nope, Fuck You! Didn't rupture thankfully but it would have, so I'm glad I swallowed my pride and trusted my instincts and had my kind roommate drive me to the ER last night before it could get any worse. Unfortunately I learned that morphine doesn't do shit for a raging infection and now I truly know what 10/10 pain feels like. But the surgery itself was nbd. My first time going under, actually, not the surgery I fuckin WANT lmao but it wasn't bad at all and I was able to go home only five hours later, feeling almost normal, just tired and the incisions are a lil sore. Some Friday the 13th I guess! Damn!!
I learned my lesson here and I want to stress that if you're trying to suppress mystery medical shit, don't. I get it, we're all broke and dying on the inside, but I got lucky here. If I had been too stubborn to go to the hospital I would have ended up going anyway with a whole other fun bucket of complications. If you're getting random abdominal pain, please take it seriously, I was pretty ignorant of the signs but in retrospect it was obvious. Love yourselves, don't be a dipshit like me.
In other news I'm gonna attempt to return to artfight this year, not sure how active I will be but I wanna draw cool ocs! my username over there is mongoosefangs if you wanna check it out!
not dead yet
Posted 8 months agoyou're not getting rid of me that easily
hello furaffinity! a lot has happened in the world and a lot of it is not great but all things considered I'm doin okay! I moved... a while ago now, actually, and it's been very nice. I turned 36 last month. I acquired a bearded dragon. I still have my ancient cat and my bugs and my many houseplants, and I'm still trying to create All The Things as often as I can. I had what was probably a torn ligament in my right shoulder for months, but that was also a while ago and it's more or less back to normal. the moral of the story is Don't Fall Down
I may scrounge up a few more backlogged things to post from 2024 but it's current stuff from here on out, and I hope to have a lot more of it this year! thanks for stickin with me!
hello furaffinity! a lot has happened in the world and a lot of it is not great but all things considered I'm doin okay! I moved... a while ago now, actually, and it's been very nice. I turned 36 last month. I acquired a bearded dragon. I still have my ancient cat and my bugs and my many houseplants, and I'm still trying to create All The Things as often as I can. I had what was probably a torn ligament in my right shoulder for months, but that was also a while ago and it's more or less back to normal. the moral of the story is Don't Fall Down
I may scrounge up a few more backlogged things to post from 2024 but it's current stuff from here on out, and I hope to have a lot more of it this year! thanks for stickin with me!
update + artfight(?)
Posted 2 years agoa lot's happened so far in 2023! just not on the artistic side of things! TL;DR most of my time and energy right now is going to my day job, repairs on my new* truck, and preparing to move later this fall.
HOWEVER, I did finally sign up for artfight. I didn't even mean to but it was the only way to look at other peoples' OC profiles and now I've uploaded a few of my own blorbos and I guess I'm doing this, whoops. Not sure how active I will be during literally my busiest work month of the year, but I've been feeling really creatively blocked lately and I hope this will at least prompt me to loosen up and have a little fun doodling. if you wanna add me, I can be found here:
https://artfight.net/~mongoosefangs
that's basically it. I'm just trying to survive, man. it could be worse. it's fine.
*new to me. but still almost 20 years old. so it needs a few things.
HOWEVER, I did finally sign up for artfight. I didn't even mean to but it was the only way to look at other peoples' OC profiles and now I've uploaded a few of my own blorbos and I guess I'm doing this, whoops. Not sure how active I will be during literally my busiest work month of the year, but I've been feeling really creatively blocked lately and I hope this will at least prompt me to loosen up and have a little fun doodling. if you wanna add me, I can be found here:
https://artfight.net/~mongoosefangs
that's basically it. I'm just trying to survive, man. it could be worse. it's fine.
*new to me. but still almost 20 years old. so it needs a few things.
it's coming! get ready!
Posted 3 years agothe year where I have to put Big Ugly Watermarks on everything, apparently, across the entire image and at 99% opacity! this account is now a No Fun Zone! are you excited? I love being a Content Creator On The Internet
on this day 12 years ago
Posted 3 years agoI opened a FA account and put a jackal on it.
it's good to know some things never change
it's good to know some things never change
'nother trip around the sun
Posted 4 years agoit's my birthday today.
turning 33 is especially weird because for the longest time in my teens, that was the age I set my OC at, and it seemed so far away and grown up and like more of an abstract concept than an eventuality. Blaine was a grown-ass adult at this age, meanwhile in meatspace I still get carded for beer and I see dudes born in like 1995 who look old enough to be my dad.
there's no age where you just magically become a different person. today doesn't feel any different from yesterday. 32 didn't feel any different from 31. I don't think it's either a bad or good thing to get older. maybe there are people who will try to make you feel bad about it, but joke's on them, because they'll be that age someday too. my advice to teens and twentysomethings is to be kind to yourselves. there is not some deadline looming over you at 30. you will just keep being the same person. it's fine. give yourself permission to enjoy things and run your own race without comparing yourself to others.
this is going to be an interesting year to say the least. there's a lot I want to do in terms of art and new projects. not saying just what yet, but if I can get it off the ground, it's going to be the biggest creative undertaking of my life. I've already drawn more in the last week than I have in the last six months, so... that's encouraging!
this account turns twelve years old in April, which will certainly be a month of anniversaries. oh boy. like 33, it's coming whether I want it or not. but I digress. no matter how long you've been following, I appreciate you! thank you for sticking around!
turning 33 is especially weird because for the longest time in my teens, that was the age I set my OC at, and it seemed so far away and grown up and like more of an abstract concept than an eventuality. Blaine was a grown-ass adult at this age, meanwhile in meatspace I still get carded for beer and I see dudes born in like 1995 who look old enough to be my dad.
there's no age where you just magically become a different person. today doesn't feel any different from yesterday. 32 didn't feel any different from 31. I don't think it's either a bad or good thing to get older. maybe there are people who will try to make you feel bad about it, but joke's on them, because they'll be that age someday too. my advice to teens and twentysomethings is to be kind to yourselves. there is not some deadline looming over you at 30. you will just keep being the same person. it's fine. give yourself permission to enjoy things and run your own race without comparing yourself to others.
this is going to be an interesting year to say the least. there's a lot I want to do in terms of art and new projects. not saying just what yet, but if I can get it off the ground, it's going to be the biggest creative undertaking of my life. I've already drawn more in the last week than I have in the last six months, so... that's encouraging!
this account turns twelve years old in April, which will certainly be a month of anniversaries. oh boy. like 33, it's coming whether I want it or not. but I digress. no matter how long you've been following, I appreciate you! thank you for sticking around!
who's open for comms?
Posted 4 years agomy birthday is next month and I'd like to get an art or two!
specifically, I'm shopping for these lads:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44374072/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45592637/
I always try to match artists with characters they will enjoy drawing, so hit me up if either of them vibe with you. I do have other OCs if weird/sad dogs aren't your thing, but these two take priority right now. Mostly looking for simple illustrations or maybe one painterly scene, but feel free to suggest other options!
thanks \o/
specifically, I'm shopping for these lads:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/44374072/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/45592637/
I always try to match artists with characters they will enjoy drawing, so hit me up if either of them vibe with you. I do have other OCs if weird/sad dogs aren't your thing, but these two take priority right now. Mostly looking for simple illustrations or maybe one painterly scene, but feel free to suggest other options!
thanks \o/
show me your fursona.
Posted 4 years agowhat it says on the tin. I wanna see all the fursonas. tell me about them. are they an old character who has stayed with you for years and evolved (or not)? awesome. are they a brand new character you made five minutes ago to reflect something new about yourself? flawless. perfect. all of them.
this isn't an offer for art or anything, I just want to admire some sonas. I want to appreciate how others in the fandom choose to represent themselves. throw em at me and, if you want, tell me a lil bit about why they mean so much to you.
this isn't an offer for art or anything, I just want to admire some sonas. I want to appreciate how others in the fandom choose to represent themselves. throw em at me and, if you want, tell me a lil bit about why they mean so much to you.
on the nature of tags, visibility, and the lack thereof
Posted 4 years agoProbably not a good idea for me to start rambling while I'm supposed to be getting ready for work, but... I have something to get off my chest in regards to tags/keywords on FA and the mortifying ordeal of being known.
Tags are optional here on FA, and I almost never bother to fill them out in any case. They can be nice to have but a lot of times I'm just lazy. Like I guess I don't see much point in tagging 'wolf' on a clear picture of a wolf that is already filed under 'Canine>Wolf', you know? About the only thing I regularly tag is my Redwall art, and I feel like most other subjects should be pretty obvious in the correct category already.
But it's not always a matter of laziness. There are certain subjects and characters I deliberately avoid tagging because I don't want to draw the 'wrong' kind of attention. This is largely a SFW account, but more than that, there's an entire kink community that I have no desire to interact with because at the end of the day we have nothing in common. I know full well that I could get more views if I tagged all my drawings of Blaine. I've literally seen it happen in other artists' renditions of him when they bother to tag. Here, for example. Every time I look at this simple sketch and it continues to have twice as many views as the beautiful fully rendered pieces on either side of it I can't help but laugh- and it's always a bigger number than I'm expecting- but then I have to question the viewers' motives. And I could joke about how this is FA we're talking about so I don't really have to guess, but it's not exclusive to FA either. Sometimes it feels like I'm alone on a tiny raft in a sea of fetish content. How does the saying go? Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.
I don't actually care what people are into as long as they're not hurting anyone, but the last thing I want to do is give people the wrong impression about me and my art. So it's just easier not to tag. File my fursona away under a generic category in the FA dropdown. File myself away under a vague umbrella term on social media. Because there's a kind of attention that for me, is not worth having- but then the downside is feeling utterly invisible, everywhere, all the time. And I'm not really sure if that's better.
Is it worth it to tag in this case? Sometimes I wonder if I should. I wanted to, when I posted Blaine's new ref the other day, just because I was hyped about it and wanted to be -seen- for once, but talked myself out of it. I guess I could always go back and edit/add something. It occurs to me, too, that if I don't make an effort to contribute to a tag, then of COURSE what's there will be overwhelmingly fetish content. Of COURSE there will be fewer serious heartfelt things in the tag. Because I'm the asshole not putting my serious heart into the tag.
I dunno. It's complicated. And I'm a coward. So there's that. I could keep going, and maybe I'll edit this later, but now I really do have to get my ass to work.
A question to other trans artists of any stripe: do you make an effort to tag your work/characters as such? Would you still do so, if you didn't have a community, and a search on FA turned up nothing but, like, 'herm' porn and chasers? Would it be worth it to you?
Tags are optional here on FA, and I almost never bother to fill them out in any case. They can be nice to have but a lot of times I'm just lazy. Like I guess I don't see much point in tagging 'wolf' on a clear picture of a wolf that is already filed under 'Canine>Wolf', you know? About the only thing I regularly tag is my Redwall art, and I feel like most other subjects should be pretty obvious in the correct category already.
But it's not always a matter of laziness. There are certain subjects and characters I deliberately avoid tagging because I don't want to draw the 'wrong' kind of attention. This is largely a SFW account, but more than that, there's an entire kink community that I have no desire to interact with because at the end of the day we have nothing in common. I know full well that I could get more views if I tagged all my drawings of Blaine. I've literally seen it happen in other artists' renditions of him when they bother to tag. Here, for example. Every time I look at this simple sketch and it continues to have twice as many views as the beautiful fully rendered pieces on either side of it I can't help but laugh- and it's always a bigger number than I'm expecting- but then I have to question the viewers' motives. And I could joke about how this is FA we're talking about so I don't really have to guess, but it's not exclusive to FA either. Sometimes it feels like I'm alone on a tiny raft in a sea of fetish content. How does the saying go? Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.
I don't actually care what people are into as long as they're not hurting anyone, but the last thing I want to do is give people the wrong impression about me and my art. So it's just easier not to tag. File my fursona away under a generic category in the FA dropdown. File myself away under a vague umbrella term on social media. Because there's a kind of attention that for me, is not worth having- but then the downside is feeling utterly invisible, everywhere, all the time. And I'm not really sure if that's better.
Is it worth it to tag in this case? Sometimes I wonder if I should. I wanted to, when I posted Blaine's new ref the other day, just because I was hyped about it and wanted to be -seen- for once, but talked myself out of it. I guess I could always go back and edit/add something. It occurs to me, too, that if I don't make an effort to contribute to a tag, then of COURSE what's there will be overwhelmingly fetish content. Of COURSE there will be fewer serious heartfelt things in the tag. Because I'm the asshole not putting my serious heart into the tag.
I dunno. It's complicated. And I'm a coward. So there's that. I could keep going, and maybe I'll edit this later, but now I really do have to get my ass to work.
A question to other trans artists of any stripe: do you make an effort to tag your work/characters as such? Would you still do so, if you didn't have a community, and a search on FA turned up nothing but, like, 'herm' porn and chasers? Would it be worth it to you?
update
Posted 4 years agoI promise I still make stuff. I got a replacement scanner finally, so I can get back to proper art, but 2021 has been for me what 2020 was for a lot of people. Sorry! There are a couple of projects I do want to finish before the year is out. I have some bigger things planned in the future, but idk how many people are even paying attention anymore. Who still uses FA? Who remembers when I used to post art more than once quarterly?
I've been posting WIPs and sneak peaks of things on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mongoosefangs
What else... in other news, I'm no longer a part of DotW. I withdrew a couple of months ago, and it was bittersweet, but I just don't have the time or energy to keep up with it right now, and there were a lot of factors that led to me leaving. Nothing against the staff or players but I realized that it was causing me more stress than joy anymore. Maybe I'll be back someday. idk. But in the meantime, I'd like to get back to drawing my usual oc roster and more Redwall stuff (always!)
Would anyone potentially be interested in doing an art exchange around the holidays? My Christmas is probably going to be pretty small this year, so it might be nice to give+get some art in a group event like the good old days. Let me know if this is something you'd like to participate in, if I get enough interest I will do my best to put something together.
I've been posting WIPs and sneak peaks of things on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mongoosefangs
What else... in other news, I'm no longer a part of DotW. I withdrew a couple of months ago, and it was bittersweet, but I just don't have the time or energy to keep up with it right now, and there were a lot of factors that led to me leaving. Nothing against the staff or players but I realized that it was causing me more stress than joy anymore. Maybe I'll be back someday. idk. But in the meantime, I'd like to get back to drawing my usual oc roster and more Redwall stuff (always!)
Would anyone potentially be interested in doing an art exchange around the holidays? My Christmas is probably going to be pretty small this year, so it might be nice to give+get some art in a group event like the good old days. Let me know if this is something you'd like to participate in, if I get enough interest I will do my best to put something together.
scanner's dead
Posted 5 years agoI rearranged my desk area and my 12 year old all-in-one did not survive being unplugged and plugged back in. rip
Tomorrow I'm going to try putting some conductive grease on the power supply contacts and see if that helps, but the whole thing was on its way out tbh. I haven't been able to use the printer in years and even scanning required restarting it two or three times.
It's probably useless to ask for new scanner recommendations because the rest of my computer is *also* 12+ years old, but if I can't breathe some life back into it I'll be considering upgrades across the board. In the meantime, though, I can't scan anything- nor can I work from photos because my SD card reader is also part of the all-in-one. So it may be a bit before I can post new stuff!
Tomorrow I'm going to try putting some conductive grease on the power supply contacts and see if that helps, but the whole thing was on its way out tbh. I haven't been able to use the printer in years and even scanning required restarting it two or three times.
It's probably useless to ask for new scanner recommendations because the rest of my computer is *also* 12+ years old, but if I can't breathe some life back into it I'll be considering upgrades across the board. In the meantime, though, I can't scan anything- nor can I work from photos because my SD card reader is also part of the all-in-one. So it may be a bit before I can post new stuff!
i have 2 year old shouts on my page
Posted 5 years agoplease go to my profile and tell me a cool animal fact
song of the now
Posted 5 years agocan we still embed youtube videos here? oh good
anyone else playing dappervolk?
Posted 5 years agoI'm on there as Briarwood #33421, feel free to say hi! It's a fun game so far and the art style is super cute.
confession time
Posted 5 years agoI use FA Classic
...ON LIGHT MODE
...ON LIGHT MODE
Some artists I highly recommend:
Posted 5 years agoTrying to spread the love a little since so many people are affected by reduced work hours and con cancellations right now. Here are just a few artists I've personally commissioned that I am happy to recommend!
battlehog Myca is great at complex traditional inks and extreme foreshortening, two things I find utterly incomprehensible. She also draws a lot of less common species and body types!
cadmiumtea Beautiful traditional work, everything from pencil sketches to full oil paintings. Known for a lot of varied species, body types, and soft erotica.
corviform Draws some excellent avians/gryphons and has cute birb and Beastars merch for sale as well! She does some really nice traditional watercolor badges.
crypsis Drew my current avatar, a wizard at fur texture, your one-stop shop for werewolves and monsters and heraldic beasts. Really good at mimicking traditional style with digital.
fangsboi Has a distinct painterly digital style, well suited to nature and floral BGs. Fast turnaround, lovely to work with. He's got cute adopts for sale too.
jagal So good at both digital and traditional painting that I can't tell which is which sometimes! Probably best known for floral portraits; I have two bookmarks from them that I love!
kitewanderlust Hasn't been super active on FA lately, but she does some great traditional work, especially if you like deer/hoofers and Fallout-esque themes.
rockpools Made a free anthro tortoise base, what more do I have to say? He draws a lot of obscure species and has been doing some nice repeating pattern comms recently.
zackloup Always a pleasure to work with, he makes the effort to get to know the characters he draws for me and it really shows! He can do everything from simple portraits to complex BGs.
battlehog Myca is great at complex traditional inks and extreme foreshortening, two things I find utterly incomprehensible. She also draws a lot of less common species and body types!
cadmiumtea Beautiful traditional work, everything from pencil sketches to full oil paintings. Known for a lot of varied species, body types, and soft erotica.
corviform Draws some excellent avians/gryphons and has cute birb and Beastars merch for sale as well! She does some really nice traditional watercolor badges.
crypsis Drew my current avatar, a wizard at fur texture, your one-stop shop for werewolves and monsters and heraldic beasts. Really good at mimicking traditional style with digital.
fangsboi Has a distinct painterly digital style, well suited to nature and floral BGs. Fast turnaround, lovely to work with. He's got cute adopts for sale too.
jagal So good at both digital and traditional painting that I can't tell which is which sometimes! Probably best known for floral portraits; I have two bookmarks from them that I love!
kitewanderlust Hasn't been super active on FA lately, but she does some great traditional work, especially if you like deer/hoofers and Fallout-esque themes.
rockpools Made a free anthro tortoise base, what more do I have to say? He draws a lot of obscure species and has been doing some nice repeating pattern comms recently.
zackloup Always a pleasure to work with, he makes the effort to get to know the characters he draws for me and it really shows! He can do everything from simple portraits to complex BGs.February can you stop for like 5 minutes please
Posted 6 years agoWe're only halfway done with the shortest month and somehow there are already too many things in it.
First I caught a cold for the second time this winter, the kind that really kicks your ass and lingers for like two weeks. Then there was the bad news about someone in this community I used to respect and all the feelings that followed. Then there was the last minute rush to get stuff ready for the BBQ and the BBQ itself. Then I turned 31. Then I had to put together a somewhat decent WIP for the Redwall zine to meet a deadline. And now there's been a sudden death in my family, and I still have a million owed drawings and RPs to work on. Plus, you know, just the routine of checking social media and discovering new horrible shit happening in the world basically every day.
RE: family death, I'm okay, but other people in this house are less so, and they happen to handle grief really badly with lots of drinking and yelling. Trying to console someone in that state is exhausting. For me the worst thing is just.. being reminded of mortality, I guess. I've been lucky for a long time, I haven't lost anyone extremely close to me yet or watched someone go in a frightening way, but it's something I will have to experience eventually. Not a fan of that knowledge at all.
At least I was able to buckle down and make serious progress on my Mouseflower WIP last night, though the background is still very rough. It's up on Twitter:
https://mobile.twitter.com/mongoose.....03757383970817
I'm satisfied with the composition and looking forward to detailing it more but idk. I wish it could be better, especially for today's WIP deadline. I don't want to whine about it too much on FA, and I know it's not a competition between the contributing artists, but I am really feeling like an imposter right about now. Everyone else is crazy good and/or an industry professional already. I should feel good about being chosen along with them, right? But I just worry about letting them down.
Maybe this is how I know I'm actually getting old, because I don't know what I'm doing anymore!!!
First I caught a cold for the second time this winter, the kind that really kicks your ass and lingers for like two weeks. Then there was the bad news about someone in this community I used to respect and all the feelings that followed. Then there was the last minute rush to get stuff ready for the BBQ and the BBQ itself. Then I turned 31. Then I had to put together a somewhat decent WIP for the Redwall zine to meet a deadline. And now there's been a sudden death in my family, and I still have a million owed drawings and RPs to work on. Plus, you know, just the routine of checking social media and discovering new horrible shit happening in the world basically every day.
RE: family death, I'm okay, but other people in this house are less so, and they happen to handle grief really badly with lots of drinking and yelling. Trying to console someone in that state is exhausting. For me the worst thing is just.. being reminded of mortality, I guess. I've been lucky for a long time, I haven't lost anyone extremely close to me yet or watched someone go in a frightening way, but it's something I will have to experience eventually. Not a fan of that knowledge at all.
At least I was able to buckle down and make serious progress on my Mouseflower WIP last night, though the background is still very rough. It's up on Twitter:
https://mobile.twitter.com/mongoose.....03757383970817
I'm satisfied with the composition and looking forward to detailing it more but idk. I wish it could be better, especially for today's WIP deadline. I don't want to whine about it too much on FA, and I know it's not a competition between the contributing artists, but I am really feeling like an imposter right about now. Everyone else is crazy good and/or an industry professional already. I should feel good about being chosen along with them, right? But I just worry about letting them down.
Maybe this is how I know I'm actually getting old, because I don't know what I'm doing anymore!!!
In other news...
Posted 6 years agoHoly crap, yesterday's BBQ raised over $1500 for charity! I'm so proud of the AZ furry community. Had a good time too- a smidge warm for suiting weather but still had fun as Henbane, hopefully some good photos will surface!
Today I need to draw all the things. Running a new adopt shop on FR for sweet dragon cash and I also need to get some WIPs together for Mouseflower this week!
Today I need to draw all the things. Running a new adopt shop on FR for sweet dragon cash and I also need to get some WIPs together for Mouseflower this week!
Real talk for a second.
Posted 6 years agoI've been active in the fandom for almost 20 years. I've met a lot of people, and I've seen some shit. You probably have, too- sometimes it turns out that a popular artist isn't a nice person. Sometimes they've done something wrong, said something shitty, or hold some fucked up opinions that you can't turn a blind eye to.
And it's so disappointing, especially when it's someone you looked up to. Maybe even someone who was nice to you or encouraged you in turn.
I always want to give people the benefit of the doubt. People can be misguided. People can make mistakes. People can realize their mistakes and make an effort to change. Nobody is ever perfect. Me, I was a hostile little edgelord for a while in middle school, and back in ye olde days of LJ I used to post in mock communities like VCL Horrors and SparkleSnark. I've said and done stuff I regret... but then I grew the fuck up, y'know? You don't have to waste energy hating on people. You don't have to do or say the shitty thing. You can choose to be better. And I want to believe that this can apply to everyone... but sometimes that's just not the case and you end up losing all respect for a person you used to admire very much. It's such a letdown. It sucks.
So hey, I may not have a huge follower count and I doubt I'm anyone's favorite artist or biggest inspiration, but you know what? I promise you, I will never be That Guy who turns out to be secretly involved in awful shit. I will not ever disappoint you like that. I will always try to be better.
And it's so disappointing, especially when it's someone you looked up to. Maybe even someone who was nice to you or encouraged you in turn.
I always want to give people the benefit of the doubt. People can be misguided. People can make mistakes. People can realize their mistakes and make an effort to change. Nobody is ever perfect. Me, I was a hostile little edgelord for a while in middle school, and back in ye olde days of LJ I used to post in mock communities like VCL Horrors and SparkleSnark. I've said and done stuff I regret... but then I grew the fuck up, y'know? You don't have to waste energy hating on people. You don't have to do or say the shitty thing. You can choose to be better. And I want to believe that this can apply to everyone... but sometimes that's just not the case and you end up losing all respect for a person you used to admire very much. It's such a letdown. It sucks.
So hey, I may not have a huge follower count and I doubt I'm anyone's favorite artist or biggest inspiration, but you know what? I promise you, I will never be That Guy who turns out to be secretly involved in awful shit. I will not ever disappoint you like that. I will always try to be better.
Mouseflower: a Redwall fanzine!
Posted 6 years agohttp://mouseflower.com
Great news, I'm going to be in this!! I'm excited. I'm also alongside some incredibly talented people, so,,, sweats nervously
Although we aren't drawing canon Redwall characters or scenes, I plan to include 1-2 full illustrations and a few standalone critter studies similar to my Beasts of Redwall, so I'm open to requests/suggestions on animals and roles you'd like to see!
I'll be posting about this more as we get closer to publication. For now, I mmmmight have said something on twitter about dyeing my hair if my app was accepted, so I guess that will be happening soon!
Great news, I'm going to be in this!! I'm excited. I'm also alongside some incredibly talented people, so,,, sweats nervously
Although we aren't drawing canon Redwall characters or scenes, I plan to include 1-2 full illustrations and a few standalone critter studies similar to my Beasts of Redwall, so I'm open to requests/suggestions on animals and roles you'd like to see!
I'll be posting about this more as we get closer to publication. For now, I mmmmight have said something on twitter about dyeing my hair if my app was accepted, so I guess that will be happening soon!
PDFC meme
Posted 6 years agoit's heeeeeere
What day are you getting there?
Saturday
How long are you going?
Saturday and Sunday
What is the best way to find you?
Look for a gaudy chartreuse coat.
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
I will respond to Briar/Briarwood or [suit's name] depending on who I'm wearing!
What is your gender?
I am a singular they or a he.
How tall are you?
Talln't
Can I talk to you?
Yes! I especially like to talk about fursuit construction, I'm always happy to explain how I make stuff.
Can I touch you?
Fursuit hugs are generally OK as long as you ask first!
Are you nice?
I hope so.
Can I take your picture?
In suit, yes please! Out of suit uhhh I will probably be a mess, so maybe not.
Are there any panels you might be attending?
Dance comp and fursuit games for sure, possibly others!
Will you be suiting?
Yes!
What suit(s) is/are you bringing?
Blaine is making his debut on Saturday and he'll probably be there all weekend. If there's any problems I'll swap him out for one of my other partials on Sunday.
Do you have an artist table?
Nah, I don't vend at cons (yet).
What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
I want to actually commission some artists this time!
There's also a sign within a mile or two of the con that I really want to get a suit picture of >_> but idk if that will happen this time.
What day are you getting there?
Saturday
How long are you going?
Saturday and Sunday
What is the best way to find you?
Look for a gaudy chartreuse coat.
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
I will respond to Briar/Briarwood or [suit's name] depending on who I'm wearing!
What is your gender?
I am a singular they or a he.
How tall are you?
Talln't
Can I talk to you?
Yes! I especially like to talk about fursuit construction, I'm always happy to explain how I make stuff.
Can I touch you?
Fursuit hugs are generally OK as long as you ask first!
Are you nice?
I hope so.
Can I take your picture?
In suit, yes please! Out of suit uhhh I will probably be a mess, so maybe not.
Are there any panels you might be attending?
Dance comp and fursuit games for sure, possibly others!
Will you be suiting?
Yes!
What suit(s) is/are you bringing?
Blaine is making his debut on Saturday and he'll probably be there all weekend. If there's any problems I'll swap him out for one of my other partials on Sunday.
Do you have an artist table?
Nah, I don't vend at cons (yet).
What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
I want to actually commission some artists this time!
There's also a sign within a mile or two of the con that I really want to get a suit picture of >_> but idk if that will happen this time.
very important question
Posted 6 years agoWhat would you call a group of Furbies? Like a flock of Furbies, or a pack of Furbies, or
Some thoughts on fursuit making and the future.
Posted 6 years agoRelated to my post yesterday about Henbane's makeover:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/32359789/
You know... I said I wanted to remake Henbane entirely, and granted, it would be cool to bring that to life someday- but the more I think about it, the biggest problems I have with wearing him right now are all things that can be addressed without building an entirely new fursuit. (Also, p. much all of the furs I bought for him in 2015 are either discontinued now or were limited local finds, so what I have left is dear, and it's not enough for a whole new suit. So there's that.)
Since the impromptu glow up his vision is a lot better, and I also took the opportunity to adjust the angle of his muzzle so his mouth stays more open for better ventilation. He aint that bad for a balaclava-based head at all.
Honestly, watching him from another perspective in the IBFC fursuit parade (about 0:17 to 0:23), I'm still so proud and happy with how he looks as a whole, even 4+ years later! Yeah, if I was making him from scratch today there are things I would do differently but I think he's got plenty of life left in him still. And now that I've had some experience with ripping his head apart to make upgrades I'm not afraid to tackle further revamps.
That said, there are two big things I need to do to make him not totally suck to wear:
-I need to change the waistband of the bottom portion. Right now the fox pants ride kind of low because I only made a DTD of my lower body and it ended up a little short. They're held up with suspenders which dig into my shoulders after a day of suiting, so I'll swap those out for belt loops.
-I need to make him a real neck. I didn't get shoulders for my dummy head until my second suit so Henbane's neck is very ??? It's tight, stiff, and messy. This does not help the sore neck/shoulders problem at all and that's my biggest issue right now.
And there are some minor things:
-I'd like to introduce some longer rusty fur on his tail, neck, and shoulders, and expand the armsleeves into more of a crop top/shrug so I can wear tank tops over him without my skin showing.
-Wanna replace his sculpey nose; I don't make rock hard noses anymore! These days I use rubberized fleece and foam- that's what I've got on my shrike beak, porcupine, and (REDACTED WIP).
-His paws and feet need to be remade or at least modified. The feet are snug and kind of a hassle to put on; same with the hands. They're serviceable but I know I can do better!
-I need to either expand his thighs, or take them in. He was designed for a very thin layer of padding but it's not significant enough to bother with... so his legs end up a little baggy when I'm just wearing shorts underneath. Go big or go home, I guess!
-I need to make a real stuffed pillow to go inside the tail so I can stop putting half-inflated beach balls and wads of grocery bags in there lmao
What this ultimately means for the future is that I can put more time and effort into making NEW critters instead of trying to fix what isn't really broken! All things considered, I'm glad I didn't end up having to sell Henbane last year because he'll never be 100% commission quality- no matter how much I pick at him, he'll always be my first suit and there's a certain learning curve that goes with that. But it's not time to retire him by a long shot. He just needs a little extra TLC.
But enough about babby's first fursuit. In no particular order, here is a list of other critters I've been contemplating or actively collecting supplies for:
-fossa
-classical chimera (lion/goat/serpent mix)
-coyote
-alphyn
-hyena
-kingfisher
-pine marten
-tortoise.......
-(REDACTED WIP) (you will see who this is soon enough...)
Any particular species you would like to see?
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/32359789/
You know... I said I wanted to remake Henbane entirely, and granted, it would be cool to bring that to life someday- but the more I think about it, the biggest problems I have with wearing him right now are all things that can be addressed without building an entirely new fursuit. (Also, p. much all of the furs I bought for him in 2015 are either discontinued now or were limited local finds, so what I have left is dear, and it's not enough for a whole new suit. So there's that.)
Since the impromptu glow up his vision is a lot better, and I also took the opportunity to adjust the angle of his muzzle so his mouth stays more open for better ventilation. He aint that bad for a balaclava-based head at all.
Honestly, watching him from another perspective in the IBFC fursuit parade (about 0:17 to 0:23), I'm still so proud and happy with how he looks as a whole, even 4+ years later! Yeah, if I was making him from scratch today there are things I would do differently but I think he's got plenty of life left in him still. And now that I've had some experience with ripping his head apart to make upgrades I'm not afraid to tackle further revamps.
That said, there are two big things I need to do to make him not totally suck to wear:
-I need to change the waistband of the bottom portion. Right now the fox pants ride kind of low because I only made a DTD of my lower body and it ended up a little short. They're held up with suspenders which dig into my shoulders after a day of suiting, so I'll swap those out for belt loops.
-I need to make him a real neck. I didn't get shoulders for my dummy head until my second suit so Henbane's neck is very ??? It's tight, stiff, and messy. This does not help the sore neck/shoulders problem at all and that's my biggest issue right now.
And there are some minor things:
-I'd like to introduce some longer rusty fur on his tail, neck, and shoulders, and expand the armsleeves into more of a crop top/shrug so I can wear tank tops over him without my skin showing.
-Wanna replace his sculpey nose; I don't make rock hard noses anymore! These days I use rubberized fleece and foam- that's what I've got on my shrike beak, porcupine, and (REDACTED WIP).
-His paws and feet need to be remade or at least modified. The feet are snug and kind of a hassle to put on; same with the hands. They're serviceable but I know I can do better!
-I need to either expand his thighs, or take them in. He was designed for a very thin layer of padding but it's not significant enough to bother with... so his legs end up a little baggy when I'm just wearing shorts underneath. Go big or go home, I guess!
-I need to make a real stuffed pillow to go inside the tail so I can stop putting half-inflated beach balls and wads of grocery bags in there lmao
What this ultimately means for the future is that I can put more time and effort into making NEW critters instead of trying to fix what isn't really broken! All things considered, I'm glad I didn't end up having to sell Henbane last year because he'll never be 100% commission quality- no matter how much I pick at him, he'll always be my first suit and there's a certain learning curve that goes with that. But it's not time to retire him by a long shot. He just needs a little extra TLC.
But enough about babby's first fursuit. In no particular order, here is a list of other critters I've been contemplating or actively collecting supplies for:
-fossa
-classical chimera (lion/goat/serpent mix)
-coyote
-alphyn
-hyena
-kingfisher
-pine marten
-tortoise.......
-(REDACTED WIP) (you will see who this is soon enough...)
Any particular species you would like to see?
