Want to relax to an aquarium without the maintenance? I've got my 37 gallon coldwater tank up on livestream for a bit: https://new.livestream.com/accounts.....events/2745486

Hey guys, I'm trying to get the word out. My mother bought me some of Kirkland Signature brand flea medicine to apply to my elderly cat, Bugaboo. She hasn't been acting quite right since then, but she's not nearly as sick as other peoples' pets have gotten. I think the reason she didn't get super sick is because I didn't read the instructions all the way through and only applyed it just to the nape of the neck when you're supposed to apply it at the base of the tail too and rub it into the fur. It left her fur greasy for almost 2 weeks, not only didn't kill the fleas but now seems to have MORE than ever. I gave her a bath yesterday and the water turned just pure blood red from all the flea dirt.

It's been about a month since I treated her with it last and she seems to be getting better and has put on more weight. If you don't believe me, read through the Amazon reviews: 66 total with 61 of those being 1 star. Most of them are talking about how badly poisoned (or dead) their pets have gotten after being treated with this product: http://www.amazon.com/Kirkland-Sign.....ews/B007RG9MFE

I don't have many viewers here on FA, so please please please pass this along to anyone you know. Costco has made no moves to recall this product so people need to be aware. I dropped the local news channel a line asking them to do a news story on this so more people are made aware. It would be really great if you have the time to do the same.

KIRKLAND SIGNATURE (COSTCO) BRAND FLEA MEDICINE MAY KILL YOUR CAT OR DOG!!

I found a pack of shrinky dinks in a drawer a few weeks ago and I thought about making some charms. I have an old one a friend did for me with colored pencils, and while it came out wonderfully I've been seeing people somehow getting a much smoother look than what can be achieved by colored pencils. I read that you can use acrylic paint on shrinky dinks if you water it down a little bit. Does anyone have any experience with the process that could give me any tips or warnings on what not to do?

I'm also interested in making stickers to sell, but a huge issue I have is durability. You see, I'm of the mindset that if I'm gonna do something, I'm gonna do it right. I want something that's durable enough to use as bumper stickers. The printer I have access to is an Epson which has waterproof ink, but I'm looking for paper suggestions. I'm looking for bumper sticker paper or printable vinyl or something. I want these stickers to be as weatherproof as I can get them without having to get them professionally done.

I'd like to go to Rainfurrest this year, but at the moment it looks like a no-go. I'd love to raise some funds so that I may attend, so if you're interested in a commission from me, now would be a good time to ask. I'll even make it a sale. :)

Sketches - $10 for head shot, $15 full body
Speedpaint - $20

I've started playing it again. A lot of my new watchers came from SL, so hello everyone. ^^ I haven't been drawing much lately, so I really need to get back on the horse, so to speak. Soon.

I made my SL account back in 2006 but I never really got into the game until recently. My best brofriend badinage is real into the game so that's kinda been the reason for me logging in more often. One of the reasons why I never really got into the game was because it ran so poorly on my computer, and also partly because I didn't find it very interesting/nobody really to talk to. Now the game still runs poorly on my computer, but well enough for me to get around with it set to the lowest graphical settings! Woo! I even know how to mod stuff and (sort of) build things!

Yes, building things. Building an av is my ultimate long term goal, but I have a long ways to go. I'm learning Blender right now... which is a painfully slow process because it's such a pain in my neck to use, but I'm making some progress! I uploaded my first sculpties on the test grid just yesterday so I know how to do it in the future. I want to make some avatar parts I haven't been able to find in chop shop type stores (like Spare Parts and Chimera), like reptilian hands/arms for my gryphon character and other stuff. I think I'll maybe try making some clothing items, like hats or something. Not sure what else. All the other furry clothing makers have done arm/leg warmers, collars, and rave gear to death. Hmm. Maybe something small I can put in a gatcha machine. :)

Oh hey, also... my FA pageviews have finally ticked past 5k views. Thanks guys! ~'v'~

Hey guys, I have a tumblr now. Wheee~

http://calybird.tumblr.com/

Hey all, I worked through the commissions I had needing to done and I can take more now! I have a bunch of sketch examples here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7893757/ as well as info for the rest of the stuff I can draw you at the footer of this journal. I neeeeed more things to draw to improve my style. :O

Also, has anyone been watching Legend of Korra lately? 'cos you should. It's amazing.

Hey everyone. Just a reminder that I will draw you things. :) I need more drawing practice so I'm showcasing sketches for now. $20 gets you a full body sketch of your character, and $15 for a headshot. Details/examples can be find here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7893757/

Thanks all. ~'v'~ !!

My lil' cousin is participating in this contest and she's been doing quite well, but unfortunately seems to be falling behind in the vote. She's been producing some very nice stuff and is still only in secondary school, so if it wouldn't trouble to you too much, mind throwing her a bone? I'd appreciate it, ya'll. :3

http://makeart.gallery.ca/gallery/details/795/

Who has two thumbs and didn't get con crud? This bird! d-'v'-b

Hey, hey, thanks to everyone that expressed interest in commissions both at the con and after. I'll be replying to you all shortly. If anyone is interested and haven't messaged me already, I'm still open for slots. Check the footer of this journal for details.

I'll be working on those experimental bird pics soonish. I have a few other things to complete before I dedicate time to that. :3

omigosh you guys, I think I finally figured it out! I've been struggling to achieve a nice painterly look in under 3 hours and I think I got it right this time. Procedure is as follows:
-rough sketch
-build up value in monochrome (I use navy blue)
-overlay layer of color
-final details
-???
-profit!

The speed painting tutorials on idrawgirls.com show this technique and are freaking amazing. Do check them out.

So, Rainfurrest is upon us. I'm still undecided as to whether I'll stay at the hotel or just commute since I just live across the valley from the con. A 20 minute drive tops. I suppose I'll cross that bridge when I come to it and just see how each night goes. Can't wait to see all my favorite dudes and dudettes that I haven't seen in ages. Hope to see ya there, wot wot!

I have a new idea for novelty commissions and I need some samples. The first 5 people who post a color copy of their character sheet gets free digital art of their character as a bird.

Now go! Go go go!

1.) honeyhusky
2.) kompy
3.) jadebleufox
4.) silverclaw1
5.) azzyblue

You guys are quick! I'll note you when I'm done. Thanks~

STOP! Meme time. Can't touch this:

Where will you be?
Everywhere. I might be in my black and white goat costume, or the creators' lounge.

Where are you staying?
The con hotel (I think?)

Who will you be with?
badinage and whoever else in that room.

Do you do free art?
Maybe. Probably not.

Do you do trades?
Sure :>

Do you do commissions?
Yes, but I don't have a table so you'll have to note/email me outside of the con.

Do you have prints/CDs?
Nope.

Do you do badges?
Yep. Feel free to ask if you see me.

Will you have art in the Art Show?
Not this year.

What is your gender?
Female

How old are you?
25

Are you taken? Are you looking for a 'mate'?
No, and probably not

Can I touch you?
Probably not unless I already know you. No petting or scritches ever. Handshakes, fist bumps (and maybe a hug) are fine if we've just met. Shoulder and back rubs are usually welcome, just ask first.

Can I talk about/do drugs in front of you?
Yes.

Can I invite you out for food/fun?
Okay :)

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc ?
I'm not planning any outtings, just tagging along, so you'd have to ask the host.

Can I talk to you?
Of course. I don't bite.

HOW TO SPOT A CALY IN THE WILD
I'm 5'6" and average build. I'm mildly tanned, have lots of freckles, gray eyes, and long dirty blonde hair pulled back in either a brown or plaid green bandanna. I wear mostly earth tones and I have a thing for capri pants.


Hope to see you there. Cheers! ~'v'~

Hey all, I'm gonna open up for 5 commissions for anyone that's interested. I don't have a table at Rainfurrest this year, so I figured I'd make up for it with a web-only pre-con sale. Info is in my journal footer. I'll whip up an image post with examples in the future, but samples are linked to next to the pricing. Comment here or note me if you want a slot.

Cheers all, wot wot ~'v'~

If you don't like it get out of town!

Seriously though, adult art has always weirded me out and I used to force myself to draw it just for the pageviews. I've decided that doing something that I'm not comfortable with isn't the way to go, so I went through and deleted everything adult from my scraps gallery. I want to be a clean artist, so that's what I'm gonna do popularity be damned.

This isn't any real surprise to anyone who watches me on a regular basis, just more of a heads up in case I ever open back up for commissions. Thanks for the support, guys!

~'v'~

I know everyone is gaga for pokemon these days, so I wanted see which ones were everyones' favorites. I thought about making little lapel pins of popular pokemon to sell at cons and I need help picking from the 500 some-odd that exist.

My favorites are acheos/archeops and joltik/galvantula :3c

Alrighty dudes and dudettes, I'm opening a few sketch commission slots. I'm looking to improve my skill and speed yet I'm terrible at coming up ideas for things to draw so I figured I'd have people tell me what to draw. I get skill and you get art. Win/win!

Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6027261

Details:
- $10 per sketch, max 1 per person for now
- digital, 6"x8" @ 200dpi
- you will receive the full size image in .jpg format unless otherwise specified (.sai/.psd/.gif/.png etc)
- monochromatic, but I don't usually sketch in black so suggest a color you'd like.
- allow 2 week turnaround, likely less. Completion date 7/5 - 7/19
- paypal only

Rules:
- clean requests only, please. I'll do tasteful nudes but I won't draw any 'naughty bits'. Excessive violence and bodily fluids are also out.
- one character per sketch
- most likely won't be a full body shot
- ferals are preferred, but I'll happily attempt anthros or even humans. Just be aware that I'm not as practiced so the quality might not be as good.
- no major changes. These are meant to be quick and dirty. If I get some small details wrong, I don't mind correcting them. Just don't expect me to redraw it over and over and over.
- any picture reference is super super helpful, even if it's geometric shapes done in MSPaint
- one or two props are fine. not more than that please
- you can post it to your own gallery as long as my signature remains intact and you link back to my FA. A heads up is appreciated. :)

Commission info:
- name
- email
- species
- gender
- character details: main body colors, markings, hair/mane, eyes, distinguishing features
- pose/mood/theme/props/etc
- prefered sketch color
- file format desired
- pic ref URL (optional)

I'm starting with 5 slots for now. Please note or comment below if interested and I'll get in touch with you about details after the holiday weekend (7/5). I may work on some via livestream next week, so if you're interested in watching keep an eye on my FA journal for an announcement.

~$10 sketch commission~
1.) spark - complete
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)

I seem to have suddenly remembered how to draw recently. Check that out, yo. I like the way my sketches have been turning out, and I've found that I rather quite enjoy spitting out a nice, clean sketch in an hour or two rather than attempt to paint something with as short of an attention span that I ... ooh a shiny~

...Oh! Um, right so...the shame of things is that I've always been painfully short on ideas. I haven't been able to brainstorm up anything to work on with the exception of one to two free-floating ideas I've plucked out of the air like cottonwood fluff. It's been suggested to me to take sketch commissions. That sounds like it could be fun so I'm mulling over whether I want to commit to taking any slots. The age-old question of price comes up, of course, but besides that I'm also terribad at anthros. I suppose this would give me a good excuse to practice.

I dunno why I've felt so weird writting non-art related entries.

Yep. I play pokemon. The Global Link went live today and I can't wait to try it out. I just beat Black too, and my team was: Emboar, Sawsbuck, Galvantula, Musharna, Archeops, and Krookodile. What is your team? :oa

'sup everyone. I seem to have gotten back into painting again, although my attention span is painfully short. I think I finally figured out a digital coloring technique that I'm happy with, so now it is time to practice! It is slow going, though. I hope to pick up speed with the more things that I color.

I've noticed that my page views are a little lacking. While this does not particularly bother me, I am curious about something; when is the best time to post submissions to maximize visibility? Is a certain day better than others? What about time? Should many things be saved up then posted all at once or spaced out?

I'm simply interested in finding when most people look at FA in hopes that things I post will be more likely to be seen. If I spend 30+ hours on something I'd like to get more than just a handful of pageviews, yanno? Statisticssssss.

Also, how do most of you come across things that you like on FA? Front page, friends' favorites list, submission feed, linked from off-site? Caly wants to know!

I'm bored. Ask me things.
http://www.formspring.me/calypte

'sup peeps. How's it hanging? So uh, I'm not thinking I'm going to be doing a whole hell of a lot of art for a bit. I've seem to have lost mah mojo, mon. I have a painting in the works but I've gotten bored of it (surprise, surprise). I'm gonna take a break n'stuff, but hopefully in a few weeks/months I'll be back.

Till next time!
-Caly

As I was painting the background of my latest icon I had a thought; pre-rendered backgrounds. I could do them for icons, badges, and even full painted pieces. The way it'd work would be this: for icons and badges I'd have a list of pre-painted backgrounds the commissioner would choose from and I'd paint their character into that setting. For actual full pieces I'd pre-paint some backgrounds and offer them up to have the character painted into it... but in this case I wouldn't use the same background twice! I think this would be a good way to offer fully painted commissions for a bit cheaper than if I painted the entire thing from scratch, and it gives me something to do with all the practice landscapes I intend to work on.

I'm sure tons of people have done this already so I'm not sure why I didn't think of this before. I am worried that it's some sort of taboo though, like people won't like the art as much.

Now, for background ideas. So far I'm thinking of:

-pine forest
-snowy forest
-autumn forest
-snowy mountain
-desert (mesas and hoodoos)
-beach
-field

So is this a sound idea or a terrible idea? And are there any other types of scenery I forgot that'd be a popular choice?

Hey guys! Check out these awesome tutorials! They have been extremely helpful to me and I hope you will find them helpful too. :3

➪ Kecleon's Color Theory - this is amazingly well done
➪ Vaporeon speedpaint tutorial - by PurpleKecleon
➪ Facial Expression - (Avatar: The Last Airbender style faces)
➪ Textures: Grass/Scales/Rock
➪ Elements: Lightning/Snow/Fire
➪ Realistic bird wings - by Nambroth
➪ Painting via adjustment layers - this is how I shade most of the time. It feels like cheating almost.
➪ C.O.W. (creature of the week) Tutorials by ConceptArt.com
➪ TL;DR - drawing anthro characters
➪ PSG Art Tutorial of wonder and amazement

Thanks for all the interest, guys! I decided I'm gonna do two experimental slots instead of just one as a warmup. That was a special one-time sale price for those lucky enough to snag it. For those who missed out, I intend to offer commissions in the future, but at full price. I'll post an update when I'm ready to accept them for real!

The reason for this is simple; I don't want to become another deadbeat artist. I want to make sure that I can commit to finishing a customer's piece within a reasonable timeframe at a reasonable quality. I don't have any examples to show folks what the kind of quality they'll be getting so these will probably be my official examples, and I also need to draft up a TOS before I'm ready to open to the masses.

I really am glad that so many people were interested, I wasn't sure if there would be. And hello to my 10 new watches! Logging in and seeing that really blew me away. I wasn't even getting 10 visits a day until recently. It's a nice feeling. :3