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My Thoughts On FA These Days
Posted 5 years agoYou guys may have noticed that the last year I've been really slow here. I know there are a lot of you that don't follow me on other platforms and I feel like an explanation is way past due. I want to leave this journal on the front of my page for awhile to talk about it. Maybe it's just venting. Without a bunch of fluff these are just my honest thoughts.
I feel like FA has become a storefront first and a community second.
I feel like the site itself is a pain in the ass to use, especially as a comic artist. Comic links kill me.
I wish FA rules regarding human content were different.
On the first point, it used to be that the front page was full of excellent art. And I mean in the aesthetic sense, I'm in no way saying the things on the front page aren't literally art. But they're primarily ads. YCHs and adoptables are half the front page these days. Often written out in tablet pen over the front. Often watermarked. Most of these submissions have bidding wars in the comments. I try to keep my Patreon calls to action neat and tidy. Only on things my Patrons fund. Never watermarked. That's just my personal definition of courtesy, as insane as that might sound. The ads here feel loud. It makes posting art here feel less artistic somehow. I'm not saying I'm right, I'm only saying how I feel.
I want to keep this user page alive at least, but if you wonder where I am. Well. I'm around. I'm always on Discord. I'm just not usually here. The internet is competing pretty damn hard for artists these days, and frankly FA is having a really hard time keeping up. Do you still surf here primarily or have you gone to Discord or Twitter or some other community space? Really interested in where everyone is at.
EDIT: So far what I've taken away from this discussion so far (lots of long answers, thank you for your interest) is the following.
People recognize the problem but just avoid the front page.
For many FA is not a place to find new artists or art by strangers, it's a place to follow already known artists.
Social media (Twitter especially) is very roundly rejected as a possible alternative by the community.
Still listening.
I feel like FA has become a storefront first and a community second.
I feel like the site itself is a pain in the ass to use, especially as a comic artist. Comic links kill me.
I wish FA rules regarding human content were different.
On the first point, it used to be that the front page was full of excellent art. And I mean in the aesthetic sense, I'm in no way saying the things on the front page aren't literally art. But they're primarily ads. YCHs and adoptables are half the front page these days. Often written out in tablet pen over the front. Often watermarked. Most of these submissions have bidding wars in the comments. I try to keep my Patreon calls to action neat and tidy. Only on things my Patrons fund. Never watermarked. That's just my personal definition of courtesy, as insane as that might sound. The ads here feel loud. It makes posting art here feel less artistic somehow. I'm not saying I'm right, I'm only saying how I feel.
I want to keep this user page alive at least, but if you wonder where I am. Well. I'm around. I'm always on Discord. I'm just not usually here. The internet is competing pretty damn hard for artists these days, and frankly FA is having a really hard time keeping up. Do you still surf here primarily or have you gone to Discord or Twitter or some other community space? Really interested in where everyone is at.
EDIT: So far what I've taken away from this discussion so far (lots of long answers, thank you for your interest) is the following.
People recognize the problem but just avoid the front page.
For many FA is not a place to find new artists or art by strangers, it's a place to follow already known artists.
Social media (Twitter especially) is very roundly rejected as a possible alternative by the community.
Still listening.
Commission Experiment Update
Posted 8 years agoWell that experiment was insane. I thought an open list would help me with a long term plan but I was wrong. Hahaha. 100 people, many of which it took me so long to get to that by the time I noted them they'd forgotten they commented at all. So that appears to not be the way to do it.
So effective now, the list is suspended and I'll be moving forward with a different method. Apologies to those who were on the list and did want something still, but half of my work at this point has become noting people and that's not great. Instead I'll be doing stream commissions when I have time for the next while. I'll attempt to give preferential treatment to people who were on the old list.
I stream Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday, and occasionally Saturday. I'll update this if my schedule changes.
So effective now, the list is suspended and I'll be moving forward with a different method. Apologies to those who were on the list and did want something still, but half of my work at this point has become noting people and that's not great. Instead I'll be doing stream commissions when I have time for the next while. I'll attempt to give preferential treatment to people who were on the old list.
I stream Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday, and occasionally Saturday. I'll update this if my schedule changes.
Commissions Open (Experimental)
Posted 8 years agoI'm going to open commission slots. Before requesting a commission, please see my price list and revised rules here: CoraBlue's Commission Guide
Request to be added to the list here. I look forward to working with you.
Request to be added to the list here. I look forward to working with you.
Computer update
Posted 8 years agoAnd I'm back. Wow that was bad luck. So, story time for the people who were curious.
Moved my computer so Micheal and I could spend time together and keep warm. Was fine for a while, then machine died. No power to peripherals, unless I switched off the PSU, waited, and then switched it on again. Noticed the blue LED on my mouse flicker and then die. So this meant it was 1 of 2 things: A bad PSU, or the mobo. I am now in a tricky situation because I have no extra PSU to test with. Any parts I order, if they're wrong, means I'm double fucked because I could be waiting up to 2 weeks for a second round of parts.
So I just decided, fuck it. Looking at Newegg, I bought new machines in 2007 and 2012. Well. It's 2017 now and I figured it was about time anyway, so I replaced all the old standards and just built a thing. Then we get the worst snowstorm of the year. No hyperbole. Delayed my shipment that was already late by an additional 3 days. I went a week without a machine. Then it gets here and I realize I had no thermal compound and the CPU didn't come with a stock heatsink. Dug like a madwoman for hours and luckily found some extra.
Ended up being a bad board, so it was the smart decision. As a bonus, my old ram had the same timings and close to the same speed as Micheal's, so I underclocked it slightly and nothing went to waste except an old i3 2100 which is probably still good.
New systems important bits:
AsRock Z270 Killer SLI/AC
Core i5 7600k (Overclocked @ 4.4GHz)
NVidia GTX 960 SSC Edition (@ 1450MHz)
16 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 (@ 3200MHz)
Samsung EVO 250GB SSD (My first one! Wowwwfast)
Huge CPU upgrade that eradicated my old Sandy Bridge bottleneck and doubled the speed of my RAM (Even with the higher CAS of DDR4).
So happy birthday to me! I'm 30 today with a new computer. I get to spend the day installing stuff.
Moved my computer so Micheal and I could spend time together and keep warm. Was fine for a while, then machine died. No power to peripherals, unless I switched off the PSU, waited, and then switched it on again. Noticed the blue LED on my mouse flicker and then die. So this meant it was 1 of 2 things: A bad PSU, or the mobo. I am now in a tricky situation because I have no extra PSU to test with. Any parts I order, if they're wrong, means I'm double fucked because I could be waiting up to 2 weeks for a second round of parts.
So I just decided, fuck it. Looking at Newegg, I bought new machines in 2007 and 2012. Well. It's 2017 now and I figured it was about time anyway, so I replaced all the old standards and just built a thing. Then we get the worst snowstorm of the year. No hyperbole. Delayed my shipment that was already late by an additional 3 days. I went a week without a machine. Then it gets here and I realize I had no thermal compound and the CPU didn't come with a stock heatsink. Dug like a madwoman for hours and luckily found some extra.
Ended up being a bad board, so it was the smart decision. As a bonus, my old ram had the same timings and close to the same speed as Micheal's, so I underclocked it slightly and nothing went to waste except an old i3 2100 which is probably still good.
New systems important bits:
AsRock Z270 Killer SLI/AC
Core i5 7600k (Overclocked @ 4.4GHz)
NVidia GTX 960 SSC Edition (@ 1450MHz)
16 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR4 (@ 3200MHz)
Samsung EVO 250GB SSD (My first one! Wowwwfast)
Huge CPU upgrade that eradicated my old Sandy Bridge bottleneck and doubled the speed of my RAM (Even with the higher CAS of DDR4).
So happy birthday to me! I'm 30 today with a new computer. I get to spend the day installing stuff.
Computer exploded
Posted 8 years agoCora reporting from PS4 stop
Computer won't turn on stop
She had a good run of 5 years stop
I am broke as hell now stop
ETA Wednesday night over
Edit: Of course snowstorm of the year delays my shipment. Could be 1 or 2 more days. :<
Computer won't turn on stop
She had a good run of 5 years stop
I am broke as hell now stop
ETA Wednesday night over
Edit: Of course snowstorm of the year delays my shipment. Could be 1 or 2 more days. :<
Resources that were helpful to me
Posted 8 years agoI'm a little busy this morning so I may add to this later. I was asked, so these are free resources that have proven helpful to me over the years. I'll expand this into paid resources later, and I'm sure that in my rush I've forgotten many. Please, if you've found something helpful in a professional capacity, comment it in.
2D:
Antarctic Press - http://www.antarctic-press.com/html.....+To+Draw+Manga
Artists with a hunger to learn know that bookstores are full of JUNK. How-to books are a dime a dozen and I know 3 people close to me who have published them (I'm not saying they're bad, I'm saying the market is flooded). It's hard to find good books that will challenge you for more than a few years. These guys are worth it. They publish American manga artists and they know their shit.
Feng Zhu - https://www.youtube.com/user/FZDSCHOOL/videos
Feng is a professional concept artist with film and game experience. His foundations are incredibly strong. If you want to be amazed at a piece going to sketch to production in under two hours, check his stuff out. If you're interested in paying you can apply to his school which he teaches himself.
Sycra Yasin - https://www.youtube.com/user/Sycra/videos
Sycra is a talented concept and design artist. His tutorials are helpful if you appreciate a blended anime style or if you need any training whatsoever on color theory.
Scott Robertson - https://www.youtube.com/user/scottr.....ndesign/videos
Scott's mechanical skills are beyond reproach. He could do flawless perspective with his eyes closed. His material aren't tutorials so much as a window into his mind while he works, but it's invaluable.
3D:
CG Society - http://www.cgsociety.org/
How this place has remained a 'secret' for so long is a mystery to me. Being the art submission site that pros use, this place's gallery is full of art that can be learned from just by looking. But they also offer forums. Workshops. Tutorials. Community.
UDK 4 - https://www.unrealengine.com/what-i.....nreal-engine-4
The fact this is free is amazing. This is mostly a tool for teaching yourself. These people set the standard. Use their incredibly easy fbx/obj import tools and see how your objects and characters work in an actual environment. Invest the time in learning shaders and shader math. Worth it if you want to make games someday.
Darrin Lile - https://www.youtube.com/user/DarrinLile/videos
Darren's Blender videos are extensive. He has multipart series' on the basics. He covers game, object, character and environment art.
2D:
Antarctic Press - http://www.antarctic-press.com/html.....+To+Draw+Manga
Artists with a hunger to learn know that bookstores are full of JUNK. How-to books are a dime a dozen and I know 3 people close to me who have published them (I'm not saying they're bad, I'm saying the market is flooded). It's hard to find good books that will challenge you for more than a few years. These guys are worth it. They publish American manga artists and they know their shit.
Feng Zhu - https://www.youtube.com/user/FZDSCHOOL/videos
Feng is a professional concept artist with film and game experience. His foundations are incredibly strong. If you want to be amazed at a piece going to sketch to production in under two hours, check his stuff out. If you're interested in paying you can apply to his school which he teaches himself.
Sycra Yasin - https://www.youtube.com/user/Sycra/videos
Sycra is a talented concept and design artist. His tutorials are helpful if you appreciate a blended anime style or if you need any training whatsoever on color theory.
Scott Robertson - https://www.youtube.com/user/scottr.....ndesign/videos
Scott's mechanical skills are beyond reproach. He could do flawless perspective with his eyes closed. His material aren't tutorials so much as a window into his mind while he works, but it's invaluable.
3D:
CG Society - http://www.cgsociety.org/
How this place has remained a 'secret' for so long is a mystery to me. Being the art submission site that pros use, this place's gallery is full of art that can be learned from just by looking. But they also offer forums. Workshops. Tutorials. Community.
UDK 4 - https://www.unrealengine.com/what-i.....nreal-engine-4
The fact this is free is amazing. This is mostly a tool for teaching yourself. These people set the standard. Use their incredibly easy fbx/obj import tools and see how your objects and characters work in an actual environment. Invest the time in learning shaders and shader math. Worth it if you want to make games someday.
Darrin Lile - https://www.youtube.com/user/DarrinLile/videos
Darren's Blender videos are extensive. He has multipart series' on the basics. He covers game, object, character and environment art.
Commission Status (Filled)
Posted 9 years agoCommission status: Full
Here is a list of my current prices.
These slots will go fast, but I'll do my best to do more raffles and giveaways as I get time on streams.
1)
rubbervixen - Sketched, waiting on payment
2)
TwilightMaster - Todo list
3)
Deiser - Todo list
4)
SHM128III - Todo list
My list is full. Again, apologies to those who didn't get in. I promise I'll be working as hard as I can.
Here is a list of my current prices.
These slots will go fast, but I'll do my best to do more raffles and giveaways as I get time on streams.
1)
rubbervixen - Sketched, waiting on payment2)
TwilightMaster - Todo list3)
Deiser - Todo list4)
SHM128III - Todo listMy list is full. Again, apologies to those who didn't get in. I promise I'll be working as hard as I can.
Discord, Commission, and Patreon things
Posted 9 years agoDiscord
I'm opening up my Discord channel to everyone that wants to join. I'll post doodles and hang out occasionally. Patrons now have a private channel with WIP stuff. If you're a Patron just PM me with your email and I'll upgrade you.
https://discordapp.com/invite/xFEhhbP
Commissions
Only two more things to do before I can open up slots again. Keep an eye out next week because I'll be opening then and the slots will likely go pretty fast.
1)
xpsm140 - Sketching
2)
Grim-Wolf - Todo list
3) rubbervixen - Todo list
4)
Rukral - Slot reserved, no notes yet (note me when you're ready)
Patreon
The comic is up to page 18 now. We have over 100 Patrons. My mind is blown. 7 more pages to go until we're longer than Critical Condition was, which is kind of a crazy thought for me. The next stretchgoal is almost reached, which is to have watsup coloring the pages for the foreseeable future. He's collaborated on a page already, if you feel like pledging a 'Buck' to see it.
Click here to check out the Patreon page
I'm opening up my Discord channel to everyone that wants to join. I'll post doodles and hang out occasionally. Patrons now have a private channel with WIP stuff. If you're a Patron just PM me with your email and I'll upgrade you.
https://discordapp.com/invite/xFEhhbP
Commissions
Only two more things to do before I can open up slots again. Keep an eye out next week because I'll be opening then and the slots will likely go pretty fast.
1)
xpsm140 - Sketching2)
Grim-Wolf - Todo list3)
rubbervixen - Todo list4)
Rukral - Slot reserved, no notes yet (note me when you're ready)Patreon
The comic is up to page 18 now. We have over 100 Patrons. My mind is blown. 7 more pages to go until we're longer than Critical Condition was, which is kind of a crazy thought for me. The next stretchgoal is almost reached, which is to have watsup coloring the pages for the foreseeable future. He's collaborated on a page already, if you feel like pledging a 'Buck' to see it.
Click here to check out the Patreon page
Discord username for those interested
Posted 9 years agoCoraBlue#0361
If you know PHP please read
Posted 9 years agoBefore I go and hire some shady dude over the internets and probably pay through my nose, I thought I'd check my watchers.
Does anyone know PHP? I could really use the assistance and I'll throw some cash your way. Specifically I need this plugin to interface with Patreon correctly:
https://github.com/Patreon/patreon-php
The OAuth token isn't validating I think, because the variables that the API is supposed to return to me ($user, $pledge, etc) are null. I'm sure whatever is wrong it's an hour of work tops and I'll make it worth your time.
EDIT: I've got this sorted out. Thank you to everyone who offered!
Does anyone know PHP? I could really use the assistance and I'll throw some cash your way. Specifically I need this plugin to interface with Patreon correctly:
https://github.com/Patreon/patreon-php
The OAuth token isn't validating I think, because the variables that the API is supposed to return to me ($user, $pledge, etc) are null. I'm sure whatever is wrong it's an hour of work tops and I'll make it worth your time.
EDIT: I've got this sorted out. Thank you to everyone who offered!
Commission and Patreon Update
Posted 9 years agoChecking in since I've been pretty quiet the last month. Just letting commissioners know that I'm gonna make a push during August to clear out my list. If you're on the list and still haven't sent me refs or decided on what you want I'll be in touch with you in the next week or so. Here's the current list again:
1) xpsm140 - Sketching
2) Grim-Wolf - Todo list
3) rubbervixen - Slot reserved, no notes yet (note me when you're ready)
4) Rukral - Slot reserved, no notes yet (note me when you're ready)
Patreon has 4 new pages this week. I've updated the next stretch goal to be color pages. I'll also start uploading BnE at a slow drip to FurAffinity at some point next month. The journal update here is brief! As we speak I am dripping in rain and sweat from yard work and my aunt comes in for a visit on the 4th. I'll definitely get a stream day in before that though.
1)
xpsm140 - Sketching2)
Grim-Wolf - Todo list3)
rubbervixen - Slot reserved, no notes yet (note me when you're ready)4)
Rukral - Slot reserved, no notes yet (note me when you're ready)Patreon has 4 new pages this week. I've updated the next stretch goal to be color pages. I'll also start uploading BnE at a slow drip to FurAffinity at some point next month. The journal update here is brief! As we speak I am dripping in rain and sweat from yard work and my aunt comes in for a visit on the 4th. I'll definitely get a stream day in before that though.
Commissions
Posted 9 years ago
vritrax
icyfox
cischiral
SurodyMy mood is fucking obliterated.
Posted 9 years agoToday started off so good. Woke up. Had some sexy times. Checked the news and had a somewhat interesting discussion on some scientific topics and the Bill O' Reilly headline. Had some breakfast. Then Snare (boyfriend) proclaims it, "Hat Day," and slips on a tuque out of nowhere. Super fun, so I go find my Fiona hat (the one from Adventure time with the rabbit ears) and slip that on.
What follows is purely drama. It may also make me look like an awful person. Normally I despise it myself but I'm about ready to tear my hair out and at this point it's therapeutic. You have been warned.
Go outside and Roomate A asks, "Hey, Snare, can you make me a smoke?" Hookah is not something I'm really in the habit of doing at like 4 AM. So he says no. "Then Cora, maybe you can make me a smoke then." Again, I politely decline. He then lets out an extremely childish groan that lasts for almost three seconds. He is a fully grown adult, holds a full time job, and is otherwise responsible. So, being that I know this isn't really a habit and he must be in an awful mood, I just do it. He asks about the hat.
After telling him about the hat, he shows up about 30 minutes later practically cosplaying. Another winter hat. Steampunk goggles with green lenses on over that. A spraypainted nerf gun. A pocketwatch. A whiskey flask. A pirate shirt. A pocket full of weird steampunk junk for no apparent reason. Antique keys, and a metal cigarette case among them. I really don't know how to describe my reaction other than, "Pretend someone showed up to your adult themed party in BDSM gear." It's just awkward. Why are you trying to outdo it? Just let it be Hat Day, right? I probably would have thought it was cool if I hadn't seen all this stuff already. His passion for steampunk is well known. But he talks my ear off anyway about it all for almost an hour.
On chat now, just trying to relax. Snare's ex shows up. Even though by rights I should hate them purely by dint of them being Snare's ex, I normally find them so pathetic that hate always feels so bad I can't sustain it for more than a day. 26 and never had a job. A weird bodied bloviator who somehow manages to be both transgendered and transphobic at the same time, who frequently outs all of their friends on Facebook without asking. A person who's idea of an apology is always, "I'm sorry you feel that way," and who never finishes anything they start. Ever.
They're asking what I think of their computer build. A whole list of parts. So, before I could afford to do art for a living, this was my job, right? I'm a tech nerd. So I do the usual things. You know, your CPU is bottlenecked by your GPU unless you're doing video rendering. Save $80 here. Upgrade your L3 cache there. Why are you using AM3 socket? Then I find out this is not a build, but about replacement parts. So half of my advice is now obsolete! Frustrating, right? But they can't even pay for it. When they're done, they start e-begging to pay for it! And now I feel like I'm part of it because I was just helping. Then they post the GoFundMe (which is now CLEARLY outside their TOS and a really scummy thing to do) to Facebook and into chat and tag me.
Now I'm really stressed and we try and watch a movie. Nope. That gets interrupted by Roommate A. Twice. At the climax of the film. Maybe some coffee? Nope. Out of sugar. Maybe we should RP? Nah, I can't. I'm frustrated now and nothing sounds fun. "But I'm bored." Well now I feel frustrated and guilty. How about lunch? Nope. They can't find my house and never show up. Eventually call to find out what happens after I'm suitably starving and the order was cancelled. Go out? I'm angry during Hat Day. I either take off the hat and end the ONE GOOD THING about today or go out looking like a cranky old woman in a rabbit hat. So I just stay home. Maybe buy a new video game for Snare to play? No. The shady company he bought the key from wanted photo ID to confirm the purchase and neither one of us were comfortable with that. Go through that whole customer support nightmare. Speaking of nightmares, try to take a nap because fuck like, HAVE a nightmare.
Wake up. Sit here. In this chair. Roommate B comes in and asks for money. Now. Understand that Roommate B has not paid rent in almost 3 months. Roommate B lost her foodstamp card only 4 days ago. I gave Roommate B $20 so they don't stave while they get a new card. They spend it on soda and toiletries. Roommate B then stole $15 in change from my change jar and bought pizzas and who knows what else with it. Roommate B then asked me for more money 2 days later. I only had $8 on me. Now Roommate B is in my office for the 3rd time asking (but 4th time taking) money from me over the course of 4 days. For the same reason. Food. Now I give her an additional $10, bringing the total cost of food for her in 4 days to $53. I have it out with her, and she says she's sorry, but at this point fuck her.
Fuck everything today. I am a mean, selfish person right now. My teeth are fucking bared. Still, I really tried to warm up for a stream today. Couldn't. I'm staring at angry scribbles right now and I just... can't.
What follows is purely drama. It may also make me look like an awful person. Normally I despise it myself but I'm about ready to tear my hair out and at this point it's therapeutic. You have been warned.
Go outside and Roomate A asks, "Hey, Snare, can you make me a smoke?" Hookah is not something I'm really in the habit of doing at like 4 AM. So he says no. "Then Cora, maybe you can make me a smoke then." Again, I politely decline. He then lets out an extremely childish groan that lasts for almost three seconds. He is a fully grown adult, holds a full time job, and is otherwise responsible. So, being that I know this isn't really a habit and he must be in an awful mood, I just do it. He asks about the hat.
After telling him about the hat, he shows up about 30 minutes later practically cosplaying. Another winter hat. Steampunk goggles with green lenses on over that. A spraypainted nerf gun. A pocketwatch. A whiskey flask. A pirate shirt. A pocket full of weird steampunk junk for no apparent reason. Antique keys, and a metal cigarette case among them. I really don't know how to describe my reaction other than, "Pretend someone showed up to your adult themed party in BDSM gear." It's just awkward. Why are you trying to outdo it? Just let it be Hat Day, right? I probably would have thought it was cool if I hadn't seen all this stuff already. His passion for steampunk is well known. But he talks my ear off anyway about it all for almost an hour.
On chat now, just trying to relax. Snare's ex shows up. Even though by rights I should hate them purely by dint of them being Snare's ex, I normally find them so pathetic that hate always feels so bad I can't sustain it for more than a day. 26 and never had a job. A weird bodied bloviator who somehow manages to be both transgendered and transphobic at the same time, who frequently outs all of their friends on Facebook without asking. A person who's idea of an apology is always, "I'm sorry you feel that way," and who never finishes anything they start. Ever.
They're asking what I think of their computer build. A whole list of parts. So, before I could afford to do art for a living, this was my job, right? I'm a tech nerd. So I do the usual things. You know, your CPU is bottlenecked by your GPU unless you're doing video rendering. Save $80 here. Upgrade your L3 cache there. Why are you using AM3 socket? Then I find out this is not a build, but about replacement parts. So half of my advice is now obsolete! Frustrating, right? But they can't even pay for it. When they're done, they start e-begging to pay for it! And now I feel like I'm part of it because I was just helping. Then they post the GoFundMe (which is now CLEARLY outside their TOS and a really scummy thing to do) to Facebook and into chat and tag me.
Now I'm really stressed and we try and watch a movie. Nope. That gets interrupted by Roommate A. Twice. At the climax of the film. Maybe some coffee? Nope. Out of sugar. Maybe we should RP? Nah, I can't. I'm frustrated now and nothing sounds fun. "But I'm bored." Well now I feel frustrated and guilty. How about lunch? Nope. They can't find my house and never show up. Eventually call to find out what happens after I'm suitably starving and the order was cancelled. Go out? I'm angry during Hat Day. I either take off the hat and end the ONE GOOD THING about today or go out looking like a cranky old woman in a rabbit hat. So I just stay home. Maybe buy a new video game for Snare to play? No. The shady company he bought the key from wanted photo ID to confirm the purchase and neither one of us were comfortable with that. Go through that whole customer support nightmare. Speaking of nightmares, try to take a nap because fuck like, HAVE a nightmare.
Wake up. Sit here. In this chair. Roommate B comes in and asks for money. Now. Understand that Roommate B has not paid rent in almost 3 months. Roommate B lost her foodstamp card only 4 days ago. I gave Roommate B $20 so they don't stave while they get a new card. They spend it on soda and toiletries. Roommate B then stole $15 in change from my change jar and bought pizzas and who knows what else with it. Roommate B then asked me for more money 2 days later. I only had $8 on me. Now Roommate B is in my office for the 3rd time asking (but 4th time taking) money from me over the course of 4 days. For the same reason. Food. Now I give her an additional $10, bringing the total cost of food for her in 4 days to $53. I have it out with her, and she says she's sorry, but at this point fuck her.
Fuck everything today. I am a mean, selfish person right now. My teeth are fucking bared. Still, I really tried to warm up for a stream today. Couldn't. I'm staring at angry scribbles right now and I just... can't.
I can't sleep. Time to write shit I guess.
Posted 9 years agoI have to stream today but I still haven't slept. Haha. So much going on. Gonna rant since I have nothing else to do.
LIGO directly observed gravitational waves. Woke up to this news and have been excitable ever since. Like, unbelievably pumped, you guys. As an astronomy buff, another tool to look at the universe is always welcome, but one that can potentially make measurements on the insides of black holes? Dark matter? Not to mention finding out that the last unproven aspect of GR was proven right finally? I mean, think about it. A genius like Einstein said that we'd never detect this. The most brilliant mind in physics said it was impossible and we did it. WE LIVIN IN DA FEWCHA NIGGA.
Also I wanna give a shout out to my viewers for giving me a shit ton of love and work the past 3 days. I would never ask for handouts, but I have a tenet in between jobs who hasn't been able to pay me for 3 months during the winter months when bills are the hardest. The love is so fucking appreciated right now. Thank you for letting me do work for you. More BnE is coming the next two weeks, and I have some obligations to finish up as well. I haven't forgotten about FortyFive or Cischiral.
Now the shitty stuff, which is that I apologize if I either don't show up or the stream is awful tomorrow. Nothing will likely happen but I'm super frustrated with my internet. Keep in mind I'm in a large city in New York. The best I can get here is 5mbps up. I've looked. We just don't have the lines out here for some retarded reason. Maybe because its a poorer minority neighborhood, but fuck. Its a sad fucking day that not only can I not get an internet speed that lets me watch modern streaming video, we apparently live in a country where even your fucking water isn't guaranteed to be safe. Fuck that shit man. Infrastructure feels like its coming down around me while we spend 5x more on blowing shit up than the next country below us. Fuck I hate Verizon and I'm signed up to be notified if FIOS comes here. At least TWC has no data cap. That'd piss me off even more. Condolences to you Comcast people.
Speaking of which, I was having a bitch of a time even getting on here to do this journal, right? Site wouldn't load. It was being shitty. So I eventually got that Cloudflare shit. Oh, it's not me, it's them. Cool whatever. Then realized when trying to check the forums that they don't exist. I'm sure there was a TON OF FUCKING DRAMA when this initially happened that I don't want to reignite, but I'm just finding out about it, and I'm kind of pissed. Remember that fundraiser in 2014? That paid Neers taxes after which he sold to IMVU? Yeah shit was supposed to get better I thought. We got this kickass site:
http://status.furaffinity.net/
But that doesn't work anymore for no discernible reason. We also had that 'accountability' page where they showed what they were spending their money on, but that's gone too. We got bad press for not paying programmers. Now we have no forums? Fuuuuuuckkkk thaaaat. What did we get, man? Some site that's been in beta for 2 years that's borderline illegible. We got submission folders thank god. Woo. A feature. Just disheartening man. I wanted FA to fix shit, but I was skeptical even back then. Bullshit that the critics were proven right at the end of the day.
I'm gonna try and sleep.
LIGO directly observed gravitational waves. Woke up to this news and have been excitable ever since. Like, unbelievably pumped, you guys. As an astronomy buff, another tool to look at the universe is always welcome, but one that can potentially make measurements on the insides of black holes? Dark matter? Not to mention finding out that the last unproven aspect of GR was proven right finally? I mean, think about it. A genius like Einstein said that we'd never detect this. The most brilliant mind in physics said it was impossible and we did it. WE LIVIN IN DA FEWCHA NIGGA.
Also I wanna give a shout out to my viewers for giving me a shit ton of love and work the past 3 days. I would never ask for handouts, but I have a tenet in between jobs who hasn't been able to pay me for 3 months during the winter months when bills are the hardest. The love is so fucking appreciated right now. Thank you for letting me do work for you. More BnE is coming the next two weeks, and I have some obligations to finish up as well. I haven't forgotten about FortyFive or Cischiral.
Now the shitty stuff, which is that I apologize if I either don't show up or the stream is awful tomorrow. Nothing will likely happen but I'm super frustrated with my internet. Keep in mind I'm in a large city in New York. The best I can get here is 5mbps up. I've looked. We just don't have the lines out here for some retarded reason. Maybe because its a poorer minority neighborhood, but fuck. Its a sad fucking day that not only can I not get an internet speed that lets me watch modern streaming video, we apparently live in a country where even your fucking water isn't guaranteed to be safe. Fuck that shit man. Infrastructure feels like its coming down around me while we spend 5x more on blowing shit up than the next country below us. Fuck I hate Verizon and I'm signed up to be notified if FIOS comes here. At least TWC has no data cap. That'd piss me off even more. Condolences to you Comcast people.
Speaking of which, I was having a bitch of a time even getting on here to do this journal, right? Site wouldn't load. It was being shitty. So I eventually got that Cloudflare shit. Oh, it's not me, it's them. Cool whatever. Then realized when trying to check the forums that they don't exist. I'm sure there was a TON OF FUCKING DRAMA when this initially happened that I don't want to reignite, but I'm just finding out about it, and I'm kind of pissed. Remember that fundraiser in 2014? That paid Neers taxes after which he sold to IMVU? Yeah shit was supposed to get better I thought. We got this kickass site:
http://status.furaffinity.net/
But that doesn't work anymore for no discernible reason. We also had that 'accountability' page where they showed what they were spending their money on, but that's gone too. We got bad press for not paying programmers. Now we have no forums? Fuuuuuuckkkk thaaaat. What did we get, man? Some site that's been in beta for 2 years that's borderline illegible. We got submission folders thank god. Woo. A feature. Just disheartening man. I wanted FA to fix shit, but I was skeptical even back then. Bullshit that the critics were proven right at the end of the day.
I'm gonna try and sleep.
Streaming soon
Posted 9 years agoJust a heads up that I'll be streaming either at some point tonight or tomorrow afternoon depending. My sleep schedules been so messed up. Like it's 7:30 AM right now and I've already been up for 6-8 hours or so. Either I get a second wind and stream tonight or I put it off to sleep at a normal time and stream tomorrow.
:3
:3
Sorry for the spam
Posted 9 years agoApologies to those of you last night that got over a dozen stream notifications. My ISP was giving me a ton of trouble last night. When you see them don't freak out (lol).
Some asshole socialists opinion on art theft and copyright
Posted 9 years agoI should open this by saying that I am a information 'pirate'. I don't appreciate the branding, but I use it for it's explanatory power within popular culture. According to the currently accepted definition, the verb pirate means to reproduce another's work without permission. This definition is powerfully inadequate, and the premise it's based on relies on a system that will always target nonviolent offenders, many times with debts that can never be paid or prison sentences that will result in the ethical degradation, sexual assault, or physical injury of the accused.
Reproduction is intrinsically a harmless act with no natural victims. Yes, we can create victims by propagating a system that leverages copyright itself as a revenue stream. Just the same as we can create victims by outlawing a substance such as marijuana, which is in itself nonharmful, but becomes dangerous to obtain or possess due to nothing more than regulatory power.
I frequently find that artists who complain about art theft are primarily concerned with the perceived revenue stream they've lost due to the unauthorized reproduction of their work. Even more perplexingly, I find that a startling number of these artists also participate in the unauthorized reproduction of music, movies, games and other forms of digital media. Of course, the hypocrisy is fairly evident, but even when there is none; even when the artist in question is a straight arrow according to even the most strident copyright enforcing corporations, we ultimately have to ask ourselves what kind of world we're creating for the future.
We live on the verge of a new decade in which 3D printing, medical science, and engineering will inevitably lead to the reproduction of physical goods. Plastic hangers, food, kidneys, homes and cars have all been demonstrated. Of course for now these physical items still cost something to make in materials, but who should hold the copyright to the design for a plastic hanger? Of course you'd say that was ridiculous, the very thought that a company or individual should hold the only legal means of the productions of a hanger, or a bowl, or even an artistic vase.
Imagine a future where I walk into your home, find a piece on your mantle that I absolutely fall in love with, and laser scan it using my smartphone. Later I print it on my 3D printer and place it on my own mantelpiece. This has cost you nothing. It has cost me the raw material. Who has been inconvenienced? Most of the people who say art theft is a real concern would point to the original sculptor, but the original sculptor has no reasonable expectation of exclusive distribution, just as someone screaming in public has no reasonable expectation of privacy.
To live in a world where tangible physical assets can be multiplied for pennies, where everyone's smart phone has laser scanning capability, and every library in the area has a 3D printer, an artist is a fool if they base their entire business model on keeping their designs proprietary. This truth is no less real in the 2D realm. This is why places like Patreon have emerged and flourished. This is the nature of the economy in the coming years for physical goods manufacturing. For artists it is already a reality.
Information itself should be free. You make money off of your creativity. You do not make it off of the edifices of your past. Adapt or don't, but the new economy will not bend to your will. The trend has already been set.
Reproduction is intrinsically a harmless act with no natural victims. Yes, we can create victims by propagating a system that leverages copyright itself as a revenue stream. Just the same as we can create victims by outlawing a substance such as marijuana, which is in itself nonharmful, but becomes dangerous to obtain or possess due to nothing more than regulatory power.
I frequently find that artists who complain about art theft are primarily concerned with the perceived revenue stream they've lost due to the unauthorized reproduction of their work. Even more perplexingly, I find that a startling number of these artists also participate in the unauthorized reproduction of music, movies, games and other forms of digital media. Of course, the hypocrisy is fairly evident, but even when there is none; even when the artist in question is a straight arrow according to even the most strident copyright enforcing corporations, we ultimately have to ask ourselves what kind of world we're creating for the future.
We live on the verge of a new decade in which 3D printing, medical science, and engineering will inevitably lead to the reproduction of physical goods. Plastic hangers, food, kidneys, homes and cars have all been demonstrated. Of course for now these physical items still cost something to make in materials, but who should hold the copyright to the design for a plastic hanger? Of course you'd say that was ridiculous, the very thought that a company or individual should hold the only legal means of the productions of a hanger, or a bowl, or even an artistic vase.
Imagine a future where I walk into your home, find a piece on your mantle that I absolutely fall in love with, and laser scan it using my smartphone. Later I print it on my 3D printer and place it on my own mantelpiece. This has cost you nothing. It has cost me the raw material. Who has been inconvenienced? Most of the people who say art theft is a real concern would point to the original sculptor, but the original sculptor has no reasonable expectation of exclusive distribution, just as someone screaming in public has no reasonable expectation of privacy.
To live in a world where tangible physical assets can be multiplied for pennies, where everyone's smart phone has laser scanning capability, and every library in the area has a 3D printer, an artist is a fool if they base their entire business model on keeping their designs proprietary. This truth is no less real in the 2D realm. This is why places like Patreon have emerged and flourished. This is the nature of the economy in the coming years for physical goods manufacturing. For artists it is already a reality.
Information itself should be free. You make money off of your creativity. You do not make it off of the edifices of your past. Adapt or don't, but the new economy will not bend to your will. The trend has already been set.
So Regarding Commissions
Posted 10 years agoI'm almost caught up with where I was supposed to be months ago. Harrrrr.
Status is basically this.
I have 5 more manga pages to do total. 1 for Cairo's Surprise, 1 for Sherri, and 3 for Cischiral. I have a desktop background to do. And I have project lined up to start. I'll update this when I'm ready to open commissions. A LOT of you have been asking. But keep this one thing in mind:
I may or may not accept manga commissions when I reopen. I know about half of you guys wanted to go in that direction. And that's sort of the problem. Working on 3-5 mangas at once REALLY messes with the quality of all of them and wears on my muse hardcore. I think I may limit myself to 1 or 2 manga commissions at a time. Busts, character art, wingits, those are fine. Just be aware that if you want a manga commission, you may have to wait awhile longer than for regular art.
Thanks guys. Again, glad to be back.
Status is basically this.
I have 5 more manga pages to do total. 1 for Cairo's Surprise, 1 for Sherri, and 3 for Cischiral. I have a desktop background to do. And I have project lined up to start. I'll update this when I'm ready to open commissions. A LOT of you have been asking. But keep this one thing in mind:
I may or may not accept manga commissions when I reopen. I know about half of you guys wanted to go in that direction. And that's sort of the problem. Working on 3-5 mangas at once REALLY messes with the quality of all of them and wears on my muse hardcore. I think I may limit myself to 1 or 2 manga commissions at a time. Busts, character art, wingits, those are fine. Just be aware that if you want a manga commission, you may have to wait awhile longer than for regular art.
Thanks guys. Again, glad to be back.
Update
Posted 10 years agoWoo. More things breaking.
Okay so!
The reason I'm not currently streaming is that my wireless card is on the fritz big time. Let me paste some ping data to show you what I mean.
As you can see, my wireless card has decided it will simply work when it wants to. It has developed a severe case of ADHD. Haha. So. I have one on order from Newegg and I'm waiting. If I tried to stream right now the feed would drop like every 10 seconds, even though for web pages it seems to be clinging to life. Hang in there!
Like seriously. What other cosmic force can conspire to fuck with my internet anymore? Although I feel like saying that is the karmic equivalent of, "At least its not raining!"
Oh. Still got some stuff done though. I'll try and upload a few things in the days while I wait for the new card to come in.
Okay so!
The reason I'm not currently streaming is that my wireless card is on the fritz big time. Let me paste some ping data to show you what I mean.
C:\Users\Cora>ping google.com -t
Pinging google.com [173.194.123.1] with 32 bytes of data:
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 173.194.123.1: bytes=32 time=39ms TTL=53
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 173.194.123.1: bytes=32 time=39ms TTL=53
Reply from 173.194.123.1: bytes=32 time=110ms TTL=53
Reply from 173.194.123.1: bytes=32 time=189ms TTL=53
Reply from 173.194.123.1: bytes=32 time=273ms TTL=53As you can see, my wireless card has decided it will simply work when it wants to. It has developed a severe case of ADHD. Haha. So. I have one on order from Newegg and I'm waiting. If I tried to stream right now the feed would drop like every 10 seconds, even though for web pages it seems to be clinging to life. Hang in there!
Like seriously. What other cosmic force can conspire to fuck with my internet anymore? Although I feel like saying that is the karmic equivalent of, "At least its not raining!"
Oh. Still got some stuff done though. I'll try and upload a few things in the days while I wait for the new card to come in.
Internet Returning on 5/27
Posted 10 years agoHey. Internet will be turned back on on Wednesday. Not sure if it will be in time for stream, but I'll be streaming Friday for sure. Apologies. Ive gotten a few notes. I'll get back to you guys ASAP. See you soon.
Update on Commissions
Posted 10 years agoOkay. I've gotta do something I haven't done before. Close commissions.
Good because I'm getting enough business that I have to, bad because I don't like the idea of passing up on new stuff. I guess I've got to get used to the idea because its to the point where people are reminding me of things they've paid for and I've completely forgotten. That's no bueno and goes against my business ethics, so I think its time to put a hold on things until everything from December-January year is done.
If you want something, I'll reopen in May absolutely, but I'm also negotiating a deal ($1000+) on top of managing multiple commissions, two of which are 10+ page comics.
If you've already corresponded with me about something, the offer still stands, I just have to wait on new stuff.
It's really great you guys have made me this popular. If my hand can't keep up with demand I might expand my business hours a little. We'll see.
Good because I'm getting enough business that I have to, bad because I don't like the idea of passing up on new stuff. I guess I've got to get used to the idea because its to the point where people are reminding me of things they've paid for and I've completely forgotten. That's no bueno and goes against my business ethics, so I think its time to put a hold on things until everything from December-January year is done.
If you want something, I'll reopen in May absolutely, but I'm also negotiating a deal ($1000+) on top of managing multiple commissions, two of which are 10+ page comics.
If you've already corresponded with me about something, the offer still stands, I just have to wait on new stuff.
It's really great you guys have made me this popular. If my hand can't keep up with demand I might expand my business hours a little. We'll see.
Streaming Schedule
Posted 10 years agoI'm going to start normal streaming on a schedule starting this week. If there's anything I've learned from other successful streamers, from Twitch and elsewhere (including my friends) its that the more reliably you stream, the more viewers you retain. Picarto has also been a great choice for me, especially now that I've been multistreaming with TGWonder and Wat.
Art has some downsides. It's nowhere near as exciting to watch as gaming. I know this, and there's really no getting around it. Sex appeal helps, but without good music or a video to watch, its hard to engage viewers. If anyone has some solid suggestions on what would get you involved in a community, or contribute more to the small circle we're creating, let me know please. I'll also take input on the stream times. Here they are, tentatively.
Mon, Wed, Fri
1PM - 9PM EST
This means I'll be streaming tomorrow. I may add days or change times, but three days is where I feel like I should be at a minimum.
Also, another issue I've been having streaming for 8 hours at a time is an ergonomic one. My chair is terrible, though it may in part be my posture. I can game for long periods, but hunching over a piece of paper or a tablet for that long has been wreaking havoc on my spine. That makes me feel so fucking old to say, haha, but its true. Anybody got a chair or setup they can recommend?
I guess I'll close by thanking everyone again. I shot up to 500 followers within days of this move, and now I'm over 600. Testament to how fucking awesome you guys are. I had assumed my watchers were full of dead accounts, so this is a pleasant surprise. I want to do something for all of you, I'm just not sure what it is yet. Maybe a giveaway. Maybe something else. We'll see.
Thanks guys for being awesome.
Art has some downsides. It's nowhere near as exciting to watch as gaming. I know this, and there's really no getting around it. Sex appeal helps, but without good music or a video to watch, its hard to engage viewers. If anyone has some solid suggestions on what would get you involved in a community, or contribute more to the small circle we're creating, let me know please. I'll also take input on the stream times. Here they are, tentatively.
Mon, Wed, Fri
1PM - 9PM EST
This means I'll be streaming tomorrow. I may add days or change times, but three days is where I feel like I should be at a minimum.
Also, another issue I've been having streaming for 8 hours at a time is an ergonomic one. My chair is terrible, though it may in part be my posture. I can game for long periods, but hunching over a piece of paper or a tablet for that long has been wreaking havoc on my spine. That makes me feel so fucking old to say, haha, but its true. Anybody got a chair or setup they can recommend?
I guess I'll close by thanking everyone again. I shot up to 500 followers within days of this move, and now I'm over 600. Testament to how fucking awesome you guys are. I had assumed my watchers were full of dead accounts, so this is a pleasant surprise. I want to do something for all of you, I'm just not sure what it is yet. Maybe a giveaway. Maybe something else. We'll see.
Thanks guys for being awesome.
A New Home For My Art
Posted 10 years agoYOU FOUND MEI've decided it's finally time to move pages. I hope you guys decided to follow me over here. I know its sort of a pain, but I think this is what I need to do to push myself to the next level. If this is your first time seeing me, well hey, awesome! I hope you decide to stick around. There are a few things I want to accomplish though.
1) Setting up a brand for myself wasn't important before. Now that I do art for a living, it is. People need to know who I am and how to find me. My last profile used an ancient characters name from when I was a kid. Though that red dragonwolf is always gonna have a place, that's just not who I am professionally. Name recognition, boy-eee.
2) I've been on my old account since 2006, immediately after FA received it's very first upgrade and when it still belonged to Alkora. That's just about as long as its possible to have been here. Now that the site has changed hands again, for better or for worse, this seems like the time to made the switch. New account, and hopefully new features. And a site that just works. We can dream. We can dream.
3) I really need to push myself. This might sound silly but even doing something you love takes some real motivation some days. With a fresh coat of paint on everything and no terrible old art in my gallery, it pushes me not only to do a great job on everything, but be here and put in the time. Streaming regularly, to the point I have a schedule, is really something I want to do.
So hey, let's get crackin' right?
