Think for maybe the next couple months im gonna just focus on sketch and line art till my style reaches a level of.. ANY consistency.
I color and shade basically the same methods every image but I have to accept the "foundation" is constantly changing and that's why my style is never the "same" aka recognizable.
So Hope ya'll like line-art and sketches.
May giveaway a line sketch to whoever identifies the reference image(s) first!

I don't mean drawing, but like the consumption of the media as a whole?

I think my interest in art is starting to wane like video games.
I can only draw so good, so much.
Artists are becoming more and more impossible to reach, afford, contact, or even VIEW these days.
I HATE how AI is taking over, but I can't pretend I don't understand why.

Might just be having a day but I find myself more and more disconnected from artistic communities like this one because it's just becoming a giant pain in the ass.

I'm tired of dancing around peoples fragile egos and insecurities. I don't have HALF A GRAND to drop on small comics, simple gifs, or inflated priced pin-ups. And I definitely don't have the time to do it all myself anymore. And it's not even a guarantee you'll get what you want cause there's no insurance for what you're putting all that money in. Maybe the artist has a style shift and decides YOUR comm you waited 6 months for is the piece to experiment on. Maybe they just GHOST you halfway into the wip. Maybe they drew YOUR character wrong, but asking them to fix it makes YOU the asshole.

Im tired bros.

Should I make a new account for the more sfw-ish Fantasy element of my characters? I want to start world building and do dynamic arts but I'm afraid since my main accounts are 90% nsfw, It'll all "Fall on deaf ears".

Like I get it. I enjoy and want plenty of Kim and Co getting absolutely demolished by bigger, stiffer, wetter content "nudge nudge"

But I also want them to be able express themselves in a more natural settings and explore their personalities more via fantasy or modern arts.

As the title says.

I don't really know where I'm going with art right now (or life for that fact but that's a whole'nother can of worms). Im in the exact spot I was hoping I was avoiding where I DO have time to draw but im just so mentally exhausted from work that im in no mood to do much of anything.
Like, I started playing the First Descendent and I beat the campaign and was just looking at the end-game and farm was like ".. I don't have the time or energy for this shit.."

Art is in a... similar.. boat.

I WANT to draw, I HAVE the motivation, I NEED to finish my commission backlog cause I don't want to burn my paychecks on refunds, but I just have no.. Drive? At least right now.

Like I've been commissioning art again since I can afford it again. But now im in a spot where I can draw most simple stuff myself. But I also don't want to.. bother(?) anymore. But then I don't want to draw it, and just end up not doing.. anything. Cause my stuff never took off. It's likely never GOING to take off. Im going to be stuck working a unfulfilling job for the rest of forever.

But now since Art is back as a hobby, I feel less compelled to post in the first place. I mean even typing out this journal feels like a giant waste of time cause I barely got folks looking at my art, let alone these "woe is me" journals on a site less and less people use as time goes on.

I'm just not really sure where I stand with it anymore. Drawing is so fun, and I made so many friends and mets awesome people thanks to it. But now it's also a constant reminder of yet another passion that just never got to far off the ground.

I have A LOT of reservations about this website like a lot of people, but people who say this site isn't a BEDROCK to the furry community and internet as a whole is liar.

I didn't agree with a lot of way he ran the sight but Neer seemed like an all-round good dude. It sucks he basically fell victim to US healthcare doing what it does best. Jack shit.

RIP legend.

SO. I've been working the new job for about 3 months now. Honestly enjoying it more then I ever expected to. Staff are cool and the schedule is great.

Basically just trying to get back into drawing now that I have my proper schedule instead of training schedule. I got RUSTY though. Like HELLA RUSTY. I wouldn't be so
dramatic to say I've "forgotten how to draw" but a lot of my.. Polish(?) is missing right now. Along with just general "how to draw X thing" are blurry atm.
I tried to jump straight back into commissions but its become evident I need to refresh before I screw them.

So expect some lousy sketches while I basically try to remember how to art. Hopefully my profile here and on Twitter hasn't been deem completely "dead" yet.

Soooo I'm once again a "working man" but with an infinitely less shit job.
Thank you everyone for the support through this extremely rough period of my life and for the all the good lucks for this job.

I've said before, I have no intentions of quitting art but my output is understandably going to be VERY.. sporadic. I've grown to the point I can slap together a decent sketch in a few hours but when it comes to full-on commissions, well, that'll entirely depend on their complexity.

To my understanding I start May 20-ish, My schedule will be 3 on, 3 off, 12 hour shifts. So not to bad.

Thank you all again. DMs are always open (if I don't respond quick, treat it like a voicemail). I still got some stuff to post comms and doodles of mine. Virtually nothing should really change on your end, You're still gonna get plenty of Kim butt and doggo antics in your feeds.

See here also. https://twitter.com/Devin_Arts/stat.....28898556899735

I don't know if im Shadowbanned on twitter or what. My posts get no reach anymore unless a HUGE account retweets something.
On top of things, this recent hospital situation has absolutely drilled my motivation. I'm looking for a new job that pays more then minimum because Texas is still living in 1972. Like I need to be making at least $600 a month thanks to these bills and all the jobs around here barely offer 300 assuming you get full 40 hour weeks. (witch considering they're all part-time is unlikely.)

I don't plan to quit but my art input is going to be severely crippled for the foreseeable future.
Since these sites want quantity over quality, I will likely disappear from peoples feeds do to not being "active" enough.

It was a fun ride, made a lot new friends I'll cherish, but I guess I just didn't become relevant enough to make a living off this before life kicked me thoroughly in the kidney.
Still want to get a comic idea out there but it's gonna take a LONG time to either start or finish.

Got a kidney Stone that was to large and stuck to pass on it's own so needed semi-emergency surgery (painkillers via IV where the only things stopping the pain from literally flooring my ass). Been about a week now, just recovering at home.

Will likely open some sketch comms soon cause the hosp. Bill isn't to bad but an expense non-the less.

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/55816996/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/55816996/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/55816996/

Ask me Stuff and I'll doodle the answers!
Got character questions?, Questions for the artist?, LORE?! Throw them here > https://curiouscat.live/Devin_Arts
Can be for modern or fantasy AU's, or just general stuff, sfw or nsfw.

I'll be out of town next week (thus away from computer) So I'd like a little side project to brew while I'm gone. No accounts or sign ups needed. Feel free to ask anything ON CURIOUS CAT!

The posts will be on my Discord and Curious cat. (maybe scraps here but that may prove a bigger pain in the butt then I want to deal with.

YCh will be claimed in 5 hours

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/54815292/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/54815292/

Current bid is $65!

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/54659253/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/54659253/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/54659253/

https://picarto.tv/DevinArts
https://picarto.tv/DevinArts

This will touch on some politics but not focus on them.

Me and buddy where talking about how absolutely DEVESTATED the general state of the furry fandom seems to be in these days and one common we pointed to was how 2020 seems to have really put a giant split into the fandom and culture as a whole. I mean there was the pandemic, the US elections, and just general social instability that broke the fandom into so many "factions".

BIG artists and content creators are being out'ed as groomers, minors, creeps, abusers more and more. And the whole "If you vote for blah, then you're a blah" mentally STILL plagues this fandom today. I'm genuinely scared of what the 2024 elections will do to this places' already crumbling foundations.

And then there's the general fact every image hosting site (witch are like the BLOODLINES of this whole fandom) seem to be systematically killing themselves one way or another left and right.
Musty ruining Twitter
Facebook being.. Facebook.
BlueSky in "invite only" hell.
Furafinity batting for "Most incompetent management ever" awards every year.
Just... everything.. with DeviantArt
And so on.

And it's just so evident how many artists are just.. sick of it all. I've mentioned in the previous posts how artists are dropping like flys but man, the ones that stick around are just MISERABLE. Like even the ones actually making a living doing all this sound like they're 1 bad day away from eating a gun. So many OG artists are just.. gone. Dead, retired, quit, who knows they just leave and never come back.

So I just gotta wonder if the "Fandom" is really 'healthy' still or it's honestly fading.

Ya'll ever read the manga 'Vagabond'?.

I recently got into it. Binged the whole thing in like 3 days lol. It's semi historic-fiction of the legendary samurai and philosopher, Miyamoto Musashi. I wont get to into detail/spoilers about it cause I genuinely recommend giving it a read. The story and art is honestly amazing.

anyway,

A common theme with Musashi is that he's essentially completely blind to his growth as both a swordsman and person. He constantly strives to be the absolute best. Dueling warrior after warrior, many more deadly then the last. Many he barely wins by the skin of his teeth.
Yet even by the point he's basically a living legend in the land, he's constantly asking if he's truly strong or not. He recognizes when he's getting stronger but can never definitely answer if he's "Strong" or not. The man who can down other legends in the blind of the eye.. is always wondering if he's "strong" yet.

It made me wonder how much im like that. if at all.

Not necessarily how good I am at Mortal Combat with a katana but more so if I'm an artist who's constantly improving but can never gauge how "good" I am still.
I'm able to tell im miles ahead of where I started, my art now from 3 years ago isn't just night and day, it's Summer and Winder.. on 2 different planets.
Yet just because I'm better then the beginner I used to be, doesn't necessarily mean im "good" yet.

Like Musashi, The skill is there. And it's well "beyond average" and recognized by no small or few people. But there's something always missing. Something that's so subtle. So small, So.. sharp. That figuring it out is what's the key to surviving. In his case a duel and in mine the indie-art industry.
I'm constantly thinking, planning, practicing, meditating, straight up conversating with myself, day after day. Trying to figure out what that "missing piece" is.

Unfortunately for me there's no old man to teach me a GIANT hint using a back scratcher.

Now that I got PostyBirb up and running I plan to be more active in other places then here and twitter. Uploaded my backlog to Itaku and DeviantArt. SO if you're active there, give me a poke there when you want!

(copied from twitter)

I'm a Little of everywhere, Here's where you can find me!
(Discord is best for contacting me Directly.)
Food Provider
https://patreon.com/Devin_Arts
Furafinity
https://furaffinity.net/user/devinarts/
Itaku
https://itaku.ee/profile/devin_arts
DeviantArt
https://deviantart.com/devin-arts
Discord
https://discord.gg/ecyYGwmUZR

If ya'll have an interest in skull critters that have a built upon world, lore, and THRIVING community. You should really check out  Cahoon 's Dreygsin project.
Characters and content ranging from Cute, Sexy, story intensive, to whimsical. Check them out!

.. is what it feels like all im doing these days.

Feel like I've been stagnant on literally everything. My art isn't bad (I hope) anymore. But it's still not all to "awe-inspiring". Its all still to.. basic. And forgettable.

I held a giveaway on Twitter. Was open for like a week. Literally chance at free art. Full colored sketch. And only 16 people submitted for it. 16! Out of 460+ Followers. That's not even 4%
AND MOST OF THEM WERENT ORIGINALLY FOLLOWING ME!?

I'm going to hold another raffle here as I near 300 watchers. But im slowing starting to question if it's even worth it at this point. I'm at a complete loss and genuinely starting to question if I should just throw in the towel. My only hope in hell is getting shouted out by some big artist/popufur but that's about as likely as winning the lottery.

I said 2023 was going to be the year of growth and development. But I've barely gained 40 follower across 3 websites.. in the past 6 months.

Like what's the issue still? Is my art still actually bad? I can't price gouge myself any further. Is genuinely just shit algorithm luck? I so lost on what to do anymore.

anyway that's my ted talk.

Finally posted my huge backlog of art. Mostly Patreon rewards witch you can get your own of! For $17!

Tried posted oldest to newest as best can. Thank you!

Wanna just quickly remind you all I have a Discord and Twitter, I hate twitter but it's where people are. And this site seems to be attempting another go at off'ing itself with new policy changes. It doesn't really apply to me but given the mod team for this site is so ban-hammer trigger-happy and the fact you can get your whole account banned just cause they don't like you despite not breaking any rules as already a CRIMSON red flag (RIP Jasonafex).

SOooo yeah, Links literally all over my page.

It feels that way anyways.

We're only 3 and a half months into the year and I feel like I've witnessed 10+ artists quit, disappear, give up, or change subject matter so drastically they're not remotely what i initially watched/followed for.

It's starting to feel like trying to be a successful Artist (successful meaning you can live off it), has become as hard as being a YouTuber these days. You're sucess only completely depends on a bot or algorithm actually pushing your content to people and these days it feels like it's not enough to draw "good" anymore. Like regardless if it's nsfw or sfw, funny or serious, etc, etc, You gotta go ABOVE AND BEYOND just to get a foundation going.

It's not enough to draw well, you gotta be able to draw ANYTHING in ANY style, with ANY form of compisition, You got to be able to draw generic poses BUT still be "original" somehow.
It's not enough to make looping gifs anymore, those things gotta be fully animated in at least 16 fps, with sfx's for every motion and climax's.!

What crazy though is some of more MOST successful artists I know are super minimal! Not that their stuff is bad or "lazy", but it's super simple like, rarely colored, or always a blank white background. Or super simple character design that threw anatomy books out the window. Like are we entering a "less is more" meta of art or something?

Im not one to typically have anxiety but I'd be lying if I said this doesn't keep me up at night. I don't really have much more time to really get this rolling or not. to be frank, the future is looking really grim and scary.

I got a poll on Twitter (since FA still doesn't have anything like it)

Want ya'lls opinion. https://twitter.com/Devin_Arts/stat.....88010307960832

Also remember to join the Discord for insights on stuff like this and easier communications and updates! https://discord.gg/ecyYGwmUZR

I got that there Patreon site going! It's a little bare cause it's literaly just launched but it's got goodies for everyone!

https://www.patreon.com/Devin_Arts
https://www.patreon.com/Devin_Arts
https://www.patreon.com/Devin_Arts

At least according to FA's new mod team.

I was wondering why I dropped watchers to suddenly and decided to poke around.

May or may now be related to my issue but in the last 2 days apparently DOZENS of accounts that featured non-anthro, stage one, Pokémon art got wrongfully flagged for "cub" art. Most commonly apparently anything involving Pichu. Seems little to no background or context checks are done and it's regardless of art style.

While the are taking appeals the fact FA seems to have now gone full "guilty until Repeatedly proven innocent" is honestly sad. And they wonder why people try to jump ship from here as soon as something better arrives.

I lost 8 watchers in like 2 days.. what happened?