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Auction closing soon
Posted 9 years agoJust a heads up that the kellashee character auction I'm running here https://www.furaffinity.net/view/18862385/ will be closing in about 15 hours :)
Official Kellashee Business
Posted 10 years agoAn addendum for my previous journal entry - I've now got the details ironed out and I'm open to inquiries about custom official kellas. Please note, the species is still an open species, this is just an extra tier above that for those who wish to be more involved.
Being an officially recognised Kellashee confers some benefits:
- Each member of this official 'family' are to be unique in appearance, hence no two will ever be designed too similarly (no guarantees are made that non-official Kellashee will be unique as I do not have control over this).
- You will have a link back from the FA Kellashee page to your FA account (or DA, FB page, etc)
- As the world building project progresses, your characters may be included in official artwork. The ultimate outcome of the world building project is an ambitious art book encompassing many aspects of kellashee history, mythos, biology, etc.
- As the family grows, I will likely invite official members to a special FB group (or similar means of social media gathering) for a front row seat to watch the world building unfold and toss around ideas. Please note that inclusion in this group, should it go ahead, will involve members agreeing to play nicely with each other or access may be revoked.
Character Auctions
This option is for people who don't quite know what they want but they'll know it when they see it, or for those who fall in love with the unique designs available. All auctioned Kellashee designs begin with a starting bid of $15 USD. These designs will never be reproduced, even for someone wanting a custom-made character. Once bids hit $50 USD it will include a single pose reference sheet with the character's chosen name and description, a colour key, and a single accessory. Once bids hit $100 USD a back view, clothing and second accessory will be added.
Character auctions will be run on the Kellashee FA page at https://www.furaffinity.net/user/kellashee/
Custom Character Purchases
To outright purchase a custom designed character will cost $30 USD, with the $50 and $100 ref sheet tiers as above. Custom designs will only be accepted if they are not too similar to already existing official designs.
All character designs will use the same template, however they will be incredibly customised. The parts that change will be colours, body markings, wing markings, horn types and antennae types. Things like scars, piercings and ear notches may be considered for inclusion at any price tier.
All payments are to be made before receipt of the artwork. I will require an email address in order to invoice you via Paypal and to send your completed artwork which will include a small web version and a full size printable version.
The copyright for the Kellashee species remains with me but you can do whatever you like with your artwork within personal-use limits. This means you are welcome to put it anywhere online, on tshirts, turn it into a fursuit, etc. You may not reproduce the artwork for personal gain (such as sell prints of it) or remove my signature. You are welcome to on-sell the character/art if you decide you have no further use for it but I'd appreciate being updated as to its new owner so I can keep the family list current.
Being an officially recognised Kellashee confers some benefits:
- Each member of this official 'family' are to be unique in appearance, hence no two will ever be designed too similarly (no guarantees are made that non-official Kellashee will be unique as I do not have control over this).
- You will have a link back from the FA Kellashee page to your FA account (or DA, FB page, etc)
- As the world building project progresses, your characters may be included in official artwork. The ultimate outcome of the world building project is an ambitious art book encompassing many aspects of kellashee history, mythos, biology, etc.
- As the family grows, I will likely invite official members to a special FB group (or similar means of social media gathering) for a front row seat to watch the world building unfold and toss around ideas. Please note that inclusion in this group, should it go ahead, will involve members agreeing to play nicely with each other or access may be revoked.
Character Auctions
This option is for people who don't quite know what they want but they'll know it when they see it, or for those who fall in love with the unique designs available. All auctioned Kellashee designs begin with a starting bid of $15 USD. These designs will never be reproduced, even for someone wanting a custom-made character. Once bids hit $50 USD it will include a single pose reference sheet with the character's chosen name and description, a colour key, and a single accessory. Once bids hit $100 USD a back view, clothing and second accessory will be added.
Character auctions will be run on the Kellashee FA page at https://www.furaffinity.net/user/kellashee/
Custom Character Purchases
To outright purchase a custom designed character will cost $30 USD, with the $50 and $100 ref sheet tiers as above. Custom designs will only be accepted if they are not too similar to already existing official designs.
All character designs will use the same template, however they will be incredibly customised. The parts that change will be colours, body markings, wing markings, horn types and antennae types. Things like scars, piercings and ear notches may be considered for inclusion at any price tier.
All payments are to be made before receipt of the artwork. I will require an email address in order to invoice you via Paypal and to send your completed artwork which will include a small web version and a full size printable version.
The copyright for the Kellashee species remains with me but you can do whatever you like with your artwork within personal-use limits. This means you are welcome to put it anywhere online, on tshirts, turn it into a fursuit, etc. You may not reproduce the artwork for personal gain (such as sell prints of it) or remove my signature. You are welcome to on-sell the character/art if you decide you have no further use for it but I'd appreciate being updated as to its new owner so I can keep the family list current.
The Kellashee family - will you join us?
Posted 10 years agoFor some time now I've been quietly doing my own thing with the Kellashee and people have become increasingly interested in them as characters, fursonas, subjects of art, music and fursuits (for much of which I have Faustorian to thank!). They have always been and will always be an open species, however I've decided to start an 'official' family of Kellashee for a couple of reasons:
- I love to see and hear about what people are up to with their characters/fursonas and having a documented family will help me with this
- I have always intended to progress with the world building to the point of taking on an ambitious long-term project such as an art book and these official characters will be included in the project.
I will be doing this in a couple of ways - if you would love an official Kellashee of your own but are a bit up in the air about character design, I will be offering a series of character auctions of template-based designs. Alternatively, if you have an idea in your head already of the Kellashee that you want, I will be offering custom designs based on the previous template once I finalise some details. Feel free to comment here if the latter option catches your fancy and I will contact you once I have ironed out said details.
For those interested in the former, I have my first auction up at the official Kellashee page: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/18862385/
- I love to see and hear about what people are up to with their characters/fursonas and having a documented family will help me with this
- I have always intended to progress with the world building to the point of taking on an ambitious long-term project such as an art book and these official characters will be included in the project.
I will be doing this in a couple of ways - if you would love an official Kellashee of your own but are a bit up in the air about character design, I will be offering a series of character auctions of template-based designs. Alternatively, if you have an idea in your head already of the Kellashee that you want, I will be offering custom designs based on the previous template once I finalise some details. Feel free to comment here if the latter option catches your fancy and I will contact you once I have ironed out said details.
For those interested in the former, I have my first auction up at the official Kellashee page: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/18862385/
Confurgence!
Posted 10 years agoI've been super quiet lately with a bunch of huge life changes going on. All is well however, and I will be at Confurgence. I'm not trading this time, so hopefully I'll get a bunch of suiting time in. Looking forward to seeing everyone!
Oh god, how does anyone decide?
Posted 10 years agoSo my birthday is looming large on the horizon and family has been asking what I want. I don't really like "stuff" so I usually shrug, but I've just had a lightbulb moment - commissions! I can usually never afford, nor justify, buying myself commissions but with family offering to do the buying for celebratory date of birth, why the heck not? Only there's a problem... it's like walking into a candy store. There are -so many- artists whose work I adore and I can only choose a couple. Woe. Angst. How does anyone decide these things???
"How?"
Posted 10 years agoI've had a bunch of queries along the lines of "how????" with regards to my animal portraits and I enjoy that people are so interested :) Basically if I can see the detail, I can paint the detail. Highly detailed reference photos turn into highly detailed paintings, less detailed reference photos (ie: phone camera potatoes) turn into less detailed paintings. There's no black magic, I just see and replicate detail easily and I suspect it has something to do with being ASD and receiving a bunch more sensory information than most people (which is usually just plain overwhelming, so it's nice to have a good trade off).
That said, I'm not just being a human photocopier when I do this. I do generally improve on the photo by adjusting lighting and colour, bringing out the eyes, fixing various issues of blurriness, graininess, etc etc. I also use it as a learning exercise to take across to my fantasy stuff because once I've painted something in detail, it stays somewhat in visual memory and I can draw upon it later to some degree.
My other trick is picking up art materials I've never used before, reading how to use them and then just using them. I work in exactly the same manner whether it's pencil, paint or digital, so things just turn out looking photorealistic/hyper-realistic. It's not magic, it's just a by-product of seeing everything in hi def. This picture was my first acrylic painting for example, and this one was my second.
Whether it's truly artistic or true art? I used to twist myself up into little knots over this but I've come to the conclusion that I don't really care. I've seen all the arguments for and against and they're just kind of immaterial to me. This is how I view the world, so this is how I paint. As much as I adore more abstract and artsy work, it's just not how my brain functions and I find it very hard to outright impossible to create in this way. I'd give my left butt-cheek to paint in the style of Stephanie Pui-Mun Law who I've known since early Elfwood days (1997'ish?).
That said, I'm not just being a human photocopier when I do this. I do generally improve on the photo by adjusting lighting and colour, bringing out the eyes, fixing various issues of blurriness, graininess, etc etc. I also use it as a learning exercise to take across to my fantasy stuff because once I've painted something in detail, it stays somewhat in visual memory and I can draw upon it later to some degree.
My other trick is picking up art materials I've never used before, reading how to use them and then just using them. I work in exactly the same manner whether it's pencil, paint or digital, so things just turn out looking photorealistic/hyper-realistic. It's not magic, it's just a by-product of seeing everything in hi def. This picture was my first acrylic painting for example, and this one was my second.
Whether it's truly artistic or true art? I used to twist myself up into little knots over this but I've come to the conclusion that I don't really care. I've seen all the arguments for and against and they're just kind of immaterial to me. This is how I view the world, so this is how I paint. As much as I adore more abstract and artsy work, it's just not how my brain functions and I find it very hard to outright impossible to create in this way. I'd give my left butt-cheek to paint in the style of Stephanie Pui-Mun Law who I've known since early Elfwood days (1997'ish?).
1K Watchers! + Limited Pet Portrait Slots Open
Posted 10 years agoDing! 1000 watchers! Welcome to those newly following and a giant thanks to everyone who supports me :)
I've been "officially" closed for commissions for a while now while dealing with health, pet death and stuff (however I did take on the odd one that interested me) but in the wake of the interest generated by my latest couple of pet portraits, I'm opening 2 slots for these now and may take on more in the future on a limited basis.
Digital pet portraits (head shot only at this point) cost $160 AUD - this works out to roughly $130 USD or 115 euro. I will only take on jobs where I can be provided with large, well-lit, clear photos of the animal as working with grainy, small blown out or shadowed photos is super frustrating. I will take on any species but bonus points if it's a dog because I'm super freaking obsessive about dogs at the moment. Please send me a note or email (omnom[at]toastweasel.com) if you wish to discuss claiming a slot.
I've been "officially" closed for commissions for a while now while dealing with health, pet death and stuff (however I did take on the odd one that interested me) but in the wake of the interest generated by my latest couple of pet portraits, I'm opening 2 slots for these now and may take on more in the future on a limited basis.
Digital pet portraits (head shot only at this point) cost $160 AUD - this works out to roughly $130 USD or 115 euro. I will only take on jobs where I can be provided with large, well-lit, clear photos of the animal as working with grainy, small blown out or shadowed photos is super frustrating. I will take on any species but bonus points if it's a dog because I'm super freaking obsessive about dogs at the moment. Please send me a note or email (omnom[at]toastweasel.com) if you wish to discuss claiming a slot.
Dog musings
Posted 10 years agoI just want to thank everyone for being so lovely while I've been dealing with the grief of losing my senior citizen pups. I feel the faint stirrings of my muse again so hopefully I'll be back to art very soon. To the few commissioners I have who's work was put on hold while I dealt with this, thank you and thank you again for your patience and understanding, being able to briefly put aside art stress while I dealt with the loss has helped so much.
It's still weird and painful to wake up and automatically glance over to the dog bed and then realise they aren't there. It's still too quiet without them shadowing me around the house and yard. I was adamant that after the decade of dealing with Sooty's anxiety problems I wouldn't have dogs again but I find myself wavering. I know better than to make any decisions on the tail of loss, but I don't think I'm as steadfastly against it as I thought and everyone I talk to is quick to tell me "most dogs aren't like that" and urge me to reconsider. Well, maybe...
It's still weird and painful to wake up and automatically glance over to the dog bed and then realise they aren't there. It's still too quiet without them shadowing me around the house and yard. I was adamant that after the decade of dealing with Sooty's anxiety problems I wouldn't have dogs again but I find myself wavering. I know better than to make any decisions on the tail of loss, but I don't think I'm as steadfastly against it as I thought and everyone I talk to is quick to tell me "most dogs aren't like that" and urge me to reconsider. Well, maybe...
The loss is hard to take
Posted 10 years agoI apologise that I've been very quiet socially and in art recently. It was on the cards for a while, but yesterday my two old dogs were put to rest together after being with me for 11 of their 12 years of life. They were not the easiest dogs, Sooty especially provided many challenging moments with her massive anxiety disorder that we were never fully able to control. But I loved them dearly and it's hitting me extremely hard because so much of my daily routine centered around doing things with and for them.
This is a big change and I miss them beyond words and I'm not going to be ok for a while. Now it's just too quiet and every time I turn around there's another reminder that they are gone. I'm sure I'll return to art sooner or later, but for now I'm just trying to get through this.
Rest in peace Sooty and Solo and thank you for all those years of your company.
This is a big change and I miss them beyond words and I'm not going to be ok for a while. Now it's just too quiet and every time I turn around there's another reminder that they are gone. I'm sure I'll return to art sooner or later, but for now I'm just trying to get through this.
Rest in peace Sooty and Solo and thank you for all those years of your company.
Fox Amoore/Silverfox Kellashee Collaboration
Posted 10 years agoHeeyyy folks!
draphilius
won an awesome charity auction run by
foxamoore and 
silverfox5213
and this is the amazing outcome. He chose the artwork and song to be based on my kellashee species which is pretty damn cool if you ask me! The song has truly captured the feeling of the expansive cosmos they traverse in the line of their cultural duty preserving life from doomed worlds and the artwork, while not canon in detail (most notably their transport means) is a wonderfully whimsical and artistic take on the whole thing. This artwork is first of a small series and Eo is just a young'un in this one... d'awww.
Artwork: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/15879402/
Music: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/15879394/
And for any interested, I keep a repository of kella info/art here (though it's a little slim as of yet - I'm working on it!)
kellashee
draphilius won an awesome charity auction run by
foxamoore and 
silverfox5213 and this is the amazing outcome. He chose the artwork and song to be based on my kellashee species which is pretty damn cool if you ask me! The song has truly captured the feeling of the expansive cosmos they traverse in the line of their cultural duty preserving life from doomed worlds and the artwork, while not canon in detail (most notably their transport means) is a wonderfully whimsical and artistic take on the whole thing. This artwork is first of a small series and Eo is just a young'un in this one... d'awww.
Artwork: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/15879402/
Music: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/15879394/
And for any interested, I keep a repository of kella info/art here (though it's a little slim as of yet - I'm working on it!)
kellasheeWinner chosen + things and stuff
Posted 10 years agoThanks everyone who entered pictures of their pets for consideration in my recent 'win a free pet portrait' thing. I've chosen a picture that was entered on my FB page and will start work on it soon. More info here: https://www.facebook.com/toastweasel
My art in general has hit a quiet patch at the moment because I'm in between commissions waiting on things and also revoltingly unwell. I managed to fend off con crud and multiple people around me being sick but I finally succumbed. In the meantime I thought I might upload some of the traditional pet/animal art I've done in the past. I don't offer them as commissions any longer because of the sheer amount of time they take, but they heralded the return of my identity as an artist after 10 long years of having my creative ability sapped by an SSRI medication.
My art in general has hit a quiet patch at the moment because I'm in between commissions waiting on things and also revoltingly unwell. I managed to fend off con crud and multiple people around me being sick but I finally succumbed. In the meantime I thought I might upload some of the traditional pet/animal art I've done in the past. I don't offer them as commissions any longer because of the sheer amount of time they take, but they heralded the return of my identity as an artist after 10 long years of having my creative ability sapped by an SSRI medication.
Who doesn't love free art?
Posted 11 years agoI feel inspired to do a traditional pet/animal portrait piece, like I used to do previously, but I don't really feel like doing it for no reason. Therefore I'm giving you, my wonderful followers, a chance to win a pencil portrait to the value of $200-$250 (based on my prior prices as a portrait artist). Yes, if you win I will be posting it to you. All relevant info and conditions are here on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/toastweasel
Phew! *collapses in a pile*
Posted 11 years agoSo my first stint as a dealer at a con is done and dusted and I survived! I had the -worst- anxiety leading up to it and it only intensified as things got closer but I did it anyway. I had the help of some incredibly supportive friends and without them I think I would have given up so I'd like to personally thank
efimous, 
flixwyvern, Bear, 
Kaikirith and 
cynwolfe
for helping to keep me together and in one piece. I want to especially thank Efimous for being an incredible friend and bearing the brunt of my "I can't do it, I'm quitting forever!" moments and knowing when to be supportive and when to just bap me over the head for being dumb. I also want to thank Stephen Quoll for keeping me supplied with energy drinks because I think I managed one proper night's sleep in 4 days and needed to replace my blood with caffeine to keep functioning.
Thank you to everyone who dropped by my table for a chat and to draw in my sketchpad, and massive <3 to everyone who bought my cards, prints, tote bags, stickers and original art. Everyone's positive reaction towards my art made my day/week/year/lifetime and I feel so charged up and inspired to dive in and keep painting like crazy. I took several commissions at the con and these will be my focus for the next few weeks. Afterwards, I will be opening for limited commission slots so keep an eye out. I'll also be setting up a web shop in the near future where my prints and such can be purchased.
Speaking of prints, I was awed and immensely gratified that a bidding war happened on the framed and signed print of Little Forest Guardian I had entered in the Confurgence art show. I'm still pinching myself over the winning bid! In addition, I was thrilled that the signed prints of Little Forest Guardian and In His Domain fetched fantastic prices in the charity auction, with the proceeds going towards saving our iconic Tasmanian Devils from the facial tumour disease that threatens them.
And now, time to get arting!
efimous, 
flixwyvern, Bear, 
Kaikirith and 
cynwolfe for helping to keep me together and in one piece. I want to especially thank Efimous for being an incredible friend and bearing the brunt of my "I can't do it, I'm quitting forever!" moments and knowing when to be supportive and when to just bap me over the head for being dumb. I also want to thank Stephen Quoll for keeping me supplied with energy drinks because I think I managed one proper night's sleep in 4 days and needed to replace my blood with caffeine to keep functioning.
Thank you to everyone who dropped by my table for a chat and to draw in my sketchpad, and massive <3 to everyone who bought my cards, prints, tote bags, stickers and original art. Everyone's positive reaction towards my art made my day/week/year/lifetime and I feel so charged up and inspired to dive in and keep painting like crazy. I took several commissions at the con and these will be my focus for the next few weeks. Afterwards, I will be opening for limited commission slots so keep an eye out. I'll also be setting up a web shop in the near future where my prints and such can be purchased.
Speaking of prints, I was awed and immensely gratified that a bidding war happened on the framed and signed print of Little Forest Guardian I had entered in the Confurgence art show. I'm still pinching myself over the winning bid! In addition, I was thrilled that the signed prints of Little Forest Guardian and In His Domain fetched fantastic prices in the charity auction, with the proceeds going towards saving our iconic Tasmanian Devils from the facial tumour disease that threatens them.
And now, time to get arting!
Confurgence Meme
Posted 11 years agoUggghhhh so much to get prepped for having a table at a con. I'm almost all sorted though and determined to have a good time! I've seen a few folks post this meme so jumping on the bandwagon.
Where are you staying?
The Arrow on Swanston
What day are you getting there?
Thursday the 8th
How long are you going?
Leaving Monday the 12th
How are you traveling?
I live in the same city so just getting a lift in
Who will you be rooming with?
Me, myself and I! It'll be a full house ;)
Who will you hang out with during the convention?
Well mostly I'll be in the Dealer's Den next to
machinesbleedtoo, outside of that I'll be hanging with various folks.
What do you look like ?
Short, short hair with red streaks on the sides (makes me go faster), may or may not be wearing a Toast Weasel Illustration tshirt
What is your gender ?
Female
How tall are you?
All of 5'3"... I said I was short.
How is the best way to find you?
Dealer's Den, table number 22
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
"Hi Eo!" generally works.
Are there any panels/events you might be attending?
Fursuit walk for sure, aside from that not really sure at this point.
Will you be going to parties?
Depends on my inclination at the time
Will you be fursuiting?
Yeup. Be on the lookout for the bright yellow and black winged beebutterflywasptigerdragonthing, aka Kellashee. I have photos of it in my gallery at the moment if you're unsure what it looks like.
Can I talk to you?
Of course. Sometimes I can be shy or a bit overwhelmed in noisy environments but don't take it personally. I'm pretty friendly :)
Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Snuggling, probably not. Hugging - If I'm in suit then yeah just ask and unless you smell like you just rolled out of a swamp I'll be happy to hug. Outside of suit I kinda prefer only friends doing that. Please for the love of all that's holy don't jump me out of nowhere for a hug, I like a bit of warning.
Can I buy you drinks?
I don't really drink much
Can I give you stuff?
Maybe? o_o If it's con crud you can keep it
Are you nice?
Yeah :)
Where will you be most of the time during the day/s?
Dealer's Den
What/where will you be eating?
I'll be bringing my own food for the most part, thanks to having celiac. If I can find a sushi place nearby I might die and go to heaven at the chance to eat something other than pre-prepped sandwiches but I'm not holding my breath.
Can I take your picture?
If I'm in suit, for sure, otherwise I'm more than a bit camera shy.
What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Get my art out there a bit, have a good time, meet some folks
How can I contact you?
In person I guess? I won't be that hard to find ;)
Where are you staying?
The Arrow on Swanston
What day are you getting there?
Thursday the 8th
How long are you going?
Leaving Monday the 12th
How are you traveling?
I live in the same city so just getting a lift in
Who will you be rooming with?
Me, myself and I! It'll be a full house ;)
Who will you hang out with during the convention?
Well mostly I'll be in the Dealer's Den next to
machinesbleedtoo, outside of that I'll be hanging with various folks. What do you look like ?
Short, short hair with red streaks on the sides (makes me go faster), may or may not be wearing a Toast Weasel Illustration tshirt
What is your gender ?
Female
How tall are you?
All of 5'3"... I said I was short.
How is the best way to find you?
Dealer's Den, table number 22
If I see you, how should I get your attention?
"Hi Eo!" generally works.
Are there any panels/events you might be attending?
Fursuit walk for sure, aside from that not really sure at this point.
Will you be going to parties?
Depends on my inclination at the time
Will you be fursuiting?
Yeup. Be on the lookout for the bright yellow and black winged beebutterflywasptigerdragonthing, aka Kellashee. I have photos of it in my gallery at the moment if you're unsure what it looks like.
Can I talk to you?
Of course. Sometimes I can be shy or a bit overwhelmed in noisy environments but don't take it personally. I'm pretty friendly :)
Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Snuggling, probably not. Hugging - If I'm in suit then yeah just ask and unless you smell like you just rolled out of a swamp I'll be happy to hug. Outside of suit I kinda prefer only friends doing that. Please for the love of all that's holy don't jump me out of nowhere for a hug, I like a bit of warning.
Can I buy you drinks?
I don't really drink much
Can I give you stuff?
Maybe? o_o If it's con crud you can keep it
Are you nice?
Yeah :)
Where will you be most of the time during the day/s?
Dealer's Den
What/where will you be eating?
I'll be bringing my own food for the most part, thanks to having celiac. If I can find a sushi place nearby I might die and go to heaven at the chance to eat something other than pre-prepped sandwiches but I'm not holding my breath.
Can I take your picture?
If I'm in suit, for sure, otherwise I'm more than a bit camera shy.
What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Get my art out there a bit, have a good time, meet some folks
How can I contact you?
In person I guess? I won't be that hard to find ;)
Aww (Fursuit Things)
Posted 11 years agoI was going to try and get my bodysuit made in time for Confurgence but because I have the forward planning skills of a potato I didn't check that I would have enough fur. I'm short about 1.5 metres, Spotlight no longer carries it, and the local faux fur specialty shop is closed until the new year. Ah well. I was going to use crappy craft fur and consider it a first draft, but seeing as I have no deadline anymore I might order some decent stuff. Any recommendations of a good black fur to use for a body suit? I'd adore NFT's 4-way-stretch stuff but unfortunately I'm not made of gold, so I'll need to consider something a bit cheaper.
Mental health, art and Confurgence things
Posted 11 years agoHey folks, first of all I want to apologise for having been so quiet lately and having commissions still shut down. In the lead up to Confurgence I find myself struggling with anxiety and depression because I'm finding the idea of being a dealer... challenging. I have fairly severe social anxiety in general and I've just thrown myself into the deep end because I'm dumb I want to get my art out there and eventually earn some sort of a living from it in the years to come. I've come close to pulling out a couple of times but thanks to an amazing, supportive friend I'm just keeping it together and will be there. My muse has been fairly dormant during all this and I've been trying to keep my mind occupied and distracted with various things, including making the body suit component of my kellashee fursuit.
I -will- be taking a small number of commissions at the con, to be completed afterwards. These will be at a special con rate (roughly 20% cheaper than my standard prices) and will be first come, first served. I debated taking sketch commissions at the table, however I think this time around I would be doing myself a disservice if I had that added pressure. I'll also have prints, stickers, cards and tote bags available for sale, as well as the little ACEO sized original drawings in traditional media that I've been doing. I have uploaded a photo of some of my wares here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/15205253/
My Iron Artist push will resume in the new year. I realise I'm probably taking longer than I should with it, but I will plug away steadily at it until I complete it instead of burning out trying to go too hard and fast with it. My ability to sketch out anatomy with or without references has already improved dramatically. I had barely ever drawn human anatomy (or indeed anthros) before the start of this year, so it's been a steep learning curve for me, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. Some of the other areas I wish to study and improve on in the coming year are facial expressions, dynamic poses/scenes and lighting. I intend on signing up for Chris Oatley's Magic Box to help facilitate this - I admire Chris's open and friendly desire to help fellow artists and, whilst it's not free, it's infinitely more achievable for my budget than art school.
So that's basically all my news for now. The next few weeks will be consumed by finalising convention things and racing the clock to get my body suit made when I've never made one before in my life (eek!) If you're heading to Confurgence, I look forward to seeing you there and I know once I chill the heck out, I'll have a great time and will love talking to everyone!
I -will- be taking a small number of commissions at the con, to be completed afterwards. These will be at a special con rate (roughly 20% cheaper than my standard prices) and will be first come, first served. I debated taking sketch commissions at the table, however I think this time around I would be doing myself a disservice if I had that added pressure. I'll also have prints, stickers, cards and tote bags available for sale, as well as the little ACEO sized original drawings in traditional media that I've been doing. I have uploaded a photo of some of my wares here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/15205253/
My Iron Artist push will resume in the new year. I realise I'm probably taking longer than I should with it, but I will plug away steadily at it until I complete it instead of burning out trying to go too hard and fast with it. My ability to sketch out anatomy with or without references has already improved dramatically. I had barely ever drawn human anatomy (or indeed anthros) before the start of this year, so it's been a steep learning curve for me, but an enjoyable one nonetheless. Some of the other areas I wish to study and improve on in the coming year are facial expressions, dynamic poses/scenes and lighting. I intend on signing up for Chris Oatley's Magic Box to help facilitate this - I admire Chris's open and friendly desire to help fellow artists and, whilst it's not free, it's infinitely more achievable for my budget than art school.
So that's basically all my news for now. The next few weeks will be consumed by finalising convention things and racing the clock to get my body suit made when I've never made one before in my life (eek!) If you're heading to Confurgence, I look forward to seeing you there and I know once I chill the heck out, I'll have a great time and will love talking to everyone!
Krita Artist Interview
Posted 11 years agoI use open source painting software called Krita for my art; it essentially re-ignited my creative fire early this year when I discovered it. As a dedicated user I was asked for an interview recently which I happily took part in. Whenever I see conversations about free software crop up online, I don't often see Krita mentioned which is a huge shame as it's fantastic. It has a few issues which are being worked on (it's in heavy development atm) but I love its brush engine so much! It's seriously worth giving a go.
https://krita.org/item/interview-wi.....eo-fenstalker/
TL;DR - I did the wordy things about the painty things
https://krita.org/item/interview-wi.....eo-fenstalker/
TL;DR - I did the wordy things about the painty things
Got Tumblr?
Posted 11 years agoIf anyone here uses Tumblr I have an account at http://toast-weasel-illustration.tumblr.com/ It's been a bit quiet there as I've been awesome at forgetting that I have it, but I intend to change that and start posting works in progress, random doodles, past work that I don't have up here, reblogs of things that inspire me, etc. Don't worry, no social activism or political commentary, just art and inspiration!
Iron Artist Batch #2 - $12 USD sketches *FULL*
Posted 11 years agoI'm still closed for standard commissions for a little longer but I thought I'd kick off the next batch of IA sketches. I'm taking 10 at a time so I don't overwhelm myself. I'm doing this to make myself draw anatomy more and it's a good way to get some inexpensive art from me, so we both win.
This is an example of what I will be producing: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14627219/ and http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14675489/
* No porn please. I will take on nudity as those bits are part of anatomy too, but no arousal or any depictions of sexual activity
* No gore, cub, fetish stuff though things like collars/cuffs/harness as accessories are ok
* I'm fine with doing clothing and accessories to a certain point - I'll let you know if it's a bit too much; I don't really feel like drawing your character in an historically accurate suit of armour whilst taking part in a scarf dance ;)
* No backgrounds, no colour apart from tinted lines like in the example pics
* Have references ready and either a short description on what you want drawn or whether it's up to artistic freedom
* One character per sketch slot
* You can snag more than one slot as long as they are of different characters
* No revisions unless I get something horrifically wrong, these are meant to be fast!
So to get in on the action just comment below. Please do not note me until I confirm that you have a slot. Once I do, please send me the info I need and the email address that I should send a Paypal request to. If you don't want to use FA's note system, you can email me at omnom at toastweasel.com instead
Feel free to repost your sketches in your own galleries if desired. A link back would be greatly appreciated!
---
1.
moradhamion (paid/complete)
2.
bingo (paid/complete)
3.
uhlric (paid/complete)
4.
Whoosh- (paid/complete)
5.
Ivy_Trellis (paid/complete)
6. defaulted
7.
smaug (paid/complete)
8. draphilius (paid/up next)
9. draphilius (paid/up next)
10. draphilius (paid/up next)
This is an example of what I will be producing: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14627219/ and http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14675489/
* No porn please. I will take on nudity as those bits are part of anatomy too, but no arousal or any depictions of sexual activity
* No gore, cub, fetish stuff though things like collars/cuffs/harness as accessories are ok
* I'm fine with doing clothing and accessories to a certain point - I'll let you know if it's a bit too much; I don't really feel like drawing your character in an historically accurate suit of armour whilst taking part in a scarf dance ;)
* No backgrounds, no colour apart from tinted lines like in the example pics
* Have references ready and either a short description on what you want drawn or whether it's up to artistic freedom
* One character per sketch slot
* You can snag more than one slot as long as they are of different characters
* No revisions unless I get something horrifically wrong, these are meant to be fast!
So to get in on the action just comment below. Please do not note me until I confirm that you have a slot. Once I do, please send me the info I need and the email address that I should send a Paypal request to. If you don't want to use FA's note system, you can email me at omnom at toastweasel.com instead
Feel free to repost your sketches in your own galleries if desired. A link back would be greatly appreciated!
---
1.
moradhamion (paid/complete)2.
bingo (paid/complete)3.
uhlric (paid/complete)4.
Whoosh- (paid/complete)5.
Ivy_Trellis (paid/complete)6. defaulted
7.
smaug (paid/complete)8.
draphilius (paid/up next)9.
draphilius (paid/up next)10.
draphilius (paid/up next)FurGather
Posted 11 years agoI joined this furry social networking site a week ago and I'm quite enjoying it so far. It looks -very- much like FB at the moment in layout and UI but it will gradually be given it's own identity instead of being a clone (and the guy running it has covered his butt legally here, so it's not a problem). It's only about a month old and exploded in popularity very quickly, necessitating some down time for a server upgrade which was completed recently. The site is still very much in beta, so there's bugs to be squashed and improvements to be made but the guy running it seems pretty determined to turn it into a decent alternative to FB especially geared towards furs. I happily accept friend requests so feel free to toss me one if you decide to join.
http://www.furgather.com/EoFenstalker
http://www.furgather.com/EoFenstalker
Some down time / apology
Posted 11 years agoI must apologise for how quiet I've been all of a sudden. I'm taking a little down-time to deal with some pretty painful stuff. Thankfully I have no outstanding commissions, but I'm feeling a little rueful over my Iron Artist push and I will continue this as soon as I am able to. I am closing commissions for now, but I will re-open these as soon as I can also. Thankyou so much to all my wonderful supporters and a big welcome to all my new watchers - I'm so very sorry for my sudden lack of activity but I will be back at full capacity as soon as I can, I promise.
Excitement + Signal Boost
Posted 11 years agoRecently 
pale-thylacine posted about some financial troubles and needing to take on commissions to help cover it. I took up the offer because I enjoy her art style and was not disappointed! http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14702035/
The turn-around time was fast, she was exceptionally courteous to deal with and I highly recommend people go and throw money at her to help her out and get some great art in the process!
pale-thylacine posted about some financial troubles and needing to take on commissions to help cover it. I took up the offer because I enjoy her art style and was not disappointed! http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14702035/The turn-around time was fast, she was exceptionally courteous to deal with and I highly recommend people go and throw money at her to help her out and get some great art in the process!
Iron Artist... *gulp* $12 sketch slots *FULL*
Posted 11 years ago**This batch is FULL! I will open again for the next batch once this one is done** Thankyou everyone!
Ok, after pokings and proddings from some people once I mentioned the idea, I'm going to do this... I'm doing it... *takes a deep breath* I'm... going to go hide under a rock ;_;
In all seriousness, I think this is the perfect way to make myself sketch enough anatomy so that I can become quicker and have it feel more natural. Everyone wins here - I get bundles of incentive to sketch frequently and you get the chance at some inexpensive art from me. I will be taking on batches of 10 at a time so I don't overwhelm myself completely and each slot will only be $12 (USD).
This is an example of what I will be producing: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14619382/
* No porn please. I will take on nudity as those bits are part of anatomy too, but no arousal or any depictions of sexual activity
* No gore, cub, fetish stuff
* I'm fine with doing clothing and accessories to a certain point - I'll let you know if it's a bit too much; I don't really feel like drawing your character in an historically accurate suit of armour whilst taking part in a scarf dance
* No backgrounds, no colour apart from tinted lines like in the example pic
* Have references ready and either a short description on what you want drawn or whether it's up to artistic freedom
* One character per sketch slot
* You can snag more than one slot as long as they are of different characters
* No revisions unless I get something horrifically wrong, these are meant to be fast!
So to get in on the action just comment below. Please do not note me until I confirm that you have a slot. Once I do, please send me the info I need and the email address that I should send a Paypal request to.
1.
Turgius (paid/complete)
2.
Velocis (paid/complete)
3.
Arito (paid/complete)
4. Arito (paid/complete)
5.
DissonantDragon (paid/complete)
6.
SeraphsFin (paid/complete)
7.
Rin-U (paid/complete)
8. Turgius (paid/complete)
9. Draphilius (paid/complete)
10. Draphilius (paid/complete)
Ok, after pokings and proddings from some people once I mentioned the idea, I'm going to do this... I'm doing it... *takes a deep breath* I'm... going to go hide under a rock ;_;
In all seriousness, I think this is the perfect way to make myself sketch enough anatomy so that I can become quicker and have it feel more natural. Everyone wins here - I get bundles of incentive to sketch frequently and you get the chance at some inexpensive art from me. I will be taking on batches of 10 at a time so I don't overwhelm myself completely and each slot will only be $12 (USD).
This is an example of what I will be producing: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14619382/
* No porn please. I will take on nudity as those bits are part of anatomy too, but no arousal or any depictions of sexual activity
* No gore, cub, fetish stuff
* I'm fine with doing clothing and accessories to a certain point - I'll let you know if it's a bit too much; I don't really feel like drawing your character in an historically accurate suit of armour whilst taking part in a scarf dance
* No backgrounds, no colour apart from tinted lines like in the example pic
* Have references ready and either a short description on what you want drawn or whether it's up to artistic freedom
* One character per sketch slot
* You can snag more than one slot as long as they are of different characters
* No revisions unless I get something horrifically wrong, these are meant to be fast!
So to get in on the action just comment below. Please do not note me until I confirm that you have a slot. Once I do, please send me the info I need and the email address that I should send a Paypal request to.
1.
Turgius (paid/complete)2.
Velocis (paid/complete)3.
Arito (paid/complete)4.
Arito (paid/complete)5.
DissonantDragon (paid/complete)6.
SeraphsFin (paid/complete)7.
Rin-U (paid/complete)8.
Turgius (paid/complete)9.
Draphilius (paid/complete)10.
Draphilius (paid/complete)Enough about me, what about you?
Posted 11 years agoWowee, almost 700 watchers?? I could have sworn I only hit 500 recently - thankyou everyone! :) Looks like it won't be long and I'll have to run a little something to celebrate 1k :D Thankyou for all your favs and comments - especially comments! Unfortunately I've had to cut back on responding to -everything- but I try very hard to respond to all the folks who ask questions or take the time to craft a well-thought out comment for me on my work.
So I'd love to know a little more about you all - what sort of art really tickles your tailfeathers? I'm talking about subject, medium, technique or anything really. Given that this -is- FA I'm half expecting 1. Porn 2. Porn 3.The Expressionist movement, specifically between 1911 and 1913 Porn. I kid, I kid! Pleasedon'thurtme.
If you're an artist yourself, do you find that you more value art that is similar somehow to yours, or do you moon over artworks that you couldn't emulate in a million years of trying?
And lastly, I'm on the lookout for more artists to watch as I find really great art is such a boost for inspiration - is there anyone I'm not already watching who you think I really should be?
So I'd love to know a little more about you all - what sort of art really tickles your tailfeathers? I'm talking about subject, medium, technique or anything really. Given that this -is- FA I'm half expecting 1. Porn 2. Porn 3.
If you're an artist yourself, do you find that you more value art that is similar somehow to yours, or do you moon over artworks that you couldn't emulate in a million years of trying?
And lastly, I'm on the lookout for more artists to watch as I find really great art is such a boost for inspiration - is there anyone I'm not already watching who you think I really should be?
Cleaning house + relief
Posted 11 years agoI just tossed a bunch of things into my Scraps folder so if you can't find something that was previously in my gallery, look there! I'm going to try and keep my main gallery for the more finished pieces and put the animal sketches, aceo art, doodles etc into scraps just to keep the place looking tidy.
I'm also experiencing a profound sense of relief at having a piece of traditional artwork returned intact from being on tour around Australia. The frame ended up with a slight chip but that's not too bad considering how often it was unpacked/repacked/shipped. It's a graphite portrait of racehorse Black Caviar that was accepted into the Inglis Equine Art Prize a year ago. Nice to have her home again :) https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u.....arfinalweb.jpg
I don't really do the full-on photorealistic animal portraits anymore. I did it for a few years and was getting places with galleries, exhibitions, winning prizes, getting published etc but my passion for it kind of disappeared. Each one would take me weeks to complete and I just burnt out. I much prefer the fantasy stuff these days but it doesn't mean I won't ever go back to doing them.
I'm also experiencing a profound sense of relief at having a piece of traditional artwork returned intact from being on tour around Australia. The frame ended up with a slight chip but that's not too bad considering how often it was unpacked/repacked/shipped. It's a graphite portrait of racehorse Black Caviar that was accepted into the Inglis Equine Art Prize a year ago. Nice to have her home again :) https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u.....arfinalweb.jpg
I don't really do the full-on photorealistic animal portraits anymore. I did it for a few years and was getting places with galleries, exhibitions, winning prizes, getting published etc but my passion for it kind of disappeared. Each one would take me weeks to complete and I just burnt out. I much prefer the fantasy stuff these days but it doesn't mean I won't ever go back to doing them.
