Okay, so I've had a really hectic personal life the past few months and have been kind of scarce online, but it has finally settled down. Actually, this is the most calm and stable things have been in years, so I've been talking to lots of other artists and business-people to try and expand on the number of long-term and/or collaborative projects I'm involved in. I'm not going to mention names or details since I don't like to count my chickens before they hatch, but I want to kind of mention them here anyway because THEY'RE ALL REALLY COOL.

So I'm expanding my range of skills a bit and trying to branch out into other fun things.
So far this includes possibly a limited run of collaborative resin-cast monster dolls, an adult furry porn comic, a line of very affordable handmade jewellery(using semi-precious stones, natural nuts/seeds, pearls, bone, fine wood, and other really nice high-quality materials), and potentially some occult/spellcraft related items(???).

That last one I'm kind of iffy on, because I don't know how well-received it would be. I'm a fairly experienced and successful practitioner of various kinds of spellcraft and other practical esoteric sciences, and more and more I'd like to share that with people, since it seems to be such a dying art. I see it romanticized everywhere with lots of poorly sourced information, and quackery, mixed in with a lot of popular fantasy... but it seems almost impossible to find folks who have legitimately studied and practiced authentic(and often archaic and difficult) traditional spellcraft from the various cultures around the world who have historically incorporated it into their lives. So... I don't know. I'm thinking about it. I'd really appreciate it if anyone who is interested in seeing me offer things in that vein would comment with the sorts of things they would like to see. If I don't get any interest, I'll probably just retreat back into my hole and never speak of it again.


Okay, so all that aside, I'm reopening commissions tomorrow and kicking it off with a HALLOWEEN SKETCH SALE, for all you Halloweenies out there who like big awesome sketches at scary low prices. ;) I'll have busts and fullbody sketches at $10 and $15 cad, which is really cheap, because the resolution on these babies is HIGH and each sketch is actually like two layers of sketchyness, so you can see the whole process(which is something I have never offered before because I am secretive about my methods.) I'll have a little promo price-sheet up tomorrow, along with some art I haven't posted yet, and some WIP sketches from sweet commissions I've been working on recently. But, if you're an eager beaver(and who isn't, really) you can check out some samples here of what I will be offering in the sketch sale: http://excessofficial.tumblr.com/
Slots will be unlimited, but the sale will only last until the end of October, so get excited!


Oh, and on a final note, I have all these awesome new watchers lately! HEY YOU GUYS. I just want to extend a huge thanks for watching me, and an enormous I LOVE YOU to all my watchers for all the awesome support you've given me over the years. YOU ROCK.


-Excess

http://www.furaffinity.net/full/11471056/

If you love creepy, or unsettling art, or you're on the hunt for something cute and a wee bit eerie, I'd like to point out  godbait!
She's absolutely wonderful to talk to, her art is gorgeous and unique, and you really can't argue about her pricing because it is ridiculously affordable.
As if that's not enough, she's using all the money to pursue her schooling! So go help her out, she's the best! c:

I bought Manga Studio 5!

 pac Gave me a quick little demo in their stream just now, along with a great email about why they like the program, and I was just totally sold on it. It might be a teeny bit of a learning curve, but I'm convinced that this will be my new standard illustration program, for sure. It's absolutely rad. If you haven't seen it already, I'd definitely urge you to check it out. http://manga.smithmicro.com/mangastudio5/#video

So this means I will be back to work ASAP! :D YESSSS FINALLY.

I can't seem to find a way around the fact that SAI is a 32 bit program and will not use more than 4GB no matter what I do.

So, I'm shopping for a new program. Sketchbook Pro won't work because it has limitations that are even more restricting. GIMP is just generally a very unpleasant program to work with, and Adobe doesn't even actually sell software anymore. Corel Painter X3 is looking like the best solution, even with a price tag of almost $500. I'm gonna try the 30 day trial and see how I like it. I don't want to spend that kind of money, but if it works it'll pay itself off in no time, and I really do need software that works. :c

These are dark times we live in. Very dark times. Business expenses have been exceptionally high this year.

Guys, I need some serious help here. Paint Tool Sai is my default go-to program for illustrating, but lately I’ve been working at higher resolutions and I’m running into “not enough memory" errors when I get to a certain point. I upgraded the RAM on my computer from 4GB to 16GB, but SAI still refuses to recognize more than 4GB. I suspect this is because it’s a 32 bit program.

Does ANYONE know a way around this? I will literally draw you up a flat-coloured fullbody or close up shot for free as a thank you if you can get this working for me.

My canvas is 4111 x 6000 and I’m working with 30 layers. I can’t merge them because it doesn’t seem to have enough memory to do even that at this point.

Help meeeeee

I didn't think that I would have to do this, but I'm getting completely overwhelmed with notes! So commissions are closed for now while I finish the ones I have. If you noted me already, don't worry! You'll be in my current queue.

If you missed the queue, no worries there either! I'll be opening again as soon as I have these finished. c:

Thanks so much, everyone!

-Excess

Thank you! I have a bunch of new people on my Skype now, and I MADE SOME NEW FRIENDS, AND TALKED TO SOME OLD ONES THAT I HAD NEVER HEARD BEFORE, WHICH IS NICE.

To all the folks who wanted to chat me up but aren't fond of group chats, no worries! It's totally okay, and you're free to IM me privately or call me privately. I really don't mind. I was just hosting a group chat yesterday because it's the closest I ever get to throwing a party. Ahaha~


Wheeee it was fun!

Check it out! http://www.furaffinity.net/full/11007191/

Commissions are always open, and now there are some rad new super-affordable options for folks on a budget! :D

Hey guys!

I have these two Jaja Stylus's ( http://hex3.co/products/jaja ) that have barely been used at all, that have pretty much just been sitting in my room since November. They're both still in the packaging, though they've been opened and tested, and they are in the condition that they were sent to me in from the manufacturer. I bought them brand new, hoping that they would be an improvement on the stylus that came with my Thinkpad Tablet, but I'm not really satisfied with them since they don't really work any better than the stylus I already have. I suspect they are still the best stylus on the market for offering pressure sensitivity with the iPad though, and there's nothing WRONG with them, so I'm offering them up here.

They're $65 CAD each, which includes shipping within North America. It's $10 extra shipping to the rest of the world, since international is pretty expensive, but I'll ship them marked as "gift" either way so you guys can dodge duty fees. Because duty sucks.
They also each include one of the new "Teflon Tips" which do work much better than the tips originally included with the stylus at initial release. I'll also toss in a couple batteries if you want them.
AND TO TOP IT ALL OFF, I'll include a lil' bust sketch for whoever buys, as a happy little 'thank you' from me. You can choose digital or traditional, either is fine. c:

Comment if you're interested!

Thanks so much, guys!


-Excess

Okay, I know I have delayed the new price sheet a fair bit already, BUT I JUST HAD A COOL IDEA JUST NOW. So I want to ask for opinions on this spicy new idea before I finish up the price sheet in preparation for a MIGHTY PRICE SHEET LAUNCH next week.

What do you guys think about Minecraft Character Skin commissions as an option?
Is it a cool idea, or is it just totally unnecessary because people are already able to create their own? Do folks even play Minecraft anymore? Am I losing my mind? In a good way, or a bad way?
If you think this is a cool idea, what would a reasonable price be for something like that, in your own opinion?

GIVE ME ALL YOUR JUICY THOUGHTS. c:


Also, for the people who don't already know, I have some adorable little adoptables for sale! They're only $15 and they are going fast, so grab one while you still can! http://www.furaffinity.net/full/10753141/


Thanks for all your support, I would be nothing if not for you guys! <3

-Excess

Hey guys!

I'm noticing a bit of a trend carrying over from my last commission waitlist system, and that's reserved slots going unclaimed. I fully understand that folks want to be able to snag a slot when they are ready, and don't want to have to worry about waiting once that time comes, but I'm doing commissions on a full-time basis now, and my queue is always moving, and so far has always had open slots in it. It's not hard to grab a commission from me anymore, and that's a great thing!

However, it means that I need to keep my queue free, and I can't let it get bogged down with reserved slots that aren't going to be claimed any time soon. I also can't play note-tag about reserves, because it's time consuming and makes it difficult to answer other messages in good time. So I'm implementing a new rule/policy.

From here on out I'm wiping the reserves out of my queue and I'll have a private list on my desk. A literal paper pad where I'll jot down notes and contact information for people who are interested in bigger long-term projects, have interesting ideas/concepts, want to do trades/collaboration, or just people who are regular clients that I know will likely be interested in work from me in the future. This will be my "Little Black Book" of sorts. I've always done this sort of thing in my head, but now I'll be writing it all down for the sake of convenience and organization. One of the perks of being in my "Book" is that I usually use it when I'm coming up with samples, or if I just need to sketch a bunch of random characters and I don't know who to draw. Odds are good that if you have ever gotten free art from me of any size or description, it's because you're in my "Book". Other perks of being in my Book are that I generally set aside time, cut deals, and/or work overtime for the people on that list.

In short, if you enjoy buying art from me, you probably want to be in my Book. If you really enjoy buying art from me, or you noted me at some point with a really cool idea, you can bet that you are already in there. But don't worry about reserving slots. Anyone who wants a commission from me will get one, and so far no one has had to wait for a slot to open.

I hope that makes sense to everyone, but please give me any feedback you might have! I always need feedback, of EVERY sort, so don't be shy with your opinions!


Thanks so much, everyone!

-Excess

Hey guys! Some personal stuff came up recently, and I got pulled away from my desk for most of last week, but no worries! I'm back now, and things are moving again!

Thanks for your patience!

-Excess

Hey guys! Just a reminder that I often post sneak-peeks of things I'm working on behind the scenes over at my art blog! If it looks like I'm not doing much here, you might catch a glimpse of something nifty over on Tumblr, so check it out!

http://excessofficial.tumblr.com/

This is a great opportunity to get some free art from an outstandingly generous and talented artist! Check it out, everybody!

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10495128/

I bought one probably about a week ago, but I haven't seen it up once so far. Have any of you guys seen it yet?

In other news, my butt is still killing me but I am back at my desk and working anyway! Ahaha~ TAKE THAT, BUM. I DON'T NEED YOUR COOPERATION.


-Excess

Well, I feel kind of silly saying it, because it's not a big drastic story and it's even kind of embarrassing, but I fell down some stairs and injured my tailbone. I don't think it's broken or anything like that, but it's extremely painful and I am having a lot of difficulty both with moving around and sitting in chairs. I know I have a few icons and a couple larger commissions that I am working on that I expected to make reasonable progress on today, but as it is I think I had better take today off to just rest my back/butt and see if it's healed well enough for me to be back at my desk in full force tomorrow. That's what I'm hoping/expecting, so delays won't be too severe or anything, but I still felt it warranted a journal post just so everyone knows that I'm not just slacking off on their commissions! :P

Thanks for your understanding, guys! <3

-Excess

Hey guys!

Commissions are still open for anyone interested, please don't be shy to contact me, as I am working through my queue very quickly and my turnaround has been so fast that I am running out of stuff to work on! c:

I wanted to ask everyone about my currently available commission options. I realize that of all that I have to offer, there really aren't many examples of things I can do for around the $20-40 price range, and I feel that is a huge oversight on my part. I'd like to come up with a couple of things to fill that gap, and I'm hoping you can give me your opinions on a couple ideas I've been brainstorming, as well as offer up any other ideas you might like to see!

So far, I've thought of:
Small digital speed paintings.
Uncoloured pencil sketches(I already offer coloured sketches, but uncoloured would be more affordable.)
Printable bookmarks.
Mock black and white comic panel "portraits" that could be used as icons, ID images, and badges.

What do you guys think? Should I come up with samples for each one of these? Do any of them sound interesting to you?

Thanks for your feedback! :D

Hey guys! It's been a loooong hiatus, but commissions are now officially open!

I'll be cycling slots and taking on as much work as I can at all times indefinitely, so don't be shy to contact me even if it looks like I am full! I can generally give you an idea of when I can take your commission, if I can't take it immediately.
Contact me by note or e-mail if you are interested! I try to read all my comments, but they sometimes slip through my fingers, so it's really best not to contact me that way if you expect a serious response in good time. Thank you! :D

My Price Sheet is here for more information: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10155073/
My TOS is here: http://www.furaffinity.net/journals.....0/#jid:2291226

Just dropping these here, for all the folks who want to find me on places OTHER than FA! :D

My Art Tumblr:
http://excessofficial.tumblr.com/

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/Excess_0

My Ask Blog:
http://askexcess.tumblr.com/

Facebook Page:
http://www.facebook.com/Excess.0

Merch/Print Accounts:
http://society6.com/ExcessiveExpression
http://www.redbubble.com/people/excess-0

DeviantArt:
http://excessiveexpression.deviantart.com/

Weasyl:
https://www.weasyl.com/profile/excess0

Super cheap, too. Whoaaaa. Take a look!
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4493515/

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10212044/

The bid is still at $15 and this character is GORGEOUS. Somebody is going to snag a fabulous deal by bidding on this!

Like one of those blogs where people can ask me questions and I'll draw the answers? Would that be fun? Would you guys be interested in something like that?

I already have an art blog(http://excessofficial.tumblr.com/), but that's not exactly the same thing as an ask blog. HMMM.

Including a vintage lioness, no less! If I had the money, I'd buy it all. But since I don't, I'd love to pass on this opportunity to any of you who may be interested!
Spread the word everyone, this is a fantastic opportunity!

http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/4441193/

Holy jeez.

A LOT. Most of them even in their original packaging.
I’m cleaning/organizing my place right now to make it more practical and accessible and generally a better work environment, and here’s a list of some of the art supplies I’ve unearthed so far:

3 pads of 20 sheets each vellum coated bristol
A giant sepia tone sketch pad
paint markers
a bundle of at least 20 unused sharpie markers
2 white canvas boards
4 gallery wrapped black canvas’s
a pack of vellum coated bristol ATCs
all the supplies needed to make over 100 charms/keychains/necklaces
50 sheets of untouched shrinky dink plastic
black acrylic paint
white acrylic paint
a pencil case stocked with prismacolor pencils in various conditions
a pencil case stocked with almost 200 crayola crayons
a pencil case stocked with microns, staedtler fine liners
a ziplock bag full of copic markers and prismacolor pens
a set and a half of fabercastel artist pens
a giant fuckload of art pencils, erasers, and mechanicals
a bunch of high quality paintbrushes
a set of “Artist’s Loft” brand coloured pencils
one ball of Sculpie clay of unknown type
8 sheets of self-laminate plastic
a sack of dry-erase markers

AND I JUST KEEP FINDING MORE. HOW DID I EVER GET ALL OF THIS STUFF? I work like 90% digital now, and I never seem to have time for personal/traditional art anymore. What was I even planning to do with all of this? I mean, I used to be seriously into traditional art, but I just haven’t been in years like wow.


I don’t know if I should keep it all for later, give some away, trade it for other stuff or WHAT. I mean, this is just what I have ON TOP of my usual sketchbook/pencil/pen supplies. *facepalm* Holy hell I have a problem. There is probably well over a grand in supplies just sitting here. BUT IT DOES MAKE ME WISH I WAS MAKING ART INSTEAD OF CLEANING RIGHT NOW, WOW.

If you use this link, you'll get free shipping on my Society6 prints and pillows until March 17th at Midnight! :D
http://society6.com/ExcessiveExpres.....n?promo=a1acf7

I have all the slugs up there as fabulous throw pillow options. ;)

*Offer excludes Framed Art Prints, Stretched Canvases and Throw Pillows with insert.