Cute-style artist  Brindle is taking commissions, and I'm doing a bit of advertising. This artist seems to work quite fast and I was a little surprised they had empty slots on their commission queue.

You can see their work here: http://www.furaffinity.net/user/brindle/

And their commission journal here: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/3398856/

Their daily warm up sketches are pretty cool. Nice tightly designed bodies.

Hm. I should make this a regular feature. "Weirdoes I watch, who's work I like and you should probably watch, too."

Hmm.

Hm.....

An explanation of the unintentional similarity (read: accusations of me ripping off Doonesbury) in this here journal! I was totally blindsided:

http://fiskblack.livejournal.com/101499.html

I doubt the wishful thinking of the Indoctrination Theory, and I wrote a quick journal about it.

http://fiskblack.livejournal.com/101279.html

For now I'm removing the commission list information from the profile of my FA page. It just takes up space right now and I'm not progressing on it. I still have a full record of everyone on the commission list and the waiting list, so when I return to taking them, I'll just reinstate those who've already reserved slots. Maybe when I finish up this current project I'm doing I'll find a bit more time.

Thanks to everyone!

To female watchers:  jasonafex is working on animating an image of mine for kicks, and to add icing to the creative cake, he's looking for women willing to lend sexual moaning and breathing sounds to the flash file, for added oomph. Mary Ann is the female in question and as much as it'd be fun to have Mahrkale do it, she's flatly refused on the grounds that she couldn't keep herself from laughing. I probably would too, so I can't blame.

I know nothing about this process, but I'm posting a journal to help out. If you're interested and willing, send him a note. And thank you. :3

UPDATE: No sooner than we posted our journals,  jasonafex had his account suspended for an unrelated reason. No idea how long it will last, or when he will be allowed to respond to notes.

UPDATE AGAIN:  jasonafex had his suspension expire and is now back to working on things and dealing with the people who have personally noted him. Thanks to those who waited patiently!

Completed Mass Effect 3. I wrote a big-ass journal about it!

http://fiskblack.livejournal.com/101096.html

I'm starting to grow weary of the frequent use of words like "whore", "slut", "bitch", etc.. to casually describe women in the comments here. And, no, I'm not talking about the use of the term "bitch" used in the same context as a dog show. I've usually let it slide in the past because I tend to just brush past comments that aren't openly hostile towards me. But it's starting to get really dumb.

If you have a problem with the way a particular character behaves.. if you have an issue with the sex partners a female character chooses (as if you should), then try to express your opinion like an intelligent adult and not a misogynistic douchebag.

I remember when Trixie was described as a slut and a whore because she had two lovers and she slept with them both at once in a comic. People seem very quick to put women down for having a sex life beyond one person, while very quick to compliment a man for it. At least that seems to be what I see. There are female characters of mine that deserve derision (they are intentionally created to be bad). I'd only ask that they be discussed disparagingly as a mature human being would, not as a teenage boy would lash out - with all the thoughtfulness and insight of a petulant and jealous animal, slinging insults tailored specifically for one gender, which they would never apply to themselves would they have the opportunity for sexual adventures with more than one person.

I'm just going to start banning people who talk like that. They never have anything interesting to say, anyway.

Update: Don't scour comment threads looking to argue with people. Don't have continuing ongoing fights that solve nothing. I've had to hide several argument threads between people who just can't let go, to keep them from spiraling to oblivion.

I'm going to put the commission list on hold for an indefinite span of time. Right now I'm pouring extra work into project stuff, and when I do have the time and energy to do images on the side, my inspiration is taking me to things other than what's on my commission plate. The reserve list in all its enormity, will remain intact, and when I revisit commissions (probably in a month or two), I'll resume.

It's a regular cycle when I take commissions, I've noticed. I dig working on them for a while and I do my best with other people's ideas. After a time, the wind just leaves the sails, completely. Then the idea resumes anew later. I'll make another journal post when I resume work on the list, but right now I just don't feel good about trying to skirt my way through a commission list with only a cursory bit of grudging effort, and end up putting out images I'm not happy with. I appreciate everyone's understanding.

I completed GothicSkunk's gigantic huge-ass comic commission, so the commission list is moving again. Going to hold off on the release in the catalog for a few days, still.

The commission list isn't moving right now because I'm devoting my energies to wrapping up the commissioned comic in the #1 slot. Afterwards, the list will be moving smoothly again.

I'd put the comic on hold for a while because I was straining to work on an adult catalog project and a commissioned comic at the same time. Because of this, I'm going to make a slight alteration to the way I take comic commissions. If they're long (over five pages or so), I may have to only take them if I can also make them projects for my catalog. The weight on my available work time is just too much. Essentially, like my current project commissioner, you're paying me to bump your idea up as one of my next projects. This is something to bear in mind if you're thinking of putting a comic idea in front of me when your commission slot comes up.

I felt a little elaboration on my feelings about Rule 34 were in order, given some recent requests. You can read it here:

http://fiskblack.livejournal.com/100772.html

A somewhat wordy journal entry about the projects I have on my plate going into 2012! Including the current one in progress.

http://fiskblack.livejournal.com/100499.html

Due to requests both on DA and FA, I resubmitted a hi-res file of Trixie's "Play Naked" piece to make it available as a print on DA here: http://jaynaylor.deviantart.com/#/d4g9l5o Apparently, the resolution makes it available in a bunch of sizes up to 20x30. I've never bought a print on DA, so I'm not sure how it all works, but there you go. It shouldn't be too hard. If they want business. :3

Apparently, that other Trixie image from a long time ago, of her in the water, was also submitted as a print and I'd totally forgotten that. Oh well!

MFF rears its head this weekend, and I'll be driving up with Bonk and Scappo. The schedule is pretty tight this holiday season. I'm going to do my best to make sure I can still get work done when I'm away in some places doing Holiday and convention things, but you know how that is. It's always a guessing game as to how much I'll actually be able to do. That being said, it's looking doubtful I'll be able to finish my current adult catalog project before the end of the year at the rate of scheduled holiday events and everything else. Oh well.

The commission schedule is still on, but it has to contend with everything else. Unlike the last time I took commissions, I'm not burning through them on a quick and scheduled basis. I'm working them around during some free bits of my ordinary work day. They're still getting done, but just not at the clip they were last year. I feel fine with this because I don't take money before I complete the pencil roughs. It keeps the commissioner's investment at a minimum, and leaves me inspired to revisit the list once in a while and resume work. That's fine with me. That being said, with the "reserve" list being almost 60 people in length, I could be in commissions in perpetuity at this pace.

As usual, before anyone asks, I won't be working MFF. I'll be relaxing and chilling, chilling and relaxing. And drawing stuff that I need to work on when I'm not being social.

A decently lengthed journal entry about all the furry art sites and what they have to offer, and whether it's worth it to maintain accounts there.

http://fiskblack.livejournal.com/100174.html

I did a commission sheet for easy reference here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6699874/

Also on the front of my FA page, below the commission slots, I'm keeping a public track of how many people are on the reserve list, ready to move into commission slots as they open up.

I'm handling my commission list a bit differently this time around. Last time, I had five slots open and whenever one would clear, people would deluge me with messages hoping to be the first one with the correct timestamp to get the slot. I didn't quite like this and it was rather unfair to those without a lot of free time. So this time around, I'm doing things a bit differently.

I've got a commission list of seven slots, and beyond that I'm maintaining a reserve list of all the requests that came in after the initial list was filled. I'm not keeping details of the commission requests for people on the reserve list, but I'm keeping their name in the order I get them, so that I can contact them first when a slot opens up, and get their details if they're still interested. That means I can keep a reserve list order without being overwhelmed with the need to process huge amounts of information from everyone.

Right now the reserve list is pretty long, but I thought I'd reveal its existence publicly.

I've decided to open up for commissions again, using the same general rules I used last time. I'm trying to stock up on a few things and I want to do so without eating into my normal budget. But that's not the only reason I'm taking commissions.

I actually had a bit of fun doing commissions last time, and I got to draw some neat characters as well as get some nifty ideas from fans.

I'm going to use the same commission data from last year as a guide:
http://fiskblack.livejournal.com/92676.html#cutid1

The links to images as samples don't exist anymore due to FA's prior security issue, but if you're familiar with my work, you can probably figure it out. When I do quotes, I can also furnish examples if asked.

This time, I've opened up seven slots, instead of five. A lot of people wanted to be set up on a larger list, but I still want to keep it manageable for myself.

This is IMPORTANT: (IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT)

***Commission requests will be considered when sent as emails or private notes on FA. A comment on this journal or on any submission, or a page shout, will not reserve you a slot. Asking to have a slot reserved before you express what it is you want, will not reserve you a slot. Slots will be reserved for people who already know what they want and describe it in their message to me. If you ask for a quote for your idea before committing, consider the slot reserved until you or I decide not to follow through with the commission.***

This is a journal entry about the future of the Red Riding Hood universe, including a little sketch to show some of the races lined up for scale.

http://fiskblack.livejournal.com/99851.html

A little journal post about my next project, Naked Truths. It'd just post it here, but there's a little WIP sample of the first page. http://fiskblack.livejournal.com/99715.html

I worked up a Tumblr account after my friend Scappo let me in on exactly what kind of site it was. You can find my Tumblr blog here: http://jayrnaylor.tumblr.com/ I'm flirting with the idea of having it replace the on-site sketch blog on my website, since it would pretty much contain very similar things, as well as completed images I would also post on DA and FA. I'm still looking for folks to watch over there, but I like the idea of having a news feed of everyone's works as they progress, and other thoughts. One thing I'm not too sure about is all the re-blogging. It's great to sometimes share something neat and clever you found somewhere else, but a lot of times I run into someone who seems interesting, but only 1 out of ever 10 or so of their posts are actually about them and their work.

I suppose, just like Twitter, it's as good as what you use it for.

Short enough to post here, but there's a little preview image with the post.

http://fiskblack.livejournal.com/99571.html

I've started doing all the pencils at once, with the plan to apply the finishing to them all afterwards. That's why there hasn't been a sample page posted to FA, yet.

I went through most of the years of posting on FA without using any image tags at all, then I went through a brief period of applying image tags, and now I'm back to not using any image tags (especially after re-upping over half my gallery after FA's security fubar). I'm still on the fence about them. I've never used them to look for specific images. I understand there's a search function but it's never open and in my face, probably because I never go to the FA front page. I just go to my own page and then branch out from there with the people I'm already watching.

Lately, as I've uploaded some new things, I was thinking of putting up image tags in the submissions again. Then as I think about all the different synonyms for "ass" and "anus" and proceed to type them out, I begin to feel really silly about the whole thing and I abandon it. When I look at how others used the image tag field, it seems more like an attempt to be humorous than to really assist anyone's search efforts. Then I began to think: "What if there are people who would never hear of my work unless they stumbled into it via an image tag search on FA" and then I get all whatever and stop caring and go back to drawing comics.

That's my image tag story.

EDIT: After some deliberation, I went back and started adding tags to my gallery images.

An update on current adult projects and a little about the current OL storyline, here! I didn't paste directly because there's a little preview pic accompanying.

http://fiskblack.livejournal.com/99097.html

Long list of photos and such. You can view 'em here!

http://fiskblack.livejournal.com/99067.html