Just a small update, but considering how they had me start work proper right today, I think I can confirm I have the job.

They even asked me if I could be available during the construction vacations(the last two weeks of july, province wide), just in case, because the situation has apparently grown that crazy in the last month there  >.>; <.<;

The news: New Old Job

To cut it short, I will probably(almost certainly, as far as it looks) have a new job starting this tuesday. Or, more precisely, have me old drafting job again. Long story told short, back in last august I was laid off with most of the work force due to an extreme drop in business as a client kept delaying a contract for my employer which meant that "new work" kept not coming and when it did it was at a trickle pace that was completed too quickly. In short: too little work for too many people on the floor. And seriously, between the guy with 15 years of experience and me with only 9 months, I would have chosen the guy with 15 years of experience.

This said, when I had to be let go, my employer had told me that whenever there would be need for more drafters again they would call me first and be glad to hire me again if I would still be available.

Which they did.

For now it looks like it would be a stint of only 3 months(though there's indications from insiders that it might be more than that, but 3 months was just given as a "safe estimate" since the construction industry can be volatile here sometimes) but that's fine with me. It'll give me some times to save money and give a boost to my wallet. And even if I will have to change my streaming schedule radically, I do still plan to continue doing artwork and taking commissions even if initially my streams will be much fewer while I get used to the job's schedule again. Ideally, I never know how long that might last(though they're moving to a larger building that would allow them to take on more contracts and keep more teams employed) so I want to be able to keep art as a fallback at the very least. And I certainly wouldn't mind if someday, somehow, art becomes my main "reliable" income.

But at least, for now and the moment being I'll have this drafting job again however long it will be this time. I proved I could do it, and now I will have the occasion to prove it again.

---

Offline Commissions Queue

Since the currently offline commissions layout was for digital work, I will have to come up with a pricelist for traditional work.

With the recent events(new job), producing and offline pricelist will become even more of a priority so expect one in the future.

---

Livestream Schedule

Due to the sudden change of situation there will be, for now, a stream only on friday the 4th of july, from 7pm to 11pm. Considering the date I'm not expecting much folks to be there but I will be ^^;

Jut a head's up that tonight's stream is cancelled for tonight. For a bit of a long story told short, I've just had some potentially very good news which may involves a very large change of schedule for me in the near future. I'll get the definite answer this tuesday but if things go along as they should I may find myself unable to to stream during the week as often than I used to for the next three months.

I -might- be able to relocate sme streams during the weekend and to take on offline commissions nonetheless.

Long story told short: Possibly got a "regular" job again, so I'll be using the weekend to try to get myself back on "that" schedule. In anyways, I'll have more news tuesday. :)

https://www.kickstarter.com/project...../xeno-galaxies

Interesting look at a sandbox crafting game which seems to features block-less(or at the very least, less blocky) graphics than the likes of minecraft, apparently aiming to do the whole crafting(something which, so far, No Man's Sky seem like it will lack in comparison) in both space and on planet's surface with custom ships and stations alongside outposts on planets and the likes in a bit of a space game sandbox of it's own.

It's perked up my interest and curiosity in anyways.

Hitting some delays with dinner, so I may end up having to start later around 7h30-7h45pm EST tonight.

As usual, the stream will start with the usual notifications images being posted on my varied galleries.

If you want to reserve a slot, just drop a message here.

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Just having a small delay before I can start the stream.

This said, in the meanwhile there will be a queue for those who wants to reserve a sport. Just post here to reserve one and a spot will be reserved for you in the order of posting.

1.  Onom
2.  CoraSpindrift
3. OPEN
4. OPEN
5. OPEN

The news: Getting back to business, sort of?

Phew, the weekend has been busy. o.;
Long story told short I've helped a lot finishing up a patio as a gift for my mother's birthday. A bit of a job which left me fairly sore at the end ^^;
In anyways, as we worked on this while she was away without her knowing, she was quite happy when she returned which was great:)

Also it sounds like everyone is doing events to which I'm invited lately o.o
Just this week I'm invited to not one but two BBQ gatherings. I'll be going to one tonight because it's a really good friend organizing it and while it's a similar person organizing the other.... well, I can really take off a single evening this week if I want to sort of make ends meet. This said, with how last week did not had any theme and this week will again have a day truncated, I'll be running this week's theme for two rather than one week. More on that below, but I do hope you like steampunk and lycanthropes :)

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Offline Commissions Queue
CLOSED

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Livestream Schedule for 06/16-06/20

Week's theme: Of steamworks and therianthropy! Time to glue some cogs on werewolves(or hats, or canes or anything really: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFCuE5rHbPA) because this week commissions involving steampunk themes or any sort of werebeasts(not just werewolves! As long as it goes fuzzy under the light of the full moon or emotions...) will be 10% off! Not only for this week, but also the next!

As usual, my hourly rate is 25$/hours which for discounted commissions becomes 22,50$/hours

(Hours given are representative of the EST timezone)
Monday: OFFLINE
Tuesday 7h00pm-11h00pm
Wednesday 7h00pm-11h00pm
Thursday: 7h00-11h00pm
Friday: 8h00pm-12h00am

Invited to a BBQ tomorrow(actually, I've been invited to two, one on monday and another on tuesday but I've missed enough streams lately that I'll only be going to one) so I won't be streaming on monday.

Today has been a busy day(long story, it's my mother's birthday tomorrow so while she was away today me and my brother finished her patio at her house that had lain incomplete for almost two years due to life's craziness over these years) so I haven't had much time to type out the weekly news update. Expect that tomorrow!

Having some guests so I might be streaming a bit later than the usual 8pm EST for fridays ^^;

Just a warning that unlike a standard week, I should be streaming tonight from 7h30pm to 11pm EST. The stream as usual will be announced by the usual notification image on my gallery.

I still don't know what to expect today though, but should there be need of any adjustment I will edit this journal post with the modified schedule.

So the new pen is functional and I should be able to stream digitally again tonight :)

This said, there's some delay with dinner preps due to varied things, so I may find myself able to stream only later. As always the usual notifications will be up once the stream is underway.

EDIT:
Welp, that was sooner than I'd thought, I've just received the new pen. Sadly a single one was shipped but then again I didn't had to pay a cent even for shipping. So that's money I can spend to order new backup instead soon/later.

Now let's just hope this one last longer than a week and a half in the meanwhile.

---

The News:

So I haven't (obviously) received my replacement pens yet, but this evening I'll nonetheless return to business. It'll be tricky to find a setup that allows for easy production of traditional art while streaming but I'll try to figure something out, The early week has been kind of crazy as all hell with stuff saturday, sunday, monday and finally yesterday as well so this is needed almost just to get me back in business proper than for taking commissions. I've done much less than I would have liked but now that's getting slowly back into place.
Do expect an offline commission queue(it's now empty again anyway) to open again sometime either tonight or potentially tomorrow evening. If anything, I'll probably need that to round up the week and it'll probably be easier to complete such commissions offline than when I stream and it'll also allows me to do some work during the weekends(events during the weekends oft make it impossible to run something with a fixed schedule like streaming, but work I can produce offline are easier to sneak in the middle of whatever else might need being done).

I've been invited for dinner at a restaurant tonight for the birhtday proper of one of my two roomates(there was a larger party this weekend, but this evening is more of a private dinner) which will leave me unable to stream tonight.

This said, for a bit of an update on things:

-I have a new scanner. A very good model which should be of use and help not only to myself, but also one of my roomates(it has capacity to properly scan photos and microfilms, something which means a lot to her since she needed something of the like to scan some of the last photos, slides and microfilms of her late grandmotehr who died this year).

-The tablet pen situation is only a matter of wait now. A RMA was submitted and approved and replacement pens are being shipped to me. I don't even have to return the original defective pens which removes a lot of wait time.

The news: One step forward, one step back

So the last week has been one of my best in months in terms of output and I'm very thankful for that. I still have a lot of artwork left to upload, especially those which were completed this last friday.
Saturday was a very busy day with one of my roomates' birthday. Many many guests were there and it was a lot of preparations.
One of them had brought a dog which got into my room however and rammed incidentally into my desk, knocking my pen to the ground. I didn't mind it at the moment, though later I was asked to show my screen tablet to someone else.... and realized the pen didn't respond. So I got the backup pen(that was the reason I ordered two a couple of weeks back, in case one of them was to fail me) and put it to charge. Did a few brush strokes to see if everything was well and it seemed to be. Then I let it lay there for the rest of the evening and night. I then contacted tech support to get information and they suggested I return the pen.

This morning I went to sit down and try to do some personal art, just to relax a little bit from yesterday's party. So I picked up the backup pen... and it was nonfunctional. It was charged and everything. The nib was just unresponsive. In a single night, the second of my two pen had failed without any warning. Without any reasons.

I contacted tech support again today. Something that took me a lot of the day in fact. A RMA request was made and submitted and I should hear about it tomorrow with instruction on how to return both pens now, in the hope of replacements. It -might- be an electrical failure. That will still be.... well, I haven't received the email yet. And then I need to probably mail those pens to them(which won't be immediate). Afterward... I then have to hope that they indeed send working replacement. It's a lot of time where I just cannot use my tablet. And my last bout using the intuos has left me very unsatisfied at the quality of the resulting art.

Right now, the new email -should- arrive tomorrow so I've decided that I will take the day off. I'll also go downtown and finally purchase myself a new scanner and try prop-up a webcam setup to have a traditional art stream again until I have the (new) replacement pen so that, at least, I can find -some- way of continuing to produces art and take commissions until I receives the new pen.

---

Offline Commissions Queue
Since the currently offline commissions layout was for digital work, I will have to come up with a pricelist for traditional work.
Expect another post tomorrow.

---

Livestream Schedule for 06/16-06/20

Week's theme: No themes, everything 10% off

Due to the recent tech troubles, I'm letting go of a theme for this week and simply having everything 10% off since I will be mainly working traditionally. As written above, monday will be offline while I go to get a new scanner and prepare a new setup for traditional art.
As usual, my hourly rate is 25$/hours which for discounted commissions becomes 22,50$/hours

(Hours given are representative of the EST timezone)
Monday: OFFLINE
Tuesday 7h00pm-11h00pm
Wednesday 7h00pm-11h00pm
Thursday: 12pm-4pm
Friday: 7h30pm-12h00am

http://manga.smithmicro.com/buy.htm.....source=twitter

Clip Studio is basically the digitally distributed version of Manga Studio 5 which is normally physically distributed. At 100$ for the Pro(equivalent of Manga Studio 5 EX), it's a pretty nice deal for a software which costs normally about 300$.

Though I hear the only real thing EX has over Manga Studio 5 is more options for comic pages. So slightly less than 50$ for either Clip Studio(digitall distributed) or Manga Studio 5(physical distribution) is still a pretty neat deal since both versions are(afaik) still compatible with cutom brushes such as Ray Frenden's

Just a head's up that due to stuff here at home, I migth have a very short delay of 30-45 minutes for the start of today's stream.

Just a reminded that at 7pm tonight I will be streaming not on Picarto but on Tigerdeile as a trial run of the service.

You can find the new channel here:

https://www.tigerdile.com/stream/ludocrow/

Note that an account will be required to log on. Don't worry it's free for watchers. This is mostly to see if I see improvement in viewers' abilities to log on and use the chat over picarto, so I highly encourage those people who had issues with picarto in previous weeks to log on this week to see if Tigerdile will have the same problems.

In the hope of seeing you there tonight!.

The news

This week I've returned back to business proper. It's not entirely been uneventful but at least had a nice flow and interesting commissions nonetheless. If anything, it's been good to get back into the beat. Similarly, I got some very enjoyable commissions to work with.
This said, it seems like a certain amount of users have been having issues with Picarto's chat. so this week I will tentatively trying out a new stream service in Tigerdile. So far the service seem functional based on quick tests run yesterday, however the real test will be of course when I'll publicly stream this week.

So, in the meanwhile, please go update your bookmarks and note that Tigerdile requires a (admitedly free for watchers) account to log into the chat:
https://www.tigerdile.com/stream/ludocrow/

On other subjects, I have also re-opened offline commissions again, which will be taken and completed outside of livestream hours. You can read a bit more about them below in the section about it farther below in this journal.

Also, last week I ran a small poll to determine next week's theme. As is stands, the winner of the poll as I write this is "Werewolf Noir". So be prepare to put on your PI trenchcoat and pack your silver bullets. More on all that in this week's Livestream schedule at the end of this journal.

And though this is more of a cautionary warning and nothing is set in stone, but I may slowly increase my price-rate a little bit to follow the advices of many of my aquaintances. Nothing is set in stone but know that even if I do it would be only a mere bump of 5$ on livestream commissions going from 25$ per hours to 30$ per hours and would only be enacted in july at the earliest.

---

Offline Commissions Queue

As said, after a small experiment to help pay for my new replacement stylus last week, I've also decided to re-open offline commissions. It's not everyone who can attend the streams I run every days during the week and when it comes down to it I still have a lot of free hours outside of streaming hours even once every house chores has been dealt with so it's not like I lack. Also, since a commissioner cannot be there to watch when they are being produced, offline commissions thus use a fixed pricerate instead of an hourly rate.

The price rate for offline commissions, as well as the available types, is as follow:

Line Sketches: 15$
Flat Colored sketches: 25$
Toned monochrome sketches: 20$ example: ludomercier.deviantart.com/art…
Shaded monochrome sketches: 25$ example: ludomercier.deviantart.com/art…
Shaded colored sketches: 30$

Note these prices are open to to be adjusted based on the complexity or simplicity of a request. Additional characters, elaborate character designs(armor/complex wings/etc) and the presence of backgrounds can respectively require an increase of 50% in the total price each, whereas simplistic characters(a formless blob like sir blobington here for example: ludomercier.deviantart.com/art… might actually be 50% cheaper.

So far, the queue for offline commissions is as follow:

Slot 1:  nothere

Slot 2:  nothere

Slot 3: OPEN

Slot 4: OPEN

Slot 5: OPEN

Expect a journal to be posted when the queue is fully empty again.

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Livestream Schedule for 06/09-06/13

Week's theme: Werewolf Noir

It's time to put on your trenchcoat and to load your standard issue with silver bullets! Werewolf Noir week is here! This mean that commissions of werewolves(in any themes) and noir-themed commissions(which may or may not involves werewolves) will both get a 10% discount! Note that this discount -also- applies to offline commissions, not just those taken on livestream :)

As usual, my hourly rate is 25$/hours which for discounted commissions becomes 22,50$/hours

(Hours given are representative of the EST timezone)
Monday: 7h00pm-11h00pm
Tuesday 7h00pm-11h00pm
Wednesday 7h00pm-11h00pm
Thursday: 12pm-4pm
Friday: 7h30pm-12h00am

As said in the title, today is you folks' last chances to go and vote in the poll for next week's commission streams' theme. As next friday will see a full moon, all of these themes for next week will involves werewolves in one form or another, as per usual.

So if you have a deviantart account, you can come and vote here:

http://ludomercier.deviantart.com/j...../poll/4494519/

Just a head's up that I've setup a small poll over on deviantart to setup my theme for the next week. Of course, having a full moon that week, all themes relate to werewolves:

http://ludomercier.deviantart.com/j...../poll/4494519/

News

To continue the new midweek update traditions, here's a new Wednesday journal ^^

This have been decent lately. My tablet is now functional again(Though I've recently had one slightly worrying power outage). This said I've come to the conclusion the afternoon streams.... don't quite much works as much than I would like. This has especially been notable with a few things in real life during my double streams days. So for now I will be mainly refocusing on the evening livestreams and re-opening offline sketches and color sketches commissions today as well to work on outside of streaming hours for those who cannot attend. Do expect a new journal soon with a an updated queue and pricelist either today or sometime later this week. .

This said, things are nice and worries I had earlier yesterday about thunderstorms seems to be alleviated in today's sunny sky.

No, for the updated schedule(note I keep thursday an afternoon stream day as I have obligations in the evening that day every weeks):

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Livestream Schedule for 06/02-06/06

Week's theme: Tea-time with Kaijus & The troubles with technology

Since last week's "Tea-time with Kaijus" was relatively cut short, I will be continuing it this new week as well! So a 10% discount off my hourly rate will still be available for commissions involving involving people partaking in tea or giant monsters. Or both!

Similarly I will still be hosting a second theme, also elligible for a discount, in relative honor to the troubles with my stylus. In this case it will be "the troubles with technology" and will be a 10% discount on commissions involving science-fiction or mad-science thematics/subjects.

As usual, my hourly rate is 25$/hours which for discounted commissions becomes 22,50$/hours :)

(Hours given are representative of the EST timezone)
Monday: 7h30pm-11h00pm
Tuesday 7h00pm-11h00pm
Wednesday 7h00pm-11h00pm
Thursday: 12pm-4pm
Friday: 8h00pm-12h00am

Just to warn that due to RL stuff, I'll be changing my streaming schedule starting tomorrow. I will still be streaming in the evening, however the afternoon stream will be cancelled.


More on that in tomorrow's journal.

Just a warning that I'm slightly delaying the stream right now, possibly by one or two hours to see the evolution of weather here.

It's not -currently- raining here where I am, but I just had a very quick power outage and satellite weather seems that -something- is headed our way. Add to this that there -are- many of the early sign of a coming thunderstorm right now and I'll see how things go before doing anything.

Beside, the bout of static I just had on my tablet just after this small outage have me worried enough I've decided to unplug it's power cord for now. With the issues with the stylus last week, I don't want to take too much risks with the tablet itself right now. Especially as there -has- already been such a power blip.

Reposted from  Jonas 's journal http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5813097/:

Link at Amazon .

You won't even know what a total Ferrari this program is until you try it. :) Fortunately, now you can do it for dirt-ass-cheap. I don't know how long this deal will last though, so if you want it, better go bag it.

Note that this is the basic version, without the extra DTP-type features. But you don't really need those unless you're doing lots and lots of comic pages and readying them for press.

The news

Welp, that's been.... quite a week. Between starting "Tea-time with Kaijus" only to have to cancel most streams due to technical issues with my stylus, I've been on the receiving end of quite the curveball. Thankfully, receiving the new backup styluses(I ordered a pair just in case) was rather prompt taking only a few days and noiw all computers are set-up to runs the screen tablet again instead of my intuos back-up. Much rejoicing was personally had when I was able to return to the more fluid and precise lines of the monoprice tablet.
Also, the week has also seen some very good things happens that have made me happy to a level I hadn't been in a very long while.

---

Sunday Discounted Offline Commissions

This said, getting a new pair of stylus shipped here was a bit of an expense. It's still something I can manage but with the slow commission week I will be offering discounted slots for offline commissions. As it stands there are still three slots open and once they are filled or the day is over they will be gone. So get them while you can :)

The prices are 10$ for a toned sketch(see here: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13597360/ ) or 21$ for a colored sketch: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13526780/
Tip is still welcomed though ;)

Here is the current queue:

Just a head's up that while I wait for my new stylus to arrive, I am opening a 5 slots queue for commissions to help pay for the new styluses and shipping cost. These will be worked on offline rather than on livestream however.


Slot 1:  Onom Done! : http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13597360/

Slot 2:  Onom Done! http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13617755/

Slot 3:  Nothere

Slot 4:  Nothere

Slot 5: OPEN

Send me a note and get one when you still can! This offer will be over tomorrow as I resume my daily livestreams :)

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Livestream Schedule for 06/02-06/06

Week's theme: Tea-time with Kaijus & The troubles with technology

Since last week's "Tea-time with Kaijus" was relatively cut short, I will be continuing it this new week as well! So a 10% discount off my hourly rate will still be available for commissions involving involving people partaking in tea or giant monsters. Or both!

Similarly I will still be hosting a second theme, also elligible for a discount, in relative honor to the troubles with my stylus. In this case it will be "the troubles with technology" and will be a 10% discount on commissions involving science-fiction or mad-science thematics/subjects.

As usual, my hourly rate is 25$/hours which for discounted commissions becomes 22,50$/hours :)

(Hours given are representative of the EST timezone)
Monday: 12h30pm-4h30pm
Tuesday 12pm-4pm & 7pm-10pm
Wednesday 12pm-4pm & 7pm-10pm
Thursday: 12pm-4pm
Friday: 7h30pm-11pm