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Drawing while "not in the mood"?
Posted 11 years agoSo, how difficult do you find it to draw when you're "not in the mood?"
As someone who does art for a living, it's pretty important that I'm either "in an art-mood" or able to work regardless of whether or not I'm in an artistic mood :b However, I definitely do still find it a challenge - because my job almost always entails illustrating other people's creations and ideas for other people's projects and stories, there often isn't necessarily any personal interest in the job. In a big way, actually, I view my job as finding out what potential interest there is in a commission, and making that come alive and bringing it to the forefront, exploring that idea and the potential in it, making myself excited and interested in it, and then putting it down on (digital) canvas. I actually find this pretty easy - identifying the inspiration is easy, but FEELING it is hard.
There are a lot of things that I would "like" to draw, or think would be really cool, or would love to see, but that sure as heck doesn't mean I'm in the mood to try to make them! Maybe I'm being too harsh - obviously, most people aren't chomping at the bit dying to be able to go to work and do their job every day, filled with enthusiasm and excitement and delight. But I KNOW creating art can be like that; however, doing art as a full-time freelancer is NOT like that! At least, not for me.
It's different when you're doing it as a job - there's an expectation of quality and perfection. You can't just "have fun" or "not care how it turns out and just enjoy the process." Well, I mean, you CAN have fun and you CAN enjoy the process, but the mentality is different when you're getting paid to do it for someone else. It's the difference between writing for fun, and writing when you know it'll be judged and marked based on their tastes and not yours. You're doing it for them, not you, because you HAVE to.
I'm being sort of hard on doing art as a job - despite what it sounds like, I actually really enjoy it (I think :V). I love getting presented new ideas and "forced" to do new things and exploring subjects and drawing things I never would otherwise draw myself, and finding enjoyment in all sorts of new, strange, and unexpected places. That's super cool. Really.
Also, y'know what else makes doing artwork hard? Being sick. Sometimes working "normal" jobs is doable when you're sick - you just go through the motions most of the time, it's almost routine - but putting out quality creative stuff is just HARD when you're not functioning properly. That sucks too, worse than not being in the mood, I think. Not being in the mood just means I'm missing a kind of motivation, but being sick often saps you of motivation and ALSO makes you bit of a mental/emotional/physical gimp :V
I dunno, just my opinion :V How do you guys find it?
If you're curious, I set this up as a poll over on deviantArt - you can check out the results so far here!
As someone who does art for a living, it's pretty important that I'm either "in an art-mood" or able to work regardless of whether or not I'm in an artistic mood :b However, I definitely do still find it a challenge - because my job almost always entails illustrating other people's creations and ideas for other people's projects and stories, there often isn't necessarily any personal interest in the job. In a big way, actually, I view my job as finding out what potential interest there is in a commission, and making that come alive and bringing it to the forefront, exploring that idea and the potential in it, making myself excited and interested in it, and then putting it down on (digital) canvas. I actually find this pretty easy - identifying the inspiration is easy, but FEELING it is hard.
There are a lot of things that I would "like" to draw, or think would be really cool, or would love to see, but that sure as heck doesn't mean I'm in the mood to try to make them! Maybe I'm being too harsh - obviously, most people aren't chomping at the bit dying to be able to go to work and do their job every day, filled with enthusiasm and excitement and delight. But I KNOW creating art can be like that; however, doing art as a full-time freelancer is NOT like that! At least, not for me.
It's different when you're doing it as a job - there's an expectation of quality and perfection. You can't just "have fun" or "not care how it turns out and just enjoy the process." Well, I mean, you CAN have fun and you CAN enjoy the process, but the mentality is different when you're getting paid to do it for someone else. It's the difference between writing for fun, and writing when you know it'll be judged and marked based on their tastes and not yours. You're doing it for them, not you, because you HAVE to.
I'm being sort of hard on doing art as a job - despite what it sounds like, I actually really enjoy it (I think :V). I love getting presented new ideas and "forced" to do new things and exploring subjects and drawing things I never would otherwise draw myself, and finding enjoyment in all sorts of new, strange, and unexpected places. That's super cool. Really.
Also, y'know what else makes doing artwork hard? Being sick. Sometimes working "normal" jobs is doable when you're sick - you just go through the motions most of the time, it's almost routine - but putting out quality creative stuff is just HARD when you're not functioning properly. That sucks too, worse than not being in the mood, I think. Not being in the mood just means I'm missing a kind of motivation, but being sick often saps you of motivation and ALSO makes you bit of a mental/emotional/physical gimp :V
I dunno, just my opinion :V How do you guys find it?
If you're curious, I set this up as a poll over on deviantArt - you can check out the results so far here!
Good Intentions
Posted 11 years agoYou know what they say: the way to... online inactivity :V? is paved with good intentions!
To be fair, it's not just online inactivity I'm talking about, but rather the general lack of productivity on my part - I keep meaning to do all sorts of things: have more Endless Realms monsters completed regularly, post more journals now, come up with some good polls, do some personal work now and then, make some more progress on my waitlist - but I keep being, well... sick-without-being-actually-sick, I guess.
I was over at a friend's the other day, and I mentioned that I'd been suffering chronic stomach aches and/or head aches (you know, those annoyingly persistent ones that are not alleviated at all by either acetaminophen or ibuprofen?) the past month, and was frankly rather tired of it, and he asked, "Jen, haven't you been feeling like that since August? I remember you complaining of the same thing before your wedding, but you assumed it was wedding-related stress and would go away," and I realized, actually, yes. Apparently I've had more-or-less constant stomach aches and/or headaches for the past two and a half months. So what the hell, body :b Why you hate me so :c
So yeah. I'm a bit behind on pretty much everything, it feels like, mostly as a result of me feeling consistently under the weather in a variety of ways, and I'm not sure why, and it doesn't seem to be going away. Not that armchair-physician-ing is really worth much, but just for the hell of it: does anyone have any anecdotal stories about chronic body-feels-like-crap-but-is-not-actually-sick-iness and what made it go away? You know, aside from the usual "I exercised/ate better/slept properly/drank enough water"...
Anyway, hoping to maybe to do at least one or two more Endless Realms monsters before the end of the month, and if I'm lucky, manage to get a Halloween picture done this year, as I missed last year's - they're a silly, just-for-fun-for-me-and-friends exercise that I'd like to do every year if I can, but so far I've only done two >_> They're pretty inside-jokey, so harder for other people to enjoy, but here they are anyway!
A Sleazy Tavern Nerdy Halloween 2012
Nerdy Halloween 2011
If you haven't seen them already, lots and lots of bonus nerd points if you can identify who/what everyone is dressed as :b
To be fair, it's not just online inactivity I'm talking about, but rather the general lack of productivity on my part - I keep meaning to do all sorts of things: have more Endless Realms monsters completed regularly, post more journals now, come up with some good polls, do some personal work now and then, make some more progress on my waitlist - but I keep being, well... sick-without-being-actually-sick, I guess.
I was over at a friend's the other day, and I mentioned that I'd been suffering chronic stomach aches and/or head aches (you know, those annoyingly persistent ones that are not alleviated at all by either acetaminophen or ibuprofen?) the past month, and was frankly rather tired of it, and he asked, "Jen, haven't you been feeling like that since August? I remember you complaining of the same thing before your wedding, but you assumed it was wedding-related stress and would go away," and I realized, actually, yes. Apparently I've had more-or-less constant stomach aches and/or headaches for the past two and a half months. So what the hell, body :b Why you hate me so :c
So yeah. I'm a bit behind on pretty much everything, it feels like, mostly as a result of me feeling consistently under the weather in a variety of ways, and I'm not sure why, and it doesn't seem to be going away. Not that armchair-physician-ing is really worth much, but just for the hell of it: does anyone have any anecdotal stories about chronic body-feels-like-crap-but-is-not-actually-sick-iness and what made it go away? You know, aside from the usual "I exercised/ate better/slept properly/drank enough water"...
Anyway, hoping to maybe to do at least one or two more Endless Realms monsters before the end of the month, and if I'm lucky, manage to get a Halloween picture done this year, as I missed last year's - they're a silly, just-for-fun-for-me-and-friends exercise that I'd like to do every year if I can, but so far I've only done two >_> They're pretty inside-jokey, so harder for other people to enjoy, but here they are anyway!
A Sleazy Tavern Nerdy Halloween 2012
Nerdy Halloween 2011
If you haven't seen them already, lots and lots of bonus nerd points if you can identify who/what everyone is dressed as :b
The Cold
Posted 11 years agoToday, I woke to the sound of rain.
In the loft where we sleep, there is a series of six windows encircling one corner, creating a large, panoramic view of the suburban street corner on which we live. Normally, we are assaulted by the light of a clear blue sky, sunlight pouring in happily and obliviously turning the loft into a giant oven which, coupled with the fact it’s halfway through October and we feel it should no longer be so warm out as to cause an uncomfortable amount of sweating while indoors in an unheated room, usually is not terribly pleasing to us.
Alternatively, we can leave the windows open. The temperature of mornings in the loft is improved, but in place of that slowly growing discomfort that ever so gradually lurches through morning bleariness until you’re filled with a horrible alarmed awareness that, if you don’t get up now, you may very well bake to death, there is traffic. Never-ending, constant traffic. Honking horns, screeching brakes, emergency sirens, and the aggressive roar of overzealous drivers with their muscle cars and motorcycles and presumably tiny genitalia. Suffice it to say, this is also not terribly pleasing to us.
But today, I woke to the sound of rain.
The light was soft, diffuse, rendering the world a gentle, muted grey. The sky was overcast, and it was raining; the traffic outside was turned instead to gently undulating waves of white noise as the sounds of tires over wet pavement pass by. This is clearly not what one would call a nice day, but in my estimation, it’s pretty much the best I could hope for.
I’m done with it being summer. Casey likes to describe winter as a necessary recovery period, the season that recharges and rejuvenates him like a splash of cold water to the face, allowing him the ability to enjoy the sweltering heat of summer when it inevitably comes again. He likes being cold, though. I don’t like being cold, but I do like the cold. Don’t get me wrong; summer can be nice, lazing about in the heat until you’re driven to seek refuge in the closest body of water, but it’s a lot less nice when you aren’t able to be lazy, and when you don’t have a lake, river, or ocean conveniently nearby to refresh you. You can be warm, and that’s nice, but it’s forced upon you. It's not a luxury - it's not even a choice.
It’s when it’s cold out that warmth becomes something special. It is, after all, the whole point of winter festivities: to seek light and warmth together, and to revel in your refuge of vitality and comfort you’ve forged for yourself, creating a little sphere of goodness in a world of darkness and cold. In the summer, there’s nothing particularly special about warmth, but when it’s cold, all of a sudden, mundane things become magical, if only because they are warm. Holding a cup of hot tea in your hands and letting the steam wash over your face; cuddling up beneath a blanket, and feeling the warmth of your loved one next to you, and listening to the sound of rain together; sitting before a fire, its warmth inexorably drawing people to its heat and light and vitality. Suddenly, these ordinary things become special; they become cozy, a kind of warmth that can only exist in the face of cold.
I know most people don’t like the cold, but especially since we have the luxury of so easily being able to find warmth in our world, maybe, just maybe, we shouldn’t be so hard on it.
In the loft where we sleep, there is a series of six windows encircling one corner, creating a large, panoramic view of the suburban street corner on which we live. Normally, we are assaulted by the light of a clear blue sky, sunlight pouring in happily and obliviously turning the loft into a giant oven which, coupled with the fact it’s halfway through October and we feel it should no longer be so warm out as to cause an uncomfortable amount of sweating while indoors in an unheated room, usually is not terribly pleasing to us.
Alternatively, we can leave the windows open. The temperature of mornings in the loft is improved, but in place of that slowly growing discomfort that ever so gradually lurches through morning bleariness until you’re filled with a horrible alarmed awareness that, if you don’t get up now, you may very well bake to death, there is traffic. Never-ending, constant traffic. Honking horns, screeching brakes, emergency sirens, and the aggressive roar of overzealous drivers with their muscle cars and motorcycles and presumably tiny genitalia. Suffice it to say, this is also not terribly pleasing to us.
But today, I woke to the sound of rain.
The light was soft, diffuse, rendering the world a gentle, muted grey. The sky was overcast, and it was raining; the traffic outside was turned instead to gently undulating waves of white noise as the sounds of tires over wet pavement pass by. This is clearly not what one would call a nice day, but in my estimation, it’s pretty much the best I could hope for.
I’m done with it being summer. Casey likes to describe winter as a necessary recovery period, the season that recharges and rejuvenates him like a splash of cold water to the face, allowing him the ability to enjoy the sweltering heat of summer when it inevitably comes again. He likes being cold, though. I don’t like being cold, but I do like the cold. Don’t get me wrong; summer can be nice, lazing about in the heat until you’re driven to seek refuge in the closest body of water, but it’s a lot less nice when you aren’t able to be lazy, and when you don’t have a lake, river, or ocean conveniently nearby to refresh you. You can be warm, and that’s nice, but it’s forced upon you. It's not a luxury - it's not even a choice.
It’s when it’s cold out that warmth becomes something special. It is, after all, the whole point of winter festivities: to seek light and warmth together, and to revel in your refuge of vitality and comfort you’ve forged for yourself, creating a little sphere of goodness in a world of darkness and cold. In the summer, there’s nothing particularly special about warmth, but when it’s cold, all of a sudden, mundane things become magical, if only because they are warm. Holding a cup of hot tea in your hands and letting the steam wash over your face; cuddling up beneath a blanket, and feeling the warmth of your loved one next to you, and listening to the sound of rain together; sitting before a fire, its warmth inexorably drawing people to its heat and light and vitality. Suddenly, these ordinary things become special; they become cozy, a kind of warmth that can only exist in the face of cold.
I know most people don’t like the cold, but especially since we have the luxury of so easily being able to find warmth in our world, maybe, just maybe, we shouldn’t be so hard on it.
A very important message :V
Posted 11 years agoI know most of you are probably American and don't know what I'm talking about, but I'm Canadian, and in Canada, today is Thanksgiving! Casey and I had intended to make our own alternative Thanksgiving meal involving things like orange duck and cranachan and maybe Balmoral chicken but, well, then we didn't :V (partly because I got sick and wasn't feel up to it anymore :b) So we had a regular Thanksgiving meal with turkey, and speaking of turkeys, friends were bugging me to make a Turducken, so I did :b ENJOY 8D
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14770189/
That being said, thanks again to all my clients, watchers, commenters and friends for all the wonderful support you've given me over the years, even when sometimes I'll disappear inexplicably for weeks on end, or drop the ball and make terrible artwork like Turduckens and Luke in dresses :V
ALSO! Please go visit
TicktheCrux! He has an adorable little bat character up for adoption - he was originally made for a friend, but after it turned out she didn't want him (;_;), he hoped someone else might give him a good home! Please check him out here!
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/14770189/
That being said, thanks again to all my clients, watchers, commenters and friends for all the wonderful support you've given me over the years, even when sometimes I'll disappear inexplicably for weeks on end, or drop the ball and make terrible artwork like Turduckens and Luke in dresses :V
ALSO! Please go visit
TicktheCrux! He has an adorable little bat character up for adoption - he was originally made for a friend, but after it turned out she didn't want him (;_;), he hoped someone else might give him a good home! Please check him out here!Recommend Some Music!
Posted 11 years agoRecommend some music for me! I've been listening to the same music playlist for the last year in a row or so, and I do add a few new songs to it gradually over time, but nevertheless, I need some new music! I can't promise I'll listen to everything people send me, but I'll certainly give at least some of them a shot :b So, tell me, what's your most favourite song of all time? What's the most unusual thing you've ever heard? The best song to drive around in a car to? To kickbox to? Whatever it is, send me a link to it!
The point here for me really is to listen to some different music than I typically listen to, but just in case you care, I tend to like:
- music in a minor key
- music with repetitive motifs
- music featuring long suspended notes, or instruments with drones
- music with a strong beat
- medieval music
- world/ethnic music
- baroque music
- dramatic, movie-trailer-esque music
- industrial noise/aggrotech
- musical fusion
- taiko and percussion
- dance/club music and general techno/electronica
Anyway, here are two from me: "Avanti" by Corvus Corax, and "Preliator" by Globus.
The point here for me really is to listen to some different music than I typically listen to, but just in case you care, I tend to like:
- music in a minor key
- music with repetitive motifs
- music featuring long suspended notes, or instruments with drones
- music with a strong beat
- medieval music
- world/ethnic music
- baroque music
- dramatic, movie-trailer-esque music
- industrial noise/aggrotech
- musical fusion
- taiko and percussion
- dance/club music and general techno/electronica
Anyway, here are two from me: "Avanti" by Corvus Corax, and "Preliator" by Globus.
I got married! (Finally!)
Posted 11 years agoSoooooo... I know I've been missing a good long while, but I'll have you know that it was, at least, for good reason! On September 6th, I was wed to Casey/Theglavwen on the edge of Chilliwack Lake after nearly 8 years together - we were engaged to marry two years ago, but as many of you know, we had to unexpectedly move to Scotland before we had the chance. But we agreed to see what we could come up with since getting back to Canada this last winter, and despite our outfits almost not arriving on time (they arrived the day before), it finally happened (and only with a few major hiccups, haha).
It was a small wedding with a pretty short ceremony (we wanted things to be casual and comfortable for our guests) followed by a medieval-inspired feast that we cooked/catered ourselves. Some credits: outfits were made by Ravenswood Leather with custom modifications and embroidery designs by us, rings were made by Jewelry by Johan, my hair was done by Inna at Is., bouquet, hairpiece, makeup and nails were by me, cake was by Ganache Patisserie, and Casey's belt was made by Art on Leather (we already had the bracers and sword). We were told he wasn't going to be able to come, but we were lucky enough to have our friend's father, a semi-retired photographer, take some photos for us!
Me
Him
Us, just before walking down the aisle
The kiss
Us with friends
Us at the river's mouth
So, what's it like to be married? To be honest, it's really about the same! We've lived together for almost eight years now, practically attached at the hips and loving it (hah, that sounded a lot dirtier than intended), and as some other people have said, what defines a relationship really isn't its legal status or whether or not we have rings on our fingers, but something that can't really be easily or concisely written down in a public forum. I'm not going to go into a whole lot of gushy private feelings, but I will refer briefly to the same story I told in my vows:
When I was little, the number one fear I had was never being able to find someone to love and be loved by - someone who really understood me, and connected with me, who I could devote myself fully to and be loved back in return. I wanted more than anything else, basically, a Soul Mate, and was somehow terrified that I'd never find one. So, then, it was almost literally a dream come true to finally find Casey. We've been friends since we met in highschool 16 years ago, fell in love 8 years ago, and have since graduated university together, lived in Scotland for a year, and shared countless other life experiences together. The fact that, now, we have a paper saying we are officially married doesn't change much of anything at all, but it was still wonderful to make what we are together finally official in the eyes of our friends, family, and the law. I'm looking forward to sharing the rest of my life with him <3
It was a small wedding with a pretty short ceremony (we wanted things to be casual and comfortable for our guests) followed by a medieval-inspired feast that we cooked/catered ourselves. Some credits: outfits were made by Ravenswood Leather with custom modifications and embroidery designs by us, rings were made by Jewelry by Johan, my hair was done by Inna at Is., bouquet, hairpiece, makeup and nails were by me, cake was by Ganache Patisserie, and Casey's belt was made by Art on Leather (we already had the bracers and sword). We were told he wasn't going to be able to come, but we were lucky enough to have our friend's father, a semi-retired photographer, take some photos for us!
Me
Him
Us, just before walking down the aisle
The kiss
Us with friends
Us at the river's mouth
So, what's it like to be married? To be honest, it's really about the same! We've lived together for almost eight years now, practically attached at the hips and loving it (hah, that sounded a lot dirtier than intended), and as some other people have said, what defines a relationship really isn't its legal status or whether or not we have rings on our fingers, but something that can't really be easily or concisely written down in a public forum. I'm not going to go into a whole lot of gushy private feelings, but I will refer briefly to the same story I told in my vows:
When I was little, the number one fear I had was never being able to find someone to love and be loved by - someone who really understood me, and connected with me, who I could devote myself fully to and be loved back in return. I wanted more than anything else, basically, a Soul Mate, and was somehow terrified that I'd never find one. So, then, it was almost literally a dream come true to finally find Casey. We've been friends since we met in highschool 16 years ago, fell in love 8 years ago, and have since graduated university together, lived in Scotland for a year, and shared countless other life experiences together. The fact that, now, we have a paper saying we are officially married doesn't change much of anything at all, but it was still wonderful to make what we are together finally official in the eyes of our friends, family, and the law. I'm looking forward to sharing the rest of my life with him <3
Back from Camping! And Back to Work...
Posted 11 years agoAaaaalright, now that I'm thoroughly crispy and had my fair share of campfires, kayaking, boating, barbequing, swimming, (not-quite-)water-skiing and my first thrilling tube fight with Casey... I'm back! Feel free to skip this next part - it's really just me writing down the memorable bits of my trip for myself:
Had really great Canada Day and July Fourth barbeques (the campground has about as many Canadians, if not more, than Americans, despite being in WA) despite how humid it was this year, and it turns out that the beloved FatBoy's restaurant, now the American Family Grill, is still bloody delicious, so that's good. Did a ton of boating, tried my hand at water-skiing, and tooootally beat Casey at tube wars XD. Got to see our friend Lisa again after a good number of years, which was great - we hung out and did henna and generally did a bunch of catching up. We checked out a cool local bar with live blues music (a friend was called up to sing with the band, which was pretty awesome), and I won at least half my pool games (although that might have had something to do with everyone else being inebriated, haha). Casey and I also rescued a juvenile bat from roasting in the sun after we found him grounded in the middle of Lisa's campsite - he was absolutely adorable, and kept trying to climb my leg. He didn't seem injured, so we set him up in a tree (we couldn't reach the bat boxes the campground has set up for them), and we're hoping he made it to the evening alright! Also got to play with a lovely young dog named Niko who was tied up next to our site - the family hardly paid her an ounce of attention, and left her tied to a nearly shade-less tree half a lot away from them on a five foot rope, neglected to clean up her droppings, and did no more than pat her once and walk her to the end of their lot and back over the two days they were there. I went over to say hello to her, and you could just see it in her face, how desperate she was for love and attention. Spent a lot of time cuddling her, and she'd crawl up into my lap and wash my hands for me <3 She seemed to shy away from a lot of people, as if expecting to be struck, so I'm really hoping her family doesn't abuse her :( I would have looooved to adopt her - she was one of the sweetest dogs I've come across in a long time - but obviously, I'm just a weird Asian that wandered up to their family dog and don't really have any rights over her :b
Anyway, now that I'm back, it's time to get back to work! Going to try to take up P90X again in preparation for our wedding, although the heat really isn't helping - it was 30C/86F in our loft with all the windows open and fans going, and it's just exhausting trying to work out in the heat x_x So we'll see. As for actual commission work, I plan on tying up the loose ends this month - getting to Lushiko, Kahai and Xevian's smaller commissions, and making some more progress on Argent, Vangarthia, and Nero's works - but I mostly need to focus on getting back to my primary job as artist for Endless Realms after the art director was kind enough to allow me something of a vacation from work. So my apologies for having to put my usual commission work on the back burner!
Hope everyone has been having a good season so far!
Had really great Canada Day and July Fourth barbeques (the campground has about as many Canadians, if not more, than Americans, despite being in WA) despite how humid it was this year, and it turns out that the beloved FatBoy's restaurant, now the American Family Grill, is still bloody delicious, so that's good. Did a ton of boating, tried my hand at water-skiing, and tooootally beat Casey at tube wars XD. Got to see our friend Lisa again after a good number of years, which was great - we hung out and did henna and generally did a bunch of catching up. We checked out a cool local bar with live blues music (a friend was called up to sing with the band, which was pretty awesome), and I won at least half my pool games (although that might have had something to do with everyone else being inebriated, haha). Casey and I also rescued a juvenile bat from roasting in the sun after we found him grounded in the middle of Lisa's campsite - he was absolutely adorable, and kept trying to climb my leg. He didn't seem injured, so we set him up in a tree (we couldn't reach the bat boxes the campground has set up for them), and we're hoping he made it to the evening alright! Also got to play with a lovely young dog named Niko who was tied up next to our site - the family hardly paid her an ounce of attention, and left her tied to a nearly shade-less tree half a lot away from them on a five foot rope, neglected to clean up her droppings, and did no more than pat her once and walk her to the end of their lot and back over the two days they were there. I went over to say hello to her, and you could just see it in her face, how desperate she was for love and attention. Spent a lot of time cuddling her, and she'd crawl up into my lap and wash my hands for me <3 She seemed to shy away from a lot of people, as if expecting to be struck, so I'm really hoping her family doesn't abuse her :( I would have looooved to adopt her - she was one of the sweetest dogs I've come across in a long time - but obviously, I'm just a weird Asian that wandered up to their family dog and don't really have any rights over her :b
Anyway, now that I'm back, it's time to get back to work! Going to try to take up P90X again in preparation for our wedding, although the heat really isn't helping - it was 30C/86F in our loft with all the windows open and fans going, and it's just exhausting trying to work out in the heat x_x So we'll see. As for actual commission work, I plan on tying up the loose ends this month - getting to Lushiko, Kahai and Xevian's smaller commissions, and making some more progress on Argent, Vangarthia, and Nero's works - but I mostly need to focus on getting back to my primary job as artist for Endless Realms after the art director was kind enough to allow me something of a vacation from work. So my apologies for having to put my usual commission work on the back burner!
Hope everyone has been having a good season so far!
Brief Hiatus, Note to Clients, and Closing for Commissions
Posted 11 years agoMan, June ended up being way more hectic than expected >_O
Anyway, today's my last day before my first vacation in two years! I'll be going camping for two weeks in the Okanagan, Osoyoos Canada/Oroville USA along with my fiance's family, as it's been an annual tradition for them since he was a baby (although we missed it for the first time last year since we living in Scotland, which he was rather upset about :b). That being said, I will have zero computer or internet access, so I'll be unable to work on any art projects during that time.
... Okay, technically? I could probably bring my laptop along and keep it powered using a car adapter, but to be honest, it's already overheated and crashed from 20C temperatures outside (30C inside the loft here), with two fans going non-stop and all the windows open 16 hours a day. I really don't think it'll do well in the 30-40C temperatures I'll be heading to, so... no laptop.
Plus taking electronics with you camping (with the exception of maybe things like GPS, cameras, and e-readers) is a bit lame :V
So yeah. Will be back the second week of July!
I'm also closing to accepting any more smaller commissions again - since picking up some new projects, I need to finish those off now, and get back to work on Endless Realms material. If we're in the middle of discussing commissions already (your name should be listed below), I can still take your request, but it will have to wait until I get back.
Thanks again guys for all your support!
Anyway, today's my last day before my first vacation in two years! I'll be going camping for two weeks in the Okanagan, Osoyoos Canada/Oroville USA along with my fiance's family, as it's been an annual tradition for them since he was a baby (although we missed it for the first time last year since we living in Scotland, which he was rather upset about :b). That being said, I will have zero computer or internet access, so I'll be unable to work on any art projects during that time.
... Okay, technically? I could probably bring my laptop along and keep it powered using a car adapter, but to be honest, it's already overheated and crashed from 20C temperatures outside (30C inside the loft here), with two fans going non-stop and all the windows open 16 hours a day. I really don't think it'll do well in the 30-40C temperatures I'll be heading to, so... no laptop.
Plus taking electronics with you camping (with the exception of maybe things like GPS, cameras, and e-readers) is a bit lame :V
So yeah. Will be back the second week of July!
I'm also closing to accepting any more smaller commissions again - since picking up some new projects, I need to finish those off now, and get back to work on Endless Realms material. If we're in the middle of discussing commissions already (your name should be listed below), I can still take your request, but it will have to wait until I get back.
Thanks again guys for all your support!
Commission Update
Posted 11 years agoI honestly never expected to get such a huge surge of commission requests! Since getting sick (which was super untimely and very inconvenient :b), I've gotten a little behind, but figured I should repost so that things are clearer.
Here's what I have so far, please let me know if I've missed you or am in error!
Vangarthia - single character realism illustration - early painting - paid in full
NeroFox1989 - single character realism illustration - early painting - advance paid
Argent-Fatalis - single character realism illustration - early painting - advance paid
BladeMcCloud - single character realism illustration - OPTED FOR PASS - unpaid
Seigmar - 5hr speedpaint - DONE - paid in full
RogueKitty - 2hr sketch/speedpaint - DONE - paid in full
Seribaba - 2hr sketch/speedpaint - DONE - paid in full
Aarha - 1hr sketch/speedpaint - DONE - paid in full
XernKara - 2 person port - awaiting response - unpaid
KitaWolfhawk - morphing eye icon - awaiting response - unpaid
LyonLover - 2hr(+?) sketch/speedpaint? - DONE - paid in full
DinofelizC - 1 or 2hr sketch/speedpaint? - awaiting response - unpaid
Lushiko - multihour speedpaint/portrait? - sketching - paid in full
Caelestra - character badge - DONE - paid in full
Kahai - 2 character coloured lineart - awaiting response - unpaid
Xevian - 4 hr speedpaint - awaiting July - unpaid
Here's what I have so far, please let me know if I've missed you or am in error!
Vangarthia - single character realism illustration - early painting - paid in full
NeroFox1989 - single character realism illustration - early painting - advance paid
Argent-Fatalis - single character realism illustration - early painting - advance paid
BladeMcCloud - single character realism illustration - OPTED FOR PASS - unpaid
Seigmar - 5hr speedpaint - DONE - paid in full
RogueKitty - 2hr sketch/speedpaint - DONE - paid in full
Seribaba - 2hr sketch/speedpaint - DONE - paid in full
Aarha - 1hr sketch/speedpaint - DONE - paid in full
XernKara - 2 person port - awaiting response - unpaid
KitaWolfhawk - morphing eye icon - awaiting response - unpaid
LyonLover - 2hr(+?) sketch/speedpaint? - DONE - paid in full
DinofelizC - 1 or 2hr sketch/speedpaint? - awaiting response - unpaid
Lushiko - multihour speedpaint/portrait? - sketching - paid in full
Caelestra - character badge - DONE - paid in full
Kahai - 2 character coloured lineart - awaiting response - unpaid
Xevian - 4 hr speedpaint - awaiting July - unpaid
Murphy's Law
Posted 11 years agoI finally decide to open up for commissions, just a bit, accept down payment for some new work, and then promptly fall ill :V Apparently have a norovirus infection or something, something of a recent local outbreak. My apologies to those waiting for commissions or to hear back from me. I tried working for a bit, but, just... isn't happening. I know it seems sort of silly, feeling too sick to draw, but something about creative endeavours make them seem unusually difficult to do well if you can't commit properly to them. Sorry guys </3 Please bear with me.
Open for Limited Commissions!
Posted 11 years agoIt's been a long time, internet, but I'm finally, tentatively opening for commissions again. My time is mostly taken up by doing work for Endless Realms, and trying to finish up the last bits of my waiting list, but since the projects there are either presently unworkable or proceeding slowly, I figured I might be able to open up in the meantime to some limited commission work for smaller pieces. That said, to a limited degree, I'm now accepting commissions for sketches, icons, lineart, speedpaints, and a very small number of large portraits or single character illustrations - please let me know if you're interested! Email me at jocarra@gmail.com, leave a comment, or send a note! Slots are limited. I will attempt to accept them on a first come, first served basis, but a few exceptions may apply!
EDIT: I am NO LONGER accepting large realism portraits or single character illustrations! Other options are still available :)
$20 - 1-hr sketch/speedpaint/coloured lineart: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13572524/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9010705/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7231698/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10770887/
$40 - 2-hr sketch/speedpaint/coloured lineart:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11102379/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10685873/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9029838/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9001698/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8623692/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10108534/
$40-80 - multi-hour speedpaint/coloured lineart/portrait/double portrait/badge:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/12338708/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9474423/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1963438/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/12823843/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/12799931/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11531741/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11502301/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10450435/
$80-150 - large realism portrait:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7941451/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11467240/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11917940/
$125-175 - single character illustration with simple/minimal background:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13657130/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/12969817/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/12653539/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11487690/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11047616/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/622914/
EDIT: I am NO LONGER accepting large realism portraits or single character illustrations! Other options are still available :)
$20 - 1-hr sketch/speedpaint/coloured lineart: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13572524/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9010705/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7231698/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10770887/
$40 - 2-hr sketch/speedpaint/coloured lineart:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11102379/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10685873/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9029838/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9001698/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8623692/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10108534/
$40-80 - multi-hour speedpaint/coloured lineart/portrait/double portrait/badge:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/12338708/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9474423/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/1963438/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/12823843/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/12799931/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11531741/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11502301/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/10450435/
$80-150 - large realism portrait:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7941451/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11467240/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11917940/
$125-175 - single character illustration with simple/minimal background:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/13657130/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/12969817/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/12653539/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11487690/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11047616/
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/622914/
How do you feel about getting angry?
Posted 11 years agoDo you find it entirely unhelpful, destructive, problematic? Or do you find it a powerful motivator that helps you get results? Do you suppress or avoid your anger, or openly embrace it?
ALSO! Are you male, or female? Which gender were you born and raised as, and is that different from what gender you see yourself as now, or the gender you most identify with?
This was somewhat related to my previous topic of group identity, I suppose, in that it has gender issues related to it. Anyway, my fiance and I have vastly different feelings and views on anger: it's always been strictly a negative emotion for me, one that makes me feel worse, and if I don't ignore it, it tends to cause me to make other people feel worse, and things are just WORSE overall (I am female, by the way, although typically far from feminine). On the other hand, my fiance sees it as an extraordinarily constructive and useful emotion, one that drives you to solve and overcome problems (he, as the pronouns might suggest, is male).
I remember talking with him about it, and he mentioned this study, which describes this exact pattern in which males view anger more positively, and women view it more negatively, and attributes it to social upbringing.
Obviously, there is individual variance in how people are able to deal with anger - one's own emotional maturity and control and how strongly emotions manifest obviously has a contribution to whether or not anger ends up being constructive or destructive - but unlike some issues in which the culprit is "nature" and not nurture, this one in my personal experience seems pretty strongly linked to one's personal conscious and unconscious views, not genetic/physiological predisposition.
So I'm curious as to how other people feel about anger, and additionally, since the younger generations now are much more LGBT-friendly and are more likely to view gender more fluidly, do you find this gender trend still holds true to you? Were you raised male but identify as more female - did you "keep your male view on anger" as positive, or do you "aspire" to treat anger "more femininely" by avoiding and redirecting?
Or does this whole thing not apply to you at all and you find it bewilderingly pointless? 8D
Let me know! I'm curious :)
ALSO! Are you male, or female? Which gender were you born and raised as, and is that different from what gender you see yourself as now, or the gender you most identify with?
This was somewhat related to my previous topic of group identity, I suppose, in that it has gender issues related to it. Anyway, my fiance and I have vastly different feelings and views on anger: it's always been strictly a negative emotion for me, one that makes me feel worse, and if I don't ignore it, it tends to cause me to make other people feel worse, and things are just WORSE overall (I am female, by the way, although typically far from feminine). On the other hand, my fiance sees it as an extraordinarily constructive and useful emotion, one that drives you to solve and overcome problems (he, as the pronouns might suggest, is male).
I remember talking with him about it, and he mentioned this study, which describes this exact pattern in which males view anger more positively, and women view it more negatively, and attributes it to social upbringing.
Obviously, there is individual variance in how people are able to deal with anger - one's own emotional maturity and control and how strongly emotions manifest obviously has a contribution to whether or not anger ends up being constructive or destructive - but unlike some issues in which the culprit is "nature" and not nurture, this one in my personal experience seems pretty strongly linked to one's personal conscious and unconscious views, not genetic/physiological predisposition.
So I'm curious as to how other people feel about anger, and additionally, since the younger generations now are much more LGBT-friendly and are more likely to view gender more fluidly, do you find this gender trend still holds true to you? Were you raised male but identify as more female - did you "keep your male view on anger" as positive, or do you "aspire" to treat anger "more femininely" by avoiding and redirecting?
Or does this whole thing not apply to you at all and you find it bewilderingly pointless? 8D
Let me know! I'm curious :)
How important is this to you?
Posted 11 years agoYour social/group identity.
You know. Being an artist. Being a furry. Being male, female, transgendered. Being a jock, musician, chef. Being a mother, brother, uncle. Being American, Canadian, Chinese. Being Christian, athiest, Wiccan. Being gay, heterosexual, asexual.
We all can potentially be lumped into groups. Some groups are more important to people than others, obviously, but how much do they define you? How important is it to YOU, overall, that you feel you actually BELONG to these groups? You fit in, you satisfy the unspoken requirements of that group, and you endeavour to continue to do so. How upset does the idea of "not fitting in" bother you, or failing to meet the group's perceived expectations? "REAL academics don't play video games." "REAL artists draw without references." "REAL men don't cry." "REAL women care about being beautiful." "REAL furries are sexually motivated."
Growing up, I was taught a fairly, let's say, binary outlook on life: you either belong, or you don't; you are either "right", or you are "wrong". I later had some difficulty overcoming this, when I determined it to be a rather poor reflection of reality - even now, I still tend to feel like, "I am female, so I should be "more feminine," or "I am an artist. I should be "more artistic/creative"... but I don't actually think this is terribly healthy. What constitutes a group should be dictated by its members, not the other way around.
Of course, this is a lot easier said than done, and it often can't stop us from still being hurt by the value we put into our group identity, but I think accepting yourself for who you are is better than trying to conform yourself artificially to a mold, even if its one of your own choosing.
COMMISSION WAITLIST
Last updated May 26
Q: PnP work (block 2 advance paid)
BladeMcCloud: Flind - 0% (not paid, awaiting response)
Henry: phoenix/dragon series/lizard girl - 1%/1% (paid in full)
Caleb: map - 0% (not paid)
benymol: ?? - 0% (not paid, awaiting end of summer)
Jon: ?? - 0% (paid, awaiting response)
You know. Being an artist. Being a furry. Being male, female, transgendered. Being a jock, musician, chef. Being a mother, brother, uncle. Being American, Canadian, Chinese. Being Christian, athiest, Wiccan. Being gay, heterosexual, asexual.
We all can potentially be lumped into groups. Some groups are more important to people than others, obviously, but how much do they define you? How important is it to YOU, overall, that you feel you actually BELONG to these groups? You fit in, you satisfy the unspoken requirements of that group, and you endeavour to continue to do so. How upset does the idea of "not fitting in" bother you, or failing to meet the group's perceived expectations? "REAL academics don't play video games." "REAL artists draw without references." "REAL men don't cry." "REAL women care about being beautiful." "REAL furries are sexually motivated."
Growing up, I was taught a fairly, let's say, binary outlook on life: you either belong, or you don't; you are either "right", or you are "wrong". I later had some difficulty overcoming this, when I determined it to be a rather poor reflection of reality - even now, I still tend to feel like, "I am female, so I should be "more feminine," or "I am an artist. I should be "more artistic/creative"... but I don't actually think this is terribly healthy. What constitutes a group should be dictated by its members, not the other way around.
Of course, this is a lot easier said than done, and it often can't stop us from still being hurt by the value we put into our group identity, but I think accepting yourself for who you are is better than trying to conform yourself artificially to a mold, even if its one of your own choosing.
COMMISSION WAITLIST
Last updated May 26
Q: PnP work (block 2 advance paid)
BladeMcCloud: Flind - 0% (not paid, awaiting response)
Henry: phoenix/dragon series/lizard girl - 1%/1% (paid in full)
Caleb: map - 0% (not paid)
benymol: ?? - 0% (not paid, awaiting end of summer)
Jon: ?? - 0% (paid, awaiting response)
Endless Realms FAQ
Posted 11 years agoSince I've been posting tons of art from the game, I figured I should post a little FAQ about it. Please note that I'm not actually part of the development team, so I can't directly answer any of your questions. However, I can direct you to someone who can :)
* * * * * * * * * *
Endless Realms website - with race, class, and world info, along with FAQ and contact info
* * * * * * * * * * What is Endless Realms?
Endless Realms is a pen and paper roleplaying game, similar to Dungeons & Dragons, World of Darkness, and Shadowrun. It is designed to be a fantasy game, although it uses a d10 system that could be potentially applied to any setting.
When will it be out?
Since the game is so early in development, Endless Realms is not expected to be published and ready for sale for at least another year or two. After all, the project only started a few months ago!
Who will the game appeal to?
Endless Realms is being designed to appeal to a broad audience: anyone should be able to pick up the rule book, skim it quickly, and be able to play immediately without difficulty, hopefully bringing in new and casual players previously stymied by the complexity of other PnP games. The system will be fast and easy to learn and play, streamlined to allow fast character creation and permitting GMs to easily run spontaneous, on the spot campaigns. However, the system also promises vast customization, allowing new and veteran players alike countless possibilities for roleplaying unique and interesting characters and campaigns, and creating custom classes, races, and monsters, limited only by their imagination.
Why is it called Endless Realms?
The developers are committed to doing their to best to create a game that has "endless" possibilities! They also intend to release a number of different campaign settings, or "realms", from which players can choose.
What kind of system is it?
Endless Realms will have a comparative d10 system, chosen because the developers felt it lowered the influence of random chance without eliminating it entirely, and to allow modifications such as bonuses and penalties on rolls to have a larger impact. The developers feel power should be in the hands of the player, not luck.
What sort of playable races will there be?
The developers wanted to move away from the standard traditional races found in most fantasy games - as such, the only familiar race you can expect to see is Human. All other races will be unique, original species custom-created for Endless Realms, each with their own racial skill sets. While race development is far from complete, so far races include a plant race, animal-based races, and races never seen before, as well as the usual option of Human.
What about bestiary monsters? Can they be playable characters or PC companions?
Absolutely (unless your GM says otherwise, of course)! The developers want it to be easy for a GM or player to create new races, or allow players to use existing bestiary monsters as potential player templates. There will be the ability to have monsters as companion animals, but likely only for select classes.
Speaking of classes, what sort of classes will there be?
Expect to see a combination of old and new classes - some will be familiar fantasy PnP classes, while others will be brand-new. Each class is designed to allow vast customization - do you want your to focus on defensive capabilities and crowd control? Doing mass amounts of damage? Or always having the right skills for those tricky moments in and out of combat? You could have a party of only elementalists, and each would play differently with their own strengths and weaknesses.
Are the bestiary creatures and playable races "open species"? Can I make my own OCs based on them?
Yes, they are open, so you may! The developers would be thrilled to see any original characters you make, and you're welcome to use them for personal enjoyment, or to commission works of your OCs. They ask, however, that no OCs based on Endless Realms creatures or races be used in any commercial form (such as being made available for print).
What do you think of making PnP RPGs faster and easier?
Posted 11 years agoSince I've been posting so much Endless Realms stuff lately, I figured I'd make an entry about it and ask people what they think! In short, the game is looking to make pen-and-paper roleplaying games (like D&D) easier and faster, simplifying and minimizing number crunching without taking away the player's ability to strategize and roleplay. The developers want to create a game that can be bought new from a store by unfamiliar players, and have them playing a campaign more or less immediately, with an easy system and fast character generation.
What do you think of making PnPs faster and easier?
COMMISSION WAITLIST
Last updated May 12
Q: PnP work (block 2 advance paid)
BladeMcCloud: Flind - 0% (not paid, awaiting response)
Henry: phoenix/dragon series/lizard girl - 1%/1% (paid in full)
Caleb: map - 0% (not paid)
benymol: ?? - 0% (not paid, awaiting end of summer)
Jon: ?? - 0% (paid, awaiting response)
What do you think of making PnPs faster and easier?
COMMISSION WAITLIST
Last updated May 12
Q: PnP work (block 2 advance paid)
BladeMcCloud: Flind - 0% (not paid, awaiting response)
Henry: phoenix/dragon series/lizard girl - 1%/1% (paid in full)
Caleb: map - 0% (not paid)
benymol: ?? - 0% (not paid, awaiting end of summer)
Jon: ?? - 0% (paid, awaiting response)
Looooong time, no update...
Posted 11 years agoYeeeeah. Sorry guys, I really did mean to post some sort of update at some point, but... didn't >_> Now it's half a year later, and I'm a terrible person :V
So basically, Casey and I are back in Canada for now, made it back safely and all that (although the airline temporarily lost all our luggage), although we may be moving again depending on where his PhD program takes him x_x I'm hoping we'll stay within Canada, as dealing with visas was almost more painful than it was worth, but then again, getting into the best program is more important, so we'll just have to see.
In the meantime, since we're back in Canada for the next year at least, it means we finally get to plan our wedding <3 He proposed to me over two years ago, but since we had to leave for Scotland we didn't get the time for it, so we're trying to make up for it now :b Going to be getting a custom dress from Ravenswood Leather and matching custom wood inlay rings from Jewelry by Johan - both companies make products that are unique, lovely, and surprisingly affordable, if anyone's looking! We plan to have our wedding at the end of August (although an exact place/date hasn't been set yet), and are aiming to have it up on Chilliwack Lake at a friend's private lakeside cabin, or in a similarly remote/forested area. So here's hoping all goes well in that department!
Artwise, I've been busy lately with contract work for the newly registered Lunar Games Inc, a company made by friends of a friend who've hired me on as their artist. They're working on making a Dungeons & Dragons-like pen and paper fantasy RPG, called Endless Realms, and I'm presently doing creature concept work for the bestiary (which will be posted regularly), although I'm also set to do illustrations for the races as well. I have a bit of catching up to do, posting wise, but will do my best to not spam all your inboxes with monsters :b
As for my regular commission work, although work on the PnP game takes up most of my time, I'm slowly but surely cleaning up my waitlist. My apologies to those who have waited so patiently for so long! Thank you <3 Depending on the response times and requests of the next few people in line, I MIGHT be able to open up for commissions shortly! At the very least, I should be able to accept some smaller projects, such as single character illustrations, so keep an eye out for an announcement - slots are first come, first served!
COMMISSION WAITLIST
Last updated May 12
Q: PnP work (block 2 advance paid)
BladeMcCloud: Flind - 0% (not paid, awaiting response)
Henry: phoenix/dragon series/lizard girl - 1%/1% (paid in full)
Caleb: map - 0% (not paid)
benymol: ?? - 0% (not paid, awaiting end of summer)
Jon: ?? - 0% (paid, awaiting response)
So basically, Casey and I are back in Canada for now, made it back safely and all that (although the airline temporarily lost all our luggage), although we may be moving again depending on where his PhD program takes him x_x I'm hoping we'll stay within Canada, as dealing with visas was almost more painful than it was worth, but then again, getting into the best program is more important, so we'll just have to see.
In the meantime, since we're back in Canada for the next year at least, it means we finally get to plan our wedding <3 He proposed to me over two years ago, but since we had to leave for Scotland we didn't get the time for it, so we're trying to make up for it now :b Going to be getting a custom dress from Ravenswood Leather and matching custom wood inlay rings from Jewelry by Johan - both companies make products that are unique, lovely, and surprisingly affordable, if anyone's looking! We plan to have our wedding at the end of August (although an exact place/date hasn't been set yet), and are aiming to have it up on Chilliwack Lake at a friend's private lakeside cabin, or in a similarly remote/forested area. So here's hoping all goes well in that department!
Artwise, I've been busy lately with contract work for the newly registered Lunar Games Inc, a company made by friends of a friend who've hired me on as their artist. They're working on making a Dungeons & Dragons-like pen and paper fantasy RPG, called Endless Realms, and I'm presently doing creature concept work for the bestiary (which will be posted regularly), although I'm also set to do illustrations for the races as well. I have a bit of catching up to do, posting wise, but will do my best to not spam all your inboxes with monsters :b
As for my regular commission work, although work on the PnP game takes up most of my time, I'm slowly but surely cleaning up my waitlist. My apologies to those who have waited so patiently for so long! Thank you <3 Depending on the response times and requests of the next few people in line, I MIGHT be able to open up for commissions shortly! At the very least, I should be able to accept some smaller projects, such as single character illustrations, so keep an eye out for an announcement - slots are first come, first served!
COMMISSION WAITLIST
Last updated May 12
Q: PnP work (block 2 advance paid)
BladeMcCloud: Flind - 0% (not paid, awaiting response)
Henry: phoenix/dragon series/lizard girl - 1%/1% (paid in full)
Caleb: map - 0% (not paid)
benymol: ?? - 0% (not paid, awaiting end of summer)
Jon: ?? - 0% (paid, awaiting response)
Moving Countries... Again!
Posted 12 years agoSooooo, we're moving countries overseas, again. Back to Canada for now, but we're not sure for how long or where we'll be heading after that; it's been a tough year and doesn't look like it'll be getting much better soon :b Things are hectic with my fiance's graduation for his Masters' followed immediately by needing to pack up and head out, followed by sleeping at the airport and a 20 hour flight >_> So... I'll probably be more or less inactive the next week or so. Just a head's up to followers and clients!
COMMISSION WAITLIST
Last updated May 11
Q: PnP work (block 2 advance paid)
BladeMcCloud: Flind - 0% (not paid, awaiting response)
benymol: ?? - 0% (not paid, awaiting response)
Henry: phoenix/dragon series - 1% (paid in full)
Caleb: map - 0% (not paid)
Jon: ?? - 0% (paid, awaiting response)
COMMISSION WAITLIST
Last updated May 11
Q: PnP work (block 2 advance paid)
BladeMcCloud: Flind - 0% (not paid, awaiting response)
benymol: ?? - 0% (not paid, awaiting response)
Henry: phoenix/dragon series - 1% (paid in full)
Caleb: map - 0% (not paid)
Jon: ?? - 0% (paid, awaiting response)
Closing Commissions :(
Posted 12 years agoGiven the bloated size and length of my waiting list, I've decided to stop accepting any new commissions until my list has been cleared up more. Due to a series of unfortunate events starting this summer, I've managed to get rather behind on things, and my giant waiting list is doing a rather excellent job of looming ominously over everything :b >_>; I do want to thank everyone for their support, though - a big waiting list just means I have a lot of nice people wanting art from me! So thank you <3
I know I've seemed sort of absent the last little while, without many updates, but I've been working, I swear! Most of my time has been going towards a huge project for furcom, who's getting a 14-character image of himself hanging out with his buddies - you can check out a WIP here, if you're interested (make sure to full-view), or just check out some detail images here...
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i.....ps31769aad.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i.....ps0a1be33f.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i.....ps504f5d42.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i.....ps318403a6.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i.....ps8bc1e655.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i.....psdb6ecbf9.jpg
COMMISSION WAITLIST
Last updated Nov 26
Xernkara: Zeph/Pat - 33% (paid in full)
Hotwert: cheetah pair - 5% (not paid, awaiting response)
tsumezyzco: single char pinup - 0% (not paid, awaiting response)
darkwingo: ref sheet/icons - 0% (not paid)
redgatomon: redgatomon - 0% (not paid, waiting 'til Dec)
RavynArcadia: Aztec - 0% (not paid, waiting 'til Jan)
huskyGS: lioness pinup - 0% (not paid)
blademccloud: enraged Blade - 0% (not paid)
oversoul: ref sheet - 0% (not paid)
xevian: 2-char birthday present - 0% (not paid)
James: wolves etc. - 0% (not paid)
sjviper: Tigress/Crane - 0% (not paid)
dracod78: Roman and dog - 0% (not paid)
C4ndyland: sparkledog char sheet - 0% (not paid)
osmosis: Mag? - 0% (not paid)
Henry: phoenix pinup - 0% (paid in full)
alexcoldt: snow leopard/stallion pinup - 0% (not paid)
truttle: ?? - 0% (not paid)
benymol: ?? - 0% (not paid)
kidogo: cheetah - 0% (not paid)
Jon: ?? - 0% (paid, awaiting response)
I know I've seemed sort of absent the last little while, without many updates, but I've been working, I swear! Most of my time has been going towards a huge project for furcom, who's getting a 14-character image of himself hanging out with his buddies - you can check out a WIP here, if you're interested (make sure to full-view), or just check out some detail images here...
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i.....ps31769aad.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i.....ps0a1be33f.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i.....ps504f5d42.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i.....ps318403a6.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i.....ps8bc1e655.jpg
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i.....psdb6ecbf9.jpg
COMMISSION WAITLIST
Last updated Nov 26
Xernkara: Zeph/Pat - 33% (paid in full)
Hotwert: cheetah pair - 5% (not paid, awaiting response)
tsumezyzco: single char pinup - 0% (not paid, awaiting response)
darkwingo: ref sheet/icons - 0% (not paid)
redgatomon: redgatomon - 0% (not paid, waiting 'til Dec)
RavynArcadia: Aztec - 0% (not paid, waiting 'til Jan)
huskyGS: lioness pinup - 0% (not paid)
blademccloud: enraged Blade - 0% (not paid)
oversoul: ref sheet - 0% (not paid)
xevian: 2-char birthday present - 0% (not paid)
James: wolves etc. - 0% (not paid)
sjviper: Tigress/Crane - 0% (not paid)
dracod78: Roman and dog - 0% (not paid)
C4ndyland: sparkledog char sheet - 0% (not paid)
osmosis: Mag? - 0% (not paid)
Henry: phoenix pinup - 0% (paid in full)
alexcoldt: snow leopard/stallion pinup - 0% (not paid)
truttle: ?? - 0% (not paid)
benymol: ?? - 0% (not paid)
kidogo: cheetah - 0% (not paid)
Jon: ?? - 0% (paid, awaiting response)
Swamped! x_x
Posted 12 years agoHad a rough month or two while Casey's been working on his master's dissertation (it's on metaphysical coextensive incommensurability o_O) - started off really sick at the beginning of last month, and been feeling behind ever since! Also been swamped with a number of notes here and elsewhere - could I ask that people either email me (which I prefer), or please ensure you don't erase the previous quoted messages? I know it can look cluttered, but it's the only way I can keep everyone's commission details straight x_x
Anyway, gotten a lot of requests lately, and I have a horrible feeling like I've forgotten or missed someone! Here's my queue, looking uncomfortably bloated - please let me know if you should be on here but aren't, or are on here but don't want to be anymore! As it stands, there's about a three-four month waiting time, my apologies and thanks for those who've waited so long!
Last updated Oct 21!
*FuranIrcas: 14 char group - 33% (paid in full)
Hotwert: Mia bust - 10% (paid in full)
Eyegrim/Redmight: wolf mates - 0% (advance paid)
draccor: protective mate - 0% (advance paid)
killjoy08: Medusa and Ropes - 0% (not paid)
artica: Artica F2P - 0% (not paid)
*RavynArcadia: Aztec - 0% (not paid)
Kidogo/Hotwert: cheetah pair - 0% (not paid)
Utunu/Kikivuli: ?? - 0% (not paid)
Xernkara: Zeph/Pat - 1% (not paid)
dragons0ul: hiding behind flowers - 0% (not paid)
tsumezyzco: single char pinup - 0% (not paid)
redgatomon: redgatomon - 0% (not paid)
darkwingo: ref sheet/icons - 0% (not paid)
huskyGS: lioness pinup - 0% (not paid)
blademccloud: enraged Blade - 0% (not paid)
oversoul: ref sheet - 0% (not paid)
xevian: 2-char birthday present - 0% (not paid)
James: wolves etc. - 0% (not paid)
sjviper: Tigress/Crane - 0% (not paid)
=dracod78: Roman and dog - 0% (not paid)
~C4ndyland: sparkledog char sheet - 0% (not paid)
osmosis: Mag? - 0% (not paid)
Henry: phoenix pinup - 0% (paid in full)
alexcoldt: snow leopard/stallion pinup - 0% (not paid)
truttle: ?? - 0% (not paid)
benymol: ?? - 0% (not paid)
Jon: ?? - 0% (paid, awaiting response)
OH! And I wanted to thank all the new watchers for their support! I normally like to thank people personally, but there's been so many lately I haven't been able to keep up x_x Anyway, thanks again :)
Anyway, gotten a lot of requests lately, and I have a horrible feeling like I've forgotten or missed someone! Here's my queue, looking uncomfortably bloated - please let me know if you should be on here but aren't, or are on here but don't want to be anymore! As it stands, there's about a three-four month waiting time, my apologies and thanks for those who've waited so long!
Last updated Oct 21!
*FuranIrcas: 14 char group - 33% (paid in full)
Hotwert: Mia bust - 10% (paid in full)
Eyegrim/Redmight: wolf mates - 0% (advance paid)
draccor: protective mate - 0% (advance paid)
killjoy08: Medusa and Ropes - 0% (not paid)
artica: Artica F2P - 0% (not paid)
*RavynArcadia: Aztec - 0% (not paid)
Kidogo/Hotwert: cheetah pair - 0% (not paid)
Utunu/Kikivuli: ?? - 0% (not paid)
Xernkara: Zeph/Pat - 1% (not paid)
dragons0ul: hiding behind flowers - 0% (not paid)
tsumezyzco: single char pinup - 0% (not paid)
redgatomon: redgatomon - 0% (not paid)
darkwingo: ref sheet/icons - 0% (not paid)
huskyGS: lioness pinup - 0% (not paid)
blademccloud: enraged Blade - 0% (not paid)
oversoul: ref sheet - 0% (not paid)
xevian: 2-char birthday present - 0% (not paid)
James: wolves etc. - 0% (not paid)
sjviper: Tigress/Crane - 0% (not paid)
=dracod78: Roman and dog - 0% (not paid)
~C4ndyland: sparkledog char sheet - 0% (not paid)
osmosis: Mag? - 0% (not paid)
Henry: phoenix pinup - 0% (paid in full)
alexcoldt: snow leopard/stallion pinup - 0% (not paid)
truttle: ?? - 0% (not paid)
benymol: ?? - 0% (not paid)
Jon: ?? - 0% (paid, awaiting response)
OH! And I wanted to thank all the new watchers for their support! I normally like to thank people personally, but there's been so many lately I haven't been able to keep up x_x Anyway, thanks again :)
Pay What You Can Commissions!
Posted 12 years agoDue to various life-related occurrences, it seems all my clients' commissions I had lined up have been delayed, so I'm looking for some digital commissions to fill in the spots! I'm offering anything from sketches, speedpaints and icons, to full illustrations - starting at $15, pay whatever you'd like and let me know what you want - a rough sketch, coloured lineart, a speedpaint, something more toony or more realistic (sending me an example is helpful!) - and I'll do what I can for you :)
Please email me at jocarra[at]gmail.com to discuss details, or send me a comment/note!
$15 - 1-hr sketch/speedpaint, coloured lineart
sketch
coloured sketch
coloured lineart
$30 - 2-hr sketch/speedpaint, coloured lineart, portrait
sketch
sketch
coloured sketch
coloured sketch
coloured lineart
coloured lineart
portrait
$45-75 - multi-hour speedpaint, coloured lineart, portrait/double portrait
speedpaint
speedpaint
coloured lineart
coloured lineart
morphing icon
portrait
portrait
double portrait
$75-250 - single character illustration
coloured lineart
coloured lineart
portrait
portrait
single char, no bg
single char, simple-moderate bg
single char, moderate bg
single char, moderate-complex bg
single char, moderate-complex bg
single char, complex bg
single char, complex bg
$150-500 - multi-character illustration, map
simpler map
complex map
two char, moderate bg
two char, complex bg
two char, complex bg
two char, complex bg
three char, simple bg
multi char, complex bg
multi char, complex bg
Please email me at jocarra[at]gmail.com to discuss details, or send me a comment/note!
$15 - 1-hr sketch/speedpaint, coloured lineart
sketch
coloured sketch
coloured lineart
$30 - 2-hr sketch/speedpaint, coloured lineart, portrait
sketch
sketch
coloured sketch
coloured sketch
coloured lineart
coloured lineart
portrait
$45-75 - multi-hour speedpaint, coloured lineart, portrait/double portrait
speedpaint
speedpaint
coloured lineart
coloured lineart
morphing icon
portrait
portrait
double portrait
$75-250 - single character illustration
coloured lineart
coloured lineart
portrait
portrait
single char, no bg
single char, simple-moderate bg
single char, moderate bg
single char, moderate-complex bg
single char, moderate-complex bg
single char, complex bg
single char, complex bg
$150-500 - multi-character illustration, map
simpler map
complex map
two char, moderate bg
two char, complex bg
two char, complex bg
two char, complex bg
three char, simple bg
multi char, complex bg
multi char, complex bg
Commissions, Update, and Kickstarter!
Posted 12 years agoThings are going well now that I'm in Scotland - back together again with Casey, able to just focus on work and trying to enjoy myself, appreciating the change of scenery, etc. It's funny, it doesn't really FEEL any different, but at the same time, there are so many little things that ARE different - different brands of, well, everything when you go shopping (eggs and sour cream aren't kept refrigerated at stores, which struck me as some of the seemingly odder things, compared to North America), the complete and utter lack of any chain restaurants (no Starbucks or McDonalds within an hour's drive, I don't think!), the notable absence of trees and mountains, waking up to the sounds of a completely different spectrum of birds and NOT the sound of busy traffic, blaring sirens, or loud bar patrons in the middle of the night... Most of the changes are pretty nice, although what I miss most about Vancouver is the availability of anything and everything I might need to buy, and the natural environment - temperate rainforest, I will miss you!
Anyway, as for work, my apologies to commission clients as I've been slower than usual - I'm the sole artist for a Kickstarter project called Party Politics, for which I've already submitted the cover art.
Party Politics is a cut throat card game set in a fantasy world known as Dungeonkrawl. Players take on the role of a heroic class (Paladin, Cleric, Mage, Rogue, or Warrior) and use their powers in a most unique pursuit: rather than killing monster and looting treasure, the players are attempting to win elections and eliminate their opponents. But be careful, while eliminated player can no longer win, they may still use their powers to influence the outcome of the election - amass too many enemies and you will likely be the next candidate eliminated!
You can find out more about Party Politics on Facebook, at Bonus! Games Online, or if you're in Michigan, consider checking out the game in person at Pandemonium (1858 Middlebelt Rd. Garden City, MI 48135 (734) 427-2451) on March 30th for the first "International Table Top Day", a day dedicated to getting together with friends and playing all the games we love, originally announced by Felicia Day and her crew over at Geek & Sundry. I've been busting my butt to get the art together for this project, most of which can be found here if you're interested! The actual Kickstarter is set to start on March 30th, so hopefully all goes well :D
Anyway, I suppose that's enough shameless promoting for now. Back to work!
Anyway, as for work, my apologies to commission clients as I've been slower than usual - I'm the sole artist for a Kickstarter project called Party Politics, for which I've already submitted the cover art.
Party Politics is a cut throat card game set in a fantasy world known as Dungeonkrawl. Players take on the role of a heroic class (Paladin, Cleric, Mage, Rogue, or Warrior) and use their powers in a most unique pursuit: rather than killing monster and looting treasure, the players are attempting to win elections and eliminate their opponents. But be careful, while eliminated player can no longer win, they may still use their powers to influence the outcome of the election - amass too many enemies and you will likely be the next candidate eliminated!
You can find out more about Party Politics on Facebook, at Bonus! Games Online, or if you're in Michigan, consider checking out the game in person at Pandemonium (1858 Middlebelt Rd. Garden City, MI 48135 (734) 427-2451) on March 30th for the first "International Table Top Day", a day dedicated to getting together with friends and playing all the games we love, originally announced by Felicia Day and her crew over at Geek & Sundry. I've been busting my butt to get the art together for this project, most of which can be found here if you're interested! The actual Kickstarter is set to start on March 30th, so hopefully all goes well :D
Anyway, I suppose that's enough shameless promoting for now. Back to work!
Moving Overseas!
Posted 12 years agoFinally! FINALLY!
I'm finally flying overseas to reunite with my fiance in Scotland, after 4 months of being unexpectedly separated due to visa troubles x_x My visa's safely in hand now, though, I'm already packed, and everything should hopefully go smoothly when I leave on Tuesday afternoon... and I'm exhausted! Some part of me, I think, doesn't quite believe that things are finally going our way, that this must be some kind of cruel joke, but to be fair, this is how it felt the first time, too - I don't think it'll really feel real until I'm safely on the plane and through the UK border :b
Anyway, what that means for my clients is that I'll be out of contact for a day or two, as I don't arrive in Edinburgh until the evening on the 13th, and won't be getting to my new home likely late that night. Thanks for understanding!
I suppose this has been a good experience, or at the very least something I can walk away from with an increased appreciation - being away from the person I've shared the last six years of my life with and been together with almost 24/7 has been difficult in ways I hadn't expected. It's pushed me in a way that likely would not have been necessary if this hadn't happened, so it's something I can be proud of for overcoming, knowing this is something I can do even under the less than ideal circumstances.
I'd like to thank Steve and AJ for being awesome friends, and Pat for understanding, despite my still-incomplete Christmas present for him, as well as all the people who so kindly donated to help us out financially. Thank you so much! <3
I'm finally flying overseas to reunite with my fiance in Scotland, after 4 months of being unexpectedly separated due to visa troubles x_x My visa's safely in hand now, though, I'm already packed, and everything should hopefully go smoothly when I leave on Tuesday afternoon... and I'm exhausted! Some part of me, I think, doesn't quite believe that things are finally going our way, that this must be some kind of cruel joke, but to be fair, this is how it felt the first time, too - I don't think it'll really feel real until I'm safely on the plane and through the UK border :b
Anyway, what that means for my clients is that I'll be out of contact for a day or two, as I don't arrive in Edinburgh until the evening on the 13th, and won't be getting to my new home likely late that night. Thanks for understanding!
I suppose this has been a good experience, or at the very least something I can walk away from with an increased appreciation - being away from the person I've shared the last six years of my life with and been together with almost 24/7 has been difficult in ways I hadn't expected. It's pushed me in a way that likely would not have been necessary if this hadn't happened, so it's something I can be proud of for overcoming, knowing this is something I can do even under the less than ideal circumstances.
I'd like to thank Steve and AJ for being awesome friends, and Pat for understanding, despite my still-incomplete Christmas present for him, as well as all the people who so kindly donated to help us out financially. Thank you so much! <3
Back to Work...
Posted 13 years agoWell, after a crazy December, things are back to normal now, and that means it's back to work :b I hope all your Christmases were great - mine was actually surprisingly decent :3, despite being stuck on the other side of the world from my fiance :c We gave each other awesome presents, though, which was a lot of fun :D
Anyway, I'm a little behind on messages and commission work, so please bear with me as I try to catch up. These are the people I'm dealing with - if you should be on this list, please let me know!
Lex - overdue character sheet x_x (paid in full)
Atrus - bear/cub pic (advance paid)
Draccor - wolf/fox pic (advance paid)
Terra Firma - black lab portrait (paid in full, waiting to hear back)
berettafusion - brother pic (advance paid)
Dragonmaster555 - zombie fight (standing by)
Osmosis - Mag/Kane (standing by)
Azureai - world map (still discussing)
Candie - port (still discussing)
Starshinecruzer - Gettysburg map (still discussing)
Neyaraxis (possibly?)
Whitewolfhowlling (possibly?)
Jon (possibly?)
Initiacis (possibly?)
Anyway, I'm a little behind on messages and commission work, so please bear with me as I try to catch up. These are the people I'm dealing with - if you should be on this list, please let me know!
Lex - overdue character sheet x_x (paid in full)
Atrus - bear/cub pic (advance paid)
Draccor - wolf/fox pic (advance paid)
Terra Firma - black lab portrait (paid in full, waiting to hear back)
berettafusion - brother pic (advance paid)
Dragonmaster555 - zombie fight (standing by)
Osmosis - Mag/Kane (standing by)
Azureai - world map (still discussing)
Candie - port (still discussing)
Starshinecruzer - Gettysburg map (still discussing)
Neyaraxis (possibly?)
Whitewolfhowlling (possibly?)
Jon (possibly?)
Initiacis (possibly?)
Holiday Commissions!
Posted 13 years agoI'm available to accept more commissions for the holiday season - it's just over one month 'til Christmas, so I'm hoping lots of people will be looking for gift ideas ;P And even if you're not, my workload is running light again, and I'm looking for all sorts of commission work to fill it, from small sketches to large illustrations! I'm still working to raise money to get back together with my fiance, and could use all the help I could get :thanks: I have SIX slots available for larger works, and I'm always accepting smaller sketches, icons, and badge commissions :)
Thank you for all the help, it's greatly appreciated! <3
Oh, and I've looked up what people requested for a kiriban-type image, and we have:
- artwork featuring (in order of popularity): fox, wolf, werewolf, and coyote, followed by cougar, serval, otter, axolotl (hehe), cheetah, maned wolf, raven, domestic dog, hyena, horse, and angel
- original Tripartitus artwork
- original creature artwork
- urban, sci-fi, or tech-themed artwork
- a new Wolf Mates image
- a new tutorial
- mythology-inspired artwork
- element-themed series (eg. elemental wolves)
So far, the request for general fox-related artwork seems to be winning! If you want to give any input, be sure to tell me!
Digital Rough Sketches/1-Hour Speedpaint - $15
example example example NSFW example
Digital Rough Sketches "Plus"/2-Hour Speedpaint - $30
example example example NSFW example
Static Digital Eye Icon - $15 for 300x300px
Morphing Digital Eye Icon - $35 for two 300x300px eyes with morph (+$15 per additional eye/morph)
example
Small Digital Portraits - $30-50 for approx. 500x500px
example example example
Large Digital Portraits - $75-150 for approx. 1200x1200px
example example example
Digital Illustration - $100-300
example example example NSFW example
Fantasy Map - $150-300
example example example
Thank you for all the help, it's greatly appreciated! <3
Oh, and I've looked up what people requested for a kiriban-type image, and we have:
- artwork featuring (in order of popularity): fox, wolf, werewolf, and coyote, followed by cougar, serval, otter, axolotl (hehe), cheetah, maned wolf, raven, domestic dog, hyena, horse, and angel
- original Tripartitus artwork
- original creature artwork
- urban, sci-fi, or tech-themed artwork
- a new Wolf Mates image
- a new tutorial
- mythology-inspired artwork
- element-themed series (eg. elemental wolves)
So far, the request for general fox-related artwork seems to be winning! If you want to give any input, be sure to tell me!
Digital Rough Sketches/1-Hour Speedpaint - $15
example example example NSFW example
Digital Rough Sketches "Plus"/2-Hour Speedpaint - $30
example example example NSFW example
Static Digital Eye Icon - $15 for 300x300px
Morphing Digital Eye Icon - $35 for two 300x300px eyes with morph (+$15 per additional eye/morph)
example
Small Digital Portraits - $30-50 for approx. 500x500px
example example example
Large Digital Portraits - $75-150 for approx. 1200x1200px
example example example
Digital Illustration - $100-300
example example example NSFW example
Fantasy Map - $150-300
example example example
A Heartfelt Thank You
Posted 13 years agoI just wanted to say thank you to everyone who donated, commissioned, or well-wished me over the past week and a half. You guys are awesome - I still have a long way to go, but I couldn't do it without you. Thank you so much! However, as I just mentioned, I could still use all the help I can get, so please, keep it up!
I was really impressed by everyone who came out and helped. While pretty much everyone who donated for free requested no special thanks, I still feel like I need to show my gratitude for you all somehow. Those who donated (you know who you are) can let me know, and I'd be happy to, at the very least, give you a feature in my journal. And for everyone else, I was thinking I could do a request or two, as decided by suggestion/popular vote!
So leave a comment here, and let me know what you'd most like to see from me. A new tutorial? Something cute and toony? A new Wolf Mates picture? Something crazy and different? Anything! I'll tally up the most popular ideas and then create a poll for people to vote on :)
Again, thank you all so much! <3
I was really impressed by everyone who came out and helped. While pretty much everyone who donated for free requested no special thanks, I still feel like I need to show my gratitude for you all somehow. Those who donated (you know who you are) can let me know, and I'd be happy to, at the very least, give you a feature in my journal. And for everyone else, I was thinking I could do a request or two, as decided by suggestion/popular vote!
So leave a comment here, and let me know what you'd most like to see from me. A new tutorial? Something cute and toony? A new Wolf Mates picture? Something crazy and different? Anything! I'll tally up the most popular ideas and then create a poll for people to vote on :)
Again, thank you all so much! <3
