Hello,

Like I mentioned before, I started uploading resized versions of old pictures. I always keep the original PSD of every image I have made (I believe) so it is a simple matter of resizing and changing the original upload. I have not touched the descriptions, but I have added tags to them. Any pictures I reupload will have a "(Resized xx/202x)" added to the submission title, so if it is not present it means I have not uploaded a higher res version yet.

I will go from oldest submission to more recent ones, but to save time, here's the first three I have reuploaded so far:

Bakensobek -- https://www.furaffinity.net/view/59334/
Best Part of Waking Up -- https://www.furaffinity.net/view/58943/
Sex Gladiator -- https://www.furaffinity.net/view/59332/

And the purpose is to make higher res versions of old pics, with all their (in)glorious mistakes and shading I am not going to redraw/reshade. Not enough time in the world for that.

Feel free to comment in each submission or here. And thanks for being a follower; it is much appreciated even if I don't say it often.

Years ago I put many of my older submissions (as well as some commissions I ordered and some gift art) and moved them to the "Scraps" section. :|

They are now back on the main gallery where they should have stayed in the first place. (I wish FA had a true folder system; the current one is more like applying some sort of "tag" so that all submissions with it can be found more easily. And also made me wish it also had a way to edit multiple submissions at once.) The only exceptions are if the same image was redone with things like a different background or coloring. So if you tend to skip the scraps section of galleries, maybe you may have missed some of my old stuff.

Next thing in the agenda will be to re-upload several of these old submissions with larger versions -- they were the product of days when CRTs and SVGA resolutions were king. The current images are painful to look at in an HD monitor, and even more so in 4K. But I will do so slowly, and will announce any current re-uploads in future journals.

For those who support any creators on Patreon (furry or otherwise), you have likely received a notification. But if not, then please be aware that at some point your payments to those artists could rise by 30% if you use the Patreon app on an iPhone.

This, of course, is because of Apple wanting their cut of anything that gets sold through their walled garden. Creators have the option of absorbing the cost, or let Patreon raise their payments by said 30%. This can be avoided if you make payments through the web, or use the app through Android. (If Google decides to follow suit, I would not be surprised either.) Patreon cannot direct users of their iPhone app to do this, or else they will be banned from the Apple store. But us creators can, and thus I'm writing this.

I don't know and can't speak about other creators, but personally I am NOT letting the folks in Cupertino take a single pence of what little I make (I'm still sour after how badly they treated me as an Apple IIGS user) so I have chosen not to absorb the cost. To my subscribers, please use a web browser from now on for your payments if you own an iPhone (and hopefully not Safari in an iPhone as who knows if that could also incur the surcharge).

And a link to inform people -- https://support.patreon.com/hc/en-u.....-work-for-fans

Along with Hamakei, I'll be in London from this Friday the 19th until the following Thursday morning to see a few of the BBC Proms, and revisit some of the attractions in the city.

Not sure if I may be able to see anyone who may be in the area. but if anyone happens to be, send a note on Telegram.

When they decided that the winner will be decided by "public voting", didn't they think that the top prize may not go to the best submission, but to the popufur with the most fans?

I'm getting my popcorn ready.

That's right... yours truly. Well,  Hamakei got it first, but even after taking precautions, it finally got me.

Thankfully, I have kept up to date with my booster shots, so I'm glad that it has been only a slight inconvenience so far. A sore throat, a little bit of body aches, and a bit of coughing. Just taking it easy at the moment.

Now that I am getting the streaming bug again, I have been looking at what could be a good time for folks to join. I realize I will never be able to find a time and day that will be available for everybody, but I would like to hear suggestions as to what times work best for my watchers here (if you are interested in streams, that is).

Which day(s)? -- Any day of the week works for me, as I currently don't have a job to take my time.

Which times? -- Same as above, mostly. Hours of 4pm - 7pm UK time are off, however, due to an energy saving scheme that Hamakei and myself signed up for. I tend to go to sleep around 11pm UK time as going to bed later often makes it hard for me to fall asleep. :/

Anything else, like microphone on/off or types of music (if I play any) could depend on mood.

I was gonna joke about "cancel culture" but couldn't come up with anything. XD

Seriously, though, I won't be streaming because I will be chatting with someone who will be giving me some art tips so I can hopefully improve my skill set. Not sure about tomorrow, but I'll notify later with a submission if it is a go.

Thanks.

I was planning on doing anotyher stream today but unfortunately I had another instance of partial insomnia, so I'm feeling too tired to be online working on pics.

I'll aim for the next stream to be on this Friday at the usual 8pm UTC (GMT) / 4pm EST. Will also aim for another the following day at the same hours.

Hope to see some of you there.

I've been enjoying doing streams since it quite gets me in the mood to work on pics, while chatting with those that have dropped by. The pic that I have been working on, however, was nagging me with some anatomy errors that have required quite a bit of work to fix. That probably is not as interesting as watching the coloring process, so once I get that completed then I will make another stream. I would love to do so tomorrow but probably will have to wait until Thursday.

And thanks for those who have dropped by. I wish my timing worked for more folks. :/ I will aim to schedule one for this Saturday so more may have an opportunity to watch.

After getting nixed by its publishers, "Tera" has returned in the way of private servers. And yes, I've been playing again, in the Starscape version. *

Now I'm not going to discuss the legality (or not) of people running unauthorized servers of defunct MMOs. This is not my gripe. But rather, despite how much I like the game, I suck big time at the end game. I find myself redoing simple missions constantly to (very slowly) gather stuff to improve my gear because my reflexes are far below of others, and thus I get to be the one who dies a lot in the group dungeons. And that gets frustrating.

Hopefully I will find a guild with saint's patience. In the meantime, I think I may make a char with a different class and try new things.

* - Why Starscape and not a more populated one like Menma? Because it is the only PvE server around-- it is bad enough trying to gear up without some overpowered jerk looking to pwn some newbs. Starscape also gives Elite status (and its benefits) to everyone for free rather than doing a monthly payment, which definitely would not be legal.

After a long hiatus, I will resume streaming tomorrow evening, at 9pm UK (UTC) / 4pm EST. Drawing is already done in pencils, so come and see adding digital inks and basic coloring, and get a glimpse of an upcoming pic before it gets posted to FA and other sites. I may have a microphone on as well.

https://www.picarto.tv/KaaBakensobek

Rules:
- No RP in chat.
- Don't be rude to others in chat.
- Suggestions and tips on digital art are welcome (even if you may not be an art pro).

It has been ages since I streamed anything, and I'm getting an itch to do one. It's likely that I may start doing "inks" for that Beasts 2 pic soon, and that could be a pic to start showing my process.

It may be more for some fans, as my technique is rather simple so there would not be much I could show for others to learn from.

Also, living under GMT means it probably would be when many in the Americas may still be working. So apologies if the timing may not be convenient for some of you.

I will post a note several hours in advance of any start time.

Long time followers have surely noticed that when it comes to drawing carnivorous dinosaurs I tend to give them just two fingers in addition to a thumb. This has sort of being a "trademark" of my style, so to speak.

While it makes for a distinctive feature, lately I've been finding it a bit limiting, so I've been wondering about changing them to have five fingers like my herbivores. If I do, then I would have to consider whether to apply it to some of my older characters, like Suthek and DT.

I would like people's thoughts on this. (And no, four fingers is out. I don't like it: too cartoony/Disney.)

Hello.

Just a note that I will be deleting a few photos dealing with old computer setups and similar -- around 15 or so, but could be a bit more. I think they do not contribute much to the gallery, and about all of them are for hardware I don't use/have anymore. I'm not sure if anyone is even interested in that stuff, so they will be removed in about a week. I'll leave the ones where I may be wearing one of my costumes.

Attention: The subject matter in this journal could make some people feel strongly inclined to make their points of view known, and thus the potential for attacks from either side of the discussion. I do NOT want to see such attacks, which is why I will disable comments in this journal for now. People are welcome to say and disagree, but there will always be the ones who cannot do so cordially, and resort to insults or state hearsay as absolute truth.

If you have been privy to UK news, you may have read about how the current government will raise the minimum income required to be sponsored for a family visa, which is what I have. (As many of my followers know, I moved to the UK back in May 2022, after being approved for a 2-year visa the previous November. So this November my renewal is due. My goal, married to a British citizen, is to obtain an "indefinite leave of stay", which I will be eligible to apply for after 5 years.)

From less than £19K/year, it will more than double to almost £40K. Which is much higher than the income of about 75% of the country. I would have failed that requirement, unless I had somehow found a well-paid job, and hope that somehow it would have been enough when time came for the actual renewal.

Thankfully, it was later clarified last week that anyone already in the country or that gets approved before the new rates are effective will continue to fall under the current system when it is time for a renewal. Meanwhile, the new income requirement was lowered to £29K, with another increase planned in 2025. Needless to say, that was a huge relief for me, although I feel for those who had yet applied and now have seen their plans and hopes destroyed.

More specifically, "A Bench in the Park".

I was talking with Hamakei yesterday about possible plans with my stories, and he mentioned reading my revised version of that one as a PDF. The thing is, I don't recall posting that, and I can't even find a PDF of it in my computer, although I do have a DOCX file.

So I'm wondering if it was something I shared only with him. For those who may be wondering, it is the same story that is here on FA, but obviously with quite a few more details and a more current style for writing.

I guess I forgot to mention here that I was away for a trip for a little over a week.

So yeah... for the fifth anniversary of our engagement,  Hamakei surprised me with a trip to Washington, DC. We had talked about going there someday, but I didn't expect it to be so soon. And I didn't know until after a short flight from Manchester in the UK to Dublin, Ireland. The trip to DC in a crowded Airbus 321 was perhaps the least enjoyable part of the whole trip, though I did manage to watch the "Super Mario Bros" movie and "Scoob!", neither of which I had seen before.

It was a busy trip. Lots of walking, sightseeing and visiting museums in the first couple days, after which we were joined by  KampieStarz and her partner Callie, and later in the day by  ZilchWoofs.

I arrived yesterday after a somewhat exhausting trip involving a trolley and a bus ride to see one final monument, then another bus and a train to the airport. Then a red eye flight across the Atlantic to Ireland, a short hop in a turboprop to Manchester, then a train and bus to our home. We brought a bunch of American snacks that are not available here in the UK. Still a bit tired from the trip. Catching up on a few things and house work before I get back to drawing and stuff.

Finally made my way to BlueSky! -- carnotaur.bsky.social ("Carnotaurus was already taken.)

I don't plan to abandon any of my other sites. But if you have or will get an account there, followers are much welcomed!

Our Internet service was connected yesterday, and I'm finally able to start checking messages and catching up with lots of stuff.

Still settling down after the move a week ago. Many things still left to unpack and place in their right place. Probably time to take a look at a few things and think whether to dispose of them.

What it says

I don't think I mentioned it here before, but last week  Hamakei and myself took the keys to our home. Our move is planned for tomorrow Tuesday. Most foks who has changed homes certainly know how much work it involves, not just on moving things, but time that will be needed afterwards to sort everything again.

After that, we will have to wait about a week before we can get our Internet service installed (the earliest appointment was for the 8th). To top it all, our cellphone provider is having problems in the area, so I won't have phone nor data available unless I get some distance away from our home. So at least one week before I can connect again. :( Steeling myself for the inevitable online withdrawal symptoms.

We will have a dedicated area for our PCs; we placed an order for a wider desk to set up my gear and work more comfortably.

Anyway, because of all of this I will put my Patreon billing on hold for a month, to give me time to rest and set up my computer work area, and have some stuff done before I resume billing.

It comes as no surprise that some folks would unfollow after the latest announcement. This, despite making it clear that basically nothing would change for you folks in here or in any of my other galleries. Maybe they just saw the image and didn't even bother to look at the title or the description.

I know I am not the only one who has seen this, but I wonder what is it that the idea that someone trying to make a few bucks of their skills feels like anathema to some people. ("Art should be free! Software should be free!")

Maybe they feel burned by the likes of some folks who have gone Patreon-only? (*coughwfacough*) Or the ones who push their followers to subscribe with every single post? Or do they somehow feel like a "lower class citizen" because suddenly they may have to wait a couple weeks when a few others get to see it sooner, and/or those getting a larger image? I follow a few folks in here and Twitter with Patreon accounts, and I just simply wait for their public posts. (Can't really contribute at the time due to having no job and hopefully moving soon to a new home.) Heck, if anything, it is going to be hard for *me* to wait some time before publicly posting things, because I've always wanted to share my drawings and ideas almost as soon as I finish them and to as many people as possible.

Whatever. I'm not losing sleep over it. To those of you who stick around here in FA, nothing here will change. I hope you get to enjoy all the dino goodness that is to follow.

It's amazing how this place keeps going down. Apparently anything with short bodies is to be considered a "child" for purposes of NSFW pics? By this rule, even fucking kobolds are a no-no.

I've been on the receiving end of FA's stupid, senseless policies before (at the same time big popufur artists do worse and remain untouchable), so I don't doubt that I will get some of my images flagged. So while I will not delete my entire gallery and will continue posting here, I will go through and delete anything that I feel could get flagged by this rule, and for any reason. I will make sure that anything I remove exists in SoFurry (or will upload there if not already). And if possible, at a higher resolution than anything I will post here, so please follow me there as well as Itaku and Twitter if you are in any of those places.

FA: One step forward, ten fucking steps back.

Edit: I will wait until next Saturday, June 27th at noon UK time before I start purging.

Hello. Just a brief journal to say a few things. Life continues after the previous event. My brother has has to take care of everything back at his place since I cannot be there to help, as well as he has been insistent that I take care of some things here before getting there. Not to mention that higher summer airfares and this year hurricane season about to start. I do plan to be there later this year, however.

-- Slowly getting my mind into drawing again. I have posted cropped WIPs to my Twitter account, if anyone here that is not following me there is interested in taking a peek.

-- Hamakei and myself are still in the process of getting a home of our own. We already selected a place and have done everything we have been asked so far from our side, but we are still waiting on a few things from the seller, so we still don't have a firm date as to when we can move in.

-- We got ourselves a used electric car. It has required quite a different mentality after decades of driving gasoline vehicles. On the plus side, electric vehicles are all automatic, so manual gear shift is not something I have to be concerned as I get my mind adjusted to driving on the opposite side of the road, as well as the rules of the road here. To paraphrase something that a character (Drovas Relvi) in Skyrim would say, "And the roundabouts. The thrice damned roundabouts!"

BTW, this Wednesday (March 10) will be one year since I boarded the plane out of Denver, and into these shores.