Hey folks!! Long time, no see. (Although I have been checking in to lurk occasionally! Life's keeping me busy.)
I have a little Bristol paper that I'm looking to use up, so I thought I'd open a slot for 1 traditional badge commission, for anyone interested!

Here are the deets:
* First come, first serve. Only one slot available.
* Price: $35 USD for headshot (head to upper shoulders), $40 USD for half-body (head to middle)
* Traditional media (ink, marker, colored pencil)
* Will be laminated, clipped and shipped via USPS.
* Size: Roughly 4.5x6in, may vary some depending on character details & pose.
* 1 approval sketch, either uploaded to FA or sent via email (your choice)
* Payment via Paypal.

Example: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11370767/
(Want a different badge format? Let me know!)

Interested? Leave a comment! <3
(Or just leave a comment to say hi!

[Edit: claimed by Rainstorm ]

I leave for a couple years and this is what I come back to? What did you guys do? I told you, no partying. You're going to break the site. /s

Back to seriousness:
My sincerest apologies for my very long and unintentional absence. I hope I haven't worried anyone too greatly.

To offer a brief explanation: Given my habit of rumination, some of my negative experiences on FA and in the community were causing me discomfort and stress. I stopped checking in less frequently, and eventually stopped altogether. Life got in the way for a while, and the anxious thoughts and sour taste in my mouth kept me away for even longer.

While I may not have much new work that I'd like to offer, hopefully I can reassure everyone here that I'm still alive and kicking.

Wishing all you followers well,
Kipcha

Is expressing opinions online, however silly or casual my remarks might be. (In fact, it is the casual comments that I haven't fully thought through which often get me in the most trouble.) There is always someone who will take offense, or who will argue, or you will tell you you're wrong. (I don't deal well with arguments or disagreements... it's not so much that I can't handle a difference in opinion as it is being at odds with someone stresses me out to a ridiculous degree - and that is on me. I don't like to upset people or seem ignorant or impolite.) In all the years I've been online, I've never quite learned this lesson - each time I relax and express something, I usually end up offending or hurting someone.

On that note, I'm going to attempt to keep this page simply as a way to communicate with clients, keep in touch with friends, and update my commission status. My other social media accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter, are the ones intended for personal remarks. I'll continue trying to improve my art, and be the best artist I can be, with as few mistakes as I can manage.

My sincere apologies to anyone I've offended with my insensitivity or casual remarks, and my sincere thanks to everyone who's put up with me through it all.

I kind of need to vent so I can get this out of my system and focus on work, and I'm afraid I'm bothering my close friends by coming to them and complaining all the time.
If anyone's available to send a few notes back and forth or text on Skype, I would appreciate it so, so much. I could really use an ear right now.
(Will probably delete this later.)

EDIT: Thank you all so, so much! I've got so many people to talk to now, ah! You guys are amazing.

Howdy, folks.

I've been thinking on this for a while, and I've decided I don't want to take trades anymore (at least, for the time being... I'm swamped with career-work at the moment.) I struggle to turn down anyone - regardless of ability, regardless of my interest, regardless of my free time - and I've decided it is, at this point in time, more trouble than it's worth. Right now, I don't need the distraction of additional and unrelated work when I'm trying to buckle down and create my own. I also don't want to ever discourage another artist, and I'm loathe to hold my work over another by judging who is "good" enough to trade with. I don't know how to be more discriminating without potentially offending. There's so much gray area when it comes to trades. What is an "equal" amount of work for both parties? Is it measured by effort, or by the type of work done? Is it measured by physical artwork size? By experience and ability?

Quite honestly, I'm also a little lackluster from trying to find fellow deer-artists (and don't get me wrong - some people have done an absolutely exquisite job drawing my character!) I have quite an appreciation for other people's styles, and I realize style causes understandable variation from how *I* would draw her. In general, I'm just overwhelmingly happy to see ANY work of my deer babb, and I truly love seeing her from another person's eyes.

(Note: This is not, in any way, referring to or written with any person in mind - only feelings and experiences built up over the years that I've had my deer self. Promise!) However, it can be disappointing to put a lot of work into a trade, and to produce work that you feel is your best, only to receive something where there is a distinct lack of attention paid to colors, anatomy, species, ect. Again, as it's difficult to judge what is an "even" trade, I'm often reluctant to voice my feelings towards finished trade pieces for fear of offending. How do I know that that artist didn't try their best, and perhaps I'm just being unfairly judgmental? (And, heck - deer are hard to draw. I don't hold that against anyone!)

I would like to put a hold on trades for now and potentially re-open then later on; hopefully, this serves as some explanation of why I have a long-term closure. I love doing trades. I love doing furry work. I do! But I'd like it to be enjoyable, as it is a hobby for me. I don't think I can do my best work while split between furry-art and my concept/visdev art, so hopefully I will find a happy medium in future.

TL;DR I don't know how to say "no" to trades and I'm really busy currently, so I'm closing them while I attend to important job-related matters.

Additionally, I have cleaned up my profile and gallery recently; my Terms of Service are now revised, I've tried to streamline my profile as best I can, and my less-favorite works are in scraps.

Cheers!

Since I was a little kid, I've been the enterprising type; I made tiny pieces of art and charged a nickel or a dime for it. In high school I began to take on first requests, and then paid commissions, and this continued into college. I've made some stumbles along the way, but have learned a lot over the past few years about freelance/commission work. I can't say I've been fabulous in regards to my speed, professionalism, communication, or quality during that time, but I'm working very hard to change these things. (I am incredibly sorry to all my clients who have had to wait long periods of time, to those who have felt forgotten, and to those whose commissions or trades I took on despite the fact I really didn't want to, and in doing so produced sub-par, disinterested work.)

As an artist shifting from amateur hobbyist / art student to professional, I have closed commissions for the time being to work on my art (both quality and subject matter), my professionalism and policies (particularly in regards to what work I take on and how I handle it), and to allow time to catch-up on my own work that I've neglected for months.

I struggle a lot with context switching - it's difficult and stressful to change between all these different styles and subjects I've been pursuing (my furry art, my human illustrations, and my traditional painting). I don't have any desire to be a jack of all trades; just a master of a few. I hope to return to my commission work a more focused and capable artist. I love drawing animals, but a lot of the furry work I do isn't completely satisfying to me. I need to figure out why, and shift it to a style and manner that does satisfy.

This may sound arrogant, but for the future, I need to work on stricter guidelines and flesh out what I will and won't do. I still intend to grow as an artist and take on things that are challenging - but some work simply is not interesting to me, and if I continue to do it, I will be marketing myself as an artist of those things, and will have to continue to do it. So far as I know, no client wants work that is uninspired or phoned in. I don't want to do that to anyone if I can help it. I've spent a lot of time here trying to compete with what other artists offer, spreading my art too wide, taking on too much, and charging too little - and in doing so have marketed myself as something that is not me.

I have a lot to work on - and I hope you are willing to stick around while I do it. It'll be a slow process. This site and community has been a huge part of my development as an artist and has taught me so much. I've done some stupid things, I've made some mistakes, but I can promise I'm a hell of a lot different from my first days here. I appreciate each and every individual who has made the rough (and embarrassing) times worth sticking through. You guys rock.

(P.S. This doesn't mean the end of my submitting work here while I 'renovate'. Things are going to be slow and scarce for a while, though.)
(P.P.S. There will still be holiday art! I can't afford to do something for everyone, but I'm trying my best to do as much as possible. I hope you guys enjoy.)

Well, guys, that's a wrap.
I've finished the last few headshot commissions tonight, which brings this whole thing to a close. Thank you very much to everyone who bought a slot (and for those several peoples who kindly tipped!). I've reached my Christmas-gift goal and I could not be more grateful to you all for helping me reach it.

What I've learned from this experience:
*Do not charge $7 for headshots that you put an average of 2-3 hours into. Much less than minimum wage.
*Set deadlines for commissions - prevents procrastination and forces work, regardless of inspiration.
*Start timing work, keep an eye on how long pieces take. Price adjust accordingly.
*No more than 6 days of work in a row, maximum - a full week creates burnout.
*Start earlier in the day, and take more breaks.
*Paint traditional warm-up pieces to inspire digital work.
*Just do more painting, period.

To those who were not able to grab a slot: I may take commissions again eventually - when, I don't know - but right now I'm off to pursue my concept-art / illustration career and livable-income freelance work. I still intend to post what animal work I do here, and to check in regularly (*cough* daily) - not to worry! This simply means the end of paid work here for a while. I hope to return to doing commissions here (in future) as a more skilled artist, in the hopes that I will be able to charge enough to justify the time put in. (I need to work on efficiency.)

Thank you to everyone who has and continues to support me and my work!
Hopefully I will continue to be interesting enough to justify watching. c:

Who's interested in super-quick, $7 colored "surprise" headshots? Just headshots, no icons, no badges, nothing extra (bust, full body, ect.) Detailed characters OK.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING:

Here's where the "surprise" element comes in - I haven't decided on medium, so I want to go with the flow. I want to be inspired. You commission me, and I'll surprise you. Traditional, digital, more graphic, more realistic, ect - and if you want a theme/mood, let me know! I'll even take music to work to. I want this to be fun!

This is going entirely towards my Christmas-gifts fund, so I'd like to get about 20-25 commissions, if possible. Multiple slots per individual are okay. Tell your family, tell your friends! Spread the word! One approval sketch per commission, no major changes, so I can bust them out pretty quickly. Willing to draw any species! Feel free to commission for your friends and loved ones (Christmas is coming!) If you'd like a delayed headshot commission (to be posted on Christmas eve), let me know.

NOTE: These are the last commissions I intend to take on FA for a long while. If ever you've wanted an art piece from me, now is a good chance!

Ideally, I would like to do 1-2 commissions a day so I don't get overwhelmed, and to leave time for my other work.

MEANING - first come, first served. These will take a little while, and you may have to wait for your turn in the queue.

Starting off with two slots, to be completed tomorrow, 11/13:
1. DixieVonFur //paid - complete
2. ShineBright //paid - complete
11/14:
3. Iarann //paid - complete
4. foxxinabox //paid - complete
11/15:
5. foxxinabox //paid - complete
6. czarreynard //paid - complete
11/16:
7. wanderer-of-time //paid - complete
8. Jet3270 //paid - complete
11/17:
9. Jet3270 //paid - complete
11/18:
10. zamdor //paid - complete
11. zamdor //paid - complete
11/19:
12. backlash91 //paid - complete
13. Kosi-Ukami //paid - complete

11/20: break

11/21:
14. LAG. //paid - complete
15. LAG. //paid - complete
11/22:
16. DarthAislin //paid - complete
17. FaeSeiren //paid - complete
11/23:
18. snap //paid - complete
19. ponyboybeauty //paid - complete
11/24:
20. everruler //paid - complete
21. finmutt //paid - complete
11/25:
22. kcravenyote (x2) //paid - complete
23. teiirka //paid - complete
11/26:
24. myfi //paid - complete
25. ShimaRoba //paid - complete
11/27:
26. myfi //paid - complete

11/28, 11/29: break for thanksgiving

Thought I'd make this so I have a more comprehensive list to keep track of work.
Feel free to contact me if you'd like a more detailed account of how your piece is coming along!

COMMISSION LIST:

CURRENT QUEUE:
sarahdee gouache painting //paid// not yet started, waiting for refs - cancelled


TRADE LIST:

SeishukuUmou 2-character drawing // 1 inked, 1 nys, waiting for check-in // started Feb '12


TRADE LIST - my half completed, waiting on:

fancymisslady 1-character drawing // inked // started Aug '11
lumaberry 2 char drawing // inked // started Aug '11

I did this once before, and it seemed to go over pretty well, so I'd like to give it another try for the people that were too late and wanted to play. :] Also, PLEASE be sure to read the WHOLE journal before commenting.

**PLEASE DON'T COMMENT UNLESS YOU'RE PARTAKING IN THIS! Otherwise it'll be too confusing for people.**

1) People comment with a REF of their fursona and a THEME.

2) The first commenter draws an ACEO for me. The second commenter draws an ACEO for the first commenter. The third commenter draws an ACEO for the second commenter, and it keeps going from there.

3) ???

4) PROFIT!!!

**When no one else is commenting, I will close the journal and draw an ACEO for the last commenter.**

To inspire people, I think it might be nice to include a theme, so when you leave your ref, try to include a certain idea or theme you want your ACEO to have.

Also, I know there's already an aceo-trading group (I'm a member!) but I figured it's best to do small trades with trade-journals like these. :] If you have a better idea for next time, I'm open to suggestions!

MY REF> http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4824778/
THEME> winter

Well, the scores are in and tallied!

I just want to let everyone know that this was a VERY close contest. No joke. Second and third place in particular were very hard to pick out, even with several judges. All the artists really entered fantastic pieces, and it's honestly painful to have to decide between all of them.

The criteria we decided to use was ACCURACY (how similar the piece was to my 'sona), CREATIVITY (what theme/subject the artist followed), and QUALITY (pretty self-explanatory).

Without further ado, here are the results:

1st - Lady_Moonpelt - http://www.furaffinity.net/full/4442519/
LM followed the fursona design and coloring very closely, and the anatomy is spot-on. Her style is beautiful and unique, and the wintery theme is very different from many of the entries we got. Kudos for the attractive outfit! She followed the seasonal-outfit idea to the letter, and put a gracious amount of attention into the details; there's a personality to this piece. We really felt the love in this one!
Prize: Full sheet of multiple character sketches (one or two char only), colored.

2nd - SarahDee - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4436706/
SD was a close second; her bright, fall colors really capture the eye and give some life to the fall spirit. The coloring and markings are almost perfect, and the "antlers" idea was very sweet and creative! Additionally, the facial expression is beautiful and has a cute impish feel to it. Fantastic quality!
Prize: Fully colored badge (full body).

3rd - EddieW - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4421540
Eddie did a FANTASTIC job with his piece; there's a sense of depth that the lovely spanning background creates. The fursona markings and coloring is absolutely perfect, and there's a nice, polished quality to his work with the smoothness of color and the subtle border. The anatomy is beautiful, and it was really a pleasure seeing my fursona in his style!
Prize: Black and white gray-paper sketch (full body).

Runners-Up:
Fuzzyball - http://www.furaffinity.net/full/4347581/
FB's coloring was perfect! The markings are in just the right places, the anatomy is beautiful and well-rendered, and the sketchy quality really makes this piece stand out from the others. Kudos for working clothing in there, too!

MitsukiJuran - http://www.furaffinity.net/full/4364740/
Mitsuki took her piece in a completely different direction; she really put a whole lot of attention into detail and coloring. This piece really has a feel that lots of love and care went into it. The hooves look fantastically deer-like, which is a very difficult thing to master!

Yoka_Neko - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4366887/
YN made a very sweet piece; the coloring is great, and we really appreciated seeing something Virgo-related. The face looks remarkably like a cervine - something many artists struggle with, but it's always worth it when you get this lovely a result!

Sontock - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4341457
This was another work that was great to see in this particular artist's style! She really put her heart into her art, and her markings were very accurate. Also nice to see a lovely fall-related background (I love this time of year)!

Prizes: 1-character ACEO, fully colored

Thank you SO very much to everyone who submitted a piece! I know you all worked hard, and it was great to see so many results in so many styles and forms!

<333333

I would also love your feedback - what did you think of the contest? What could I do better? What would you like to see in future? (Or would you like to see another one in future?)

I don't often open requests, and if I ever do again, it will be either a contest or a kiriban prize.

*I reserve the right to refuse requests to anyone, for any reason, at any time.

*I reserve the right to cancel any request I'm working on at any time.

*Show some gratitude.
I do requests out of the goodness of my heart. Practice manners! "Please" and "thank you" are powerful words. If you put in a request during a contest or kiriban, I expect to hear both phrases. (Word of advice: I rule out people right off the bat during contests if they don't say "thank you".)

*I do requests on my own time, at my own pace, in whatever style I please, with whatever details I want.
I won't butcher your character/fursona, don't worry. I try to keep as true to the references as possible. However, I will take artistic liberty as I wish. The less detail you give me, the more personal discretion I will use when drawing your piece. Don't WHINE if it doesn't turn out exactly how you want. You're not paying money.

*As I will post these rules with every competition or kiriban I have, I expect them to be read. If I am offering a contest or kiriban, I ask that you read all these rules (otherwise, I may just disqualify you right off the bat.) To make sure I know you've read these rules, please write "porkchop" on that specific contest/kiriban journal.

*THIS IS A DRAMA FREE ZONE.
I don't want any drama about my work - ESPECIALLY with requests. If you don't like what I do, too bad. Don't whine. I don't do complaints. I don't do people leaving shitty comments. I don't do rambling arguments over my pieces. If comments that are insulting, derogatory, or aimed at the purpose of hurting me are left on any piece, I may remove the piece or put it in scraps.

TERMS OF SERVICE [TRADES]:

* I reserve the right to refuse a trade with anyone, for any reason.
I shouldn't have to explain if I choose to reject a trade. Perhaps I'm busy, perhaps I don't feel you'll put a full effort in, perhaps I'm just not interested. Please don't take offense.

*Until we mutually have agreed to the terms of our trade, we aren't doing a trade.
Please don't draw something for me without my knowledge of (or consent to) a trade and expect me to draw something for you in return. If we haven't talked and agreed to a trade, I consider art drawn for me to be a gift. I don't like trying to be guilted into drawing artwork for someone.

*If you ask me for the trade, I will not post anything past a sketch until I know and see that you have started.
I completely understand if you feel the same way when the situation is reversed.

*If I have a negative experience trading with you, or I feel you have treated me negatively or unfairly with a prior arrangement, I will not accept or ask for another trade.

*I do not like waiting without any explanation.
If you're going to take a long time on your half, that's fine. Just LET ME KNOW. I want to be informed, even if all you have to tell me is that you need more time for whatever reason. Please be honest and let me know.

*I will not mail out originals unless you do the same, and I reserve the right to refuse to mail out originals.
I'm never comfortable sending out originals of my work, and unless you agree to send out my half, OR are willing to pay for shipping&packaging, I will not send out yours.

*If you have a specific deadline, tell me when we first arrange the trade. I expect you to finish yours by the same deadline.

*I do not necessarily work on trades in order.
If I'm excited or inspired for another piece, I may jump ahead to work on that, especially if I'm waiting to see progress from you.

* You are free to include as many details as you want in your trade request, BUT I expect you to be willing to take on the same amount of detail and work.

*THIS IS A DRAMA FREE ZONE.
I don't want any drama about my work. If comments that are insulting, derogatory, or aimed at the purpose of hurting me are left on any piece, I may remove the piece or put it in scraps.

TERMS OF SERVICE:

* I would like to avoid refunds on commissions once I've finished a sketch.
I put a lot of time and effort into my work. Sketches are the most time-consuming part of the process for me, so I request that you do not ask to cancel a commission after this point.

* Approval sketches are LIMITED.
Unless requested, I only provide one approval sketch for sketch commissions, one to two for line art commissions, and two for colored commissions. For more detailed/longer/pricier commissions, I may provide more at my discretion.

* I do not necessarily work on commissions in order.
While I am more likely to tackle yours first if you are higher up on the queue, this may not be the case.

* If you have a specific deadline, TELL ME when you commission me.
If you have a certain deadline you want me to meet, I will work towards that for you, but I expect you to tell me this when you first commission me - not after I've already gotten involved in the work.

* I expect payments either up front, or half up front, half after the initial sketch.

* You are free to include as many details as you want when describing your commission and sending picture references. However, what you don't tell me will be left to my discretion, and I take artistic liberty to do what I wish.
If I find myself missing details, I will often contact the commissioner - but if you've left those details out and aren't pleased with the result, please do not grouch at me for it.
If you insist that I add complex details that you didn't mention when I agreed to work for you, I will ask for compensation.

*Please DO NOT bother me about the status of your commission daily.
I try to communicate well, and contact clients if I feel I'm taking too long.
If you're waiting and feel concerned, feel free to note me - I don't bite. Occasional reminders are ok. Please understand some works take longer. You may also email me at my commission account address - KipchaArt@gmail.com.

*THIS IS A DRAMA FREE ZONE.
I am not afraid to use my block feature. Please be kind, please be respectful, and please do not trace, steal, reuse, or otherwise claim my work as your own.

_________________________________

Addressing changes about my profile:
I no longer will be openly providing any personal information.