Some days, most days, I wake up and I'm just really happy that I'm a part of this fandom. Being Furry is without a doubt the oddest, most ridiculous, most unconventional thing about who I am, and I wouldn't have it any other way. There's just something really cool, really rewarding, about being a piece of the fringe. And being Furry has taught me more about being human than the News ever could.

To my brethren: Raise a cup, and get your fuzz on!

...Anyone else having this problem?

Even when I "Nuke All", 5 ghost journals exist.

SORCERY!

Hello all!

Apologies to my 5 or 6 fans if some of the favorited pieces of mine have disappeared from your favorites folder here on FA. I have deleted all of my professional works (i.e. "non-furry" works) in an effort to keep the two worlds separate. It pains me to do it, but recent changes of the guard at my place of employment have made me re-think the crossovers in my personal and professional interests.

But many thanks to those of you who have stopped by, favorited my work, and commented! I very much appreciate it and I hope to keep you coming back!

This move has nothing to do with anything sinister or embarrassing, but I'm at that place in life where my decisions affect a whole lotta' people around me too, so I have to be careful.

Any true fans in search of said "professional works" can find links to them here on this page. And thus, I shroud myself in mystique and allure! *fades away from view slowly while doing 'creepy-fingers'*

-Kross

I love me some social media. But it's killing America. And it's killing the world.

The social networks have ushered-in one of the world's greatest gifts of free speech and in so doing have also brought with it the incredible power of ignorance. Beyond politics and ethnicity, religion and gender; far beyond differences of opinion — the act of social blogging has made people foolish, gullible, and inhumanly cruel. It has made us shun each other and has magnified the smallest of differences into insurmountable loathing. Through "unfriending" and deleting each other, we have shut out balanced conversation and cultivated our own worlds of paranoia, bigotry and misinformation. We are stewing in our own juices.

It is an irony of the greatest sort that the very tools that were designed to bring us together are driving us further apart. The next time you read ANYTHING online — especially if it's already aligned to what you think you believe — research it. The Media networks have long been instigators of hyperbolic opinion, but they shy in pale comparison to what we're doing to each other on Facebook. Every person who has ever used the term "sheeple" should be staring long and hard in the mirror.

Why am I ranting, you might ask? Because I've had enough. I believe in freedom of speech as much as anyone, but not when the speech is full of hatred, ignorance, or is otherwise corrupting a person's natural path of information discovery.

Stop passing around stupidity, because you're watering down the planet.

Stop pushing hate, because you're winning and soon we'll all be losing.

Stop serving-up dishes of blatant, un-researched speculation, because you're blind to the facts and you're leading people off the cliff. Plus you sound like a fool to those who actually did the research before they hit "share".

I'm sorry. But if a dear friend of yours posts a clever meme on Facebook that claims you can cure the common cold by inhaling paint straight from the can and you believe it you're an idiot. So goes for politics, religion, race and love.

I get it. You have an opinion. You think the world needs to know what you know. But when you pass around something that has been proven false over and over again you only show the world how gullible you are, or worse, how much you want to believe the worst of people.

How about we start believing in our brothers and sisters? How about we start celebrating some of our favorite human moments instead of vilifying the people we don't agree with?

Dwell on that the next time your mouse hovers over the "unfriend" button.

OPEN FOR FURSUIT COMMISSIONS
'Grand Opening' Introductory Offer!

I am opening fursuit commissions for the first time starting at a base price of $900.00 USD for full suits, $575 for partials, plus taxes and shipping (if applicable).

I have built three suits to date, including my own as seen here on FurAffinity/Facebook. I have an illustration and design background and I'm quite passionate about the furry medium and I'm very eager to create more. If you're on a budget, let's help each other!

Please note that base prices do not include extras such as digitigrade legs, wings, or other 'special' features. "Standard" full suits include the head, straight-legged body-suit, simple hand and foot paws, and tail (if applicable).

Interested parties please note me here on FurAffinity or Facebook and I will be happy to discuss your plans and intentions. As I am just opening commissions for the year, timeframes are currently wide open.

Prices are based on the cost of materials plus a labor fee of approximately $8 pr hour (40 hour minimum)…which is ridiculously fair. My hourly rate will increase in 2014. Costs of materials are determined by your design and intentions, and the availability of fabrics. We will work together to locate the best fabrics for your design.

PRICE SHEET:

Full 'Standard' Suit with Head*: USD $900
Duct-Tape Dummy: Required. Please have pre-built and shipped to me. Note me for address.
Character Design Style-Sheet (if applicable): $100
Foam: $50 to 150
Fur: $400 to 700
Materials Fee: $50
Labor: $400

Partial 'Standard' Suits with Head*: $595
Character Design Style-Sheet (if applicable): $75
Foam: $50
Fur: $200 to 300
Materials Fee: $25
Labor: $320

Head*: $495
Character Design Style-Sheet (if applicable): $50
Foam: $50
Fur: $100 to 200
Materials Fee: $25
Labor: $320

*At this time, all heads are built using foam for structure. Heads include follow-me eyes shaped per character design. I am experimenting with moveable jaws, and will incorporate where possible.

Interested parties please note me here on FurAffinity or on Facebook and I will be happy to discuss your plans and intentions.

Hello, hello, fine furries of furrydom! I have been away from the world of FA for far too long and I wish I could say that I regret it, but I really don't; I've been going absolutely insane with work and these 90-hour work weeks have been eating at my soul with such anger that I simply could not manage anything else. Like, living. Or eating. Or participating in anything remotely fun.

BUT I am happy to report that I have been able to steal away some time to make it out to Anthrocon this year which has become tantamount to my lucidity. If my life were a slow-moving man edging ever-closer to the ledge of a really tall building, Anthrocon is the smiley bystander that pulls me back to safety. It absolutely saves my spirit. I did not get to go last year (or most years, really) and it was worse than everyone forgetting your birthday. I just felt crushed for a month. Once I've had that taste of the convention life, there really is no going back to normalcy.

Speaking of normalcy, my life is beginning to show signs of that again. Now that the school year is out of session, I have some time to re-start commissions which I am very, very eager to do.

I am open for commissions, as of this journal. I will be focusing very hard on building up my portfolio this summer, so I am looking for commissions that are dynamic and clever and emotional and impactful. I am also reducing the stream on erotic commissions for now. I plan to open for five slots right now, and only one of them will be erotic.

If you are interested in a commission, please feel free to message me here, or on Facebook. Contact details below.

Email: krossbreeder[at]hotmail.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=785978823
...Or message me here on FA.

AVAILABLE SLOTS:

Slot One —  trist
Slot Two —
Slot Three —
Slot Four —
Slot Five (Adult) —

Hello, all! It's been a mighty long time, but I thought I'd post a little something up here on FA of a professionally-relevant nature.

The below link is to the first of 4+ videos that I've built illustrating the steps in building 'artificial' environments in Photoshop. In this chapter, we set up the space and establish the scene. This particular series assumes that you already have cursory knowledge of Photoshop and an intermediate understanding of perspective, color, form, and light.

Although this series centers around automobiles, the functions work equally well in fantasy scenes.

I will be teaching class this semester in Matte Painting in which we use this same general practice to build the background (matte) scenes for film and motion media.

Thoughts, comments, and topic suggestions all welcome! Enjoy!

Retouching and Invented Environments in Photoshop. Part 01. Getting Started.

I put this blog together for my students and I figured I'd share it here for anyone interested in digital painting.

I am not a master, no do I claim to be one, but I do like sharing information and several people have asked how I paint. So without further ado:

http://briankotulis.blogspot.com/20.....th-doctor.html

I'll be creating one of these for the Captain Jack painting as well.

Enjoy! Questions welcome.

— Kross

Hello all!

'Tis my obligatory request for aid in my hunt to locate images of me in 'suit from Anthrocon 2011.

I have found exactly two shots (via Blazger, I believe). I'm hoping there are more out there, as like most suiters, I wasn't carrying a camera with me :3

Any help would be much appreciated!

Here's a reference shot if you need one:
http://s130.photobucket.com/albums/.....con2011132.jpg

Hope you're having a good week!

Tagged by  kora

The Rules:
— You must post these rules.
— Each tagged person must post 10 things about themselves in their journal.
— You have to choose and tag 10 other people and post their icons on the same journal.
— Go to their pages and tell them you tagged them!

1) Even since kindergarten, I've always known I wanted to be a professional artist when I grew up.
2) I have three jobs; During the weekdays, I am a Creative Director of Graphic Design for a global events-marketing agency that services ultra-high-end luxury vehicles and technologies. After-hours four days a week, I am a professor of Illustration at an Art College in Detroit (CCS). On the weekends on any time in-between, I freelance illustrate and design.
3) I've been married for 10 years, and I have two children under 6 years old.
4) Is ultra-liberal, and despite my fascination with violence as a kid, I cannot stand guns or senseless violence.
5) My favorite medium is Oil, although I almost never get to indulge.
6) I love mowing the lawn, though I really hate most physical labor (mostly because I can't afford to lose that kind of time). I'd rather pay someone else to do it so I can work on other things.
7) I'm extremely empathatic, and I will cry at any movie with the barest shimmer of sentiment. For this reason, I loathe most horror movies and absolutely cannot stand televised news, ultra-dramatic cop/medical shows, or people who like to sensationalize pain or misfortune.
8) My weight has not changed by a single pound since I was 15 years old; 130 pounds.
9) I was really active in Track & Field when I was in high-school, and most of my records still remain unbroken. I was 0.5-seconds away in the 40-yard dash and 8-inches away in the Long Jump from qualifying for the Olympics. But I never tried because of Item #1. My nick-name in Highschool was "the deer".
10) If I weren't an artist, I'd be an archeologist.

Tagged! You're it!

 enig  Kritterfox  Sonderjen  DAQ  faiasmerc  foxfeather  faytt
 walksamongstars  XianJaguar  Ultraviolet

Hello all!

Many apologies for the long silences; I'm moving [houses] and everything I own is scattered to the world right now. Once I land somewhere, I'll be back with all the full-fledged shenanigans.

Thanks, and Happy New Year!
-Kross

Special Notice: If you have ordered Aether recently and received an error email from Lulu stating that Aether "could not be printed due to an error", please note that this error has been corrected and ordering has re-commenced. You will need to re-place your order however, as Lulu does not retain past orders.

If you ever receive a problem or have another concern about Aether or the ordering process, please let me know and I will help in any way I can.

Thanks! —Kross 12/14/2010

It's a bit of a weird subject to break my silence with, but it fell on me like a ton of bricks last night when I was reading the latest CNN report on the Bed Bug saga, as it has been apparently re-taking the Western world by storm.

This *could* be disastrous for con-goers.

As the various reports go, bed bugs, unlike lice, are far easier to transport and far more difficult to get rid of, as they transfer on fabrics of all kinds, not just skin or hair. They're blaming everyday items like women's purses, placed on public couches and tablecloths, as prime examples of how common items made of cloth are transferring these pests like wild fire. And of course, once you have them in your house, they're notoriously difficult to get rid of.

Now, I've never had or even seen bed bugs, but here's my thought that I'm sure most reading this have already now considered:

What is this going to do to fursuiting venues?

These conventions are packed with people from all over the globe, and varying levels of hygiene (and plain dumb luck) being what they are, I anticipate near-future conventions are going to have more and more pest concerns popping-up. I don't know about you, but aside from a regular Fabreze-dusting and some spot-cleaning, my suits have never undergone the high-temp washes required to kill these pests ...nor could my suits withstand that level of heat or cleaning even if I wanted to.

Are you seeing my point?

For the specialty, hand-made nature of most suits, these little pests could quite honestly ruin a lot of fun and a lot of 'suit masterpieces.

So many suiters, myself included, love to roll around in suit... on the floor, on beds, public couches, especially at convention centers where these pests are found by the swarm. I mean, that's most of the fun of suiting in the first place; being able to act in these places.

Granted, people (and the media) like to freak out over every possible threat (I'm still waiting for 1990's killer bees), but unlike these other "what-if" scenarios I'm actually seeing cases of this problem pop-up first-hand. During AnthroCon 2010, I was staying in an off-site hotel in Pittsburgh and the room next door to me had a horrible case of bed bugs, and I've heard of a few other cases local to me in Michigan since then.

All in all, this is not the end of the world, especially since they say that bed bugs don't carry diseases. But at the end of the day, I don't need anything living in my bed, giving me itchy hives, or worse yet, making my children potential Typhoid Marys in their school.

Just saying.

So whether you care, or you don't, I guess I'm just saying be careful and please keep your bugs in your own bed... you dirty, dirty bastards, you.

^_^

-Kross


Sources Cited:

Pesky Bed Bug Infestation — ABC (Video)
http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7222101

No End to Bed Bug Infestations — CNN
http://pagingdrgupta.blogs.cnn.com/.....-infestations/

Bedbugs Gaining Ground — CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2010/TRAVEL/07/2.....iref=allsearch

Bed Bug Infestations On the Rise in U.S. — FOX
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,207264,00.html

This is a test of the KB emergency broadcast system:

Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooop
Boop
Boop

Boop boop

Booooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooop

This concludes our test of the KB emergency broadcast system.

If this had been an actual emergency, this warning would have been followed by instructions or information.

...annnnnnnnd I'm back. Such an awesome con!

It was a mere (but heavily-jam packed) 27-hour adventure, but I came, I saw, I overheated, I danced, I overheated, I Zoo'ed, I overheated, I ate, I sped away.

It's never enough time at AC, especially so for my attendance this year, but a MASSIVE, MASSIVE shout-out to  faytt, who *ahem* "handled" me through-out the con, and to his most excellent mate,  walksamongstars, who so very graciously shared his room with me for a few well-needed hours. And also, it was a great pleasure meeting Woof and Fern and their adorable kitt, even if we didn't get a chance to talk much.

Hope all is well! More detailed follow-up forthcoming...

I'm sure these little "look at me" posts are highly infuriating, so I apologize.

But to those small numbers of people who may, on some off-chance, care about such things:

I WILL BE AT ANTHROCON. I will be around all day Saturday into Sunday, and then leaving early-ish Sunday.

I will have a single copy of Aether with me, for anyone who wants to peruse it, and a sign-up sheet for anyone looking at being part of a bulk-order rate (much less than full price).

I will also be hoping to score some drawing time, so look for me in appropriate drawing spots.

Lastly, I DO NOT have a booth etc, but I will have some original art that I am willing to sell for anyone interested.

Since my attendance at AC this year was very spotty, I don't have a ton to promote, but I'm always available to talk to, etc!

See you around!

-Brian / KRossBreeder

Somehow through an equally magical combination of extreme patience and bitter angst, the hairs on the back of the universe's neck stood on end and felt the need to log-on to the world wide web. In doing so, the universe knew to navigate to that digital playground known as FurAffinity and sought me out where it quickly read my journal calling the universe out on its unfair use of my emotions as personal play things. In so reading, the universe felt a very rare need to withdraw and offered, through celestial intervention, a small window of hope for poor ole' KB and his Anthrocon dream. (The universe also completely ignored the hopes and prayers of the Gulf, Haiti, Korea, Afghanistan and countless war and disease plagued nations to do this.)

Soooooo the afore-lamented Friday job interview that was screwing everything up for me has been changed into a phone-call interview at no doing of my own, which allows me time to plan for AC. Huzzah. That, and Walks schooled KB on how to read a map.

Fate, as they say, is not without a sense of humor however, as the proposed trip to Pittsburgh has evolved into a family vacation for my wife and brood... and mother-in-law.

Ew.

But alas. If this is the Hail Mary Play that the universe has offered up, I will play my part of Oliver Twist and eat my gruel with a dopey grin and ask for more.

This alternative plan still only puts me [potentially] at AC for Friday evening through Saturday (or Saturday evening through Sunday), but beggars can't be choosers. Even if this beggar is paying for the trip.

Ahhh, it's good to be king!

-Kross

Though it was extremely fun to frolic on Denial's playground for awhile, Mistress Reality has come home and effectively beaten Denial to a pulp.

Poor Denial. He had such potential.

So my situation has been that I have been locked in a horrible working scenario (read: I live in Michigan where the unemployment rate is the worst in the Union at 14%*, and finding a new job has been a full-time nightmare). I hate my job with a seething passion, but it pays the bills (when they feel like paying me, since they actually laid me off in March but refused to let me leave). I've had multiple, promising interviews for new jobs over many weeks, and was hoping to have one locked in by now. My best candidate was (and is) looking really, really promising... except the first interview turned into two. Which turned into three. Which turned into four. Which has turned into five... and they just added a F^¢<|~G SIXTH interview for me next Friday, which lands smack in the middle of AC, making my dreams, yet again, impossible.

...because I have no manner of luck whatsoever.

My frustration could not be more fierce. And not because I'm merely missing a fur Con, or because I've strongly hinted to many Aether contributors that I'd be there, or that I actually have a product I'm proud of to promote, or because I have friends and even family waiting for me there, or even because I just really, really wanted to go, but because the universe has very likely already decided that this job won't happen despite their INSANE shit-or-get-off-the-pottery and it just wants to screw with me for as long as possible before reminding me how much it hates me. AND I will have missed the convention. Seriously. Six interviews. Has ANYONE heard of SIX interviews? I don't think the CIA requires six interviews. My step-father as police chief only had three and one of those was a psych-exam. I tell you, if there was ever a sign that 2010 is a buyer's-market for jobs, this is it.

Negative much?

Yes. Yes I am.

Anyway; many apologies to anyone who was hoping to meet-up with me. Despite my angst, please have a fun and safe time! Fuel my depression with photos, please!

I know a lot of people have never gone or can't go for other and similar reasons, so please forgive my insufferable whiney-ness; I'm just venting out loud.

-Kross

*http://www.bls.gov/web/laus/laumstrk.htm

Yes, I am participating in a meme. Yes, I really do think I'm cool to do so. No, I am not sad.

...Am I?

01. (X) Have you ever howled at the moon? Once or twice ^_^
02. (_) Have you ever barked at someone? I don't think so... I should, though
03. (X) Have you ever found yourself drawing or scribbling furry art when you're supposed to be doing something else? Good Lord. Too often.
04. (X) Have you ever worn an animal costume or tail as a child and pretended to be an animal? Probably not often enough!
05. (_) Have you ever eaten out of a dog bowl? No sir.
06. (X) Have you been to at least one furry con? Yup, but I need MOAR.
07. (X) Do you like to look at furry porn? I have. >.>
08. (X) Do you RP or play Second Life as a furry character? I do! KrossBreeder Fluffy
09. (X) Do you own a fursuit or at least a tail? Four suits. Two tails.
10. (X) Do you know what all these terms mean or have used them at least once?: Yiff, Mundane, Fandom, Murr, Skritch, SPH, Theriomorph, Hyper, Plushie, Follow-me Eyes, Glom, TF, Muck ... That's it? Where are the rest? These are OLD school!
11. (_) Do you have at least 5 videos of you acting or doing something furry on YouTube? LOL Not yet
12. (X) Has your anthropersona/character been drawn in a furry porn type manner? I had no control over that <.< >.>
13. (X) Are you well known in the furry fandom? Define "well known"...
14. (X) Do you dream furry while you sleep? I have!
15. (X) Would you transform into your character/fursona if you were given the chance to live like that for the rest of your life? In a freakin' heartbeat.
16. (X) Have you ever worn a collar? Practically lived in one for a while.
17. (_) Do you own more than 20 art badges of your fursonas or characters? Just a handful.
18. (_) Have you been to more than 20 furry cons in your lifetime? Nope, just a handful.
19. (X) Do you think that deep down you have the spirit of an animal within you? I do. I've been around before I think.
20. (X) Do you enjoy hanging out with other furries? I do, but I need more opportunities!
21. (_) Do you think we should have a furry run for president of the USA? Good Lord, no.
22. (X) If you ever became rich would you own a room in your house that was just to display your fursuits or furry art? ... and my wife would KILL me.
23. (X) Is your best friend furry? I don't think he wants to admit it though.
24. (X) Do your furry friends call you by your furry name in public? When I see them.
25. (X) Have you been in the furry fandom for at least 5 years? Criminey, almost 21 years now.

Total: 19

1 to 5 = Furry wannabe.
6 to 10 = Furry newbie.
11 to 15 = Furry.
16 to 20 = Hardened Furry.
21 to 25 = Hardcore Furry.


LOL Now what do I win?

I'm going to make this short and very sweet, and I'll follow-up with another formal post but I'm just sitting here holding my second copy of Aether fresh from the press, and I have to admit, I am really excited! This copy is incredible, and looking really, really good! A special thank you to all of the artists who took the extra time to resubmit work; It really pops!

So without further ado:

AETHER d'ANIMAUX VOLUME 1 IS OFFICIALLY READY!

For those of you looking to order (just in time for Anthrocon!), here's the link to Lulu.com:

http://www.lulu.com/product/paperba.....c-art/11183201

(Lulu's search feature may not find Aether for a day or so, as I just activated the sale like 10 minutes prior to this journal post).

Distributor orders (Amazon, Barnes N' Noble, etc) are not yet ready (I'm still jumping through the international/distribution hoops) but will be sometime AFTER Anthrocon 2010.

Right now, Lulu.com is offering free shipping within the continental U.S.

For those interested in a discounted price, please PM me. This is a long topic I will address in my next post.

Formal post and pictures to follow.

Recently, I have been seeing a lot of questions and confusion about two specific areas of digital creation, Color Gamut/Mode and File Type. I figure, since I teach this subject at CCS, I should really put together a journal! So here it is! It takes me an entire college semester to explain these two worlds in full to my students, but I'll try to sum up quickly here. First of all, most colleges offer a course like this as "Color Theory", because at the end of the day, that's what all this is, a theory. Even though the following "rules" apply very even-handedly across all instances, there are a few anomalies and odd situations where the facts don't hold up. That being said, please take the below as a Standard Guide on these items, and not an unbreakable truth. New technologies are always re-inventing what computers can and cannot do, as is true with file formats etc. But for 2010, I think the below list is pretty safe and has served me well over the past 15 years or so.

"Color Mode" [Image > Mode]
Color Mode can be tricky to understand, because most artists see color as just color. The computer, however, sees color as mathematical uses of ink (or light). In the computer world, we refer to the entire range of color as its "gamut". There are four basic types of color gamuts (color ranges) within all computers: RGB, CMYK, Hexidecimal, and Brand Name (or "Book of Color", i.e. Pantone). There are also many sub-categories of color gamuts within these (Duotone, Index, etc), but these are highly specific and are only really used by professionals for very specific needs. (If you want more info, PM me).

Color Gamuts are separated also by two very extreme differences (which is where your problem is coming from): The world of PRINTED color (ink), and the world of DISPLAYED (light) color. Here are some of the basic uses of each:

RGB Color Gamut
Starting with the largest Color Gamut, we have RGB. RGB stands for Red Green Blue, which is a light-based color system. Since light is a "subtractive" system*, the more colors you bring together, the closer you get to White. For this reason, the three primary colors to the world of LIGHT are Red Green and Blue (which are different than the three primary INK colors we all grew up with, which are the familiar Red Yellow and Blue). Since RGB is a world defined by LIGHT, it is practically unlimited. (Some sources will say there are roughly 128 Million "known" RGB colors, but theoretically RGB is infinite). Since RGB is so vast, you can get colors like neon Pink or Green, or brilliant Blues and Purples. And since these colors are being displayed on your monitor, TV, iPhone etc, they appear clean and bright. However, once you try to print these colors (or save to the wrong File Type), they become muddy or grey. That is because all printed things using physical inks are restricted to a much smaller world of color, the CMYK Gamut.

*Some sources like Wikipedia will call RGB an "additive" process because you are adding the colors together to get the new color. But while you may be physically adding the colors together the resulting colors become lighter than their originals, so the process is technically Subtractive, since the color seems to be getting paler.

CMYK Color Gamut
The CMYK (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black*) color gamut is exactly opposite of RGB. Where RGB has almost limitless color, CMYK is very tiny (it only contains roughly 200 Thousand colors). This is because physical inks just cannot get as bright as light-based colors like Neon Pink. Even fluorescent inks are pale compared to the potential of light-based colors. Where RGB relies on light to make colors really pop, CMYK inks have only the paper they're printed on. And no paper anywhere shines like a monitor. Another major difference between RGB and CMYK is that where RGB is a "subtractive" process of mixing color, CMYK is "additive". This means that when you mix CMYK colors together, they become darker. Think about when you mix paints together; the result is always darker than what you started with. Technically, if you were to mix C, M, Y, and K together, you would get a very dark black. (Often referred to as Rich Black). By contrast, if you were to mix R, G and B together, you would get pure white. Since CMYK is a vastly, vastly smaller color gamut than RGB, anything that was created in RGB and converted/printed as CMYK will become darker, muddier, and a bit duller.

Here's a Photoshop tip: Two things you can do when painting in RGB from within Photoshop to make sure your colors are print-safe:
First, when you're choosing a color in the the Color Picker, stay away from the upper right-hand corners. These areas contain the super bright colors that ink simply cannot match. When you pick a color and you see the little yellow warning triangle with the "!" inside, that symbol is letting you know that the selected color cannot be printed (and will appear notably duller if you try). When this icon appears, a tiny color box will appear beneath it. This is Photoshop's recommendation for the closest printable color to the "out of gamut" color. You will note that this recommended color is usually much bleaker than your original choice, so some considerable compromise is due.
Second, while you're painting, turn on the Gamut Warning option [View > Gamut Warning]. This will show all problem colors as grey. All this means, is that if you convert/print the image, all of the grey areas will become dull or muddy. (Using the Gamut Warning option does not actually change your colors, it just highlights them). If you turn Gamut Warning back off, the grey will disappear. Please note that this option does not actually modify or repair your colors, it's simply a tool of observation. If you find you have a lot of "problem colors" in your image, there is no simple push-button fix for this. RGB is RGB and CMYK is CMYK. There is nothing in between, so you would have to go through and repaint the problem areas with proper, print-safe CMYK colors. As an aside, bright color does not equal great color. If you find yourself distressed because the colors are not bright enough, try reconsidering your palette and approaching the tones differently. In my opinion, super bright colors are a false way of adding impact to an image.

*They used "K" for Black because "B" refers to Blue in other systems. Incidentally, "K" is a universal symbol for Black.

Hexidecimal (Index) (Web Safe RGB) Color Gamut
Within the vast world of RGB, there resides a specific cluster or colors reserved specifically for the Web. These colors are commonly referred to as Index or Web-Safe colors. The only difference between RGB and Web-safe RGB is the purpose. Since websites are created to be seen by essentially the entire world, they are therefore designed for the lowest-common denominators. Things like screen resolution, operating system, browser type, fonts, and even color. Since not all computers have state-of-the-art graphics cards, and since not all computers are calibrated to display color the same way, many colors will not display correctly. Blue may appear as purple, red may appear as pink, etc. Not to mention super-subtle hues may not even appear at all. So to make sure that your web graphics have the strongest chance of appearing at their best, a sub-set of RGB colors have been pulled aside and identified as the most-likely to display ideally under all circumstances. These are the Web-safe RGB colors. And like CMYK, the Web-safe RGB gamut is only a fraction of true RGB, so many colors will not work or even appear at all.

The term "Hexidecimal", the true name for Web-safe RGB and Index, comes from the six-digit mixture that the computer uses to create the color. For example, "FFFFFF" is white, "FF0000" is red, etc.

Color-Book (Brand-Name) Color Gamuts
Lastly, in much the same way that most computer monitors are not calibrated the same way, neither are printers. Even über-expensive printers are not the same from print house to print house. Magenta may appear very pink in one location, and very orange at another. Not only do printers differ by location, they also differ by print run. As a professional, if you print a brochure and it comes out blue the first time, and then purplish the second time, this is a huge problem. What if I print it here in America, and then again in Japan? Major color differences. Just as Web-safe RGB sets a standard for monitor colors, Color Book Colors (like Pantone) set the standard for printing colors. Essentially, these colors are nothing more than cans of pre-mixed inks that are sold to the print houses so that when you print using Pantone 485 (Coca-Cola Red) in Japan, it will be identical to Pantone 485 in Germany. Of course, since these colors are pre-mixed (and very expensive), you do not paint with them. They are used for logos and other design projects where you only need 2 or 3 colors to be consistent every time.

File Types
So what are file types? We're all familiar with the three-letter suffixes that come after the period on virtually every file on a computer, but what does that mean? Well in the world of graphics, these are indicative of two things: software proprietorship, and compression method. "PSD" for example, stands for "Photoshop Document" and is the exclusive ownership of Adobe. "JPG" stands for "Joint Photographic Experts Group", and thus reflects the name of the company that developed the compression method that makes a JPG a JPG.

Essentially, every file type is a compression technique used to deliver visual content. Some file types are non-destructive ("raw" or "lossless") compression like RAW, TIF, TGA or PSD. Others are variably destructive to a file (or, "lossy") such as JPG, PNG or GIF. Make no mistake about it, anytime you compress a file (by saving as one of these formats) you are harming your file. And once a file has been compressed (say, from a PSD to a JPG), anything that was cut out is gone forever and cannot be retrieved, which is why it is best to save important files in several formats. I personally always save files in three formats:

• PSD — The most reliable, this is my highest-quality working file that I can edit and archive.
• TIF — Making sure LZW compression is turned off and CMYK is on, this is my flattened, high-resolution print-ready file.
• JPG — This is my low-quality file that I use for emailing proofs for approval and posting to online portfolios.

The biggest mistake most artists make, is choosing the wrong File Type to save your work. Just like with Color Gamuts, every File Type is vastly different than the others. Listing the common File Types in order from Highest Quality to Lowest Quality†:

• PSD — Largest file size, no compression.
• TIF — Large file size, little to no compression
• JPG — Midrange file size (depending on compression setting)
• PNG — Midrange file size (depending on compression setting)
• BMP — Midrange file size, heavy compression
• GIF — Smallest file size*, heavy compression, Index color only

†The suggestions are recommended with a context of Photoshop, and within the context of common everyday use for most illustrators. The "correct" file type will ultimately be determined by your OS, style and application, the unique job requirements and the environment for that work.

PSD files are the strongest file type you save to/work with, because it saves everything: colors and ICC profiles, layers, paths, channels, etc. You lose no quality with this type. PSD files should be used as working files, and are not good for anything but Photoshop.

TIF files are my next best option because they retain color information and quality for every pixel of your image. Photoshop recently started allowing you to save layers, paths, etc with a TIF file, but I would not recommend it. Also, turn "LZW" compression off. Keeping it on makes it a glorified JPG, and compresses color information. TIF files should be used as archival files and for printing when quality is important. They may be saved with CMYK, RGB or Pantone, and are not good for the web.

JPG files are varied is size and purpose, depending on their settings. A JPG saved with low compression (Level 12) result in high-res files with very little loss. Files saved with heavy compression (Level 1) will result in horrible quality but smaller file size. Even with the settings at their highest, JPG by its very nature is a compression system, so some information will be compromised. JPGs are ideal for RGB and Web work. CMYK JPGs will result in bizarre printing/displaying problems.

PNG files are an ideal hybrid between JPG and GIF. PNGs retain the same robust colors of a JPG, and also allow transparency like a GIF. They have become the new favored file type for web work, and are ideal for RGB. CMYK will not work.

BMP files are a low-caliber file type that offers little quality control for images. They were originally used for web graphics and GUI interfaces for their small file size. Recent modifications to BMP compression techniques allow much-expanded quality, but still not ideal for quality work.

GIF files serve a purpose only as web graphics. They are tiny, heavily compressed, and work only with a very small number of colors. Good for web work only, Index color only.

*In defense of BMP, I need to mention that BMP gets a bad rap. If I were to take an image in Photoshop and go down the list saving that file in the different aforementioned formats, it would most likely not follow my above list for quality, item for item. You would be correct to say that the 2010 version of the BMP filetype is a large file compared to its 1985 version. Reason is, BMP is a lot like the RAW file format, which aims to preserve color and data quality on a "raw" level, with no compression, etc. However, back in the day when BMP was used heaviest, computers only had the ability to preserve a few thousand colors. BMP was the compression of choice. Fast forward to 2010 when the common computer displays 32 million colors, and the BMP file type does a lot more. As a preservation method, BMP does a great job. But BMP has not progressed much since its inception and has therefore been left behind in new technologies. Large format printers, for example, do not process that file format very well, if at all. So BMP might work well for you as a format to store images for personal use, but on a professional or technical level, BMP is a very hit or miss file type and is therefore not an advisable way to transmit work.

Well there you have it! My first foray into the online foray of edu-blogging. Send checks payable to KrossBreeder, please ^_~

If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to help! Feel free to PM me.
Hope all is well! Happy designing!

-Kross

Hello again, good people!

Aether has been a one-step-forward-one-step-back process from the very beginning. Some of that back-stepping was my fault, some was normal delay, and some was production problems at the printer.

I had wanted to release Aether many months ago, but despite these set-backs we've had many more successes than failures, and I'm happy to say that the recent hurdles (see http://www.furaffinity.net/view/3678417 ) have been resolved. I am submitting new repaired materials to the printer and ordering my new proof [hopefully] today. The problem was that the printer had produced the book mis-paginated. I am uploading new materials to safeguard against this problem for future orders. Once approved, we can open the floor for sales.

Thank you again to all who have participated and followed along thus far! You're all awesome!

-Brian / Kross