Well, first big thing I am going to say is that I was in a bad car accident this past Friday night. I wound up getting two compression fractures on one vertebrae, and it's been causing hell for me since. I am glad the other guy wasn't hurt at all, just some hull damage to his car basically.

I am going to be at AC, and also going to try to be at BLFC (this one is touchy because of the accident). Because of many factors ouside of my control, I was only able to book one room for AC this year (this past year relocating to the west coast has been unkind).

I have done a bunch of scribbles but nothing that I have uploaded, which I am attempting to change, and gah, I need to have some stuff turn around for me. Murphy should move onto someone else to have fun with.

But, hope to be able to go to both events and see people, and well, hope you all are doing well. I am trying to pay attention to notes sent to me, and take care all.

Also, might be doing some more adult stuff soon, if the ideas work out well.

Ok, just getting a sense of who is interested in getting a spot in a room for AC. I am getting a few rooms like normal.

Rules as follows:

Payment is always up front, or you don't get a spot.
Shoot me a note about it. Don't drop a line in here about it, I don't check my journal comments all that frequently anymore.
Don't be a douche and make demands.

If you're interested, shoot me a note and I'll see what can be done.

The Box theme this time is: Pokemon (read the rules below the update to my life)

Since X and Y came out, I thought it would be fun. (Also, I've been watching a lot of Iron chef, so I don't know what I was thinking of Pokemon as the secret ingredient....)

Just a brief sum up of what's been going on since AC.

Had shoulder surgery, kind of harshed any art vibes I might have had. Work has been also a bit irking, but that should be passing soon.

So in light of all that, I thought to actually do a new round of Suggestion Box stuff.

The Rundown

Some of you guys know what it is, some don't. Basically, this is something to potentially help me break through an art lull. The art I do is mine, and not anyone else's. All that's being asked is this, give me suggestions on creatures, and I might draw out some tf or anthro designs of them if something clicks in my head about it. You will get acknowledged as being the one responsible for the suggestion, but beyond that, it falls on me to do something with it.

Some basic rules for it:

1. This will not be you or a character of yours turning into the suggested entity. If that were the case, it would be a commissions, which I don't do.
2. You can make a few suggestions, not limited to one. I usually will try to keep the theme to a specific genre.
3. The suggestions have to be posted in the journal here. I don't mind getting noted, but honestly, I sometimes go a day or two without checking my FA and I don't want to make you think I am blowing you off (I sometimes like to retreat from the world =) )
4. You aren't limited to the specific theme in question if you have something which is something you think I might find interesting, put it up. Th worst thing that would happen is that I decline trying to draw it.
5. Just because it's in here does not mean that I will just draw it out, my brain is way too stubborn on that front.

Well, I think that should sum it up. Hope you guys have some ideas which might be fun to explore, and hope to hear from you. =)

Ciao

Well, AC was good this year (couple of other issues. Wound up meeting up with a bunch of new people in addition to other people that wanted to hang out. Met up with other Ohio based furs and have decided to go about trying to hang out and meet up with them at fur meets and stuff.

Other items of note, my job is frustrating, I have been doing some more drawing... and I am seriously considering trying my hand at commissions.

Will keep you posted, and I will be posting guidelines as well once I get them sorted out.

Talk later. =)

Sorry I haven't been putting anything up of late. The job I got in March was keeping most of my focus, but I am working on some pieces. Hope to have some finished stuff up soon. Like in the next few days if things work out.

Will see people at AC definitely, and will try to be online a bit more to talk soon.

Also... b-days are frustrating.

I am going to AC, and wlel, how would you guys feel about me putting up another suggestion box journal for art stuff?

It's been a while, but thought to ask. Let me know your thoughts.

Also, FC was fun, met a few new people and tried to relax some. Lastly, job hunting seems to have paid off.

Talk soon, and hope to have some inked work of the sketches I've done uploaded.

Lan

I know this request sounds like it's coming out of nowhere, but if you know anyone that is going to FurFright and might have a spot available in their room, can you please let me know? The originally intended rooming arrangement has not worked out... SNAFUs abound.

Yay.

Please shoot me a note if you have something viable. I have no problems paying up front for the spot either. Normally I would get my own room set up, but I was a bit late in that since I was headed back into country.

Appreciated.

Talk soon.

Lan

I realized that I was a complete and utter derp for not posting something when I got back to the States from Afghanistan.

Not going to lie, it's been very odd trying to get back to how things happen here. Started the school program, it's been fun. Ohio isn't as bad of a state I thought it would be, granted, I am in a semi-developed area of it, so there are things to do.

As for art, it's been... slow going. I just have been trying to get settled and sorted out here and not thinking about it. Not that I don't want to, just, haven't had any motivation to do that, or much of anything else. It isn't a depression or anything, more like, disconnect. I'm not trying to sound emo, but it most likely would come out as that. It's just something that I have to find something to reconnect to, there have been a few random moments here or there when it happened briefly. I'm going to deal with it and work through it as best as possible.

I hope I will have some art to upload soon, there were some partial sketches I did, but I think I should finish them up before I try to upload them yet. I might do the suggestion box thing again, but, I will post something about that, so you all know.

Also, I will be going to FurFright this year, so, if you're going, I hope to see you there.

Talk soon, and sorry again ^^;

Well, I am happy enough to say that I am going to be leaving Afghanistan in about a week's time.

Down side: I have to pack up all the crap I have accumulated in almost two years worth of time out here, I really didn't think I had that much stuff.

So, when back in the States, I am going to be in Ohio for three months roughly, I hope to be attending FurFright this year, since I was unable to attend last year sadly. I don't know when I can return comments and stuff, things have been really crazy with work, and me trying to get everything sorted to get out of here.

Just hope that I don't have any major snags to deal with....

Talk later all! =3

Starting to travel back to Afghanistan, though i still have 11 days before i have to officially be back. Might take a day or two in Europe or something before living up the luxury in the middle of the desert... on a base....

with all that dust...

Will post a journal about the trip and stuff when i get back and settled, just wanted to post something so people think i didn't do another disappearing act. I will also try to get some art posted too. Talk soon, and who knows, my flight might have wifi on it or something so i could possibly chat whilst on the plane.

Well, I decided to finally clear out a good chunk of my notifications. I think I was trying to keep track on the feedback and how people received my work since the art block broke in November. I think that the amount of positive feedback was definitely a good counter to the crap of putting up with stuff while in Afghanistan, and well, the problems that I had to deal with back home.

So, the tallies are:

About 300 new watchers (i did clear one or two out of the list when i thanked them)
About 3000+ faves.

So, to all of you that have watched my stuff or faved anything, thank you again. It means a lot, and it has motivated me to try to do more art.

I thought it a good time to reset the counters since I am going to AC. If you're going to be there, I will see you there. Don't be too afraid to say hi, i shouldn't be too twitchy (I'm decompressing in Dubai for a few days to play it safe).

Also got some more arts to share soon too, just finishing up the colors on them, starting to be more content with my color choices...

Thought I would update with some information on here.

Basiclly I have been trying to get the hang of coloring art again, also getting used to inking things on a slate I had to pick up to replace my laptop's tablet function. There's been a lot of stuff going on in my personal life which I am trying to sort through, and it's taken a bit of my attention, so, it's why I haven't uploaded much of anything recently.

To everyone who has faved or watched stuff over the past few months, I can't thank you enough for the support, it means a lot. Especially when I am insanely self-critical about everything I do.

I will be at Anthrocon, I do hope to enjoy myself, and also meet up with people I correspond with on FA. I also have my next part of my job/career path that I am taking, but that starts in September, and well, it means I will be back in the United States for at least ten-twelve weeks. I also hope to be able to go to FurFright this year, since my leave was cancelled last year during the time (if I don't go, Bellic said bad thins would happen to me... don't want to piss the bear off... >_>;; ).

I will possibly open up the 'suggestion box' at some point again, but right now, I am trying to get all the other stuff I need to get sorted out, sorted. And also get some more 'finished' art, uploaded.

I hope you all be well, and again, thanks so much for the support.

... wait, that didn't come out right...

Well, I have to say, the past two months of the art explosion has been nothing short of fantastic. Thank you to everyone who has faved and commented on pieces, as well as watching me.

I am going to be finally going on leave, and can take care of the flood damage that affected my stuff back in September, and then, once that's done, I am going to be veggin gout in California for a few weeks, and going to check out FC (also i get to pester a certain white wolf (  dariuswhitefur ) while there, so it will be awesome =D. If you're going to be going there, maybe we'll bump into each other, and would be cool to meet. =)

I am still taking suggestions for design ideas, the rules are going to be the same as the last journal, but i don't have time to post the updated to-do list, so feel free to put up what you want in here, provided it abides by the rules, and i might scribble out something.

Also, I have started to ink the pieces I have drawn, and hopefully color flats will be shortly coming after that. Oh, one other thing, not including a few pics which weren't uploaded to here yet, I have totaled over 60 pics in the past two months alone... almost doubling my gallery. So again, thank you so much for the support, and suggestions, and look forward to hearing more ideas you all come up with!

Hope you all had a good set of holidays, and I hope to be posting some new stuff very soon.

LanHao's Suggestion/Challenge Submission Rules:

1. I would prefer non-humanoid creatures, whether from fantasy, sci fi, rpgs, whatever, and I'll try to come up with an anthro version or a tf image for it.
2. Don't give me scenes to draw out, my brain doesn't ever like working that way when it comes to art.
3. No specific individuals to be drawn, like deities or specific characters from myth and legend. I have been trying to let my brain freely flow on designs instead of work with specific details or specific characters.
4. Don't expect it to be done in any set order or time, the ideas pop into my head at random as to which one seems like the fun one to work on. Also, don't ask when is a suggestion being gotten to, it's, well, just kind of not cool. Again, my brain works on the ideas which cause it to go *click* a lot.
5. I will not draw your character specifically, please don't ask me to, since that would be getting very close to a commission, which I have not done yet. Now if we've chatted privately and I mentioned an interest in trying to draw one of your characters, that's fine, just don't post it in the journal here, okay?

Ok, when I did the last journal, I apparently had no idea that there was some sort of challenge of doing 30 characters in 30 days with a common theme. I inadvertently hit that number with TF related art, and well, overall art, my total number was 41 pieces (I am not including other pics which were not uploaded to here).

For all of the people who have faved and watch me, thank you so much again for the support and feedback, it does mean a lot. Now, as I mentioned I am in sort of a brief intermission (I figure a few days of not doing art will help recharge the batteries).

I am going to be taking more suggestions in the journal, and I am going to re-post the rules in here, just so people know what I will and will NOT do. It's been kind of fun running with other people's suggestions as it's helping me work well outside the box.

Thank you again for everything guys and gals, and please, keep them coming, and I hope to be able to produce results that you like (which I continue to hope you have been liking so far).

Now the new and improved ruleset to work from for any suggestions you guys might want to make.

LanHao's Suggestion/Challenge Submission Rules:

1. I would prefer non-humanoid creatures, whether from fantasy, sci fi, rpgs, whatever, and I'll try to come up with an anthro version or a tf image for it.
2. Don't give me scenes to draw out, my brain doesn't ever like working that way when it comes to art.
3. No specific individuals to be drawn, like deities or specific characters from myth and legend. I have been trying to let my brain freely flow on designs instead of work with specific details or specific characters.
4. Don't expect it to be done in any set order or time, the ideas pop into my head at random as to which one seems like the fun one to work on. Also, don't ask when is a suggestion being gotten to, it's, well, just kind of not cool. Again, my brain works on the ideas which cause it to go *click* a lot.
5. I will not draw your character specifically, please don't ask me to, since that would be getting very close to a commission, which I have not done yet. Now if we've chatted privately and I mentioned an interest in trying to draw one of your characters, that's fine, just don't post it in the journal here, okay?

Now here is a list of suggestions made from the previous journals, so there's a way to ref something quick. So here is a list of what's being carried over from the previous one, now if yo don't see one that was made previously on here, it was either something I did, or relatively close to something done, and it's why I was holding off on doing one again so quickly.

Your list:

Unicorn/Warhorse
Manticore
Wyrm
Kitsune
Tikbalang
Thunderbird
Horned Serpent
Elk
Cerberus
Dragon
Wolf
Panda
Swan
Cicada
Minotaur (hence why i updated the rules about humanoid creatures too)
Shadow (from Babylon 5)

P.S. Do you guys think I should include the names of the people that made the suggestions, I want to give credit to those that put them forth and all, and if you make a suggestion I use, I will include a link to your page. =)

Couple of things:

First - to everyone who reads this thing and started to watch me, THANK YOU FOR THE WATCHES AND FAVES! I got a ton of them in tandem with the art explosion that happened over the past week and change, and I am going to be doing more art. This leads me to the next point...

The feedback in the last journal was a great way to challenge myself with coming up with designs for non-standard things. I have two left on the last journal to do, which I am going to be fiddling with, however, I am more than game for trying to do more of them.

Rules are simple:

1. Non-humanoid creature, whether from fantasy, sci fi, rpgs, whatever, and I'll try to come up with an anthro version or a tf image for it.
2. Don't give me scenes to draw out, my brain doesn't ever like working that way when it comes to art.
3. Don't expect it to be done in any set order or time, the ideas pop into my head at random as to which one seems like the fun one to work on.

Just something which surprisingly turned out fun to do, if you want to suggest something, go for it.

I am going to be at another base for a few days, so I am unsure if I will have net access, but, if I can access the site, I will hopefully be trying to get some color stuff uploaded to here of the pics I have drawn already. =)

Talk with you soon, and again, thank you so much for the support. =D

Things are hopefully getting sorted in regards to the insurance stuff and all. I'm sad that I missed FurFright and all, but, I hope to go next year. Also I am trying to aim for Furry Fiesta if I can.

In other news, I apparently had the art block broken to the point where the floodgates are completely wide open and I have been just drawing stuff, and a lot of it during my work shift.

This is where the challenge comes in. If anyone reading this is interested, drop a name of a non-humanoid creature from DnD or fantasy, sci-fi and such, and I will try to come up with an anthro take on them. don't give me contexts, or situations they're sitting in. Just the creature type, that's all, and I'll try to wrangle with concepts potentially. This is not for commissions or anything, just want to see how far I can ride the art mojo, and well, work on things that I might not think to work on conceptwise.

Talk soon y'all, and I do hope to keep the art flowing. =)

Well, life can be interesting and things can come up causing massive changes in plans that I wanted to make....

First thing, FurFright, I am unable to go. It sucks, and I really did want to see all the people I have had the privilege to meet and hang out with there over the past three times I have gone. Basically the leave I was hoping to take in October has sort of fallen apart due to availability issues as well as times that I had open for doing stuff in.

As for other things, yesterday was I think the worst day I have had in a really long time. Took a huge certification exam which I feel as if I were anally violated in a Mexican prison... then work got stupid on me for something, which, just compounded the shit-like feelings I had, and then, on top of that.. I found out that the weather that's been hitting the northeast hit the area I lived in prior to working in Afghanistan.

The storage locker location I chose to use is currently partly underwater, as is, quite possibly, my stuff. This includes my car, bed, games, consoles... all of it. The thing I am most dreading is the original artwork and sketchbooks that were stored in there. I can only hope I got lucky and they're ok, but after the way the rest of the day went... yeah...

For the record, I'm not asking for any money or help like that, I'm ok financially on this, but it's more of the fact I feel helpless since I am halfway around the world from where my stuff is, and I doubt anyone I know would be able to get to it easily with the way the conditions are out there at present.

Hope to have more cheery journal stuffs up soon, as well as artstuffs...

Well, after putting up with months of bullshit I am actually going to be following through on something for work and making sure I am not taking any shit any more. Sorry, don't mean to vent like this, but, I am sick and tired of busting my ass and not getting any acknowledgment for it.

I really need to start taking care of myself a lot better on this front... >_<

Okies, now that I am back in Afghanistan, and not literally bouncing around the planet again, I can give a bit of a sum-up on my first AC and general vacation.

First week, I spent with  dariuswhitefur on the West Coast, it was awesome, and well, I fully plan on doing that again. Also, while out on the West Coast, I got to meet some others that I know through here like yoru2197, chizi, Syn_of_Ienpw and weaslemaster

Then Darius and myself went to Pittsburgh for AC, and holy crap it was amazing. Just, well, I was in a bit of awe based on the sheer size of it, and honestly found myself occupied with so much stuff to do, I also broke out the sketchbook and started to do arts, which felt amazing to do, and thanks to everyone there who was supportive of me and trying to boost my confidence about my art (I'm getting there, really am).

I got to meet a bunch of amazing people all around the con, and well, I didn't realize it at the time, but I got to meet some people I have been watching on here and sat and chilled with them before the con started up doing art and chatting, and then... having that OMGYOU! moment (well it was a good OMGYOU moment, for them, I hope it was good too).

Besides Darius and myself for the rooms, we also had Maglot and SHimmortal (along with his Quebecois posse) in some of the other rooms I got for the con. We also met up with EasySpark and fasttrack37d who became basically part of the group I wandered the con with, and they have some fantastic art in their respective galleries, and recommend watching them if you have not been already.

There were other artists that I knew from Otacon a few years ago (ianjay, pocketwolverine and dragonbelly), and it was amazing seeing them again, and others who I have known online for... going on like 8 years and finally got to meet in person, specifically AtomicStoney and Strype both of which I was also able to snag commissions from, and again, was just amazing meeting them finally (I guess to round out the fact that we knew each other and chatted for years and stuff and well, finally got to do the final thing of meeting up in person). A special shout out to Mokabur, Sylus-Foxdragon and J-Neko for being a cool group of guys to hang out with as well, and work on art at the same time as them.

Got to hang with a bunch of TF artists and well, sat in an art jam with them, and got to concept out some designs, and well, I am going to apologize right now for not getting all the names of them in here, it was a lot of them, but Hexblue, beccabunny, Vincent Hayes, Mephia and others... just well, a lot of them (again sorry for not putting your name in from memory).

On the commissions front, holy crap there were a bunch I got done, by a lot of amazing people, and I didn't even think I got to scratch the surface of the amount of commissions I wanted to get done. One challenge I came up with was to have other artists come up with outfit and design looks for my fursona, and well, I was not disappointed by ANY of the designs that I got back, some of the people that wanted to take more time with it, which I am fine with, since it means they're hopefully going to have fun with it.

The fact that I got told by a large bunch of people my art wasn't bad, and they liked my designs really made me feel good about my art, and made me work more on design ideas, so hopefully there will be uploads from me in the near future (but all the commissions I got will be uploaded in short order). Overall, I was truly amazed by everything, and the feedback I got from artists about my stuff was amazing. There were some people I wish were able to be there, or I was just unable to meet up with (like billy and Fortune_Fox as well as some artists), but hope next year will be less of a whirlwind for me.

In closing, this was honestly one of the most enjoyable times I have had in months (then again, being out of touch with things that used to be a little more accessible, made me appreciate them that much more, ranging from the people I hung out with, to the new people I got to meet and chat with and am able to continue chatting with since then). =)

So, *hugs* to all of you and hope to speak with you soon!

(I was going to put a list of other people in here as a 'Special Thanks' section like in the closing credits of a movie, but, I just realized how long the damn journal is... and I am seriously dreading forgetting one person or another seeming like I was dissing them, so will just give global hugs. ^^;)

Due to the fact that I am so damn tired, and sitting in a hotel room in Southhampton right now.... (no sleep really since yesterday), I will be posting information as to what was going on with Anthrocon in more detail tomorrow, after I get sleep.

But, a short sum up was OMGWTFOSM!

Thank you, that will be all and if you will excuse me, I need to self-medicate myself with a sleep aid (grabs hammer and smacks self in the head with it....).

THUD!

The one real big thing I hated about being over in the middle of nowhere for the job in relation to FA stuff... not being able to stay on top of my art. There's been a ton of awesome stuff put out by people I watch, and well, shit... 20k worth of pics to go through... that's gonna be like a day's worth of work...

I just found a bunch of stuff which was awesome and, well, that was within the first couple of pages of notifications...

Looking forward to AC, adn well, just, being not in the middle of nowhere for a few weeks. Gonna be a AC, so hope to see some other people there. Well, I hear there are a lot of people that will be there, but... i mean people that I know there... or... er you get what i mean I hope >_>;;

and in like 12 hours, will be in the air to the West Coast from Dubai. Which is awesome btw! =)

Yeah. Survived another b-day. Though, am seriously looking forward to my vacation. Been doing some scribbles again, but nothing too crazy yet. So, hope to have more interesting stuff to report soon... or interesting art to upload soon.

So, there I was, mining my own business as my comp wa sloading up, and I get an AIMbus from someone out of nowhere. Normally this doesn't bother me, but, for fuck's sake people, if I ask how do you know me and where did you get my AIM handle from... answer the question or I will unceremoniously slam your e-face with the Block button.

Don't tell me you just got out of the shower.
Or that you were bored and wanted to chat with someone...
Answer the fucking question. Sheesh.

Now I feel all sorts of violated in not a good way.

Uh, well... um. New job is going well.

Need to find more ways of keeping myself occupied.

Getting back to some scribblings, which is nice, just, well, no scanner to upload and show just yet.

Also, according to a professional, i fit the criteria for Asperger's Syndrome! er... yay?