Well, I've ended the first phase of AFCAH. The exact details of the ending were in flux up to the very end, though exact page counts were set since about #65, and in the broad strokes it's the same ending I've planned since #20 or so, when I decided to introduce teleport guns to the comic.

If you're glad to be spared a few more months of the drivel that is AFCAH, you have my sympathy. Phase 1 is a mess. And frankly, having a bunch of characters with shadowy motivations and vague backstories is just not as interesting as characters with clear goals, vivid personalities, and obvious reactions. It's been a learning process, and despite some attempted course correction near the end, there's still a lot of hiccups, and a lot of confusing backstory and terminology.

Which is my goal for the next phase. There will be two main storylines in phase 2, each one focused on two protagonists. Before then, I'll have about 6 "intermission" pages that will make it clear who one of those protagonists is, though it should be pretty clear, if you've been following, where the story is going to take place. Along the way, I'll try to balance between exposition of those confusing parts of phase 1, and creating some interesting action to drive the plot. And also fit in some more transformation sequences that aren't entirely gratuitous.

Anyways, tonight I'm going to start the first page of my 15-page kangaroo sequence. I've got 3 pages done so far, and I started working on this 40 days ago, so... at this rate, if I make kangaroo sequence pictures instead of AFCAH pages, and double my production time, then it should only take another 80 days to finish, which means it'll be finished on May 10th, right as the semester has ended. Hopefully by then the kangaroo fatigue from FebROOary will have faded, and we'll all be in the mood for kangaroo pictures again. Seriously, there's been some great kangaroo TFs lately, I hope this sequence can compete with them.

Streaming begins at 6:30 PM ET at https://picarto.tv/Rimme . See you then!

What an exhausting day today. At least I get to finish the comic today.

https://picarto.tv/Rimme at 6:30 PM ET.

The good news is I got the code working for the Ruby project. I just need to add lots of comments to my code before I submit it in before midnight tonight. So no debugging late into the night like last semester (for now).

What I do need to do, though, is to also work with my teammates tonight on a different project to merge all our branches into one main branch. So... as much as I would really like to finish this page tonight, schoolwork has to come first.

Just like last week.

Okay so... I almost got all of coloring done, there's just one background in one panel to take care of, and some little TV icons to add, before I move onto what will inevitably be a two-day shading process. I have my reasons:

* Said background and icons will take at least 15 minutes;
* Dialogue hasn't been added yet, so that's an extra half hour of work there;
* I'm also feeling a bit tired at the moment, which will slow me down;
* There's a TF involving feathers and fur patterns, which means more attention to detail.

https://picarto.tv/Rimme at 6:30 PM ET. See you then.

I've got to admit, it's hard doing a comic project by yourself, or any sort of creative project by yourself. True, it's total creative freedom, but it's also years' worth of self-doubt and self-editing, with sparse moments of boldness and inspiration.

But there is something nice about creating a little text box that says "End of Phase 1" on it. Beneath a newly minted comic logo.

2 to 3 days left to this page. Don't know how long. I keep thinking that coloring should only take one day. And every time (every comic page, at least), it ends up taking me two days.

I'll resolve to one thing: no matter what happens, I won't lie to myself at the end. Everything will be colored once I've got every layer named, and every section filled out with a color. That's all there is to it. Only when that happens, will I say that coloring is done.

https://picarto.tv/Rimme at 6:30 PM ET, then 9:30 PM ET. I'll probably throw on "The Sting" while I color; it's on Netflix, I'm vaguely curious, and I likely won't be able to follow it even with my full attention. Which should make for perfect background noise.

Last night I inked 6.5 figures and 2 backgrounds, which is decent for 3.5 hours. I've got 5.5 more figures and 3 backgrounds to ink, so it's still possible I could finish in one night. I'll still have to split it up with a break in the middle, but now I know I can keep working until it's done.

https://picarto.tv/Rimme from 6:30-8:00 PM ET, then 9:30-12:00 AM ET or earlier. See you then!

I really need to get more sleep tonight. Until then, I need to continue inking. If I try my hardest, I could finish this last page by Sunday. And then move on to more kangaroo pictures.

https://picarto.tv/Rimme at 6:30 PM ET, with a break at 8:00 PM that resumes that 9:30 PM. See you then.

I wonder how long I can keep on verbing without streaming. Today has been... busy, stressful, educational, frustrating, tiring, the whole lot.

I'm watching another job search help event tonight. I won't be streaming, though I might be doing some inking while watching it.

I just want to stop worrying so much, and start faking some confidence.

I mean, let's be realistic, I will still be working tonight, I'll just also be making sure I get more sleep tonight.

Really can't wait to get back to drawing.

I'm a bit behind on homework, so I'm working on that tonight instead of drawing. Thanks!

Didn't get time to do a COMMISSIONS OPEN submission reminder up. Tomorrow, hopefully.

I'm sketching #75 tonight, right now, at https://picarto.tv/Rimme , while also watching the last two episodes of Netflix's Watership Down miniseries. See you there.

Hello again. Thanks to everyone who reached out with concern to me yesterday.

For clarification, I had one particular client who I had a rough time with recently who couldn't decide between two specific copyrighted characters he wanted to TF into, both of whom I was unfamiliar with and not a fan of the source material, and wanted me to come up with a plan on how he'd TF into them. I got frustrated with him, and I preemptively created a new rule specifically to dissuade him.

On reflection, I realize that the crux of the issue was not so much that the TF was into a particular character, but that they were very bad at communicating what they specifically wanted out of the TF, and made it hard for me to be invested in the TF and enjoy working on it. My favorite clients are the ones who can tell me in great detail about their ideal TF and what they love about the subjects they TF into. After several repeated difficulties communicating, I've decided to take a break from working with him for the rest of the year.

So, copyrighted characters are once again permitted. What IS required now, though, is that eeryone who commissions me must now use the Google Forms link provided on my profile or in my journal headers (or in the pending "Commissions Open" submission). That way, most of the necessary information I need will be in there before I decide to accept. If you'd rather not be tracked by Google, it's okay to use an alternative method such as email or PMs, as long as all of the information in the form has been provided.

----

I begin page #75 of AFCAH tonight, at https://picarto.tv/Rimme at 6:30 PM ET. See you then. EDIT: See you at 6:40 PM.

I've debated this for many months now, and I've finally decided to make a commitment: no more commissions of copyrighted characters. If you commission something, it can't be from a movie, TV show, video game, web series, book series, comics, or any other media that is not owned by the commissioner.

Thank you. I'll be doing a raccoon TF tonight at https://picarto.tv/Rimme at 6:30 PM ET.

Sorry for the late notice. Job fair today.

I'll be streaming at https://picarto.tv/Rimme at 6:30 PM tonight. A quick commission for one of my regulars. I'll be raising prices this weekend, so if you want to request a commission before then, fill out the form here.

See you there!

Okay, shading is something that I clearly enjoy doing, but I have to be careful. It made sense that the comic page would take so long to shade, because there's so many different elements to take care of. So why should the kangaroo page have taken as long, despite there only being six bodies on it?

I think I started treating this page like a splash page, with too much detail work and not enough general application. Well, I've already got the hair and legs and some of the arms covered, so it shouldn't take too long to finish this up. Just need to focus on the other arms and the torso, and then add in those backgrounds, and perhaps take some time to fix up the previous two pages. I don't have to go overboard here.

I'll be at https://picarto.tv/Rimme at 6:30 PM ET tonight. See you soon!

As you noticed, there was no stream yesterday. I was up late last night trying to figure out, but never figuring out, how to import a database script into Java (impossible), then how to read a SQL script into a local MySQL instance to be read by Java (too many passwords and permissions to be useful on a modern Windows machine), followed finally by how to run a database service that is portable with a Java program (the key turns out to be an "embedded database system" -- H2 looks most promising because it's native to Java).

Tonight I'll be shading a much simpler world of becoming kangaroos, at https://picarto.tv/Rimme at 6:30 PM ET. See you then

Got some homework done today. Tonight I'll get some coloring of the kangaroo sequence done. No idea yet what I'll listen to.

My mind currently feels like it's in at least four different places at the moment. Sorry if this journal feels a bit disjointed as a result. I had higher hopes for how I'd spend my weekend. Hopefully I can get to bed earlier tonight.

Streaming starts at https://picarto.tv/Rimme at 6:30 PM ET. See you there. (And don't forget to feed the croc, as the werecroc says...)

After this current kangaroo picture, unless I get a commission and I work on that, I'll go and finish phase 1 of AFCAH. And if I get no commissions after that, I'll continue working on the kangaroo sequence.

For some reason, I just get into weird animal TF moods. The cassowary was one of those moods. Today, it's the capybara. Actually, it's more in the form of a commission idea, instead of something I'd do myself. I'm of a mind to hold onto it, and wait for the artist I have in mind to open for commissions. And see if I can save up the money for it. Ah, how easily the TF economy runs around.

So, inking will be at https://picarto.tv/Rimme from 6:30 to 9:00. Although, I do like getting to continue drawing in the evenings (it beats doombrowsing the news sites), so maybe I'll do another hour of drawing at around 11:00 or earlier until bed. See you then!

So it's FebROOary, so while everyone else goes posting kangaroo TF pictures, I will be making kangaroo TF pictures, and then not posting them. Sadly that's just the way things worked out.

I'll be at https://picarto.tv/Rimme , sketching from 6:30 PM ET to around 8:30 PM, and then finishing up from 9:30 PM onward. See you then!

I lost my phone on campus today. Might be on later or not at all while I try to find it. Good thing I have it screen-locked and with emergency numbers. I just have to hope that a stranger does the right thing.

EDIT: All good, it was with the building management office. Stream will commence now!

I stopped the stream earlier last night than usual, and started it back up around 9:30 to finish coloring. The thing is, this page has turned out to be a 2-day coloring project. So even with an additional 2 and a half hour drawing, it still took me another hour and a half today to reach a "finished" coloring state (and even then, there are a number of rough patches here and there).

I will be doing the same thing tonight: streaming at 6:30 PM ET, stopping around 8:00 PM, and then starting again at 9:30 until it is done or I am tired. Most likely I will get tired first... experience has taught that pages with this many colors, and this many panels, is going to take a bit longer to shade.

Tomorrow, I will be starting another kangaroo picture, so if anyone wants to get a commission, Monday would be the soonest I can start on it. Use the link above, or follow the link on my Picarto page here: https://picarto.tv/Rimme . Remember, notes and forms are free! And I'm always open to discussing TF with people!

I gave myself Sunday off, had to focus on homework and recharging. Six days a week is an acceptable working period. As excited as I am for more pages, and more kangaroos (can we make April a kangaroo month too? "Hopril", perhaps?), I also need to pace myself.

I'll be at https://picarto.tv/Rimme at 6:30 PM ET.

I feel like I'd be slightly horrified if I could read into people's minds if I asked them about my AFCAH comic. Not that the criticisms aren't already bouncing around in my head about it being directionless, the characters lacking depth and history or anything relatable (with a handful of exceptions), the lack of emotional investment in the narrative, the lack of up-close transformations (with a couple exceptions)...

I guess ignoring the criticisms, I'm more interested in what, if anything, people ARE interested in. Maybe the mystery of why it happened and who's responsible isn't compelling, or maybe it is. Maybe they're more interested in where the jellybeans came from. Or where Trent came from. Or where those three people got teleported to. Or why hasn't the government stepped in yet. Or if this story has a point and is going to end soon. Or if I'm going to address {super distasteful fact about character here}. Or who Kris or B. Nellis are. (I salute your keen eye if you actually were asking this.)

Most of my attention is on phase 2 by this point. Unlike phase 1, I've had YEARS to rewrite and edit phase 2, and I've got a fairly good idea of what I'll do, as well as which of the above questions to answer. I know (as pretty much everyone already knows) that my art has improved since the beginning. I know I'll be making more mistakes in phase 2, but that's part of the fun -- just so long as there's no writing mistakes.

I'm glad I can ramble in these journals. It saves me (and you) from my rambling below the comic.

Streaming tonight at 6:15 PM ET at https://picarto.tv/Rimme . That's right, a bit earlier to get slightly more inking time in. Those cars are not going to be fun, no sir.

Like all good artists, I will refrain from commenting on the popularity of my last product, and focus entirely on what comes next. And that current next thing is page #74 of A Few Changes Around Here. Sure, the further I go on, the more I see the flaws in my comic, but the nice thing about breaking the story up into "phases" is that I get more control over each individual phase. More specifically, the fact that I've split the setting into two different worlds allows me to obliquely refer to one setting while keeping all of the action and most of the art confined to a more familiar setting. I'm only 2 pages away from the next phase (well, 6 pages actually... more on that when I get there), though, so the time is coming that I will have to worry about consistent worldbuilding.

For now, I get a page full of animals to ink, and a couple environments to draw, at https://picarto.tv/Rimme, at 6:30 PM ET. See you there!

As you could tell by yesterday's journal, I wasn't feeling very great about the progress of coloring from Monday. I wanted a way of coloring plated scales that combined the detail of the longer sequence with the speed of the standalone without sacrificing too much detail. One experiment took too long to implement, so I currently have a mix of both scale methods in this sequence, but at least it's fully ready to shade tonight, at 6:30 PM ET at https://picarto.tv/Rimme

Tomorrow, I won't be able to stream in the evening, due to an exam I have to take at that time. Instead, I will be streaming in the morning, starting at 9:30 AM ET. I'll be working on #74 of AFCAH. Once I finish phase 1, I'm going to devote more time to the kangaroo TF sequence I'm working on in the background, in addition to any commissions I get.

I apologize if my progress is frustrating (fur-strating?) to people. I promise to finish the sequence tonight.