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Artwork Backlog & Lore Updates Resuming!
General | Posted a month ago
Artwork Backlog
I've been making some preparations for my gallery, as lately I've been considering uploading all of my collaboration pieces with 
gallivantcrow over here, rather than just the ones where I take charge in the rendering. I've honestly done a lot of work this year, but a lot of it has been with handling colors and block-ins for the commissions Noct and I work on.
I want to be able to show that work off here too, so I made a decision to go ahead and start uploading the backlog of art I have helped work on. XD I still want to showcase my own rendering / shading skills, but I also want to show off the work I've been doing all year.
But in preparation of that, I've created two new folders to better organize things. These folders are Rune's Rendering and Noct's Rendering. So now there will be dedicated areas to see pieces where I took charge of shading / rendering, and pieces where I only handled the colors while Noct handled the shading / rendering.
Some pieces might be shared to both folders, if Noct and I both contributed shading and rendering to the piece.
I hope you'll all enjoy the art updates coming. :>
Lore Updates
I've been wanting to get back into sharing my worldbuilding lore, and have been mulling over the best way to deliver those updates.
While I do have a World Anvil that people can view articles based on my world, since some of the articles contain NSFW content, it blocks anyone who doesn't have a World Anvil account from viewing it.
I don't really expect most people to bother making a World Anvil account unless you're also into worldbuilding, so I've been considering an alternative place to post lore things regarding my world.
While I have considered just keeping the lore updates to my journals, I feel I also run into the same issue of journals not being able to be locked behind maturity ratings, or tags.
I could always post them as literature posts on FA, but I'm not sure if that's the route I really wanna take. I would honestly love to be able to add artwork in-between text to help break up the text blocks. I know FA recently added support for PDFs but does anyone know if you can put images in them on FA? If so I might look into it as a possibility.
Otherwise, outside of hosting my own website for it (which isn't completely off the table, but I'm not ready to do something like that yet), I could possibly use Toyhouse?
I'll mull over the options for a bit longer, but I'm open to suggestions. I honestly would really love to better show off my world, as while I can share some bits and pieces of it when I upload art, I don't have artwork ready yet for every species or every detail I want to talk about yet. XD
But yeah, those are my updates for now. :>
gallivantcrowCollaboration Explanation
General | Posted 4 months agoI've had a few people ask how gallivantcrow and I handle collaborating on commissions, so I felt it would help to elaborate a bit here. :>
Noct and I have been collaborating with art for about 3 years now.
It started off with me doing flat colors and sometimes laying down some celshaded base shading for Noct to work off of, to help speed up their process.
As time went on, Noct began mentoring me into honing my rendering skills, allowing for me to take charge on the rendering of some pieces.
We've altered our work process a few times to better streamline things, but this is where we're at now:
1. Either Noct or myself comes up with the base sketch / idea for a commission piece. We iron out the base details, clean up sketches, iron out anatomy and then proceed.
2. We decide on who will be "taking charge" of the commission as a whole. Essentially, we decide who will be handling rendering or shading for a piece. The pieces I've uploaded of our collabs are typically the ones where I've taken charge of rendering / shading.
3. Once that is decided on, the one taking the lead will usually handle the inks of the commission. In the past, Noct handled a lot of the scale work themself, but recently I've been doing so myself when I've been taking charge. If the piece is particularly complex or we need a break from working on it, we'll send the file to the other side to take over temporarily, so that work is still done on it, even if one of us needs a break.
4. Colors and "block-ins" are usually done by me on every commission, regardless if I'm taking charge or not. I'll lay down the flat colors, but also make a separate folder for "block-ins", where I separate different body parts, sections of hair, muscle groups, etc. into their own layers, to prepare to make things easier for rendering / shading. This helps to make it easier to have more smooth and seamless rendering, and helps to speed up the process by a significant amount.
5. The rendering or shading stage is done by the one taking charge of the commission. Sometimes we might pass the file to the other side to help with making color adjustments, choosing different gradient maps or filters to get a desired effect, or to make suggestions for changes.
6. Noct is usually the one who takes care of rendering the backgrounds, but there are sometimes ones where I do it myself, or I lay down the base foundation for them to work with. It just depends. Usually bigger, more complex sceneries are handled by Noct entirely.
And that's it! That's how we handle our collaborations. XD
The pieces you see in this folder are all the ones where I took charge of the shading / rendering part. Otherwise, I'm mostly helping with flat colors, block-ins, and color adjustments when Noct is taking charge.
Now, onto another thing, as some people have asked me about this:
I am not looking for new collaboration partners for business.
I am willing to do fun collaborations with mutuals only, where we might draw each other's characters, and then color each other's linework. But as far as business goes, I'm currently not interested in working with any other artist.
Perhaps that may change in the future, but this is where I'm at right now.
Hopefully that clears up some things!
Lore Updates: Species Name Changes
General | Posted 5 months agoHey, I haven't done one of these in a while. XD
I've been doing a lot of worldbuilding lately with gallivantcrow, and one of the major changes we did involved some of my characters changing species, particularly with hybridization.
While appearance-wise they generally look the same as they have been, their species names have been adjusted to differentiate them from the others better.
So here's the updates! :>
Austaryia-Rhen's species is now called Tryl'liuhm.
So by all technicality, yes, she is still a Sidériah and Wienavar hybrid, but the inclusion of two other species in her lineage, I didn't want her species name to get too long. So it's been condensed to this. XD
Serilith and Avaklavir are now called Nephae'astari.
Again, still technically Sidériah, but they have been changed to be hybrids now between a Sidériah and Armoris.
Ahrahten, Herikaté, and Kaernos are now called Auphanitajiuhm.
These are a type of ascended Sidériah.
Panasya's species is now called Arakitaryis.
They are still an Umbréah and Sidériah hybrid, but like Rhen, they also have two other species included in them. But they are technically still different from Rhen, so they get their own species name now. XD
Art Fight!
General | Posted 6 months agoArt Fight is nearing! I'm still working on drawing and updating a lot of character refs, but I'm looking forward to participating for the full event this year. XD
Last year I was only able to join in about half-way through the event, so this year I hope to do a lot more. :}
If you wanna follow me on Art Fight, you can do so here:
https://artfight.net/~RunicIllusionist
Also, drop your own pages down below if you're planning on participating this year!
I'll draw any species, gender, body type. Feral, anthro, or humanoid. Doesn't matter do me.
But I do have a soft spot for unique humanoid designs. ;v;
General Updates | Health Things
General | Posted 7 months agoIt's been a while since I've done a general update. So I figured I'll give one here now.
As some of you might already be aware, I've been dealing with an ongoing medical issue involving pain and a few other concerning symptoms.
I was able to finally get a new primary care doctor back in March, and have been undergoing a lot of blood tests (we had some difficulties that required multiple visits).
My results are back in, but we still don't have a complete answer for what is wrong with me.
The only concrete thing we've discovered thus far is that I am pretty deficient in vitamin D, but I've been taking supplements to combat that now.
The other thing we've discovered is that my body has been actively fighting something, but we don't know what yet.
Could be an infection of some sort, could be auto-immune, could be other concerning things. We still don't have answers.
I'm still waiting to hear back to find out what our next step is going to be.
I'm still working on art, but at a slower pace to not stress my body out too much.
The pain fluctuates. Some days are better than others, but I'm doing my best to work where I can.
I appreciate any patience regarding this. Hopefully we'll get answers and a proper treatment plan soon.
That's all I have to update for now. Until next time! :>Free Art Raffle On My Bluesky!
General | Posted 9 months agoTo celebrate reaching 1k on bluesky, I'm holding a free art raffle over there!
If you're interested in entering, the information for it is here:
https://bsky.app/profile/runicillus...../3lklzu7eums2a
You just have to be a follower, share the post, and comment your ref in the post!
I do check to make sure you are doing all three, so be sure you do so!
Farewell 2024
General | Posted 11 months agoI'll be honest, while the first part of this year was kinda shite with me getting Covid on my birthday and my hard drive failing in April, this year was honestly still a lot kinder to me than last year.
I'm pretty grateful for that, as I feel I've needed a break for a while now. Things are starting to look up more.
I'll finally be getting a new doctor, after spending the past two years trying to find someone who was willing to take new patients.
Though I won't be seeing them until the end of March, it's at least something.
I have been dealing with some physical pains, primarily in my hands, but I'm hoping to finally be getting the help I need come March.
Unfortunately, the hand pain is slowing me down with my art. I'm taking some time off to try to give my hands a chance to heal and hopefully have the pain go away on its own.
Other than that, this year was not too bad, as far as things with my personal life go.
Noct and I managed to knock out almost the entirety of their commission backlog, meaning we'll be able to take more regular commissions soon.
I've improved a lot with my art, and am feeling happier with my rendering and celshading skills.
I finally set up my own website this year to act as a portfolio.
While there have been some issues with my health this year, everything else has been going pretty well. I'm grateful for that.
To all of you, I hope you have a happy new year. :>
Hopefully, the next year won't be completely catastrophic.
A Guide For Newbies On Bluesky
General | Posted a year agoWell, since Twitter is being well... Twitter again...
I figured I might help lend a hand to those who are trying to navigate how to use Bluesky, so here's a quick rundown to help get you started:
- Bluesky does not penalize you for using hashtags, tagging users, writing the word "commission", or linking off site. You are free! Use your hashtags! They are what help you to get into the user-made feeds!
- Remember, there is no algorithm. You dictate that yourself with what feeds you are following. There are tons of art and other special interest feeds.
- USE YOUR HASHTAGS. They are not only useful with getting into the feeds, but people can search all related posts on your profile to easily find your art, by clicking on the hashtag and selecting "see posts by user". Tags like #art, #furry, and #oc are very common in art feeds.
- Look for other artists creating art shares! Share them if you see them. Remember to interact and retweet.
- Moderation lists are a godsend for filtering out AI trash and other annoyances. You can subscribe to them and either mute or fully block any account on these lists.
- Starter Packs are user-made lists that can recommend people for you to follow. If you see a "Starter Pack" tab on a user's profile, check it out! You might find some new folks you want to follow!
USEFUL LINKS:
How to create your own art feed - https://bsky.app/profile/spiritcrow...../3kvk4tml3fo2f
Art feed collection (with hashtags to join in) - https://bsky.app/profile/wanderling...../3l4pqakmiky26
How to join the furry art feeds - https://bsky.app/profile/furryli.st...../3l6pu5zfxqe26
Skyfollower Bridge Addon | To find the folks you follow on twitter over on bluesky - https://chromewebstore.google.com/d.....nfdojpko?pli=1 | https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sky-follower-bridge/
MODERATION LISTS:
Mutes or blocks all accounts on these lists.
Content Scrapers - https://bsky.app/profile/franzanth....../3jzmevbfqkj2u
AI Garbage - https://bsky.app/profile/humbledadg...../3klb7sfjwen2l
Commission Bots - https://bsky.app/profile/rayday.bsk...../3kz36mhnaes2t
AI/NFT/Crypto - https://bsky.app/profile/rayday.bsk...../3jxwojift2y2n
Enbyphobia Block List - https://bsky.app/profile/asukafield...../3kxgsu5xsqp2d
Transphobia Block LIst - https://bsky.app/profile/asukafield...../3kxgswdhntl2l
MODERATION LABELERS:
Subscribing to these puts a label under usernames helping to hide posts from them, or to warn you about them.
AI Imagery Labeler - https://bsky.app/profile/aimod.social (Can warn you if a post is AI, or if someone uses AI images)
Profile Labeler - https://bsky.app/profile/profile-la.....bossett.social (Can warn you if an account is new, among other things.)
Transphobia Labeler - https://bsky.app/profile/asukafield.xyz
Hope this helps out!
I figured I might help lend a hand to those who are trying to navigate how to use Bluesky, so here's a quick rundown to help get you started:
- Bluesky does not penalize you for using hashtags, tagging users, writing the word "commission", or linking off site. You are free! Use your hashtags! They are what help you to get into the user-made feeds!
- Remember, there is no algorithm. You dictate that yourself with what feeds you are following. There are tons of art and other special interest feeds.
- USE YOUR HASHTAGS. They are not only useful with getting into the feeds, but people can search all related posts on your profile to easily find your art, by clicking on the hashtag and selecting "see posts by user". Tags like #art, #furry, and #oc are very common in art feeds.
- Look for other artists creating art shares! Share them if you see them. Remember to interact and retweet.
- Moderation lists are a godsend for filtering out AI trash and other annoyances. You can subscribe to them and either mute or fully block any account on these lists.
- Starter Packs are user-made lists that can recommend people for you to follow. If you see a "Starter Pack" tab on a user's profile, check it out! You might find some new folks you want to follow!
USEFUL LINKS:
How to create your own art feed - https://bsky.app/profile/spiritcrow...../3kvk4tml3fo2f
Art feed collection (with hashtags to join in) - https://bsky.app/profile/wanderling...../3l4pqakmiky26
How to join the furry art feeds - https://bsky.app/profile/furryli.st...../3l6pu5zfxqe26
Skyfollower Bridge Addon | To find the folks you follow on twitter over on bluesky - https://chromewebstore.google.com/d.....nfdojpko?pli=1 | https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/sky-follower-bridge/
MODERATION LISTS:
Mutes or blocks all accounts on these lists.
Content Scrapers - https://bsky.app/profile/franzanth....../3jzmevbfqkj2u
AI Garbage - https://bsky.app/profile/humbledadg...../3klb7sfjwen2l
Commission Bots - https://bsky.app/profile/rayday.bsk...../3kz36mhnaes2t
AI/NFT/Crypto - https://bsky.app/profile/rayday.bsk...../3jxwojift2y2n
Enbyphobia Block List - https://bsky.app/profile/asukafield...../3kxgsu5xsqp2d
Transphobia Block LIst - https://bsky.app/profile/asukafield...../3kxgswdhntl2l
MODERATION LABELERS:
Subscribing to these puts a label under usernames helping to hide posts from them, or to warn you about them.
AI Imagery Labeler - https://bsky.app/profile/aimod.social (Can warn you if a post is AI, or if someone uses AI images)
Profile Labeler - https://bsky.app/profile/profile-la.....bossett.social (Can warn you if an account is new, among other things.)
Transphobia Labeler - https://bsky.app/profile/asukafield.xyz
Hope this helps out!
Commissions OPEN! [Chibis + Busts]
General | Posted a year agoGlad FA is back in its rightful hands. :>
I am currently open for a few slots for commissions! Currently for chibis and celshade busts!
If you're interested, please check out my Ko-fi shop here:
https://ko-fi.com/runicillusionist/commissions
Hard Drive Failure
General | Posted a year agoYeah, I got a nasty surprise last night when I went to install an Nvidia driver update, restarted my computer, and then come to find that my main storage hard drive, the one that holds all of my important files, decided to fail. No warning, no grinding noises, no clicking, just dead.
Unfortunately, I lost a LOT of important and sentimental files. Especially family photos of my late father that I have no avenue of getting back. I also lost almost all PSD files for my personal art and for my commissions. Thankfully the commissions are already *done*, but it still sucks to lose those files. As for the personal art, I lost a lot of progress on three big pieces I was working on. Thankfully I have screenshots to work off of to rebuild the files, but I have to re-ink them first.
It sucks, and I'm still upset about it, but my husband has been working to try to recover the data. It's been no use. No recovery program has worked, nor can the PCs even properly detect the drive half the time.
While my husband is still trying to do what he can to see if there is some way to save the data, the outlook is pretty grim. If he can't get it, I doubt any data recovery service is going to get it either. Plus, I don't want to drop $550 - $700 on something that may not work. Nor can I even afford it if it does.
So, I have to accept that those files are just *gone*.
Thankfully there are some files I have been able to recover, due to having back ups in other places, but there is still a significant chunk that is just gone for good.
I have a replacement hard drive now, so I will be able to work. It just sucks that this happened right when I was planning on replacing that hard drive soon anyway. Not that it was giving me any warning or anything. Just more so I had an inkling I should do it soon. I just couldn't get the funds in time.
Just. Weh.
EDIT: I appreciate the suggestions, truly. But I am getting a lot of the same suggestions repeated to me in multiple places, so for now, I'll disable comments.
I'll just say again, even if data recovery is still an option, I cannot afford it, even at the lower-priced estimate right now. I'm currently not in a position to be able to drop money on that, and even if I had the money on hand, I have other things going on that kind of take priority over this. It's just not financially possible for me right now when I have other things that are technically more important.
This journal is more so to vent, but to also alert my clients that if for some reason they need certain old commission files from me, those files may no longer be available. Trust me when I say I am exploring every avenue I can to try to get the data back, but I just can't afford data recovery right now. I just can't.
Thank you.
I Now Have A Website!
General | Posted a year agoI finally have a proper website now to act as my portfolio. :>
https://runicillusionist.com/
It mostly has just my most recent works on there right now, but I intend to continue working hard to fill out my portfolio. :>
But you can find everything from my ToS there, to my prices, and also ways to support or contact me. :>
I'll also be opening up for some commissions sometime in mid-April. So keep an eye out for when slots will open! :D
That's all for now!
Updates - Covid
General | Posted 2 years agoJust wanted to give a general update here, since I haven't yet.
My birthday was on the 19th, however, I ended up having a very rough one, as I ended up getting Covid.
Husband had unfortunately caught it a few days prior.
We were both vaccinated, which I feel mitigated the worst of all of this, but it's still been very unpleasant.
Either way, expect art progress to be slow while I recover. The worst of it's over, but while I am feeling better than I was, I am still definitely not recovered yet.
I will still work on commissions when I have the energy to. I'm chipping away at it when I can. But I ask for some patience.
That's all for now. I hope everyone else is doing well.
Worldbuilding Things And Other News
General | Posted 2 years agoI figured I would give kinda a general update, both personal and worldbuilding related.
First off, I am starting to get back into doing more art and getting back to work.
The past month in particular was a bit rough, as I had a flare up from one of my medical conditions that put me in a lot of pain.
I'm alright now, but it threw me off my groove pretty bad. I'm only just now starting to get back into the swing of things.
I took off for the holidays to let my health sort itself out, while also just taking a moment to recharge.
The winter is usually the worst time of the year for me for a variety of reasons. So things may be slow, but I'll be working where I can, as much as my body can handle.
Second, I have been doing a lot more worldbuilding with my good friend and co-conspirator, gallivantcrow. :}
A lot of changes have been made, and I've been feeling more comfortable and confident with going the more alien route with my characters.
I think I've always been worried that people might find them a bit weird, but honestly, I think as I'm getting older, I'd rather just worry about being satisfied with what I am making for myself.
So yes, there might be a lot of "strange" changes coming to my characters and species, but it has its place in my world and story.
My characters are not humans. They are aliens. And I really want to hit that feeling home.
So most of my characters are getting physical overhauls and changes to their anatomy.
Some are going to be a bit more drastic than others. But I am trying to find that point where I am happy with my character's designs.
The more my story and world has been evolving, the more my cast and the creatures on my worlds have needed to evolve with it.
I'm excited to get to work on it. I want to do a bit of catching up with commission work, but soon, I plan on shifting focus to working on my headworld.
In any case, I hope everyone is doing well, and that your holidays were enjoyable. :>
That's all for now!
I have 5 Bluesky Invites for anyone who wants one!
General | Posted 2 years agoIf you're still looking to get onto Bluesky and need an invite, leave me a comment here and I'll note you with a code!
I currently have 5 invite codes.
I'm more than happy to hand them out.
If I run out, you can leave a comment and I'll come back to check this journal to send out codes as I get my hands on them. :>
New Beginnings, And New Year
General | Posted 2 years agoFirst off, thank you to everyone who followed me over from my old account!
I have been needing this fresh start for a while, and I was tired of waiting for username changes to be a thing here.
But I digress.
I am still in the process of uploading my old artwork over here. But you may notice a lot of my personal character art is missing from these uploads.
I'm actually working on reworking the anatomy and design of most of my characters and species.
So since most of my characters are undergoing design changes, I felt it would be best to not reupload the old stuff.
I know it seems like I have been doing that a lot lately, but I am trying to get my species and characters to a point where I am really satisfied with them.
One of the things I really want to push is the fact that my cast are aliens.
I have been doing a lot of worldbuilding in the background. Reworking things to where I want them to be.
From cultures and social norms to anatomy and design, there is a lot of things that will be changing.
But I am excited to really embrace the alien nature of my characters.
In any case, I hope everyone has a better year with 2024. I'm certainly hoping so myself.
I admit, it's been a very rough year this year. But I'm trying to remain positive and hope that next year will be better.
Hope you all enjoy your holidays!
By the way, commission work will be resuming after new years. :>
