There is an awful lot I would like to say about Anthrocon. Because I have a limited amount of time, I can't mention everyone or everything I'd like specifically. So, here's the gist of it:

I felt like I had no business being at Anthrocon 2012. I hadn't planned to be in the artist alley, let alone being in attendance. Thanks to the invitation and fellowship of and I was smoothly assimilated into the world's largest furry convention.

My first big surprise was meeting my fans and previous clients. The idea of someone being excited about my work in person was foreign to me, but I experienced it several times over the convention.

The second big surprise was discovering that all my clients were people that could be considered my friends. They were all related, somehow. Every single one of my clients seemed to be very nice and interesting people. No creeps, no assholes.

My entry into the Artist Alley couldn't have been less thrown together. I had less than stellar prints to advertise, a shortage of business cards, and next to no signage ready, and only joined the tables whenever somebody had left for the day. All that behind me, by the end of the convention I was met with thirteen images in my commission queue.

The highlight of the entire convention was in the final evening, when some of my most respected artists on FA (and some new favourites!) were at the same corner of The Zoo together, doing art trades with each other. Leaving that place was absolutely tragic.

There's so much more to unpack, but I'll end it with this: If you ever said hello to me, talked to me, or drew with me, or ate with me, thank you for being so kind. I am glad that together we are friends and artists, and I can't wait to see you next year. I'll be shooting for a dealer's den. I'll have a badge with my character on it, and I'll be extremely excited to see you all again.

Thanks, all. c:

Just an update for easy reference:


Where will you be?
I'll be running around Pittsburgh in the wee hours of the morning and be flipping out everywhere else the rest of the time.

[b]Where are you staying?
The Westin Hotel

Who will you be with?
 bloodshot23  toulouse  coyox  cannedtalent and  sijet.

How old are you?
23

Can I talk to you?
Please do! I'd love to be your friend in real life. But please be sensitive to the fact that I forget names and faces.

Can I buy you a drink?
I don't need your charity! Just kidding, I'm ridiculously poor.

Are you taken?
Very. I'm engaged.

Can I touch you?
Within reason?

Can I hug you?
Yes?

What do you look like?
6' 1", 160lb, pale, gaunt face, giant eyes, short light brown hair.
Proof.


Are you nice? Or do you think so (no personal references needed)?
Yes. Not being nice is something I only reserve for my friends.

Are you friendly?
I trust people too much. Help me.

How long are you going?
From Thursday morning until Monday morning.

Can I talk about/do drugs in front of you?
I'm not too staunch about that, just don't let me smell like an ashtray/Moody Blues concert.

Can I invite you out for food/fun/etc?
I don't see why not.

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
It's a case by case basis, you silly furry!

Can I give you stuff?
Yes, but why?

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
-Stigmata
-Jonathan
-Sandy (it's a long story)

You can use "stigmata" if it makes things less awkward at first, or if it's just easier for you, but I enjoy using real names. :)



_{Hahah, my inner child is going to be dragged out back and doubletapped.}

How to get commissions:

I may not be the most qualified person to write this journal. Plenty of other artists on this site alone are far more popular than I am. I'm just going to share my experiences and see if any of them help you:


1) Never sell yourself short.

All of  ChrisGoodwin's journals are amazing, but this one in particular I've shared the most. It breaks down how much you should probably expect to charge for an your commissions. Nothing complicated, just common sense. When I tell artists to price appropriately, sometimes they think it's just a pipe-dream, or that it's only a nice idea on paper. What they don't understand is what an emotional comfort it is to know you're working for something appropriately priced. It almost changes your performance—seriously!

I understand if you're just trying to get your bearings in this commissioning endeavor, but that's what loose sketches are for. Don't charge at a loss. Just get faster at drawing. If you're not commissionable yet, spend time practicing, not underselling yourself. Just try to set goals and be intentional about completing them.



2) Under-promise, then over-deliver.

I don't do this as much as I should, but here's the basic idea: Share believable and appropriate goals with clients, be it a deadline or a level of detail. Then knock it out of the park. There's no reason why the artist and client can't both be pleasantly surprised every time.



3) Build up a good reputation

3a) Keep your standards moving up.
I've had a handful of images that took me forever to complete, standards of excellence that I didn't meet, and other things that, in general are negative. The majority of those things are years behind me. Most people discovering me now have never even looked at my older commissions, and all they know is that I do a decent job at communicating, being on time, and staying busy.

3b) Let the client know what to expect.
I only accept payment up front. I don't like doing the half-now-half-later thing unless I'm dealing with a big pricetag (super rare for me). Why do clients have no problem paying me up front? Because over… let me count here… 100+ images in my gallery that prove that I'm not that big of a flake. Will you get your image on time? Probably. Will you like the image? Probably.


4) Be on time. Be on time. BE ON TIME.

Real life happens to me all the time. Sometimes I tell clients the image will be ready in three days but it ends up taking two weeks. If real life happens, let them know. They paid you. Don't be a chump and leave them hanging. That can be a bit disappointing to confront with a client, but you need to swallow your pride and send that email anyway. The only times I fail to do this are when I outright forget, but I label my emails to keep this to a minimum.

The saddest part is that most clients are used to waiting months and months on sketches without hearing anything. If you just exhibit some basic courtesies in this area clients are usually blown away.


5) Nail your subject matter.

This doesn't need to turn into a satire on how popular porn is. You guys get that. In contrast, if you do something that isn't popular, you need to be good at it. My work is weird. Some people describe it as "not actually furry art", "actually real art"—whatever the hell that means—abstracted, etc…. Those aren't the most popular of things on FA. But what I've found is that plenty of other artists on FA have similar goals to me. My earlier inspirations were  kaji,  kamui  fabercastel  ssirrus and  tragelaphus. You know what those guys have in common? They're pretty damn good at what they do. You need to find the best artists on the site (mostly through the favourites of good artists—and ask yourself, "Why is this good? Why does my stuff look embarrassing next to theirs?" Those are questions I'm still asking all the time. Why do my favourite artists still make me look like crap? It's a beautiful thing.



This list is subject to change. I'm sure I typed a lot of hypocritical or inaccurate stuff. Feel free to call me out on it and we'll get a good list going here eventually! :P

Because of the generosity of  Toulouse,  Bloodshot23,  Coyox, et al, I'll be in attendance of this year's Anthrocon! Thank you, folks!

Where will you be?
The hell if I know. Anywhere between The Zoo and the Pittsburgh strip district, I guess. I haven't been to Pittsburgh in yeeeeears!

Where are you staying?
Westin Hotel, apparently. Hahaha, I can't believe I'm going. This is so surreal.

Who will you be with?
 bloodshot23  toulouse  coyox  cannedtalent and  sijet .

How old are you?
23

Can I talk to you?
Please do! I'd love to be your friend in real life. c:

Can I buy you a drink?
I don't need your charity! Just kidding, I'm ridiculously poor.

Are you taken? Are you looking for a 'mate'?
Very. I'm engaged.

Can I touch you?
Within reason?

Can I touch your friends?
Woah, I don't even know their real names yet.

Can I hug you?
Yes?

What do you look like?
6' 1", 160lb, pale, gaunt face, giant eyes, short light brown hair. Just like everyone else!

Are you nice? Or do you think so (no personal references needed)?
Yes. Not being nice is something I only reserve for my friends.

Are you friendly?
I trust people too much. Help me.

How long are you going?
From Thursday until Sunday, I believe.

Can I talk about/do drugs in front of you?
I'm not too staunch about that, just don't let me smell like an ashtray.

Can I invite you out for food/fun/etc?
I don't see why not.

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
It's a case by case basis, you silly furry!

Can I give you stuff?
Yes, but why?

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
-Stigmata
-Jonathan
-Sandy (it's a long story)

You can use "stigmata" if it makes things less awkward at first, but I enjoy using real names. :)


_{Hahah, my inner child is going to be dragged out back and doubletapped.}




ROLL CALL! I remember last year there were a handful of people that were hoping to meet me at AC. Are you guys still going to be there?

Yes, I eventually I mailed out those ink drawings from the Metal Gear Ink Series! You should all get them within three to five days. If anything, an up-close look will help you appreciate that I am a slightly more competent digital artist than an analog one!

Thanks again for your patience. :)

A sickness has made doing my assignments more difficult than I'd like to admit. This coming week will be the first before I start training for Starbucks. While the +40 hours of work per week will impede art time, I'm certain it will allow me to continue to appreciate my free time while simultaneously fulfilling the stereotype of an artist working at Starbucks.

Recently I reached over 3,000 watcher here. I'm certain most of those accounts are not active, but the thought that ±3,000 people at one point wanted to see what art I'd be up to in the future is so very humbling! Thank you for your continued support. The appreciation I've received on this site has been very edifying, and my commissions have continued to save my butt from the grip of college loan sharks time and time again. The full-time job should put an end to most of those concerns, but we'll see.

To those who are waiting to receive your original ink drawings from the Metal Gear Commissions last year, thank you for your patience! The only reason you have not received them yet is my laziness. Mowing the lawn and mailing physical things are my two forms of kryptonite. In evidence of how much I hate mailing things: When I was commissioned by  krhainos I learned he was a forty-five minute drive away from me. I delivered the ink drawing to his door so I wouldn't have to mail it. I am an awful person. I hope I combine the resolve necessary to mail those out soon.

I have exciting news for my clients and watchers. I will be publishing my Mythology series to art directors across Blizzard, Fantasy Flight, WotC, Hasbro, D&D, etc…! Before this happens, I will be polishing the characters in my images to a higher standard of detail. The set will look more professional and cohesive!

Wait, why do I care? What does this mean?

-New images in this style will look more badass.
-Images previously paid for will get an update, with the new high res images resent upon request.
-The gaming and commercial fantasy art world will see YOUR characters. Dayamn!

Without further ado, here is the run down:


I'd like to do a series of your characters in the style of classic mythology, Eastern, Western, anything in between. I've got a tick to do some patterns and clothing on characters., …aaaand I'm practically broke. :)

Here is an example of what you'd get. You'll get a high res image (4000x4000px) suitable for gigantic printing, all up in your house.

Price: 150USD, Paypal. Please include your FA name in Payment notes.

Email: wahay4u (at) gmail (dotcom) Send me character refs, and then go onto Flickr or Google images and find me some good animal photos (so I can spend less time looking online and more time drawing).

Thanks, guys. I look forward to working with you soon!

Hey, everyone! Here's some updates from my weekend. This'll explain why my Mythological commissions haven't been completed yet:

-I got fired from my job (my managers are immature and poor communicators—I didn't do anything wrong).
-I put all my loans on deferment.
-I was a victim of identity theft.
-I went to my grandfather's funeral.
-Two of my best friends revealed that they want to separate their marriage.
-I drove to Indiana.
-I almost got struck by lightning on the way back.
-I picked up Burne Hogarth's figure drawing book, and am tearing through that bad boy.

To be honest, I feel no need for sympathy, as I'm in relatively good spirits. The girlfriend/fiancée/whatever she is put a lot into perspective for me. You should pick up one of those for yourself, if you haven't already.

In closing, thanks to all of my new watchers! I'm glad my Mythology series is so well-received. As I save for loans, dowry, and a new place to live, please note that your desire to collaborate with me is a blessing each and every time I receive it. You guys are so damn cool. :)

I'd like to do a series of your characters in the style of classic mythology, Eastern, Western, anything in between. I've got a tick to do some patterns and clothing on characters., …aaaand I'm practically broke. :)

Here is an example of what you'd get. You'll get a high res image (4000x4000px) suitable for gigantic printing, all up in your house.

Price: 120USD, Paypal. Please include your FA name

Email: wahay4u (at) gmail (dotcom) Send me character refs, and then go onto Flickr or Google images and find me some good animal photos (so I can spend less time looking online and more time drawing).

Thanks, guys. I look forward to working with you soon!

I definitely want to go.

Uh… now what?

Is it worth it to get an artist alley table, or is my stuff too niche for that? I've done other art conventions before, but I'm flying blind here.

I feel loads better. My time in Canton had many ups and downs, but after almost a month I was able to strengthen many relationships before my return home. I will spend New Years with my girlfriend in Cincinnati, but after that it's business as usual.

My current projects:

-MGS ink commissions
-Misc. private commissions
-Black and white sketches (I want to publish a collection this year)


Relating to commissions…

The last few styles I did will be making a comeback, but the prices will change: I was drawing at a loss to encourage more traffic.
Please keep a look out for the Cracked Sepia, Chaotic Figure, Ink Drop, and MGS ink styles to be available in the immediate future, for an extremely limited time.

Thank you folks for your continued support. I draw as a service to others, so it's good to be utilized and appreciated. :3

Life update at the bottom.

Just in time for Christmas, here's what the MGS Ink Commission will get you:

• Your character looking like a badass
• Completed image done in India Ink and Photoshop
• The physical ink image mailed to your place of residence
• A high-res image so large that you could print it over 8ft tall*?


Price is 75USD, Paypal
12/6 EDIT: These take longer than expected, so I'm upping the cost to 75. I promise it'll be worth it. :)

No notes, please. It's easier for me to keep organized through email.

Please send inquiries and references to wahay4u (at) gmail (dotcom)




*Approx. 4000x4000px image. Ask your local print shop—they can do some crazy stuff with that size!


LIFE UPDATE:

I'm back to doing art again. Against the throws of depression I've pulled myself back up, with thanks due to my friends (that includes you, probably!) and family— they are all being very accommodating. After this commission style will be a newer, more time-intensive style that I hope people enjoy. It's not going to be cheap, but it is going to be my coolest and most challenging style yet.

Finding a regular job at this point in my life is impossible, as I'm in limbo between two cities, so please keep my commissions on your mind whenever someone is looking. Thanks, it's much appreciated. c:

12/13 EDIT:
I apologize for the miscommunication. In response to my calling suicide selfish: I'd never call a person experiencing those tendencies "selfish". I find the act itself to be selfish. (I've read suicide notes where the act wasn't selfish, but that's for another time.) The urge to commit it is altogether different—it is final, and it is contained. Directing anger towards and referring to someone who has already committed suicide as a selfish individual is also not going to help matters, and I already appreciate that.

Thanks to those looking out for my best interests. You guys are all right, you know that?

Personal details. Hope this serves as educational:

Got back from calling hours for my friend. Besides her ex-boyfriend, I'm the only one that knew she was suicidal. She was so excellent at acting that everyone else connected to her was caught off guard. It will be years before we can pick up most of the pieces.

I know suicide is a destructive thing, but this particular scenario is more intense than I could have imagined. Her boyfriend and I were the only ones who knew of her suicidal tendencies, so going through it has been hell. He also believed she was his soul mate. After dealing with accusations from the police, his battles are far from over.

If you read this and you have a friend dealing with grief, take these words to heart:

Do not offer platitudes. If you aren't close, offer your condolences in person (if you must) before giving as much space as possible. If you're the one dealing with any dire issue that makes you tire of living, never commit suicide. It's so damn selfish. As long as someone on this planet loves you you owe it to them to never give up. Life isn't a battle you fight by yourself, and I wish my friend knew that before she destroyed the world around her. I'm glad she has it easy now, but it's not justified.

Thanks to the kind words in the previous entry. I read each one, and I appreciate you folks very much!

There is no easy way to say this. I'll try to keep it sincere:

One of my friends committed suicide this morning. I'll manage fine. I know what I have to do.

I apologize for a delay in my shipping and general workflow. In hubris I will try to distract myself either by doing commission work or trying less productive outlets, like Dark Souls or perhaps audiobooks.

Commissions are still open.

Thanks for reading. You guys take care.

-Stigmata

Just in time for Christmas, here's what the MGS Ink Commission will get you:

• Your character looking like a badass
• Completed image done in India Ink and Photoshop
• The physical ink image mailed to your place of residence
• A high-res image so large that you could print it over 8ft tall*?


Price is 75USD, Paypal
12/6 EDIT: These take longer than expected, so I'm upping the cost to 75. I promise it'll be worth it. :)

No notes, please. It's easier for me to keep organized through email.

Please send inquiries and references to wahay4u (at) gmail (dotcom)




*Approx. 4000x4000px image. Ask your local print shop—they can do some crazy stuff with that size!

My most recent commission received a lot of positive feedback, so I figure it served as a better example than the first one. I admit that Icono's image is more concrete and emotive than the older image.

Icono was adventurous-enough to shoot for this style, so I'm hoping others will be as well…

New deadline is Tuesday, November 15th. Still 40USD Paypal.

Note me with character and actual animal references for best results before paying. Thanks in advance—we're going to have fun with this thing!

Because you guys need to know more about me?

…

Well,  weazal, I hope you're happy. I wouldn't do this for just anyone.


RULES
01. You must post these rules.
02. Each person must post 11 things about themselves in their journal.
03. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and create eleven new questions for the people you tag to answer.
04. You have to choose 11 people to tag and post their icons on your journal.
05. Go to their page and tell them you have tagged him/her.
06. No tag backs.
07. No stuff in the tagging section about "you are tagged if you are reading this." Unless you're Stigmata and you don't want to tag eleven people because Weazal tagged anyone you'd want to tag.

ABOUT ME:
1) I want to stand in the middle of Henderson Island.

2) When I was little I hated musical segments in Disney movies. I thought it broke the natural flow of the world and found it patronizing that someone thought children would find that amusing.

3) My friends are best. Sorry, your friends, you're not as awesome as my friends.

4) I am a Christian. No sentiment here—it's a wild ride and I love every second of it.

5) Before you get on your guard, I'm apparently a liberal Christian because I acknowledge that gay marriage is constitutional and that even The Counsel of Carthage didn't know who wrote the Gospel of John or the book of Revelation. Feel better?

6) I want to go to Anthrocon. I want to sell art and meet cool people on FA. Someone go with me, please. 3:

7) My favourite musical genre is rap.

8) I was a favourite among my profs, but they unanimously agree that I was one of the worst students they ever had.

9) I hate when people wear their hearts on their sleeves.

10) I constantly forget that people have parents that aren't divorced.

11) When shit goes down I dress up.


QUESTIONS FROM THE TAGGER:

01. What do you miss most about your childhood?
That was a dark time that I do not miss.

02. If you had the money and time, where would you travel to first and why?
I'd take my girlfriend to Ghana. We've been wanting to go there for some time, and she's very homesick. Taking an African girl back to meet her family there is also the next sign of commitment in a relationship before engagement.

03. Most people aren't furry. Something special in our lives let us be ok with it. What specifically was it for you?
I decided to try to understand myself better, and [eventually] didn't give a damn what people thought of my subject matters in my art.

04. What's something you wish more people would do?
Be curious. If more people were naturally curious it would improve their lives dramatically.

05. If you woke up as an honest-to-god anthro character, exactly how you'd want, but everything else in the world stayed the same. What do you do in the first 24 hours?
I'd probably take reference photos first. You'd get killed if you left the house—at least here in the midwest—unless it was Halloween.

06. What is your biggest struggle?
Trying to be a commercially successful artist is extremely difficult. I have to deny feelings of inadequacy on a daily basis. And after my art is established as a commodity I know I'll be fighting against that too. I will be fighting the occasional swell of inadequacy for the rest of my life, and my future family will have to deal with that as well.

07. If benevolent aliens came to Earth and said only you could come with them to see the wonders of the Universe, but you could never return, would you go?
I would only go if I got to share my experience with others and if no one else was able to do it in my stead.

08. What's the spookiest/most-unexplainable thing that's ever happened to you?
I had an out of body experience after a bike crash. Beyond that there are many things I chalk up to spiritual matters that are too personal/debatable for me to bother sharing online.

09. Favorite dessert?
Caffé Affogato, with liqueur
Or Jeni's Splendid Icecreams

10. Favorite Disney hand animated movie?
Lion King, although it wasn't strictly animated by hand. I don't care much for the older pieces.

11. If you got $20 million dollars, what do you do with it and your life?
Save and invest it after consult my friends, then never tell anyone else. My first priority is keeping it from changing who I am.


QUESTIONS FOR ANYONE READING WITH TIME ON THEIR HANDS:

1. When were you most disappointed in yourself?

2. What is a guilty pleasure of yours?

3. Is there any object from your childhood you still appreciate?

4. What is something popular that you can't understand?

5. How are you doing today? Don't say "good" or "fine". That doesn't mean anything.

6. When was the last time you were surprised in a public place?

7. What was the last piece of art (painting, music, game, etc…) that had a profound affect on you?

8. Have any irrational fears?

9. What is the most physically painful moment of your life?

10. What is your favourite thing about yourself?

11. I'll buy you lunch today. What would you like?

TAGGING:
 fabercastel  thewielder  solidasp  pseudomanitou  artdecade  paperplane  paperfang

I wasn't able to go to IlluXCon this year, after a long time of prep and excitement, after a sickness brought me out of commission.

Speaking of commissions, I think I'll move on to a new style—I haven't gotten a commission yet, so I'll close the ink style by tomorrow, Friday the 4th.

Thanks for all the faves and watches, guys. Your support is appreciated. :)

Want your character's portrait in this style?
You'll get a high res image (around 3500px on one side—SO BIG!) to print however big you'd like.

Note me with references. Total is 40USD, Paypal only.

After Monday, October 31st, these commissions will close, permanently!

Thanks to those that commissioned me already. Each endeavor has been met with satisfaction! Woohoo!

October is the busiest month for me (planning to go to IlluXCon and all), so I'm setting the commission deadline to Friday, October 14th. That's right—once this timeslot is over you'll never get the chance to have your character look this way again.
Unless another artist wants to bother replicating my mistakes on an image, but please don't do that to anyone!


The new images will look something like this or perhaps this. I get to pick the pose (I promise I'll keep your character in-character!) It will be partial to full figure images for 60USD, Paypal.


Note me with refs with your character' and then we'll talk. c:


Here's the current queue for commissions:

-Hank1 (on deviantArt)
-Relar #1
-Relar #2
-Cisqur
-Deovaccuus

Thanks for the feedback on my latest commission style, everyone! October is the busiest month for me (planning to go to IlluXCon and all), so I'm setting the commission deadline to Friday, October 14th. That's right—once this timeslot is over you'll never get the chance to have your character look this way again.
Unless another artist wants to bother replicating my mistakes on an image, but please don't do that to anyone!


The new images will look something like this or perhaps this. I get to pick the pose (I promise I'll keep your character in-character!) It will be partial to full figure images for 60USD, Paypal.


Note me with refs with your character' and then we'll talk.

Here's an update for those interested in commissioning me after the portrait slots ran out.

The new images will look something like this or perhaps this. I get to pick the pose (I promise I'll keep your character in-character!) It will be partial to full figure images for 60USD, Paypal.

Like the last style, this will also have a limited run. Please note that once this timeslot is over you'll never get the chance to have your character look this way again.

Note me with refs with your character' and then we'll talk. c:



EDIT: I have over 2000+ watchers?! Woah.

I'm doing setup now. Go to My livestream and tell me how it looks. I'm fighting against some technical difficulties, but I should be able to run my webcam.

The desktop? That's a whole other story! We'll see. :)

My wireless reception isn't good-enough to handle web-streaming. I apologize to those folks who were excited to see my process. :(

But don't fret! I'll try to record the drawing and post-drawing editing and upload it today. I hope you all get to see it. :)

I'm thinking of getting a webcam going on my last commission, since you guys seem interested in how I do these crazy portraits.

If I did stream, it'd be around 10AM EST this Thursday morning.

New Commissions:
My next art offering will be Chaotic Figure commissions. I will create an abstracted figure through layering and painting of imagery, and it'll turn into something you'll love. Does that sound too ambitious? Well don't you worry—I'll do a few giftart examples for a few characters designs on FA I enjoy.

Prices and dates will follow when my portraits are completed. Please stay tuned as I plan this exciting opportunity to breathe new life into your characters! :>


Commission Queue:
I had to host a few friends this weekend. Cooking and hanging out in general was a good break, but it put me a day or so behind schedule. I apologize, but thank you for your patience! Here's the current queue of clients:

To do:
Tanukisan
Kamron
pn0y
larips
Veter 1
Veter 2
Shenro


And that's about it! You guys stay awesome. <3