Physically, I'm getting better (albeit slowly). And I'm feeling more confident with my art practice.

Unfortunately, lots of other stuff is going badly. My family apparently thinks it's best to let me deal with everything on my own, there's stuff going on that I'm not sure how to handle (and could potentially lead to trouble for me later), and every time I ask a question or make a mistake, I get yelled at. It's putting a ton of pressure on me at the moment.

I'm eager to take commissions again, but I think it's best to hold off until after the worst of this situation has passed. Hopefully, it should be soon.

I'm gradually regaining my mobility and setting things up so I can draw again. I'm also up to my eyeballs in medical expenses, and since I currently can't go back to my day job yet, it seems that taking commissions will be my only option for making money for the time being.

I hope to open up commissions in the next week or two (don't worry, I'll start posting art to prove that I actually CAN work before officially starting up). But in the meantime, I would like your feedback on a few different options to see what would be more appealing for you.

1) Normal commission prices - linked on my profile page.

2) YCH auctions - I come up with pre-made compositions, and the top bidder gets to insert their character. Depending on the amount, a higher bid would mean higher quality.

3) Pay What You Want - Would work like a normal commission, except you also decide how much you're willing to pay (within reason, of course - no 6-character orgies for $5). Like the auctions, more money means higher quality/content.

Please let me know if any of these would work best for you, or if you have another idea that might work better.

Shortly after I posted my last Youtube video, I was in a car accident. This is the first time I've been physically able to reach my computer since then. I've been getting a lot of mixed messages from my family about all of this, and I'm honestly not sure what this is going to mean for the future of my creative projects. I hope to get back to making art and videos if I'm able to, but for now, I'm mainly trying to focus on healing. I'll keep everyone updated if and when things get better.

Wow, after seeing all the posts about it, I'm not sure what to make of it, but it just feels like I should say something.

One of my art heroes is gone. I never got the chance to meet him or anything, but he was one of the first artists I became aware of in the furry fandom nearly 15 years ago.

In case anyone is wondering what happened, he had been having health problems lately due to a transplanted kidney that was failing.

I'll keep this short, but I'm seriously fighting back tears right now.

I apologize to anyone who has been anticipating new work from me. Life has been interrupting me rather aggressively lately (and not in the fun way). Things should hopefully get sorted out in the coming week.

Over the next week or so, I'm going to be clearing out some of the older pics from my gallery, mostly just to reduce the clutter. I feel like my art style has improved considerably over the last few years, and I would like my gallery to be more reflective of that (of course I'll be keeping some of the older material up; it's just that there's SO MUCH of it right now). In any case, here's a notice in case there's anything you'd like to save.

New Pony Review Is Go! (a week later, lol) Enjoy and all that stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q39gyML9SWc&list=UUVMHeGxapJKk0bae2EIQ52g

Mostly just want to bump that last bit of unpleasantness off the front page. I'm doing a lot better now, and I appreciate all the words of support that everyone has offered.

I'm also letting you know that my next MLP review is almost done. I've been putting a lot more work into these reviews lately, and I'm excited to see how they're turning out.
If you enjoy my pony reviews, I'm asking again kindly that you might consider supporting me on Patreon:

http://www.patreon.com/Strebiskunk

For those who might still be wondering, Patreon is completely separate from commissions. Again, commission work will NOT be charged on Patreon.
If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. Thank you all again.

UPDATE: The new review is up for Testing Testing 1, 2, 3! You can watch it here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L6Enm7ikzk

While I was leaving work today, some asshat stopped his car, then changed his mind and jammed the accelerator while I was crossing the street. I managed to get out of the way in time, but holy fuck, I can't remember the last time I literally felt so scared for my life. I'm trying to work on multiple reviews and pictures right now, but I'm still a little shaky. Hopefully my nerves will calm down by tomorrow.

The sale is over. Commissions are still open, but prices are officially back to the normal amount. Thank you to those who were able to commission me. I hope to have the work finished soon.

That being said, December and January physically and mentally kicked my butt, so I am very appreciative to everyone for being patient while I get back into the groove with my creative work.

Just a reminder that there's about a week left to get a commission from me at a lower price.
Details here: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5417098/

Hey everyone. I need some quick cash by the end of the month. And with the holiday season recently passed, I'm aware that everyone's wallets are hurting a bit, so I'm temporarily dropping my prices until February 1st. Here are the sale prices and conditions:

Sketch: $5 (+ $3 per extra character)

Lines: $8 (+ $3 per extra character)

Flat Color: $10 (+ $5 per extra character)

Cell Shading: $15 (+ $8 per extra character)

Full Shading: $20 (+ $10 per extra character)

No backgrounds (except for abstract or single colors)

NSFW content accepted, no extra charge

Send me a PM with details if you're interested. Your support is greatly appreciated.

At the moment, Youtube will not let me upload videos. I've never run into this problem before, so I'm not sure if it's a temporary problem with Youtube, or if the problem is with my computer.

For anyone who might be able to help with some info, it would be greatly appreciated. (BTW, I create and upload all of my videos with iMovie)

I'm sorry if this inconveniences anyone who's been following me on Youtube.

(Update: Yeah, it was only temporary. I got stressed out and jumped the gun. Sorry.)

This is coming a bit earlier than I'd hoped.
I'm still making progress on the requests. They should be done very soon.

But there's the issue of the emergency situation that I mentioned before.
And the more I think about it, the sicker it makes me feel in the pit of my stomach.

I've been struggling financially for a little while now, though I was still getting by and taking steps to deal with the problem. Then a few days ago, I got hit with some unexpected expenses (mainly dealing with fixing my car so I can still go to work). In a very short time, everything piled up beyond my ability to deal with it. As it stands, if things continue the way that they are, I will soon be unable to contribute any new work online. I might not even have a place to live.

And so, I am asking, if you like what I do and want to support my artwork, I would greatly appreciate any help you can give.
I am not asking for hand-outs or donations. I believe that if you give me your money, you should get something in return. So I am encouraging you to buy a commission from me. Or please boost this signal to anyone you know who's looking to buy artwork.
I realize that not everyone is able to help, and that's okay. But if you can, you will literally be helping me keep a roof over my head and stay active on the internet, and for that, I cannot express enough gratitude.

Everyone who is currently on my request list will still get their pictures.

Unfortunately, an emergency situation has come up, and I'm unable to take any additional requests at this time.
I'll explain more once the current requests are finished.

My sincerest apologies to anyone who wanted a request spot and didn't get one.

I am opening up 10 request slots. (Emergency Announcement! No more spots can be taken at this time!)
Here are the general guidelines:

2 characters max
no background
cleaned-up sketch quality

Leave me a note with your idea, and if I like it, I'll let you know that you're added to the list.
When the pic is done, it will be posted in my gallery.

SPECIAL OFFER:

If your idea exceeds the guidelines, I can upgrade it to a commission at a discounted price.
This time only, I'll wave the normal sketch price for the first two characters (essentially, the cost for the request content)
Upgrade-to-commissions will otherwise follow the same rules as regular commissions.
Information here: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5058955/

Adult/NSFW content: Adult content is allowed for requests. In the event that the request is upgraded to a commission, I'll cut the added fee in half.
So altogether, there's the potential of getting up to $13 off of a commission.
Please keep in mind, this is a one-time offer.

Pending Requests:
1. YamiSonic
2. asuraludu
3. RaptorC
4. PlaneshifterLair
5. jarmenj
6. FrostbiteTiger
7. MordaciousSage
8.
9.
10.

Prices:

Lines: $10 per character

Flat Color: $15 per character

Simple Shading: $20 per character

Full Shading: $25 per character

Backgrounds: abstract/single-color backgrounds are free
+ $10 (lines)
+ $15 (flat colors)
+ $20 (simple shading)
+ $25 (full shading)

Examples: http://www.furaffinity.net/view/29235802/

Prices in U.S. dollars.
Paypal only.

How this works:

If you'd like a commission, send me a note
Be sure to include as much detail about your idea as possible.
If I accept, I'll draw a very rough sketch to work out the pose/composition of the picture.
All pictures will be uploaded to a private link that will be shared only with the commissioner.
Once the pose and price have been agreed upon, I'll ask for your Paypal address so I can send an invoice.
I will continue working on the picture after payment has been received.
I'll send periodic updates. Changes can be made along the way as long as they are reasonable.
(bigger changes to the pose or character design need to be made in the sketch stage; if I'm already coloring it, I can only make slight adjustments to the colors)
I'll link you the full-sized picture when it's finished.

I reserve the right to post all pictures to my galleries.
(if you absolutely don't want your picture posted, I may ask for an extra fee)
Prices might be adjusted depending on how complex the picture is.
I reserve the right to refuse any picture idea.
If you're not sure if I'll draw something, feel free to ask.

Some things that I will draw:
Pony
Anthro
Male
Female
Herm
Gay/Lesbian/Bi content
Silly/Cartoony situations

Some things that I won't draw:
Scat/Watersports
Violent rape/sexual mutilation
Vore

Refunds:
I do my best to give a realistic timeframe to complete the work. However, sometimes unexpected delays happen. If it's a day after the deadline (just for example), and progress is being made, but you ask for a refund, or if you decide to cancel the commission before the deadline, I will most likely offer a partial refund for anything after the most recent completed stage of the work. But if an unreasonable amount of time passes beyond the deadline, or if I haven't given any indication that progress is being made, you'll be entitled to a full refund.

Regarding OCs:
Most of the time, people have good intentions when asking for a picture involving someone else's OC, like wanting to surprise them with a gift. However, if you ask me to draw someone else's character, it is your responsibility to make sure the owner is okay with their character being used in your picture. If I get an angry message asking me to remove a picture because they didn't give approval for their character(s) to be used, then I will no longer do business with the commissioner of that picture.

Questions? Comments? Suggestions? Feel free to speak up.

In my latest pic involving Pinkie Pie:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11587503/
I said that Pinkie was originally straddling a machine (not pictured because drawing mechanical stuff is hard).
Anyway, here's just a fun little idea. If anyone can guess what that machine is supposed to be, you can win a free pic from me.

The winning pic can be:
Up to 3 characters
full color (possibly shading)
Otherwise, the usual content limits apply. If you're not sure about something, feel free to ask.

Leave your guess in the comments either here or the pic itself.
You can guess as many times as you like.
First guess to get it right wins.
One hint: It's not a sex toy.
Good luck!

Edit: We have a winner!

Okay, this past week, I've nearly gotten everything set up for commissions, and I've been spending some extra time practicing to keep my art skills up to scratch.

I just have one tiny question left. After my last journal entry, where I asked about the potential benefits of Dropbox, I've done a bit of research and it seems to be one of the more convenient ways to upload full-size files. HOWEVER, their terms apparently limit content that is considered obscene or pornographic.
Now, personally, I have no problem with adults enjoying age-appropriate material, and I realize that different people have different ideas of what's considered "obscene" (even simple nudity or suggestive situations, for instance, which are still acceptable on DA, could still be considered NSFW depending on who you ask).

So, I really have to find out, has anyone had this kind of problem when dealing with Dropbox? Again, I want to make this as simple and convenient as possible, but I also want to give you all a better opportunity to get the kind of material that you want. All feedback is appreciated. Thank you.

Before taking commissions, I'm curious to get some input on this. First, while it seems the vast majority of people still use Paypal, I've also been hearing suggestions for alternate payment methods, such as BitCoin. So I'm curious, for those of you who buy commissions, what form of payment do you prefer to use?

Also, I've noticed a number of digital artists lately seem to prefer uploading their work to sites like Dropbox, particularly when it comes to commissions. Can someone explain what the advantage is to doing that?

I've been talking about commissions for a while now, but before I start taking people's money, I want to be able to provide the best service that I can, so any feedback is appreciated. Thank you.

After dealing with some personal issues the last few weeks and getting back into the groove with drawing, I finally have an update regarding commissions. Remember how a while back, I had that one issue to resolve with the bank? Well, it seems that was just one of many steps I needed to take towards getting set up properly. It's just one of those situations where, while learning something for the first time, a million questions pop up that you never even considered before. My apologies, but this is very important to me, and I want to make sure that I'm doing it right. It might be several more weeks before things are set, but at least I know I'm headed in the right direction now.

Been getting called into work extra hours lately, so it's been difficult to find time for my art projects. Luckily, my job allows me to sketch in my notebook most of the time. Though I noticed something strange this past week. Every artist goes through it, but it seems strange nonetheless. There have been days recently when my drawings suddenly look a lot worse than they normally do. At first, I figured it was because I was trying to practice humans (human faces especially have always been difficult for me). So then I'd switch to ponies, and suddenly it's like I've forgotten how to draw ponies too! I've posted well over a hundred pony pictures online, and I've drawn hundreds more for practice, but it was as if my hands were telling me, "Nope! I dunno what this pencil thing is, much less how to use it!"

So eventually, I just powered through it. Figured I'd go back to basics, and one day I just started drawing a simple sketch of Twilight. Just the same picture over and over again. The first one looked like crap. The second one was a teeny bit better. The next one a little worse. Then the forth one was amazing and looked almost exactly like SmittyG's style (I seriously had to jump back and yell "holy shit!"). Gradually, I moved on to other characters and other poses. And eventually, I was confident enough to move onto my more creative ideas. (I usually start by sketching my ideas at work and then trying to recreate them on my tablet when I get home) Some of the more advanced sketches still looked awful, but others turned out surprisingly well, and it feels like I was able to get back into a groove with it.

Dunno why, but I just felt like sharing this. Anyway, sorry for the lack of updates. Hopefully, things will be settling down again next week.

I've been debating for a while whether I should even post this, but now that I've had some time to deal with the situation, it's a bit easier to talk about. A week ago, one of my pets died. I'm not looking for sympathy. As I said, I've been dealing with it, and things are slowly starting to return to normal. I just want everyone to understand that's why I've been quieter than usual lately, and occasionally struck by weird moods. I apologize if anyone's been put off because I haven't responded to certain comments or been able to show my usual levels of enthusiasm. My sense of humor has gradually been coming back, though, so this week, I look forward to posting more funny material again. Anyway, that's it. Thank you for understanding, and I'll see you later.

I meant to post this earlier, but had to pass out for a while (it's been a very long week, and I'm completely exhausted).

So yes, I am officially no longer taking new requests for the time being, with the exception of those who I've made special agreements with.
The good news, though, is that the current batch of requests are almost done, and they should all be posted very soon.

After that, there are a few original projects I want to work on, and there are a few other things that need to be squared away before I can officially start taking commissions.

That's all for now. Thank you.

My work schedule has left me surprisingly drained lately.
Right now, I have 5 more requests that I've promised. I'm almost done with all of them, and they should be getting posted to their appropriate galleries in the next day or so. After that, there are 4-5 other requests that I plan to start working on (I'll send confirmation to the individual requesters after I'm done with the current batch of pics).

Some good news, it looks like my bank situation will be resolved very soon, and I'll be able to start taking commissions. As such, this is something of a last call for requests. If you haven't submitted an idea for a request yet, you might want to do that in the next few days.