I've been over on twitter, mostly, buuuuuuuut given recent events, I am not exactly excited about doing business or posting my thoughts over there anymore. So NOW you can find me over at

https://bsky.app/profile/strype.bsky.social

I'm not planning on using FA currently, (and there's literally thousands of pieces of art if I were to post backlog, so that's probably not happening either), but I'm active over on Bluesky, and will be taking commissions over there for the foreseeable future. It's just easier than FA notes.

As for the last 5 years, I've just been rollin along, transing my gender, doin my thang as many of you on social media have seen. Still doing commissions as a full time job, and generally feelin a LOT better in my skin these days. New friends, new perspectives and knowledge, new... perspective on myself and what kinda person I am and my role in the world. So I'm... generally pretty good, actually. Not ideal yet, still challenges to overcome, but my spirit is stronger than ever. And I hope those who don't follow me on socials have been doin alright too.

But yeah, just a little update in case people are curious where I am ^^

Hey darlings! I saw that it'd been like... fuck, half a year or so since my last journal? I know not everyone is following me on twitter, so I might as well let y'all know I'm not dead. I'm WAY more active over there, including posting art stuff every now and then.

Anyways, I'm a little over a month into HRT, and feeling better than ever! Stuff's been goin pretty well, even though I'm still adjusting to the meds (it makes ya a bit tired, and emotions are a lot stronger, getting used to it can be a bit wild) and I'm workin on getting back into the swing of things, productivity-wise. Life in general has been pretty busy as well, further complicating things ^^;

Also, I'mma be at MFF this year again! Can't wait to see peeps again, and show off this wild glow-up. Ya gurl is turnin into a -babe-, yo. I'm still on the fence about whether I'm gonna be doin my usual time doing sketches in the artist alley, or if I just wanna run around like a lunatic and hangin out and seeing everyone. Hard choices. But yeah, I will be there!

Art-wise, I'm sure peeps have noticed I haven't been posting much here, mostly cuz it's pretty much all commissions, and there's just way WAY too many I've done over the last few years to post here, but I'll see about gettin more stuff up here, especially if peeps choose to sponsor personal pics I draw for me.

Anyways, um, that's it I guess? Again, I'm way WAY more active on twitter, and that's the best place to watch me nowadays. but I'll catch y'all around!


COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ yutrah (inked)
5/ rageki (inked)
6/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
7/ Kipeo
8/ Opeoaslam

So, a bunch of ya already know this from coming out on twitter a couple days ago, but for those that don't...

I'm transgender!

Figured I might as well announce it here so interested parties are in the loop. I thought I was just genderfluid but I'm sure peeps noticed that Male Strype disappeared pretty much entirely. New IRL name's Hope, she/her pronouns, gonna be getting on HRT, not planning on surgeries, family's pretty accepting, I look FABULOUS in makeup, Yes it's a bit scary, no it was never a choice, ect, ect. I'm sure a lot of you have at least one trans person in your life or seen this all before, it's the furry fandom, ffs. But yeah, just puttin it here in case you run into me at a con and don't recognize me right away, or something like that.

Also, yes, this stuff may have affected my productivity, so I'm working on catching up again, gimme some time. I still intend to finish everyone's pics, and give y'all my best. Your patience is GREATLY appreciated!

So yeah, there it is. And if you're thinking of leaving disparaging comments, I'mma just be deleting them and blocking you, I get enough of that stuff from bigots on twitter, and it's not like anyone's changing my mind on this. I wrestled with it for months as it is. If you're not cool with this, please keep it to yourself, cool? Cool.

Anyways, That's the update for now. Follow me on twitter if you want to see more, cuz I'm way more active there!

Peace!



COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ yutrah (inked)
5/ rageki (inked)
6/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
7/ Kipeo
8/ Opeoaslam

W00, updates, eh?

Yeah, I'm a LOT more active over on twitter, here https://twitter.com/StrypeisonFire you should watch me there. Expect an eclectic mix of shitposts, artwork, and neato scifi thoughts

Anyways, yeah, I'll be at MFF this year, yet again cuz I freakin love that con. I'll likely be putting in a day or two at the Artists Alley, but otherwise I'll just be chillin and taking it easy. I keep getting asked why I never get a dealer's table, and tbh, I've never really felt like I needed one. I like actually going around the convention, interacting with people and having fun, and I've never really had anything to sell but my on-site sketches, so why steal away a table from a dealer who has stuff to sell, right?

And speaking of stuff to sell, I've VERY recently (like, only a week or so agao) hooked up with the lovely folks at Paw To Press to start making stuff! And they'll hopefully have a special something I whipped up available for purchase at their table at MFF and future conventions.

https://paw-to-press.com/product/st.....sis-by-strype/ SNUGGLE MY SHINY METAL ASS

Limited supply at the convention, but you know what? YOU SHOULD PREORDER IT! Like, RIGHT NOW. DO IT! SNUGGLE MEEEEE!

I'll be making more stuff to sell, like more dakis, mousepads, ect. And prints will be available through them as well. It's a good way to support me, too ^^.

So yeah, good times ahead, eh? I look forward to seein a lot of ya at MFF!



COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ yutrah (inked)
5/ rageki (inked)
6/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
7/ Kipeo
8/ Opeoaslam

So, I ship out for Camp Feral tomorrow, just a heads up to peeps who might try to get in contact with me, I'll be innawoods for a few days, and not likely to be able to check my FA due to spotty cell coverage out there

Alright, that outta the way, might as well give an update on how I've been to the peeps that don't follow me on twitter (which you should absolutely do, cuz I'm WAY more active over there). I've gotten my ass medicated in regards to the depression thing, cuz after FWA I was a wreck and it wasn't getting much better. Seems I'm a lucky bastard, and my doc nailed the perfect prescription off the first go, and besides being a bit spacey for a couple weeks while I adjusted, there weren't really any side effects, and they've been working really well.

I'm still workin on commission stuff, unfortunately before I got medicated I was backsliding and let my queue get bigger, so I'm tryin to work that off, while at the same time trying to keep myself sane by boppin' out some personal work. A handful of peeps have been SUPER-awesome and have sponsored some of those personal works, something I hope continues to happen. Peeps watching my twitter may have noticed I've been deeply enjoying drawing my ladybot alter-ego.

So, uh, yeah, that's what's goin on. TL:DR I'm going to Camp Feral this weekend, and also I'm on antidepressants and they're workin pretty good.



COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ yutrah (inked)
5/ rageki (inked)
6/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
7/ Kipeo
8/ Opeoaslam

Wiping that old journal off, since FWA's been over for about a month.

I gotta say, Furry Weekend Atlanta is a helluva convention. Strongly recommend it. They also treated me really well, and I guess that's the point where it all starts to fall apart.

So, Imposter Syndrome is a huge bitch. You don't feel like you've earned the good shit you've got going for you, like you're an imposter and you're just waiting for the truth to come out, and the inevitable fall from grace. And in the presence of so many brilliant and wonderful people, it's even harder to ignore. In the dealer's room I felt like the least-prepared person there. In my panel on Transhumanism I felt like the dumbest person in the room, and it wouldnt be a stretch to say that the points brought up filled my usually optimistic head with doubts. I didn't feel like I deserved the spotlight. Still don't. Not even sure I ever have.

The whole thing left me shattered. In the weeks since I've been trying to pull myself back together, doing that self-care stuff, spending days unable to put pen to paper because I fest like my better days were behind me, or that I'd lost the spark. Quit a couple pen n paper RPG's my friends were running because I just couldnt get excited anymore. I still have a bit of trouble getting excited about stuff that normally puts the wind in my sails. Guess it's hard to be excited when you're not so confident in the future of humanity.

I'm doing a bit better this week. Good weather finally came, and I've been doing a bunch of writing to prepare for my big comic-like project, trying my best to ignore the nagging voice in my head that screams that I still don't have sufficient data to be doing good speculative fiction. I can't just sit back and wait for more knowledge, because there will never be enough. I need to move forward and get this stuff moving. Somewhere between all the commissions I still need to catch up on. Might move a little faster on my project if people sponsor my first few comic pages, but I'm gonna make it happen one way or another

So yeah, that's where I'm at. Fell down hard, crawling back to my feet. Don't know where I'd be without all my friends helping me get back on my feet, my art heroes giving me really good advice (Thanks Miu!), and the really cool peeps that keep me in business. Hopefully I can brush off this dust and start catching up with my heroes.




COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

Jeez, I haven't made a journal since last year, holy crap.

SO, first off, obviously, I'm not dead. I've just been a LOT more active on twitter. Things are goin' alright, ups and downs, yanno. A lot of downs because winter is never particularly fun for me. But in recent weeks, after suffering a little bit of commission burnout, I've managed to get some personal work done, and found it to be -tremendously- satisfying, which leads toooooooo...

FURRY WEEKEND ATLANTA!! Ya boy's gonna be a Guest of Honor! This time, though, I'll actually have some merch to sell for once! I'm gonna have some sweet prints, and even a book containing some of the work I've not posted here over the last couple years. More deets will be forthcoming, which I'll be probably posting in a submission. This also means I will actually be able to SOCIALIZE at my table instead of focusing on commission work, and scaring off everyone with my resting bitch-face. Be sure to swing by my table (see your convention guide for location details) or come by one of the panels I'll be hosting, including some fun with character creation, and a talk about transhumanism.

So, that's the con stuff, pretty much. I'll probably be posting some new stuff soon-ish? As well as a revised pricesheet with some new options on it, probably after FWA.

SEE YOU GUYS IN ATLANTA!


PS, if you wanna help me out a little, I always appreciate when peeps buy me a coffee, to fuel the ol' art machine https://ko-fi.com/G2G77OAQ



COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

I'M KINDA BACK. KINDA.

I'm gonna keep things to personal work, what little there is, for now. If I do end up posting commission work, It'll probably be just the highlights. Otherwise you'd be buried under a simply alarming amount of work. To give you an idea, I finish commission 4-8 pics on average every week. I havent posted in about 2 years. You can do the math. That is an impractical amount of work to be posting. I'd recommend putting my name into the Search, and list by descending date to see what I've been up to.

There will be more personal work going up as I do them, as I hope to get some personal projects off the ground involving my synth-girls and their adventures in a bizarre and marvellous far-future. I'm thinking I'll start it off with a patreon and ask-blog kinda thing and go from there. In the meantime, I would STRONGLY recommend checkin out my twitter at https://twitter.com/StrypeisonFire . I generally post stuff there, open up for commissions on most weekends, somewhere between the goofy posts and rambling about sci-fi concepts and stuff like that.

The queue is sitting at... I don't have an actual count. I'd like it to be a surprise, otherwise I'll get stressed. My GUESS is about 30 or so pics to go, which is a vast improvement over what it was. I shit you not it WAS at triple-digit numbers a couple years back.

ALSO, I'm gonna be at MFF! I intend on spending a day or two in the Artists Alley, doing sketches for money and hanging with friends. Hope I see a lot of you there!



COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

So, as you can tell from the title, I've had a very interesting weekend.

This weekend I went up to Camp Feral (Algonquin Park, Canada. It came to my attention that some of you think I'm Russian or something. No, I'm Canadian, yo) with sererena for the second time ever for some fun time innawoods, away from work, and surrounded by furries, cuz, well, you know I love you guys. Anyway, to cut it short, on the south dock, under the stars, about 10:30pm-ish on friday night, I got on one knee and proposed. She said yes (after a bunch of blubbering and happy tears, and technically she said "well DUH"). Needless to say, we're both pretty happy with this.

No date or plans on WHEN exactly we'll go from simply engaged to full-on married, but hey, one step at a time, eh? This is exhilarating enough as it is, lol.

Anyways, for those who are curious, yes, I'm still hammering away at the queue, and continue to output more work on a weekly basis than I'm taking on. If you're interested in getting work from me, just leave a comment on my price sheet. Still not sure when I'll get back to posting, but look me up in the Search and you'll find my commissioners posting what I do for them, and I occasionally put stuff up on Twitter as well.

That's about it for now. I'm still around, sitting in my hole, scribbling my ass off for that mad cash-money to pay the bills. Know that I'm happy as hell, despite the quiet ^^


COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

Judging from how awesome everyone was saying FWA was this year on twitter, I've done the right thing accepting the GoH position for next year's con! Lookin forward to seeing everyone there! I'll be working on more con materials and even possibly some of my own merch in between catching up on commissions until then. And yes, I will EVENTUALLY get to posting art up here again at some point soon. In the meantime, I'd recommend searching my name here to see my commissioners post work I've completed for them, and Twitter for the -occasional- stuff I toss up in between all the encouraging posts, weird crap, cute kittens and straight-up shitposting.

So yeah, if you're new here, welcome and enjoy! I'll catch ya at FWA '18


COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

I swear I'm not dead, guys!

So, for the first time in YEARS I'm looking at my queue and realizing that I may very well be CAUGHT UP in the next few months, which frankly is kinda mindblowing because I'd gotten to that point where I'd internalized that I will be behind for the rest of my damned life, lol. I've finally settled on a schedule that seems to work pretty good that doesnt burn me out, so realistically I can get my shit together with a little discipline. At this point I'm not planning on posting until after I'm done catching up on thigh-ups, or at least really close to catching up. When I DO get posting, I'm going to be posting just the highlights I'm particularly proud of, because I'm sitting on a pile of literally HUNDREDS of pics I haven't posted, and I don't want to bury this site under a pile of my art. Also I'll finally return my focus to the big pieces on the list below, get in contact with people, and GET THAT SHIT DONE. After that, I'm hoping to transition to doing more personal work, starting a Patreon, ect.

Um, okay, what else... CONS! I don't plan on going to many this year, only Camp Feral and MFF. I gave consideration to not going to the states at all while the big orange turd is in power, but goddammit I love my friends stateside, so I'm really just limited by money, which I'll admit is in somewhat short supply recently as I've been throttling my intake so I can get caught up. I'd also love to hit some overseas cons, but that'll probably be next year.

ANYWAYS, yeah, just givin you homies an update. If you want to commission me, leave a comment here http://www.furaffinity.net/view/21253446/ , as the comment section has become my waiting list, as well as keep an eye on my twitter https://twitter.com/StrypeisonFire and maybe catch a themed commission opening between all the adorable animal pictures, overwatch geekery, shitposting, bad puns, and posts supporting LGBTQ stuff CUZ THAT'S WHAT I DO THERE.







COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

MFF

So I'm gonna be at MFF, stayin with a few good friends, and generally enjoying myself as usual. I'll put in time down in the Artist Alley as well, so keep an eye out for me! Sadly, the Frasier Dakimakura is staying home this time, since I'm not staying in the main hotel this time around.

POSTING
Shit, it's been forever since I did that, huh? Again, mostly that fear of people jabbing me for updates. On the plus side, the queue is getting smaller every week. But if I wait til I'm down to 0, you guys would probably be waiting for months.
If I start posting again, I would deeply appreciate it if peeps I still owe work to didnt note me for updates. I'll get to your pic, I promise
I'm not exactly sure when I'm going to start exactly, but expect me to toss up a few every day. I've got enough work completed and unposted that I could probably post non-stop for months. I will also probably refrain from posting some of that work, either because I'm not a huge fan of the subject matter or I'm no longer impressed with how it turned out.

GENERAL STUFF
Trying to keep my mood up despite lingering low-level depression. Being careful to avoid art burnout while getting as much done as I can. Other than that, I'm generally keeping to myself, watching the ebb and flow of the world. In my heart i'm driven to create more, but it feels like my mind can't keep up. My brain feels like a dulled blade. I'll sharpen it again in due time.

I recommend peeps keep an eye on my twitter, it's where I'm most active. Hell, sometimes I even post art there, in between adorable animals, terrible humor, bitching about RPers on F-List stealing my art for typefucking eachother, and occasional uplifting messages.

Peace!


COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

Depression
This has been hitting me kinda bad for the last month or two. It's chemical, not emotional (mostly, I've got a bit of a short fuse as of late), so it's more that it just knocks the wind outta my sails and I'm left low on energy, having a hard time sleeping, and it takes monumental effort to do damned-near anything productive, which leads me to...

Work Status
Slowed to a crawl. At this point I consider the week a success if I'm finishing as many pieces as I'm taking on that week, and the last couple weeks havent been very successful. I'm working on turning that around, but, well, the next section should explain this week at least...

Minyu
So, earlier in the week my cat, Minyu, got sick. He stopped eating and drinking, got lethargic, and on wednesday he needed to be taken into the vet. They found out he had an obstruction in his small intestine, likely from eating something he shouldn't have. They did surgery, managed to move the obstruction into the colon without opening up the intestine, and it looked like he was gonna be fine...

He wasn't.

His GI tract seized up and wouldnt start again, no matter how many drugs they gave him. Gas built up, but no matter how much they managed to vent, he was distended and in pain. He was in too much pain to eat, and even with the feeder tube in, he wasn't getting better. I think, deep down, he was done. 14 years ain't bad for a kitty. So yesterday, I had to make the most painful choice a pet owner has to make. It was raining when I went to see him for the last time

I spent time with him, brought his favorite brush, made him as comfortable as I could while we said our goodbyes. I told him over and over that everyone loved him (cuz anyone who met him did, and he loved them right back. Seriously, friendliest cat ever). He was trying to purr but it was coming out more like a weak gurgle. He seemed pretty peaceful when it was time for the injections. I was the last thing he heard or saw as I told him I was gonna miss him, crying the whole time.

The bittersweet part

I was still in the waiting room of the vet's office, still wiping the tears from my eyes, and noticing the sun had come out, when my sister called me. She'd just been at the hospital cuz she'd been throwing up for days.

.... I'm going to be an uncle. Talk about mood whiplash.

Perspective
The Universe was extremely kind to me yesterday. Yeah, I lost my long-time buddy, my little fuzzy feline son whom was so full of love and snuggles it was practically obnoxious. I would have kept him forever if I could, but the reaper comes for us all eventually. But the reaper was kind, and let me say goodbye, gave me a chance to do everything I could to save him, and we made sure his end was peaceful and gentle release. I got to say goodbye with a clear conscience.

The weather mirrored the mood, too. Rain turning to sunshine as my sister let me know she was pregnant. Real circle of life shit, when you think of it. Like something out of a disney movie or something. Dinner tasted amazing even though it was just drive thru. Even got treated to the spectacle of a shitload of bigass hawks flying around my apartment window, which is a bit of a new experience too.

I'm a really lucky guy. Fate was gentle with its necessities.


And back to work
I'm sure you guys won't mind if I take a couple days to recover from this rather unforgettable last few days, but after that, I'm gonna need to get back to work. The vet bill wasn't cheap.

If you're interested in a commission, leave a comment below, and I'll get to you. I take on a few every weekend.
Price is $185-$275 USD for a single character thigh-up, full colour, cost varying according to the detail involved

TLDR; Depressed, put my cat down yesterday, sister told me she's pregnant right after, life is crazy but in a good way



COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

Because a few peeps were mentioning they were worried

Move
This past week I moved in with sererena and we've been getting settled. Today was my first day of sketching in about two weeks, as I was packing, moving, and unpacking. Things went pretty well, and we've been getting back into routines and whatnot. We got ourselves a nice little three bedroom on the upper floors of an apartment building, enjoying the breeze and the view. I've got my own office to work in now! Definitely feels like a breath of fresh air

Work
Besides the last couple weeks, I've been doing fairly well with catching up on my frankly ridonkulous commission queue. Been taking on 4-5 commissions every week, and attempting to complete 10-12 per week, so I've been doing at least double output to input. Haven't actually counted out how many pics I still owe (mostly out of fear) but I'm hammering away at them as best I can. I've still got everyone listed down in a private spreadsheet, so I'm not gonna forget anyone. Logically speaking, I -will- get caught up if I maintain the same pace. Might take a bit of time.

Health
Doing well! Serena's been keeping me in line with regards to eating healthy and getting exercise and all that jazz. This little break to move also assisted in cooling me off from a burnout I felt coming on, so that's a plus as well.

Posting
You might have noticed I haven't put anything up since... March? I'm still completing work as I stated above, but I haven't really felt comfortable posting in a while, mostly because whenever I do, I get flooded by my other commissioners asking for status updates, and while they're completely justified in doing so, I find that stressful, so I'll probably start posting when I get caught up.

Also, when I start posting again, it won't be here. At least not immediately. I plan on posting to Weasyl and FN a couple weeks before I post here. In the meantime, use the search and you'll probably find a bunch of new work from me posted by my commissioners on their galleries.

My other galleries are here for when I start posting again
https://www.weasyl.com/~strype
https://beta.furrynetwork.com/strype/


DO YOU WANT A COMMISSION!?
Leave a comment below saying so! I tend to look here and on my twitter to fill commission slots every weekend


Alright, I guess that'll be all for now! I'll be attending Camp Feral and MFF this year, in case peeps are wondering about convention plans as well




COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

WELL, THAT WAS FUN, WASN'T IT, FOLKS!?

Anyways, I expect the big security breach has left everyone a bit shaken, understandably. No, I haven't completed any work while it was out, as I was recovering from a rather spectacular jaw infection that caused me quite a bit of pain. I'm working on getting back to previous production levels (Weekly intake of 4 commissions, and output of 10-12)

Now, only an idiot would trust their livelihood entirely to this site, and I have been that idiot up til this point, so I am in fact spreading out a bit. I've set up a spot on FN, BUT, I would like to primarily move to Weasyl, cuz it's the most like a functioning, proper furry art site.

MY WEASYL SITE IS HERE https://www.weasyl.com/~strype

No, I'm not abandoning FA (yet), I've still got a good number of customers here for the time being, and ultimately my primary gallery will be dependent on where the majority of my business is. And yeah, a lot of peeps say "Oh, but Weasyl has no activity!" hey, FA had that problem while Deviantart was a primary hub for the furry community, and look what happened! Ghandi once said "Be the change you wish to see in the world" so, if the only problem we're having with Weasyl is the population, the solution is obvious. It's a good site, has some nice features that elevate it above FA in my perspective. Good people running it from what I've heard. So why the heck not, right?

FA's been good to me, not gonna lie. If not for this site I might not have been able to quit my dayjob, and I'm thankful for that. I just get the feeling that this place is starting to show its age, the cracks are getting worse and there's a pretty horrible smell coming from the basement, and the security issues we just experienced might be a sign that hey, maybe it's time the community resettle somewhere a bit safer and saner.


ALSO, if you want a commission, comment below! I'll go through the list every weekend and pick a few, note you and we can sort out details. Current going rates are $175-$250 USD for a single character full colour thigh up pic, depending on the detail involved



COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

Damn, it's been a while, huh?

Okay, so, straight up, I haven't posted since December. Reason? FEAR. So, the one thing that shakes me up pretty hard whenever I go to post is the reminder that I owe work. Usually when I post I get a few notes from commissioners wanting a status update on their commission. And rightfully so! They paid good money, and sometimes I take FOREVER on a piece. But for some reason that makes me freeze up. For months, evidently. I actually just got up from a nap and that's exactly what I'd had a nightmare about. But ya gotta face your fears. And the best way to beat fear is confrontation and understanding. So, I'mma give you guys the lowdown...

MY WORKFLOW

Sunday/Monday : I trawl through comments, poke around on twitter, and all that jazz and choose 4-6 potential customers and contact them, work out payments ect,ect. This happens every week. It's enough work to keep a roof over my head, bills paid, food in my tummy, and a little bit of comfort money to entertain myself and keep from going insane. All work and no play, yanno?

Monday/Tuesday: SKETCHING! All my linework is traditional (yes, really) and I spend mondays or tuesdays sketching all those new commissions, blue pencil on cardstock

Wednesday: INK DAY. I do this at :linkMissMab 's place every wednesday evening, and that's become the anchor of my worklife. No matter what's goin on, I'm over there inking every wednesday.

Thursday, Friday: COLOURING! This is where things get murky. I aim to get 3-4 things coloured per day. I pretty much choose what I'm gonna colour by whim, going with what I'm feeling like colouring. I do it that way because when I'm feelin' it, the product comes out a LOT better. I used to try to colour pics in the order I took them and I could end up putting out shitty pics cuz I wasn't feeling them. With how much you guys pay me, you deserve my best. Sometimes I'll also try to get more work done on mondays or tuesdays if I'm not sketching but still feeling really arty.

Weekends: DAYS OFF: Working 7 days a week is no way to live.


WHAT WENT WRONG: Life/Winter. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a serious art-killer, and I've been feeling blocked up, even though I'm still trying to produce as quick as I can. Add to this various life distractions and commitments, and this leads to me not quite being able to keep up and building up a little bit of a queue.

WHAT I'M DOING TO FIX IT: Right now, I'm just trying to get back to proper production levels. If I can whip off 6 finished pieces a week, I'm pretty happy. Come the summer, I'm planning on moving in with Sererena and that -should- reduce both of our living costs, meaning I won't have to take on as much work, and I can get properly caught up

POSTING

Gonna be trying to get a buncha stuff out this week, starting tonight. PLEASE refrain from noting me about the status of your commission if I owe you one right now. I know a few peeps will anyways, but look above, and you'll see why. I haven't forgotten you, and I've got your commission listed on my personal spreadsheet.


LIFE STUFF
Just chuggin' along, really. No, I'm not going to Furnal Equinox ( I was originally going to, but then the staff pulled a dick more with their AA for no good reason, and made it pointless to go) But I'm planning on doing Feral! in the summer, and MFF as per usual (My fave con atm). I'm gonna start doing things like trying to get back in shape (backslid 30 lbs over the last year) and finally getting my drivers license, stuff like that.

BTW, my 33rd b-day is on March 25th. I ain't doin shit that day.


COMMISSION STUFF

Ah, you made it this far! Thank you! Okay, so, right now I'm only offering full colour single character thigh-ups for $175-$250 USD (depending on detail involved). Leave a comment below stating you want one, and as I go looking for new customers every week, I'll consult the list first. I also tend to lean towards drawing ladies and ladies with weiners, as that's more in my comfort zone, just so you know.


Alright, guess I'll get to work postin'...



COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

Yanno what? FUCKIT, I'm not gonna let my fear of commission status request notes stop me, I'mma post some stuff. A LOT OF STUFF. If you're interested in grabbing a single character thigh-up commission sometime in the near-future, leave a comment below. Otherwise BRACE FOR SPAM!!



COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

Hmmm, what to say...

Well, I had a HELLUVA con. MFF has catapulted itself up to the top of my list of conventions I love (which is great, cuz it feels like Anthrocon has gone to shit) and this year felt pretty special after all the changes that happened in the last year. I admit I was a little worried that I'd lost some friends after the breakup, but that didn't feel like the case at all. If anything, it feels like a lot of people were a little closer.

The weekend kinda started off on a sour note. 8 peeps expecting and paying for a bigass 4-bed suite and getting a tiny 1-bed suite instead felt like a complete ripoff, but thankfully sumigakifox was on his game of saving our asses, and got us a second room (thanks again, man!) so we didnt have to be so.... uncomfortably snuggly, lol. Lessons learned, though. Next year, I'm goin for a straight up room instead of a suite. Sure ,those rooms are all KINDS of kickass, but something needs to be done about the process of getting them.

Anyways, AFTER that, everything was AMAZING. I met a lot of new peeps, reconnected with a shitload of old friends. I drew my ASS off all weekend and it felt AWESOME. It's actually kinda interesting how I felt so burnt out leading up to the con, but as soon as I showed up I felt revitalized. I think it's because of the creative atmosphere and seeing people's reactions with my own eyes instead of through the text on my screen. It hits me a lot more vividly, and drives me to keep at it. Positive reinforcement has always been a strong force with me, and seeing people's faces light up when they see my work just makes me want to make more!

And then there was the Frasier Dakimakura. For those of you who were unfortunate enough to have missed out or hear the story of its inception, one night not too far back in the afterglow with sererena those two words collided in my head and I said them aloud. After a good hour of uproarious laughter at theconcept, my dearest love decided to make it a reality. Two weeks and $30 later, we had our waifu. I'm not sure how Kelsey Grammar would have reacted to seeing a body pillow of himself, but it certainly got some pretty hilarious reactions out of random peeps around the con as I paraded it around the dealer's rooms. I know a few people spat out various food and drink items. I'm gonna have to follow that one up with something equally demented before next MFF.

But yeah, I had a SHITLOAD of fun. Peeps were saying I seemed a lot more vital and positive (and beardy, cuz of the beard I've been growing. Beard) And it also really felt everyone else was doing really well too. It felt a lot easier to breathe this year. And I'm not just talking about the lack of chlorine gas this time around.


So yeah, that was MFF for me. Gonna get back into the swing of things soon and try to get more work done, and probably start posting again. I fully admit there's a little fear about getting pelted with notes from commissioners I've not completed my work for yet, but I'll have to push through that. Feel free to leave a comment if you're interested in getting some work from me soon. I tend to go to my comments first before I go posting about openings publicly





COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

Where are you staying?
The main hotel

Mode of transportation:
Crammed in the back seat of Uzanti's car with my love <3

Transportation buddies:
 sererena  caltroplay and  Uzanti

Arrival and Departure:
Thursday - Monday

Who will you be rooming with?
 sererena  iko  daigo  karaken  missmab fluff-kevlar and  caltroplay

What level are you Registering as?
Basic

About Me:

What's your preferred name?
Call me Strype. I get thrown off when peeps call me by my real name at a con

How tall are you?
5'11"

What is your gender?
DUDEMEAT

How old are you?
32

Personality Type?
Fairly outgoing, utterly informal and pretty goofy

Friends:

Are you nice?
I try to be

Are you taken?
HAPPILY by  sererena

Are you cliquey?
Not really? I know I like to hang out with certain peeps at cons

Who will you hang out with during the convention?
probably all my roomates, and any old friends from previous years

What suits will you have?
You're not about to catch me in a suit any time soon.

Can I take a picture of you?
Ehhhh, I'll take that one on situationally. I will likely be doin selfies ALL THE TIME

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Hugs I'm generally pretty cool with. Snuggles are for close friends only

Do you have an artist table?
I intend on hitting the Artists Alley again and generally being awesome

Do you do trades?
If I'm done my work from AA, and I really wanna get work from you

Do you do free art?
VERY RARELY

Do you do commissions?
Yes, I'll be in the artists alley! I'm bringin along my grey paper this year!

Will you be selling anything?
Not planning on it

Will you be buying any art?
Yeah, probably. gotta get my WEIRD PORN somehow, right?

Do you like parties?
I'm alright with parties as long as I have some quiet recharge time when I need it

Can I buy you drinks?
Provided I'm in the mood. Also keep in mind that I'm diabetic.

Can I dance with you?
Due to an administrative mistake, I've only got left lower legs in my inventory

Where will you be?
Artist Alley during the day, likely my room at night, but it's a con, who knows where I'll be

How can I find you?
If you're a customer, I'll be in touch via text. Otherwise just keep an eye out

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Don't worry, I'LL FIND YOU

Can I talk to you?
Yes, but are you brave enough?

If you're pissed off, should I approach you?
I'm told I have resting bitch face. I'm actually usually pretty happy even if I dont look it. I'll tell you if I'm not down to clown

Can I hang out with you?
Situational. I'm not a big fan of cling-ons, but I'll probably suggest you find someone else to hang with or somewhere else to be. If not, assume I'm cool with ya ^^

Rules of engagement (physical contact):
Treat me as you would an acquaintance. Unless I know ya somewhat well, then anything goes

Can I visit your room?
If you're invited. Please don't invite yourself

What/where will you be eating?
Honestly dunno. It's somewhat slim pickings around there

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
Only if you're invited along

Are you doing anything outside of the con?
other than food, not likely

Will you be at any panels?
Nah, not my thing

Will you be performing?
Performing what? Oral sex? (yes)

What’s your goal(s) for the con this year?
I'm just generally excited to see peeps again! That's really the major reason I go to cons. Money is generally a secondary consideration



COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

Normally I announce over twitter, but things have been slowing down a bit lately, so I might as well make some noise here where the rest of you guys can see. It's getting around rent time!

I'm opening up a few slots today for FULL COLOUR SINGLE CHARACTER THIGH-UPS for $175-$250 depending on the details. I honestly have a preference for drawing ladies of course, and I could take on a couple cyborgs, I suppose. I'm not really picky about a theme, but pinups I tend to get done the quickest and are the easiest for me. NOTE ME WITH DETAILS, like refs and what you'd like me to do, I'll note you back if I'm interested in taking it, and toss you my paypal addy, and I'll start once I'm paid. ^^

Also, if slots fill up or if you still want one but cant afford it right now, leave a comment below saying so! I'll get back to you later on (cuz I usually opening up for at least a couple slots every week or so). If I didnt get back to you over notes either, leave a comment here!

Alright, ladies and gents..... LETS DO THIS!
SLOTS CLOSED FOR NOW, but leave a comment below




COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

It's been a month and a few days. but it almost feels like a lifetime ago

Figured I'd give peeps an update on how I'm doing since the last journal. All things considered, I'm actually doing pretty well. I made sure to take time for myself, and go through my brain meticulously and clean up as much of the damage as I could, and I had a LOT of support and love from friends and fans alike, which really helped me out a lot. I got a few notes from well-wishers, late night chats with peeps who helped me feel better. And I wanna thank you guys for the time and care you gave me, and thank the shitloads of you guys that left supportive comments and even those of you who quietly wished me well but didnt say anything.

Over the course of the last month I've also been putting out a lot of apologies for my behaviors while I was in that relationship. It's really easy to become a trained and willing attack dog in defense of someone you love, and there were a few instances where I didn't think things through to form my own opinion when conflicts happened, and I'd burned a few bridges in the process. I've started working towards rebuilding them, though, and.... it feels really good. It feels so good to rebuild and repair, and I think it's had a powerful effect on me in the process. I'm actually feeling a lot more peaceful than ever. Forgiveness, and being forgiven is good for the soul.

I've had a few friends tell me that I've had a glow to me as of late, that I sound a lot happier, or seem to be smiling more than I have in a pretty long time. I've been having a lot more of those "perfect" days where everything seems to go blissfully right, and beautiful moments that seem to slow down time itself. It's like a fog has lifted off me, and while I still have little times where everything kinda darkens a bit, or I panic about uncertainties, they seem to be happening less and less. It's like I'm coming out of a poisoned haze, and everything seems so clear and shiny and beautiful.

Not to say that I'm bitter about the last few years. I'm really not, and I forgive Cooper for what happened, and myself for my part for it. I was there willingly, and I chose to weather that storm for as long as I did, not understanding the effect it was having on me. I really do wish her the best, as I've had some time to reflect and get a good understanding for the sheer immensity of the anxiety monster inside her that she battles every day, and I hope the independence that's been hoisted on her is more of a boon than a burden, that will make her stronger and help her triumph. As far as I know she's looking for roommates here in London, Ontario, and has commission slots to fill to help her with the costs of getting reestablished, so I encourage you guys to pop over to her page and offer support, even if its just encouraging comments.

So, uh, yeah ^^; I'll be trying to stay as consistent as I can with posting stuff, I'm still working myself back into getting shit done, and I REALLY appreciate the patience my commissioners have had with me while I've been working through this. There's gonna be some sweet-ass tentacle porn coming up soon, too, and I know a lot of you guys love that stuff! XD

Peace for now, folks
Amor Vincit Omnia




COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

So, I know a few peeps already know this from my twitter, but myself and Cooper are no longer together. It wasn't the prettiest break, but it was civil. She's staying with friends for now til she finds her footing. Things have admittedly been in decline for years, and we grew apart. And while I know things hurt now, I really think we'll both be better off for this, and I do honestly wish her the best, and that she comes out of this stronger and happier than she ever was with me.

I ask that nobody entertain the idea of slinging any negativity her way. She's probably hurting kinda bad right now, and she would be way better off with people raising her up rather than putting her down.

As for myself, I'm hurting a little at the moment. We went for 11 and a half years, and while part of me came to terms with this eventuality a while back, I don't think anyone gets out of something like this unscathed. This is also the first time in my life I've ever actually lived alone, making this even more weird. Over the years I'd sorta reprogrammed myself for what I perceived to be her needs, constantly weighing things on what I knew she liked or disliked, putting her first before everything. I didn't do the best job at that, for sure, but it was a major part of who I was. But now I've really only got myself to live for, and I realize I need to reprogram myself again. I'm still catching myself thinking of what her preferences are when I'm out shopping for groceries, or asking myself if there are things she'd want me to pick up while I'm out, or little alarms going off in my head when I consider something that might make her the last bit upset. Vestigial, redundant programming I don't need anymore.

But as I work to start to scour these old thought patterns, I realize I'm not even sure what the hell I want. I've got the vaguest sense of my own preferences and desires, but currently I'm a bit lost. Tabula rasa, to a degree. Tabula... ignotus? I dunno, this shit's all new to me.

(Also, before anyone asks, I'm off the market for now, don't get excited)

I'm trying to keep my head up, staying hopeful. After all, I'm a free man now, so to speak, and I've still got a lot of good friends I can turn to. I'm still optimistic for the future, still capable of smiling and laughing. I've got a lot of self-discovery ahead of me. I'm not broken. And even though I failed Cooper, I'm not a failure myself.

So....yeah. That's what's been going on. I'll get to posting my work again soon, I just gotta finish up a few more older pics I haven't coloured yet, but I'm taking a few days to recover before I get back to work on that stuff. Gotta make sure I'm okay, first.


*takes a deep, cleansing breath, and clicks Create*




COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

Eyyyy homies!

So, Fur-Eh! was incredibly kickass, just puttin that out there first, but now it's time for me to get back down to business again. It's lookin like I'm owing the gov't some crazy tax dollars (the downside to workin for yourself) and I gotta pay for rent, bills, food, ect., so it's time for me to take on a bit more work.

This time around, the theme is tit-jobs (aka, tittyfucking, paizuri, mammary intercourse, tripping down mammary lane, ect...) at the recommendation of a couple peeps I encountered at the con, sooooo yeah, that's what i'm doing! $200 (more if details get too crazy) for a full colour, single-character + penis and lower body of whoever's getting pleasured. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, Note me with refs of the pleasurer and the pleasuree, and if you've got any preference for before/during/after, involving mouth, who's "on top" and any other details you'd like to see! If I accept, I'll shoot you back my paypal addy, you pay, and the slot's yours!

And if you're interested but cant nab a slot, either due to them filling up or not having the money on hand but interested in grabbing one later, leave a comment below saying so! and I'll poke you if new slots open up!

Alright? Alright! Let's do this!

GO!
ALL SLOTS FILLED! THANK YOU EVERYONE!



COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

Oh man, this is gonna be awesome. So, as some of you may know, I'm gonna be Guest of Honor at Fur-Eh! (Edmonton, May 8-10). Needless to say I'm a bit excited. I haven't been that far out west before, and I've never flown commercially in my life either (I was on a C-130 in my youth, part of an air show thing at CFB Trenton if I remember correctly. I'm a military brat, and they were letting the families go up). So this is gonna be quite the experience.

Of course, one doesn't get GoH without expectations, otherwise they're just grabbing someone they think is neat, flying them out, covering their hotel, and not getting any payoff other than saying that ____ is at their con, and that's just dumb. So, besides doing up some art for the con, I've also got a couple panels I'm hosting! I've excluded the times because they're still ironing out the final wrinkles before this show gets rollin, so check your schedules while you're there

Let's Create a Character! (aka, The Failings of Democracy) where, as a group, we make a character democratically. Naturally nothing could POSSIBLY go wrong, and the character will inevitably be well thought-out and cohesive. Totally!

How to Boob! Because people keep asking me how I got so good at drawing breasts, i figure I might as well go up and teach what I know. 18+ naturally, because otherwise i'd have a room full of hormone-packed teenagers who are there just to see the titties.

On top of this, I'll be in the Dealer's Den throughout the weekend, doing sketch commissions, as well as participating in the final round of the Cards Against Humanity tournament, and probably a few other that I cant think of at the moment that they'll undoubtedly lasso and drag me into.

So yeah, if you're out in Alberta, or somewhere near it, or have a private jet, or a lot of money, or really any reason you can think of, you should come out to Fur-Eh! It's gonna be a blast!



COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam

I'll keep it brief. I don't like the sidebar thing either, and I use Adblock. Doesnt stop the sidebar from taking up a chunk of my viewing space. I've got a fix, though, courtesy of Boothale

http://boothale.net/facleanup.html

Plugged it in, works for me.

Now, anyone who's reading this that has any say in the site layout, bring with up with the IMVU peeps and see if you can put the sidebar back where it was and put the ad in there. As long as it's out of the way of the submitted image. This is an art site after all, and distracting from the art is a cardinal no-no. It should help take the heat off you guys. Hopefully this is a good learning experience for IMVU.



COMMISSIONS (the fullsize huge scenes, not the ones I'm doing nowadays)
1/ Rogern (inked, restarting colour)
2/ 9Lion (pencilled, plus one other)
3/ Mechaman
4/ Chazore (pencilled)
5/ yutrah (inked)
6/ rageki (inked)
7/ Twitch The Dragon (inked)
8/ Kipeo
9/ Opeoaslam