Happy Sunday! How are you guys doing? It has been a long week for me. First week of the new workload and my cat, Turtle, came home from the vets. He is big mad at the cone he has to wear. But he is doing a lot better! What do you guys think of the weekly projects? I am always open for suggestions and critics.
So, did you guys figure out what I meant back on Monday’s post for Sundays? I hope you guessed that I am starting back up The Struggles of an Artistagain! (Signal the loud applause sound bite.) It has been way too long of a wait for this. I am also starting a comic about The Adventures of Floof (my angry bird mascot). I am thinking of trading off Sundays for each one. I am not going to be making a blog post each Sunday for a comic. I feel like that is overkill. But I am going to be posting them on my Home page and on their own respective pages. But you’ll be able to quickly find them on my Instagram.
Starting next Sunday keep an eye out for the latest comic! Stop back tomorrow for a discussion about art styles and finding your groove. Things are just getting started! Remember to stay safe and stay sane.
Welcome back! It is strange to be here on a Tuesday, but there is no rest for the wicked! What do you guys think of the new changes that are coming? I’m going to need your help to keep me on target, because your Captain tends to flow like a stream sometimes and forgets where she is going. I’m counting on you guys!
What is Fan-Art?
artwork based on popular works of fiction (such as books, movies, etc.) that is created by fans
How does Fan-Art Help with Breaking into the Industry?
When you make fan-art you are paying homage something/someone you like and admire. With that you can share the love with all the other fans and build connections. It can show a great number of people what skills you have. It can help you grow your audience and clients much faster.
What are the Art World’s Thoughts on Fan-Art?
In the art world, fan-art is a double edged sword. On one hand, it is a great way to reach a lot of people quickly. On the other hand, it is a legal nightmare. Like you hear of artists receiving Cease and Desist Orders from large companies telling them to stop selling the fan-art on their copyrighted characters. Take the TinkerBell piece that I did recently, if I chose to sell prints or the original Disney could slap me with fines and other legal action. In turn that can destroy an artist. At the same time, holders of the original copyright love to see the love that their fans show to their creations. Fan-art can bring people from all walks of life together, you just can’t profit from it without consent from the OG creators.
There is that grey area. You’ll see small artists selling their fan-art, thinking that the OG creators are not paying attention. Take for example my TinkerBell piece, if I sold like 100 prints of it and profit like $500, I might seem to be under the radar. But say I make other pieces of TinkerBell and then other pieces of other Disney own characters and think I can profit from them as easily as before. Now I have like 20 different characters and am making bank on prints and other merch. I can bet Disney is already in court suing me for copyright infringement and want all of the profit. I would be destroyed. Morel of the story, even if you think they aren’t watching you, they are and they are just waiting for you to get greedy.
Why should I be Creating Fan-Art?
I want to make something very clear:
I AM NEVER GOING TO PROFIT OFF OF MY FAN-ART!
The only exception to this is if companies/artists/creators ask me to work with them. I also want you to know there are things in the public domain, like Alice in Wonderland, that are fair game.
I want to grow as an artist. I also want to connect with people. So if I show you what I like and able to start a conversation with you and other people who enjoy the same things, why shouldn’t I take that chance? In this world of social media and trending topics, if you want to reach a large audience you got to give the people what they want.
I hope this all makes more sense to you guys. If you still have questions, please ask. I’m excited for next Tuesday! This first Fan-Art is going to be super cute! And you’ll learn of a super obsession of mine. Are you ready? Don’t forget to stop by tomorrow for Part 2 of the Tokidoki Zodiacs! Too cute!!!!! Remember to stay safe and to stay sane.
Happy Monday? Can Mondays be happy? Or does that defy the laws of the universe? Squirrel. Anyways, how are you guys doing? For those who are in the USA with me, are you registered to vote? Please register, as a nation we can not have another 4 freaking years of this BS. And that ends my political rant. Thank you for your time.
What is coming in August?
So classes are starting in exactly a month from today. That means there is a lot of stuff to do and it is crunch time. Are you ready? No time to think, just time to go go.
Daily Doodle
Art + Personal Talk
Main Series/Project
Fan Art
Personal/ Random Projects
Comic
BLM
Sunday
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Monday
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Tueday
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Wednesday
🌙
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Thursday
🌙
Work/Class
Work/Class
Work/Class
Work/Class
Work/Class
Work/Class
Friday
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Work/Class
Work/Class
Work/Class
Work/Class
Work/Class
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Saturday
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Weekly Schedule (Subject to Change)
Daily Doodles:
Doodles posted on the Home and Pirate Games pages. Also will be posted on Instagram. Don’t forget to join the fun with #CaptainsDailyDoodles .
Art + Personal Talk:
It is going to be like every Monday we have done for a while. I will be talking about new things that will be added to the Shop, some art history, how school is going, about my art styles and skills, or anything that I think I should share with you guys. I’ll also use Mondays for any special announcements that is going to happen later in the week.
Main Series/Projects:
Right now Saturdays are for the Zodiac Series. I have many more series planned for the future. So stay tuned!
Fan-Art:
There is going to be a solo post tomorrow to explain about this category. Get ready for the shinanagines.
Personal/ Random Projects:
This day is for small side projects that I am working on in the background that have nothing to do with the Main Series. So think of the Tokidoki Project or updating my Self Branding. I’ll also use this day to tell/show you guys about school assignments starting in September.
Comic:
The long and awaited day has arrived! Sundays are going to be Comic Days. Can you figure out which project I am referring to? DUN-DUN-DUN!!!
BLM:
Head on over to my Instagram and find out what happens on #BlackoutFridays . I promise you won’t regret it.
If I want to become the best artist/freelancer/creative I can be, I have to get serious about things. I have to flip the switch from thinking this is a fun hobby that I only am dreaming to some how become successful, to treating this as a full time job. I can’t rely on wishes and hopes to get to the position that I want to be in, I have to put the petal to the metal. I am obviously going to be working on projects and research for different topics and such every day, but at some point I want to be able to manage my time so well that I can rely on Thursday and Friday for editing, planning, getting ahead and the little things that take time away from creating. We shall get there! I know once school starts a monkey wrench is going to be thrown in the works, but I should be able to account for that if I play my cards right.
I hope you guys are ready. Things are definitely going to heating up from here on. Don’t forget tomorrow we are going to talking more in depth about fan-art. Our adventures on the Artist Seas are just beginning!
How are you guys? Sorry about earlier in the week. I am feeling a lot better. Some times you just have to feel your feelings. It is ok to cry, to scream, to break something, to feel empty; just don’t stay there. Staying in the darkness only brings more darkness and despair. Find the small flicker of light and move towards it. Even if you have to crawl, try to get there. Know that you are not the only one in the darkness, I get sent there a lot. So just reach out, I’ll help you get through it.
I used to think the worst thing in life was to end up all alone. It’s not. The worst thing in life is to end up with people that make you feel all alone.
Robin Williams
Libra The Scales
Basic Facts about this Sign:
Birth dates: September 23 – October 22
Element: Air
Ruling Planet: Venus
Symbol: Scales
Flower: Rose
Libras have the balancing game on lock. They are romantics at heart. These Signs hate being alone. They are very intelligent and love music.
I think the most challenging part of this piece was figuring out how to depict wind. I am still not sure how I made the translucent wind trail. Magic I tell you! By the way, Venus looks so much like a pearl! So milky and creamy looking. I also forgot to add the stars in until I was about to start editing! I’m a dingus. And the original hiding place for the Scales didn’t actually show up and I just figured it out now… The struggle is real. You also might be wondering about all the texture on the canvas. I haven’t played with acrylics as much as I used to and totally forgot about gessoing the canvas. I was also under the impression that the canvas boards I got were pre-gessoed. Lies I tell you. And gessoing the canvas is an art form all in itself. I like having a textured canvas, so it doesn’t bother me. It makes the piece have a unique character. So I am not going to apologize for it or try to smooth out the gesso more in the future. I know naturally, my technique will get better, but I don’t want to loose the added depth to the piece.
What do you guys think? Do you have any critics for me? I promise I have thick skin for proper and helpful critics. Let me know, ok?
So I guess that wraps ups Libra for the Zodiac Series! I’m going to use this last week of July to get ahead with projects and planning. There are going to be some new things coming starting in August. I hope you guys are ready! Time to change my mind set. I hope to see you all on Monday with an update on a different project. And I don’t think you guys are ready for this. It is too cute! Next Saturday is August 1st. Then only a month until classes start. Things are looking up! Let’s keep this ship sailing with the wind!
I’m sorry that I didn’t post anything yesterday. I just haven’t been feeling myself again. I am trying really hard to use the tools I have gained to dig me out of my darkness, but everything is still in grey-scale. I am having a hard time focusing on everything. I feel like a picked scab, like I was healing then got itchy and made it bleed again. I am feeling really raw.
It is hard to explain the pain. All I want to do is sleep. I know that is part of my escapism. I am trying my best to get over this hump. Hopefully it only lasts for a couple more days, but I can never put a timeline on my depression.
My thoughts are not making sense at the moment. I don’t know what else to say. So I guess this is it for today. Hopefully I will be seeing you on Saturday. Remember to stay safe and stay sane.
How are you all doing? I hope that things are, sort of, falling in place. I think this is, whatever it is, the new normal. The struggle is real. Anyways, how are you liking the Zodiac Series? I am having a blast with them. Each one has it’s own sets of challenges and pushes me to think outside the box. Which Sign are you most excited to see?
I know you are here for something completely new. I’m excited to announce that COMMISSIONS ARE LIVE! Head over to my Shop to see what is available. I am starting small to help with me trying to figure all of this out. I have never taking formal commissions before so I am mostly nervous about pricing and contracts and all that mumbo-jumbo. This was not covered in my undergraduate studies, so we are learning together. Please stick with me as we traverse these rough waters. I promise it will be worth it.
Here are the basic steps for Commissions:
First pick out which type of work you’d like from me
Simple
Abstract
Full Illustration
When you go to buy the slot from me (assuming I did it right) we will start the contract process.
I’ll email you asking you what it is you are seeking.
Then I’ll send you a contract so we both have a piece of mind.
According to the timeline we agree upon, we will start the next steps.
Roughs
Color comps
Final
Then we will discuss how you would like the piece delivered.
So be warned now, we are going to have a lot of email/video calls to make sure there is strong communication and nothing is lost. It might seem annoying at first, but it is for the best. I am not a mind reader, so I want to make sure that I can see the vision that you are seeing.
Like I said earlier, I am still trying to figure all this stuff out. If you have any tips or tricks, or even a good source of information for me to research, please share. Knowledge is power. Thank you in advanced. Plus I’d like to know if you guys want me to put my original artwork for sale? Would you also like prints to be available? Let me know what you guys want to buy. Things can only go up from here.
So let’s get this show on the road! Things are moving forward faster than I originally thought. This is all crazy! Thank you. You have no idea how much this all means to me. Please stop by on Saturday and meet the next member of the Zodiac family! This Sign is logical based and knows how to use their wings. Here’s to the next adventure!
Welcome back everyone! How are things? I still can’t believe that it is July. I feel like I have lost 10 years of my life and have no idea where it went. Why did humans have to invent time? Like why did we need to start recording daylight passing and such? I feel like we would be better off not knowing. The dream. Having an existential crisis? Check!
Leo the Lion
Basic Facts about Leo:
Birth dates: July 23 – August 22
Element: Fire
Ruling Planet: The Sun
Symbol: The Lion
Leos are natural born leaders. They are confident and passionate in their life. They are warmhearted, in love with life, and always up for a good time.
I thought that it would be fun to make the focal point of the piece to be the Sun. I also thought it would be cool to make it look like the actual Sun and how it is on fire. It was a lot of fun working with the make-up sponge. It gave the piece movement and life. It literally looks like it is pulsating. I am still trying to figure out the placement and treatment of the constellation. When I do my roughs it always looks good and well formatted. I am not sure what is going wrong in that respect. I was also having fun with this color shifting paint. As you can see in the video, when I move the piece it has shiny bit sand just adds another level. I love how this turned out!
When I brought the final picture into Photoshop, I normally just make sure it is cropped right and that the colors of the piece shine through like it does in real life, but I kind of got distracted with editing. And I definitely like it better this way. What do you guys think? Did you find the little Lion that is hiding?
This series is so much fun! I’m glad you are with me on this journey. Be sure to come back on Monday for a big announcement! I hope you remember what I said last Monday. Is there a Sign that you guys want to see next week in particular? Or should we stick to the order I have chosen? Let me know what you think! As always, remember to stay safe and to stay sane! See you soon!
Happy Monday! Still living in a weird and chaotic time. Just a healthy reminder, keep up the good fight. Whether it is for the Pandemic or for the #BLM movement or just change in our whole system, keep fighting. Do what you can but don’t stop. We will get through this together and for the betterment of everyone.
Anyway, lets get back to why we are here. I have some updates that you guys should be on the look out for.
Commissions will be up and running by July 13th! I’m super excited! Let’s get pumped!
Your Captain is looking into signing up for some Freelancer sites. So far I am liking Upwork.com and Fiverr.com. Do you guys have a favorite or suggestions to look into?
I am slowly trying to add more projects and other activities on to my plate. I know once school starts in September I am going to be thrown to the wolves if I don’t learn how to schedule my time appropriately. Practice and self motivation is key. I would love it if you guys could help me and keep me in check. Sometime I get sucked down rabbit holes and forget I have stuff to do and then stress about crunch time. Thank you in advance!
I am also working on some other projects. Currently I am working on some character designs as fan art for one of my favorite brands, Tokidoki. I am not contracted nor affiliated with Tokidoki. This project is purely for fun. It has also been helping me build my skills with Adobe Illustration. I love simple vector graphics and style, but I have a hard time trying to created a simple piece of work myself. My brain thinks more detailed the better it is. I’ll be posting more of my designs as I get through them.
This might be some TMI, but I am currently looking for a part time job. I know once I get more commissions and paid projects I might not need one. Don’t worry, your Captain is totally fine. I realized that my last job was just not for me. I am ready to take a chance on my artwork. Let me know if you guys have any suggestions on how to promote myself and get the word out there. Anything helps!
Well, July is looking pretty packed. I am nervous and excited all at the same time. On Saturday, get ready for a new Zodiac painting! I’ll give you a small hint; this Sign is a Natural Leader. Remember to stay safe and to stay sane. If you are bored check out Pirate Games, there is a new challenge every day (if I don’t forget lol). Also check out my IG to see little projects and doodles that don’t make it to my site.
How’s you all doing? We have made it to the end of June 2020. Well, barely for some of us. And so far, July is just going to be another steal toed boat to the groan. So, let’s take a collective deep breathe. Something is going to give, but we don’t know what/when it is going to do/happen. One step at a time. Just one step at a time.
How did you guys like the Quarantine Challenge Project series? Which piece was your favorite? Just in case you missed it, I put all the QCP pieces together in one place. I know I have grown so much just because of this self imposed challenge. I hope that you have enjoyed the progress and process too.
Things are still in limbo for me right now. I’m still furloughed from my job at the dental office for who knows how long. They sure the hell don’t know. Plus I am scared to go back there honestly. The dental field has the highest chance of exposure to COVID-19. I know I can’t afford to get the virus. I know I’d survive it cause I am young and don’t have any underlying illnesses, but I can’t got into $500,000 medical debt. So I have been debating whether or not I should go and get a new job.
Pros
Cons
Less of a chance to get COVID-19
Wasted 7 months worth of training and time
Get a part time job so more time for school
Possible chance of loosing newly made friends
Don’t have to stress about effecting someone’s health
Can start going back to work sooner
Able to travel more freely
Able to manage time better
On paper, it seems to be a no brainer. Guilt is an unforgivable vixen. I feel so bad just for thinking about it. But maybe it isn’t something for me. I don’t know what to thing anymore. What would you do?
New Plans in the Works
YouTube Channel:
I am still going to be filming my pieces and working on expanding my content. My plan is to get 100 subscribers and then start doing voice overs. Maybe by then my shyness won’t get the better of me. Hahaha… I am still learning editing and film making techniques. It is defiantly a learning curve. Every one makes it seem so easy. The struggles.
Patreon:
Once I get around 100 followers I plan on opening a Patreon. I still need to do some research about everything that is involved with this platform.
Opening Commissions:
I have to come up with some guidelines for what I will do, how much it’ll cost, how to get the finish product to the client, and how many I can do at once. So it is going to be a touch and go once it gets launched. Thank you for your understanding and patient before hand. I have to figure it out how to create a system for commissions on my website. However, I should be able to get it up and running in like the next 2 weeks. So keep an eye out for it.
Online Store:
Yes, I am going to be opening a online store here. I still have a lot to learn about how it all works, but it will be coming. But I need to get some equipment to do what I need so I can do everything myself. I am a bit of a control freak, so I am not sure if I want to outsource any where. Maybe once I get like people asking for simple merch that I can’t produce myself, I’ll look into working with a merch company. But only if I get tons of requests for it. I am hoping to have a store up and running by the end of the year, or sooner. So get ready for things to get real.
Things are really picking up, aren’t they? So many new plans are in the works! I honestly never thought I would get to this point, so thank you. We can only go up from here! On Saturday you are in for a surprise! The first piece of a 12 piece series will be up. I am super pumped for this! This has been a series that I have been meaning to do for a long time. It is time to start looking at the stars.
How have you all been? It feels like this week was never going to end for me. The struggles, right? Anyway, things that been looking more and more bleak as the days roll by. To tell you the truth, I am terrified. I’m not scared of COVID-19 or the #BLM movement or anything like that. I am terrified of how little the ones we put in charge are not listening to their citizens and the world. I am terrified of the medical bill that I’ll get if/when I get COVID-19. I’m afraid of passing it on to my family and them being stuck with the same bill. I don’t have $500,000 just burning a hole in my pocket. That is a life time of debt that I can’t afford. Neither can my family or the vast majority of my fellow Americans. It hurts so much to know my government cares more about money and pleasing the 1%, that they are willing to have a mass slaughtering their people. History is repeating itself and the ones that have sworn to protect us are dooming us all by not see it. What are we to do? Peaceful protests are getting through to them with the #BLM movement, facts and statistics aren’t opening their eyes, the rest of the world is screaming at them to do better, and they are turning a blind eye. I don’t know what else to do. All I can do is to try to be a safe and calm place for you guys. Art is a good distraction, so I just have to keep creating in order to not get sick with insanity. I hope change will come soon. That concludes my rant, please continue on to the light-hearted and fun illustration.
Quarantine Challenge Project #13: Redo: Alice
I’m not sure if you guys have noticed, but I love making things about Alice in Wonderland. I have always loved this children’s story ever since I was a little girl. Just being able to fall down a rabbit hole to a land full of interesting characters and sights and the absence of reality. I feel like everyone needs a safe place to check out of reality every once in a while to recharge. I find myself daydreaming of a far off reality to seek positive adventures all the time. Do you guys daydream?
So, this drawing I made quickly at Vermont Comic Con that I went to as a student ambassador for my college’s art department. It was a lot of fun! But this was a very rushed piece, as you can see. And I have been meaning to redo this ever since the Con was over. (HAHAH… See, I have always had too many ideas and not enough time. HAHAHA…)
I knew that I basically had to start over from scratch. Between the lazy composition and the lack of movement, there was no hope for this piece. So, I started the old fashioned way, I sketched out some rough ideas. I have been trying to play with new and different angles for my pieces. It defiantly a challenge to me, ’cause I tend to draw like the ancient Egyptians. I draw side profiles and very little background and very stiff. I don’t mean there isn’t a time and place for that kind of style, but I am trying to grow and improve my skills. I have to get out of my comfort zone every once in a while.
In the end, I came up with this. I hope by now you have realized I hate backgrounds, especially trees. Ugh they are the worst. But luckily, with the rules of perspective, the farther way the object, the less detail there is. Plus, I pushed myself to try to make Cheshire’s tail to be translucent. I think it turned out pretty good for the first time. And by the way, children proportions DON’T MAKE ANY SENSE! The struggle my peeps. I hope you guys realized she is a little kid. Can you guys spot the different items that stand for different characters and stories from the book? Let me know in the comments!
In the process video I was trying new and different ways to film. And like 70% of it I had to cut because my hand was in the way. I totally forgot to film on the opposite side to see what I was drawing. I’m an idjit sometimes. I am still learning this new medium of film making. Influencers and shows and such, make it look so easy and simple. Practice makes perfect, as they say.
That is the end of this story for today. I hope you guys like my new Alice piece. Just know this won’t be the last! By the way, we have only 1 more Quarantine Challenge Project! Sweet Neptune guys, we did it! I hope you all come back for next Saturday’s update to see what kind of magic comes to life this time. Monday we are going to be learning more about your Captain’s head. I hope I can answer some of your questions that I have planted in your head. Anyway, remember to take care of yourself. Stay sane and look towards the future. We can do this. We just have to stand together and be there for each other. Stay safe and stay healthy.
S.E. Illustrator 