Some more stuff from Jafax

This is just something I drew before Jafax to show the different types on commissions I was doing while I was there. I like the inked version best, it's so clean and I love hatching. I haven't used my colored pencils in forever so it was kind of a blast from the past to use those again.

This is Misty from Pokemon that I drew Sunday morning while waiting for anything at all to happen at Jafax. Did you know that it is really hard to draw somebody holding a beer? Did you know it's especially hard to do it without a reference? Anyway, she is totes hipster in this pic with her Kanye shades, PBR and super low-rise shorts.

Jafax 15

Jafax was all sorts of cool. I had a great time meeting people and selling artwork. I am so crazy tired right now, otherwise I would gab about it more.

I think I want to do it again, and I definitely have a better idea on what to sell and how to organize my table. Sitting all day is surprisingly tiring.

I did two whole commissions, one full color, the other just ink. I only took a picture of one (my bad), but I requested a photo of the other on the Jafax forums so hopefully that'll pull through. I actually do not love the full color commission, but the girl who ordered it did, and that's what matters, right?

There was a lot that was wrong about Jafax, but nothing I wont get over. Overall it was more positive than negative, so I am not complaining.

Commission

I finally have been commissioned on DA! The very, very sweet SunGodAmaterasu commissioned me to draw her persona, Riku.

I just stayed up a little too late working on this tonight. It's almost 4am. Once I start something, I can't stop until it's done, so it's my bad. Whups.

Next I get to finish a collab with Fluttur and do some commissions at Jafax. *fingers crossed*

But next-next, I get to catch some Z's.

PS my birthday is in two weeks. :X

Remember these? I finally scanned them. Going to Holland, adios!

Nightmare + Job

I had an awful nightmare about 20 minutes ago. It was just the worst, weirdest thing. I hate nightmares more than anything. Especially ones that continue to give me the heeby-jeebies long after I have woken up.

Anyway. Time to shake it off. Hrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrbrb.

One good thing about waking up at 4AM was that I got an e-mail response to a freelance job from a job I applied for, illustrations for a card game. I have been in a slump and unable to sell my talents online for a while so this might be the boost I need. I need to do a 'test illustration', which I'm usually pretty wary about, but even if this turns out to be a scam, it is something to do, dammit, and I'll put it on my resume anyway. I'm so fracking bored.

I am ultra excited about Jafax, too. I am going to be selling commissions this year, something I have not done for a long, long time, and I really hope my not-anime style will still be palatable enough to the Jafax crowd that they will want to buy something. I have to make more than $60 to make a profit. Yikes! Two years ago I did original anime prints (not fan art) and did not do commissions, and I barely broke even, so we'll see what happens this year.

Anyhoo! It feels lame to post a journal entry without a picture so here is a pic of my business card for Jafax that I never uploaded.

Tron 2

Today Case and I went to go see Prince of Persia at the movie theater. It was a special discount movie, otherwise we would have been waaaay too broke to go. Anyway, the movie was kind of fun, but the Tron 2 trailer was attached to it, and everybody who knows me knows that Tron 2 is just about the one thing I am looking forward to most movie-wise. Well, it's close between The Last Airbender and Tron 2.

I always want to do some Tron fanart, but I never get around to it, so here is some Tron inspired art.

It is a little lazy but I like it for the most part. I used this photo for the pose reference.

Oh, and I did get a super cool Tron shirt from my boyfriend as kind of an early birthday present. It glows in the dark! Will definitely be wearing it to the Tron 2 midnight show- in IMAX.

Chhhharms!

Mmmmmm I have a major headache so I don't know what to say about this. These are the cell phone charms I made for Jafax. They all have little lanyards, and I made a display frame for them, and I think they are pretty cute. I especially like Happy Cat and Companion Cube. They are made using Photoshop and Shrinky Dink inkjet paper. Mmmmmmmm I am so headachey.

I wish I were feeling better, but I am extremely happy.

This is Niknak, my new kitten:

Sup chickens

Yes, in every good drawing, legs and feet just disappear behind each other. Even though I'm captain lazy, I like this. It was going to be a fun swimsuit picture, with her at a beach, but I like the shorts and cardigan thing more. She also had a sideways ponytail. Oh well.

I suck with color schemes so I got the colors from Colour Lovers, and the pose from my favorite stock photographer on DA, SenshiStock.

Tomorrow I am getting a kitten. :>

Ringo

Lol, what are colored pencils?! I started just playing around in Photoshop, then it was 4:30 AM, and then this was done.

Backgrounds? Pffffft, who needs 'em. Colored pencils? Too much work to get them out of... my... book shelf. Pattern and texture rape? Instant awesome.

Man oh man I am tired.

Here are some of my resources:

Texture

Pose

Patterns

Sketch

Sooooo I decided to do a completely different Jafax table payment than the one I finished already. I sketched this up of the Jafax mascot, Ringo, in photoshop and I like it, so I am going to sharpen up my colored pencils and see if I remember how to use them!

Anyway, wish me luck. I know there are a few things i have to fix still, but for the most part, I am just eager to play with my pencils again.

Boy howdy, I am tired. Walking is hard. My legs hurt. Whine, whine, whine.

Mascots lol

This is just a little anecdote about a bad experience I had one time.

So, in '08/'09, I asked if I could design some mascots for Kuzuricon, an anime convention in Kalamazoo. The coordinator was like, go for it! So I did. I designed like ten, but the first pair of mascots were these two:

The design was supposed to be Michigan-centric, so I named the girl Ringo (Japanese for "apple", Michigan's state Fruit), and I based her entire design off of apple blossoms. Kuzu is a wolverine.

Well, I got it from all sides. I spent so long on this and everybody hated it. They hated the name (too mannish!, they cried), they hated the colors (too girly!, they cried), they hated the wolverine (it looks like a cat!, they cried).

In retrospect, I do not really like these characters but for entirely different reasons. When I designed them, I was thinking too generally. Ringo is kind of plain, and I don't like the style I chose, but in any case...

It was all very disheartening because I spent way too much time designing these characters (for free), then designed a bunch of other characters (that I liked more) which they hated for various other reasons.

Anyway, the thing that bugged me most was that they were nitpicking over the name, Ringo. Girls can't be named Ringo? Ringo Starr can only be named Ringo? It was all very frustrating.

ANYWAY.

JAFAX, a convention that is much more seasoned, organized and something I wish I were a part of just unveiled their new mascot named RINGO. AND IT'S A GIRL.

I am not feeling ripped off, I am feeling justified. I am feeling pointy and vindicated. Take that, Kuzuricon! Girls can be named Ringo!

This is Jafax's cool new mascot named Ringo, whose design is very cool. The style is really slick and is anime without being TOO anime. Check out the talented illustrator behind her here.

Busy day

I painted, I stained, I smell, I saved a mole. What a day!

I am pretty much just posting about getting ready for Jafax. Here is what I did today.

I finished all my prints for Jafax! I might go back and make some mini, half-sized prints since those sold OK last time I did Artist Alley.

I also made a shrinky dink that I spent way too much time on and ended up not liking.

I used the wrong kind of markers, and it was just so much hassle. I think I am going to cave and buy the special printer style shrinky dink paper. First I am going to try to print onto the glossy paper that I bought already, even though I know it wont work.

Anyway I am getting more and more excited for Jafax. Right now I am watching Firefly on Netflix with my boyfriend which would be super awesome but he is missing everything. I think this is the third time I have tried to force him to watch it. Grrrr.

Mole

Today Case and I went to his dad's house to help paint an area of his house, and while we were there we found this mole trapped in a window bed. I put some gloves on, and I was going to scoop it up, but I was too chicken. Eventually we put some extra siding down there for him to climb and he did! And now he's free, running a muck, digging holes, being blind.

God speed you, mole.