deviantART: by:shadowsmyst

deviantART: by:shadowsmyst http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:shadowsmyst&section=today deviantART RSS for by:shadowsmyst en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Fri, 27 Nov 2009 09:36:58 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png Ustreaming Coloring Brymstone - Live now! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/28036676/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/28036676/ Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:26:08 PDT
[link]

Purrs~
ShadowsMyst
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<---------- many thanks to

]]> *shadowsmyst Ustream - Ink and Marketing your webcomic http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/27789859/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/27789859/ Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:10:42 PDT [link]

and to liven things up, I thought I'd blather about marketing webcomics while I draw, so if you are interested in hearing my musings about it, come hang out. I will take questions. XD

I do work in a marketing department, so I do know what I'm talking about at least semi professionally.

and I'm starting to get some numbers that proove I'm doing something right. So stop by if yer bored.

Purrs~
ShadowsMyst
----------------------------------------------------

<---------- many thanks to

]]> *shadowsmyst Live!- Ustreaming Coloring next page of Brymstone http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/27401039/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/27401039/ Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:34:33 PDT
[link]

Purrs~
ShadowsMyst
----------------------------------------------------

<---------- many thanks to

]]> *shadowsmyst To webcomic readers... http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/27264044/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/27264044/ Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:26:57 PDT
When you do a comic, especially a webcomic, there isn't a lot of reward. You don't get any money for it unless you really go out of your way to monetize your comic (and not everyone has the resources, business savvy, or discipline to do it.) and its not as easy as some people seem to think. People read webcomics largely because they are free, and people like free entertainment. Unfortunately a lot of people also equate free with worthless and free stuff holds less value in the minds of the people who consume it. Unless they actually set out at some point to do something like create a comic, they just don't get how much suffering and work goes into making stuff. Most webcomic authors do it for the love of making comics, but you know what? Its really nice sometimes to get SOMETHING for all your hard work.

Now I also realize that a lot of webcomic readers are young people. Elementary school, high school, college. They don't have a lot of money, so financial contribution is out of the question. Hey, that's cool, I understand. I work and I STILL don't have any money. I'm pretty sure a lot of people are nodding right about now. But there is still stuff you can do to show your love and support of a webcomic that won't cost you a cent. Curious? Well read on.

1) Comment
This is probably the most direct thing you can do to show the comic author that you are reading and care. Do you like updates? Well comment on them! Most webcomics have some kind of comment feature these days. Many don't even require you sign up with a membership, just post a message saying you like and appreciate them. its like giving your favorite webcomic a cookie.

A true story: I get the MOST comments when I *stop* updating. I've had more comments and stories about how people appreciated/loved/wanted Shifters AFTER I quit doing it. If I had heard those voices BEFORE I stopped, I might have felt it worth continuing despite the problems. But there is only negative voices or worse, nothing at all, its like a musician playing for an empty auditorium. Its depressing and kinda disheartening. So, because people seemed not to care, I decided 'okay, no one will miss it if I go off and do what I need to do on my own time'.
Doesn't it seem odd to you? That I get a 'cookie' when I stop doing something? Shouldn't I get cookies when I do?

I'm not alone either. We only hear from you guys when you bitch. Its kind of disheartening honestly. If you really want more updating, you need to reward us when we DO update, and not slag us when we don't.

So if you love your webcomics, COMMENT. Don't be a lurker. Says something to let us know you are listening. Even if its just. "Thanks for the update!"

2) Vote and Fave!
Getting seen in the webcomics arena these days can be pretty competitive. For webcomics who can't afford paid advertising we have to kinda do what we can with things like toplists. You might see vote buttons or links to comic directories (like onlinecomics.net for example). Take five seconds to click through the vote, every day you get a chance or every day it updates or whatever you feel is fair. Even if there is no vote incentive. If you think the comic is worth reading, give them a vote or a favorite.

3)Follow us!
A lot of artists these days often use social networking, like twitter, facebook, myspace, ustream, RSS, etc to try to spread the word of our works. If people are following us or friending us, then we know people are listening, but if we aren't being followed or friended, we feel that our message isn't getting out (which it isn't) and no one is listening.

4)Share us!
Webcomics rely on 'word of mouth' advertising, especially in these times of social networking. If you see a comic has updated or you find a comic you like, share us with your friends! Re-tweet comic updates, link us on your website/blog/facebook/myspace. Digg us and Stumbleupon us. It doesn't take a lot of effort on your part, but it shows you feel we are good enough that you are willing to share us with your friends. We can see when these numbers spike (most webcomic artists if they are freaks like me, do track referers. If we see we've been getting stumbled upon or digged or refered from various social sources, we know someone is giving us some love.)

5)Send us fanart.
Its probably the most time consuming on your part, but most webcomic people that aren't enormous love to get fan art. Its really cool to see other people take on your characters, and that you inspired someone enough to draw your characters. Its flattering and super cool. We might be able to make our own art, but seriously, who doesn't like presents? It doesn't have to be art either, it could be a fan story, sculpture, plushie, hell even a picture of y... ]]> *shadowsmyst Ustreaming... Coloring in photoshop! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/27253960/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/27253960/ Wed, 16 Sep 2009 21:40:13 PDT I'm coloring Brymstone, it'll probably be a few hours, plus I record the shows, so feel free to watch em later.

Also, anyone with Shifters questions, PLEASE for the love of GOD either read the site or read past journals ([link]). All your questions are answered. Or come pester me on Ustream, I can answer your questions directly.

Link is here:
[link]

]]> *shadowsmyst o/` Ustreamin across the twitterverse o/` http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/26986868/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/26986868/ Wed, 02 Sep 2009 21:38:45 PDT

Shows are regularly Wed nights at 9pm PST.

[link]

]]> *shadowsmyst Thanks for the Support. http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/26875709/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/26875709/ Fri, 28 Aug 2009 12:48:29 PDT
So, one wallpaper coming for catching us up, as promised but no Shifters preview/spoilers and no succubus wallpaper.

Or at least not right now. In time perhaps.

Kind of good in that I can focus on comic stuff, and I'll stop spamming you guys with journals now. I'm sure people were getting sick of me. XD

]]> *shadowsmyst Last day for voting! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/26857857/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/26857857/ Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:11:16 PDT [link]) and you can see my rebuttal in either here on DA or on Brymstone.net.

Vote Brymstone!
[link]

I promised goodies just for catching us up, and I mean to keep that promise in the form of a very spiffy wallpaper. I'll be finishing the color on it tonight if I can (baring migraine death)and then if we win I'll do another one featuring the hawt demon babes if people want that, or something with Darshe since most people seemed to want that on the poll.

If you have anything, any ideas you'd like to see as a wallpaper, fire it at me!

]]> *shadowsmyst Help! Getting arse kicked in tournament finals! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/26807825/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/26807825/ Mon, 24 Aug 2009 23:24:55 PDT
*Edit: Morning of August 25*
Oh balls. Somehow he got like 50+ votes overnight. I'm buggered. No way I can catch that up.

For those of you who haven't seen my other entries, I'm in the finals of a competition here on a podcast i was on. I made it to the finals now I need support to win! I'm currently in the first bracket. Brymstone is the comic I'm listed with.

Link follows:
[link]

You can vote every 12 hours from a computer. No proxies or cellphones or I get disqualified. :/ But I need as much support as I can get!

Please make sure you vote regularly! Contest closes on the 28th!

]]> *shadowsmyst Ustream and webcomicTournament http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/26724592/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/26724592/ Thu, 20 Aug 2009 23:23:38 PDT [link]
In it I draw. I draw comics and color them. Most of the time I'll probably be doing Brymstone, so if you tune in, you'll get a sneak peek at the next page. But if one is vigilant, they may get a sneak preview of *gasp* new Shifters! So follow me if you have a ustream account!

I'll try to schedule shows, but most of the time I just pop on. I highly suggest you follow me on twitter to get notifications of when I'm broadcasting. I haven't figured out how to record shows yet.

My twitter is here:[link]

I'm also on facebook as Shadowsmyst, if you want to friend me I might post there too when I'm streaming if I get enough interest, but if you friend me PLEASE tell me you are a fan of my art, brymstone, shifters, something as I tend not to friend people I don't know or who don't tell me why they want to be my friend.

Also, thanks to your support I'm in the finals for the TGT webcomic tournament! The vote format has changed to one vote every 12 hours, so I need your daily or twice daily support. Please note that you have to use a computer to vote and cellphone votes won't be counted and might get me disqualified. :/ SO vote at your compies folks!
[link]

I will try to get some artwork up in order to promote all this stuff next week. Voting for the tournament starts tomorrow Aug 21 at 8AM EST.

I'll try to throw out some art and random reminders this week.

]]> *shadowsmyst Webcomic contest - round 3! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/26508875/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/26508875/ Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:37:03 PDT
Sweet! Getting there, but this round its tight, I'm slightly ahead, but support is always appreciated!

Same as before, you can vote once an hour, I'm in Bracket 2 this time.

[link] <-- click to go to the page to vote.

Gotta finish up some goodies. I've been working on getting my websites updated, I'll let you know when they are all shiny.

]]> *shadowsmyst Summer heat and webcomic tournaments - Need votes! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/26300412/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/26300412/ Fri, 31 Jul 2009 14:55:00 PDT

Shifters Comic | Brymstone Comic | Contact

It's been a ZILLION degrees outside.. (okay, not a zillion, but like 35C.. which is the hottest it has ever been in this area ever. Seriously, we broke records). Is it hot where you are?

Anyway, if you haven't heard, there is a little competition going on at TGT webcomics podcast (www.tgtwebcomics.com)for all the people who were on previously. I'm in it, in the second round, but I'm getting my butt kicked! I need some vote lubbin! If I'm on again, (which is the prize, we get interviewed again) listeners will be treated to some more spoilers, sneak peeks at whats coming, and maybe some more goodies (including about Shifters!). But I gotta get past this round!

Today is the last day for voting. You can vote every hour. (yeah you can vote multiple times) I'm only 15 votes behind right now, but I need help to get out as far ahead as possible! I'm in bracket 8.

[link] <---- Vote link!

Thanks in advance for any help!

]]> *shadowsmyst Anime Evolution Workshop updates! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/25072453/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/25072453/ Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:19:30 PDT

Shifters Comic | Brymstone Comic | Contact

Okay, I finally have my schedule for the Panels I'm doing for the Creation Station at Anime Evolution in Vancouver, BC. If you want up to the minute updates on these during con weekend, make sure you are following my twitter page. ([link])

Here's the schedule as it sits right now:

Friday June 12
12pm - Webcomics Workshop: The basics from A-Z
2pm - Webcomics Workshop: Visual Storytelling
6pm - Webcomics Workshop: Coloring in Adobe Photoshop

Saturday June 13
11am - Webcomics Workshop: Writing for Webcomics
3pm - Webcomics Workshop: Project Wonderful
5pm - Webcomics Workshop: Promotion & Marketing

I believe registration opens at 8am on the Friday. I know some people won't be able to make the early friday panels, but that's when I'm scheduled.

I'm going to try to scam the use of a video camera from someone so I can try to post them up on youtube when I'm done. Also going to try to get up the rest of my photoshop tutorials on youtube. They are sitting on my hard drive, waiting for video editing. My poor computer is just.. seriously lacking power for the encoding portion of the editing.

So if you want to hear me yak about webcomics, come and attend the workshops, and then hang around after if you wanna shoot the breeze.

]]> *shadowsmyst *headdesk* Okay, one more time....SHIFTERS INFO http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/24841198/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/24841198/ Tue, 19 May 2009 14:51:35 PDT
Seriously. Everyone keeps asking. I keep telling, but no one LISTENS. Geh. I feel like my mom.

Okay class, listen up.

The long explanation about shifters is here:
[link]

The short and sweet version is as follows:

Life happened. I got sick of always being late, and people crawling up my ass about it. I got sick of fucking up pages because I was rushed. I got sick of constantly freaking out about it. After TEN years of doing it, honestly, I was pretty burnt out. I bought a house and moved out. Money got tight. I had to do other things to make money. Time became short. Shifters is my HOBBY. I stress HOBBY. Its not my job. I have a full time job. A full time life. I don't get paid to do Shifters. I'm not a kid anymore. I'm not a student. I have a life, a mortgage, a wedding to plan, a relationship to keep up, friends (IRL! OMG!), and bills to pay. And a real need to eat too.

I'm working on it quietly, in secret, where no one can shove their negativity down my throat. Where I can't get discouraged because I missed a deadline or screwed up a scene. I can redraw and redo when I need to and no one is screaming "OMG Ferrah's bewbs are too big!" or "you should put my character in!" or "I can tell you how to write the story!"

NO. Just NO.

I know people in the world on the internet today have all the patience of a cracked up ADD hummingbird on speed, but all demands in the world won't move me into publishing it until I want to. You just have to wait. And those of you who can't wait, then move along. Lots of other great reads on the internet until the time when its ready.

Brymstone([link]) is updating about every other week right now, if you want to follow that while you are waiting. And yes, I know there are many many other webcomics that update more frequently and with more regularity than either of mine, and you know what? that's good for them. I can't do it right now, thus you get what you get.

]]> *shadowsmyst Aaaand we have a winner! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/23558527/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/23558527/ Fri, 06 Mar 2009 14:43:11 PST

was there to get it with this screenie: [link]

So stingdragon wins the free commission! Way to go!

In other news, is anyone interested in photoshop or mangastudio tutorials? I was thinking about doing some, but I'm not sure what people would be interested in knowing how to do.

Thoughts?

]]> *shadowsmyst Don't forget your chance to win! In other news... http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/23238096/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/23238096/ Mon, 16 Feb 2009 15:22:03 PST
And in other news....

I've had a number of people poking me in various ways about Shifters.

If you would like to know about it, news, or otherwise PLEASE for the love of KITTENS, go to the main website of [link]. There you will find a wonderful set of FORUMS, right here ([link]). I will be posting news there from now on regarding latest developments, happenings, etc. I'm sick of being spread all over the internet when it comes to info sharing about it. I tend to get the same questions over and over and over again. I have several helpers there as well who can answer questions immediately even if I might not answer right away. Although I should. I troll my own forums pretty regularly.

You may have noticed some of my polls have been kind of market research-y, asking things such as your buying habits of comics and where and the like. One astute person pointed out it may be Shifters related, and yes, it is. I would like to publish the end result of my labor here and I'm trying to figure out the best way to do that as it affects some of my production workflow.

If you are wondering what happened or is happening with Shifters, I request you read the post on the forums. I may post more pointers here, but I'll be posting most of my updates there from now on in an effort to consolidate my efforts into a single location, at least as far as news goes.

]]> *shadowsmyst Kiriban at 50,000 views http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/22430792/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/22430792/ Tue, 06 Jan 2009 09:51:03 PST

So keep yer eyes peeled folks! And hopefully some fresh uploads coming soon. I just bought a new sketchbook and my pen is itching for use. XD

]]> *shadowsmyst A new year, a new leaf? http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/22376451/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/22376451/ Sat, 03 Jan 2009 15:05:05 PST

So I'm opening up commissions on a first come, first serve basis based on a slot system.

Right now, here's what the slots look like:

Inks/Sketches

3 Slots

Digital/traditional finished works

2 Slots

Prices START at 40-50$ for sketch/inks and 100$ for digital/traditional finished artworks. This is assuming a single figure, no background. If you have a detailed piece in mind, it will likely cost more than the prices stated. How much depends on the exact details so you'll have to note me for a quote.

I'm not reserving spaces for those who 'might' want one. In order to 'get' a slot, I have to have accepted your job and been paid via Paypal, or money order.

I know some people have been wanting to commission me for a while, so here's your chance.

For those of you going, OMG! WERE THE HECK IS NEW SHIFTERS /BRYMSTONE OMGBBQWTF???!!!, the good news is, the other one of my new years rezes was to finish the first 'book' of Shifters (consists of the first five chapters) this year, hopefully. Its about 180 or so pages I figure, there's 356 days in the year, its feasible, provided I work hard. Which is something I want to do. But there's always that nasty, nagging need to pay the bills, but hopefully a few extra art projects will pay for that.

So please note me if you are interested with your commission and I'll give you the full quote.

]]> *shadowsmyst Merry Xmas http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/22177089/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/22177089/ Wed, 24 Dec 2008 21:46:23 PST
Or at the very least, time with loved ones to reconnect and share a cup of warm eggnog and rum. (or other such festive beverage)

I'll be doing a yule post round about new years with news and stuffs. Hopefully a few deviations before then as well.

To all, again, Merry Christmas.

]]> *shadowsmyst Commissions... possibly? http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/20746215/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/20746215/ Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:11:00 PDT
I'm *possibly* at the end of my last commission, and thinking, considering, opening some commission slots. I only do this about twice a year, and this would be one of them. Typically I take a while, but I try to do a good job. Sketches/pencil/ink doesn't take nearly as long (or is nearly as expensive..) as a full on color masterpiece.

BUT, why I'm posting this, is to see if there is interest in this, and how much. I'm cross posting this to my FA page and see how much interest there is, and then I'll try to figure out a fair way to post the commission slots to the people who are interested. Oh, and if you are waiting on me to make up my mind,

is taking commissions currently, and wanted me to spread the word.

I know some people have been asking about Shifters, and truthfully, there's a bit of disappointing news on that front in that its going to be delayed a while longer yet. This is NOT to say its not being worked on, but here's what I'm doing.

I'm trying to get a significant backlog complete, namely entire chapters put to bed so that when it starts coming back up, it comes back up and the readers don't get this piecemeal bullshit that I've been dealing out for the last like.. three years. The way my daily schedule is, I can't really guarantee updates on a given day or even a given week sometime, not to mention, I'd like to draw and do other things than work 98% of the time. So I'm kind of trying not to burn myself out, while completing significant portions of the story. Its also partly a stress management thing for me, so I don't creatively fry. I'm still working on it, especially in terms of resource material. If you didn't know, originally I was developing the world as a roleplaying environment (SM = hardcore RP geek...) and I'm still doing that. It also helps with the story portion of the work, to keep things strait and re-balance everything in the wake of the redux. Anyway, if you are interested in the RP stuff, please check out the Shifters forums. ([link]) I'm going to still try to post concept art and stuff from shifters while I'm working on the actual comic pages on DA, maybe on the actual comic sites, depending. We'll see.

I'm going to definitely get that stupid wallpaper war thing up though. That one is on the list.

]]> *shadowsmyst Of Podcasts and Anime Evolution http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/20009993/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/20009993/ Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:40:51 PDT
I'm going to be on a podcast called "T.G.T Webcomics". You can actually join in and ask questions on air, or in the chat room if you catch us while live ( from 7pm PST to 10pm PST ), or you can listen to it after the fact at:
[link]

I'll be on with Mac Paladin, the guy behind Starship Moonhawk, that comic that I color for.

Also, I'll be doing my workshops again at Anime Evolution (Vancouver, BC, August 22 - 24), at UBC this year! Crazy eh?

That includes:
Webcomics Workshop: The basics from A-Z
Webcomics Workshop: Visual Storytelling
Photoshop Madness
Webcomics Workshop: Writing for Artists and Drawing for Writers
and
WebcomicsWorkshop: Promotion & Marketing

So if you'd like to get some tips and tricks, come and check it out.

Okay, end of report!

]]> *shadowsmyst Mid summer showers & Shifters contest http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/19462808/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/19462808/ Fri, 18 Jul 2008 10:46:12 PDT
Speaking on the Shifters front, there is a contest ([link]) going on in the livejournal that you might want to check out. The best suggestions will get an exclusive (and extremely hawt if I do say so myself..) Shifters wallpaper (provided of course you leave some contact info so we can send it to you.)

I'm also curious if anyone out there would like to see a Brymstone Wallpaper. I haven't done one... like ever, but I have recently done some cover art that would be worthy of being finished and polished and turned into wallpaper.. although I dunno if anyone would want to see it. Otherwise, I'm going to stick to Shifters stuff and just brymstone comic pages for now.

As a completely random aside..
Commissions. Been thinking about them lately, in no small part because of people chatting to me about them. Not to me about doing them, but about other artists they've commissioned, payed and that don't keep in contact and don't deliver. The worst of these kind not only take the money and stop talking to the person, but they also CONTINUE to take commissions. They have dozens of commissions outstanding and they STILL KEEP TAKING THEM.

I can understand that people need money, but DUDES, srsly. Do not take more than you can handle, and certainly don't take money upfront if there is even a sketchy chance you will never deliver. Take a deposit of 30-50%, but remember, once money of ANY KIND changes hands, you've got a verbal contract with a person. If you go around stealing people's money and never delivering (or taking a gawd awful amount of time with no communications), you make not only yourself look bad, but other artists as well, because people start to think we're all ripoff artists. If you are going to take commissions, make sure you can do them. Set yourself a limit based on how long it takes you to do a commission from start to finish, and once you reach that limit DON'T TAKE ANY MORE UNTIL YOU FINISH ONE OF THE OTHERS YOU ALREADY HAVE.

I call this the 'slot' system. I use it because I know I take a terrible long time with commissions (because I'm a perfectionist obsessive freak), so I have only three 'slots' at any give time. I will not take anymore until one of those slots becomes free. However, being that my time is seriously limited right now, I've taken that down to one for the moment. I keep in contact with the one guy I'm working with right now ( who seems very happy with what he's seen thus far..) and I expect he will probably be very happy with the end result, even though it will probably have taken like 8 months for me to get it done. I warn people that commission me I have a very long turn around, and I have taken up to 3 YEARS before on a commission. (admittedly, I upsized the commission for free to compensate for my tardy ass. He paid for a black and white sketch, he got a full digital comp.. and I've tried to be less tardy.. but I'm still.. like.. slow.)

Just like any other business, you, as an artist, have to be mindful of your professional practices and how you treat your customers. I find that people aren't unreasonable if you are upfront with them. Most commissioners are pretty cool if you make sure you let them know up front, it could take a while, and when they email you for updates, you send them messages back in a timely fashion. I would say though, if they are messaging you, you should only ever send them back an 'I'm working on it' type email ONCE before you send them something to look at. Think of it as a poke to remind you that yes, if you take a commission, you have a responsibility to get it done. If you start getting a reputation for taking commissions, but never finishing them, its going to get hard for you to get them, as people do talk about experiences they've had with artists.

If you are an artist that takes commissions, and hasn't been delivering, think about that a bit, and maybe get on top of what you owe, eh? I know I am.

]]> *shadowsmyst Almost June already? SSMH and Shifters news http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/18520184/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/18520184/ Tue, 27 May 2008 00:33:10 PDT
Had a chance to throw a few things up. One is a piccy of my RP character I'm quite in love with right now, and the other is a sample of some of the coloring work I've been doing for Starship Moonhawk.

The artwork is *NOT* mine, I'm just coloring. The artwork is done by the talented Nekoshiei. I'm just trying to do it justice with wicked colors of awesome.

I've only showed some select panels to whet your appetites, so check it out here:
[link]

On the Shifters front, I've got some good news. Through some fortunate events, I've gotten a 'crew' together to get the site back on its feet and really get serious about making Shifters something awesome again. This means it frees me up to work on just the content stuff. (so making comics, art, stories.. etc), and I don't have to worry about the technical side ( my webguru is going to handle that, and its going to be AWESOME), or the 'business' side, which is going to be handled by a very good friend of mine, who you will eventually come to know as AnimalaX. They are also tasked with whipping my ass and keeping me on track for the '

lan'. Which means quite soon you will start to see some teaser new stuff for Shifters. AnimalaX has 'the plan', which I am following faithfully.

But don't worry, Bullet is still helping me out and will be around too. See? Really, I gots a crew.

If you'd like to be kept up to date, I suggest bookmarking the Shifters Journal:
[link]

This is probably where most of the communication about the new site and when the comic will resume and all that good stuff. So if you have an LJ, watch it for updates. I'll probably still post stuff here, but details will likely be there.

]]> *shadowsmyst I never really thought of myself as a colorist http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/17911095/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/17911095/ Fri, 18 Apr 2008 12:09:39 PDT
But lately I've been in a complete art/creative funk. No inspiration, I was presented with an opportunity to be a colorist for Starship Moonhawk ([link]) and I've been rather enjoying it. A lot more than I expected actually.

I think there are two factors. One is that it is NOT my artwork. I don't feel critical of the line work, and secondly I think the line art is awesome. I've never really sat down and colored other people's art since I was like.. 7? It's really interesting what you learn from it. I also get a chance to concentrate JUST on color. This means I get to try a lot of techniques I haven't had a chance to try, and use my CG books in new ways. Which is having a noticeably awesome effect.

I was particularly impressed with my latest page, which is at [link] right now. The cat scene is awesome.

I'm hoping that this 'change in pace' will do me some good, give me a jumpstart into my own creative endeavors again. I got my registration code for OpenCanvas 4.5 plus and have actually had some ideas flit through my head. I may give them a go and see how it works. Now, its just a matter of having some time to do all this stuff...

]]> *shadowsmyst As we rise from the ashes... http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/17849422/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/17849422/ Mon, 14 Apr 2008 13:56:14 PDT
So now the server is once again frankensteined to life, and it is serving pages once more, which means a few things that had gone poof are back. ( to a point) Unfortunately the databases were unrecoverable, so I have to start from scratch on things like forums.

[link], my spirituality site, was the first one to reappear. Not much there save a forum, but at least its something. However, for the shifters fans, [link] is back now and working 90% ish including the forums at: [link]

Brymstone's website is also back at [link].

However, there is still much updating to do, but I know some folk were wondering about what happened to it, and if it was going to come back, particularly those interested in the RP. I'm probably going to overhaul the site at some point in the near future (actually, all of them are due for an overhaul...) but right now, at least they exist, which is a step back in the right direction.

]]> *shadowsmyst Contemplations on Artist / Fan relations http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/16630823/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/16630823/ Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:27:42 PST
------------------------------------------------------

I talk to people.

I talk to a lot of people, for a lot of different reasons, but the reason most people talk to me is because of my art. Either through here, my comics, or one of a variety of other art sites, people usually get my contact info and talk to me because they like my art for some reason. Sometimes, they just want to 'talk shop' with someone they admire. Other times, they want to ask about commissions or trades, sometimes they want tips or maybe even try to weasel a spoiler out of me.

But through it all, I try to be nice. At least, at initial contact, I try to make it a rule to at least be as polite and personable as is possible over IM and try to answer every email I get, even if not immediately, I do get to it. That doesn't mean spilling my personal life to everyone that comes along, but I don't get harsh, I try to listen, although sometimes I get IMbombed, or as of late I've had internet troubles and people have to be a little patient for a reply, but over all I try to give everyone that contacts me the benefit of the doubt that behind the screen and miles away there is a decent, living person with feelings, thoughts, dreams and hopefully a decent personality.

Not everyone lives up to this aspiration, sadly. No everyone is decent. Not everyone is thoughtful. Not everyone is understanding or respectful. But I do expect a certain percentage of this, and I still try to be the 'bigger person' and remain calm and polite even if someone is being particularly rude. But overall I greatly enjoy talking to 'fans' and being personable, giving art advice, talking about anime or comics, and just generally trying to be a decent human being. I don't care if the person is thirteen or fifty. I'll try to be as nice and helpful and pleasant as one can be over a computer monitor. In person, I've had an opportunity to meet fans at cons and its been wonderful to hang out with them, talk to them, and get a chance to see the difference I've made in someone's life and how much enjoyment they take from something I've put out there. Seeing that people enjoy what I enjoy and like to talk about the stuff I love too makes it all that much more fulfilling.

Apparently, however, this type of attitude is something of an anomaly in the art world. Maybe not so much with some types of artists, but with the furry artists in particular I hear there are problems with artists being very rude, snobby, and down right mean to their fans. I've had people timidly approach me like a beaten puppy and then act astounded when I was polite, kind and treated them like a human being and not some kind of worthless scum. I'm told again and again how this is apparently very rare. I can't help but be a little sad that this is the case, although in some ways I do understand how it comes about, I think that at the same time, its unfortunate.

I understand how as an artist, once you've worked to get to a certain level of skill or gained a certain amount of 'fame' shall we say, sheer numbers can be overwhelming. There are ten thousand or more people who want to talk to you and only one of you and 16 useful hours in a day, 14 of which have to get designated to the art or work or whatever you do to make your real life possible. We have families, we have jobs, we have friends in real life that need taking care of. We have houses, we have chores, we have school, or whatever that keeps us from mindlessly answering emails and messages. There are also a lot of fans who are fickle, rude, obnoxous, and demanding. It can be hard not to be temperamental with the demanding mouths constantly screaming "feed me!" but its still not an excuse to be an unpleasant person, especially with new people who are not really responsible for the problem. If someone is particularly irritating, and is persistently irritating, I can see someone getting cross with them and perhaps saying things that were not as nice. I know there are people out there who can't take a hint. I've met quite a number. I also know there are some people that you just can't be nice to, as much as you try; they are just very very unpleasant people who are out to be as much of a dope as they can be.

Artists have a long and sordid history of being temperamental, weird, and down right insane at times. A creative mind does not come without a certain price tag. Artists are not always the most stable people and fans must be mindful of this. This is especially true of popular artists who are dealing with hundreds, sometimes thousands of emails or notes, or IMs... ]]> *shadowsmyst Commission slot up for bids! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/16288303/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/16288303/ Sun, 06 Jan 2008 14:56:16 PST
One such slot is open for bids. The auction is here:

[link]

Please don't be put off by the location of where I've put the auction up. Its free to list, and its so much less hassle than ebay or setting up my own auction script (since my server is dead and awol). If you don't have an account there, its free to sign up. Takes two seconds.

It is an "Anything Goes" Commission, meaning that pretty much, no holds barred in terms of subject matter. The only thing I won't do is stuff that would get me arrested. But adult artwork is not out of the question. I'm not squeamish about such things, I just choose not to post artwork of that subject matter here. But otherwise, dream it, and I'll draw it. But its a one page commission, so no multipage things like comics are permitted.

Most of the information is there. I think this is the first commission I've had open in over a year! So if you want to commission me, here is your chance!

]]> *shadowsmyst Xmas is coming (insert random screaming noises) http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/15679889/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/15679889/ Mon, 26 Nov 2007 13:49:05 PST Least enough to cover the expense.

My printer decided to bite the dust for the moment. Its a samsung CLP-500 that's decided it doesnt' want to recognize its imaging drum ( a 200$ value...) and its out of cyan. (100$) So its gonna sit there for a while, since I have no money to fix it until march. Xmas is such a money pit. *sighs*

I was thinking about throwing a calendar together for my own amusement. Is anyone else interested in a link if I get it done? I dunno if anyone but me wants to stare at my artwork for an entire year. *snirks* But it could be amusing.

]]> *shadowsmyst "How can I learn to draw awesome?" http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/15495485/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/15495485/ Tue, 13 Nov 2007 15:43:16 PST
It is unfortunate and always with some serious word dancing that I try to tell them that there is no one tutorial, no one magic drawing lesson that could teach them to do what I do. The first reason being that 1) I'm not sure how I do what I do half the time, and 2) there are so many skills that goes into producing an artwork that one lesson would be woefully inadequate to the task of teaching all the skills necessary. It is a painful and daunting truth that there is no magic bullet that will give you l33t art skillz in all ways. You have to pick up your artistic weapon of choice, be it pencil, pen, tablet, paintbrush, charcoal, or whatever it might be and practice, practice, practice.

No artist starts awesome. It takes time and effort and lots and lots of practice. You will produce a lot of junk before you get something good, and it takes time. BUT, it's proven time and time again how if you chart your progress you will improve. Examples:

[link]
[link]
[link] <- one of mine!
[link]
[link]
[link]

Apparently there was a whole project on this called "Quest for Improvement" which is here if you want to see more: [link]

It is also a truth that, even when you get good at what you are doing, you have to continue practicing. If you stop, even for a short while, I'm talking like a week or a month, you'll find your skills begin to erode.

That's what's happened with me and my skills with a pencil. On a tablet, I'm still pretty good, but when I took up the pencil again after almost two years of focusing on tablet drawing, it really shook me how much I'd forgotten. I've been spending my nights just drawing in my sketchbooks trying to remember how to draw things... like hands. I really suck at hands. I've also been just working on getting used to the pencil and paper again. Amusingly I keep going to try to delete/undo a line when I've screwed up on paper. Of course, there is no undo, or flip horizontal, or smooth line function... which gets very annoying after being used to it, but reminds you of how much skill you really need working with traditional media.

Its also very difficult to be good at everything at once. I find that in order to improve, I have to break stuff down into simpler tasks and then focus on one thing at a time to improve. Be it hands, feet, eyes, ears, hair, inking, etc. In re-learning my skills, I've had to go back to this process. And then its a matter of doing it over and over and over until I get it right. There's been a lot of blood, sweat and tears that has had to be paid to express those ideas in the form of drawings. I sit there, at night, with at least six reference books around me at all times while I'm trying to retrain myself.

So, how does one learn to draw awesome? One has to work very hard, over a period of time, breaking things down and practicing their ass off while referencing life drawings and other artists' work. There is no one skill that makes for awesome art, it is a combination of skills, and its something that you just have to keep slogging at.

And that's my advice for anyone wanting to learn to draw.

]]> *shadowsmyst There was a time... http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/15400172/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/15400172/ Wed, 07 Nov 2007 01:07:37 PST
But somewhere along the line it turned from 'fun' into 'work'. I can't just doodle anymore, because every time I get the mood to put pen to paper, or to tablet ( when it worked..), I feel guilty. I 'don't have time' to fool around because I'm not producing the stuff that i feel 'obligated' to produce. I am uninspired, unmotivated, and totally demoralized.

I've got some cool stuff floating around in my head, but every time I try to do it, I just die a little inside. When I sit in front of the computer to try to do anything creative right now that isn't work related I just seem to freeze up and get totally lethargic. I'm not sure if its depression settling in again due to the season or what, but it really is annoying. I just can't find the energy to get 'excited' about anything. Anytime someone tries to cheer me up too, its like I get _worse_.

I'm half wondering if its the computer that's sucked the fun out of me. I'm a traditional artist originally, pencil being my strongest medium believe it or not, although I have very little on here of any pencil work I've done because I tend not to post 'unfinished' pencil work. But I think in someways, thats what I liked about it. It was sketchy. Unfinished. There was no obligation in it, just raw, pure creativity. The pencil has a certain feel to it. The lead softness, its sharpness, type of pencil, and then to the paper. Its organic, sensitive, textured. When I got a tablet, I put a LOT of work into learning how to use it. And I *have* created some absolutely amazing work. Far more polished and clean than anything I have ever set down on dead tree paper with the simple pencil. But, it seems that 'shine' comes with a price. My soul? Perhaps.

Right now my little graphire3, which has served me well in the past year and a half lies to my left, sitting on the printer, dying. The USB cable has a short and won't stay connected to the computer anymore. I cannot afford to replace it. A harsh reality of living in the 'real world', and Christmas. Perhaps by March I can save up to get a new one, but right now I'm too broke. I'm just barely making ends meet, and having xmas money that I just can't do it. Mayhaps a relative will see fit to give me one as a gift.

So it seems that my traditional supplies, which for the last little while have been gathering dust are once again going to pressed into active service if I can find where my muse decided to hide itself. I have to decide what I'm going to do about these stressful feelings of obligation and failure I'm experiencing, and how I can alleviate them.

]]> *shadowsmyst Print peer pressure?! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/14695792/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/14695792/ Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:00:04 PDT
Did anyone else notice this? Am I just incredibly blind? Or is this a new thing?

You people seriously want to buy prints through DA? I thought they were kinda over priced myself, which is why I've never offered them. I usually sell them direct at cons and such, never considered using a service for anything cept T-shirts n mugs n stuff.

Your thoughts on prints through DA? Has anyone actually BOUGHT any? Would you guys seriously buy prints of my stuff if they were avaliable?

* Is dumbfounded*

]]> *shadowsmyst Well that went well... http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/14271680/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/14271680/ Tue, 21 Aug 2007 12:01:54 PDT
So now its back to the grind. I finally got my desktop working which means I can access Manga Studio again with my (dying) tablet. We'll see how things go, and hopefully I can get some new art up here. I've got some ideas for Shifters merc that ( I think) are cool and would like to make them available. Might help pay for a new tablet. Although internet is still a priority. Not having internet makes Myst sad.

]]> *shadowsmyst Anime Evolution http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/14179399/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/14179399/ Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:47:25 PDT
The workshops are a webcomic series on stuff like Photoshop, Visual Storytelling, promotion, etc. There are 5 in total:

Webcomics from A-Z
Photoshop
Visual Storytelling
Writing for Artists and Drawing for writers
Webcomic Promotion

There is also a meet and greet as well as many contests at the Creation Station for nifty Copic marker prizes. Also, the manga competition on site ladders into a bigger competition that gives you the chance to get published! Like, on dead trees! From a publisher! Check it out at the con if you happen to be going and stop by and say hi to me.

I'm always happy to meet peoples with similar interests, or who enjoy my art or comics!

]]> *shadowsmyst State of the Myst - to 30 and beyond http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/13239001/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/13239001/ Wed, 06 Jun 2007 12:30:37 PDT
So I'm not part of the cool 20s crowd anymore.

At least, not age wise. Looking at me you'd never know. I don't look my age. Good genes. Hopefully this trend will continue and I will never look my age. That would be nice. But still, it causes one to pause and reflect.

People tell me the 30s are a good decade. I don't really know, I don't know many people who are 30 and having 'a great time' per se. Maybe, back in the day, it was good. Looking ahead, I see mostly misery for about 20-30 years, and then maybe you can get back to having fun if you play your cards right. But then you don't have the body to enjoy having fun. Bleh. Not that I have the body anyway, but goddamnit, I'm going to try!

I know a lot of people I talk to have NO idea how old I am. They are floored when I tell them my age. Not that I'm ashamed or anything, but experience counts for a lot. You change a lot in your later 20s. You can see that gradual accumulation of wisdom and you get to this point and look back, and go "holy crap, was I an idiot." People say I got a lot of talent. No, thats not the case. I have a little talent. What I have is a lot of tenacity. I assure you, the young, that you too can be as good or better than I with that same 20 years of hard work and practice. Its a continual learning process. One I never intend to stop doing. Here's to hoping for great things for the 30 decade of my life. Maybe I'll actually get to doing all the things I wanted to do in my 20s.

]]> *shadowsmyst Mostly to the Shifters peeps... http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/12654894/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/12654894/ Thu, 19 Apr 2007 13:00:00 PDT
I'm kinda in a rather turbulant bit of life right now that makes regular updating VERY hit and miss, so I'm wondering what sort of alternatives I have. I thought of some, you are welcome to suggest others. I'd appreciate if you took the time, if you are a shifters (or potentially brymstone fan..) to throw in your vote and let me know what you think. I know some webcomics only do updates when they have a full issue (how ever many pages that is), or only update once a month with however many pages they got done. Because I have no idea what my weeks hold and my weekends are virtually shot right now, I do art when I can, but its not a set amount of time, and the pages vary in their creation time so I'm not really producing 'regularly' yet. ( I didn't when I originally began shifters either.. but I'm still BETTER than I was back then, even now.)

So what sort of alternative would you want to see?

You can leave feedback here or in the poll. I really appreciate your thoughts and opinions.

]]> *shadowsmyst *Flomps* http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/12533241/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/12533241/ Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:32:06 PDT

The artists alley was in a new spot this year, quite up and away, tucked at sort of the back end of the con. It was kinda hard for people to find us apparently, a lot of people said they didn't know where it was. I don't blame them, the entrace was kinda hidden by a big sign and there weren't any signs in the main area to direct people down to us. Hopefully they will fix that next year. I once again shared a table with the fabulous Liriel of Badblood fame. It was cool to get to yak with her again. We decided after I did a few commissions of pretty boys and some Yaoi that I need to draw more of that sot of thing. I don't disagree with this. I like mah bishies.

I didn't do as well as I did last year. Probably because there just wasn't the volume of people there was last year from being in the dealers area. But I didn't suck either. I did pay my costs, but no real profit. Had some trouble with food this year, because the food I brought needed hotwater to prepare, of which there was none. Next year I'm bringing buns and those little butters with some nuts & dried fruit or something. That doesn't have to be prepared, so I don't have to worry about having a kitchen or something. Although I won't be eating subway for like, a month. Kinda subwayed out for a while i think as it was about the only affordable thing in the area I could eat. My tummy is very picky, and subway is one of my few fast 'safe' foods.

My boyfriend was kinda bummed out as there really wasn't much there he was interested in. Nothing on Shirow or Ghost in the Shell or anything like that. He was miffed about the gaming and how disorganized the tabletop was. I have no idea as I didn't even get to see that room, but he was pretty choked.

My three panels went. The visual storytelling one was kinda poorly attended. People probably didn't know what it was. The webcomics one and the photoshop one were pretty well attended tho. I even had someone from Adobe in the audience on my photoshop one, they asked me some questions about the beta I was running and listened to my feedback. That was cool. Also got to talk to a Microsoft employee that worked on vista and got to complain about some of the problems I've been having with my tablet/laptop/mangastudio combo. It was very refreshing to vent that.

So now I'm back, and going to get back to work on Shifters & Brymstone. Kinda flying solo for a while because Boo, my helper and roomie, is kinda in sad shape. She's got a collapsed vertebrae and a slipped disk. It is very painful and makes her arm hard to use. She's going to need surgery to fix it, so she's running around trying to get all the tests that need doing before she can do that. She still is working on the Plushies were doing. Gratz to the young lady who picked the one up at the con. It was the only one I had, she was lucky to get it just before I started to pack up to leave.

One of these years I'd like to cosplay at the con. That looks fun. But I can't sew and I'm fat. *sigh* maybe someday.

]]> *shadowsmyst Con! * Insert wailing siren-like noises here* http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/12446409/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/12446409/ Tue, 03 Apr 2007 16:16:21 PDT
I just got back my business cards from the printers. They look ultra spiffy. But thats about the only base I've got totally covered. Due to my serious art drought over the last like.. six months, I only have about 6 new things and most of them are Ferrah. Oi. I've still got artcards, stickers, prints, and sketchy things to do, and I've got like two days to do them in. Oh, and notes for my visual storytelling presentation. Yah. Those I'll probably do on my way down to the con... or thursday night. YAY LAPTOP. That's all I got to say about that. Well, that and I hope my tempermental tablet doesn't crap out during my photoshop workshop. I may do a couple of posters. If they don't sell at the con, I'll auction them later. *heavy sigh*

Some of my more tactile things (plushies, t-shirts) didn't get as much done as I would have liked. Although I will have my shirt, which is cool. Phear the Evil Space Cat!! mwah ha. I finally decided to consolidate all my projects under one banner instead of trying to like, advertise a million URLs, thus Evil Space Cat Productions was born. I have the URL for it, website will be forthcoming, or at least, links to everything on the website so people can get where I want them to go.

If you happen to be in Seattle. and going to Sakuracon, please consider stopping by my table or one of my panels at the Creation Station.

I'm doing Webcomics 102 with Liriel, Visual Storytelling, and "Photoshop Madness". I'll be at table 18 in the Artist's Alley.

Diagram is avaliable on the Sakuracon Website if you wanna see the exact position.

]]> *shadowsmyst One Hundred Deviations http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/12243291/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/12243291/ Mon, 19 Mar 2007 09:48:21 PDT
We also figured out that since its on the holiday weekend, my boyfriend can come with me! Since he gets friday off because he's not aloud to work the stat holidays. Woot! So I will have some support! Huzzah! Hey Liriel! Yer man will have company!

I've also decided Vista is the crap. I got a new spiffy laptop to do my manga stuff on while running around, and because of some fucked up conflict between Vista's tablet PC functionality (on a non-tablet PC) and MangaStudio, the pressure sensitivity on the tablet doesn't work in MS, it also skips strokes and just randomly stops working. I can only do so much with the curves tool.

So I'm STILL stuck doing the lineart on my machine at home, which kind of defeats the purpose of having the laptop. So until they resolve this issue, I have a 2K failure sitting in my bookbag.

I spent a bunch of money yesterday buying sewing supplies for my roomie,

. We came up with the crazy idea of doing Shifters plushies. Specifically John Sterling and Ferrah Kinsmir plushies. Yes, the two nasty evil monsters transformed into extreme plush cuteness. We even got real metal chain for John Sterling's body chains and this neat shiny material for ferrah's wings. I can't wait to see how the first ones turn out, and hopefully it should help keep boo awake on graveyards. Right now they are just going to be for the con, but depending we may take orders after the fact. I saw recently that Star Crossed Destiny (webcomic) had a PVC figure, you know, like the plastic anime figures done for their comic's main character juno. I have to wonder where and how they did it/got it done. It would kick SO much ass to have a figure of that for Ferrah. Ya can see what I'm talking about here. [link]

And I've been wondering, for those of you watching in deviantland.. do you guys actually buy prints off this thing? It keeps pestering me everytime I upload if I want to make prints. Generally I don't think the vast majority of what I post is fit for printing of any sort, but would you actually buy it if it was there?

]]> *shadowsmyst I got Featured! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11733261/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11733261/ Thu, 08 Feb 2007 09:57:06 PST
How sweet is that?! Check it out, I'm still on the front page. [link]

I put up the tutorial poll, go vote on what sort of tutorial you'd like to see. I'm not sure if you can vote on past polls, but if you haven't voted on the valentines one, you need to do so soon. You can also vote on the shoutbox if you want. If you have a suggestion for a tutorial that isn't in the poll, let me know.

Otherwise...

I'm still all giddy over being featured! (even if the description is kinda.. well.. not quite right.)

]]> *shadowsmyst Out of curiousity... http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11728744/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11728744/ Wed, 07 Feb 2007 21:56:06 PST
Input if you have a preference!

]]> *shadowsmyst On the subject of people begging for free art... http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11722811/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11722811/ Wed, 07 Feb 2007 13:25:07 PST
This problem is not just on Craig's list, but everywhere that art and artists come together. The problem is so close to home, it is in my inbox every couple of weeks. People asking me if I do free art. The answer is quite simply NO.

I'm a professional. Even asking me if I do freebees is insulting. If you are going to come and ask for my talent, you'd better have cash in hand in sufficient quantity. My time is equal to any other trades person's time that has spent nearly 30 years of their life refining their trade, I don't have time to waste. I have my own things to waste my time on that are FAR more enjoyable than the stress of working on commissions on my precious little time off. I'm not a child, I'm not a student, this is not a hobby for me, its a profession. I have a portfolio thanks. I don't need to break into anything. I don't do speculative work. If you want work from me you pay me. I know what my time is worth, and I won't accept anything less. I charge my FRIENDS for work, what makes you think I'm going to give a complete stranger free stuff?

People do not realize the process of creating something like a logo or illustration. Most people who are seeking these services have never delt with a creative professional of any sort. If they were to go to a creative services company they would probably die of shock from both the experience and the price. Its not just drawing a pretty picture. There is a whole line of reasoning that goes into it, a whole lot of time and planning. Message, impact, and communication have to be carefully considered. And then the thing that really binds my underroos is that people call you in as an expert and then refute what you tell them! So why the flip did you hire me in the first place if you don't want to listen to me? Oh right, you thought I was just an art grunt. Hate to break it to you, I'm NOT.

Commissions are headaches. Dealing with clients is a headache. Its stressful and hard. Artists are, as a whole, a tempermental, fickle bunch. We would generally much rather work on our own projects than other people, and other people always ALWAYS try to force their ideas, ideals and expectations on an artist when they comission them. People are generally piss poor communicators about what they REALLY want. They say one thing and expect something else. You show them what they asked for and they pitch a fit because its not what they *wanted*. So back to the drawing board you go and a 3 hour thing turns into a 28 hour thing. People don't realize the value of your time until you start saying things like, "Okay, that's 500$ for the first draft. Each change is going to cost you an additional 150$..." This makes people think a lot harder, although they get more bitchy because now you are dinging them for cash. And as a word of advice, never wait until the job is done for payment. Make sure you get at least half upfront.

Too many people try to skip out payment once the final picture is done. Never give them the final artwork until they've paid what you've agreed. See, as above, this whole haggling, changing, arguing, finangling is stressful. Unless I'm getting paid properly for my skills, I don't want to deal with it. It's not worth it.

There are times when I'll offer special discounts. Conventions being one of them. When I'm physically at a convention in an Artists alley, I charge NOTHING compared to what I charge on a regular commission. But the condition is that I get to draw how I want, you provide the subject matter. Of course, if its a pencil sketch, inked sketch, or colored and inked sketch makes a difference on the price. Copics and ink pens are expensive. I have to replace those you know. But for someone coming out to a convention to support my presence there means something to me, so I'll give something back. But if you are just messaging me out of the blue wanting freebees, you can shove it up yer... yeah. Enough rantage.

If you are an artist and believe in the sentiments below, I encourage you to pass this on to your art friends and the people who appreciate your work.

------------------------
Every day, there are more and more Craigs List posts seeking artists for everything from auto graphics to comic books to corporate logo designs. More people are finding themselves in need of some form of illustrative service.

But what theyre NOT doing, unfortunately, is realizing how rare som... ]]> *shadowsmyst Ah, Febuary http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11658498/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11658498/ Fri, 02 Feb 2007 11:22:11 PST Although it will be tasteful. I know that will disappoint some, but I'm not putting Pr0n on my DA account. Provocative, even bordering on cheesecake perhaps, but nothing outright graphic. You can make suggestions for clothing/or not clothing in the poll comments.

Aside from that, I'm still slogging on the Shifters pages. So far I've been fairly pleased with how they are turning out, although a little disappointed that I have to quit often before I'm finished with all the detailing. But then I suppose you can detail an artwork to death if you aren't forced to quit on it due to time constraints.

I have this terrible itch to do a digital painting, even tho I suck at it. I wonder if I'll get time. Hmm.

]]> *shadowsmyst A Penny for your thoughts? http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11411419/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11411419/ Fri, 12 Jan 2007 15:03:20 PST [link]) to see which Shifters:Redux character picture I should post next. If you are interested in sounding off in that poll, go vote.

I'll be using it as a guide to see which characters I should post next.

This cityscape I've been working on for the last week is brutal. I have a really hard time with perspective and its really forcing me to stretch. But its actually sort of starting to look... well good, if a bit flat yet. I've actually re-figured out how to do three point perspective. Woot. I've also got a whole bunch of little graphics to generate for background flavor, which is fun, but time consuming. I'm learning a lot about MangaStudio's less obvious features tho.

Its really really cold here right now. Ice and snow everywhere. The plus side is that the skiing conditions are sweet. The downside is I have to drive on it. I'm kinda glad my heater in my room is stuck on, or I would have been frozen in my sheets by now. Usually at this time of year I can see my breath in my bedroom because I don't normally have heat. (i'm not permitted to turn on the heater because it costs too much money to run it.) The thermastat doesn't work anymore, so its just stuck on all the time. The first time in my adult life I can remember being warm in my bedroom.

Its kind of weird.

]]> *shadowsmyst Visual Joy http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11373866/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11373866/ Tue, 09 Jan 2007 11:42:56 PST
I also splurged a little on myself here, opting for a subscription to try it out. So I have like, a shoutbox, polls and stuff. I like the stats tho, those are nice. But then, I always like to see the numbers.

So I have a year to see if I like it.

Planning stuff right now for my trip to Seattle in April for Sakuracon. I'm working on getting a passport by then (hopefully) since this whole business with ID at the border is going down soon. Maybe not so much at the driving boarder, but its good to be prepared. You can get harrassed pretty good if you don't have every bit of ID they want. Last time I spent like an hour trying to explain what a webcomic was to the border guards and how it related to Sakuracon. Which is where I'm going again this year.

I'm probably going to be involved in a few workshops at the CreationStation. Still talking to Liriel of Badblood fame,

here, of exactly *what* we are doing tho. We did a websites for comic creators thing. I thought maybe a photoshop session might be good. I teach it at the college. A one, one and a half hour coloring tutorial is nothing.

Although I'd need to find a laptop to steal. I wish boo could bring hers, but she isn't coming with me this year. Actually, no one is. I'm flying solo. Woot. (or something)

On a totally unrelated note, I hate perspective drawing of buildings in cities. If you are a Shifters reader wondering where Redux is, I have two words for you. Backgrounds suck.

]]> *shadowsmyst Goodbye 2006! Hello 2007! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11259779/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11259779/ Sun, 31 Dec 2006 14:31:08 PST
I really hope that this will be a better year than last. Moving forward, I *really* hope this year will be better than last. For everyone, not only myself.

Here's to a better 2007 for all.

Happy New Year!

]]> *shadowsmyst Merry Happy ho ho! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11182863/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/11182863/ Mon, 25 Dec 2006 02:09:26 PST
Have a joyous and wonderful christmas (or whatever you celebrate).

]]> *shadowsmyst "Remember, Remember the 5th of November" http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/10638676/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/10638676/ Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:15:12 PST
Not really a lot to report. Just thought it would be best to move along my halloween wishes for this year. Already into November, yeesh, where did the year go?

Having to look forward to Xmas. Wondering if I should do a calendar this year. It would be a challenge to get 12 new pics done in that time, but it might work. I'd probably theme it either around Shifters, or just werebeasts in general perhaps. Different mythologies and species for each day of the year. ^^ what do you think peoples?

Its also been really quiet out there. On forums, on chats, on comments. I'm wondering if everyone has their noses in their books for finals or what. Talk to

already about Sakuracon stuff. I found out the talented and all around great person Lori of Pandora

is the co-ordinator of the artists alley this year. Hopefully this means that it will be much more smooth, co-ordinated and planned out. I just hope Liriel and I can get a table! Its always a challenge since so many other people want them, and since they are opening them this year to crafters again, there will be MORE competition, since its a lot cheaper to get an artists alley table than a dealers booth.

I just hope that it will be in a good location. I think the number one most depressing thing was being at the back of the dealers room and hearing " Oh, but I've spent all my money already!" by the time they got back to us. Blarg.

Here's hoping anyway.

]]> *shadowsmyst Happy Halloween! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/10565786/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/10565786/ Tue, 31 Oct 2006 00:47:17 PST
If you can't tell Halloween is one of my favorite times of year. Mostly because I'm crazy about all the things halloween tends to inspire. You know, Vampires, werewolves, undead, and horror in general. My gallery is like halloween all the time, just not in your face. ( least I don't think so.)

I didn't really get a chance to do some halloween specific art. I might do some sketches later in the day, sometime between laying out pages like a madwoman and pizza & treats in the employee lounge.

I'm dressing up for work, and I actually got the department I work in to dress up to. We are the Marketing department, so we are going as the Paparazzi.

Cameras flashing full speed baby! Too bad the camera I borrowed from my dad is busted. :sad:

Anyway, have a great Halloween all!

]]> *shadowsmyst I NEED YOUR OPINION! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/10529711/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/10529711/ Fri, 27 Oct 2006 17:05:04 PDT
[link]

and tell me by replying to that post which one you prefer, A or B, and your age if possible.

You don't have to have an Livejournal account to respond, annoymous is okay, I just need answers, and I need em fast! I've only got till monday to collect as many as I can. If you want to help, pass this on to your friends. Get them to vote on which one they like best.

Its important!

Thanks to all in advance!

]]> *shadowsmyst Productive much? http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/10522514/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/10522514/ Thu, 26 Oct 2006 23:06:20 PDT
This is a good thing tho. This means I'm ramping back up the creative juices. They are finally starting to flow like they used to thanks to the miracle of anti-depressants. While I'm glad they work, I'm a little bummed I did inherit the condition from my mom.

Kind of like my athesma, only I'm not retarded enough to smoke on top of that.

If the creative streak continues, I may actually be able to finish some stuff and get it out of the way. That clears some space for some outstanding commissionish stuff (yes Macia, that includes you.), possibly some artwork to sell, or maybe MAYBE offering a few commissions. ( not freebies, paid commissions) So keep your eyes peeled if you've wanted to commission me, you might get a chance before christmas.

]]> *shadowsmyst Do you feel the need...? http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/10423162/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/10423162/ Tue, 17 Oct 2006 12:40:51 PDT
I mean specifically bitching about art, or art tards, or general frusterations with being an artist? Well then, this might be the place for you!

If you have a Livejournal account, check this out:
[link]

It is a journal created for artists to vent, bitch, and rant about the stuff that pisses them off as artists. There are rules, so make sure you read the info page before joining, but otherwise, go ahead an vent your frusterations to people that appreciate what you are going through.

Its theraputic, amusing and inspirational!

]]> *shadowsmyst Trying to be Alive http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/10270929/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/10270929/ Tue, 03 Oct 2006 12:34:34 PDT
but only a small percentage sees any sort of completion.

I'm kinda a doodler at heart and I always know 'I can do better', which often prevents me from putting up sketches or concept work. My boyfriend tries to encourage me to put up more, but meh. Lately its been a lot like talking to a wall. You put something out, and the crickets churp and not much else happens.

Its funny because I tend to only put up the stuff I'm personally proud of for some reason, but its often the stuff I hate that someone else goads me to put up or that I put up for S&Gs ( shitz and giggles) that gets the most favorable reactions and it just blows my mind.

Random musings at lunch hour.

]]> *shadowsmyst Art theivery. Yes, I know. http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/9685159/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/9685159/ Fri, 11 Aug 2006 00:06:35 PDT
I've already taken steps to have this delt with, but keep your eyes open. She's mentioned a few clubs, there might be other instances around.

Thanks guys. ]]> *shadowsmyst State of the Myst - 29 years of Evil http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/8987317/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/8987317/ Tue, 06 Jun 2006 10:24:01 PDT
Its my birthday!

I am evil today. BWAH HA! But then again, those who know me already knew that.

So today I am 29, one year short of the big "three-oh" as it were. I can just see the faces of many of the watchers on the list going "WTF? she's THAT old? I thought she was like, 22!" Sorry kiddies, I'm getting into the middle age range. It happens. You'll get there too.

I didn't achieve as much as I'd like this year. I've seen some major improvements on my artwork, got MangaStudio, which rocks. I've also finally achieved some semblance of anime appearance on SecondLife. That unto itself is a feat. Unfortunately I didn't lose the weight i wanted to, get certain benchmarks on my comics done, or move out.

My little neice will be a year old in July. She's terribly terribly cute. Smart, but a bit lazy and tricky. Devious little brat. *chuckles*

As I look back on things, I find my attitudes, ideas, beliefs and whatnot have changed a lot over the last five years. I am certainly a different person now in many ways, although not so much that one wouldn't recognize me. But I think I'm more confident in some ways, not so much in others. I still think too much, but at least I realize when I'm thinking stupid things. I still love things, but I notice some of my flaws becoming more pronounced ( inablity to pay attention much. I swear I have some form of ADD. My roomie swears it too.)

I'm finding that I'm suffering some burn artistically lately. I think its a stress thing. I need a break and a chance to be artsy fartsy for a while. While I can be more reliable than some artists, I don't like too much pressure or I can flakeout really bad. Like for a year. When everthing in my body screams "REBELLION!!", its not good. I might have to take a break from comicing for a bit. I need down time. as it is, I work all day ( I have a full time job), then I come home and work more. And if I'm not working, I feel guilty. Which isn't a healthy way to be.

Recently I found an RP on Secondlife I'm just in love with. Totally obsessing over it right now. I do this when I find new cool stuff. I obsess for a little while. My whole attention turns to it and its really hard for me to focus on anything else. Work, people, chores, whatever. I just want to do that one thing. It takes a week or two to get it out of my system, but it can take longer if I am denied doing it for a long period. City of Heroes was like that. It took me months to 'get over it' because I couldn't play it hardly at all.

I need to set some new goals for this year. My big ones are:
- Move out
- lose 30lbs
- Re & Re shifters for graphic novel
- Get at least 2 more chapters of brymstone done and finish the redo for chapter 1.
- Find some me time at least 3xs a week.
- Go to bed before 2am on every weeknight

That last one seems impossible with all the shit I set myself out to do. :/

Oh well. Birthday cake to me. Wishes and artings are all welcome gifts. ]]> *shadowsmyst Return to computerland. http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/8939776/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/8939776/ Thu, 01 Jun 2006 11:37:17 PDT
That was unpleasent.

But I posted the newest page of Brymstone I've been working on, and I've discovered that I do a better job coloring if I keep it simple. Like, base, highlights, and shadows. I don't do the highly super detailed coloring well. If I keep it simple, I keep it clean and it looks better
Same with felts or anything else. I just seem to screw the pooch when I try to use more advanced coloring techniques. I think its because I'm impatient and often not in the right place at the right time to do all the nifty tricks other people use.

Next week, a new "State of the Myst" address, as we round my birthday again. ]]> *shadowsmyst Sakura Con! http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/8242711/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/8242711/ Thu, 23 Mar 2006 04:06:17 PST

Kinda nervous about it since I'm not as prepared as I would have liked.

Erf. Maybe next time.

To any sakuracon peeps who see this, HI!! Thanks for stopping by!

For people who have NO idea what sakuracon is, it is a big anime con in Seattle WA, which is happening this weekend, Friday to Sunday. [link]

I'll be in the artist's alley with a naruto headband on.

*nod nods* ]]> *shadowsmyst Update for the new year... http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/7659751/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/7659751/ Fri, 20 Jan 2006 17:14:34 PST
So much to do in this new year, and already, I'm behind.

I'll be attending Sakuracon this year (March 24-26) and I've got an artist alley table with none other than Liriel McMahon of Badblood fame. (aka ragemuse should you want to look her stuff up on DA). This puts me in the bracket of having TONS to do for the con in terms of conjuring up artwork to sell as well as try to have something Shifters-ish to flog. I wanted to have my graphic novel out by then, but from the way things have been going, I don't suspect it will be done in time. But I'm hoping to have *something*, I just don't know what yet.

I've also been trying to resurrect Brymstone, given that I really loved the premise and it just got sort of swept by the wayside as I decided to do an overhaul of the first issue. But I love Darshe and don't want to abandon abusing him. Its way too much fun.

But in addition to my comic aspiriations, I have the usual updates to try and maintain, plus my day job ( i'm a graphic designer for those who don't know), and I'm teaching a night course on Photoshop. Woo. My social life suffers, so does my sleep.

I think the stress is getting to me more these days however, because I seem to be having more frequent illnesses such as Migranes and face pain, which is usually stress induced, although the dizzyness I've been suffering today is new. Joy. I need to find a pile of money. then I could move out and get away from a large deal of my stress. I actually realized that I don't think i've completely been relaxed at home in the last 4 years or so. Ever since I moved back after my ex-landlord screwed us and we had to leave. Its a long time to be wound up tighter than a penguins ass. Really.

Okay, that was probably a visual you DIDN'T need, but no one has ever accused me of being the most tactful individual in the world. Actually, i think I've been told I wield a most powerful "Mallet of bluntness"(+2).

But time to end this. ]]> *shadowsmyst The Dolldrums of Summer http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/6164729/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/6164729/ Mon, 08 Aug 2005 02:22:14 PDT
Makes me very lethargic.

I look at the work before me and my mind screams for action, but my body says 'Nay!" and thus, it is so.

I haven't been online a lot in the last several weeks. I am now an auntie of a little girl named Elizabeth. I've been practicing my fair share of babysitting. But to those of you who might wonder as to my whereabouts, I assure you, I am alive, I am hot, and I am busy... as usual.

I got a new haircut, my sister's payment to me for all the babysitting. I've also been spending some time with my boyfriend, shopping for a bed. The one he has is crap and destroys my back.

Already flowing into the second week of August and still so much to do.

I'm working on two commissions, one of which is a 7' tall, 4' wide canvas painting of a thorn dragon. It promises to be very amazing when its finished, but the getting it done is proving difficult. My mother has also recruited me for staining various wood surfaces around the house. But with the heat, its hard because the stain dries too fast. So I have to get up very early in the morning to do it. :/

I've done some linework for a few drawings that might proove interesting, but with the heat and all, plus my internet bouncing up and down faster and more frequently than a two year old chalked full of caffiene on a trampoline, it makes uploading anything very fun. Posting THIS was fun, and the one thing I uploaded today.

Oh well. enough with my rabble. ]]> *shadowsmyst Balls of Steel http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/5733670/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/5733670/ Thu, 23 Jun 2005 12:03:47 PDT
Seems like this month, I need an industrial sized pair.

My sister's baby developed some complications indicating an impending early delivery. We don't know exactly when, could be tommorrow, could be a couple of weeks from now. But anytime I could get the call. She's gotta get from our house to the hospital she can deliver at which is normally a 1 3/4 -2 h drive in probably less than 1/2 an hour. Fun fun. I guess we will deal with that when it comes, but still, the family is on high alert and everyone is doing double duty.

I have to move my office, which means packing my whole work life up into boxes and labeling it before I go on vacation, plus get all pending projects out of the way. I thought I had that mostly covered, but guess what.. NEW STUFF! Joy.

Then, yesterday the 1990 Lebaron that my roomie (~bulletwolf) and myself share and I'm teaching her to drive on was stolen from the driveway of my house. Which is disturbing on many levels, since we live in a very rural area, and there is no way anyone could have know it was there unless they hiked like 5 mins up the driveway. Not only that but it happened in the daytime on our property. Which makes me worry that if the theives get more ballsy they could come up to the house itself and rob it, or steal the other cars that are parked up there normally.

Its a huge kick in the perverbal nuts for us financially as we do not have the money to replace it. It was insured, but I don't expect to get a lot for it, and I still owed my mother for it. Plus a buying a new car, especially used, is a huge gamble. And then there are the transfer fees, insurance, yada.

Both boo and myself are offering commissions to try and raise funds for it. You can email me at shadowsmyst@gmail.com if you are interested, or send me a note. If you want to look at boo's stuff just check out [link]

If nothing else, leave her some feedback on some of her pictures. She tries hard. ]]> *shadowsmyst State of the Myst - 28 years and Kicking. http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/5568755/ http://shadowsmyst.deviantart.com/journal/5568755/ Mon, 06 Jun 2005 09:53:35 PDT
My sister is having a baby in July, so I will be an aunt, which just blows my mind. I'm seriously looking at buying real estate. I've had more illnesses and pain this year than in the last ten, including a kidney infection which, if harnessed as a weapon, I'm sure would end all war. I've gained pets, lost pets, mourned, moved on.

My art continues to improve, and I have to spend at least a portion of the summer preparing my photoshop course for the fall. Yes, before you ask, I teach photoshop classes for a university.

I'm proud of that.

I'm looking at publishing the story of Shifters to date after a facelift and re-write of the earliest issues. I've got an interested publisher, although the book probably wouldn't be avaliable until the new year. But we'll see how things pan out.

In the last year I've been introduced to the world of MMORPGs through City of Heroes and the world of Second Life which is more like the sims. I've decided they are terribly time consuming, but fun. I find I spend too much time at them. I need to mitigate that, but with City of Villians around the corner... dammit! From the website CoV looks VERY interesting. The RP possibilities alone are just.. mrawr.

Lets see.. I've lost and gained 10 lbs, so i'm even there.

strangely enough I can still mostly fit my pants.. so I'm wondering where the weight is hiding. In my GIGANTIC leg muscles perhaps. or maybe just my belly.. it seems like its more flabby than it should be. Over the summer I will edeavor to lose it again.. or at least convert it back into muscle. I hate flab.

I've got work to do now tho, so I have to stop ranting. And if anyone out there wants to get me a birthday present, a DA subscription would be cool.

Actually.. money is good too.

Paypal works. Lady_zuri@hotmail.com is the addy. Suprise me.

]]> *shadowsmyst