Month: November 2015

Are you taking commissions? ヽ(=^･ω･^=)丿

ALAS… no, I am not at the moment. I have a very long post here explaining why, but the “short version” is this:

  • I owe too many people art already 
  • I’m very behind on my personal projects (DANGEROUS CUTE!!!)

And… I can’t really work on either of those right now because I have lymphedema as a side effect of cancer treatments years ago, and have been unable to afford the stuff I need to manage it. Sitting at a desk to do digital art aggravates the condition and puts me more at risk for things like micro tears and blood clots, which could result in death. It’s also really painful, especially after I work an office job for 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week, and usually have to stand for the 30min train ride home. 

But hopefully I will be able to afford treatments in the next couple of months, and that will enable me to get back to work on these things, get caught up, start preparing for conventions again, livestream sessions, etc. 

This is also why all of my art lately has been really crappy cell phone photos of sketches on paper… because I would have to sit at my desk to use my scanner. Whew. 

Thank you for asking, though! When/if I am open for commissions in the future, I will be sure to post here and let you know! 😀 

Are you taking commissions? ヽ(=^･ω･^=)丿

ALAS… no, I am not at the moment. I have a very long post here explaining why, but the “short version” is this:

  • I owe too many people art already 
  • I’m very behind on my personal projects (DANGEROUS CUTE!!!)

And… I can’t really work on either of those right now because I have lymphedema as a side effect of cancer treatments years ago, and have been unable to afford the stuff I need to manage it. Sitting at a desk to do digital art aggravates the condition and puts me more at risk for things like micro tears and blood clots, which could result in death. It’s also really painful, especially after I work an office job for 8 hrs a day, 5 days a week, and usually have to stand for the 30min train ride home. 

But hopefully I will be able to afford treatments in the next couple of months, and that will enable me to get back to work on these things, get caught up, start preparing for conventions again, livestream sessions, etc. 

This is also why all of my art lately has been really crappy cell phone photos of sketches on paper… because I would have to sit at my desk to use my scanner. Whew. 

Thank you for asking, though! When/if I am open for commissions in the future, I will be sure to post here and let you know! 😀 

What are your preferred medias/programs?

Digital is much easier on my arm, so when I can get to my desk (not lately because I SERIOUSLY need to get those wraps before I spend any more time at a desk outside of my day job), I favor Paint Tool Sai for sketching/inking and water-color style painting, Autodesk Sketchbook Pro for sketching and markers, and Art Rage for crayon/chalky stuff. I kind of cycle through them in phases for whatever I feel like doing, so it’s all terribly inconsistent… but I DO process all of them through Adobe Photoshop CS6 (or CC if I’m at work) at the end for level and color adjustment. 

You can read more about my digital stuff here: http://gabapple.tumblr.com/post/130978403621/hi-sorry-to-bother-you-but-i-was-wondering-what – it has pictures!

For traditional media, I love drawing with ball point pens. But sometimes I prefer 0.5 mechanical pencils. I used to color with prismacolor pencils, but it destroyed my already injured arm… so I tend to stick to markers (prismacolor) when I’m doing “serious” stuff, often blended with just a LITTLE bit of colored pencil (cheap crayolas). 

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with brush pens and highlighters and I am LOVING it. They’re way more portable than watercolors, and so much less messy. But once I can be at my art desk, I’d like to do more watercolor and ink wash stuff. 

Pens, though. I love messy sketching. 

What are your preferred medias/programs?

Digital is much easier on my arm, so when I can get to my desk (not lately because I SERIOUSLY need to get those wraps before I spend any more time at a desk outside of my day job), I favor Paint Tool Sai for sketching/inking and water-color style painting, Autodesk Sketchbook Pro for sketching and markers, and Art Rage for crayon/chalky stuff. I kind of cycle through them in phases for whatever I feel like doing, so it’s all terribly inconsistent… but I DO process all of them through Adobe Photoshop CS6 (or CC if I’m at work) at the end for level and color adjustment. 

You can read more about my digital stuff here: http://gabapple.tumblr.com/post/130978403621/hi-sorry-to-bother-you-but-i-was-wondering-what – it has pictures!

For traditional media, I love drawing with ball point pens. But sometimes I prefer 0.5 mechanical pencils. I used to color with prismacolor pencils, but it destroyed my already injured arm… so I tend to stick to markers (prismacolor) when I’m doing “serious” stuff, often blended with just a LITTLE bit of colored pencil (cheap crayolas). 

Lately, I’ve been experimenting with brush pens and highlighters and I am LOVING it. They’re way more portable than watercolors, and so much less messy. But once I can be at my art desk, I’d like to do more watercolor and ink wash stuff. 

Pens, though. I love messy sketching. 

Why cats?

Cats are not my favorite animal. HOWEVER, they translate REALLY WELL into comic form because they are easy to draw, easily recognizable, and very easy to emote with because their entire body is made of a liquid-rubber substance. With fur.

image

They are also very entertaining to watch and get to know… Cats can act as cool and calm as they want, but they are such slaves to instinct and they need people way more than they pretend to. Really, they’re a great analog for human life and relationships, which is perfect for a comic about my very human life portrayed by anthropomorphic animals. 

image

Exaggerating expressions and reactions is helpful for cartoon art; it’s more believable than the very subtle expressions that real people generally use in normal situations. But since drawings are symbols, the opportunity to really sell the emotion is there. Cats alternate between the extremes naturally already, so why not?! 

Plus fuzzy things are great. 

Why cats?

Cats are not my favorite animal. HOWEVER, they translate REALLY WELL into comic form because they are easy to draw, easily recognizable, and very easy to emote with because their entire body is made of a liquid-rubber substance. With fur.

image

They are also very entertaining to watch and get to know… Cats can act as cool and calm as they want, but they are such slaves to instinct and they need people way more than they pretend to. Really, they’re a great analog for human life and relationships, which is perfect for a comic about my very human life portrayed by anthropomorphic animals. 

image

Exaggerating expressions and reactions is helpful for cartoon art; it’s more believable than the very subtle expressions that real people generally use in normal situations. But since drawings are symbols, the opportunity to really sell the emotion is there. Cats alternate between the extremes naturally already, so why not?! 

Plus fuzzy things are great. 

why the scar on gabkitty’s cheek?

THIS… is actually asked a lot. It’s not a scar, it’s just a marking that would not normally occur in actual animals. At least, not asymmetrically like that. 

image

It IS a reference, though, as most of the designs in Dangerous Cute are… and no, it’s not the Nike swoosh, it’s actually the scar on Ashitaka’s cheek from Princess Mononoke. Ashitaka is one of my favorite characters of all time… I wish I was as badass and as good a person as he is. 

image

This is also not the first time that I’ve used that scar as a symbol in character design, either… Back when I roleplayed on Pokemorph MUSH all the time, I had a character named Laura who was a reverse-morph Sandshrew, and had a similar scar. 

image

She was fun to play and had, of course, a super angsty backstory… I’ve since recycled her for use (as her original human self) in other stories; notably as one of Bunny’s cabin mates in my current novel, The Champions of Summer. She also shows up as a minor character in the garbage aLDfM project. She does not, incidentally, reflect the ideals and personality of Ashitaka. Alas! 

So there you go! 

why the scar on gabkitty’s cheek?

THIS… is actually asked a lot. It’s not a scar, it’s just a marking that would not normally occur in actual animals. At least, not asymmetrically like that. 

image

It IS a reference, though, as most of the designs in Dangerous Cute are… and no, it’s not the Nike swoosh, it’s actually the scar on Ashitaka’s cheek from Princess Mononoke. Ashitaka is one of my favorite characters of all time… I wish I was as badass and as good a person as he is. 

image

This is also not the first time that I’ve used that scar as a symbol in character design, either… Back when I roleplayed on Pokemorph MUSH all the time, I had a character named Laura who was a reverse-morph Sandshrew, and had a similar scar. 

image

She was fun to play and had, of course, a super angsty backstory… I’ve since recycled her for use (as her original human self) in other stories; notably as one of Bunny’s cabin mates in my current novel, The Champions of Summer. She also shows up as a minor character in the garbage aLDfM project. She does not, incidentally, reflect the ideals and personality of Ashitaka. Alas! 

So there you go!