2019 QnA

I decided to write this because I figured more than two people might ask any of the following questions and I just don't feel like writing it out every time so here's a QnA:

     Q: How have you been?
     A: Better. I'm closer to 'ok' than i've been in what feels like a long time.

     Q: What happened?
     A: Long story short. Abusive 'ex' who is unfortunately in the fandom so I needed away from the fandom for a while.

     Q: Are you okay now?
     A: As I said. I'm doing better. And i'm doing my best to just keep him the fuck away from me.

     Q: What have you been up to? Where have you been?
     A: I moved states to go back to family where I could heal. I got three jobs and currently have 2. I started over.

     Q: Will you be coming back to doing regular commissions,ychs, adopts? 
     A: I don't know yet.

     Q:Is there anything I can do to help?
     A: Just keep being supportive. Thanks.

When life gives you lemons

So. I was in the shower...where I have all my greatest singing moments and thinking moments.
And I had just a very..calm feeling run through me.
Like everything is the way it is for a reason.
note that I am NOT religious. So pause those thoughts right now.

Despite everything going on in my life right now....

(my life is not all flowers and icecream but I don't share that with you all because it's my private business and it's unprofessional and the last thing I want to be to you all is one of those annoying people that only bitches and moans in their journals/on stream. The only time I will and have done that is if i believe it will or IS affecting my ability to draw and/or get commissions done.)

I'm happy.

And it made me realize....
If I gave up every time shit happened...I wouldn't be where I am now.
If I quit every time I got upset.... I wouldn't be where I am now.
and
If I ignored all the support and love I am shown...I wouldn't be where I am now.

I'm not saying you should never get upset. That would be dumb as hell.
Instead I'm saying when you get upset...BE UPSET. I mean really BE MAD.
Some of you have seen how I get when I'm really upset. I let it all out. I want to kill the world.
But you have also seen how quickly..BECAUSE of it...that I bounce back.
Some of you don't even notice i'm gone lol.
Holding it in doesn't help.
And not taking the time you need to recover doesn't help either. Even if its just art block. The MINUTE you notice it give yourself the time you need. Trying to FORCE it isn't going to help.
That's like trying to run a mile more after already running 50. When all your body and mind is begging for is a moments rest on a park bench.
Work WITH your body and mind.
And your soul, your passion, your will power, will benefit from it.

----
Dean: Hey, when I want to drink, I drink. When I want sex, I go get it. Same goes for a sandwich or a fight.
Castiel: So... you're saying you're just well-adjusted?
Dean: God, no. I'm just well-fed.
-Supernatural

When you are tired. You should sleep.
When you cannot draw anymore. Take a break.
When you want to cry. Cry.
And then when you have the drive to go at things again. You can go at it...with everything you've got. Because you are not hungry for other things you didn't allow yourself before.
----

And I didn't always bounce back alone. The worst type of person to me is someone that SCREAMS out for help...and constantly...constantly...pushes it away. You can lead a horse to water...but you cannot make it drink.
Of course when you're pissed you may not want the help immediately even though you need it. But you can't STAY that way. You piss off the ones trying to help you and you end up hurting yourself too.

"Our greatest weakness lies in giving up, The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time" - Thomas Edison
This quote has stuck with me through everything since I heard it.
Need more? Go here http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/k.....giving_up.html

So when life gives you lemons
And you're stuck between a rock and a hard place.
You get mad at first. Scream and let it out.
And when you're tired of being in the situation.
You turn that fucking lemon.
Into a fucking bomb of determination.
And you get through it.

And when you can't do it alone?
You call a friend or as MANY AS YOU NEED.
Your friend(s) calls in an airstrike of support.
And you get through it together.

And when it's all over.
You say 'I can do this.'

because I did.
and I always will.
For myself.
And for all of you who've been there when shit got rough.

Passion is beautiful

I couldn't sleep. (what else is new).
I laid down for bed and decided to read a short story...
At the end of it I smiled and said,

"This person writes beautifully..."

And it sort of just hit me like a ton of bricks.

I used to say:

"I have a thing for dancers"

"I have a thing for artists"

"I have a thing for guitarists"

And I realize in a way i was right but in a way I was wrong.

I have a thing for 'passion'.

To me....passion is what makes you beautiful.

Now i'm not dismissing other determining factors of attraction by any means. I do think physical attraction still plays a part. (it sure as hell does with me and I've got the backbone to admit it). But when it comes to the nonphyiscal parts of things I can sum it all up in just that word.

You could be as gorgeous as adonis himself or aphrodite herself, but that doesn't mean your outter beauty will make up for your lack of inner substance if you're dumb as a brick or lacking passion. And I'm not sure why there are people who insist that just because someone -admits- that looks play a part that they'll fall for any dumb jock. Get over yourself.

but beside the point....

Passion is strength
Passion is intelligence
Passion is determination
Passion is the ability to love
Passion is dedication

It's the only attribute that when applied correctly is the cumulative result of many put together.

To be passionate about something is to love whatever it is.
Is to be strong enough to be dedicated to being all you can be towards it.
To do the research required to MAKE yourself all you can be.
You have to be determined...to do that research.
And by doing that research you gain knowledge along the way...making you intelligent.

And I can see how I made the mistake of attributing my love for those with a -passion-, as my love for someone with a skill.
Because a skill does not start off a skill. It starts as a talent and only by putting hours of time into that talent...because you are passionate about it...does it become a SKILL.

Passion walks the line alongside obsession, with perfect balance.
Passion and motivation are intertwined.

And it's knowing these things that I feel a passionate person has every innate capability to being a great lover to whoever they choose to be with.

Passion is the thing someone talks about when they say 'there's just something about you..'

And it's also why I believe a passionate person can never be with someone who has no passion for anything.
I know I can't.

Why would I want to be with someone who will only watch as I progress rather than doing so with me?

Complacency is the paper that burns within the fire of passion.


But mind you:

"applied correctly..."

Being passionate about something that will take you somewhere, that can bring others happiness, that can better you or someone around you. That is passion applied correctly.

"Passion walks the line alongside obsession, with perfect balance..."

When it's something that is actually only eating away at you and causing others around you to become concerned...that is when it's obsession.

The difference:

Aspiring to be a professional gamer can be a passion.
Loving WoW, going no where with it, not doing research, sitting in your house okay with going nowhere in life? That's obsession.

Wanting to go into pharmacy can be a passion.
Hustling on the streets with the threat of going to jail? That's obsession.

I felt the need to point this out because there will always be some idjit who feels the need to raise their hand and go:
"well...im passionate about call of duty....is that sexy?"

Finding your own art style

http://i.imgur.com/YjJFl1J.png [screenshot]

"I don't think style is a hard thing to find/create if you just be yourself in your art the way you are with others as a person. maybe more so in art since you can say things without saying them in art. Or fufill a fantasy you can only dream of outside of art. I feel like if you 'try' to find a style you'll only end up making it harder. just like if you 'try' too hard to be yourself."

I didn't try to get the style i have today. that's me being entirely honest. I didn't force anything. I won't say I didn't try to force things. but like i said to a friend...forcing your art to do something that doesn't suit you is like petting a cat backwards. especially if you try too hard.

If the style of someone else is something you just HAVE TO DO. then, like petting a cat backward, if you do it slowly and often, eventually the fur will lay that way...eventually you'll figure it out. But why would you want someone elses style entirely? If everyone did that...there'd be no varying styles. Now sure people argue 'nothing is original'. Fine whatever. I disargee. but fine WHATEVER. lets say nothing is. but there's a difference between copying and making your own too.

But i dont even want to get into that.
Do YOU.
Be YOU.
Create YOU.

There is no science to forming a style that people can tell you 'i can pick your stuff out from a crowd'. there just isnt....not my in my opinion. any more than there is when people run up to you in public and go 'I SAW YOU ON FACEBOOK' because they rememebred your style. (yes that's happened to me).

Just...be...you.
Do what works for YOU.

I will say though. And forever stick with. If you ARE consciously trying to find a style. It would be very back-ass-wards to try to find a style without even understanding the basics well. it's like trying to build the sears tower...and you can't even build a dog house.
learn your anatomy.
learn your lighting.
Learn your line weight.
Learn your color theory.
Learn your composition.
Learn to work with and without reference.
etc etc etc.

And THEN build on it.

though i believe if you do the above. And you just enjoy doing what you do. A style...YOUR STYLE..will find you. and grow with you. my style has changed a lot. Because -i- have changed a lot. I have been through a lot. your are your art. and your art is you. speak through your art and it will tell stories of you.

Tablet reviews

2013 journal. I now only own an Intuos4 I have sold my cintiq 13hd. but this may still be relevant for some.

-----------

This is going to be a huge review.

Before I even continue i'd like to start by saying what needs to be said. A TABLET will NOT make you a better artist. If you're reading this with that being your first mindset. Good luck with that. It WILL allow you to do digital work. It WILL increase your workflow. But if you have bad basics...doing them digitally and faster won't make them look any better. Period.



Things to know about ALL tablets:
-There is a learning curve. Whether you have a cintiq OR an intuos/bamboo.
-You can use different nibs in all wacom tablet products MINUS the bamboo
-They will last you long if you treat them well (don't bend the damn chords and man handle them)
- I use a smudgeguard glove on ALL MY TABLETS.



Tablets I have used:

-Bamboo Create
-Intuos 3
-Intuos 4
-Intuos 5
-Cintiq 12wx
-Cintiq 21ux
-Cintiq 13hd
-Cintiq 22hd

*I'll also give my feels on the companion and companion hybrid and an alternative to the two.



The Bamboo Create:
This was my FIRST TABLET EVER. It did NOT stay with me long. I think it's a great and affordable tablet for beginners who can't start with an intuos. I honestly hated the pen. The lack of work space. And the pressure sensitivity gap between it vs a pencil. I felt i had to put too much effort into pressing to get it to work well. This was really flustering for someone with small hands and a light touch like me.

All in all I'd say its great for starters who need to get a hang of looking up a screen to work. And with the 30 day money back gaurantee. If you can take care of it. you can send it back. get your refund. and get an intuos small when you're ready.



Intuos 3:
Hate it. Hate it. Hate it.
I loved all the hotkeys. Sure. But the screen felt awful. The pen felt awful. Perhaps i'm biased seeing as I used it AFTER I had used the more stream lined intuos 4 but that doesnt make me hate it any less. It's bulky as hell too...just...no.
I don't have many words on this.

If you can get a 4. Get a 4. I dont even feel like the 3 is worth giving a shot.



Intuos 4.
One of my current babies. My second ever tablet who I've used for 2 years and going strong. I LOVE IT. Does it have less hotkeys than a intuos 3 yes. but more than a bamboo. And honestly with how i hear how many people dont' even set their hotkeys....8 is more than enough. The touch ring was BRILLIANT to begin including. it lets you change brushe sizes swiftly and like a dream. 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity is great and you can really tell! Hatching is awesome on it. The pen is sturdy and the drawing surface is very lightly textured so it feels good with all the nibs. However my personal favorite is the flexnib to use with it. Comeing straight from pencil to digital. THIS is my reccommended starting tablet to those who can afford it.

It's a good sturdy tablet that i've had no issues with at all.



Intuos 5
If you just have to have the damn touch features that the 4 doesn't have. Fine....get this thing. Otherwise it's EXACTLY THE SAME as a 4 aside from that.
And legit most people turn the touch recognition OFF anyway. So what is the point paying 100 more for the 5 and you'll be turning off the main features that seperates it from a 4?

It's a waste of extra cash.



Cintiq 12wx:
coming from paper to, intuos, to a cintiq you are bound to fall in love with it at first. till you note the flaws.
-The resolution
-The color calibration
-The driver jumps
-The screen size

Other people will mention there are too many cables. I honestly had no issues with that. for a cintiq priced at 500 dollars? I can deal with some cables.
I could NOT deal with the flaws i mentioned.
The screen while only an inch smaller than the 13hd...is in actuallity much smaller due to the resolution differences. I had to constantly tab my sai to make it ok to work on.
The Colors will not be able to match a newer computer no matter what unless you buy a separate piece. being the spyder callibrating system. The old ones being 80 dollars USED. and the new ones? 165 some odd dollars.
you also need a cable converter which is about 10+ dollars. because it doesnt have hdmi hookup.
The drivers conflict if you have any intuos made after the intuos 3. you have to remove preferecnes....reinstall drivers...restart computer...each time you want to work with one of the other.

So...for the 12wx to work well it needs almost 100+ more dollars sunk into it. still cheaper than a 13hd. but worth it? idk.

if you have an older computer and a much older tablet. this may work well for you anyway. especially if you plan to make it your new main tablet. I however wanted to be able to integrate my intuos and cintiq.



Cintiq 13hd:
My only problem with this thing.
My ONLY PROBLEM...
Is that fucking rocker wheel. They did NOT THINK THIS THROUGH ALL THE WAY. It's a very slow way to do shit. I HATE HATE HATE IT. I almost feel as if they did it on purpose.....because i bet you anything a touch wheel version comes out next year and i PROMISE YOU almost all people will spend that money on the new version because of how BAD the rocker wheel is....I legit almost didnt buy it knowing that....but...i'll juet get the touch wheel version.....when it happens. because this was too valuable to me to go another yr without.
Main benefits? Sketching and inking. I'm still skeptical on painting with it. My set up is more like this and for his reasons as well: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z63k_YDsYI

It inergrates with the intuos. It feels awesome. it has good screen room. the colors match up after you fix the settings. it calibrates well.
I use the FELT NIB on it. So there will be no scratches i've heard complaints of. Yes if you put hard ass plastic on a glass creen its prolly gonna scratch ESPECIALLY if you are heavy handed.
The cable issues people spoke of, are fixed. it isnt flimsy at all. If you ordered it as soon as it was out, yes those problems were there.
Its very light weight i can pick it up.
Once you get used to it...its great. it's just...great.



Cintiq 21ux and 22hd and 24hd

I am grouping these because my opinion is the same.
There is no need for all that room...especially when you can zoom in. I'm sorry but it seems excessive. Now mind you i'm 5'3....100lbs....hands with a size 5 ring. I'm small. so maybe i need less room....but it just seems like a waste of money and space.
why pay upwards to 2k when you can pay 1k for the 13 hd AND get portability?



My feels on the companion and companion hybrid:

I HAD the option to get one of these. Here is why I DID NOT.
First of all, watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHyIDeHjw_8 <--this was a HUGE game changer for me.

As far as the companion goes.....frankly...I'm NOT OKAY with carrying that around. If it gets stolen you'll probably go on a killing spree. You'll feel like shit.
Also....who does detailed work like that outside of the comfort of your workspace/studio/home. one thousand extra bucks to be able to go...probably just sketch in the park on sai? wtf?

As far as the companion hybrid goes. I was ALMOST convinved till i watched the above video. As a galaxy note owner, buying a hybrid made no sense.
The hybrid has the same O.S. (almost) as the galaxy note.
So on the go....you only get samsung apps to art on. you CANNOT PUT SAI ON THE HYBRID.
So rather than spending 1,500 dollars on the hybrid...which would probably only mostly be put to work at home....
you can get the galaxy note 10 for 330 dollars refurbished. which has a standard stylus MADE BY WACOM
AND a 13hd.
And if you lose a 330 dollar galaxy its better than 'OH FUCK LEFT MY CINTIQ AT STARBUCKS'.

Let's be serious.



So today i'm the very happy owner of an intuos 4, a cintiq 13hd, and a galaxy note tablet.
And I couldn't be happier. <3

Edit+
I do recommend an ergotron for any cintiq. As they are otherwise very non ergonomic. I plan to get one soon myself.

Advice: coming up with poses

http://i.imgur.com/cGImNwq.png

1. Decide what the focus of your poses going to be:
-by this I mean, do you want people to notice the body first? Maybe the head? Or are they holding something important? This way you can choose oppose that helps highlight the feature you want to express more

2. Shift the weight:
-something as simple as sloping the shoulders, or shifting the weight onto one leg, can create a more dynamic pose. An easy way to remember this is to make sure that one half of the body is doing the opposite of the other half of the body. This is not always true depending on the pose or going for, but it's a general way to help

3. Is the pose static? Or dynamic?
-Decide if it's going to be a pinup pose or if it's going to be an action pose

4. Get my good side:
-sort of like one, taking into consideration a character's best features can help you decide how to pose them. For example if a character only has stripes on the right side then it would be a little boring to pose them on the side that has no stripes.

5. Draw from the action out:
-I guess you could call this an advanced technique. Or at least my personal technique.
As a lot of people are taught to draw from the head down as they begin, I have always drawn from the legs up. The reason for this being it never quite made sense to draw from the head down. When you pose for a picture one of the first things that you do is get into a stance because that then sets the tone for the rest of your pose. So then wouldn't it make sense to draw from the legs out in this way your pose has a more fluid feel. If you try to pose from the head down you would probably have a very stiff pose at the end of your picture being taken. I also find it extremely difficult to get my proportions right when I draw from the head down. It usually ends up with me having a head that is either too small or too big.
After I got the hang of drawing from the legs out I started practicing other ways of drawing. If I know that the character is going to be holding a staff I will actually start with the hand and the staff and then draw my way into the body. Something that is almost always consistent in the way that I start my work is the fact that I draw the head the very last. (Unless of course it's something like a portrait).

Disclaimer: as usual remember to take everything that I say with a grain of salt. I am not an expert and I'm not saying that these are the only ways I am simply offering what has worked for me as advice. It is entirely up to you what you choose to take or not to take out of this.

I hope this was able to help you in some way.

Drawing at your own pace

http://i.imgur.com/NmTaxmU.png

"How long does it take you to draw _________ "

I just wanted to address this.
Even i'm guilty of asking this or having asked this to other artists whose work I enjoy.

But before you ask this question you need to take into account:

-experience
-quality
-other variables. (Such as:Details, size, character count, your personality)

Because while time is an issue. It is not the -only- determining factor.


Experience.

How long have you been drawing? How long have they been drawing?

When you ask these two questions make sure it is understood that I don't take that B.S. answer of 'Q_Q ALL MY LIFE AND I STILL SUCK' Because i'm sorry as a kid you didn't give two shits if your bunny looked like a dog. There is a point in your life as an aspiring artist that you go "I want this to really get good at this. I want to study this. I want to LEARN this." A point where you get SERIOUS about art.

So let's rephrase.

When did you get serious about art? When did THEY get serious about art.

Because that matters. And I don't mean years. I mean hours a week. Because I know people who got 'serious' about art in 2011 and their art still looks like how they drew -then- even today in 2013. Why? Because they only put in 4 hours a week towards art. And even then that 4 hours wasn't focused.

So it isn't fair to you to compare yourself to someone who put 40-50 hours a week in towards their art when you only put in 10.



Quality

"If I tried to do what you did in 30 mins...it'd look like shit" -anon

If you're AWARE of this then DON'T RUSH IT just because you can't YET work at that speed. Take the time YOU need to take to make it good quality. Because it circles back around to experience. The more you draw the faster you WILL GET. So just keep at it. Your time will lessen.

And there are many exercises you can do to speed that up. DON'T ASK ME. I'm not google. This is 2013 and you're on a computer.

http://25.media.tumblr.com/17665b40.....jio10_1280.jpg <--Also I DIDN'T make that. surprise surprise to all of you who think i'm a bitch. there are MANY ARTISTS that think this way. it has 17k reblogs. So...any-the-fuck-way



Other variables

The obvious: Do you try to do more details? Are you comparing your 2 person sketch to someone doing a one person sketch?

Your personality: (I will tell you right now, I think this is a dumbass excuse if you want to eventually do commissions...you'd get fired/not hired anywhere else for it....but I -will- cover it)

Maybe you can't focus on something for a long period of time.
Maybe you're just a slow worker on everything you do (supposedly) no matter what you do

Mind you the above is DIFFERENT from art block. Art block happens to all artists at some point. but they push through it and keep on working. Art block once every few months? Understandable. Once every 2 weeks? That's a problem.

But whatever....that's something you have to deal with and account for. Maybe you just "can't" work at decent speed.



So what is a good speed to strive for?

I can't tell you for colored work but I can tell you 30mins to an hour for a one figure sketch is good to shoot for. everything else after that is sheerly dependent upon detail factor.

Questions Artists get tired of

http://reiq.deviantart.com/journal/Rant-of-the-day-420961559

http://i.imgur.com/aOLepAR.png

Quoted from Reiq's journal:

First this is my Pixiv  account pixiv.me/reiq  ('ll be posting more Ero art there )

Questions I like to Answer:

Drawing Questions, methods of working, good personal Questions, learning and practice tips, about Reiq in General.

Questions I do not like or not Answer:

-What tablet you should buy According to you budget (It’s not my problem your budget) do a little research yourself. the internet helps a lot. 

-What brushes I use: Learn how to make them yourself, you'll be better off. I had to learn myself! also there;s already a bunch of brushes online, here in Da and 3d total brush tutorial are great.

-Technical questions about problems you're having with your tablet (i’m not a Wacom Technician) or you computer etc.

-Really stupid Questions you should google yourself, like Does a Cintiq has to be connected to a Computer? can I buy this On the internet? PLZZZZ.

-Do you take requests? NO, I have never taken requests (don't see the point of doing them) I draw what I want but I do accept suggestions.

many will think, what an asshole reiq is. but the truth is there’s a handful of people who ask the right questions that will really help them to improve, the rest is just technology and hardware, that will be obsolete, your skills will not.

Rant of the day. Back to work.

Why Reiq is one of my favorite artists:
http://i.imgur.com/oigIqvp.png

This may help your linework

Just stumbled across this today.
http://nsio.deviantart.com/art/Nsio-explains-Line-Dynamics-411098876

A lot of it is beginner info. But there are a few bits that are helpful for anyone.

The creator of the tutorial has other helpful tutorials in their gallery.

----

Also just mentioning -again-. People that claim they 'look for tutorials and couldn't find anything'. I just highly believe didn't look for more than 15 minutes. Sometimes you have to look for an HOUR. Things won't be handed to you all the time. Don't be lazy. As i've said, i've gotten this far in digital art myself on searching things online and watching livestreams alone. So.

Immitation vs Inspiration

Screen shot journal

1st http://i.imgur.com/9q1asEp.png

2nd http://i.imgur.com/oHwiDS7.png

3rd http://i.imgur.com/epgsJZQ.png


TLDR
It is one thing to be inspired by something and make it your own. It is an entirely different thing to be inspired by something and making no changes whatsoever, incorporating it into your work. It is hurtful to both you and the artist, to copy.

Time i've put into art

2014
http://i.imgur.com/2HH0YJ3.png

OVER 7,833 hours and 20 minutes to art    

How much time have you put in?

Improvement really is the time you put into something.

And i thought it'd be interesting to see where I stand when i realized i noticed the "viewer minutes" on my livestream page. 

As well as to prove just how much I really immerse myself into art.

So in the past two years i've dedicated OVER:

470,081 minutes to art

which is 7,833 hours and 20 minutes

which is roughly 326 days

Which means I spend 46 hours a week average on art

(Look. I can math)

I emphasis OVER because for 2 years I also spent at least 4-5 hours 2-3 times a week on art at school that Isn't factored in

As well as the times I didn't stream.

AND nevermind the hours i've spent looking up tutorials, refs, and reading art books.

So when you wonder how i went from this-http://vexstacy.deviantart.com/art/Dubstep-OC-dragon-v2-268414243

To this- 

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/11927166/

or this

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/12463488/

In two years? These are the numbers.

Honestly even i kind of can't believe it because i remember reading an article that says it takes 10 years OR 10,000 hours to become proficient in a skill. I remember at the time i read that...i wanted to slam my face into a table.

and here I am now with 7,833 hours captured while streaming alone. 

And still growing. I still have so much to learn and grow at. I hope i never grow complacent.

"Complacency is the paper that burns within the fire of passion"-Me

Thank you journals

I unforauntely deleted about 6 others before I got the idea to screen shot


http://i.imgur.com/9allmse.png

http://i.imgur.com/NkR1SqN.png

http://i.imgur.com/ZrGLCUF.png

http://i.imgur.com/i77i87C.png

http://i.imgur.com/VNjV1jt.png

http://i.imgur.com/AWE4eek.png


Remember when I tried watcher wednesdays?

http://i.imgur.com/jMKFHFx.png

Or the 24 hour free art streams on NYE?

Being an artst #1 rule

Actually. It's the number 1 rule in LIFE.

please.
please.
please.
read carefully what i'm about to say.

If you take nothing else away from this journal.

burn this into your mind.

"You cannot please everyone."

If you stop reading this journal now. I'd be fine with that because that is the most severely important part. Remembering that can honestly help you get through your days. Can make or break you.

----

"You cannot please everyone. So do you. Be you. That's all you can do. And the people worth your time will be there FOR YOU."

People will find any reason to hate you or what you do when given even the slightest opportunity even if you are right or have done nothing to them.
This is what i've re-discovered in the past 2 weeks.
And recently...i forgot that a bit.
And i felt the need to defend myself from retarded accusations after having my artwork jeopardized.
As well as people who can't fathom the fact that I prefer to chat with people via livestream rather than skype 9/10 of the time.
And people who insist i'm just an all out bitch.

And then I remembered. You can't please everyone.
There will always be people willing to BLINDLY defend someone, proof or not.
There will always be people ready to call you an asshole the moment you don't do something exactly how they'd prefer you to do it, even if you've been nothing but nice to them.
There will always be....haters and ignorant people.

Point being:
Don't change. Don't justify yourself to assholes. Those worth sticking around, WILL.
Draw what YOU want to draw. As long as you aren't tracing/cheating, who gives a fuck if some people don't like it.
Be who YOU want to be. As long as you aren't hurting anyone, who gives a fuck if someone doesn't like you.
Do what YOU want to do.
You are the only person that can live your life.
YOU.
no one. else.

So live it to the fullest FOR you.

For every negative --Personal Journal--

Tumblr link: http://vexstacy.tumblr.com/post/79929373125/for-every-negative

________________________

There is a positive. 

I was sitting here at first for a moment thinking how much it gets real old and tiresome being hated for silly shit and sometimes even nonexistent shit.
And as I was about to post it for more than 300+ people to read I stopped for a moment and let that sink in.
For every negative person in my life
There’s an infinitely brighter star illuminating or snuffing out their shadow trying to loom over me.
And many more bright stars around that bright star.

For every person that hates me and wounds me I remember that there’s this beautiful safety net of wonderful people, people like you who follow me who are reading this right now. Who are there to help put a bandaid on, to be there while it heals, and make me smile as soon that negative person fades completely from my life. Out of sight. Out of mind.

Thank you for being my stars. 

You may look up to me.
But a ceiling will surely fall without the most important part the holds it up.
It’s support.

With all my heart,
Vexstacy/Pierce

Stop begging/hinting for free art

Summary:

I'm seriously going to need the hinting/begging for free art thing....to stop. Especially if the artist does not state clearly on their page that they are open for requests. ESPECIALLY if the artist states clearly that they don't do requests/free art. 

ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY.....when it's someone who goes on EVERY ARTISTS PAGE hinting so hard they are borderline begging/guilt tripping.

------------------

Let me start off by saying what this rant is NOT about.

-This is not about people who say ‘Man I wish I could commission you’.

That’s a compliment. It isn’t hinting at anything and it isn’t borderline guilt tripping.

-This is not about people who comment on ACTUAL REQUEST/FREEBIE JOURNALS.

I don’t give a damn if a person posts on 300 request/freebie journals. that is their right! And why not better the odds? If it’s being made available, GO FOT IT.

-This is not about people who are legitimately friends with the artist and are asking for a gift.

-And this is most definitely CLEARLY not about trades.

---

What this IS about is shit like this:

A. A person comments on a COMMISSION journal saying “You can use my character if no one pays you.”

B. Hey uh...can i get some free art….I don’t have any money

C. Man I really wish I had money...but i dont...but i’d really like some of your art...but i dont have any money...or a job...man...this sucks...but...maybe if you get the chance you could uh...draw my char?

---

And this is also about shit like this:

(Lets say that person is fortunate enough to get a freebie somehow)

A.Oh man thanks….but uh can you change this, fix that, do this, do that, just like this, and some of that

B. “Wait….you didn’t shade it though….”

C. “Can you also do one of this character?

---

[[Continued on next page]]

“But Vex….It doesn’t hurt to ask”

Yes. Yes it really fucking does. The ONLY TIME. I would agree with that is the artist at no point anywhere has ANY mention of taking commissions.

Otherwise you should AUTOMATICALLY ASSUME that requests are a CASE BY CASE BASIS and ASKING isn’t one of those cases.

And ESPECIALLY in the situation that the artist has somewhere made it clear they don’t take requests.

And DEFINITELY DONT FUCKING ASK ON A ‘COMMISSIONS OPEN JOURNAL/SUBMISSION’

what...the legit...fuck.

“But Vex I seriously don’t have any money”

Then again….unless freebies/requests have CLEARLY BEEN OPENED.

Keep your mouth shut and WAIT until you do.

Again this is NOT directed at people who say:
“I wish i could comm you.” or “man I can’t wait to save up to comm you”
No this IS directed at people who say shit like:
“man i wish i had money to get art...maybe you’d consider a request”

Especially if you at any point in the MONTH eat out. Mcdonalds minimum costs 2 dollars. 2 dollars a week for 10 weeks can usually at least get you SOMETHING by SOMEONE of a decent skill level. So I srsly do not want to hear it.

And then

God forbid that begging person gets something free and then wants to whine because ‘jimmy got shading?’

IF YOU DONT GET YOUR UNGRATEFUL ASS ON THE NEXT BOAT OUT MY FACE THE ONLY SHIP YOU’LL BE SAILING WILL BE DOWN THE RIVER STYX

i’m just so done.

So done with seeing my other artists friends get stressed over people like this

So done with seeing the SAME OFFENDERS OVER AND OVER

So done.

I am literally going to start banning beggers from my free art opportunities starting TODAY. If i see it i WILL screen shot it. I WILL make it 3 strikes and when they ask ‘but why’ i will show them the screen shots and send them right to this damn journal. .

Artist tip: Sai Brushes [[Advanced]]

Artist tip- Brushes (Painttool Sai):

Just wanted to share a little epiphany that I had. The reason that I consider this an intermediate tip is due to the fact that it isn't exactly helpful if you have not explored creating or making new brushes for yourself using Sai. otherwise it is a very simple tip but has made quite the difference for me within the last month.

TLDR: if you have any brushes that you do not use frequently or have kind of left to collect dust, I would say go back to them. Because by now if you are an intermediate or advanced artist who has used the program, you sort of understand what the settings do. So those old brushes you made that worked for a while and then you made a new one that you thought was better, might have been a diamond in the rough and maybe at the time you just didn't understand exactly what you have stumbled upon. ^_^

Please do not comment with things like "I wish I made brushes, I wish I had Sai, I use Photoshop...."

Again this is clearly a journal directed to artists who are above a beginner level and utilize Sai and that has explored using brushes.

Sorry not sorry I really dislike irrelevant comments.

Dealing with Stress/Depression (Momentai)

If you know what Momentai is, you're an awesome 90's kid.

Anyway. Yesterday night things got a little rough. And by a little I mean usually it's the sort of thing that makes a person not even want to wake up the next day.
However due to a lot of help from a lot of great people i've learned how to pick myself up when needed once I can find the time to gather my thoughts.
This way I can handle things on my own so my friends don't have to worry about me and I'm not posting back to back depressing journals/tumblr posts/etc, that make people just want to -watch.

---

If you're the type to get an attitude while reading things because 'this is common sense'. I'd probably stop reading. People forget. Others truly don't know. Read and take from it what you can if anything. If you take nothing from it then so be it as well, no one forced you to read.
I added personal examples to show I know the feels but they can easily be skipped over because they are labeled.

---


1. Understanding you cannot change what you cannot control. So it's best to leave it at that.
Example:
Wanting/needing the approval of a person. You can't control what anyone thinks about what you do/who you are. So the best thing to do is just do your best for you. I'm not saying you'll instantly stop wanting that persons approval but maybe looking at it that way rather than tearing yourself down, that energy can be put into something positive.
Personal example:
Personally I have 'notice me senpai' syndrome. There are a few artists I'd probably risk worsening my carpal tunnel for if it meant they'd even just comment with a 'this looks good'. [[Do not ask which artists. It's irrelevant to anyone but me]]
Sometimes it hurts feeling like i'm never good enough but then I remember there's nothing i can do to change their mind other than strive to improve and even if they never so much as glance in the direction of my art I shouldn't put them so high on a pedestal that they outweigh the hundreds of people who like what i do already.

2.What's happened. Cannot be undone. So learn from your mistakes. To have a corrected future.
Example:
What is the point of worrying over something in the past. To learn from the past is healthy. To dwell in the past is harmful. So you didn't study for a test and now it's test day. Freaking out is just going to stress you out. Acknowledge the fact you didn't study, realize to do better next time. Failing one test or even one class won't kill you.
Personal Example:
I've missed out on potential friends/acquaintances due to them instantly dismissing me over something as trivial as my giving their friend critique that wasn't sugar coated with sprinkles. Sometimes I regret that. But I can't change it and i'm certainly not about to apologize or kiss ass over something that stupid. So let it go and let it be. I'll meet more logical awesome people anyway.

3.Let Karma do it's job. I know it might seem like karma is working slow sometimes but you getting flustered over wishing you could show them what it feels like or watch them crumble? Isn't moving any faster.

4.Problems are like headphones. They don't make sense until you untangle them.
Everything seems more stressful when you're trying to take on everything all at once. It's much easier to figure out what the biggest concerns are, and what can be dealt with later, when you lay them out for yourself.
Personal Example:
I will literally write my problems down. we as people have the tendency to start cramming problems that dont even have to do with one another together. So in my mind I might have grocery money clumped in with 'oh crap how am i going to register for classes'. Those two things really could be separated. If I can't afford to eat I sure as shit better not be registering for classes so i should budget my grocery money and see if i can register for classes or if it'd be more intelligent to simply wait and pick up another job/more hours instead.

5.Do something you love. That makes you happy.

And

Momentai.

Your character reminds me of....

http://i.imgur.com/Bkyzn9t.png

From   buibuiboota
http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/5731443/ 

I have seen it everywhere, we ALL have, it's happened to me, it's probably happened to you.....

Probably THE most IRRITATING thing to artists, and correct me if I'm wrong friends, is when someone comes along and says about your OC "reminds me of ___(insert character here)______"

Whether we are familiar with the character or not, this causes the biggest freaking twitch in our temples. I'm not even kidding you.

Just don't do it.

And no, this didn't come from someone doing it to me recently, it happened to an artist I like and since it HAS happened to me, I felt compelled to rant.

Because really, there isn't a more useless statement you can slap in a comment than that. You're not like, opening our minds to some game-breaking discovery. The only thing you're doing is making less confident people nervous or self conscious about their designs, and confident people pissed off. I'd say 85% of the time, the similarity was subconscious and not intentional at all. And even if it was intentional, NOTHING is original anyway. Everything is influenced by something.

A direct rip is a lot different than a subtle coincidence.

Just.

Learn that please.

THANKS.

I could not agree with her more. Seriously.

My designs/characters have nothing to do with yours/other characters/people. And if they do/did I'd mention it. thanks.

examples:

'OH HAY THAT REMINDS ME OF HARLEY QUINN'

'THAT REMINDS ME OF MY CHAR (insert name here), YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF EVER' 

'that sooo reminds me of jimmies neopluridon moose char...timmy.' (<--this is relevant to me how?)

(I'm not necessarily even referring to people who are saying it meaning malicious things. it's ANNOYING IN GENERAL)

+edit
Also like...when you can't even use the colors pink and yellow now because some dipwad is going to go 'OMG FLUTTERSHY'. even if it's a cat....
like...fucking plz. 

Monoprice tablet review

This is my individual review of the tablet sold by Mono price. It is the one with eight hotkeys. I will link to a place where it can be purchased from an further info can be found as far as technical specs go. http://amzn.com/B004C4ZT0G <-- Amazon.

Well I did have my doubts about this tablet considering I am sort of what you would call a person that swears by wacom, this tablet for its price is nothing short of amazing. I was given the opportunity to test it out while visiting myloveless  myloveless .

Aside from the pen requiring a very small AAA battery, the pen does not have an eraser, and that the active workspace has pen activated shortcuts, as far as anesthetics go and the feel of the surface of the active workspace, there are not many differences between two. When I say between the two I am comparing between my Wacom intuos four and the Mono price previously linked above.

As far as actually working on the tablet the pressure sensitivity is on par. While I dislike the fact that there are not many interchangeable nib options for the pen as far as my knowledge goes, that would not be a problem for someone who has used Wacom, and not explored different nibs. But for me personally I use two pens when I work, one with a soft nib and one with a plastic nib. The plastic nib is also more harsh on your surface, which makes it more likely to scratch.

The hotkeys are frustrating to me personally. They have a habit of resetting themselves if you set them into something more personalized. And they often had a habit of not working all of the time as well. I personally use the hotkeys on my Wacom tablet so frequently that if for some reason a program malfunctions and will not allow me to use the hotkeys I will reset my computer entirely and then go on with working. Again however if you are someone who does not frequently use hotkeys already this would not be a problem for you.

I guess in summary to keep from rambling any further than I probably already have,

TL DR: for about the same price as one of Wacom's cheaper choices. This is the far better choice. With 2048 different pressure levels, a textured surface, and being under $100 it's kind of hard to beat. Not to mention that the active workspace is far less arthritis inducing than that of the bamboo, allowing for a larger range of motion.

**It should also be mentioned that the drivers between the two are not able to be integrated. You must choose between Wacom drivers or Mono price drivers. Trying to keep both on your computer at once will cause both tablets not to work correctly.

{{There are cheaper version of this tablet of this brand as well. It is probably worth giving them a look. if you dont use hotkeys you can save even more by getting a tablet without them))

[[*Hint hint* my next raffle prize *hint hint*]]

Why Rp'ing in a stream chat is awkward

http://snag.gy/txA6z.jpg

If you don't join streams this journal is irrelevant to you.


taken from   spelunkersal

"Keep Role-Playing and Emotive Actions to an Absolute Minimum:
Excessive role-playing in streams in the past became a problem, and it is because of the actions of certain individuals making it uncomfortable and awkward for myself and others that I must stress keeping role-playing and emotive actions to a minimum. Please refrain from using “actions” such as: *warmly smiles and cuddles the wolf and pets his rear* and *gets a frying pan and chases GuyFox around the room*. Obviously escalations of such examples are also forbidden. Simple, one-word actions such as *hugs*, *laughs*, *shrugs*, etc. are fine. Dreamous especially does not tolerate breaking of any of the breaking of any of these rules. Be advised or face his mighty banhammer! Thank you for your understanding!"

---

While i don't OFTEN have this issue. it has happened within the past few weeks. 

TL;DR:
if you can't -emote- it in less than 3 words? It doesn't belong in my stream. Take it to skype.