Thirsty Thursday is What Some People Call Thursdays

I'm still getting a hang of regular blogging. I tried it 5 or 6 years ago when I felt like I had lurked around G+ long enough to get a feel for what was going on, but it didn't really work out and I wasn't running games at the time so I wasn't really inspired to do it a lot. I'll probably repost some of those pieces when I'm having an off week here, but I'll reconcile with how I feel about that when it's coming across the plate.

I think Thursdays are going to be my day to organize my thoughts in what will certainly be an incoherent manner. So let's start with that.

-Mute Banshee started a blog. I'm excited to see what she writes about, because she has a lot of good ideas. I always do my best work when I have friends that are working around me and I don't think I'm alone in that.

-I just finished drawings for a project that I'm pretty excited about. I'm not going to name drop anything because I don't know how they feel about me blabbing about their stuff before it's ready but I'll at least post a few images from it because I'm really excited about them.

This first one in particular might be my favorite thing I've ever drawn for a game. I've been experimenting with paintbrushes in photoshop and trying to extract myself from the style I had grown really comfortable in. It's not that I feel like I was making bad work I was just making work that didn't feel very true to what I wanted to be making, dig?

I found that if I treated photoshop less like photoshop and more like a piece of paper I got a much better result. This piece was made in a single layer and the only* brush I used was "creamy" from Kyle's Brush Pack. I highly recommend his brushes for anyone because they rule and theres something there for everyone.

I definitely based the creature off of a combination of Displacer Beasts and The Andalites from Animorphs. God I loved those books.

androgynous blue centaur with bug features
wonderland.

This image has been burned into my head for 20 years and I still think it's totally awesome. Unfortunately I couldn't find a decent version of the whole thing that would link correctly so just go and find yourself a copy of "The Hork Bajir Chronicles" and flip it over, I promise it's worth it.

I spent a lot of time thinking about digital painting while I was making these. I was being rubbed the wrong way because every time I made something all I could think is "Why didn't I just do this on paper?" The answer to that is of course that this is a lot faster, I'm better at it and it's infinitely cheaper since I have all the necessary supplies and they are never depleted. What it comes down to is that making art for games is at this point about half of my income and anything that makes me able to do that faster and better is fair game. It's not my fault that first world millennials have a boner for authenticity, it's because everything is made of plastic and we aren't being chased by anything hungry anymore.

So this is the Wolf Queen, I based her on Cher from the movie Moonstruck. I would also be a filthy liar if I didn't say my well has been poisoned (in a good way) by staring at Maze of the Blue Medusa everyday, I can't deny my influences and you can't make art in a vacuum (or with one if you ask me) Okay maybe that's a low blow the vacuum solo is kind of cool.

SNAP OUT OF IT!

Terrible First Post, Complete With Goals & Expectations

I've tried blogging before with varying degrees of success.

I think the key is that it needs to be out of the necessity of compiling information for myself and not based in the enjoyment of others, so I'm starting this one in hopes that I can make something useful for myself and if that becomes useful for you then all the better.

I tried using Tumblr the longest, and garnered some small success therein but the problem with Tumblr is that even when you have over 2000 followers, it feels like half of them are always porn bots and from the other half at least 40% are literal children- not a great split.

I'm not trying to complain. I feel very grateful that folks wanted to look at my art. The real problem was that I felt like I was making art FOR Tumblr, and in doing so I wasn't being true to what I wanted to be making, I got really wrapped up in analyzing what got me the most reblogs, and I don't like the idea that there was a large faceless group of people that were influencing me with taciturn praise.

Also, Tumblr doesn't pay you to worry about these things.

So here I am. Trying something new in the hope that I can find a little more enjoyment from the act of writing words and sharing images.

This blog will focus on fantasy tabletop gaming. I just started running a new 5th edition campaign so I imagine much of my writing will focus on the setting I'm making and the ways in which I plan to bend the rules of that game to fit my ever changing mood.

I also run a fair amount of LoTFP and other retroclone type games.

I'll probably consolidate some of writing I tried to do on Tumblr here as well, in case I decide to delete my old blog in a misguided drunken attempt of self immolation.

I make about half of my money drawing for games so expect a fair amount of artwork as well.

More to come. Keep your pants on.