State of the Artist 6/25/2012

View halloo, all!


It's Monday, which means it's time for the weekly State of the Artist update!


Weekly Words

Genius is more often found in a cracked pot than in a whole one.
- E. B. White, 1899 - 1985



Current Project

Last week, in an email exchange with , she mentioned it has been a long time since I'd drawn my persona. She's right! So, I decided to take whack at it.

The New and Improved Kit design is a combination of the persona I had years ago ('Cheetah') and the persona I took on later ('Kitsune') sort of mishmashed together. :)





Near Future

Well, this weekend sees me attending Florida SuperCon from Friday-Monday.

If you'll be in the area, or already planning on attending the con, come stop by and say hi, buy a print, or commission some original artwork!

Monday's post is sort of up-in-the-air as of right now. It all depends on how well the convention goes and how busy I'll be with at-con commissions. I'll probably do a post-con write up and some photos of my table set up if nothing else.


Thank you for joining me for this week's post!


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State of the Artist 6/18/2012

View halloo, all!

Terribly sorry for missing last week's update! It is summer convention prep season, so things are crazy busy printing, matting, and shipping for mail-in conventions and prints, laminating, and packing for cons I'll be attending. There never seem to be enough hours in the day!

But, it is Monday, I have new art to share, so on with the post!


Weekly Words

Without this playing with fantasy no creative work has ever yet come to birth. The debt we owe to the play of imagination is incalculable.

- Carl Jung, 1875 - 1961


Current Project

So, two weeks ago, I posted the Octomer, and he got some very positive responses, which was great! I am pretty set on his design, so really, that was more of a way to see if I could get down on paper what I saw in my head.

The accompanying jellymer is a different issue... there are *so* many varieties of jellyfish, that I'm still rather up in the air on the final design elements. But, I've worked out a preliminary, and toned it in Photoshop, same as the Octomer...





While I rather like the overall concept here, I think there is something definitive missing from the design... and I think it's the stereotypical long, thin, trailing tentacles most often associated with most varieties of jellyfish.

The current jellymer is mostly based on the Mastigias papua, but I might change the design to look more like the chrysaora fuscescens... or, more likely, a combination of the two.

Hey, it's fantasy, I can do a little genetic engineering if I want to. :)

So, what do you guys think of the current jelly design?


Near Future

As stated above, there is a lot of con prep going on, and I'm honestly surprised I could even find the laptop under the stacks of prints and piles of conventions forms!

But, I'll be attending two convention in the next month:

Florida SuperCon 6/29-7/2 in Miami, FL.
Otakon 7/27-7/29 in Baltimore, MD.

Come stop by my table; say hi, buy a print, or commission some artwork! I look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you for joining me for another State of the Artist update!


If you enjoy seeing posts of new or in-progress artwork, please consider a donation.

Become a patron of the arts!

Feel free to post links to this journal/community if you feel there might be interest in my artwork!

State of the Artist 6/4/2012

View halloo, all!

It's Monday, and so, it's time for the weekly State of the Artist update (on time, even! :D)


Weekly Words

Doing a straight-forward, clear-cut task that has a beginning and an end balances out the complexity-without-end that often vexes the rest of my life. Sacred simplicity.

-Robert Fulghum 1937-



Current Project

I've got one commission still sitting on my plate, and it's complex and challenging and in a medium I don't often work in, but I'm enjoying it. While, working on it, though, I took a break to doodle around with my concept of the jellyfish/octo-mer project of years ago, that I never ended up doing anything with.

I DO have plans to tackle this project, once I figure out what I want it to look like, what size I want it at, and what medium I want to work in, none of which I've settled on at this point. However, I was struck with the urge to try tackling the mers separately in hopes of nailing down some specifics of the two people I want to put in this piece.

First up is the octomer. Now, he's not new, he's been floating around my sketchbooks for quite some time, but never as fully realized as I saw him in my head the other day. With that strike of inspiration, I sat down to doodle him out... and once I did that, he called for some more mass and definition. Hence, I sat down at my computer and carved him out in Photoshop.

*as always, clicking the link opens the full-size image*





I'm pretty much set on him at this point... the jellymer on the other hand, is proving to be a bit more undecided... there's just *so* many different varieties of jellyfish to pull inspiration from! O.o

I am pretty pleased with the way he came out, just grayscale like this with a touch of blue. I might end up selling him as a print (along with the jellymer when I finish her.) Might also end up doing a traditional media painting of him alone (again, along with the jellymer) and then do the painting of them together.



Near Future

The Near Future sees my convention schedule set for the moment, the same as last week's. In the next two months I have Florida SuperCon and Otakon coming up, after that, it remains to be seen.

I *might* be sending artwork to AnimeMidAtlantic this year, but the mail-in deadline has caught me completely unawares this year, and I don't know if I have time to get everything together and out the door.

I'm contemplating a Kickstarter project or two of my own these days, and I've been kicking around ideas (no pun intended) with MCA Hogarth for possible projects, as well as a possible collaborative project!

Have anything you'd like to see come to life as a Kickstarter project? Maybe a sketch-to-painting from a piece you particularly like, or a sketchbook project? Leave suggestions in the comment below! :)


Thank you all for joining me for this week's update, hope to see you all again next week!


If you enjoy seeing posts of new or in-progress artwork, please consider a donation.

Become a patron of the arts!

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State of the Artist 5/29/2012

View halloo, all!

I am terribly sorry for missing my regularly scheduled update on Monday, but Laptop Troubles made it unavoidable. Laptop Troubles seems to be fixed *cross fingers* (as much as computer issues ever are,) so I'm posting the weekly update one day later than planned. :)

First off, thank you to everyone who participated in last week's poll! I wasn't expecting so many responses, and they are much appreciated. Many thanks to who was kind enough to publicize my poll on her own journal!

The overwhelming majority of respondents voted for WIP photos, so I will be posting progress pictures as I complete the winning piece... which was "Angler Mer," by a squeaker!

Unfortunately, I didn't get any LJ notifications about the poll or replies left in the comment section when they were left. Instead, I got them all today... O.o, so I apologize for not responding if you left a comment on last week's post, but I will be responding this evening. Thank you all so much!

So, on with the show! :)



Weekly Words

Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap.

- Barbara Jordan, 1936 - 1996

I think as individuals, communities, and societies, we could probably all benefit from daily cookies-n-milk and a nap. Who didn't love naptime as a kid, and who doesn't love cookies?

... I wish I had some cookies now... it's going on my evening agenda: MAKE COOKIES.


Current Project

Today I'm posting a marker doodle done as a companion piece to MCA Hogarth's Mazalaen doodle posted HERE.

*clicking the thumbnail opens the larger image*



This is Qethryn. She is the princess of a land called Zalitraeq, an entire universe created as a joint project between myself and MCA Hogarth, in which we could play around and have fun exploring fantasy and created cultures and mythological creatures and whatever struck our fancy. It's a marvelous universe, and I am ever so glad to have the opportunity to play in it again. I highly recommend checking out the available information regarding Zalitraeq HERE where you can find information about the people, races, languages, and wildlife created in the universe.

While exploring the Zalitraeq pages of the wiki, wander around and check out the myriad of Micah's other many worlds, races, and published stories, all embellished with her striking and dramatic artwork.

The Qethryn dragon doodle above is for sale for $40 and is roughly 6x7" completed with inks and Copic markers on 9x12" acid-free paper. (Please note if interested!)



Near Future

The Near Future sees me attending the following conventions:

Florida SuperCon in Miami, FL (June 29-July 2)
Otakon in Baltimore, MD (July 27-29)

Come stop by my table and say hi, buy a print, or commission some original artwork! Hope to see you there!



Thank you for joining me for this week's (late) State of the Artist update!


If you enjoy seeing posts of new or in-progress artwork, please consider a donation.

Become a patron of the arts!

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State of the Artist 5/21/2012

View hallo!

I'm sorry for missing last week's State of the Artist update (and I'm squeaking in under the wire this week!) Due to the inclusion of a poll in this week's update, I'm posting a link to the original post on LiveJournal.

There is new line art posted and a poll question. I'd really appreciate it if you could take a moment to answer the poll or leave a comment to the post!

Thank you,
Kit

State of the Artist 5/7/2012

View halloo, everyone!

It's Monday evening here on Planet Kit, and that means it's time for another State of the Artist update!


Weekly Words

Frame thy mind to mirth and merriment, which bars a thousand harms, and lengthens life.

-William Shakespeare, 1564 - 1616



Current Project

Still hard at work splitting time between the commissions still sitting in my queue, *but,* I have been poking around at the next of the Lofty Pursuits crew, and she is ready for transfer so I can get started on color! I'm very excited to start this piece, as my Lofty Pursuits crew has been sadly neglected for some time.

But, here she is, lines for "The Eastern Star," one of the highly sought after escorts of Madame Scarlett's famed airship brothel:

*clicking the thumbnail opens the larger image*




Since she is the next member of the Lofty Pursuits crew, she'll be completed in the same style as "Madame Scarlett," but I have a question for all of you out there. When I worked on "Madame Scarlett," I posted progress photos. Would you like to see the same for "The Eastern Star?"


That's all for this week's update, thanks for joining me here! I look forward to comments and questions about the Lofty Pursuits project and/or "The Eastern Star." :)


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State of the Artist 4/30/2012

View halloo, peoples!

It's Monday, and that means time for the regularly scheduled State of the Artist update!


Weekly Words

This is here, and this is now; it's the moment that we live for and we just can't live without.
It's all clear to me now, we've already started dying and our time is running out."

lyrics: Here and Now -Great Big Sea


Current Project

Finished one of the commissions sitting in my queue (yay!) It was for a series of 3 small ink wash 2-character paintings from an original short story. I really enjoyed the story, and so, was happy to take on the commission and complete this project.

It's been quite a while since I've done ink washes, but I'm rather pleased with how these came out. As always, clicking the thumbnails opens the larger files.

*there is some mild, fluffy m/m interaction in the following set of images*








Near Future

The Near Future sees more commission work on the table, and I've been poking around at some original pieces to work on during breaks from commission work and when they're all done so I'll have some new artwork come summer convention rush. I've been sadly less productive in terms of original artwork this year than I was this time last year, but, so it goes, right?

Also, should be prepping for some upcoming conventions, but just have too much other *stuff* going on at the moment, but I still have some time before I really need to start cracking down on travel arrangements and such.


Anyway, that's it for this week's State of the Artist update! Thank you for joining me here, as always, feel free to leave comments on any post in this journal, LJ accounts are not required. Hope to see you here again next week!


If you enjoy seeing posts of new or in-progress artwork, please consider a donation.

Become a patron of the arts!

Feel free to post links to this journal/community if you feel there might be interest in my artwork!