Please don't take this journal entry the wrong way - this IS NOT intended to be bitchy or nasty or negative... I would just like people's opinions on this because I am... totally confused.

I'm sure none of you would do this but please DO NOT send this person abuse or hassle her or whatever. If you want to say anything please do so here! Only spread positivity please

So... I was browsing through Etsy and I came across this totally cute stone ornament. It's really very sweet, so I clicked on it... and then I looked at the price.

As far as I know, the ornament in question is literally a stone, like one you would find lying around anywhere, with a face crudely painted onto the front.

$45.

I shit you not.

Another example... A piece of wood with an eye painted on it. It's now a Driftwood Dragon. $105.

Here is the item... and by all means have a browse around her shop and purchase if you like anything! [link]?

Again, I would never be so obnoxious as to question the seller or spread negativity. Afterall, all the stone artwork she creates is original and pretty darn cool, and what she does in her spare time doesn't effect me in the slightest. No one is MAKING me purchase her art.


I just... I mean...urgh... blurgh. Can't even articulate my puzzlement.

Am I alone in my confusion? Please someone point out some vital detail I've missed. Please someone give me an insight! I love nearly all forms of art and stone art (?) is no exception. It's an awesome idea. But would you pay that much?? I mean... it's like the greatest business idea since bottled water! I'm envious I didn't think of it first haha!

I don't mean to cause offense, I'm just baffled and looking for some kind of explanation without hassling the actual artist. Insights please!!

I really want to share with everyone the artists and places I often turn to when I'm feeling low on inspiration. Right before I begin a painting I will always browse through my catalogue of inspiration for a kind of... artistic boost before I begin.

Firstly, my main source of inspiration does genuinely spring from my imagination. I've been drawing since I was about six-years-old and I always have a seed of an idea singing to me from some part of my brain. The need to breathe life into that little idea is a terrible itch, but a gratifying one.

Most of my pictures are inspired by women. Obviously. I love female anatomy, so my ideas will always start with an idea for a pose. The hair is my favourite part and that often completes the image in my mind - I love creating the flow and shapes. Colour comes next,  often inspired by the environment and season I picture the subject in. The image grows from there.

But of course I am inspired by what I see around me. It's fair to say that pretty much everything can be used as inspiration, from day to day media like movies and cartoons, to the texture of a tree trunk or the feather of a bird. But my main inspiration is drawn from other artists, fashion photography, the ocean, weather, seasons and fairy tales.

As with most little girls, Disney had a massive effect on my creativity (and my outlook of life in general), hence why I lean toward Disney fanart so often, but not many realise that videogames were what started my hobby. When I was around 6/7 I was bought a Playstation for Christmas, and became enthralled with the designs of the characters. I loved the concept sketches of Final Fantasy 7 and 8, Dead or Alive and, most influentially, Lara Croft. If it wasn't for them, I probably wouldn't  be drawing today. From about 10-years-old and onwards, I was also influenced by anime/manga, which still works to inspire me, even though I'm not the otaku fanatic I was ten years ago!

Though some people might consider taking inspiration from other people's work 'cheating', I would completely disagree. The artist in question would have failed miserably if someone didn't feel moved or motivated by their creation. In fact, I'm sure it's every artist's dream to make other's feel something and remember their work.

With that in mind, here is a list of artists that inspire me most! I'm sure you would have heard of some of them but regardless of popularity, these are the people who make me feel excited about picking up a pen and putting it to paper.

1. Loish

Her skill on Photoshop is undisputed, though what really draws me to her work is her use of earth-tone themes slashed through with one or two vibrant, luminous colours. Her subject matters are also really cool too, and I love how she's not afraid to make her girls curvy! And like myself, she draws her inspiration from the sea.


2. Tir-ri

Although I don't exhibit my watercolour work on dA, it is my second favourite medium to use besides Photoshop. I adore Tir-ri's unique style. Her colours are always varied yet beautifully coordinated, and she uses specks of white in all the right places. What is most striking about her work though, is the story she always manages to tell through the themes and characters featured in her work.



3. Zemotion

A well known online photographer. What can I say? Her work is stunning. Whimsical but dark, like every good fairytale that's ever been written. It's also nice to see such a successful female photographer.


4. AuroraWienhold

Again with the watercolours. Her pictures are always so warming, not only because of the autumn palettes she often uses but because the subject matter is so delicately drawn. It's reminiscent of renaissance art, I feel, though much softer.


5. Vanessa Lake

I have a real thing about beautiful, tattooed women! Although I think it's a shame she's had so much plastic surgery recently (eep, sorry Vanessa!), she's still a stunning redhead with an epic pout, so what more could you ask for? Oh yeah, that's right; she takes wonderful, self styled pictures that are cheeky, provocative and bundles of fun.



6. Cate Parr www.cateparr.com

Moar watercolours?? Oh yes! Fashion illustration at its finest. How she manages to capture the female form with no pencil guidelines, I'll never know. Her colour choices and blending are awe inspiring.

7. Koyamori

'Okay, you like watercolours, we get it' - You. But seriously, Koyamori's work is a strange mish-mash of simplicity and detail. The closer you look the more you see! The layering is extraordinary. The subject matter is often dark, yet softened with a playful and childish style. These are the kind of pictures I want in my children's nursery.


8. The Master - Alphonse Mucha

Savin' the best 'til last. The man that influenced a thousand artists and more. What could I possibly say to summarise his timeless art?


 

These are only a few of the people that inspire me. Please share with me your favourite artists and why they inspire you! Everyone has someone they turn to when their brain goes 'blurgh'.

Recently, I've noticed on Tumblr that my work is being posted without proper credit. It's really very irritating and is borderline art theft. As a result, I've removed the option to download my work, limited fullview to 600 pixels, and added watermarks.

IF YOU WANT TO BLOG MY WORK, PLEASE DO SO FROM MY TUMBLR ACCOUNT, OR AT THE VERY LEAST LINK TO MY dA PAGE IN THE DESCRIPTION.

Please. I'm not asking a lot. I spend a lot of time and effort on my work and it's disheartening when they're distributed without a thought to credit the actual artist. It's just plain disrespectful.

If there's something you would like to blog that hasn't been posted on my Tumblr, please feel to ask and I will upload it

In addition, if you see any of my stuff being posted anywhere without credit, please let me know so I can kick cyber butt

Thanks guys

Well, it's finished! I can finally share it with everyone But first I'll just fill y'all in with what's been up recently.

I'm not one for feeling sorry for myself and I'm certainly not an attention seeker, but I haven't had a brilliant year. Unfortunately, my little sister unexpectedly passed away in September. I then fell out with my family, suffered from health problems and lost my job. I am thankful for the things I do have, such as a roof over my head and my loving boyfriend, but I definitely needed a way to entertain myself and push through the hard times.

So I'm super stoked to introduce my little pet project: Never Bird Designs. An Etsy shop dedicated to creating art, jewellery and crafts inspired by fairytales, myths and folklore!

Admittedly the idea for Never Bird was blooming in my mind long before my sister died and things went a bit crazy. After acknowledging the fact that I'm never going to exploit my artistic side in the Money-Making-World of Everyday-Life, I decided to undertake something that would fulfill the artistic itch I'm sure we all suffer from every now and again! Never Bird is kind of my baby and I enjoy and have enjoyed every second that has gone into making it a reality. It's  an awesome learning experience, and I couldn't think of a better way to fill my spare time!

Everything is handmade and affordable. The latter was important to me because I'm always broke (haha) so I hope that the prices are accessible for everyone. Most importantly, I hope to expand into plush making, tshirt and bag designing and more. Plus lots more original artwork. It's very early days at the moment! Suggestions are always welcome

I would very much appreciate it if you guys took the time to check it out, and even spread the word if you like what you see!!  [link]

Also! I have a new Tumblr account (my old one is now inactive), so please follow me/check it out! If you follow me I'll follow you back --- www.neverbirddesigns.tumblr.com

I'll be posting artwork that was for Never Bird on my dA account in the next week and don't worry, I'll still be doing fanart in my spare time too!

If you have an online/etsy store or generally make anything cool, please let me know in the comments! I'll be sure to check it out!

Stumbled across this today.... Needless to say I'm pretty disturbed now. Good ol' fairytales. I did not create this list; the link to the original content is at the bottom, along with my thoughts. Feel free to leave your thoughts too! I'll be posting a proper update soon so stay tuned.

10
The Pied Piper


In the tale of the Pied Piper, we have a village overrun with rats. A man arrives dressed in clothes of pied (a patchwork of colors) and offers to rid the town of the vermin. The villagers agree to pay a vast sum of money if the piper can do it – and he does. He plays music on his pipe which draws all the rats out of the town. When he returns for payment – the villagers won't cough up so the Pied Piper decides to rid the town of children too! In most modern variants, the piper draws the children to a cave out of the town and when the townsfolk finally agree to pay up, he sends them back. In the darker original, the piper leads the children to a river where they all drown (except a lame boy who couldn't keep up). Some modern scholars say that there are connotations of pedophilia in this fairy tale.


9
Little Red Riding Hood


The version of this tale that most of us are familiar with ends with Riding Hood being saved by the woodsman who kills the wicked wolf. But in fact, the original French version (by Charles Perrault) of the tale was not quite so nice. In this version, the little girl is a well bred young lady who is given false instructions by the wolf when she asks the way to her grandmothers. Foolishly riding hood takes the advice of the wolf and ends up being eaten. And here the story ends. There is no woodsman – no grandmother – just a fat wolf and a dead Red Riding Hood. The moral to this story is to not take advice from strangers.

8
The Little Mermaid


The 1989 version of the Little Mermaid might be better known as "The big whopper!" In the Disney version, the film ends with Ariel the mermaid being changed into a human so she can marry Eric. They marry in a wonderful wedding attended by humans and merpeople. But, in the very first version by Hans Christian Andersen, the mermaid sees the Prince marry a princess and she despairs. She is offered a knife with which to stab the prince to death, but rather than do that she jumps into the sea and dies by turning to froth. Hans Christian Andersen modified the ending slightly to make it more pleasant. In his new ending, instead of dying when turned to froth, she becomes a "daughter of the air" waiting to go to heaven – so, frankly, she is still dead for all intents and purposes.

7
Snow White


In the tale of snow white that we are all familiar with, the Queen asks a huntsman to kill her and bring her heart back as proof. Instead, the huntsman can't bring himself to do it and returns with the heart of a boar. Now, fortunately disney hasn't done too much damage to this tale, but they did leave out one important original element: in the original tale, the Queen actually asks for Snow White's liver and lungs – which are to be served for dinner that night! Also in the original, Snow White wakes up when she is jostled by the prince's horse as he carries her back to his castle – not from a magical kiss. What the prince wanted to do with a dead girl's body I will leave to your imagination. Oh – in the Grimm version, the tale ends with the Queen being forced to dance to death in red hot iron shoes!

6
Sleeping Beauty


In the original sleeping beauty, the lovely princess is put to sleep when she pricks her finger on a spindle. She sleeps for one hundred years when a prince finally arrives, kisses her, and awakens her. They fall in love, marry, and (surprise surprise) live happily ever after. But alas, the original tale is not so sweet (in fact, you have to read this to believe it.) In the original, the young woman is put to sleep because of a prophesy, rather than a curse. And it isn't the kiss of a prince which wakes her up: the king seeing her asleep, and rather fancying having a bit, rapes her. After nine months she gives birth to two children (while she is still asleep). One of the children sucks her finger which removes the piece of flax which was keeping her asleep. She wakes up to find herself raped and the mother of two kids.

5
Rumpelstiltskin


This fair tale is a little different from the others because rather than sanitizing the original, it was modified by the original author to make it more gruesome. In the original tale, Rumpelstiltskin spins straw into gold for a young girl who faces death unless she is able to perform the feat. In return, he asks for her first born child. She agrees – but when the day comes to hand over the kid, she can't do it. Rumpelstiltskin tells her that he will let her off the bargain if she can guess his name. She overhears him singing his name by a fire and so she guesses it correctly. Rumpelstiltskin, furious, runs away, never to be seen again. But in the updated version, things are a little messier. Rumpelstiltskin is so angry that he drives his right foot deep into the ground. He then grabs his left leg and rips himself in half. Needless to say this kills him.

4
Goldilocks and the Three Bears

In this heart warming tale, we hear of pretty little goldilocks who finds the house of the three bears. She sneaks inside and eats their food, sits in their chairs, and finally falls asleep on the bed of the littlest bear. When the bears return home they find her asleep – she awakens and escapes out the window in terror. The original tale (which actually only dates to 1837) has two possible variations. In the first, the bears find Goldilocks and rip her apart and eat her. In the second, Goldilocks is actually an old hag who (like the sanitized version) jumps out of a window when the bears wake her up. The story ends by telling us that she either broke her neck in the fall, or was arrested for vagrancy and sent to the "House of Correction".

3
Hansel and Gretel


In the widely known version of Hansel and Gretel, we hear of two little children who become lost in the forest, eventually finding their way to a gingerbread house which belongs to a wicked witch. The children end up enslaved for a time as the witch prepares them for eating. They figure their way out and throw the witch in a fire and escape. In an earlier French version of this tale (called The Lost Children), instead of a witch we have a devil. Now the wicked old devil is tricked by the children (in much the same way as Hansel and Gretel) but he works it out and puts together a sawhorse to put one of the children on to bleed (that isn't an error – he really does). The children pretend not to know how to get on the sawhorse so the devil's wife demonstrates. While she is lying down the kids slash her throat and escape.

2
The Girl Without Hands


Frankly, the revised version of this fairy tale is not a great deal better than the original, but there are sufficient differences to include it here. In the new version, a poor man is offered wealth by the devil if he gives him whatever is standing behind his mill. The poor man thinks it is an apple tree and agrees – but it is actually his daughter. The devil tries to take the daughter but can't – because she is pure, so he threatens to take the father unless the daughter allows her father to chop off her hands. She agrees and the father does the deed. Now – that is not particularly nice, but it is slightly worse in some of the earlier variants in which the young girl chops off her own arms in order to make herself ugly to her brother who is trying to rape her. In another variant, the father chops off the daughter's hands because she refuses to let him have sex with her.

1
Cinderella


In the modern Cinderella fairy tale we have the beautiful Cinderella swept off her feet by the prince and her wicked step sisters marrying two lords – with everyone living happily ever after. The fairy tale has its origins way back in the 1st century BC where Strabo's heroine was actually called Rhodopis, not Cinderella. The story was very similar to the modern one with the exception of the glass slippers and pumpkin coach. But, lurking behind the pretty tale is a more sinister variation by the Grimm brothers: in this version, the nasty step-sisters cut off parts of their own feet in order to fit them into the glass slipper – hoping to fool the prince. The prince is alerted to the trickery by two pigeons who peck out the step sister's eyes. They end up spending the rest of their lives as blind beggars while Cinderella gets to lounge about in luxury at the prince's castle.

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

Personally, I feel 'The Girl with No Hands' should've come in at number 1 because that sounds horrific!! I'm not surprised I've never heard of it, it's highly disturbing, almost horror movie material. And the fate of all the villains is so horrendous I actually feel a little sorry for them! In particular the Queen in Snow White and the nasty step sisters from Cinderella. Nobody deserves to have their eyes plucked out by pigeons.

This list got me to thinking though. Why has the content of these stories been dampened by modern censorship? What has changed in society that suddenly means we're refusing to expose our kids to life's nasties? Do we coddle our children too much? Would it make a difference to society if children were brought up being taught morals through the means of these very grim fairytales? I would love to study the difference in behaviour of children brought up with the modernised versions and the original versions - I wonder if their behaviour, both long term and short term, would differ? What do you think? Should we stick to modern happy endings or expose kids to these stories? I don't like to mention the 'R' word anywhere on the internet, but there were some pretty gruesome sections in the Bible, yet kids get brought up on that too as a means of teaching them right and wrong. Are these fairytales so different? (Not implying the Bible is a fairytale, I mean to compare them as a source of educating kids).

Your opinions are, as always, very welcome.

Link to original content:  [link]

I still can't quite believe it, but the absolutely lovely bought me the Disney Doll collection I spoke of in last Journal Post! I'm still in awe of his kindness, and it was quite an event when the big box arrived in the mail yesterday, especially for my two younger sisters who are besides themselves with jealousy right now, hehehe (don't worry, I can share!).

You can find some crudely shot pictures of them at www.disneydollsphotos.tumblr.com

I love them all, but Rapunzel's hair is just so flowly and beautiful so she takes my favourite award! I love Jasmine's curly shoes, Ariel's bright red hair and just about everything about Pocahontas! They're all lovely in their own way

So thanks again to for sending me this wonderful gift! I'll try to post some pics of Aurora and Tiana when I have some time tomorrow

I am now going to act like a 5-year-old and brush Rapunzel's hair! Hahahaha!

(I'm not joking.)

Ah geez, I am waaaayyy too old for dolls. I didn't even like dolls that much when I was a kid! So why do I waaannnt this??

Need this in my life please.

Just me? Anyone...? No....?

Seriously, what would I even do with those dolls anymore? Brush their hair and have tea parties? I do remember how much I loved my Ariel doll when I was kid though (I cut all her hair off lol). I think I had Jasmine, Snow White.... Esmeralda and maybe Aurora? Lord only knows what happened to them.

But... but they have Rapunzel now!!! And look how awesome Mulan looks!

*sigh* Ok, ok, I know I'm sad. I'll cart myself back to the asylum now...

/fangasm

First off, I'm super stoked about the new project I'm working on. I'm hoping to set up my own online store and blog selling handmade crafts based around popular fairy tales and folk lore, all art nouveau styled, of course This project will be my little artistic outlet in my otherwise non-arty lifestyle. You'll hear a lot more about it soon!

This leads me onto something that I'd love all y'alls opinions on. So I was browsing through Etsy looking at my 'competition', and I noticed that independent artists (ie. Not big companies) are selling Mucha's artwork as jewellery pieces, prints, coasters, jewellery boxes, badges – you name it, it's there! As a fellow artist, how do you feel about this?

Personally, I feel that it is someone profiting from another artist's work, and I feel that's a very low thing to do. Everyone is, of course, inspired by other artist's work, which can lead you to create your own art piece influenced by said inspiration. For example, Mucha very obviously influences my illustrations, however, I do not outright copy his work. For my new project, my crafts would be based off fairy tale characters that do not belong to me, but I would not duplicate another artist's work and sell it on. Simply using the art and shoving it in a cameo pendant or on a bookmark is disrespectful to the original artist. I feel that it's lazy and unartistic. If I found out someone was selling one of my illustrations as a print I would be very unhappy. Or does it not count because Alphonse Mucha is no longer living? Is it even legal? Or is it just… artistically frowned upon?  Why do people make such a big deal about drawings being traced and stolen, when it's fine to sell on Mucha's art?

What do you think?

(Please note that I encourage a lively discussion – not an argument. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. Thanks.)

I haven't updated my journal in a while, so I thought I'd give everyone a quick rundown. Long story short: difficult personal drama is difficult, but  because I quit my soul-destroying job I now have more time to draw, yay! So I'm hoping to actually, properly, for realsies, get the ball rolling again, because even though illustrating isn't my career, and never will be, I still totally enjoy it

Bonus! I found this on the internet recently and thought I'd share as most of y'all are probably art nouveau enthusiasts like me:
How to make an Art Nouveau headdress

Lillyxandra has been around for a long time and I'm a big fan of her blog and designs, so it's worth browsing the site in general. She's also on deviantart:

When I have the money spare, I will definitely give it a go! If you have any kind of art nouveau jewellery or headdresses, regardless of whether you've made them yourself, I'd love to see them, or hear about them!

It feels good to be creative again

Okay, so I tallied up the votes and it's a straight draw between all of them bar the mucha princess ¬___¬;; Lol! I've got quite a bit to draw then haha! I'll be getting started on that soon. I've already partly sketched out the FMA fanart, and an original samurai piece. Hopefully they'll be done soonish.

Another thing... slightly random. Anyone else notice how frickin' terrifying fairy tales can be sometimes? I know the large majority of fairy tales were written in a time where strong religious values were upheld and society in general was very strict, so there's lots of... 'you must be good or else!' vibes going on. But seriously.

Examples? I was terrified by 'The Red Shoes' as a child. Anyone ever heard of it? To put it shortly, it's about a very vain litte girl who tricks her adoptive mother into buying her some lovely red shoes. She neglects her duty to go to church and attends a party instead. But when she begins to dance, she can't stop. She dances through the countryside, day and night, through wind, snow and rain, while being dragged through bambles that tear her skin until she bleeds. Her adoptive mother dies, but she can't go to the funeral. She begs a woodsman to cut off her feet and he does so with an axe. Yet still her amputated feet continue to dance. Now on crutches, she attempts to return to church but the dancing shoes, amputated feet still inside, bar her way. She eventually gets in, but once inside she's so overhwlemed she dies.

Now, am I the only person who thinks this is a slightly messed up story to tell to CHILDREN?? The image of her amputated, bloody feet dancing through the woods TERRIFIED me. The thought of the woodsman chopping off her feet TERRIFIED me. Now I get the whole Catholic message it's getting across but sweet tap-dancing christ, did they have to scare everyone so bloody much in the process???

And of course there's everybody's favourite, 'The Little Mermaid'. Except Disney has a habit of Disnifiying everything so when I read the original story I was pretty grossed out. To mention a few: she gets her tongue cut out and commits suicide at the end! They keep repeating over and over again that MERMAIDS DON'T HAVE SOULS. Yeah, Disney, why didn't you include that little gem in the film, huh?

And let's not leave out Rumpelstiltskin, where at the end of this charming fairytale, the dwarf reaches such a fit of rage he tears himself in two and falls into the fires of hell. Yeah. Sleep well, kids! And don't ever buy shoes 'else I'll have to cut your damn feet off.

Before anyone says anything, no I don't scare easily, but I do find these fairytales disturbing. I did as a child and do today.

So tell me, which fairy tales did you find the most frightening? Or the weirdest, at least. I'm sure there's loads more! Leave a comment

Hey guys! I better start by apologising for my prolonged absence. Four months is the longest time I've gone without drawing and I hope not to leave it so long again. I've been having personal difficulties for some months, the details of which I won't bore you with. I wish I was the kinda artist that can paint from hardship, but alas, I only paint when I'm happy! So I'd like to think of these upcoming months as a personal comeback for me, not only in the art world but in… well… life!

Okay, boring emo crap over.

So I know I've been super lame when it comes to responding to messages etc. so as way of an apology and to kick my butt back into action, you guys can choose what I draw next! I get a lot of 'Are you gonna draw…' and 'Do you think you're ever gonna draw another…' so this is your chance to direct my next venture!

Your choices? Below:

Disney Princess revamped in Mucha style. I'll be choosing the princess ultimately, but of course suggestions are welcome.

A third Disney Princess Superhero Collection. Again, princesses will be selected by moi. Suggestions welcome.

A Fairy Tale illustrated Mucha style, fairy tale chosen by you guys.

Full Metal Alchemist fanart

Final Fantasy fanart (any game)

Place your votes in the comments, or message me. Voting will close in one week (21/9).

Hopefully I'll be getting my Tumblr account rolling again and maybe open a Q&A session, and maybe, in the upcoming months, start a competition of some sort. Who knows, anything's possible! Have fun guys, now go place your vote!

...But I'd like to know what people think, even if it isn't art related.

Why do people hate celebrities?

Here's my opinion: Hate is possibly the strongest emotion you can feel towards someone. I actually don't hate anyone. I dislike a lot of people, but no one has ever done anything to warrant my hatred. And I'm talking about people I KNOW. People that I've PHYSICALLY MET AND INTERACTED WITH.

How can you hate someone you've never met, and probably never will meet?

Sure, some celebrities can do things that are a bit dickish - but does that make them a bad person? Doesn't it warrant the hatred of thousands and thousands of people? Nearly all of what the media writes about them is misquoted rubbish, anyway.

The most I can say about a celebrity is 'I think if I met them in person, I probably wouldn't like them'. Though I can honestly say I dislike a celebrity if they're caught on camera saying something discriminating and/or inarguably offensive. Like, Beth Ditto (lead singer from the band 'Gossip') said 'it's all right to shop lift' and she 'does it all the time' during a television interview. I thought that was a real dickish thing to say because she has so many younger fans who would be influenced by that. I disliked her from then on, but I don't hate her.

And just because someone you've never met and only see on tv 'annoys' you, does that mean it's okay to spam hatred about them all over website?

I'm not just talking about Justin Beiber and Gaga, though they're the primary focus of mass hatred. I was talking to someone the other day about Cheryl Cole and they said 'God I hate her, I wish she'd just go and die'. Ouch. Harsh much?  

Obviously, I'm not gonna go crazy at you if you're one of the masses who feels that way about celebrities. I'd just like to know the reasons why! Feel free to discuss Share your thoughts!

...why I haven't uploaded anything recently. I'll tell you why. My adorable beautiful sweet-as-sugar bunny decided to bite through the wire of my Wacom Tablet. Yeah. Thanks Monty. I'm gonna try and solder it together but the wires are probably too small. I'll probably have to buy a new one when the ol' pay packet comes in at the end of the month. Darn you adorable bunny with pointy teeth and an inclination to chew things!!

One more thing. Been thinking about this recently: the stuff I say on a regular basis. I think it gives a pretty good scope of your personality when you first meet someone. So what do you guys say alot? Doesn't have to be catchphrases, but things you say that are associated with you, and might earn you a weird look once in a while.

My top five:

5. 'Sweet' - in the style of Marcus from Gears of War. Y'know, when he picks something up? I like to make my voice sound all grumbly like his... which often makes people double-take 'cause... I'm a girl.

4. 'Babe' - but only when I'm angry, e.g. 'Do you wanna get that stuff outta my way, babe?' People who know me well will recognise this word as  a sign that my temper is about to snap.

3. 'Shit son!' - I believe this is only heard in England. For those who don't know, it's a surprised exclamation used by chavs and um... me. Apparantly. I think it's funny.

2. 'You furry little bastard!' - I work with animals. They bite and scratch and run away. Nuff said. (I still love them though)

1. 'Yaaayy' - in the style of Eugene from Tangled, hand movements and all

--

EDIT: added two more -

'Cool beans' - got this from a girl way back when I was at school. Just a weird way of saying 'cool'.
and
'You snooze you lose' - not very original, I know, but I use it all the time.

--

Things I'd like to incoporate into my daily conversations: 'The cake is a lie!' and 'Do a barrel roll!' Except the people I work with aren't gamers so will just think I'm totally crazy. But srsly, the next time someone asks me how to something, it's gonna take every ounce of will power not to shout 'DO A BARREL ROLL, FOX!!!'

Things I hate in converdations: people calling me 'sweetie', 'sweetheart' and 'honey'. People saying 'fml'.

There you go! Yep, I'm a grumpy old bastard, trololol Soooo... what are your top sayings? I wanna get to know my watchers through means other than done-to-death memes! SHARING IS CARING.

Just a quick update to totally show off my new baybeh bunneh!

Commissions are closed! Thanks to everyone who ordered. Those who are still waiting for their finished piece/s: they're all done, just need to be tweaked and scanned. You should be getting them over the next week.

My life? Well, I've finally secured a full-time job and I AM TIRED. It's working with animals, which is fantastic, because I'm hoping to start my Veterinary Nursing NVQ at the end of the year. Right now I'm concentrating on saving up for a house (ha ha, yeah I know I'll be saving for a looongg time lol). As grateful as I am for this job it means I don't get much spare time to draw/write anymore, which sucks. I'll be spreading myself thin over the next few weeks until my body gets used to the stupid hours I have to work (6am? Yeah thanks new job).

THAT SAID. I'm hoping to release a set of Disney bookmarks that should be finished in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for those. They'll be posted here first then may be sold a week or so later.

I've also started yoga. Wth is up with that??? I nearly died holding those positions, geez. Didn't think it would give me such a work out! If anyone knows any good yoga tips, feel free to share!

I'm also posting to show off mah new bunneh. His name is Monty and you can see a picture of him on my webcam, profile page I WUV HIM SOOO MUCH! He's tiny. 8 weeks old, crossbreed lop. He's freakin' adorable and is by far the friendliest rabbit I've ever owned/met. He sits on my lap like a cat and spends most of his time running round the house as, for some weird reason, he doesn't like being outside. And he's called Monty because of the 'killer rabbit' in Monty Python's 'The Holy Grail'

/gushing

COMMISSION INFORMATION

Things to note

Q: What are you willing to draw?

I specialise primarily in people and nature. If other subject matters are desired, it can be discussed. Please consider my style when commissioning.

I will not draw anything offensive. This includes hentai.


I’m happy to draw action and blood as long as the actual content is not offensive.

I am happy to draw yaoi/yuri.

I will accept original characters and fanart requests.

Q:How will I receive my finished piece?

I would prefer not to post via mail because a) I’m from the UK and I assume the majority of those interested in commissioning me are from the US and b) nearly everything I do is digital. Though if postage is truly desired, it can be arranged.

Once the piece is complete, it will be sent to you via email, high resolution and large size as a .jpg file, unless other arrangements are made.

I will not send you the finished piece until payment has cleared.

If for some reason you cannot receive the piece via email even though I have sent it, I will post it on dA for you to receive, and take it down at your request.

Q:How long will it take to complete?


It depends on what you want drawn; an exact date will not be given. However, you should receive the finished piece in under a month.


Commission due date is subject to change, depending on my life outside dA.


In the unlikely event that I will be incapable of completing your commission (e.g. my laptop is stolen or I break my arm) you can either request a full refund, or agree on a later date to receive your commission.

Q:Anything else I need to know?

You can commission as many pieces as you like, as long as there are available slots.

I have the right to refuse a commission before payment has been made.

If you’re rude, I wont bother replying

Copyright

Regardless of whether the character is yours, the artwork is copyright to me, and should not be duplicated, posted on the internet or published without discussing it with me first.

I will not post artwork containing your OC on dA without your permission.

Payment

Q:How will I be paying?

With real money. I am not taking requests or point commissions. Because that doesn’t help me pay the bills

I will be accepting paypal. I am a verified paypal user. However, if you truly need to pay by cash, arrangements can be discussed.

I require the full payment upfront.

Q:Am I entitled to a refund if something changes?

I will not refund the costs if you don’t like the finished piece. However, I will make corrections.

If you withdraw your commission within 24 HOURS of your payment being cleared, you will receive a FULL REFUND. Any time after that, you will NOT receive a refund and I will NOT complete the artwork.

Price List

PLEASE NOTE. Prices are in British Pounds, however the calculated currency (using [link] in American Dollars is next to it. Please note that the Dollars price has been rounded to the nearest whole number, for example, £8 is equal to $12.93, but it will be displayed as $13 on my price list to make it easier to read. It does not mean you have to pay more or less; it is just for the sake of visually simplifying the price list.

Digitally Enhanced Sketch (All sketches can be made into lineart if requested)

• Half body: £5/$8  (example)
• Full body: £8/$13

Digitally Coloured, No background

• Half body: £10/$16
•   Full body: £15/ $24 (example)

Digitally Coloured, With Art Nouveau style Background

• Full body: £25/$41 (example)

Custom backgrounds can be arranged with price increase.

The prices are of single characters. If you want to add more characters, a price increase will be arranged.

Including props can be arranged. If they are particularly detailed, a price increase will be arranged.

If you are interested…!

Please fill out this order form and send it to me via a note:

Order Form
Username:
I want to order: (say option e.g. Half Body Sketch)

I want to add another character (please tick box using / and state how many) []

Payment method (please tick box using /):
Paypal []
Cash []

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[Insert link to at LEAST ONE REFERENCE IMAGE of the character you want drawn. If you have none, insert description.]

[Insert any specific details you want included in the finished piece, e.g a prop. Please remember that prices are likely to change depending on what is requested]

[IF RECQUIRED Insert details of a custom background. Please remember that prices are likely to change depending on what is requested.]

[Insert a SHORT biography of the character.]

[Insert any questions and details you feel are necessary/helpful ]

I agree to the terms and conditions set out by the artist: []


I recommend you save a copy of the order form for later reference. If you do not send the order form with your request for a commission, I will not agree to begin the commission.

Availability

FOUR THREE  AVAILABLE SLOTS FOR HALF BODY SKECTHES
TWOONE AVAILABLE SLOTS FOR FULL BODY SKECTHES

TWO ONE AVAILABLE SLOTS FOR COLOURED NO B/G HALF BODY
TWOONE AVAILABLE SLOTS FOR COLOURED NO B/G FULL BODY

TWO ONE AVAILABLE SLOTS FOR COLOURED FULL BODY WITH BACKGROUND

Given on a first come, first serve basis So what are you waiting for? :-p If you have any questions please post them in the comment box below

This is something that’s been bugging/confusing me over the last few days so I decided to ask you guys.

When does ‘style’ become an excuse for bad drawing?

(This is referring to drawing style, obviously)

I had never thought about it before until an exchange I had with a deviant (coughtrollcough) brought it to light. A commenter had accused one of my fave artists of being unable to draw anatomy correctly. I said it was her style. The commenter said that she just couldn’t draw.

Now, I still stand by my defence, but when I saw the subject being brought up again elsewhere, it got me thinking. Who decides what style is and what is an inability to draw? Surely it’s subjective? Does it have to be anatomically perfect before it’s classed as a style? Does it have to be outrageously obvious?

For example, let’s take Picasso and his 'Weeping Woman' . This is evidently a stylised way of drawing. Cubism to be exact. Judging by the style of this piece, does it mean he can’t draw? I don’t think so. The anatomy is intentionally inaccurate – a point I made to the commenter about my fave artist’s work, which the commenter rejected as an excuse. Another commenter said she has to learn the basics before creating a style. But this person is assuming she hasn’t learnt the basics. Maybe she has, and has refined it into her own unique style, where the anatomy is technically incorrect.

Another example might be my work. I had someone tell me a pic was ‘poor’ because the face wasn’t realistic. But I work with an anime style. I can draw realism if I want, but I prefer anime. So does that mean I can’t draw? That I’m hiding behind a ‘but it’s my style’ excuse? Does it all boil down to a matter of personal preference? If everyone’s constrained by realism how can there be such a thing as style in the first place?

You tell me, because I can’t get my head around it. Seems like a lot of people are pointing the finger and shouting ‘Stop hiding behind the style excuse’ before they even understand what it means to have a style. Feel free to give examples too. As usual, I’m not looking for an argument, but a discussion. And no, I wont name the artist I’m talking about

(I’ll be posting commission information soon, I swear!)

Needed to lighten up my page a little... So... HERE'S MY TOP TEN FAVOURITE PLZ ICONS!!!!



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Feel free to share your favourites - they don't just have to be plz icons! I can always count on these to give me lolz. Ah, maturity, one day we'll meet, I'm sure...