Month: January 2025

Jan 2025 [Vlog+Transcript] – New Streaming Schedule, New Art, & Upcoming Private Commissions

I’m trying something new with my monthly updates by doing a video blog and AMA wrap-up instead! You can watch the vid (which includes subtitles), read the attached transcript, or just scroll through the text of this article for the quick TL;DR version.

All in all, it’s been a quiet month while I’ve worked on invisible tasks, like studies and exercises as I prepare to learn a new medium (Acrylics!) before I continue on with the Cassiel’s Servant cover. I also have plans to start offering private commissions next month. Keep reading for all the details!

New Art & More

The Boy With the Seven Word Name (Image Gallery + Hades Art Style Tutorial)

Kalara & Golden Lies Reference Sheets (Full Gallery + Character Bios)

Gestures & Studies from January’s Streams

January Happenings

  • Applying for conventions after a 5 year long hiatus

  • Started off strong with streaming Art and Game Nights! (Check out my Stream Schedule for when to tune in.)

  • Started teaching myself how to use acrylic paints

Coming Up in February

  • Private Commissions Opening in FEB!  I’ve paused work on the CASSIEL’S SERVANT cover till I can sort samples out. Patrons & newsletter subscribers will get first dibs on my commission queue!

  • I’ll be painting some acrylic studies of Kushiel’s Legacy characters for practice.

  • Streaming continues on Tuesdays (Art Streams) and Thursdays (Game Nights). I’ll be doing style studies and animal studies this month, as well as playing the rest of Telltale’s The Expanse.

AMA Questions

  • Q: How to stay inspired when things are tough? 
    My response at this timestamp.

  • Q: It will take me too long to learn how to draw, write, etc. How can I learn quickly enough? Can’t I just use AI?
    A: My response at this timestamp.

Stream Recordings

Miss a stream? Catch up here:

My 2025 Streaming Schedule – Tune In for Art & Gaming!

Well, friends, I’ve been ungovernable for years when it comes to making a stream schedule. Here’s my attempt to bring order to the chaos by scheduling some recurring events! I’m going to try to obey it as long as I can, though sessions may run long or short, depending on each day’s activities. Let us try this great experiment starting next week on Tuesday, Jan 14th!

Art Day

For Art Day streams, here are a few things I have in mind:

  • Gesture sketching, master copies, etc.

  • Inking, coloring, concept sketching, etc.

  • Sketchbook doodling

  • Character creator card deck draws (IE. Using Fatum, Reckless Deck, etc. to make concepts that we can draw together!)

Game Day

For Game Day streams, I’ll be playing games I find artistically inspiring that I want to share, starting with Venba, a beautifully illustrated cooking game telling the story of an Indian mom’s journey to Canada with her family during the 1980’s that I’ve been very curious about. I wanted to start with something chill that wouldn’t take us 30 streams to get through.

While this game is a cozy one, I’ll probably be playing everything from artsy horror to artsy platformers, so prepare yourself for different genres of varying levels of macabre!

Hangouts/AMA’s 

I’ve had folks here say they miss the times I used to hangout on Google Hangouts and chat about my month while answering questions from the audience and fans. I want to return to those halcyon days now that we have better tech than Google Hangouts! (Do you all remember when Google Hangouts used to eat itself about an hour in lol).

Everyone can leave questions during the stream in the chat, but I’ll be prioritizing questions from Patrons directly via the Patrons-only AMA section of my Discord server and via a monthly questions Patrons-only post I’ll share here.

Where to Watch

I’ll be using the Streamlabs Ultra tool to multi-stream to my Twitch and my YouTube so tune in on your fave platform!

Let’s go! I’ll be keeping a schedule on my Twitch and Discord server’s events in case you forget when to tune in. I’ll also try to poke people on social media when I go live too.

See you there!

<3 Ang

My 2025 Plans – The Disaster of 2024, The Hopeful Plans for 2025

Farewell to 2024

2024 was a tough time for my husband and I. As of the writing of this post, my husband is still looking for work in IT after being laid off last February (nearly a year ago, now), which has totally re-shaped the trajectory of our plans.

I have spent the last few years of my life working on my independent projects and selling merch directly to my fans with the added security of his income and the blessed succor that Patreon provides us. Unfortunately, art merch sales were down 60% for me in 2024 and everything, from social media to the job market, seemed to be imploding all at once. Without my husband’s income, this was the worst time for me to have a down year.

And have a down year, I did. 2024 really made me want to quit art entirely…
…but I’m still here, finally pulling my boots back on to get back on the horse!

Angela Re-Enters the Arena!

For 2025, I’m working towards re-entering the freelance arena and have been busy brushing up my Illustration portfolio page and client list and planning out what new paintings I need to be making to attract more commercial client work.

(I’m creating multiple self-contained portfolio pages tailored for each client using Adobe Portfolio. This one’s for my Illustration/Cover portfolio. I guess Adobe’s still good for something since I still can’t ween myself off of Photoshop.)

With my Birthstone Goddesses and their lingering loose ends finished, I’m free to pursue other things I’ve always wanted to do, like break into the TTRPG and book cover industries with my art. Fantasy Art has always been where my heart is and I’m hopeful my passion will shine through this year!

To be honest, with one car between my husband and I, I’ve got no choice but to pursue remote work so he can have our car available for any prospective jobs that might call him back.

Challenge accepted, Universe! Sink or art!

Conventions, A Grand Comeback?

I also hope to return to conventions for the additional income stability, despite avoiding them for 5 years now because of our health risks. We both feel more comfortable with available treatments for viruses and hope that we can at least be in the artist alley of DragonCon, Multiverse, and Momocon this year, if I can pass jury!

The convention arena has certainly changed in the years since my last show in 2019, so time to knock the rust from my people skills and from the convention hustle.

Streaming…for Real this Time!

I have said for years now that I wanted to get more face time with folks by hopping onto my Twitch to draw and share my love of gaming with you all. I can never seem to get myself on a schedule. However, a friend generously paid for my Streamlabs Ultra sub, so now I’m obligated to give it a proper whirl!

The goal is to stream twice a week, the first stream to be art-themed (doing exercises, studies, sketching, inking, etc.) and the second stream being for games that I find artistically inspiring and want to share with you all. Anything you guys miss will be shared to my main YouTube channel.

Stay tuned later this week for a proper stream schedule post once I get it all sorted out!

Studio Overhaul

Re-dedicating to freelance client work begins this week with cleaning and revamping the art studio which has sat full of overflow basement boxes and clutter. I’m taking the time to clean it out, do an inventory of supplies, and seriously start using the space to focus on traditional painting techniques!

One of my personal/professional goals this year is to learn how to mix color pencil and light washes of acrylic so I can take advantage of acrylics’ archival qualities over watercolors lightfastness issues. Plus, that lovely textural tactileness I enjoy about working with and looking at color pencil art.

I haven’t used color pencils in years and am looking forward to meeting this old friend again. I don’t fully know how to paint with acrylics, so I’m looking forward to learning something new as well! I was also gifted a lovely goauche set some time ago I want to test out. It’s time to get messy!

(One of my old color pencil on metallic cardstock pieces from 2006.)

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I truly hope 2025 will be a better year for us and for the world. We could all use a break, I’d wager!

<3 Ang