Month: April 2025

Studio Hangout APR 2025 + AMA – Character Art, Vampire Pirates, & Free Commission Slots [Video + Monthly Digest]

Another monthly Studio Hangout and AMA arrives! How is it the end of April already?? As per usual, you can watch the video above or read the summary in text here. Captions are included on the video and a transcript is also included attached to this post for your reference.

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There’s no way to sugar coat another bad month. I’ve been trying to work during a metaphorical hurricane. Tariffs have severely impacted my ability to plan any crowdfunding projects for the future, as what might be held up in customs changes day by day. Tariffs are also affecting my main target clients in the entertainment industry, so they’re hesitant to hire while they’re waiting for things to calm down.

It’s been heartbreaking to watch more than a few artists I know finally quitting the profession after already being strained by the state of things the past few years. Meanwhile, smaller game studios are even closing down because having their products frozen at port behind an unexpected customs fee means they can’t move any product.

The icing on the frustration cake of this month is finding out I’ve been waistlisted for DragonCon after hoping it’d be my grand return from being absent from conventions for 5 years. Alas, competition for in-person shows has grown even more fierce as AI generated art slop has flooded online marketplaces, making in-person shows the last bastion of marketplaces not flooded by cheap AI art because it’s generally against the rules for it to be included in these exhibition spaces.

Even still, I’m trying to celebrate the small victories. I’ve approached a couple more big game companies with my portfolio and hope that with enough persistence, one of these big clients will bite when things (hopefully) stabilize. I’ve also been accepted into a convention that I’ll announce soon once I’m allowed to talk about it more. It’s a really cool show I can’t wait to share more about!

I’ve also, after much toil and experimention, managed to finish the long-awaited character art samples I’ve been working on for far too long! Friends and fans have been after me for years to solidify something in this vein, though I fear my timing is absolutely terrible for launching character commissions at a time when we’re all tightening our belts.

Still, my only option is forward and hoping that we can hang on a bit longer while my husband and I recover from our no good bad year slowly, but surely.

New Art in April

It was another sparse month for art, as most of my time was spent doing all of the invisible background work writing the commission FAQ and updating my website to make ready for the Character Commission process. What art I did make I’m very pleased with, however!

[New Art] Artorias, Soul Knife Rogue

This image represents a technique level up for me, as well as a new professional direction targeting TTRPG markets. Read more about its creation, watch a timelapse, etc. here.

For those interested in a deep dive about character design, illustration process, etc. I’ve also written a deep dive Secret Sketchbook entry about this portrait which is available to Patrons at all paid levels.

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[Work-in-Progress Art] Kalara versus The Bride

This piece is another personal fun one for the Exalted Character of the Month challenge. This month’s featured character is The Forsaken Bride of Crimson Vows who belongs to ToxinFox and is featured heavily in her webcomic Reclamation (an Exalted TTRPG story). The vampire known as Bride, for short, terrorizes the high seas with her soulsteel blade, cat-o-nine-tails, and incredibly epic hat!

ToxinFox and I have always talked about how cool it would be to see our Exalted characters meet and so I’ve taken the chance to indulge the idea! I ended up with a fighting game style VERSUS screen which I’ll be finishing in a Hades-inspired ink style.

Who will win? Place your bets, folks!

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(Below) Reference of Kalara (art by me) vs Bride (art by ToxinFox)

Important Announcements

  • I’ve launched Character Art Commissions! Commission slots are currently open exclusively to Patreon Patrons at any tier (including the free tier) and my Fantasy Art newsletter subscribers. The general public will have to wait till May 6th to claim any leftover slots. Learn how to reserve your slot here.

  • Free Character Art Slots! To celebrate the commission launch, I’m offering 2 slots for free. This is only happening on BlueSky, however! Read on at the BlueSky post for more details.

AMA

Q: (From Char) What support systems do you have in place for your art career (part time job, spouse, etc)?
A: Watch the answer here.

Q: (From Lindowyn) Is there an artform you want to try and just haven’t gotten around to it?
A: Watch the answer here.

Q: What profession did your multiverse self go into?
A: Watch the answer here.

Stream Schedule

I’ve been playing Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden this month for Game Nights.

This game tells the story of Red and Antea, two lovers working as ghost hunters, who have come to New England during a time of tumult in an alternate history frontier Puritan America. They must face their greatest fear when one of them becomes the thing they hunt after dying at the hands of a powerful spirit. They must find the origin of the curse that keeps them trapped in the forsaken settlement or be trapped forever in a loop of regret.

It’s a wonderfully inspiring and underrated game that I’ve been wanting to share with others for a long time! Tune in Thursday nights as I continue my playthrough and discuss its inspiring qualities.

  • Find the playlist of the Game Night recordings for Banishers here.

May Goals

  • Returning to work on my CASSIEL’S SERVANT cover

  • Teaching myself acrylic paints using studies (new Kushiel art possibly?)

  • Continuing my writing homework with Maggie Steiftvater’s novel-writing class

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    Feel free to tell me what your multiverse profession is in the comments! I’d love to hear you guys’ answer to that question.

<3 Ang

New Art! Atorias, Soul Knife + Process Sneak Peek

EDIT: Head’s up! There’s now a Secret Sketchbook post with a deep dive about the creation of this portrait. Go check it out!

I’m so excited to finally be able to share this art that’s been in the pipeline for awhile! This piece represents a new artistic direction for me as I embark on a new journey to create more TTRPG and Fantasy Art after spending years on my Birthstone Goddesses.

About Artorias

Introducing Artorias, the smarmy Rogue from our D&D campaign (played by my husband, Kevin) whose dice rolls so far have not reflected his smooth skillset. He was a willing volunteer to test out this new artistic style I’ve been nurturing.

ART CAPTION: New head of the Collbrande trade empire after his hostile takeover. Outwardly charming, inwardly growing more heartless by the day.

He is also the twin brother of Ariminthia “Mint” Collbrande, a Bladesinger my husband played originally. When the family abandoned her to kidnappers, Artorias started his villain arc and overthrew their trade empire. He is currently working with a disparate band of volunteers to aid the city in finding a supernatural serial killer targeting aristocrats who has also cursed his sister with the inability to speak.

It was interesting to compare this new portrait of Arty to the old one of Mint done in a Legend of Vox Machina-inspired style from 2022. I’ve worked more in this cell-shaded animation style lately for quickness, so going full render on Arty was a big challenge!

Art Process

I tried a new digital process for this piece where I did all my line art and flats first, then tinted the shadows with different color temperatures on a single layer. For the final polish, I dropped out the lines in key places. My goal was to achieve a look that kept the energy of my line art and brushstrokes without dipping too deeply into overrendered realism.

I’ll talk more about this process and share the PSD file in an upcoming Secret Sketchbook post just for Patrons, so keep your eyes peeled for that this week.

In the meanwhile, enjoy this glimpse at the process and how I constructed my layers:

Watch a timelapse of Arty’s portrait here.

Upcoming Commissions

Now that I have this example complete, I’ll be releasing a price sheet soon! I’ll be offering a limited number of slots per month depending on my availability which will be offered first to my Patreon Patrons and newsletter subscribers first.

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Once I get the commission sheet out to the world, I’ll be returning to my usual schedule of working on the “Cassiel’s Servant” cover for my Story Sketchers project. My journey with acrylics and ambitious narrative imagery will continue!

More soon!

<3 Ang