Category: Blog Posts

New Art! The Cobra Witcher of Ofir

And now for something completely different – my first painting of 2020!  Seeing The Witcher adapted into a tv series on Netflix re-ignited my old love for this fantasy world, so I thought I’d take a break with my own fan homage.  I couldn’t resist hopping on the Witcher OC bandwagon with a Witcher concept of my own – a Witcher of Ofir!

Ofir is a country south of Nilfgaard consisting of numerous desert tribes and kingdoms united under a Malliq.  It is a land of great cities said to be even more grand than those of Nilfgaard.  

This gal is from the Ofieri School of the Cobra (a school of my own creation), who train Witchers in alchemy, oils, and poisons made to fight monsters.  

I don’t have a name for this gal yet, as she was very much a spur of the moment inspiration! I get the sense that she’s:

  • Extremely sarcastic

  • Casually talks about horrible things

  • Very picky about what poisons go into her body

Comment with your suggestions!

The Witchers of Ofir

DISCLAIMER! This is a fan concept for how Witchers might operate in Ofir.  It is not canon and I have not read all of the novels yet, just the first three, so there may be other obscure lore of Ofir I might have missed.

The Witchers of Ofir are not feared as their counterparts in the Northern Realms, but are revered as experts.  However, royal decree states that only a certain number of Witchers may exist at any one time, the Malliq’s subtle population control of these powerful beings.  When one falls, another is chosen from among volunteers to take their place.  

Witchers of Ofir undergo their own unique Trial of the Grasses which is said to be the origin of the techniques used in the Northern Realms and lauded to be superior, resulting in more powerful mutations with less side effects and lethality to the subjects of the Trial.

Witcher Gear

Ofieri Witchers also do not use medallions to detect magic, but rather sense it through the markings tattooed on their faces, which also identify their School of origin.  Created with infused dyes, these tattoos grow warm and tingle in the presence of magic and are iridescent in appearance.

Ofir is the homeland of masterful Runewright mages who have perfected the technique of enhancing the properties of blades with runic symbols.  The Witchers of Ofir benefit from this talent, each individual granted a unique weapon imbued with runes upon their initiation and survival of the Trial of the Grasses.  

Work-in-Progress Pics

I created this image in Photoshop with an experimental method of using multiple adjustment layers and effects.  I’ll be uploading a wallpaper pack featuring this gal for all of my Patrons, plus a PSD for my $5 and up Patrons to study and enjoy!

References for Ofir from the world of The Witcher. Including the Witcher comic “Of Flesh and Flame”, the Witcher 3 video game, and excellent swordcraft of Kaer Morhen Forge.

Exploratory sketching. I dropped the hood so she would read less like an Assassin’s Creed character.

Trying out different hairstyles.  I chose the style she ended up with since it reminded me of the cowl of a cobra, which is symbolic of her school.  I imagine she could also use the silver hair thong as a garrote in a pinch as well! 

Final line art.

Completed color flats.

A collage of all the details I spent entirely too long on.

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I’ve been missing doing more traditional dark fantasy work, so this was a nice break from my usual art mode.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program of whimsical Art Nouveau ladies!  I hope you enjoyed this brief diversion into my geek love.

♥ Ang

Nov 2019 Wrap-Up: Good Habits, Winter Goddesses, + Holiday Shop Open!

It felt only natural that I should follow up last month’s wrap-up post featuring my trashed studio with a follow-up shot of it all cleaned up!  I spent my much-needed 2 weeks off getting my studio and office in ship-shape, playing Chrono Trigger, and reading Jacqueline Carey’s Starless.

I didn’t do any art, much to my chagrin, but I’m trying not to beat myself up about that.  Everyone needs a complete unplug sometimes!  I’m back in action now and hopping immediately into the gauntlet of preparing for the next Kickstarter for the Goddesses of Winter enamel pins and the holiday shopping season!  I’m hoping to use the return from vacation as a milestone to test out some new good habits.  

For example, I’ve been testing out the 4 Day Work Week working longer days from Monday to Thursday, then taking Friday as a time to do ‘light’ things, like update my ledger, upkeep the studio, study fundamentals, and work on personal projects unrelated to my main commercial endeavors.  So far, it’s been great having that prolonged free time so I can make more meaningful progress on my lessons and personal fun projects!

Project Status

Birthstone Goddesses Enamel Pins

We are officially halfway done with the entire set, plus, I’ve completed the preliminary concepts for the Goddesses of Winter!  I’ll have a Secret Sketchbook post up soon about their development. Till then, check out this page for a sneak peek and a free coloring page of Lady of February!

Birthstone Goddesses Coloring Book

After much ado, I’ve finally completed all the applications and paperwork for making my book available on both Etsy and Amazon!  However, if you buy directly from me on Etsy, you’ll get an autographed book instead.  Now’s a good time to snag one because of my holiday sale.  Speaking of which!

My Holiday Shop is OPEN!

If you’d like to get 20% off on my coloring book and everything else in my shop, I have a holiday sale going on till Dec 4th!  My limited time Spirits of Winter series is back for the season with prints, holiday postcards, etc.  I’ve also added new prints and originals just in time for the holidays!

(See what’s happening in my shop and give the gift of art while supporting an artist!  Don’t forget the Patreon-only items in my Secret Shop as well. )

Posts You May Have Missed in NOV:

Upcoming Events

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And that has been my November!  I turned 38 and continue to work on my dreams.  We’re building them one day at a time!

Thanks as ever for your support and encouragement along the way!

♥ Ang

Oct 2019 Wrap-Up: The Con Aftermath + Vacation Days Begin!

Another month has passed, bringing us another wrap-up!  October has been blessedly slower now that my last con of the year has happened.  It’s been a time to come down from the crazy gauntlet of events and finish up a few small, but important tasks before I go on a vacation!

That’s right, you guys. A vacation!  I’m taking some time off starting this weekend and lasting till November 17th to rest and recuperate before the next Kickstarter pre-launch period for the Goddesses of Winter begins.  Hopefully I can get some completely indulgent art and reading time in!

I wanted to go on a writing retreat, but alas it’s not in the budget this year. Next year, perhaps!  I’m going to take the next best option and sneak away to write and relax in coffee shops like a real pro.  NaNoWriMo starts up tomorrow and even if I don’t officially have a dedicated project for it, it’s always a great excuse to let my muse wander and get motivated for making better writing habits to work on my many stories in progress!

As for this Patreon, it will remain active during vacation! I’m going to schedule a few posts ahead which will include a couple of new Rewards for everyone, since I finally have a bit of time to catch up.  I may be slow to communicate during this time while I do my best to downplay stressful elements such as social media/shops/etc. briefly, so please be patient with me!

As for the pic above, that’s the wreck that is my studio after not having a ton of time to clean it between conventions, Kickstarter fulfillment tasks, etc.!  It really needs some love and care during my vacation as well.  Time to get it orderly again so I can concentrate without a tower of empty boxes falling on me!

Also, I can’t forget to say happy Allhallowtide, Halloween, and Samhain, to my lovely Patrons today!  Did you get to wear any costumes?  I’d love to hear about them in comments! 

I’m dressing up this weekend with metallic orange makeup and cute bat earrings!  But you can have my Halloween ensemble for last year, in the meantime. Spoopy hand warmers!  (I REALLY need to work on getting normal pictures of myself without a costume or spoopy things on).

Project Status

The Birthstone Goddesses Coloring Book TRADE EDITION (Book Finished. Applications pending!)

GREAT news in that I was finally able to complete all my official registration forms!  I’m currently waiting on Amazon to get back to me about how we’ll proceed from here to get my coloring books officially listed under me as a vendor on the site.

Birthstone Goddesses Enamel Pins (50% Complete)

Sketching has started the same day of this post! I hope to have a Secret Sketchbook entry up after vacation on the development of these new designs.

Little Gem Goddesses Stickers (Finished!)

I am plotting on something special I can do with them for Patrons, so stay tuned!

Birthstone Goddesses Tote Bags and Scarves (Planning)

Will prep these designs to be integrated into my Etsy shop after vacation!

Birthstone Goddesses Wall Calendar (Planning)

Development will begin once the enamel pins have been completed.

Birthstone Goddesses Art Book (Planning)

Planning to launch after the calendar.  I’ll be dropping previews of some of the new painting concepts I’ll be planning for this art soon!

Upcoming Cons

Goblin Market  – March 28, 2020 (Awaiting Confirmation)

Join us in the market where the fairy denizens may ask for more than money for the items you seek!  This year’s theme is ‘fairy tales’. Fingers crossed I get in!  I LOVE the theme and immersive storytelling of this event.

New Rewards Planned for November

  • Goddesses of Autumn Coloring Pack
  • Little Gem Goddesses of Summer Wallpaper Pack

Posts You May Have Missed in OCT:

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It’s been so lovely to meet some of you this month at Multiverse, as well!  I’m so happy to have a place like Patreon where I can get to know you all better.  

Thanks for your support and here’s to an inspiring month of relaxation and inspiration before the holiday rush begins!

♥ Ang

Convention Report – Multiverse 2019

Kevin and I had a great time at Multiverse this past weekend!  It represented our last show of the season and the first time we’ve been at this con, since this is a brand new event.  Normally, I’d be hesitant to do a first-year show because the traffic is usually slow at these, but in the end, I’m glad I gave this show a shot!  

After the chaos of DragonCon and consecutive Kickstarters happening around here, it was nice to do a small, chill con, while still being able to network with other artists and enjoy a more relaxed environment.

Booth Tour

I’ll admit by the time the con rolled around, I didn’t have a plan or proper signage for the vendor table for this untested arrangement!  Here’s what we were able to throw together at the last minute.  

After studying the booth’s traffic flow at DragonCon, I realized many folks were afraid to walk up to the prints in the corner.  I knew I wanted to try a display where the prints were front and center and viewers could engage with them immediately, so on the table they went so people would not be afraid to pick them up or venture into our personal space!

A spice rack served as a display for the pins. I’m still trying to decide if it blends well and if I should cover it with paper. Or if I want to place it with a rotating rack entirely.  My table display is always evolving!

You can see where I also forgot to bring the table runner, so the scarves ended up being draped across the front of the table, since I wasn’t sure where to put them otherwise and it filled the space left by our missing table runner.  I didn’t have proper signage for the top behind me either, so my Patreon sign became my main sign temporarily.

Folks had trouble even realizing the scarves were there because they blended so well, so I will have to think of a new way to display them so they stand out more.  Perhaps hanging them off a dowel rod of some sort? Or replacing my silver tablecloth with a darker color?  I know I want the scarves up front where people can touch them because most people want to feel the material before they buy clothing accessories.

Gallery Tour

While my table display focused on the Birthstone Goddesses, I decided that my gallery display should focus on my darker narrative art, which I felt was relevant to the interests of this con’s scifi/fantasy/literary themes.

I had a small 4’x4′ bay in the Art Expo which left a little to be desired. The unexpectedly large bid sheets and the print bin which overlapped my display meant I had to leave 2 pieces out of my planned display.  Simple fixes for next year, however!  The show staff are also new to things and were receptive to feedback.  

I sold nothing from my bay, so if any of this display interests you, drop me a line! (Reminder that Patreon Patrons will get their Patreon discount on these as well.)

So was it worth it?

I honestly would have been satisfied for the fact that I sold enough to cover my attendance fees AND I got to network with fellow artists in a much more relaxed environment!  We’re always so busy at DragonCon and other shows and barely have time to say hello.  

During this show, I was invited to two local events, was invited into a new vendor group online, and was able to attend 3 fantastic panels on writing since traffic was chill enough for me to let my husband handle things alone.

On top of all that, we did end up meeting a metric of success I agree with, which is this formula:

Profit = Cost of attending + $100 a day = worth attending

We made back the cost of attending, plus at least $100 of profit per day, so were paid for our time at the very least.  I got to test my new Square Terminal as well.  I’ll have more about the Terminal later over in The Muse’s Library where I’ll be writing a review on it! This is a fantastic piece of tech we just invested in that has totally blown my mind for how useful it is.

Favorite Cosplay

I always love to admire the wonderful costumes of attendees and Multiverse did not disappoint because the amazing folks of the Whiskey Weasel Cosplay dropped by with their wonderfully detailed Monster Hunter World cosplays!  They even replicated the scoutflies you use for tracking with little LEDs. SO COOL!

Final Thoughts

Sometimes it’s worth it for more reasons than just money to attend smaller shows.  It was nice to leave my art cave and remember how awesome the fan community is, as well as to meet a couple of my Patrons in person and say thank you for their support.  

It’s easy to spend so much time alone without the love and laughter of the community.  I hope to return next year and continue supporting the spirit of fan appreciation this convention is nurturing!

Kickstarter Launched! Goddesses of Autumn Enamel Pins + Summer Pin Pre-Orders

Originally posted on Patreon

The fateful day has finally arrived and the Goddesses of Autumn Enamel Pins have now launched on Kickstarter!  By the time I’ve sat down to write this post, we’re already almost 30% funded, which fills me with such happiness.  It’s been easier for me to deal with my fear of failure when doing these kinds of crowdfunded projects because of your massive support and enthusiasm!

So thanks so much to all of you who have been along for the ride while I grow my Birthstone Goddesses into a collection of my own and fly free as an independent artist.  It means the world to me!

Since my folks here are my SUPER FANS, your word of mouth means a lot!  If you’d like to help spread the word, here are a few links for you to easily share even if pins aren’t your thing or you don’t have the funds to participate this time.  Sharing is caring!

– Retweet this post on Twitter
– Share and/or Like this post on Facebook
– Re-blog this blog on tumblr 

Pre-Order the Goddesses of Summer Pins

If you missed out on the Goddesses of Summer pins, I’ve finally listed them in my shop where you can pre-order the whole set or a single pin!  I plan to ship them out in mid-October or sooner (once my Kickstarter Backers have all their pins first).

>Pre-Order here!< 

Patreon Patrons, don’t forget to use your Patreon discount code for 15% off (or your 25% off code if you are pledging $10 or more!).

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Now it’s time to celebrate this milestone!  We’re now officially at the halfway point with the enamel pin Kickstarters.  What a gratifying learning experience it has been!

I’ll be back soon with another update about where we’re going from here.

Here’s to all of you who make my dreams possible!

♥ Ang

New Art! Little Gem Goddesses of Autumn

Happy Friday, all!  In anticipation of the Goddesses of Autumn enamel pins Kickstarter launching on Monday, I wanted to share the chibi sticker designs of the Autumn gals I did since they’ll be making their debut as Stretch Goals for the Kickstarter project (and eventually as freebies here on Patreon once the pin Kickstarters are complete!)

Little Gem Goddess of September

One of the fun things about doing multiple angles on these gals is that I get to show off design elements that weren’t clear in the main paintings!  September’s chibi shows off her dual-colored eyes and parti-color dress so well.  Inspired by the red and blue color of Sapphires!

Little Gem Goddess of October

Funny how she was not my fave from the main set, but this chibi version stands out as one of my fave of the chibis!  Her pose came out with such perfect flow and I love all of her little spirit friends.  It feels like she has a stronger connection to them in this version.

Little Gem Goddess of November

This gal never ceases to steal the show in any form!  Her flowing veil and dress made a wonderful design element.  Having her floating among her butterflies also ties her more strongly to their ghostly ethereal nature (and also looks cool). 

Designing these cute versions of my asture Goddesses presented a fun challenge for me!  Plus, chibi versions of overly serious things will never cease to make me smile.  I was able to bring a bit more of a magical fantastical touch to these than even the main series and that makes me happy as well!  I’m slowly, but surely, bridging my way over to more fantastical art topics, which is the art I truly adore making!

If you’d like to watch the recordings of the livestreams of the creations of these chibis, you can watch them here:

Have a great weekend, all.  I can’t wait for Monday when the next enamel pins launch!  Are you excited? I am hyped after how beautifully the last set came out!

More soon!

♥ Ang

Convention Report – DragonCon 2019

I’m back from DragonCon and have finally stirred from my post-con torpor!  Thanks so much to everyone who stopped by, including a couple of my Patrons here!  It was so lovely to meet you and give you hugs (and pins!).  I got to see so many artist friends I haven’t met in person, plus old friends I only get to see this time of year.  I only wish I’d had more time to spend with everyone!

I always like to do a write-up if I can.  DragonCon is such a massive show and always a great event for testing out new, ambitious things!  I’ve been working hard towards it for a long time before the event to make new products to debut, such as the tote bags and scarves.  This was also the first time I’ve ever had to fill such a large space at 8 x 10 feet! It was an intimidating prospect!

So how’d I do?  I sold half my canvas totes, but only a couple of scarves!  Most folks went for my prints, pouches, totes, and greeting cards (especially the ones themed for the month of September!).  I also think my display made an impression!  People really seemed to love my little ‘shrine’ of flowers and candles.

You can also see a video tour of the booth here.

All in all, I made back expenses and then some!  Having a larger display space really paid off for me, as I think the larger display footprint allowed me to give people a better idea of the scale of this ambitious project of mine which is really hard to contain in a smaller space.

The Art Show

The Art Show was a new beast this year!  New management meant new changes, such as the lack of a silent auction or a print shop.  This meant more floor space for artists and a new way to buy directly from the artist, instead of an auction!  It was nice to be able to take my earnings from sales in the Gallery area home immediately instead of waiting for a check to come in the mail.

There was a little confusion about how to buy things from the gallery bay, but otherwise, I felt the changes were for the better, letting the Art Show check-in process go more smoothly (no dealing with barcodes or anything of that nature).  I really enjoyed the new black pegboard for the Gallery area as well!

The volunteers were especially exceptional this year.  They came around often to see if we needed help and check on our well-being!

What Did I Learn?

DragonCon, especially one where I test out new things, is always a learning experience!  Here are some things I learned.

  • Bundle Deals. The bundle deals worked like a charm! I attribute most of my sales to people wanting to buy gifts for multiple people and being encouraged to do so by saving a little money with a bulk discount.

  • More Signage. I need more signage to show people I’m on Patreon, what my name is, and also that the series is about a birthstone series, as it took  people a minute to realize this was a birthstone series and upon realizing that fact, they of course then wanted to immediately see what their month was, which was easier when I made month signs to go by the images (and to subdivide the print bins).

  • The 15 Second Rule.  Kevin, who has vast retail experience and is a remarkable salesman, taught me this at the con. Basically, instead of smothering people with my overeager greetings, give people 15 seconds to process what they’re seeing and decide if they are engaged with it.  

    This wait time helped me make a better call about who was meandering through and who was actually interested so I don’t waste my precious introvert energy on people who have no interest.

  • Stock for Birthday/Month Sensitive Items.  I had so many September babies stop by and say “It’s my birth month and I’m treating myself” or I had friends of September babies shopping for birthday gifts for the special September person in their life. This should have been obvious to me, but I need to keep more stock on hand for these timely occasions!  I even made extra of September and still sold out!

  • More Small Impulse Items. I had so many people who didn’t want to make a big investment or who didn’t have a lot of wall space who ended up scooping up stickers and greeting cards.  I would have sold pins like hot cakes for this reason as well!  

    I want to focus my table area around showing off these small items since they became the ‘bread and butter’ small sales that added up nicely at the end of the day because they are easy to manufacture on a mass scale with a good markup and impulse range price tag that isn’t too much of a burden for the average buyer.

  • Calendar. I REALLY need to finish up the calendar for this series, as now that I have all 12 images, it’s become my number one requested item. I’ve planned to work on it after the enamel pins, so it will be coming next year!

Favorite Cosplay

Oh boy it was SO hard to pick a cosplay to feature here!  Now that they’ve lifted the no photo ban in the Art Show, I had a lot of fun taking photos of amazing cosplayers who dropped by my booth.  They were all wonderful and you can see more of them here.  

However, I just have to feature this lady!  I was a Power Rangers fan back in the day and this lady made me squeal with nostalgic glee.  She also made her costume herself!

I am already missing the glorious geeky chaos that was DragonCon!  I love being around so many kindred spirits that it feels pretty lonely when I get home and return to the grind.  I’m grateful my fans (and especially my Patrons) are here in my corner experiencing this journey along with me.  Your encouragement and feedback have helped me have one of my best cons ever!

Next, I’ll be hopping right into Kickstarter fulfillment and revving up for the Goddesses of Autumn pins, so there’s no rest for the wary!

Did you stop by at DragonCon?  What was your fave cosplay?  Sound off in the comments!

♥ Ang

This was a meticulous article to write, but I love talking about the nitty gritty thought process!

A discussion of my process of troubleshooting my painting & visual exploration of problems & solutions complete with visual aids.

Accessible to all paid tiers or grab the individual post for $3 without needing to sub.

Find the article here:
https://www.patreon.com/angelasasser/posts/secret-cassiels-164355650

[Early Release] Unboxing Art – Mucha’s Le Pater Century Guild Edition

I’ve been saving opening up the lovely package I received from the Century’s Guild long-awaited Kickstarter since a couple of weeks ago till I could take a moment to enjoy it.  That moment has finally come!

Join me as I unbox the loveliness and dive into this wonderful collection of Mucha’s spiritual works!  This video will be released to the public on Friday, but you get an early look because you’re special. 

Now back to con prep with me!

♥
– Ang