Category: Blog Posts

My New YouTube Channel!

Video has increasingely become the standard for experiencing art in this modern age and that’s why I’ve been teaching myself how to edit and share in a video format, as well as how to livestream via Twitch. It allows me another level of connection with you all being able to talk directly to you on stream or being able to talk about my process via video tutorials.

The New YouTube Channel

I’ve already been on YouTube for years as @AngelaSasserArt (for my art), @AngelicArtisan (for my artisan crafts), and @themuseslibrary (for my Art Resources).

Now, a new channel @angelicshadesart joins the fray!

@AngelaSasserArt has been the place I’ve shared my art for so long that it’s gathered art from all of my different 2D projects over the years. However, as time has gone on, my bawdy Dungeons & Dragons comics and casual video game streams are beginning to clash with my more serious Fine Art Gallery work.

Fantasy VS Fine Art

And that’s why I’ve decided that in order to make my channel more approachable to Fine Art Gallery representation that I’m breaking off my Fine Art work (the Birthstone Goddesses and other gallery-aimed work) and moving it all over to @AngelicShadesArt, which leaves @AngelaSasserArt free to unabashedly share all of my geekery, video game streaming, fan art, and more.

The Short Version

My @AngelaSasserArt channel will be for:

  • My Fan Art, Fantasy Art, Comics, Digital Art and related Tutorials

  • Storytelling and my own Fantasy Novel projects

  • Artistically inspiring Video Game Streams

  • Art Streams related to Fan Art, Fantasy Art, Character Art, Storytelling, etc.

  • Unboxing art books related to geekery, fandoms, & fantasy art

  • Ask Me Anything and Studio Hangouts

My @AngelicShadesArt channel will be for:

  • Fine Art and related Traditional Art tutorials

  • Gallery inspiration

  • Museum inspiration trips

  • Art Streams related to traditional drawing, life drawing practice, etc.

  • Unboxing art books related to Fine Art/gallery work

Looking forward to keeping up with you all across the interwebs!

– Ang

Studio Hangout May 2025 + AMA – Medical Woes, Clair Obscur, and Discussing How to Commission Artists

The end of the month has come and with it the monthly Studio Hangout update that wraps up all the happenings and posts you might have missed! Watch the video above or read the TL;DR summary below. The video includes captions and the transcript is attached to this post.

Personal Updates

  • Medical Woes – My husband had serious medical complications this month, which means I haven’t been around much for streaming or art while I’ve focused on family. See this post for the longer story.

Announcements

  • Commission Launch Delayed – Until we know what the immediate future will be like for treatment plans, I am delaying taking commissions until further notice. My apologies to everyone who sent inquiries! Please keep me in mind for later once I have a better idea of my availability.

New Art

Once again, the Forge of Wonders server pulled me out of my art block to create this single silly piece of art for the Character of the Month event. Behold Dr. Zaius’ Clouseau-inspired brilliant, yet bumbling Detective Claw Zu.

Not usually the kind of character I draw, but I appreciate being pushed out of my comfort zone with such a fun concept!

Watch a timelapse of this piece’s creation here.

Streaming Updates

I took a break from Banishers to sample the gorgeous game, Clair Obscur, with Kev as my commentator this month (just before things hit the fan). I’ll be taking a break from streaming until we know more about what the immediate future is going to be like for us.

[VIDEO] Game Night: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – Watch this beautifully French work of art in video game form! I have been buzzing about this game ever since its first trailer in which a giant eldritch artist painted people out of existence, while the populace bravely defies her by sending a small, but determined group of soldiers.

I’m pleased to see this game has gotten so much critical acclaim recently! Join Kev and I as we bask in its loveliness and rock out to the music. Just ignore how much I fail at parrying.

AMA (Ask Me Anything)

The links should lead you to the timestamps that have the answers. I’ve included the timestamps just in case the links don’t work.

Q (from Lindowyn): How does an artist identify their audience?
A: Watch the answer here. 05:34

Q: (from Jim D AKA Overlord Jim of Apotheosis Adventures): What info does an artist need to draw a character?
A: Watch the answer here. 08:48

Q: (also from Overlord Jim): What info should a client have prepared to commission an artist?
A: Watch the answer here. 12:00

June Goals

Everything is going to be dependent on my availability while I prioritize family, but I hope to aim for the following.

  • Finishing the Cassiel’s Servant faux book cover. I’m likely switching to working digitally, as it will now take too long to learn acrylics as I originally planned with everything going on. Despite the digital medium, however, I plan to offer hand-gilded limited edition prints so they still have a touch of the artist’s hand in them.
  • Get back to my novel-writing class homework. It has been sorely neglected!
  • Returning to commission portraits later on in the month. (Husband’s health willing!) I’m going to see if I can still get the commission giveaway winners done at the very least!

—-

I hope I have better news and more fun things to share soon, but I may also fall off the planet depending on how things go. Either way, thanks for reading and for your support, both via Patreon and via your kind words.

Hug your loved ones, y’all, and take care!

<3 Ang

Hello Hospital, My Old Friend…

Well, friends, it’s been the week from hell and I’m now sure my husband, Kevin, was born above an ancient burial ground which cursed him with bad luck. Long story short (shared with Kev’s permission), he’s been in and out of the ER after a medical condition we were monitoring finally decided to pop, which has resulted in him being catheterized and fairly immobile.

Add the drama of an insurance company that decided to drop us without notice during the middle of this crisis. This sudden drop in coverage caused the medications he needs to live to be about $1200 and his desperately needed urgent specialist visit to not be covered. Thankfully, we were able to sort out new coverage that let us use co-pay coupons for the meds at least.

(UHC was the culprit who dropped us. We should’ve known better than to trust them considering how they’ve been in the news lately for being The Literal Worst. Good riddance to this trash company!)

Now, we’re just taking it one day at a time waiting on tests. Hoping for the best (which is likely surgery to alleviate his medical issues) or the worst (possibly prostate cancer).

If you’ve requested or are considering a character commission from me, I ask for your patience while we deal with our situation. Depending on how things go, I may have to stop accepting commissions altogether to focus on Kev’s health if we must take a second journey with cancer to remind it who is boss. I’m praying our outcome will be the better of these situations, but we’re planning for the worst and hoping for the best.

Friends have asked us if there are ways to help and, while we’re not in dire need, we won’t say no to extra help to make life easier during a tough time.

Ways to Help

Many of you are already supporting my Patreon, which I’m so thankful for. Here are some other ways you can help us out:

My shops:

Please don’t put yourselves out, however! We know times are tough all around.

—-

Now, the most important question to ask you all. What tv shows are you watching? We could use some suggestions to watch during the wait between appointments. So far, we’ve been watching Parasyte: The Grey and Dragonball DAIMA.

<3 Ang

Featured

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.

—-

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.

—

[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!

—-
(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

    —-

    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.

—-

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

Studio Hangout MAR 2025 – TTRPG Portraits & Artist AMA [Video + Monthly Digest]

Where did March go??? Here’s the skinny on the happenings, new art, etc. for this month. You can watch the video above (which has captions and chapter breaks in the desc on YouTube) for my full update. This post contains an abbreviated summary if you’re short on time and a transcript of the full video attached to this post.

Personal Updates

It’s been a rough month! I’ve been attempting to keep up with writing and art, but found myself overwhelmed trying to juggle art/writing classes, a regular biweekly stream schedule, and swapping my sleep schedule to a new night-time routine (as endorsed by Brandon Sanderson).

This month, I’ve also taken the time to do our taxes and was faced with the exact numerical value of how my business has been impacted by social media and AI flooding Etsy’s marketplace in the past year (60% down in sales, to be precise).

The art community is suffering existentionally right now, so I have to thank you all once more for your continued support during these trying times! It’s been a struggle to create with all this noise around us. Making art goes, slowly, but surely!

New Art

I only have a couple of things to share this month because of existential dread brain and taking time to do taxes reasons.

  • Yorigasu, a celestial agent from Exalted. (Top)

  • Artorias Portrait (Bottom Right) – A D&D character portrait currently in-progress (which was shared for the first time on stream). Watch the full vid for more about each character.

  • Writing Class Homework – A little different than the art I share, but hopefully an interesting glimpse, regardless! Here’s a quick look at the brainstorming homework I’m doing for my writing class with Maggie Steitvater. A longer explanation is in the video as well as a story pitch of what I’m working on.

Ask Me Anything Questions

Check the time stamps for the answers to these questions.

  • 22:25 – (From Aaron R.) – What’s a piece of yours that surprised you?

  • 24:53 – (From Lindowyn) – What is the most satisfying piece that you’ve done?

  • 27:13 – (From Lindowyn) – What is your favorite medium?

Announcements

  • Art Streams are on hold until further notice!  I’ve been overwhelmed and sleep-deprived and needed more time to focus on re-balancing my schedule. Art streams will return once I’ve been able to settle into a healthier schedule for myself! Game Streams (featuring the game Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden) is still a go for Thursdays, 8pm EST.

  • Coming in April! – Creating private character art commission samples is my current priority. Then, I hope to return to focusing mainly on writing, with a couple of days a week spent on art as soon as the samples are out in the wild. I’m hoping taking these private commissions can help refill our life savings after our bad year last year. They will be released to my Patrons and newsletter subscribers before the public.

    —-

    Catch you next month.
    Wishing you all inspiration!

    <3 Angela S.

New Art! Exalted Character of the Month: Yorigasu, Chosen of Battles

It’s been a month of adjusting to a new schedule! I’ve been attempting to return to our original plan of me writing more, with art being a smaller part of my day.

However, it’s been difficult trying to fit all the art I want to do into the smaller time I have for drawing, which has also been split with trying to get commission samples done and maintain a streaming schedule, which has started to fall apart already.

Plus the mental overwhelm of US politics and my current identity crisis as I move away from being a more active artist.

Still, I always make time for the Exalted Character of the Month challenge and while I said I wouldn’t share much of this type of work here because I wanted to keep it tidily confined to The Uncrucified’s Ko-fi, I find myself with little else to share while other art takes me longer to do.

So enjoy the corvid bird warrior, Yorigasu, Chosen of Battles, Sidereal Exalted, who belongs to Lobsopdoy.

 Watch a timelapse of this piece here. Created in Procreate.

Lobsopdoy’s reference image:

I was very intimidated by the bird anatomy, as I have less experience drawing animals, but I do appreciate the challenge because corvids are awesome! How’d I do?

I hope I’ll have more art to share soon, but commission samples have been slow-going and I just haven’t been in a good head space this month. Hopefully I can shake it off and get back in the art battle soon!

Once the commission samples are done, I’m returning to focus on my Cassiel’s Servant work. For now, ENJOY BIRB!

<3 Ang