Back in September, this survey was a nice distraction and an informative journey for my Twitter followers. Now, I’ve compiled it here on my blog so it can be easily read all in one place. Enjoy this list of answers to some of the most frequently asked questions!
Meanwhile, you can read this list with the original gif accompaniment here.
1. Do you prefer digital or traditional?
Both! I prefer to paint color digitally & line art traditionally. I feel like I have better motor control & work faster with trad tools! It also depends on what mood I’m in. Sometimes I’ll draw my lines by hand & scan to paint digitally.
2. How long have you been drawing?
Since I could hold a pencil! I loved writing & illustrating my own horror & unicorn stories as a kid. I distinctly remember when I was around 8 that I wanted to be like Trina Schart Hyman, who illustrated my fave fairy tale books.
NOTE: By horror & unicorn stories, I mean entirely different unrelated stories & not stories about horror unicorns. I had my Last Unicorn phase 1st followed closely by my Scariest Stories Ever Told phase. Though now I wonder what actual Unicorn Horror stories might be like!
3. How many classes have you taken?
I’ve taken college art classes (BA in Studio Art & MA in Arts Admin), but have also kept my learning going with:
And more. I’m always up for learning & experimenting!
4. Do you have a Devart, site, or blog?
I’m not as active on DA as I used to be as I spend more time on ArtStation now. I share articles about my process & happenings on my blog.
Bonus links to where I spend most of my time lately:
I’m also around a few community Discord servers for Drawn+Drafted, D&D Fantasy Art, Forge of Wonders (an Exalted server where I’m a mod) etc.
5. What’s your fave thing to draw?
Anything elegant & dark. I love capable &/or mysterious female characters and intricate costumes. Give me mystical moods & scrumptious intriguing narrative details to chew on! Detail of my Priestess of the Keeper piece which is def my aesthetic.
6. What’s your least fave thing to draw?
Not a fan of architecture, cars, or machinery! I have trouble wrapping my brain around the intricacy and perspective planes and don’t find them as fun to draw as more organic subjects.
7. How often do you use reference?
Very often! My brain only has so much room to store all the knowledge of human anatomy. I don’t consider it cheating, but essential to maintaining realism. I also share my pose ref photos over at my art resources project, The Muses Library, if you need inspiration!
8. Do you draw professionally or just for fun?
I am a full-time professional working on indie projects, but sometimes I actually miss doing art purely for fun! It’s a bad habit now to automatically monetize what I’m drawing or needing every.single.thing to be masterfully done.
9. How long do you spend drawing on an average day?
I split my time between answering emails, writing articles, managing sites, updating shops, managing orders, and ACTUAL art-making, so my ratio is usually 4-6 hours of art. Maybe more if I’m lucky and/or there’s a tight deadline!
10. Are you confident about your art?
Some days more than others! I try to be realistic about my art skills. Many of my fundamentals still need work, but I’m proud of my sense of narrative details, composition, & posing. Just need to keep on working on color, light, & anatomy!
I like to do inspiration maps & evals about once a year to get a sense of where I’m going with my art, stylistically & emotionally, & to be more aware of what skills I should be working on. Portfolio reviews also help immensely!
Full art sources here.
11. How many art blogs do you follow?
I keep up with the industry via FB groups but also: –
Any others I should check out? Let me know in the comments!
12. Is it ok if people ask you about your process?
As long as folks don’t mind that it takes me awhile to reply, I’m happy to share what I know! I also discuss my mixed media watercolor, color pencil, and ink techniques in my howto book, Angelic Visions.
My Patrons also get an in-depth glimpse into my techniques & product development via my Premium Tutorials & Patron-only posts. Additionally, I share -free- tuts & info via my YouTube channel. I’m very sporadic about updating, but there’s good stuff there!
Finally, here’s a comprehensive list of my fave tools & materials for watercolor painting!
13. Do you prefer to keep your art personal or work for others?
I prefer my own projects! It’s fun to occasionally explore other people’s topics, but after starting my career doing freelance work that didn’t really grow my portfolio much, I switched focus to my own projects.
14. Do you ever collaborate with others?
I’m contributing to The Changeling Artist Collective’s The Woven Path Tarot & have also contributed to their Olde Fae (Old Maid) card game. I’ve also worked with Sam Hogg on a lovely Special Ed gold foil print of my Lady of Eternity!
(My Rose Fae set for the Olde Fae game)
(My “Temperance” card for the Woven Path Tarot)
(A gold foil print made with Sam Hogg and available exclusively through my Patreon Secret Shop.)
I’ve even designed jewelry in the past, which was a rare, but exciting opportunity! Though the final design hasn’t been released yet, to my knowledge. I’d love to collaborate on more topics that interest me, including TTRPGs, feminine empowerment, folklore,& dark elegant horror.
15. How long does an avg piece take you to complete?
It depends! My extremely detailed intense ink & watercolor Birthstone Goddesses took about a month a piece, while others might only take 1-2 weeks. I’m an intensely research & detail-oriented person, so I usually take longer.
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This entry’s getting a bit long, so I’m going to save the next 15 questions for the part tune. Stay tuned!
(Part 2 Coming Soon!)
