Tag: personal updates

April 2026 – Setbacks & Successes

April has been the longest month of mixed blessings, so it’s time for a big update! While there’s going to be a bit of bad news in this post, there is some glimmer of hope at the end, so hang in there!

The Setbacks

To begin with the worst of it, my husband and I face the reality of him once again being laid off from his job yet again (this was an interim job after being laid off from his job in IT 2 years ago).

Once more, we find ourselves trying to find a place we can fit in the world. Both of our professions in Illustration and Tech have been hit hard by AI displacement and COVID overhiring that it feels so impossible to find available work right now. Even trying to find temporary work in alternate fields has been tricky, while everyone feels the strain with world events at the moment.

But rather than go insane while we wait for job callbacks, we’re trying to keep it moving doing what we can to stay positive and hope that change is in the wind as long as we keep up hope and keep putting ourselves out there!

The Successes

But it’s not all doom and gloom. I have been blessed with a full queue of private art commissions for very amazing and patient clients in the meanwhile! I’ve been able to draw some unique and inspiring topics in the TTRPG arena that I love, in particular.

[Above: A detail of a character illustration for a private commission of Ganjo the Blade Beast of Steel Forest.]

While I’m keeping busy, I’m still working slowly, but surely on the Cassiel’s Servant cover and hope to complete it in time for the 25th anniversary of Kushiel’s Legacy coming in June. I’ve put a Patrons-only sneak over in the Patrons-only area of my Discord, for those who want to see how the cover’s going (teasing with a small sliver here with more shown over on Discord).

Trying to work on anything right now has felt like painting during a hurricane with the high stress of our situation and the ongoing DOOM that is the world right now, but I hope to keep pushing to get this done by June as much as I can work on it between other paying work!

Upcoming Appearances

In other positive news, I’m also very excited to be returning to Multiversecon in 2026 as a guest in October! This was such a charming and welcoming small con right on my doorstep. I hope to be in the vendor hall again this year and to meet Martha Wells, one of the Guests of Honor, and tell her how much I loved Murderbot.

I’m also thrilled to have work appearing in a very lovely gallery in downtown Seattle, Washington called The Ghost Gallery.

[Above: A shot of Ghost Gallery’s install for 2025’s mini art exhibit.]

You’ll specifically be able to see my “Temperance of the Woven Path” piece beautifully framed and on display at the Ghost Gallery’s “Art of Tarot” exhibit featuring oracle, tarot, and other related artworks and card decks from May 8th to June 7th. If you’re in the neighborhood, drop in and take a look! It’s promising to be a gorgeous show.

I’m honored to be included in such a busy gallery area in such a cool themed show! I only wish I could attend in person myself, but maybe it’s for the best so I’m not tempted to buy all of the pretty card decks they might have on display.

I hope you all are able to keep your chins up during these tough times as well! Thanks to all of you for your continued support here, as that little bit of income goes a long way and the encouragement I get here always brightens my day.

Till next time!

<3 Ang

Posts You Might Have Missed in April

March 2026 – My Attempts at Adapting as an Artist in Impossible Times

It’s been awhile since I posted a more personal update, but I wanted to give a sign of life! It’s been quiet around here while I’ve been shaking up the formula with how I do things as an artist and working on commissions for private clients.

A collage of art featuring various character portraits, including a young man holding an oni mask, April and Casey from TMNT, and an insectoid warrior holding a lotus.

[Above: A peek at some of my recent private commission work.]

I have taken on as much private work as I can without overloading myself to help us stay afloat, but it’s been tough, meticulous work and I haven’t had as much free time as I’d like to work on the passion projects, like my fan cover for Cassiel’s Servant I’ve been documenting here on Patreon.

A gal’s got to eat, so hopefully Joscelin can be patient just a little longer! Here’s a little peek to tide us over. Hello, gorgeous! I have been trapped rendering and re-rendering the face trying to get it perfect, I admit.

[Above: A peek at a work-in-progress of finalizing Joscelin’s facial features.]

Thinking Outside Conventions

As I’ve mentioned, I’ve been about pivoting! I cannot run Kickstarters (my biggest money-makers) while tariffs make planning expenses unpredictable. Meanwhile, my Etsy sales have crashed even further due to being overrun with generated AI slop making it that much harder to be found and seen on the marketplace.

Social media website algorithms remain hostile to creatives unless you make videos and rage bait. Convention table and booth prices have majorly increased while everyone vies for these marketplaces that have mostly banned AI, making the chances of getting into conventions lower than they used to be, just as the hostility of social media also drives people to seek in-person venues, also upping competition for these spaces.

So what’s an artist to do?

I honestly, I thought about giving up this year, or at least temporarily shuttering everything on the art biz side of my life. However, as the ‘real day job’ opportunities aren’t calling me back either, somehow, Art has become the only option I have. (The irony!)

The answer thus far has been turning back to my local community where we can meet face to face and support one another. I’ve been looking at the galleries and markets in my town to see if focusing down on them might be a better path to reach people. You may spot me in local fairs, markets, etc. if you’re down south of ATL!

[Above: Me doing my best try at human socialization after working from home for a very long time! From my Meet the Artist event at the Staffords Arts &Craft Gallery in Fayetteville, GA.]

The Grand Return to the Art Scene (Take Two)

While last year’s attemps to work the convention circuit were a bust, I worked my first Art Fair in over 10 years! I had done this briefly before, but decided to focus on indoor shows instead because Georgia weather can be brutal. Now, I’m greeting the sun once more and not bursting into flames!

My old tent had a small hole in it and we forgot everything about how to set it up. One of my tables and a sticker display is already broken after just two events, but so far, so good! I’ve been able to make a small profit I hope to grow as I get better and faster at this.

I feel a bit like a sore thumb at these markets right now because my work is more fantastical and strange, but perhaps this will help me stand out in a good way? Time will tell! I’ve also spied a comic book shop’s market that I hope will help me meet my nerdy kind of people who might like my sword & sorcery/TTRPG work!

Returning to the Changeling Artist Collective

You may have also noticed I’ve also been taking part in the Changeling Artist Collective’s monthly auctions when I can! The Collective was on hiatus for awhile, but we’ve been back since December with monthly thematic creations for auction. We hope that people are seeking connections with real artists, enjoying an online exhibition of themed work each month, while also knowing their support is a salve for these hard-working creators who are all combining their forces to fight the algorithm.

I’ve sold two masks and a limited edition print in this month’s auction and I’m so thankful for that! Definitely follow the Collective on Facebook, Instagram, and our email newsletter if you don’t want to miss out on seeing our art and perchance supporting any of our talented member artists.

[Above: A collage of my original and limited edition art from this month’s Changeling auction.]

Hang in There!

I know times are tough all around and things are uncertain right now. Make moves where you can and remember what the light feels like. Fellow artists/creatives, stay tough! Art brings people solace in dark times and nurtures the soul in unseen ways, even if the world would try to trick us into thinking otherwise.

See you around, maybe?

♥ Ang

Birthday Musings, Art vs Artist 2025, & Help Save My Studio Closet!

The hubby is recovering well after surgery, while I’m happy to report I’ve finally been able to return to a normal human sleep schedule! The past few weeks have been a flurry of post-con recovery, at-home nurse duty, Halloween, birthday celebration, and adjusting back to the normal grind again. It was a quiet bday this year enjoying a viewing of Del Toro’s Frankenstein with a small group of friends and some cake. It’s the simple things!

Frankenstein is hands down my favorite gothic novel/figure so I’m always happy to see when adaptations get closer to the source material. This version wasn’t a one to one, definitely being more skewed towards the Creature being inherently good when he was far more ambigious in nature in the original novel.

However, Del Toro’s adaptation gave us his usual sumptuous set design, as well as a moment of tenderness between the Creature and the Blind Man that made me cry at its simple heartfelt human connection.

All in all, worth a watch! Pan’s Labyrinth and Crimson Peak are still my Del Toro faves, but I still appreciate any take on the Creature that portrays his elegance and intelligence, in spite of his monstrous origin.

Art VS Artist

I always take a selfie around my birthday to document the years gone by, so I thought I’d turn this year’s selfie into my latest Art VS Artist collage! Alas, only one of the pieces in this collage are from this year, but that just goes to show you the kind of year it’s been…

Reflecting on what I want to do with my next year of life, I’ve found some comfort in the acceptance that it’s ok to slow down on the plans I’ve had to stall because of all of our medical and financial drama. Survival comes first, even if that means I have to temporarily slow down my serious efforts to continue my art career and personal writing/art projects.

So many things, AI, the economy, the quiet mass layoffs in the tech industry, medical bills, etc. are making life harder than ever and I can continue to rage at it, or just buckle up till the ride’s over. I’m afraid sometimes I’m too old and tired too succeed, that AI has especially made artists obsolete, but now, more than ever, we must find our own voices, keep ourselves healthy, and find balance to weather the storm of change.

Save My Studio Closet! 40% Off My Coloring Books

In other news, I’m hoping that when tariffs, shipping costs, etc. all die down that I might be able to rev up future crowdfunding projects I had in store (more coloring books, Art Nouveau amulets, etc.) that I had to put off because of this hostile economy for small businesses. While things stabilize, this is a good time for me to create some space for future projects!

By space, I mean physical space! My studio closet is still half full of book boxes from the last Kickstarter.

Angela in front of the full closet of books.Buried in books. Send help!

Snag a Book

And so it’s time for a book clearout. Help me get this closet empty! I’ve marked the Birthstone Goddesses Coloring Books 40% off till Dec 13th. This includes the pencil case bundle as well, which would make for great gifting for the season (but hurry I only have 7 pencil bags in stock as of this writing). No code required. Snag a book here!

—-

Here’s to keeping it moving even when life gets us down, here’s to filmmakers like Del Toro keeping the flag of hand-crafted media flying, and here’s to remembering that our creative sparks won’t die, no matter how old we get, as long as we remember to carry and protect it.

♥ Ang

July 2025 Studio Hangout + AMA – Art Fight, OC Art, & My Fave Tropes

Time for July’s Studio Hangout! It’s coming to you a little late because I wanted to give the Art Fight art feature room to breathe, but here we are with the monthly wrap-up of everything you might’ve missed in July!

Feel free to watch the video above or read and enjoy this article at your own pace below. A transcript of this video (attached to this post) and captions.

Personal Updates

  • Layoffs suck, AI sucks, tariffs suck, and life is rough on our end for many reasons, but I’m tired of being mad and sad about it. Tell me something good that happened to you in the comments! (I’ve thankfully got some happier news below in the Announcements)
  • Keep your head up, friends and fellow artists. Let’s take it one day at a time!

Announcements

  • Upcoming Convention Appearance! I’ll be appearing as an official Guest at Multiverse in October! Read more here. I’m back at cons after 6 years away!
  • New Poll! Free & Paid Patreon members, I want to know your thoughts about how you’re liking these Studio Hangouts! Only a couple of folks have responded thus far and I’d like to hear from more of you.
  • New Ask Me Anything Archive. We’ve accumulated quite a few Q&As over the past few months, so I’ve finally started listing them in one handy location organized by category. Ask and ye shall receive!

New Art in July

Art Fight 2025 – Go Team Crystals!

Art Fight happened in July and led to the creation of many fun emote portraits of the amazing characters created by the Art Fight community. If you want to deep dive into the reference art created by others not shared here, check out my art feature of Art Fight.

The Attacks on me by other artists featuring my characters (You can get a full view of each of these images at the Art Fight feature):

Character Commission – Cassius for Psycheen on BlueSky

This was prize art for another commission giveaway winner, Psycheen, who gave me free reign to play with their design of their solarpunk-themed character, Cassius. Find out more about this character’s tragic backstory and watch a timelapse of this piece’s creation here.

Cassiel’s Servant WIP – 3D Modeling

I’ve been very art-blocked on this piece and it has taken me FORever to make progress on it! Likely because I decided it was past time I taught myself how to use Clip Studio Paint’s 3D model posing tools to create reference for myself for the complex aspects of this piece, such as the daggers in perspective and the foreshortening of the main figure.

It took a lot of shouting at the interface to get it right, but I arrived at something very useful for my purposes! I’ll likely be covering this part of the process in a future Secret Sketchbook entry for paid members, so keep an eye out for it.
(Watch the video on this post for some more cool things that I discovered how to do in CSP).

Ask Me Anything

Q: (From Psycheen on BlueSky) What is your favorite trope and why?
A: Watch the answer here. SPOILER ALERT for a 20 year old show (Avatar the Last Airbender)!

Q: (From Psycheen on BlueSky) What do you want to draw, but haven’t yet, and why?
A: Watch the answer here. Lots of Elden Ring: Nightreign gushing!

Q: What art of yours would you like to redo?
A: Watch the answer here.

Happening in August

  • Kev’s surgery. With our health insurance finally sorted out, my husband can finally get the surgical procedures he needs! I’ll be focusing on his care, first and foremost. With luck, everything will happen this month without being prolonged any longer and we can be on the road to better health!
  • Finishing up the “Cassiel’s Servant” cover. I have the reference completed after much fighting with Clip Studio Paint. It’s finally time to get to the meat of the art-making process!

Links in the video:

  • Mimimaru – Artist who did Zelda and Arcane character art in the style of Klimt.
  • Christian Angel – Artist of the Elden Ring art done in a classical style.
  • Sam Hogg – Artist of the reference art of my character, Nils.
  • Psycheen – Artist and creator of Cassius.
  • The Uncrucified – My Exalted TTRPG blog

—-

Here’s to another month of surviving. Hang in there, everyone!

<3 Ang

Studio Hangout June 2025 + AMA – The Health Insurance Circus, New Character Art, and Discussing My Fave Media

Have a look at all the happenings and posts you might have missed in June, plus the monthly Ask Me Anything segment where I answer questions from fans and Patrons! Watch the video above or read the TL;DR summary below. The video includes captions with the transcript attached to this post.

Personal Updates

  • We were dropped AGAIN by health insurance after finding a new plan. But only after I spent weeks calling offices and the insurance company where nobody knew whether we were covered by our doctors or not and their own system said we were covered. It was a very frustrating process which ate up so much of my time this month! Meanwhile, we’re still bracing ourselves for multiple surgical procedures for Kev on the horizon, which have been stalled by this whole insurance coverage uncertainty.
  • The Silver Lining! The hubby MIGHT be starting a new job with new health insurance, which will help us with most of our current challenges! Even if that doesn’t work out, we are thankfully able to change our current problematic plan within 30 days. Phew! Please redirect all spare luck and good fortune to Kev as the interview process continues!
  • Considering a career pivot? After doing the math, I’ve decided not to reopen for small private commissions. Better to focus my energies on studying for entry level IT helpdesk which I can also do remotely, as it promises better pay than what I can currently bring in with art. (I’ve actually started studying in May, while also balancing my current obligations).Our current life challenges combined with the past few years of an imploding illustration industry thanks to AI, shrinking freelance opportunities, and impossible convention table rates /competition, something has to give and that’s unfortunately been my own mental health and our stability.

    If/when this career pivot happens, I’ll need to reconsider how this Patreon is structured. If our situation changes in the meanwhile, awesome! But I want to be prepared in case things don’t work out the way we want.

    I’m never going to abandon creating art, but the amount of time I have for it may change depending on how life plays out! We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it…

New Art in June

I finished the first of the two commission prizes for the winners this month! Sadly, I won’t be continuing to take commissions as I focus on studying for my IT certification, but I didn’t want to leave these winners hanging!

A peek at a few other pieces in-progress this month, mostly for casual fun events related to tabletop gaming. Watch this month’s Studio Hangout vid above where I talk a little more about the story behind each piece.

[Character art in the bottom left by Psycheen, which is a sneak peek of the character I’ll be drawing for the final giveaway winner next!]

Announcements

  • Review of Fourthwall Samples – I’m vetting this shop platform for my own side projects. Have any questions about them? Drop a comment! Find the quickie review and a video overview here.
  • Introducing my new YouTube channel – I’ve decided to break my more gallery-minded art videos off from my main channel so my geeky tabletop art doesn’t clash too badly with galleries scouting my paintings for display. Find out more about my new Fine Art channel here!
  • Ask Me Anything Archive Coming Soon! – I’ve gotten enough AMA questions now to merit creating an archive which will be categorized by topic. Look for it here when it’s complete!

Mentioned Links

Posts from June

Ask Me Anything

Q: [From Kit Chimera on BlueSky] How does being a traditional artist influence your digital art?
A: Answered here.

Q: [From Psycheen on BlueSky] What media are you into lately and why?
A: Answered here.

Q: [Also from Psycheen] What character do you hate in media lately?
A: Answered here.

July Goals

  • Hopping into Art Fight 2025 – I’ll be participating in this art trading event with some simple art! Find my profile here. I don’t have a lot of time to participate, but I need SOME HAPPINESS in my life and this event brings pure joy!
  • Clearing out my Art queue – I’m wrapping up as many of my in-progress images as I can so I can pivot my focus to studying for entry level helpdesk certification.

[My Art Fight card for 2025. Go, Team Crystals!]

—-

My eternal thanks to those of you who keep supporting here even when things have slowed to a crawl because of our IRL challenges. I’m remaining hopeful for a kinder turn of fortune in store for us in July!

<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.)

—-

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

Giving Thanks 2024 Edition – How Patrons Have Helped Me + Artist Tools List

Every year, I like to share how much of a difference that you, my dear Patrons, have made in my life. My earnings here may seem like only a trifling amount to most folks, but when you’re a one-person biz/artist, that little amount can be used for a lot!

Your support has meant so much especially during this tough year when my husband and I have had a rough time with industry layoffs. I also wanted to pay homage to all the invisible ways your support is used that may not otherwise be known to most.

Here’s a list of all the things that your Patronage has helped me with this year, with referral links to where you can find them, should they help you or others out as well.

Shelving for my Studio

One of the most subtle, but amazing upgrades you guys helped me to afford this year! When we first moved in to our new house (and first home) a couple of years back, the move went in a hurry and my would-be studio space was turned into the catch-all overflow storage of the house. It was a paralyzing space to try and work in!

Every other month or so, I’ve been snagging shelving like this one to help me organize my space and especially my art and frames, which will get damaged if I stack it the wrong way. It’s helped give me peace of mind in my workspace!

(I’ll have to do a full studio tour with a breakdown of my studio makeover in a later entry once the makeover is more complete!)

DaVinci Resolve Premium

This year, I’ve started taking steps to leave Adobe’s ecosystem due to its predatory practices, which has been a challenge for me because it’s meant taking the time to learn all-new software. I’ve chosen DaVinci Resolve as a free option for editing my videos. I was finally able to take the step to upgrade it during all the good sales this holiday season thanks to your support. Having the premium version gives me access to more transitions, the auto-captioning tool, and more!

Ads for my Etsy shop

One of the more invisible things I do with your support. In this economy with so much competition in the online space, it’s been helpful to be able to afford ads on Etsy and Facebook, especially during my big art/product launches. Ads are always a gamble though because they’re not guaranteed to work, so not being scared to spend that money really helps me out!

Artist’s Hand Model

As soon as I saw the articulation on this model, I knew I had to have it! Hands are some of the most difficult things to draw, especially at odd angles. This is going to prove so useful. These models often go out of stock so I’m happy I was able to snap it up before it got rare and expensive!

Artist’s Models

Much like the hand model, these lil guys help me understand foreshortening I can’t otherwise find in reference packs. I have the TOA Heavy Industries Synthetic 1/12th type. I’ve used 3D programs to help me figure out poses before, but I prefer to set up my poses more quickly with a physical figure I can quickly manipulate.

(The artists models and posable hand in action!)

Artist’s Reference Packs

Finally, one of the most useful tools in my repertiore that extra funds facilitates. I always prefer to have a real model to work from because anatomy is difficult and quality reference photos are worth their weight in gold.

Thankfully, we have amazing stock providers like Grafit, Satine Zillah, Obscura 29, and Mels Mneyan, who are my go-tos with amazing reference packs and affordable prices! Gone are the days where I’d have to pay for limited run stock from istock or similar services. Most of these packs come with extremely artist-friendly unlimited licensing for one user.

(A concept art pose pack from Grafit with really handy character poses.)

—-

Thanks so much for those of you who continue to support me here! A little goes a long way and it means a lot when you choose to continue your support when there’s so much stress and uncertainty in the world right now.

Here’s to another year of art, creativity, and feeling the love!

Thanks from the bottom of my heart,
<3 Ang

Personal Update: Birthday Contemplation, Death of the Art Career?

I celebrated my 43rd birthday this past Nov 7th! Another jog around the sun has made me more contemplative than ever.

To be quite honest, it’s been a rough year for my husband and I. Things have been extra stressful ever since my husband was laid off in February of this year. We thought surely he’d pick up work within a few of months, but the extreme layoffs in upper level tech have meant crickets for job opportunities.

This reality has made the future of my art career an uncertain one. We simply cannot survive off of my income and savings alone, with the art industry looking as bleak as ever for so many reasons (AI art, inflation, layoffs, the list goes on). I’ve returned to accepting freelance work and am trying to return to working conventions, but I’ve also met crickets so far and shows take the risky investment of table fees, not to mention the health risks that made me quit cons in the first place.

The long of the short of it is that if by the end of this year, if our situation doesn’t change, I’ll be re-assessing this career path (after 10+ years of working at it) and likely pivoting into a different industry altogether.

This place may become even more quiet as my pace slows down to accomodate my schedule as I study to earn my A+ cert and move into more consistent helpdesk work that I can do remotely since we share one car.

January 2025 will be the deadline for me to decide what to do as we near the annivesary of a whole year of unemployment for my husband. If anyone is looking for Technical Account Managers or Sys Admins, drop me a DM!

We have a couple of months before that dreaded deadline…so let us hope against hope that things start looking up!

A Little Bit of Happiness 

Thankfully this post isn’t all doom and gloom. On my birthday, I was so blessed that even with all this extreme stress, my family went the extra mile to help me feel special with a ramen lunch at a new place that just opened up nearby, cookies and cream mousse cake, an art book, and a video game I had been looking forward to for years (Dragon Age Veilguard!).

Even with all of this going on, I’m so lucky and loved! Where there is ramen, there is always room for happiness.

(I made my old Shadowrun character, Aurora, into a sarcastic Elf who loves to smash things. It’s been therapuetic to play her right now.)

As hopeless as the post no doubt sounds, I’m never going to stop making art. There are too many stories I want to tell and cool characters I want to draw! Hopefully, I can keep on sharing that journey with you all, even at a glacial pace.

No matter what happens in this next year of life, I want to thank everyone, old and new, who has stuck with me here or moved through my life at various times to give me hope and succor. The little bits of support have meant the world!

Much love, friends. Stay inspired and keep up hope! There are still good things and people in this world.

<3 Ang

Health Update + Year End Wrap-Up

Hello, it’s my face!  I just wanted to give you all a sign of life after my last posts.  I am alive and well!  For those who didn’t catch the great news on social media, my latest scans say that my kidney lump is STABLE!  This is such a huge relief.  I was very much preparing for life to go a different way this year, considering my family’s history with this malady.  We’ll have to keep an eye on things for the future, but for now, what I have is slow-growing and generally benign. It’s really the best news in my case!

This year has been a challenging and introspective one. I had to simplify my life knowing that treatments might be a possibility, which meant I had to abandon my Kickstarter ambitions this year.   Never-the-less, your support here has helped me accomplish quite a lot!

With your support from Patreon this year, we’ve:

  • Kept my Etsy ads going through a year with failing social media reach

  • Helped me invest in a Canvas lamp for better lighting and for recording video

  • Upgrade my copy of Clip Studio Paint from the basic to the EX version for more helpful features

  • Launched my exclusive Patreon Merch as a special reward

  • Allowed me to purchase a few storage racks to help organize the new studio space

  • Helped cover part of my usual expenses, like my website, shop bills, etc.

  • Helped me survive a nearly year-long semi-hiatus due to shoulder surgery and rehab AND further medical challenges this year

  • Allowed me to go on a REAL vacation outside of the house for the first time in years

(The beginnings of the great studio re-organization!)

Honestly, this Patreon has been such a consistent source of succor for my husband and myself, so thank you once again from the bottom of our hearts!

Featured Posts from This Year

Here were some of my posts moments that I got to share with you all this year:

What’s next?

For now, I’m queuing up the traditional Year in Art Summary for a look back on what I’ve created this year, my favorites and lessons, etc.  I also have a few pieces in the pipeline I plan to share in a few errant art posts by the end of the year.  Mostly, I’ve been focusing on some frivilous fun pieces to wind down the end of the year with and enjoy this slow project time before I dive into the next big ambitious thing.

Till then, I hope you all enjoy the holidays and the end of the year!

– Ang

Sketchbook Feb 2023

Sketchbook Feb 2023 + Recovery Update!

Well, guys, January and February didn’t go exactly like I had planned.  I’ve been dealing with an allergic reaction to surgical glue, other nasty incision difficulties, and just trying to catch up on all the sleep I’ve missed from being unable to sleep comfortably after surgery.

This may end up affecting other plans I’ve had this year, like the amulets Kickstarter, but we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.  I at least want to finish the designs to have for stickers and Patreon goodies!  I’m finally healing up today after those recovery hiccups, so we’ll see what I can achieve without overwhelming myself.

Speaking of the amulets, I’ve started inking them in Clip Studio Paint!  This design for January needs some tweaking because I can’t unsee the Eye of Sauron in the middle, but it’s been exciting learning more about this extremely useful program, as I’ve finally started taking proper classes on the software.

Before anything else can happen with the Birthstone Goddesses project, however, I need to clean up the studio/shipping area, which has been taunting me since I haven’t been able to lift much!  It’s been stacked with garage and parents’ basement overflow and I’ve only just now begun the excavation process to sort what’s for donation and what’s for keeping. (Oh no and is it also tax season? Halp!)

More Character Art!

Meanwhile, in my continued mission to manufacture happy brain chemicals during my stressful times, you all have witnessed Rabs’ development over the course of the past couple months.  I’ve FINALLY finished her Level 0 form!

Enjoy Teen Rabs in all her irreverent glory!  Teen Rabs hasn’t earned her tatts through training yet and sits on a gallon of pent up anger against the world and her messed up family.  Hopefully I’ve captured the difference in Teen vs Adult Rabs, with Adult Rabs being much more at peace with herself and her past.

You can watch a timelapse of both of these portraits here.

Have an additional closeup because I spent hours on the faces and I’m proud of them:

Both painted in Procreate.  I’m getting more comfortable with this style the more I do!  Though I’m a bit grumpy that you can see the skill gap already between Teen Rabs and her Adult form which was rendered first last year.

Next up, I’ll be doing a Level 0 & Armor Base for the party’s flamboyant Tiefling Arcane Archer, Calumny, which I’m very much looking forward to.

(Cal in all his sassy glory!  He belongs to my dear friend, Hayley.)

Eventually once all these base forms are done, I’ll be doing an armor/level progression chart for them, which will be great practice for me, as I consider armor, in particular, to be a big weakness after years of drawing mainly flowing dress feminine fashions.

Finally, I started playing Elden Ring when I’ve been couch-bound during recovery.  What a strangely beautiful dark fantasy game!  I wasn’t sure I would like it, at first.  The enemies can be frustrating to beat, but now I’ve found myself thoroughly hooked by its hauntingly beautiful world and intriguing exploration.

Behold my swashbuckling mage, Asha the Starless!  Still just a rough sketch, but I expect with all the cool imagery of this game, you may see more fan art from this game pop up here.

Screenshots for reference:

—-

That’s all for this month, friends!  In March, I’m hoping to be back in good health (knock on wood) which means I’ll hopefully have more to share next time.  I also have some inspiring books, supplies, and photos I want to share.

Till then, don’t forget you can come hang out on my Discord whether you’re a Patron or not!  I love getting to know you all there and sharing inspirations and interests.  You can use this invite to join the public server, though if you want my Patron perks for Discord, which include a private Patrons-only area where I share my private sketchbook, you’ll need to connect your Discord to Patreon.

Till next time!

♥ Ang

—-

Posts You Might Have Missed from February