I'm addicted to Elden Ring: Nightreign and it's screwing up my drawing schedule.
Send help

I just had to fume about this again.
As per the latest policy update: [NEW] Upload Policy - 2.13 Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Content made using AI, machine learning, or similar generators is not allowed, including derivative works created from it (e.g. stories, audio, backgrounds, paint-overs, using one's own content to generate new content).

So I can post a pic of scooby-doo eating shit out of rainbow dash's ass but an original painting of a warrior with an AI mountain range in the background is "lacking artistic merit"!? They can fuck right off.

FA has lost the goddamned plot. To hell with this degenerate ghetto.
Bye

Just gotta say, this backlash against AI art is going overboard. Of course, we've all seen how out of hand it gets with people posting straight-up AI prompt-generated images. DA's front page is still infested with that zero-effort nonsense.
However, I feel an image with significant, transformative alterations and additions -- having used an AI image simply as a springboard for a genuinely original artistic creation, is perfectly valid.

If one more piece of mine gets removed for not having "artistic merit" me and this site are about to fight is alls I'm saying...

Hey, this is just a heads up to anyone I owe work to, anyone I haven't gotten back to in regards to commissions and/or Patrons that haven't gotten rewards yet.

I've been fighting with my computer for a while now and my GPU finally gave up the ghost. I needed an okay-ish card in order to power both monitors--one display being the 24" 4k Wacom I draw with. The crappy card I cannibalized from an older computer just couldn't keep up and made drawing an absolute laggy nightmare (when it worked at all).

Buying a replacement in the current market is not even an option. To hell with that.
However, a guy from work is loaning me a GPU that works, so I'm all set. The past few weeks have been thrown out of schedule and I'm way behind but I AM working on things and I'll be responding to things as soon as I can.

Been out of work for the past two weeks due to my work being scared to death of Covid and anybody with a slight sniffle being not allowed to come in.

So, anybody want some art done up?

Guys. The Sonic movie.
Without droning on for too long, I'll just say that for an inordinate amount of my childhood/adolescence and even into young adulthood, Sonic was my favorite thing ever.
In the 90's, you didn't get the merch like you have now, and the cartoons kind of sucked, and the comics went off the rails, but dammit, I loved him.

Everyone knows about the Sonic brand's fall from grace and multiple bouts of regained, if short-lived, popularity. The movie had no right to be good, especially from how famously horrid the original CG look for him was.
SOMEHOW, they did it. Watching it, I was a kid again. It was a magical experience. Objectively, the movie was passable fun and not all that Earth-shattering, but given the context, the fact that is any good at all is a miracle. Jim Carrey was in perfect 1990's form as well.
And the movie's a hit! How amazing is that? 10 year old me would have fainted at the prospect of a hit Sonic live-action film, and the sequel they set up has already got me counting down the days for its release.

I just had to gush. Sonic was very important to me for a very long time and it's nice to him on top again.

Hi folks!
Usually, my Patreon would be the way to get work from me but this week I can make an exception. Mainly because I fell (lol Fell) and farked my ankle pretty badly, so I'm out of work for a week. So in my convalescence, I'll take on some additional art duties.

PM me if ya got something in mind.

Am I the only effing artist on earth who hasn't drawn that Nessa character?

For a while now you guys may have been aware that I've been doing art related work with Corefun Studios on their Sola Echoes RPG.
Well now they've put together a Solar Echoes adventure featuring voice acting by a bunch of folks myself included as the character Elsor, the single-celled Omul.

Go scope it out why duncha?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y29Hjfkm39g&feature=youtu.be

Back on around the 4th of this month, I started feeling a little off. Each day I got worse but kept saying it would fix itself. By the 8th I was laid the fuck out.
After a few days in the hospital turns out I had Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever from a tick bite I never new happened.

If you're waiting on work from me and it seems I've disappeared, that's where I've been. Almost dead...

So I've never considered myself a prude but I've always tried to keep my art at some absurd and fully irrational moral high ground when it comes to NSFW content.

I've dabbled in it rarely and even added a reward tier to my Patreon giving the option for NSFW work but more often than not, I've turned away potential commissions because I didn't want to become just another furry-porn artist.

After chats with a fellow artist and a few other people (including a co-worker and even my own wife) about this I realize I've been totally stupid in this regard, as they all have been so eager to tell me time and time again. I've needlessly reduced my own artistic exposure for what? What was the point? I guess for the sheer masturbatory value of thinking I was above so many other people...
That's all it was. A way for me to tell myself I was just TOO GOOD for that kind of thing. I'm above such base and crude nonsense.

Fact is I'm actually not. And since I want my art to be a source of income I need to make changes to my business model.

FROM HERE ON OUT I WILL TAKE ANY COMMISSION, NSFW or otherwise (within reason. Limits still apply in certain extreme cases)


For those of you who are already Patreon supporters, don't worry, nothing is changing for you guys. It's just that I'm veering away from quick comic book pages and into more time consuming and involved projects so the posts are getting a bit far apart.

This is something I've been mulling over for a good while and now I believe I'm able to implement it. Before, my computer was set up in a central location, in plain site of guests and children. Never really a problem EXCEPT when it came for working on art of *ahem* mature intent.


Well I moved into a new house and my desk is tucked away in a nook, out of site. All this is to say that I now have two NSFW options available over at ye olde Patreon.

So if that sounds like something you'd be interested in, go check that out! I'll be making a paid post tomorrow (some time after 3pm EST) so if you're already a patron and you want that NSFW option, switch over before then.

My pride and joy Wacom Cintiq Hybrid is in the shop for repairs. I've been doing art digitally for so long now that all my traditional art supplies is either dried out or boxed up in the garage somewhere...

BUT I've got a few pens and and a scanner. Which means if anyone is in the market for a B&W inked or sketch commish, I'm able to oblige.

Well it finally happened. I've gotten far too bogged down with real life nonsense (specifically work related things) to be able to dedicate time to commissions.
To anyone I've already chatted with about an intended commission, I am beyond sorry.

The bosses at my job say things WILL slow down and I'll be able to get back to a normal life of not being utterly exhausted all the time. As soon as that happens I'll be back to being productive but who knows when that will be.

I just don't want to waste anyone's time--there are a few of you who I've had pre-commission dealings with even back before I started up Patreon, and I hate to flake out on those. If you want to wait until I can get to it, awesome, but its totally understandable if you want to take it to another artist.


At any rate, hopefully I'll be able to be available again very soon
we'll see...

Just a heads up, went back and slightly expanded the rewards over at Patreon.
Added art incentives for $1 and a new $2 level.

Hi folks,
I wanted to make a post about my new Patreon thing and allow a better venue for your questions and suggestions.

A question I've been asked already is what this means for commissions. I'll finish any I've already agreed to but after that the patron rewards will act as commissions.

Every time I upload a new page of a comic, my patrons will be offered whatever reward they are entitled to according to their pledged dollar amount. You could say that they have a commission subscription. Example: Little Billy becomes my patron at the $5 amount. When I post a new page, I will then tell him "Dude, thanks for your pledge. The $5 reward is a B&W linework drawing. Waddaya want me to draw for you?" He gets his reward...essentially a $5 commission.

Right now I've got to limit the amount of full color pics ($10 reward) available as my freak'n job is eating all my time but I hope that changes eventually.

In addition to their specific pledge rewards, any and all patrons will have access to works in progress, sketches, PSD files and other behind the scenes stuff.

Suggestions for possible future rewards? One thing was to have patrons have their characters make appearances in the comics. I had considered that myself but I'm not sure of the best way to go about it on a weekly basis. Maybe set it up as a raffle-type-deal? Like "Patrons at $____ will be entered to have their character appear as soon as it makes sense in the story?" But even then folks might be pledging at that amount for quite a while before seeing it pay off for them...I dunno...

Anyway, any and all pledges are an enormous help. If all you can spare is a buck a month, hey, I'd be grateful for that. It all adds up and if I can hit my milestone to be able to make a living with this-- well, that just means all the more content I can produce, the bigger the rewards will get and just all around more fun for everyone involved.
For those of you who started pledging already--I'm trying to think up something special for you guys for being so eager to pitch in.

Thanks again, everyone.

I know my Journals are usually obituaries for artists I never knew personally but, oh well

Herb Trimpe was an old school comic book artist who did most of his work for Marvel in the 60s, 70s and 80s.
While not as much of a super star as guys like Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko, John Romita or John Buscema, Herb was a work horse and a fantastic draftsman who helped define the famous Marvel "house style". His work has the kind of kinetic flow and bombastic OOMPH that got me hooked on comics as a kid and the very reason I took to drawing. His Incredible Hulk covers are some of my go-to images for examples on how to do a cover right.
Do yourself a favor and look into his work. The comics world is a little dimmer now that he's passed.

Way back in 1998, I joined my first online art gallery. It was called Elfwood.
Well, over the years Elfwood declined (mostly due to a combination of a tyrannical new Moderation system and the advent of Deviantart) and sort of became a ghost town.

I had long ago forgotten my log-in info for the "extranet" and since the site had fell into such disuse, I wasn't able to ever get a proper password reset. YEARS passed and that poor gallery gathered dust.

BEHOLD--Elfwood just revamped not too long ago and I am able to access my ancient gallery again!

http://www.elfwood.com/u/johntf3

It blows my mind to see the picture comments have been carried over from the old versions of the site. I've got comments on there that are 15 years old!

Most of it is stuff you've seen before and, yeah DA sort of makes it redundant but Elfwood in general is a great place for Fantasy specific stuff.

A while back I posted my pricing and stuff for commissions but I left out details about reposting.

If you commission me to do a pic for you, that pic is YOUR property -- so yes you can repost it. I post it in my own gallery but I always note who the 'owner' is.

I've seen artists outright forbid reposting which just seems criminal to me.

So, yeah, there's that. Just an FYI.

I'm always available to take commissions. Prices tend to float regarding how labor intensive the piece is but generally its
Basic char w/simple or no background = B&W (pen and ink) $30, Color (flat comic style/cel shaded) $40, Full Painted $50
Add additional chars = +$8(b&w), $10(flat color), $15(full painted) per char.
Elaborate Background = +$30

Porn is negotiable but the completion timeline has to be extensive since I can only work on it when the kids ain't look'n



These prices aren't set in stone, like I said --lotsa variables, but they'll at least give a picture of what I'm getting at

I'm posting this from my daughter's crummy laptop.
Seems my PC died a few days ago. The old work horse was over six years old so I can't be mad at her for finally giving up the ghost but it does complicate matters.

I'm trying to see if the thing is salvageable at all, at least to get stuff I need off the HDD

For those of you still waiting for me to finish your commissions, this will cause a heck of a delay and I do apologize as you've already waited longer than usual.

So this is one more thing piled on an already hectic situation, try to bare with me.

Thanks.

I'm certain I'm slow poking on this but have you guys seen this?

http://www.youtube.com/user/dprksquirrels/videos

It's a cartoon produced by North Korea in which the noble, hard working NK (depicted as squirrels, hedgehogs, chipmunks and other happy forest pals) are constantly attacked by the Wolves of the USA, the Foxes of Europe all while fending off the South Korean mice, moles and rats.

The weird thing is, the West is shown to be pretty much better in every way. Is this some sort of reverse Best Korea psychology?
... Also the Americans have an eagle-shaped Helicarrier.

I've attempted to watch the new TMNT cartoon several times and I just can't.
Those feet...lord the feet WHY!? I'm totally fine with other aesthetic changes, and I get that this is the first TMNT product since Mirage sold the property so maybe the new owners want to make their own mark on the designs but, wow, I can't deal.
I'm fully aware that this is a personal malfunction but I can't be alone on this right? I can't be the only person weirded out by those damn stubby, triple digit feet, right? RIGHT!?

http://www.sonicwrecks.com/news/spo.....ork-comic-con/

Well, I've got to say I don't exactly follow the Sonic comic by Archie. I haven't since the 90's.
I have read an issue or two since writer Ian Flynn took over since I knew him from the old days in the fandom, and it seemed like he was giving the series a good shot in the arm. Same goes for the art by Tracy Yardley.

One thing that always struck me about it was the SatAM characters. I never liked them. I vividly remember getting my copy of Sonic #0 and thinking "who the crap these abominations?" I hated the design they gave Robotnik too (he looked right on the cover, why'd he look so horrid on the page?). Even as a kid I could see that these new characters didn't match the Sonic style.

Well now Archie is finally making at least Sally match a little better and a lot of fans are in an uproar. How do you guys feel about it, if at all?

I'm slowpoking like a bastard here but how fantastic is that Curiosity landing? Every time we, that is mankind not just the U.S., achieves another milestone in space exploration I can't help but get a little choked up.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/zSgiXGELjbc