Ten years ago, today, I made this account and began my little art journey. I'm not sure what to say about it, honestly. I've probably written a dozen different versions of this journal with wildly different tones.

Though I may not be around as much as I used to, thank you for sticking by me. Thank you for your comments, your notes, your support and kindness. I can't promise ten more years, but I can promise that I will always appreciate you and the inspiration you give me.

Take care of yourself out there <3

-T

Hi!

I'm writing to announce that I will be closing my animation account and will begin using this one to post any future animations.

I'm not sure how many of you are familiar with the KeyFeather side project but, long story short, I'd like to consolidate these two hobbies under one artist name going forward. Needs to be done :)

My apologies if my animation was never your cup of tea, and there's no hard feelings if you choose to unwatch as a result of this change. Just know that I make probably 2 animations per year with a few scattered renders, so it wont be that different all things considered. I won't be posting old animations, but I will be posting new 3d work as it is made.

Thank you <3

-T

Heya folks, it's been pretty quiet here. Long story short, my pen broke and I've yet to order another. I've been slow to order since these things are expensive, but I will soon enough.

How did it break, you might ask? It just sort of came apart into a dozen different pieces as I attempted to fix the tip, electrical nonsense everywhere. I put it all back together(?), but with no luck. I promise I wasn't using the thing for table drums..

That's where I'm at, sorry for the crickets!

-T

It’s a curse. I either have to be drowning myself in work or sulking in self pity because I have none. What is balance? Lol.. I don't know what that is.

This month has been pretty purposeless, all things considered. I thought clearing my calendar and using my limited free time to focus on casual drawing was what I needed. It was pretty great for a while, I won’t lie!

But as much trouble as I’ve had with the monthly cadence of subscription services and commission work, suddenly not having something tangible that I’m working towards has left me feeling pretty useless and unproductive.

I’ll admit that I had these grand delusions of being able to quit my job and scribble naked animals all day. But after a while it became obvious how unrealistic that goal actually is, so I felt pretty unmotivated. I have to put in the hours and be consistent, but it’s tricky when the day job demands a lot of hours already.. and when anxiety seemingly dictates my existence as a result.

But, in tandem, not having that one thing giving me some semblance of control over my future is making me feel stagnant and hopeless.

I don't want to give the impression that I hate commitments or that anxiety has a firm grip on my life. Just sometimes when things pile up, I'm not immune to moments of doubt. But I've been a part of this community for nearly ten years, and I absolutely love it here. I've made lifelong friends who I cherish, and I can't tell you how exciting it can be to wake up early with a hot cup of coffee and just draw. I live for those weekend mornings where that's all I have on my plate.

Honestly thinking of taking a week off work and focusing 100% on commissions, just to see if it's something I could realistically manage for an extended period of time without any other obligations. Easier to feel confident about that when it's my only task, and I believe it's worth testing myself during moments of mental clarity. But we'll see.

I'm grateful that people are still interested in getting art from me, despite how difficult it can be sometimes. I just wanted to get my current headspace out there for anyone interested. Thanks for sticking with me, and I hope you're all well <3

-T

Hello and happy Fall! It's my favorite time of the year :>

Just a quick status update since I've been "off grid" for a couple of months. Not hardcore or anything, just avoiding the internet and tending to my own mental health.

I'll be getting back into stream commissions at some point. I just need to spend a few days drawing to kickstart the habit. 2 months is a long time, so the rust is real.

That's all I have. Thanks <3

-Tuke

Last week I had to do stream commissions in order to more quickly recover from some large bills this month. I just wanted to put out a public thank you to everyone who helped me out. I’m very grateful that there are folks still willing and able to purchase artwork. Sometimes that’s the only thing that keeps some of us above water.

Please know that I don’t take your generosity for granted, and I appreciate the opportunity to draw your characters and ideas. These streams tend to be pretty lively and fun, and I’m seriously considering doing them more regularly should the demand for them stay consistent.

That said, know that I’m still actively working on my commission wait list in conjunction with any sketch streams I end up doing.

In other news, my shipment of physical art books arrived over the weekend. I’m happy with how they turned out and am gearing up to make shipping a smooth process. Once I have a successful test run, I’ll post an announcement submission with details and instructions on how to get a copy. I’m doing this since I’ve never dealt with physical goods before, so I want to get it right.

That’s all for now. Thank you, and take care <3

-T

I used to do artist shout outs back in the day, I figured I should get back into them. Not that I have a "massive" platform relatively speaking.. but if I can send only a few new watchers someone's way, it's worth it.

To kick this back off, I'm of course going to start with Aerosaur:  aerosaur83

Very unique and very lovely style, I love the personality in his drawings. So if you're keen to get an awesome commission at a steal of a price (for now), consider Aerosaur as a prime candidate.

That said, if you know of any amazing artists who need a signal boost let me know. I'll try to feature one per month if I can remember to.

Thanks :)

Hello folks,

I realize that my brief windows of commission slot openings might be frustrating, especially if you’ve been trying to get a picture from me for some time now.

To fix this, I’m going to make a google doc containing a wait list. If you see yourself wanting a commission from me in the future, let me know and I’ll add you to it. Whenever I get to a point where I can open up again (whether that’s a couple of weeks or a couple of months from now) I’ll contact people on the list based on how many pictures I’m able to do at that time.

If you see yourself wanting multiple drawings, I will space it out accordingly. The idea here is to give people who’ve never gotten art from me a chance to get their turn while still keeping myself available to those who are repeat commissioners.

If you have any thoughts on this, let me know. And, of course, let me know if you’re interested in a future slot and I’ll add you to the google doc. (I’ll share it here once it’s made)

Thanks for your support <3

That's all I can take for now, thanks folks <3

**********************************
Hello!

I can take a few commissions. Note me if you're interested. No need to include details in the first message, I know time is of the essence when grabbing a slot.

As always, these are colored sketches at $20 per character.

Thanks!

I think 7 is plenty enough for me to handle for now, so thank you very much.

**************************************

Hi folks, I can only take a few for now. Send me a private message if interested.

These are for colored sketches, $20 per character. Thanks!

Hi folks,

I took a batch of 5 commissions a couple weeks ago. I almost finished all of them before Thanksgiving, but couldn't quite meet that deadline. I intend on finishing this week.
I mostly started taking commissions so that I could afford Christmas presents this year, but I may continue past the holidays if interest is still there. I'm definitely enjoying the process; it's been awhile.

For those interested in commissioning me, keep an eye on my journals and main profile page for openings. I know I switched it up a bit with the submission announcement, but going forward I'm going to do what I used to do (using the journal system).

As always, I appreciate the interest.

-Tuke

I’m just curious about other people here and where their minds are at. I want to learn from you.

What is all of this to you? Regardless of whether you create it or consume it, what role does furry art play in your day to day life? What role does this play in your sexuality? Do you hide in the shadows and just check out the art, or are you front and center? Why?

I don't live off my art, it's just a very mentally absorbing hobby. I eventually get into an emotional crisis whenever I become more active around here. I can feel the energy wearing off as it always does before I disconnect completely for several months. It’s like binging on something really good, then it becomes less interesting over time - even annoying or stressful. The drug becomes less potent as you use it. But after abstaining from it for a good chunk of time, it’s fun again when you dive back in. The cycle continues.

Historically, I hesitate to consider my interest in furry art particularly healthy (for me personally), but that’s obviously not to suggest that it is inherently. Whenever I’m focused on creating content to satisfy some emotional need, I tend to ignore things in the real world that ought not ignored. The dishes pile up, my plants become neglected, I don’t get outside as often as I normally like to, I’m more distracted at work, I eat poorly. It all just points to something being out of sync, something is interfering with my life’s rhythm and I can’t figure out how to balance it out. Eventually I shut down and become extremely antisocial.

It’s all self inflicted. I become so enamored with the art and with the folks I’m chatting with that I lose focus on daily life, the physicality of what's around me. It's all sort of a daze.

Anyone who knows me at all could tell you I’ve always had to come and go as my mental state changes. I once wrote a post (drunk off my ass) that said something to the effect of “I am not well when I’m around. You should not be happy to see me”, and while I wouldn’t necessarily stand by this statement today, it has historical truth that I’m still working on addressing.

I love furry art. I really do. But I might be disappointing some people by saying that my relationship with animals (birds specifically) stops at liking to draw them. I don’t feel a spiritual/metaphysical connection, I don’t have much interest in real birds at the zoo or out in the wild, I don’t feel the desire to pretend being a bird outside of infusing some sort of self consciousness or projection within my art - so why am I even here?

All I’m asking is if there’s anybody out there like me so I could stop feeling like I’m some sort of confused basket case. Do you have similar patterns or thoughts? How do you deal with them?

I'm not normal in the real world and I'm not normal in the furry world.
It's like I'm halfway between the two, unable to fuse them into one or commit to either.

-Tuke

As per usual, I need some time away from the fandom.

I will be pausing Patreon so don't worry about getting charged for anything.
I will also be uninstalling Telegram during this time. If you need to reach me, a note or private message here is the best way - though I can't guarantee a fast reply.

Anyone who knows me probably understands that balance is very important to me, and the stress of being socially and artistically active can really wear me down.
Call it a personality flaw if you want, but I know myself well enough at this point to be preventative.

Thank you for understanding,

-T

I try to be open and honest about things, so I though't I'd give an update on all the comics I've been involved with.

I haven't been ignoring any open ended comics completely. I sit down from time to time and try to work things out, build up the inspiration, attempt to draw ideas or even just write things down.

Though no one would blame you for assuming I won't finish anything since I seem to have a hard time with that.

The next couple of pages for "Rec Center" are practically done, but I'm not happy with them. Some things that seemed to pace well in script are not as smooth in drawing, and I'm struggling with the story a lot more than I have any right to. I'm definitely in over my head with this one, to be honest.

"Earn Your Keep" is something I want to follow through with as well, I've enjoyed making that comic for Meowz and I feel terrible that I haven't finished it yet.

"The Owl's Hollow", my collaboration with Ferobird, is still in the works. He and I get together every once and awhile to hash things out and doodle ideas. More pages to come.

As for the Ashwood comics, those were always intended to be off-hand sort of pages more than a continuous story. I have a few ideas written down for Ashwood pages, but nothing too exciting. I don't think very many people miss or even remembers those, but let me know if I'm wrong.

All that said, Rec Center is kinda my baby right now...so I'm mainly fussing over that trying to fix problems.

If you're a fan of any of these, just bear with me.
Comics are hard, and my free time is short.

-T

Hi folks,

Back in April, I created another account on FA to upload animation to. I refrained from "plugging" it here because I was curios to see how it would do on its own.
Satisfied with that little experiment, I figured I'd go ahead and share that account with everyone here.

If you're interested in some animal/human animations by yours truly, please check out KeyFeather - http://www.furaffinity.net/user/keyfeather/

Thanks, and have an awesome week!

-T

Thank you.

Yes you, dear watcher, for all of your support.

It’s been nearly seven years since I first clicked “Create an Account” and spent all but two minutes coming up with the name “Tuke”. Today, nearly 4,500 people are at least vaguely aware of my scribbles.

I know there are a lot of people who lurk in the shadows, the silent majority who like the content no less. I just want you to know that your support and interest in what I have to share is always appreciated.

To those who actively inquire on my well being, I’ve likely already thanked you personally. But to further note, I thank you for always checking in on me when I go dark. It’s probably no secret that I struggle with bouts of depression further amplified by alcohol addiction, that horrible endless cycle. But I’m a lot better than I have been, I’m a lot stronger emotionally than I have been. I spend a lot more time with friends and family these days, taking a break from the screens as often as I can.

I guess I’ll end with this..

I can’t thank you all enough for providing a safe environment with which I can express myself freely. It’s so unhealthy to suppress, to bottle things up, to deny. Drawing fantasy is a healthy way to fulfill curiosities and express ideas. It releases those positive endorphins your brain craves, and I’m just thankful that such amazing human beings dot our globe as prevalently as you do.

I love you guys, and I look forward to what this year has in store.

- Tuke

The Holiday season is always a bundle of mixed highs and lows for me. It's hard to explain.

Artists are notorious for being unstable emotionally, and I am no different. Perhaps it's our strong emotions that feed our creative and expressive side. I had a girlfriend several years ago. She's a brilliant artist who knows how to tell a story. She often drew as a way to vent her feelings, creating incredibly strong images that were sometimes hard to look at...especially when you knew you were an unstable factor in her life.

I started drawing seven years ago, and at that time it was all knowledge absorption. I'd buy 'how to draw' books and try drawing my favorite characters free hand. Perhaps it was a way to connect with beings that only existed on paper and within our imaginations. Much like writing or films, an illustration can be a form of escapism. My ex girlfriend knew this well, and long before I ever realized what it could be. She used it as a form of self expression that was powerful enough to affect me, and I only now can appreciate the beauty of it.

So now, with this in mind, I asked myself what exactly my art really means or who exactly I'm trying to affect. What am I trying to say? I've asked myself these questions recently and it's hard to find satisfying answers. Let's not sugarcoat the fact that it's porn and can easily fall into the category of 'meaningless', or without true purpose - other than to find itself on the screens of those trying to rub one off late at night. Am I right?

Debatable. I won't deny that I feel a certain rush whenever I draw something explicit, and all the rules of solid drawing still apply and heavily influence how successful an image or character can be. So when things go right, that's almost fully worth the time and effort. But how often do things go smoothly? Maybe 25% of all my initial sketches get carried through, and those that are finished are often just a different take on an old idea. Seriously....how many stories can you tell? How many different foxes and dragons and birds and gryphons fall into the trap of being fundamentally undeveloped, only to be a self representation, or a sex toy to fall into kinky situations, or spread out into suggestive poses. I don't even have any official characters of my own because I don't want to even attempt a defined uniqueness, it seems.

These are the things that eat at me in my down time. I've never read about any similar artists saying such things in their journals, so I often wonder if I'm part of a minority. Or, perhaps I'm the only one dumb enough to share them with the world.

But why wouldn't I? I know, even long after this writing, I'll still be drawing these sorts of things because it is fulfilling to me most of the time. I suppose I shouldn't need much more reason than that.

I'm not sure where I'm trying to steer this. I could share much more, but there are many things about me and my personal life I'd rather be quiet about. But I still believe in being honest. I do believe in sharing knowledge, stories, life lessons, current states of mind, even through what I'd want to call a very content focused alias named Tukè. In a world so robotic and impersonal, I always find such things to be refreshing to share. So please - enjoy your art, enjoy your friends, and enjoy your life. My New Year's resolution is exactly that.

Cheers friends,
Tukè

Here is a more detailed outline of my commission process. It is a product of my experiences and ideas thus far and is subject to change. I hope you find it helpful.

First things first, check out my guide to get an idea of the different options - http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9355003/


Contacting me about Commissions

This is done simply by sending me a private message. I don’t always advertise my availability for commissions, so if you want something drawn but are unsure if I’m available – just ask.

What I Won’t Draw

Here are some general things to keep in mind when seeking me verses other artists:

-I cannot conform to another artist's style or venture far beyond my comfort zone. If you commission Tuke for a drawing, you're going to get a Tuke drawing...for good or bad.

- I have my own quirky interests, but I certainly embrace the right to reject an idea if I'm uncomfortable with it or if I know I wouldn't produce a quality image. My drawings come from my heart, so if my heart isn't in the idea or characters somewhat...the end result will show.

Other general things I won't draw are as follows:
- Humans (unless in a minor role, or not as the focal point)
- gore
- rape
- micro/macro
- fat/chubby
- pregnancy
- scat
- robots/androids
- unappealing or gross looking aliens
- humans

What I Will Draw

Likely if your idea doesn't fall under or suggest anything above, it is safe. But don’t hold me to that. There’s probably hundreds of other fetishes or weird ideas that I’m not even aware of and would not be comfortable drawing.

The Artistic Process

Sketch

After I’m given your idea (including any reference material you’d like to provide), I’ll work on the sketch. Once done, I’ll send it to you for approval. If everything checks out, I’ll upload it.

Colored/Colored with Background/Reference Sheet

After I’m given your idea (including any reference material you’d like to provide), I’ll work on the sketch. Once done, I’ll send it to you for approval. If everything checks out, I’ll start coloring and shading. Once I’m finished, I’ll send it to you once more for approval. If everything checks out, I’ll upload it.

Comic Page

A comic page has a minimum of three panels. If you plan on this comic being multiple pages, be sure to let me know so that I can plan accordingly. The most important factor in comics, for me, is a solid story or idea. I may suggest changes I’d like to make – changes including staging, layout, dialogue, or anything else. Ultimately, if I don’t like the idea, I won’t do it. Simple as that. Comics are a huge investment in time and effort, and I wouldn’t want to spend it all on something I’m not interested in (my interests encompass a wide range, so don't worry too much).
After I’m given your idea (including any reference material you’d like to provide), I’ll work on the sketches. Once done, I’ll send it to you for approval. If everything checks out, I’ll start coloring and shading. Once I’m finished, I’ll send it to you once more for approval. If everything checks out, I’ll upload it.

Note that once I've handed over a final picture, you're free to do with it as you will. Just be sure to mention me as the artist ;).

The Payment Process

There are a few ways to go about doing this. I leave it up to you.
- pay up front
- pay after you approve the sketch
- or pay upon completion. *This one hasn't come to bite me in the ass yet. Please don’t be the one to ruin it*

All payment invoices run through your email address and whatever method you choose, be it a paypal, debit, or credit card.

Again, I hope you find this helpful. Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Cheers,
-Tukè

Hi folks,

"Tales of Ashwood" has been on hold due to commission work and a busy semester, but here's a pretty heartwarming Ashwood picture drawn by Uppmap123, High flying over Ashwood .

So go take a look, and share some love <3

-Tukè

Hey folks. Thought I'd share an awesome sketching video from a year ago for my fellow artists: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMluMPUggJI&list=UUbdyjrrJAjDIACjCsjAGFAA&index=12&feature=plcp

There's a lot that can be learned here - especially if you don't already follow FZD school of design. Mr. Zhu is a master of the form in every sense of the word, and an idol of mine in terms of art as a profession.

This episode focuses on refining your initial thumbnail/sketch to a polished state while keeping those initial marks intact. I see a lot of sterile/vectorized art on FA and other furry sites (mine included), and I thought sharing something like this would be relevant to artists who may want to experiment with their process.

Cheers,
-Tukè

FA is full of kind, giving hearts. I wanted to share some recent gifts from other artists.

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9350100/ "Couldn't Wait" by backlash91. I like this picture a lot. Pretty sexy...so be warned!

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/8926857/ "Tuke 10,000" by Aquilak. This was gifted a while back, but I wanted to include it because of its charm.

Thank you guys for your generosity. Perhaps some of that will rub off on me this year, lol ;).

-Tukè