some recent (and less recent) digital portraits of my friends :) taking digital commissions, always open!

i know most of you follow me for writing, but i wanted to throw out there that i still do digital art commissions! my prices start at $30, varying slightly depending on the project. i can take payment through cashapp, venmo, or paypal!

tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow

feel free to use with credit :)

Commissions??

So, I've been pretty adamant in the past about how I definitely do not want to do commissions because I don't want to make art - something I do for fun and to relax - into a job, but it seems like I might not have many other options.

I have a job babysitting full time right now, but that job won't exist anymore by the beginning of September because school, one way or another, is going to continue. Because of health problems I have (some of them making me unable to drive) and a lot of places remaining closed, I won't be able to get an after school job this year.

I should state that I'm not in a desperate situation. I do have housing and food. But because my family sometimes struggles to pull together those bare minimums, I'm trying to save money for the school year so I can get the other things I need (clothes, new shoes, school supplies, etc) that my family hasn't been able to cover for a long time. I'll also probably have to get these things for my younger sisters as well, since my mom is also disabled and my stepdad is currently unemployed due to the virus.

So anyway, onto the part where I talk about commissions.

Digital Portrait + Simple Color - $15 or 2 for $25

Drawings like these require either a detailed description, a name of someone to go by, or simply a picture you want copied into a piece of art. The gradient in the background of the second one doesn't cost extra, any two colors can be requested as a gradient.

Lineart + Background Color - $10 or 2 for $15

(this one was done before I got a tablet or stylus, so some of the lines aren't showing my best work, but it's my only example of this style on my computer)

For this style I would need a definite image to be re-drawn or a name of a person I'm able to look up.

I know artists also tend to offer sketches for a lower price, but my sketches are disastrous guidelines that only I understand and I would never charge anyone money for those.

I would also like to clarify that this is entirely separate from my Black Lives Matter fund shop and none of that money is going to me, and is being directly donated. My friend and I won't, at any time, be taking profits from that store.

Unfortunately I can only accept commissions through PayPal, although that might change in the future. If you have any questions or would like to consider commissioning me, please ask through direct messages. Again, this isn't a desperate situation, I'm just trying to plan ahead and make sure my sisters and I are set for school this year (because it looks like we'll be returning in the fall regardless of how many cases we have).

This isn't an art blog but I worked really hard on this piece so here it is! It's based on a photo of Matthijs Meel, taken by Jasper Abels. Still learning how I should go about adding texture and stuff to hair, and I can see myself redrawing it someday once I learn more about how to do that digitally.

Hey, even though this blog is temporarily focused on other things, I thought I'd share the giveaway art now that everything's finished! All the winners were given their art already, but I wanted to wait until everything was done to share it here.

Click here to buy some cool stuff designed by me and a friend, where we donate 100% of the profits to the BLM organization

Alright, here we go!

First were @sarahkelsiwrites characters Oliver and Nell!

Then I did two portraits for @thewriterkatie

Followed by @kozyisa-tries-to-write 's characters Faithe and Natasya

and then @jennawritesstories characters Arielle and Katra!

Overall I had a fun time working on these, especially after I finished school! I might do something like this again at 500 followers!

Don't forget to check out the shop, or DM me for info on direct donations/design requests/ideas (though I'll only take design requests if you're actually going to purchase something).

A Cool Way To Donate

Hi everyone! I've been very vocal about how I feel about the BLM movement and the protests in response to George Floyd's murder. I cannot protest because I'm at risk for COVID-19, and so is my close friend, Alexx. We're also both artists and he happens to be an Adult who can run an online store.

So, we made a Teespring shop with a bunch of designs and more on the way (we're still figuring out a couple things like how to make different colors available and add clothes to the store) where 100% of the profits will be donated directly to the Black Lives Matter organization.

Here are a few images from the shop:

Currently all the available designs are mine, but there will be more soon (as well as more buying options). If you want to get something cool out of donating and something from this movement to call your own, this is a great way to do it! If you can't, any amount of sharing or boosting is appreciated.

There will be more pride related designs up eventually as well, but anything queer will be focused on allyship with the Black community until further notice. The money from every design in the shop, though, regardless of what it is, is currently going to the BLM organization.

200 followers giveaway (finally)

This blog reached 200 followers a while ago, but I couldn't think of anything to do. Well, I guess we're doing art!

To enter the giveaway, you must:

- be following me

- reblog this post with a comment (you can reblog it as much as you want but I'll only enter you up to two times)

The rewards will be given to a few randomly generated followers, and you will have the choice between the following:

2 small portraits (shown below) of characters, people you know, celebrities, etc

Or one detailed portrait of someone (character, friend, yourself, whoever)

I don't do backgrounds really (because I'm a lazy artist), but they would be a color of your choice or an hombre of any 2 colors.

In order for this to be effective, if you win, please be prepared with either an exact photo you want drawn, names of face claims/2-3 photos that look like your character, or if it's a celebrity/well-known movie/TV character just a name is fine.

I'll select winners of the giveaway this Friday, though I might extend it a week if I have the energy to do more drawings. If you win, I'll message you on Tumblr as well as tag you in a post. If you don't respond within a day or two, either someone else will get selected or you'll be basically put on hold until I have the time.

I know my art isn't the most skilled in the world, and I just do it for fun, but I've been having an art block and would like to celebrate this follower milestone, so here we go!

Ocean In the Woods: Character Portraits/Profiles

I hope everyone enjoys this because this has taken Forever™ and it's the reason I haven't gotten anything done all week. I drew some portraits in my comic sans presentation but I'm not very happy with them anymore so here's some better ones!!

Arthur Benz, he/him (MC)

I've already posted his portrait once, but it wouldn't be right to ignore him here! Arthur is 17, a trans guy, and a little impulsive. His family is very supportive of his gender identity (because I literally never see that in stories ever) and he has been on testosterone for just over a year. He has a tendency to feel guilty over things out of his control, is extroverted but distant, and is observant in terms of detail but oblivious in terms of emotions. He's not really a school kind of guy and can't wait to get out of there.

Anne Benz, she/her (older sister)

Anne is a 24 year old woman who still lives at home (by choice because she loves them). She's a programmer, family genius, considering giving her a secret girlfriend. She's extremely caring and closest to Arthur out of the rest of his family. Takes her responsibility as the oldest Very Seriously but still knows how to be a cool badass.

Aiden Benz, he/him (little brother)

Aiden is 14, in 8th grade. He is my baby, small and soft and even though he's a bit of an asshole at times, I still love him. He gets very good grades and listens to Bach and sort of thinks he's above Arthur because of that, but he's going to grow a lot over the course of the story. He's just an adorable child and deserves better.

Maya Bright, she/her

Maya is Arthur's best friend, who is also 17 but 12 days older and will let you know. She is absolutely fucking wild, and still manages to keep straight A's. Chaotic bisexual. She and Arthur feed each other's impulses. Would get into an ivy league school but get arrested for rioting and throwing bricks. I love her.

Lance Fisher, he/him

The other best friend! 18 and the only straight white person in the group, but he's still rad. Has gotten suspended from school and (temporarily) kicked off the soccer team because someone was messing with his friends and he was not having it. He's kind of an all brawn no brain at times, but he's not actually stupid and it hurts is feeling when people make fun of him (but he'd never tell them that).

Ollie Cook, they/them

Local freshman at 15, and basically got thrown into the friend group after coming out in the fall. They are feminine and Do Not Care what people think about it. Loud, fun, go-with-the-flow kinda friend. Unsure about their sexuality. They're always there for everybody but kind of insecure about their place in the group due to being younger and new to this whole thing. Very sweet, 100/10.

Vanessa Pierce, she/her

16, a sophomore amongst many juniors and a freshman. Dating Ollie, and the two of them are a very cute couple. Local lesbian (listen I don't wanna get into the gatekeeping stuff about nb people and sexualities, yeah? Let them exist) and lover of all things in shades of red. Probably secretly a goddess.

Ocean, she/her

Possible love interest from a parallel dimension (it's basically our world but set back 20 years and with monsters? I don't really get it either tbh. I'm just going with it) who accidentally brings a very scary monster/demon/whateverthefuck to our world. She's very desperate for approval in most things she does, as she's very unfamiliar with the technology and social dynamics here. She's very homesick and misses her family, but the portal back home won't open until the physical world is as it was before she got there (AKA no monster). Idk how old she is yet, but between 16 and 18. Mysterious. Unpredictable. Nervous wreck.

The Benz parents also play pretty big roles in the story, but I didn't include them here as I don't really have a clear picture of what they look like yet, so here they are (I basically just made some Really Awesome Parents because I don't think we see enough of that in fiction, especially YA):

Denise (mother) is very nurturing and careful. She wants to do everything as perfectly as possible with the fewest amount of repercussions. Her father is of Nigerian descent and her mother was born and raised in Mexico, but died when Denise was a young girl. She's trying to learn spanish as a tribute to her mother and heritage, but she's also juggling a career and her children, so it's a process.

Richard (father, who will always be Richie to his wife and in my heart) is also a programmer, and sparked Anne's interest in the job when she was young. He tries to spend time with all his kids and struggles to accept the fact that they're growing up. He does whatever he can to make them happy. He owns up to the mistakes of his past (spent some time in rehab when Anne and was a kid and Arthur was a baby), but does his best to move forward.

Overall, this is my favorite cast of characters ever!! I might have to slightly pair down some of the stuff I've got going in my head for them because frankly, there is Too Much Subplot (but. I love them so much) and there is not room for all their development and characteristics.

Taglist: @brooklyn-etc @coffeeandcalligraphy @my-lifes-one-big-critical-fail @kozyisa-tries-to-write

Space is gay now. I don't make the rules.

Feel free to use with credit!