~Malu-CLBS

Hey there, readers! How are you? I'm posting this entry from work. And don't you dare think I'm lazy! In fact, I'm one of the only persons right here right now. That's because yesterday was a festivity, and in Monday we don't work either, so lots of people just didn't come today or they left early. I, on the other hand, am waiting for my normal checking out time, which is just in a couple of minutes.

Yeah, you read well. I already have a job. YAY! I have been working for 2 weeks now, and it's pretty strange at first, but I'll get used to it, like with everything else.

Anyway, though I have a much bigger income than ever in my life (YAY gonna buy more mangas and games XD), work also means less time to draw. I mean, I get up at 6:45 in the morning, come to work at 9 AM, get out at 6:30 PM, back in my house at 7:30, and from there I have to 11 PM to get to bed if I don't want to be drowzy the next day. So you see, that's a total of 3:30 hours of free time a day to do what I like. And I'm not even counting the preparation of my lunch and clothes for the next day, so it's even less time. And having 2 games that I haven't finished to the fullest distracts me, so I haven't drawn anything since the wewy contest submissions.

But don't worry. I'll do my best to draw whenever I can (Don't forget I still have my usual weekend ^_^) but it's going to be even less than when I was in college. I don't want to stop drawing, so don't worry about it. I still have lots of fanart and original work to do. It will be even more sporadic, but rest assured that my art history is not done yet.

Anyways, see you in the next entry! ^_^


Zelda Clubs!

I'm playing Brawl so don't mess with me. Probably won't be starting any drawings soon. (Sure, I have some unfinished work, but I want to unlock as many characters as I can)

Commissions info

Zelda Clubs!

Yes, people. I've decided I'm going to start accepting commissions. Why? Because Confucius once said "Find a job that you really like and you'll never have to work one single day of your life". Also, some people seem interested in me giving that service, so I thought I'd give it a try.

BTW, I have a job now, so I'm probably going to take even more time to finish the drawings than when I was in college.

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING (Your doubts might be cleared without having to note me)

Prices

All the prices listed are in US dollars.

Sketches: $10, Extra character: $5 each
Inked pics: $15, Extra character $7 each
Inked and colored pics: $30, Extra character $10 each

Backgrounds are charged separately, and depending on complexity, they range from $10 to $20
Plain color backgrounds won't be charged of course ^_^

Payment:
I only accept Paypal at the time. But don't worry folks. It's easy and safe to use.

The Process

1. You send me a note with the description of what you want. You can also ask for any doubts you have, even if you still don't know what to ask for. Those questions will be useful for creating a FAQ later on. Sending me a note with a description will make you enter into my waiting list.

2. I'll note you back with the total price for what you asked. I may have questions too, like asking for references in case I don't know the character you want.

3. Here is your last chance to change your mind. If you decide to do so, you confirm your order, and so, I'll give you my paypal address so you can continue with the payment.

4. Once you've paid, I'll start working on your commission. At the same time, you'll be in my list of current commissions. The time of completion will depend on what you asked and the free time I've got. I'll do my best to finish as soon as I can. By all means, you can ask how it's going, and even ask for a WIP image. Feedback is encouraged during the process, so I can ensure your satisfaction.

5. When I'm done with your commission, I'll send you the drawing in high resolution. It's totally up to you to let me upload it to my gallery (with the much obliged watermark) or make it a print.

Is it my turn, now?

I'm going to take commissions three at a time. That means the first three commissions that I get are the ones I'm going to work on. But not to worry. I'll have a waiting list for those who were close to being the first three. In other words, I'll have 3 commissions going on and a waiting list of 3 persons. For example, if you came fourth in asking for a commission, you'll be automatically the first one in the waiting list. As soon as I finish one of the first three, the next commission I'll be working on is yours, and so on. When the spots in the waiting list are free, I'll let you know so you can ask for a commission, and if you're lucky, you'll be in the waiting list.

Stuff to consider

1. I will only draw characters of your own. If for any reason you want me to draw a character that belongs to someone else, please be sure to have their written consent first. I'm sure if someone were to make money from drawing your character without your permission you wouldn't like it, would you? It's the same for copyrighted characters. I'm sorry, but I can't draw fanart and charge for it, for that's copyright violation.

2. You guys know how I draw. Please don't ask me to do something that I just can't do. For example, I'm not that good at real-people portraits. But any anime style you want, you got it.

3. You may post the commission you paid for anywhere you want. Just be sure to give me credit for making it.

4. While you may have the commission posted, shown, printed, or whatever... you can't use it for commercial purposes. Just personal use, please.

5. There are no refunds. You can't give me my time and service back, can you? So please think about it thoroughly before you confirm and pay. In exchange, and as I've told you, you're more than welcome to ask for a preview image so you can be satisfied and I can make the proper changes. Don't expect me to change the whole pic, obviously. If you liked the sketch and then at the coloring stage you decided that's not the pose or the character you wanted, I'm very sorry, but I can't do anything about it with the pic so advanced in the process.

I'll be changing all this info as I see necessary. Any questions you might have, let me know. There might be some issues I forgot and that I need to explain. In the meantime... Commission status is: OPEN! XD

I wish you enjoy the season's holidays. ^_^ And I also wish that you have an excellent 2008. Sorry I couldn't express this with a drawing, as you would expect from me, but as I had already said. If I wanted to finish a holiday related drawing, I should start it the holiday before. And you know... you can't feel very Christmas-y when you're celebrating the Day of the Dead o_o *celebration made in Mexico, November 1-2*

So go out there and be thankful of what you have and who you have to celebrate these days with ^_^

Zelda Clubs!

Hey there, I'm writing this not because I like discussing or anything, I just want to clear out my point of view. So, if any of you post any comments waiting for me to say something about it... don't wait, because it is most likely I won't respond. Because sincerely, I hate discussions. When it's a matter of opinions, it really doesn't lead anywhere. Well, here I go...

I've been watching a lot of comments, journals, and other material discouraging fanart in dA, and encouraging original work. They say it's not original to use someone else's characters to make deviations. Well, here's what I think. You all know that I'm a great Zelda fan and that most of my deviations are Zelda-related, so you probably know my opinion on this. But don't suppose anything! I'm not going to say I'm completely against this way of thinking!

I think if you like something so much, you are free to express your love for it. Whether it is fanfic, fanart, cosplay or any other sort of fan stuff. They say that imitation is the best form of flattery. Of course, this has its limitations. If you copy an image that looks exactly the same as original artwork, then it shouldn't be considered fanart. That's just copying. Another thing I consider important when making fanart, is that you recognize that the characters are not yours. If you say it's all your work, that's plagiarism, people. Also, if you can't say something is entirely yours, much less can you accept money or any benefits from selling that art. OK, maybe pageviews are some kind of benefit, but as long as you don't get money from it, I don't think it's all that bad. Art viewers still watch and fave the people that really deserve it.

Anyway, if you want to show your fanart to the world, I think it's worth it when just a bit of your originality is shown. You've seen the fanart for all sorts of series in dA. But which one actually makes the exact same style as the original author? Almost no one. Truth is, most of the good fanartists stick to their own style, and make fanart with a touch of originality in their style. Sure, there are others who like to imitate the original style more. But again, if they're good fanartists they will draw the character in a different pose that he or she imagined, or maybe in a background or with clothes that they pictured in their heads and that are different from the original artwork. There are even people who like to draw the scanned manga pages of their favorite series, and color them according to what they think they should look like. Even then, some grade of originality from the fanartist is expressed.

While some people can easily create OCs (whether they're based on your own work or not, like fanfic characters) Some people, including myself, find it difficult to create original stuff once in a while. For me, drawing fanart allows me to practice color dynamics, proportions, backgrounds, etc., most of which, after drawing the lineart, make me forget that I'm actually drawing fanart. In other words, I try making myself and my drawings better through fanart. And then... when I'm ready and inspired enough, I work on original art. Sure, it takes more time for some, but if fanart is your way to get inspired, then just do it! But make sure that there's some sort of originality in it, it doesn't matter if it's the style, the colors, the background, the poses, the clothes... Be creative!

Again, this is just my opinion. You're free to post your comments with any opinions you have, but don't expect me to answer because I hate discussing.

Zelda Clubs!