June 2013
2 posts
May 2013
10 posts
April 2013
7 posts
Sketch Book Preview/Advice!
I’m still trying to figure out where to price it at though. It’s a 53 page alphabetized list of over 200 Aywas sketches, including the first ever sketches I did of the original characters (Melo, Gael, Reve, etc).
I might be adding more pages, since I’ve drawn quite a few new species this year. So then it would probably be around 58 pages.
What do you guys think the price range should be that would make it worth the buy?
Thank you!
March 2013
8 posts
Aywas Livestream Up!
Live at 2pm EST today!
Head on in -> http://www.livestream.com/kuitsuku
Taking Aywas requests for two hours! I’ll try to sketch as many requests as possible!
Pleeeease join us! :D
How did you find work with Evomon and Aywas? I would lovelovelove to do what you do, but I really don't have any idea how to start. Do you have any tips on the matter? Thank you and keep being amazing. <3 I've been following you since Neopets and just recently found your blog!
I was huuuge into Neopets in high school so I drew them all day long until I was asked to draw for a small starting petsite. They actually paid me considerably well considering I was 15 haha. Ever since then I’ve been drawing for petsites. I guess it found me!
I’m also part of a forum that’s really good for anyone who wants to get into that area: http://www.virtualpetlist.com/
They have a marketplace where you can post pets/items and people bid on them. :)
Aywas Livestream Saturday, 2PM EST!
Or 1pm Aywas time, http://livestream.com/kuitsuku
They’re having livestreams all day today as well, you can check out the featured artists on the front page of Aywas.com! :)
Hope to see you there tomorrow!
February 2013
8 posts
Arg
The hardest part of my evenings (when motivation strikes) is deciding whether or not I want to go to the gym after work, or go home and do artwork. HEALTH OR ART. So hard.
When I first started selling commissions it'd be $2 for a pic that'd take me 3-5 hours to do, mostly because I didn't really think anyone wanted my art -- I wasn't in it for the money, I just wanted to improve, and learn how to take commissions from other people. It was a nice idea in theory, but I got overbooked -- I'm also one of those people who has a really hard time saying no to someone -- and I'm STILL suffering from that.
I was absolutely the same way! My photoshop characters took anywhere from 2 to 4 hours, and all I asked for was $10. I was in high school, didn’t need the money, and I was just trying to fill up my summer with things to do. Now that I have my own place with rent, utilities, cell phone, insurance, taxes etc…wow that is such an insignificant price!
No joke, I still have one or two from that point of my life that I have to finish. I way, way overloaded myself, and now finding the time to sit down for 4 hours to finish a piece is so hard to come by!
Why devalue your art?
You guys, I keep seeing this fantastic artwork being sold for cheap cheap cheap. That’s devaluing not only your artwork, but everyone else’s artwork too! I know it’s hard when you’re younger and just starting out, heck I did fully gradient shaded characters for $10 in high school, but I didn’t know any better!
I don’t live off of my commissions, but I know so many artists who do. When someone gives away their beautiful artwork for so much cheaper, it just lets clients realize that they could be paying much less for good artwork.
Now, there are the people who have been commissioning artists for a long time and know what a piece is worth/ what, if at all, to tip an artist, and those are definitely the exception. But if a company starts browsing through artwork and sees that they can rip off good artists because these few people are so much cheaper, that opens a huge can of worms for everyone, and suddenly the artists who have a decent price are ‘overpriced’ and ‘ripping them off’.
An hour of time should be your base price. You should be charging at *least* $15 per hour, though a normal base would be $20 for a graphic artist. As you become more well known and your schedule gets booked, you can raise your prices based on the lifestyle you’d like to live.
I commonly give a price break to clients who I’ve worked with in the past, or charity events, but please appreciate the time you put into your work and be honest with your clients.
That’s it! The only issue on my mind this morning. Back to work. :)
January 2013
25 posts
Have you ever done environment studies from life?
Yes! I have an odd attraction to leaves and I love drawing things up close, so I’ll wander around outside and draw odds and ends I stumble onto.
I just wanted to ask, how did you make your website(s) layouts? Photoshop? Dreamweaver? ;A; I'm currently working on creating my own website, and even though I've browsed through tons of different kinds of tutorials, I am completely stuck on where to start layout-wise. Any tips?
Hi! I’m so sorry it took me this long to respond! I used Flash and Dreamweaver to make my websites. First I plan them out, then I cut up everything and try to put it back together with coding in Dreamweaver. I never use their built in previewer though, ack.
For someone starting with webdesign, I would get a free website template through google, open it in dreamweaver and just break it a lot, then fix it. That’s how I learned!
Why did you stop getting on neopets? D:
I lost track of time to play neopets ;; Also, when they switched to the new layout and pets and dress-up style, it just wasn’t the same. I went on Neopets to look at all the beautiful artwork and pet colors and see the new poses for each paintbrush. Now it’s much less appealing art-wise but I still stalk the captions page because those are so well drawn!
You have a pet skunky? thats so cute...what does he do for play? and whats his favorite food? where did you get skiddles? and is she a he or is he a she? lol... Also i love your art.
He plays with my cat, who he grew up with, and he chases me around my place. He’s also the best cuddler! I got him from a skunk breeder in Iowa. :D And thank you!!
I absolutely love your blog (and of course your art!). I really hope you'll do more disneyxpokemon crossovers, they're amazing! *Really* hoping for a crossover with characters from Beauty and the Beast (my absolute favorite Disney movie). Anyways: You're great, keep doing what you're doing because it's awesome :)!
I already did Belle! I’d love to do Beast too, but I suppose that can be after the Princesses are over. I do those crossovers to relax when I’m overworked, so it’s taking a while in-between each one. :}
I was watching one of your live streams and i was wondering how you added the gradient shading. I've tried that on flash and it decided to gradient the entire shape for me.
Gradients effect each shape separately, or whatever you select together! So if you select all of the skin color, then give it a gradient, it will all be a part of the gradient.
Hope that helps!
Wow. I'm really sorry for being a bother, since you probably get thousands of these a day, but thank you so much. You're probably the reason I draw today. I knew you ever since, hmm, 5 maybe, when I came across Suta-Raito (I loved Pokemon at the time), and ever since, it was my goal to try to draw as well as you. Of course, that might not happen, but it's a big dream of mine ahaha. But thank you thank you <3 You made me realize my potential in art, and I thought you should know. <3
FIVE? I wish Pokemon had an influence on me at that age!
I’m so happy I influenced you, and I hope you continue drawing! So many other people don’t realize how many hours we put into our talents to practice and perfect them. It takes years, but it’s so worth it when you finally begin to appreciate something you created!
I never knew that you're only 3 years older than me! I've been a fan of yours since I was 11! I always wanted to be an artist like you. So how long did it take for you to get an art style that you could be proud of? How often did you practice? Also, what are some good tips for practicing line art?
We’re both so old! Haha!
I guess it took all my life to develop a style, and it’s forever changing. I draw every night, and most days at work. Practicing lineart, for me, has always been about quick lines and strokes, and holding a steady hand. I started drawing on a computer with a mouse, so that helped me gain a steady hand for 2 years before I had a tablet.
Hi! Another long-time fan here. I was watching your livestream recording of Tiana and Politoed, and I noticed you instantly turned every highlight into a symbol. I'm too obsessed with naming things for that, but it did make me wonder: how many layers you generally use? I'm so glad to have looked you up again. :3
Hi there! In Flash I normally use 3 layers for pieces like that, The sketch, the image, and the eye shine/highlights. In photoshop my layers are endless but there’s no need to do so in Flash if you use symbols. Tiana had two layers, the sketch and the vector. :)
Answering Questions!
Only 19 more asks in my inbox, whew! I have my fingers crossed to answer them tomorrow. :)
Soon I’ll be able to show you guys some sneak peaks of the sketchbook I’m putting together (which is done, but needs to be colored), and I plan on doing a good amount of giveaways once it’s printed!
Now, onto bed!
Just curious, how/when did you get started working for Aywas? I've been a casual fan of your art for some years, and was sad when suta-raito stopped being terribly active (even though I never did much there) and it made me really happy when I realized that you were one of the people behind the scenes at Aywas. (Sorry to be a creep?)
I’ve been working for Aywas for quite some time! At least 4 years. :D Everyone there has been amazing, I’m so happy I was given the opportunity back then.
Thank you for (secretly) following me haha! <3
:) Do you have any tips for practicing line art? I've been a sketchy artist for years, and I really want to be able to make smooth looking lines without using a pen tool.
Hi there! :D I actually made a line art tutorial a long time ago that might help!
http://kuitsuku.deviantart.com/art/Photoshop-Lineart-Coloring-Tut-56907784
So I've told you before that you were one of my biggest art influences growing up, I mean it was your oekakis that got me started drawing digitally in the first place, so I can't thank you enough for that! But I wanted to tell you, I just started the animation program in downtown Orlando for UCF and I love it! And being that I've always loved your art so much I totally geeked out when I first saw the poster hanging up for "Shadow Play," though I have yet to see the actual animation itself. (= <3
That is so cool!! I hope you really enjoy it, I think a lot has changed since I was there.
Psh, Shadow Play…I still prefer Goblin Garbage. ;) Though I love the poster that Elissa did!
This was our team’s take on it, which is hanging in my computer room:
Did you ever feel your art wasn't good? Or that you'd never improve? How do you find the drive to keep going and improve when you feel this way.
I used to feel like that all the time! Now it’s more about how much I get done every day. But sometimes, even after delivering a concept that was well received, I feel like I could have been way more creative and drawn it better.
I find the drive by switching topics, drawing something completely different or something with a purpose. Many times, I find purpose in drawing a gift for an old friend or someone who has been really down lately. Even if the end product isn’t your best piece, you drew something that will most likely brighten someone else’s day. That should make you feel so much better about your purpose as an artist.
And if you feel like you’re not improving, draw things that you have never attempted before. You’ll discover details you wouldn’t have seen before. I find that drawing something up close will make you discover so many new techniques and possibilities, like tree bark up close. So many lines and swirls and indents and creatures!
