I finished a couple ACEOs to show off:

I put a ton of art cards, including these and the animal adventurers series up in my Etsy shop.

www.ninjahijinx.com

Today's the last day of my weekend art sale dealie - http://djinni.livejournal.com/202047.html
And I'm going to keep the white elephant art card game... thing... open for one more day, too, because we've gotten some awesome prompts, and I can say if you get in on this, you'll get some cool sword and sorcery art. Probably with animal people. http://djinni.livejournal.com/202807.html

Today, I'm drawing pictures. I didn't end up drawing too terribly much, yesterday, but I went to go talk to some groovy folks in Bellingham, who run http://www.petlifeforms.com - In addition to be able to sell me very reasonably priced crickets, they're an awesome couple who run a very clean, impressive reptile and amphibian breeding business out of their home. They really know what they're talking about, and are very clearly passionate about their work. I saw many happy, healthy lizards and frogs, including a bearded dragon they were proud of rehabilitating from malnutrition before they got him.

This was absolutely nothing like seeing the sad critters in a pet store. If any of you are considering a pet herp, I strongly recommend these guys. We stood there for a while after my tour of the place and just geeked out about critters. It was awesome.

In other news, I'm really itching to get into making small sculptures. I get the impulse fairly often, but I'm so bad at it. I sculpt one side of a creature, and the other side gets smooshed. Those of you who make sculpy critters... help? What are you using to help sculpt and paint your figures? What are some good tips for someone who wants to get into this but hasn't been met with much success?

I'm doing the white elephant art card sale, today, as part of my art sale weekend. Here's how it works:

It costs $10 to participate. You can send that to me via paypal (you don't need a paypal account to do this, just a credit or debit card) by clicking on my tip jar graphic, below.
Then, leave a comment in this post. Replies are screened, so only I will see them. Include:
- The email address your ten dollars came from, and an email address I can contact you with, if different from the one you use for paypal
- your mailing address. If you're outside the US, I'll contact you about any extra mailing cost
- Your prompt

The prompt theme is SWORD AND SORCERY. Your prompt will be hidden from the other participants, and can be as simple as a two word idea ("lion wizard") or as complicated as a full description of a new character idea or scene.

Keep in mind that this is a 2.5"x3.5" piece of miniature art, so a scene with more that two characters will involve them being drawn very tiny, and I may choose a part of the scene or a character to focus in on.

Please do not leave prompts involving specific characters, either of your creation, or from someone else's work - someone else is getting the card from your prompt. Writing a detailed description of a character you're making up right now=awesome. Also, please keep the rating G or PG. Other than that, come up with something fun! It's okay to mix genres.

I will draw all the prompts as art cards, shuffle up the art, and randomly send the cards to other participants.

Everyone who participates will get surprise art from another participant's prompt.

Note - I am working on my December work, including coloring the icons and griffons from the last Icon Day batch. These cards will be put on my list for January work, and mailed out when all are completed.

Note Part Two - If you have an Ekwara piece and haven't sent in two dollars to have it mailed, or are getting a griffon and plan on getting that mailed, include an extra dollar, and I can mail it with your card.

My art sale's still going on, here, if you have a specific piece in mind you'd like to get for yourself or a friend: http://djinni.livejournal.com/202047.html

If you have any questions, you can email me at coyotepuck@gmail.com

All of the comics are updated for Saturday.  I mentioned Ekwara’s extra pages last night, too.  Yay, extra pages!

Page 19 of Ekwara is up - http://www.ekwara.com

Page 321 of Dracula is up - http://www.draculacomic.net

Page 70 of Crimson Flag is up - http://www.crimsonflagcomic.net

The commission sale is going on all weekend - here - and tomorrow I’m doing the white elephant card sale, to get some work for January.   I’m a self-employed artist, and commissions from folks let me spend more time doing what I love!  Thanks for checking it out!

www.ninjahijinx.com

I had the high school dream again, last night. I wrote about this a couple weeks ago. I end up back in high school except I've been missing all my classes, etc. Anyway, while in the dream, I remembered my livejournal discussion and the discussion I had with Stoker about the dream... and realized I was dreaming.

I went into the office and explained all this to woman behind the desk in charge of scheduling.

"I'm not in high school. I'm 28 and I graduated in 1999. Plus, this is actually a dream I keep having and it really stresses me out. Isn't that weird?"

"Heh, yeah, I know you're not in high school any more. Don't worry about it!"

So, I left the office, and was still fully lucid dreaming, so I explored a little, and went around the corner to the spot my friends and I used to sit. My friends from high school were all there, along with... me. I sat down across from teenage-me and watched myself draw. I tried to get my attention, but teenage-me didn't seem to be able to see me there. Then I woke up.

By the way, I updated Ekwara, and there are several extra pages from earlier this week, if you haven't seen them already - http://www.ekwara.com

Dracula will update tomorrow morning :)

While I’m working on my December work, including painting the icons and griffons, I’m accepting commissions for January, and from now through the 21st (so, this weekend), I’m doing a sale.  It’s like a little mini winter Todconvention XD

8.5″x11″ watercolor portrait  -  one character and no background - $30 (usually $40)
8.5″x11″ watercolor scene - one or two characters plus full background - $50 (usually $75)

Need a last minute gift idea?  Order a commission as a present!  I can send an email to the recipient on the date you specify, letting them know they get custom art from you, or I can send you a gift card file, including my contact inforation, to print out to give to them.  I’ll work with the recipient to create a cool picture for them.  I can do cartoon pet portraits and lighthearted wildlife and fantasy art in addition to anthropomorphic work.  If you collect anthro art, share your hobby with a friend or relative outside the fandom and introduce them to the fun of getting custom art!

I draw strictly within a G-PG rating, so you can link your mom and younger cousins to my website, too.

Email me at coyotepuck@gmail.com if you’re interested.

Also, on December 20th, I’m going to be doing the white elephant art card sale, so swing by in a couple days to pick up a surprise present for yourself!  Ten dollars lets you leave a secret art prompt in a screened lj post, and then I’ll draw all the prompts as 2.5″x3.5″ art cards, and randomly send one to each participant.  These will also be completed in January.

www.ninjahijinx.com

Here’s a quick update on icons - scans of the rough inks.  I haven’t cleaned these up, yet.

www.ninjahijinx.com

I've been working on the icons and griffons, and my current commissions, and today, I'm going to take a day to come up with some more art cards and whatnot. I'm feeling the need to relax and focus on that, at the moment. Every month at around this time, I have a couple days of fretting about this month's budget, but it passes, and the best thing for me to do is to not stress about it too much. I'm almost done with inking the icons, and when that's done, I'll upload my progress for you guys to see. Then, I'll get to work on coloring those.

I'm glad you guys liked the angel! I made a paper chain, too, but that's nothing impressive. When me make more ornaments, I'll upload them, and if I manage to come up with some cool templates, I'll put up the hi-res uncolored files, too.

This is kind of interesting:

http://news.yahoo.com/video/world-15749633/smart-octopus-can-use-tools-17147361

This is the angel I made for the top of my tree.

www.ninjahijinx.com

benchilada is doing a big holiday promo thing over in his journal, where you can link to the creative stuff you have for sale! Everyone should definitely check it out. He does use THE SWEAR WORDS though, guys, I dunno if you can handle it ;P

http://benchilada.livejournal.com/818675.html

Things are beginning to gel for our first Christmas with the Sprog. Chats's sister will fly in to Chicago Friday night and stay with us for the weekend before going up to see her dad in Wisconsin. I'm looking forward to her being here.

Have to get some Christmas cookies and a few other goodies going.

We're planning to spend Christmas Eve here, just the three of us. Christmas Day will be in Wisconsin for a big family meal. I'll make some pies. Which reminds me: stock up on butter.

Speaking of Christmas, I'm really, really sick of a couple of Christmas songs. One is the old high-school romantics who meet by accident Christmas Eve and end up drinking a few beers together in the car, reminiscing (Fogelberg's "Same Old Lang Syne"). She, of course, admits that she doesn't really love her architect husband. If an old girlfriend admitted that to me fifteen minutes after an accidental meeting I'd be suddenly remembering a dental appointment. Anyway, yadda yadda yadda, they both head off to their respective Christmas celebrations smelling of canned beer and whatever air freshener he uses to cover up the smell of Jennifer Lopez signature perfume from his grocery store pickups.

I have two problems with that song. First, it's boring. Sitting in a car and drinking reminds me a little too much of my own high school years. That's not a good thing. Second, slice-of-life songs like this should have a meaningful resolution. This one just peters out with a line about the snow turning into rain.

The other song that has me punching the radio power button like I'm deactivating a DUM-series Pit Droid is "The Christmas Shoes." This one always brings to mind Oscar Wilde's line about it taking a heart of stone not to read of the death of Little Nell without laughing. Were it just a nice song about a kid in hand-me-downs who wants to buy his mom some shoes but he doesn't have enough change, so the guy behind him helps him out with a few bucks -- I'm a big fan of Random Acts of Kindness -- I'd say great. Touching, heartwarming. But they pour on the glurge with this one. The kid's not just poor, he's poor and dirty from head to foot (poor people never wash, remember. Also, they smell). His mom is dying. He wants her to have new shoes in case she goes to meet Jesus Christmas Eve.

Oh please.

The only thing that could possibly redeem this song is to have it end with the guy standing behind the child pointing out that with most caskets, you don't even see the corpse's shoes, so maybe he should look into an inexpensive bracelet. Alas.

Of course they made a movie version of the song. Show's you my flawless instinct for pop culture. I'm just more of a "Holly Jolly Christmas" type guy.

I’ve been playing around a little with making wildlife scenes in my cartoony style.  Here are two art cards I made yesterday.  I need to head out and get some practice drawing local plants.

www.ninjahijinx.com

This week’s comics have updated for Saturday!

Page 69 of Crimson Flag

Page 320 of Dracula

Page 15 of Ekwara

I’m still working on getting everything in the mail.  Bear with me, as I get my home office organized and up to speed.  Now I have a postage scale!  Good times.

I’m currently working on new commissions and getting all the icons and griffons inked!

www.ninjahijinx.com