halfbreed

After NaNoWriMo (which I didn't win this year - I was 10kt words short), December rolled in and I started to get more serious about starting a You Tube Channel. I'm waffling a bit on whether or not I should make it a art-and-parenting type thing. I don't want my kid's identity in there. With how wide spread the internet has gotten, and how much we are tracked as people, privacy is becoming a valuable commodity.  >.>

Also got a cat over the holidays. He is a young on and his name is Tigger. It's what he came with when we found him.

I've started using Instagram more as well, and get more reactions there (likes and comments) than I have anywhere else in years. It's refreshing. I just wish there was an app where I could choose to upload my work(s) once and have it go out to multiple platforms. I don't have a lot of time in my day to fiddle with apis and make it myself, and of that time there isn't enough for me to go and published everywhere I want/need to upload. It's a bit much. I'd so love to find a legit programer who knows the mobile/desktop app landscape enough to help me make such a thing. *sighs*

• DrakenhartStudios on Instagram: Check out art uploads that I wouldn't normally post here (like roughs, work doodles, and such).
• Behance Portfolios: Come over here to see Selected Works.
• Art & Illustration++ Patreon: Cover all of my various art and craft work. It is the main support for my Critically Endangered Species Project (my highest rewards tier is to pick which one I do next!).
  
• Werewolf Tales Patreon: Covers the work I'm doing on three different series of books about werewolves, plus a set of comics! These may eventually be broken out into a different support system as they grow. But for now they are lumped together!

So I've wandered back here yet again. Still, I do not have a lot of time in my life for art, and that is really driving a hole in my heart. I'm trying to get my YouTube Channels set up, so there won't be a lot of stuff going on over here just yet. Not just yet... 

I plan on uploading my works as I can, however, I WISH there was an application or site where I could plug in all my art galleries that I've posted stuff to over the years, and not have to waste so much time updating each one, all my social media, AND still produce content. It's a bit much. >.>

I'd love to find a place like that, that takes an api from the various Galleries online, and allows artists a one-stop shop to upload everywhere! That would be such an amazing piece of work! <3

<3

Also, side note about NaNoWriMo - I have started a new book, but that doesn't mean my others ones are left behind. Nope!! Strain is in the same universe as Doves Blood and Honor Bound, so I'm doing additional world building. I will be back to try and refine and complete Brother and Sister (after I figure out a better title!)

Hey all!

Life has been totally nuts lately for me! I'm a single mum, working full time as a UX/UI Designer. As much as I love that, I'd love to have more time just for artwork too. So any little bit helps me achieve my dream of being a full time freelance artist/designer/nerd.

I am running two Patreon Projects. One is for my general artwork, and the other is for my werewolf stories obsession. Why two? I've seen some few other creators do this to help fund a specific project and this works very well - because then people are supporting the content they want to see.

• Art & Illustration++ Patreon: Cover all of my various art and craft work. It is the main support for my Critically Endangered Species Project (my highest rewards tier is to pick which one I do next!).
  
• Werewolf Tales Patreon: Covers the work I'm doing on three different series of books about werewolves, plus a set of comics! These may eventually be broken out into a different support system as they grow. But for now they are lumped together!

Any help is awesome, even just spreading the word!

If YOU have a patreon account, drop a note and I'll follow you there.

Okay so I've been MIA for quite a bit. Life had a serious turn about on me, and I'm not a single teenager/20-something anymore either.

I have kids of my own, and my relationship has kind of tanked due to money stress. Being a stay-at-home-mom doesn't work well in this economy here in the US. Trying to find a job in my career field with NO current portfolio (or reel) is a major killer. Trying to balance a work/life combo that includes a new baby.... Who is now 11 months old (as of Oct 1), is pretty much impossible.

I've been doing the whole "single mom" thing for about 80% of the parenting, and that takes a lot of work.

So I do apologize, most seriously, to anyone and everyone who I may have left hanging. This includes my responsibilities to the ATC-ACEO group for events and such. ugh.

I'll get back up to speed once I've relocated and am a bit more stable.

At this time I've been doing Live-streaming sessions to try and generate some cash. As a stay-at-home-mom I generate 0 income, so to get monies to move is a bit difficult.. *sighs*

I'm asking my community, my fellow artisans and crafters, for a little bit of community lovin' and help!

I've seen some artists make their own pendants from smaller pieces of artwork they have. I would love to do this for myself (and no, not going through places like Zazzle, etc - I want to make them myself). However, the general technique eludes me. I know there is more then one way of making them. I have an additional need or three to take into consideration: I need to find a technique that is kid-friendly in a house too small for me to have "art space" of my own. IE - I often work off the family eating space due to lack of space.


I have been wracking my brain for months trying to figure out just what technique to use and what some of these artists do! I've google'd, I've searched YouTube, I've even visited the Micheals website (they have a lot of cool craft vides there!).

I know some of them are pre-made pieces of glass or poly wherein the piece of artwork is glued with a clear glue on the inside. But that is a "cost" per piece too much for me at this time. Faster, less mess, sure, but more expensive in terms of material costs.

I've also seen the resin kits, or Ultra-thick Embossing enamel (aka UTE), used to make pendants. The resin kit I got requires 12 hours to harden and 24 to set. I decided to try it anyway and well... disaster. The resin goo slid off the piece of paper and required a massive clean up. I may have used too much, maybe? I do know that where I put it to protect the resin from dust wasn't flat or stable, (I had thought it was, but it "settled" slightly sideways. It was also LATE and I was TIRED, *sighs*) so the slight tilt was enough to ruin the pieces I was experimenting with. My son then proceedes to try and place his lunch (paper) plate on top of my art......... while it's still sticky (the only flat space I had is out in the open.

I'm afraid UTE may do this too, but I'm not sure on it's dry time requirements?

If I can get a technique down to make pendants, I can move on to things like magnets too. But as of now it's kicking my tail!