I have been wanting to start this big project for a few months but have not organized it enough to build something solid. In order for that to happen I need others to work with me... but how are they going to volunteer if there is no source available to refer to? Thus my reason for writing this post... "Awareness through Creativity" That is the goal and main reason behind putting this project together. In this post I shall attempt to highlight the main ideas and thoughts related to this project... so that anyone interested in volunteering or participating any amount of energy and creativity can refer back to this. WHAT IS IT? Creative awareness is a project (soon to expand into a group) focusing on using creativity to promote awareness of the harm and danger that some species are in. IUCN has been kind enough to put together the Red List of various conservation statuses for all kingdoms of Earth. Our focus is to promote awareness for these lists in the hopes that awareness shall result in action (help). Although we are going to be focusing on awareness we are going to do another cool thing: artists shall create art of the Red Listed species in the style and medium they choose. These art creations shall then be auctioned off (some online while others in person) with all of the funds going towards that species (or kingdom if general). We are going to slowly start by promoting awareness, in that time gaining the interest of many artists and supporters. During this time I am going to focus on contacting organizations and groups that are already working on awareness and support of Red Listed species through different methods. The goal would be to work with these groups and organizations in helping the species survive and flourish. Not all art created for this is going to be auctioned off! All we are doing is making art - by making art we are showing others just how beautiful these species are and mentioning they need help. Humans would then appreciate your art and in turn wonder why such a beautiful species is in danger... then start digging and doing research... thus our goal of awareness getting accomplished. We are going to do auctions for those artists who want to make art that directly contributes to Red Listed Species. Auctions are totally different from the awareness aspect of this project. WHY WOULD WE DO THIS? As an artist I realize that I have a tool that most other professions might not: the ability to inform in a fun way. I can inform others in a creative way that they can enjoy and learn from. As such I think it should be simple if artists focused on just making other become aware of the harm and lack of life that is increasing day by day. By using creativity to help us, we can make the awareness not look like advertisements - the awareness we create is not advertisements! We are not gathering money to give to corporations or for us to use to party with - we want to use our abilities, talents, and passion to do a good cause for our planet. By doing something we already love with just a slight twist we can really make a difference! PROJECT GOALS These are the goals that I hope this project can achieve by March 2018 (in no particular order).
TO DO LIST Grand list of things that need to be done in order for this project to take off.
YOU WANT TO DO SOMETHING?
If you want to help in any way possible then please do not hesitate to contact me through the contact page on this blog, or any other social networks I am on. Things that you might be thinking about but are not sure if they are important in sharing with me... but trust me they are important.
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Hi all! I have been working on a very large project for a month now. I have been getting too distracted making other art and thus have not been putting enough time into this. I created a group on dA for now but eventually this is going to be transferred over to a website as well. The reason behind that is I want the dA part to be intractable while the website is more of a guide or a book for any viewer. What is it you ask? It is an ARPG world...not an ARPG itself as I have not created any official breed or species (not yet). I guess some players might consider this as an ARPG as it has all of the other functions minus a new breed/species. I have created some characters that already have roles laid out while I work on getting the characters from other ARPGs to have roles as well. The main idea behind this project is not a species or a breed... the entire concept is based on a fantasy world based off of real world settings. I took the closest place near me that actually happened to have a lot of history and used that as a building base - Yosemite National Park. The entire ARPG is actually an Estate that sits on the very edge of Yosemite National Park. The Estate has multiple grounds: open grounds that are open for anyone to use freely and closed grounds that are reserved for specific reasons or require registry. One of the open grounds is actually a chunk of land (wild area) that acts as a "safe zone" called Ess'aro Woodlands. This area opens up first to Yosemite National Park BUT because the actual park is connected to other I have incorporated those in as well....meaning the playing ground just went from big to overly huge. So for those that are on dA and want to get some more information or stay up to date for the official grand opening then please visit Sandhu Estates and make sure you watch or join the group! Currently the things that I am working on with this ARPG:
I just put together this nifty animated icon to use as the group icon using MS PowerPoint: I'll be taking trips up to Yosemite shortly to start working on the field guide and landscape art. Everything is going to be created as ACEOs so that they can be stored nicely. And yes some are going to be available for purchase upon completion.
All feedback welcomed and highly appreciated on this project! ParadoxARPG: I decided to put together a small website for my ARPG stuff as it was going to start cluttering up this blog with all of the categories and pages I had outlined. All commission slots and other availabilities related to ARPGs are going to be posted there now. My commissions page here is going to have a link out to it for those that are interested. Blog Updates: The commissions page has been changed (still under construction though). I have decided to not create a personal website and instead use my DeviantArt profile as my website. Having a core membership allows personalization plus subfolders for storing art... and it is way cheaper than getting a custom URL and buying a membership on other website builders. My Terms of Service and my official Commission Rules & FAQ are going to be published on dA as well along with my Main Listing for commissions. The commissions page here is going to have a link to all of the important information and then to the commission listings as well. I am keeping the page here not too cluttered as the purpose is to provide non-dA users a method of contacting me. I have created custom commission forms for my main 3 categories which you do not need to register any where for in order to fill out. These forms are a way of making invoices for me and so I'll actually be linking them on my dA account as well. I think it is smart to start doing invoices to keep track of everything. Still working on a logo along with a main theme and background that is going to be used here along with dA to keep things more connected. Intro: I did not think that I would succeed in getting commissions so quickly... Once I posted the sale up I got 9 new commissions plus one from my regular price listing... so I have roughly 10 commissions that need to be completed. So yes it makes sense that I got lazy in posting any art any where... you can expect this to stay as is for the rest of this month as I am spending every free moment in making art instead of spending time online. Once I have art trades and such out of the way for this month then I'll be free to start posting again online (IG, dA, and AFA plus this blog).
What I created: plenty of things!!! Too many to take images of as they are all either in pencil or only marker outlined (not colored). The only colored art I have are 4 betwinchies done for the #smallcanvaschallenge2017 plus my first attempt at Steampunk art. I also got 3 total Equines registered for ARPG (2 lovely Dyurs and a Moritzburger sport horse). I'll post those guys later when I have the rest of the registries completed and the other 3 steampunk ATCs done. So far...the small canvas challenge seems to be going great. We are getting participants making things on and off during the week on Instagram. I managed to complete 4 more tiles for week two and sketch out the next 3. I have decided it was better if I just posted them as sets by week when I get them done instead of posting them one at a time.. but it seems Instagram likes to see art one at a time. Enough with the ranting... Same materials as usual - absolutely nothing new was used. Sharpie for the nice cutting edges plus watercolor pencils, white gel pen, and Stadler liner. I am going to say that I am most proud of the Mt. Fuji emoji betwinchie that I made... I really got to test out my skills with water, reflections, and snow. I really love this tile...and I think this one and a few others might get carried over to ACEOs pretty soon. Happy easter everyone! For those that don't celebrate like me - just enjoy the sugar! I'll have a Easter themed Pocket Letter to share here shortly once it reaches its destination.... plus some more ATCs I made to put up for trades that are Easter themed as well. And...happy arting everyone! Let's make the rest of this month creative and productive! Intro: Recently I learned that creating IDs for everything seems to work best especially when sharing it on social media and for passing the word around quick...plus it makes it easier for the audience to get the information that is key without throwing too many words at them. I decided to create some test IDs for commissions first to see if I could even make them... What I created: I did not create an official template as I want it to be made once I have my logo and website up (I want it to match those colors). I used the handy dandy Microsoft Office Program slide designs available to create a nifty commissions ID. I am pleased with how calm and lovely it looks (for a first timer). I am liking the color so much that I am thinking about making my website to match (but that is not going to be). First: to celebrate the whole idea of commissions and finally launching them I am doing a 50% off sale on ACEOs. I have limited slots available with specific categories as these are the categories I am going to use on my website. The only main reason behind the discount is - I am asking for a well written review/critique in return. Once the commissions is completed you must sign the guestbook or do a critique if on DeviantArt. I am trying to put together a page of commissions that have feedback so that future customers can have something to look at before making a decision. There are a total of 48 slots... so if all the slots fill up I'll have 48 reviews to add to my profile. And the customers get 50% off the original price on custom ACEOs! A win-win situation for everyone (I think). Second: This is just a mock-up...still testing the waters on this ID. I want to create an official ID for each canvas size I make as I'll be making an official listing for each canvas size (I am going to charge by canvas then further by my art stage). I do not think I'll be officially launching these till I have actual art I am happy to show off. I did think of another idea... perhaps I should set this up like a calendar? I would have the price, canvas details, and other relevant information in a small section at the bottom with my name and title at the top. Majority of the entire ID (95%) would be just images set up like in a calendar in the middle. I feel that the current ID mock-up has too much words and not enough images... The thing is: when I'll be uploading these IDs I'll have an "About" or "description" section where I'll write up all the details... including available slots and rules and such. So I thought, if I already am using another spot for words then why repeat?
Still thinking it over..... Hello dear reader and visitor! As you might have noticed that more pages have been added to the navigation. Not all of the pages have been officially published as I am working on adding more content and changing some things around. Please be patient while I work on making this place better for you. Some things that have been added:
Intro: For those that are interested in this form of snail mail art please read: Deco 101 I have listed details on what I am willing to accept for books plus details on my own books. At the end of this post are instructions on what to do with any of my deco books if you are going to be or have worked on them. Details on Deco Books that I can take: I prefer to work with these mediums: markers, watercolor pencils, watercolor paints, acrylic paint, distress inks, color brush pens, other inks, and detailers (white gel pens or multiliners). Themes I prefer to work on: Any! I am open to any themes but I do love these as I feel more comfortable with them: goddesses, whimsical, pigs, owls, pandas (black&white or red), butterflies, drinks (tea, coffee, etc), food, animals, people (portraits or full body in realistic, comic, or anime form), fashion, flowers, nature (I love mother goddess), curiosity cabinets (kunstkammer), tarot cards, affirmation or oracle cards, origami, steampunk, gothic, victorian, girly (pink and glittery), dragons, pirates, fairy tales, marigolds, roses, harpy eagles, hawks, fantasy creatures, ARPG related, willing to try something new. Not willing to work on anything that requires gore, profanity, promoting a religion (I like making art related to religion but I'll not be promoting any), hard-core politics, suggestive... My Deco Books - Information These are my deco books that have yet to leave my house or are in transit but need artists. I have linked some Pinterest Boards that somewhat help with the theme of each book (if one is available) to help you get some ideas. I have some deco books in the following format: Deco book Name | theme | size | total number of pages in book | number of pages completed | medium | extra info | Pinterest Board | current location | next location
Binding: I am a bit picky on binding...and because my OCD kicks in during binding I like to get pages for anything that I am making done first before I bind them. I am okay with working on pages for something that was bought with the binding already done but if binding is an option that can be completed later then I prefer it that way. I personally feel that the binding sometimes prevents us from creating properly (it does for me). Don'ts: same things that I am not willing to work on are not to be included in my deco books...pretty please. Some nudity is allowed but nothing crazy. Try to keep the religious and political themes tuned down a little but they are not entirely banned. Absolutely no gore or extreme violence. I have a bunch of nephews and nieces that love to look at these so please keep that in mind. Mailing Details: Sending a whole book eventually starts costing more than 1 stamp and for this reason I offer you two options. Either you can make the pages yourself (following the measurements listed here) or I can mail the number of pages you would like to work on along with your trade. Please send me an email at ParadoxSketchbook @ gmail dot com if you are interested in these or get in touch with me on any social network that I am on. I want to get these ones done before opening a few other ones that I have prepared (odd shaped ones). What to do with my deco books.
Intro: I have started a project over on Kickstarter to finally take the steps that I need in order to bring the Paradox Sketchbook to life. I have to start somewhere and having prints available is a good starting point for a beginner like me. Samples: Below are some samples that I picked for anyone wanting to see what I have created using basic art materials bought from local stores (mainly Walmart). Imagine the quality and details that can improve if the materials that I worked with were better... ACEO - 2.5" x 3.5"Postcard - front - 4" x 6"ACEOs made for tradesThoughts: so you might be wondering where I plan on going with this? The goal in steps is to first get the high quality materials that are going to allow high quality art to be created. Then step 2 would be to get the materials needed to make high quality prints available for purchase. Once these two steps have been completed then the third step would be to set up shop. Mainly I would set up shop online but once in a while attend events and shows where I can have prints and other goodies available for purchase.
Now you might be wondering where is this going? What's the big deal on getting art prints out? The idea is to get fans... to spread the word about my name (the Paradox Sketchbook). I care about my fans and thus want to put effort into getting quality materials and a quality shop set up. I want to build a fan base so that in the end I can offer my fans something unique - publish my illustrated story. I want to get the story published first then work on a trading card game based off of it. I would think if my fans see that I care so much about them to put extra work into building up efforts and abilities so that what I give to them is my best work possible. If they see that I care then I would hope they return the favor and support me when I take on the journey to illustrate my story and release the trading card game. Call for critiques/suggestions! I randomly made this ATC with no plan as to how to finish so now I am stuck. Any suggestions on what I could do to finish this portrait off? I have been wanting to avoid adding the ears and hair on, even the neck but I personally do not like how this looks right now. Any ideas? Intro: As you already know I have plenty of portraits sketched out and ready to go. They are on their final stages, with the guided lines that I use to paint already set up on watercolor paper. All of them are 4"x6" and waiting for my to lay down paint on them. I do believe I have now roughly 24 total faces with half of them painted and completed. Below are the first pair that I actually got requests for during the 29 Faces Challenge. What I created: again, 4"x6" postcards done on Canson watercolor paper using Reeves watercolor paints and normal white gel pen with Le Pen marker for detailing. Face #11 - plumhill2001 (Lisa R.) She has given me permission to keep the original as a part of my portfolio. She provided me 3 references to work with and I found this one to be the most unique as it is not a simple selfy done with a mobile phone. This makes me wonder if I can get enough volunteers to sign up for a Selfy project... Face #12 - zandradee (Rebecca W.) I have got permission to keep this portrait in my portfolio as well. I really liked how the realistic anime approach worked out with this portrait - something that I need to practice. Define Selfy (Project): I mentioned it in face #11 so might as well give some details on it. I am hoping to get roughly 20 people to sign up for this project or more (even better if I get more). I think it'll be interesting to see how people take selfies, not just using a mobile phone. I'll limit a "normal" and modern selfy to only one individual from the group of volunteers and request that everyone else tries something different. It'll be hard to get volunteers as not that many people like getting paintings done of themselves. Limiting the use of phones might not be a good idea... but it would be less unique if everyone who volunteered used a phone. It would be free of charge of course... all you have to do is send me a reference picture to work with and be okay with getting a printed copy of the original work.
I really want to do this project, especially near September. Let me know if you are interested? Any tips or ideas maybe...? Intro: I know I have not posted anything in awhile as I have been focusing more on making art instead of sharing it online. Activity has been low from me on all sites, except for Instagram but I am only playing catch-up on there.
What am I making? I have been making all sorts of things... I for one spent a lot of time on DeviantArt.com just catching up with users that I follow. I have been scouting on there for plenty of things like references and good photographers who offer stock to be used for painting - I found plenty of good ones that do not have crazy rules. I have also gotten addicted to this new habit of the virtual world called adopts! I made a new account on dA for just adopts (ParadoxAdopt.deviantart.com) where I posted only three characters so far. I did create roughly 23 already that are ready to be posted. Because of this, some people only let you adopt if you make them art in return so I have some art requests that need to be done. Look at how lazy I am getting at providing links...tsss. I was chatting up with a fellow artist via FaceBook and learned about a new art site - ArtStation.net. Has anyone used this website before? I went ahead and made an account on there... I am not sharing at this time as I have not posted any art on there. I am still trying to understand the atmosphere there and the how-tos of the website. For those that are waiting on something from me: I am going on vacation (out of country) for 2 weeks in March so I would not be able to create any art. I am going to have some limited access to the net during this time, so I should be able to stay in touch but I'll have to work on art when I get back. I am going to try to finish some things before leaving but no promises.... with that, this is where my list of things to do stands at this time concerning art:
ARPG Update: I figured updates on this topic were due as it'll become a big part of my art now. You'll be seeing art of my characters and personal ARPG group (SandhuEstates.deviantart.com) coming up. The list above gave a hint at some things. I have been writing drafts (all saved to Gmail at this time) that need to be posted to the group. One point of creating this group was to provide an easy access for myself to settings (places, locations, etc) for my stories and characters. If a world was already established with details then it makes things easier to just have the characters adventuring in said world. Another reason for this group was: I have been meaning to make my own field guide for some time now. This group gives me the base for doing so. My first main project is going to be focused on making art for plants (and the like) on tea bags. I'll then attach those tea bags to pages in a journal to create a field guide. It'll have a feeling of scrapbooking, bullet journal, plus visual journal/collage book. I am trying to decide for the other categories what kind of canvas I should use. I really like the idea of recycling so I'll have to do some research. Recently in the EAU forum thread (ATCsForAll) there was discussion on recycling old Monopoly game cards. I might have to get some myself to use for my field guides. I want each category to have a different media... the categories being: plants, amphibians, insects, reptiles, mammals, other creatures & beasts. Final thoughts: I do not think I'll be sharing art on here for another 2 weeks or so.. unless I am able to put together a post while on vacation - but no promises. |
Author: RejiI used to be a digital artist but switched back to traditional art as I feel more connected with the art I create this way. Currently, I create art whenever I can for art trades and commissions. I have worked with clay (earth clay to modern forms like Polymer, Sculpey, even Air Dry clay) along with watercolors, acrylics, oil paints, pastels, charcoal, pen and pencil drawings, India ink, Chinese Colors, wires, felt fabric, yarn, weaving, basket making, and the list goes on and on. I am currently working on exploring nail art, make-up, dress making, scrapbooking, and small canvas art. Archives
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