NetherStray

Feeling unmotivated lately toward creative things. I haven't written in my main book project for a while, and though I don't want to abandon it, it's been hard to get back into it. I may need to rewrite the current chapter's direction. I've been interested in other things, but nothing that's really taken form. Also I arrived at my last sketchpad page. Whoops. 
No Minecraft lately, not much WoW rp lately, and drawing fan art--while fun--always feels like I'm wasting time that should be put toward my original work. I need to either turn one of my side projects into a real project or I need to get my butt in gear toward the existing project. 
Aside from that, I've started working again and I've been dealing with some related/unrelated stresses. Friends have been great as always, so it's all just sort of a personal malaise that I'm good at keeping hidden. Often when I get stressed or feel downtrodden, I get this attitude in which I have to prove that I'm fine, that I'm capable, and that while things are wrong they aren't bad enough to slow me down. 
But if I'm going to do that, I need something to be doing it toward. I can't just do it without a goal in mind. I think it might help if I work more though, just to keep my mind off things and give me something to actually work against. Creativity dries up without adversity.

What are they? No one is sure, but I think I'd like to earn some. 

Aside from that, I was wondering if anyone would have interest in the original .PSD files for some of my work. Sometimes I'm asked how I accomplished a particular look, and I'm hesitant to make the file downloadable. But if there was a barrier to entry--a toll, in this case--to prevent people from grabbing things left and right to repost, I think I'd be more comfortable doing it.

I'm going to make a few of my favorite pieces available for points. Are there any in particular I should make available?

Writing in a few forms. For one, I've been busy working on my book, which takes place in the universe my "Severnim" gallery folder depicts. Another writing project has been roleplay in Skype. Now, I realize this doesn't make much sense in terms of a writing project, per se, but the roleplay has grown completely out of hand. We've started adapting it into a full-fledged story, changing the present tense words to past tense and dividing it up into chapters. At first we were keeping it in one long document, but after it hit the 100 page mark, I decided it was time to carve it up into more manageable pieces.

You can read the first (short) chapter here on Wattpad. www.wattpad.com/104358837-luci…
Or, if you prefer, you can read it here on ReadWave. www.readwave.com/lucifer-almig…
Of important note: If you do not enjoy alternative depictions of religious subjects, you may not enjoy this story. Keep in mind it is complete fiction and not meant to reflect on anyone's personal beliefs.

Yes, you certainly can. I've always been iffy about payment for commissions though, so let me lay out the reasons. 

1. PayPal is annoying. If something happens to the money you're expecting to receive, tough shit, because their customer service is terrible. Also, if done incorrectly, PayPal takes a percentage of it. 
2. I have to be paid up front. I just do. I've been burned before in cases where I'll allow a friend to pay after the work is complete (but before I give them the piece) and they decide they've changed their mind. If I do the work, I get paid, and up front payment is the only way to really ensure that.
3. It sometimes takes a lot of time to get something done correctly. Please, please, please have patience! Sometimes I just can't get my head in the right space to do a good job on a drawing, so I'll ask for a little more time to get it right. I am by no means a professional and my creativity and "flow" are hard to switch on whenever I want. Just remember: if these were easy things for me to do at will, I'd have written an entire book, made three Minecraft resource packs, and would have many other projects complete!

When commissioning me, there are some things that you can do in order to make sure I have my head in the right mindset when drawing your character.

• Describe them as best you can to me. What do they do? What kind of personality do they have? Are there any mainstream characters from movies or games that they're similar to?
• Check out my other art. Most of my character work is in the Severnim and Warcraft folders of my gallery, and I try to keep my Finished Work folder up to date with drawings. When you find stuff you like, make a list of it and send it to me. I'll refer to those drawings to try and better understand what kind of piece you're after.
• If you'd like a particular style of coloring, find an example and send it my way. I'm willing to try anything and I'll give you a sample before working on the entire piece to make sure you're satisfied.

Halfway through the work, I always give a preview to see if any changes need to be made. 

• DO: Specify which small details need to be added, expressions changed, or any other small changes that need to be made. Use my previous work as a preview for the finished work.
• DO NOT: Ask for the entire thing to be redone, ask for a different character altogether (unless it's a matter of just adding some pointy ears or other small changes), insult my work, or demand that I work as fast as another artist. If there are any problems due to me being the one to do the work, then the solution is to commission someone else.

It's here, actually, along with most of the other things I've worked on: sites.google.com/site/severnim…