StephRatte

Hey all! It's been a very long while since I've updated me journal here, so I thought I should probably at least get rid of the Winter-themed journal because I hate winter and it's finally almost-sort-of-not-really over here in North-Eastern Ontario. I've had a rather uneventful few months, just lurking in the background here on dA. I spend a lot of time working and doing art, and attending the occasional gathering of friends and family. Did a Disney trip in February, which was nice, though it rained most of our days there, but it was just nice to get away from the snow for a week. Erm, nothing much else really. Just letting life pass me by


As y'all may have noticed, I don't really come here all that much anymore... just once or twice a month to mass-upload some stuff, fave and comment on people's art and attempt to catch up on my Message Centre. dA seems to be a little empty nowadays, most of my friends seeming to have moved over to other sites, so like them I have done the same. I am still here, and if you fave and comment on my work, please don't take offense if I don't thank you or reply back... All comments and faves are greatly appreciated and I still love you all immensely . It's not that I dislike dA, I just happen to enjoy the versatility and fandomness of Tumblr a little more. Tumblr is my primary hotspot these days... I have a few Tumblr blogs, but these are the two I'm on the most:
StephRatte - This is my art blog, and I post up WiPs, Fanart Fridays, and anything art-related. Updated at least once a week, sometimes a couple
Myriad of Fandoms - This is my fangirling blog. MoF is where I reblog all my other favourite things to, and is currently inundated with Sherlock  and Benedict Cumberbatch, but I also post up TMNT, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Dragons and anything I find fun and amusing. Mostly my reblogging blog, I hope to also post up some unfinished fanfics or fanfics-in-progress there (like my all my partially written fanfics for TMNT, DWD, Dragons, Megamind and my long-to-still-be-completed Sonic series). I have fun on this one, mostly, and post whenever something catches my eye.

I'd like to eventually have dA as one of the sites I host Fanart Friday on as well, or update it on the Fridays after each week, since I like to link to the Tumblr posts on them. Meh. We'll see. I've quite the backlog of art in my sta.sh, so I'll probably get some of that up within the next few weeks.

Just another thought I had, since I notice it happens at least once a week, please, do not hesitate to suggest or add my art to groups! I am honoured and humbled if my stuff get suggested to groups! I often forget to submit my pics to my normal groups, so you guys suggesting them makes me happy, and makes me remember why I keep doing what I do

Not much else really Hope you all have a great Easter Weekend, and hopefully I'll get back to y'all before summer Heh.

Cheers!
Steph

Holy frig, everyone, HI! Sorry that it has been so long since we all got together here.  I haven't updated my poor journal since May, it seems, and for that, I am sorry! Lots of things going on in my life that I occasionally drop in here now and again to upload some art

So, what's new with me? Had a great few months minus the 2 months I spent sick. I took 3 weeks off in the summer to get myself sorted: In July I went down to see my sister, and in August I took two solid weeks off to basically collect myself... I needed a breather from life in general, kind of avoided everyone and everything. September thru December have been rather uneventful, mostly just spending time with my friends and working on so art that I shouldn't be working on because I have OTHER art obligations that I SHOULD BE doing. And spending a lot of time on my new addictions: the black hole that is Tumblr, and BBC TV series.

Ah, Tumblr. It has become my new addiction. I spend a lot of time over there, moreso than I do here or G+ nowadays. And really, it's not so much of as me posting as it is me fangirling. Seriously, you guys, I need help.  You see, over the summer, my girlfriends introduced me to the AMAZING BBC series, Sherlock. I am sad (or excited?) to say I am irrevocably HOOKED ON THIS SERIES. It's beyond borderline obsession with this show, really, as the majority of the fanbase is pretty awesome, and with the news of the new season airing on BBCOne in just 15 short days, I can't stop fangirling. Tags are the greatest thing ever, seriously. i keep one tab open just for my #Sherlock tag, LOL. Though because S3 is coming up shortly, the tag is starting to get spoilery, and I am sadly going to have to refrain from looking at this tag soon. I love the theories and the fanart and the general love of this fandom. There are a few sour grapes in the fandom (like those 'tards who are pissed about Mary Morstan joining the cast... uh... it IS canon, idiots, if you ever cared to read classic literature), but all in all, being a tumblr girl makes me feel like a 15 year old fangirl squeeling over Twilight. Oi, I didn't want to make that comparison, but really, that's what Tumblr does to the obsessed woman, I think, LOL. Hah. BUT! I don't just fangirl on there (even though I do have a fandom-only related blog there)... I post up new and exciting art over there at least once a week, more than I actually do on G+, and as much as I love dA, I've been kind of using dA as my "last final posting" of pieces. SO!! That said, for those of you who don't know, I've not one but TWO Tumblr blogs that I hope you will all either follow or creepily stalk from the sidelines, LOL!

StephRatte - This is my main art blog, and I post up WiPs, Fanart Fridays, and anything art-related. I usually post up more here that on my G+ or dA accounts, at least a couple months prior to that. Please do check it out, updated at least once a week, sometimes a couple
Myriad of Fandoms - This is my fangirling blog. I created it to keep StephRatte strictly for art. MoF is where I reblog all my other favourite things to, and is currently inundated with Sherlock  and Benedict Cumberbatch, but I also post up TMNT, Kingdom Hearts, Disney, Dragons.... anything I find fun and amusing. Mostly my reblogging blog, I hope to also post up some unfinished fanfics or fanfics-in-progress there (like my all my partially written fanfics for TMNT, DWD, Dragons, Megamind and my long-to-still-be-completed Sonic series). I have fun on this one, mostly, and post whenever something catches my eye. Look at it like my updated-more-than-dA-journal Journal. Hah hah. Fun times.

So there we are. And because it is December, I usually post about this next item.



A little bit delayed this year than I normally am. Thing is, I'm not OFFICIALLY doing Christmas cards of any kind this year (not even for my own family...). There are some financial difficulties for me this year, and a real life event happened in late May in my personal life that kind of made me sour to the whole idea of holidays and Christmas. I spend a lot of time working on the cards for everyone each year and this year I just don't have the time or financial means to pick up cards this year and send them out. I'm not really in the "Christmas Spirit" this year at all, and I just don't have it in me to make beautiful cards for everyone this year.  HOWEVER. I am not opposed to exchanging cards with anyone who is interested this year as long as you don't mind getting them until after Christmas... and I truly feel bad that I don't have the time to draw something for everyone this year, and if you truly honestly would like a card from me and don't mind just a quick pencil sketch in said card, instead, then by all means, please do send me a note with your address, and I will send you a card next weekend. I will be doing the 2 or three cards I am sending off this year this week, but I'll place a deadline as FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 2013, so please, if you are genuinely interested in getting one, let me know and I'll add you to my list of cards receivers. Check back to this journal for updates to the list below (this is more for me so I don't forget who I'm giving cards to. A will go next to them as I finish them):

calicokatt
kittizak
Merani
MaryBellamy
MsLizEzor
Theresa

Again, please note that you won't get your card before Christmas, but I will still send you one at the week's end



First off, I'm still doing my Fanart Friday over on my my Google+ (Steph Ratté) and Tumblr (stephratte.tumblr.com), which then in turn gets uploaded here in large batches a few weeks later. One of these days, probably in the new year, I will also add dA to the list of uploaded sites since dA now also offers scheduled posts, but until then, you can see it on G+ and Tumblr or here on dA through my Twitter Widget. It's fun.

Please, do not hesitate to suggest or add my art to groups! I am honoured and humbled if my stuff get suggested to groups! I often forget to submit my pics to my normal groups, so you guys suggesting them makes me happy, and makes me remember why I keep doing what I do

Also, I tend to leave all comments and faves for a mass "comment reply" where I try to dwindle down my message centre before uploading new art, so a lot of times it will be between a week and a couple months before thanking y'all for your faves. So guys, please know that I appreciate and love EVERY COMMENT AND FAVE you send my way, in case I miss thanking you

In the new year I think I'm going to be doing mini-commissions. I am actually behind in a couple commissions (for my own family, nonetheless), but those being big commissions that I haven't been paid for yet, I would like to do quick $10 commissions of bust illustrations, since I will be going to Disney with money I do not have and need some for spending. They will be nothing special other than they will be for you If you're interested, I can put you on a waiting list and come January, I will post up details.

Is there any interest in making my originals of my fanart for sale? Curious. Like I said, I need quick cash.

The points commissions idea is still on the backburner. Until I can find a viable reason to start them, since dA doesn't even have a proper shop to spend them at anymore, I've been rethinking doing this since I currently have no need to renew my sub nor buy any prints.


And that's all folks! Thanks for visiting, and thank you for continuing to keep up with me

Steph

Hey everyone!! I hope you are all well and had a great holiday season! I really needed to change my journal, so I found this LOVELY beautiful skin and decided to work with it since it is so BITTERLY AWFUL cold out. Hah. It got to -40˚C a couple days ago, damn. Bah.

So my holidays were rather uneventful, spent most of the week I had off at home and visiting family and friends. I got several gift cards from my coworkers, which was a blessed thing because I seriously am broke as a cart without a wheel. Ugh. Got me a few groceries, so that's good. I also got to see my sister calicokatt and her boyfriend a couple weeks ago on an impromptu trip, which was very nice because I honestly don't know when the next time I'll get to see them will be (mainly because I don't know what's going on with my job, so I'm avoiding taking holidays so I won't have to pay the company back for them). *sighs* It's kind of a bummer, but better to be safe than sorry, since I'm pretty broke. I also have had a tooth pulled... which sucked AAAASSSSS. It was one of my root canal teeth that had cracked and got infected, so rather than pay the 2000$ to repair it, I paid 200$ and pulled it. It's all good now, but living two weeks on nothing but mushy food and pain killers SUCKS SO HARD. UGH. Oh well. It's weird now having a gap in my molars. Bah.

My sister gave me some money for Christmas. I bought The Art of Rise of the Guardians. HOLY SHIT, I LOVE these "Art of" books Dreamworks puts out. It's so amazing to me to see the process of how these characters and stories come together. Oh, and Rise of the Guardians is a great movie. Not on the same level as How to Train Your Dragon but it's SO beautiful. Loved Wreck-It Ralph too, bought that "Art of" Book, which was also SO AWESOME. GAHHHH.

What else... OH! I'm hopelessly addicted to the Nickelodeon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. It has been a LONG TIME since a show has made me SO EXCITED for a new episode. I nearly fangirled all over my apartment building when I found out there was a new episode this weekend. Haven't seen it yet, because I download the episodes and am waiting for iTunes Canada to post it... HURRY UP!!!

Nothing much else to say here... On to...



First off, HOLY CRAP I AM AN ART MACHINE! If you've been following me on my Google+ (Steph Ratté) or Tumblr (stephratte.tumblr.com), I've been posting new art every Friday for the last little bit BEFORE I post it here, as part of my Fanart Friday feature (you can also see it on my Twitter feed... scroll down to my Twitter Widget here on my dA and all the links are there! New ones each Friday!). I'm looking at starting something similar here on dA –  'cause I think I'll get more feedback – just as soon as my uploads catch up. Is anyone interested in a dA edition of Fanart Friday? Basically you suggest a character for me to draw, and then if I draw it, you get the hi-res version of it FOR FREE without watermarks or sigtext. Mainly 'cause I love drawing fanart, and it's fun discovering new characters to draw. Let me know, yo.

 I've still a large chunk (like, 20 pics) of stuff sitting in my sta.sh to upload. I like having something new to upload for you guys each weekend, which is why I don't do a mass upload... heh. But I do hope you are enjoying me having more art than I used to

Before a mass upload I do a mass "comment reply" where I try to dwindle down my message centre... So guys, please know that I appreciate and love EVERY COMMENT AND FAVE you send my way, in case I miss thanking you

Please, do not hesitate to suggest or add my art to groups! I am honoured and humbled if my stuff get suggested to groups! I often forget to submit my pics to my normal groups, so you guys suggesting them makes me happy!

I'm thinking of trying out Point Commissions here on dA. I'm still working on the conversions (such as how many points equals how many dollars... I will not give away a drawing for 20 points... that's less than a dollar, thanks. ). In the meantime i am in DESPERATE need of commissions, so until I get my commission sheet done, you can NOTE ME if you're interested, and I'll send you a price quote. Marker coloured Bust illustrations start at $10, full body character cel-shaded starts at 25$. Paypal only please!

I got brave today and decided to try to learn how to do digital painting. I've had an old-assed tablet for YEARS and I have never used it... so after two hours of fighting with it, I finally got it to work in Photoshop and I did a digital illustration, which I thought would be a good start to learn how my tablet works. Quite pleased with myself... I'm always going to be a traditional artist, but I've come to realize that if I'm going to EVER advance my career, I need to learn some digital techniques beyond making pretty backgrounds in Photoshop. I think I'm going to have to try a little bit at a time each night, so as to build up my speed and skill. Not to brag, but I'm awesome at adapting... I'm just... hesitant at doing it. Because I love doing things the old-school way. And my art is so organic when done the traditional way. Working with the tablet was WEIRD, but after playing with it for 4 hours, it suddenly MADE SENSE. Strangest thing in the world. And if you're wondering... It's a bigass 12' x 8' tablet that works OKAY... would love a WACOM, but never going to be able to afford one or justify buying one... until I can upgrade my digital skills. BUT DON'T FEAR, MY FRIENDS I will never stop drawing with pencils and markers. Why the HELL would I get rid of the things that made you guys like my art in the first place?!? That's so silly!

OH! I almost forgot... I will be posting a "Freezing art four days" soon because I requested in one a short while ago Not sure when, but soon... May take a short break from Fanart Friday and do this instead.

C'est ça for art stuff! Thanks everyone for joining me, and I hope you continue to visit!!

Steph

• Digital Colouring project: Leonardo

• Digital Colouring project: Hiccup and Toothless (that will get finished SOON I promise)

• Traditional media tutorial

• Fanart Friday pics