Hi all, I know I haven't put a journal entry up since the first one a couple weeks ago.

I'm sorry to report that my main hard drive on my computer was infected with a serious virus issue and my artwork ceased because I had to get it repaired as I wasn't able to get anything scanned and my current documents were on it. I backed them up in my slave but somehow when I wiped and reloaded the drive it went over into my spare and eradicated it. So now everything I backed up got deleted in the process when it shouldn't have been touched. So now I've been spending my time trying to rebuild my data and finding out what I had managed to get on my external drive. All of the copies I have of what's here on DA was lost so I have to inventory and rescan what I've done.

I thought to revel in the fact that unlike some who deal in nothing but digital media, I wanted to share with you my artistry system of how my drawings are created.

Fortunately all my works are done on paper and colored with a number of inking tricks then digitally scanned. After a minor color tinting and sharpening with generic scaning software to enhance a few color blends I then insert the text. All in all, it's a time consuming process that is actual done in the method of animation which is where my art interests come from. Below are the steps I do to create a picture, which I'm working on compacting:

Step 1: Pencil sketch
step 2: Photocopy lightly by 2 shades
Step 3: Inking photocopy (like tracing to crispen)
Step 4: Laserjet copy (solidifies ink)
Step 5: Coloring (marker brand is CLASSIFIED)
Step 6A: Laserjet and size
Step 6B: Add colored pencil and digital scan

When the sixth step is done it depends on whether sometimes my markers, despite a 39 color pallete and mixing certain colors I need a grainy of unobtainable effect with markers. I always print out three copies of each step in case mistakes are made I can scrap one sheet and start again. Also, scraps are sometimes intentionall made mistakes to test color schwatches. The final drawing takes anywhere from 2 hours to as much as an entire week of time if it requires lots of characters and colors with super details.

There you have it, you havemy style except my inks. Sorry, but all artists have to have some secrets! I had hoped to open for commissions and I want to branch out into additional characters. I love doing conceptual artwork and my machining background has done great things for me in understanding perspectives of background and sizing. I have now about five drawings on the backburner that are giving me setup fits so I hope to have something new or get more of my old drawings scanned again and reposted, as well as improvements on some.

And if you like my courtesan ponies, stay tuned because sometimes soon the Queen of Kovelan herself shall make her oyal debute! That's all for now, see you all around the artist loft!