The Ungalled Hart

  The thrill of the upcoming FFXIV expansion has inspired me to create some fan art featuring my own Warrior of Light. Fan art for your own player character is very popular among FFXIV players, and I am no different. What I had in mind was to incorporate my character into the official FFXIV posters. This, of course, would first require changing my character into the art style of all the posters. In all of the FFXIV posters and game trailers there is a stand-in used to represent every player character. He is a tall brown-haired man just referred to as “Meteor Survivor.” You find him in every expansion game poster. This is great because with a little effort I can just replace the stand-in with my own player character.   I spent some time creating my white mage with a dress that is a little different from what I wear in game. This is because my in-game outfit is the same as a main character (Ryne) from the Shadowbringers expansion. It would look strange if two characters were wea...

  I play FFXIV online and I used to play primarily as a Summoner. As the class underwent adjustments that changed what I loved most about it I started playing other roles. Lately, I’ve been playing as a White Mage or Reaper but there's an undeniable allure of being a Summoner, and whenever I venture alone into the wilds of Eorzea, I find myself drifting back. Everyone knows that the best part about being a Summoner is the carbuncles. For those uninitiated, carbuncles are magical, chubby rabbit-otter like creatures that valiantly fight by the side of Summoners during fierce battles. They are adorable and I thought a few might look right at home along the edge of my Shadowbringers artbook. To do this project I started by taking a few in-game screenshots of carbuncles while adventuring through Eorzea. Next, I measured the length and height of the book’s edge so I would know the size of the space I had to work with. Armed with my visual references, I sketched and inked out my carbuncl...

Late July is right around the time the yearly Gish event would have been. The Greatest International Scavenger Hunt (Gish) was created by Misha Collins and it aimed to raise money for charities, while infusing the world with a sense of whimsy. Participants formed teams and attempted to complete as many unique and strange art challenges as possible. I didn’t know at the time that 2022 would likely be the last Gish event ever and I’m glad I was able to participate. Although Gish has come to an end, some kind-hearted people still maintain the lists of the challenges online. If you're seeking a bit of creative fun in your life I highly recommend exploring these lists. Recently, I was looking over what I created last year and became inspired to create illustrations for one of my favorite submissions. Item #161 from the 2022 Gish list asked participants to take two short poems from vastly different genres of poetry and rearrange the words to form an entirely new poem. Combining two or mo...

While attending a recent quilt fair, I stumbled across a pattern that would make the perfect office purse. The design was for a smaller modern doctor’s bag. This style of bag is actually called a ‘gladstone’ bag but became heavily associated with doctors and physicians who used them to carry all their medical supplies when they made house calls. The bag is known for the metal framing sewn inside that allows the bag to hold shape while open. Though traditionally made of high-quality leather, I decided to give it a contemporary twist by opting for textured fabric and adding a zipper, creating a professional yet updated look. The pattern was by Byhands Hand Craft, and I found it to be user-friendly with detailed step-by-step instructions accompanied by helpful pictures. While the pattern only called for fabric, I decided to purchase leather online to incorporate into the bottom and top sections of the purse. Although this choice created some challenges during the sewing process, I liked t...

  I am always drawn to Coliro watercolors and their captivating shimmers and sparkles. I recently decided to paint them into my own potion bottle illustrations for a quick reference guide. It can often be difficult to gauge how a watercolor will appear in actual use, so making these paint references will be incredibly helpful when selecting colors. A little warning about Coliro Watercolors. What you are seeing in the images is Coliro at their best. Direct light brings out the beautiful colors and shimmers but they do not look this way in the dark, dim, or even normal lighting. When not under direct light the colors appear dull and muddier. In my experience, the best way to utilize Coliro watercolors is to accent regular watercolors when you need a little shimmer in your artwork. Sometimes, I use Coliro to paint cards that I send to friends, knowing that they may not immediately look stunning upon opening the envelope, but hoping that as they hold the card it will catch the light ...

  I always find that framing adds a finishing touch to any art piece. For example, even a small, simple cross stitch, like my Flying Pig , can look more finished and a little bit more medieval in a gilded frame. Recently, I also framed my completed Rabbits and Book Curse cross stitches, and I couldn't be happier with how they turned out I know that framing can be very expensive, so I always keep the measurements for my unframed art in my phone and carry around a small soft fabric tape measure whenever I visit thrift shops or look at garage sales, just in case I find an interesting frame that might work. I’ve found some fantastic and less expensive frames this way. Sometimes when dealing with artwork of unusual sizes you have to have a custom frame made. Even though this is more expensive - when it comes to cross stitches, a professional framer can actually do more than just the frame the piece. They can use ‘pinning’ to secure your fabric to a foam board backing which ensures tha...