No More Updates Here, Go to New Website for Updates!

Hey everyone! Just an update to keep everyone in the loop.

With my new website the journal feature let me transfer all the posts from this blog over there but if I update here I can't update my website's blog with those posts, soooooooo.... I have to update my blog over there. So if you'd like to keep following my blog and updates about my artwork I will be focusing on posting all of that at my website's blog HERE!

I'll be leaving this blog up but I won't be updating from here anymore. If social media has taught me anything its' that I hate cross-posting to half a dozen websites when I could be using that time to make more art. So for now updates with my work will be on my website's blog, and facebook.

Thanks for sticking with me and I hope you'll join me on this next chapter of my art career!

www.FranRowanArt.com

Convention Excitement and New Website Update

Sorry for the radio silence everyone! It's been a mixed bag of bothersome snow, overtime at work, and health issues :< However I am happy to report, if you haven't seen it on my Facebook page yet, that I have secured a booth at Virginia Comicon's 2 day event this November 22nd- 23rd! In what spare time I can manage to grab I've been writing lists, working on the next Alencia book, working on prints as well as button and sticker ideas, and even figuring out how to get my hands my on a standing banner to bring to conventions! I'm SO excited by the possibilities for cons this year. I still won't get to attend as many as I would like due to my full time job but it just makes the ones I can attend that much more special.

I'm also hoping to snag a table for Nekocon this year. I was very impressed with how far Neko's Artist Alley had come since I last tabled there in 2010. While fan art is still prominent there were so many original comic creators (and crafters!) that it made my heart sing! At last one of my most accessible anime conventions has become more welcoming to original content creators. However I have to wait till the first week of May to register so fingers crossed!

In the mean time here is a sneak peek at a work in progress print I'm currently painting:

Also you may have noticed in the previous post that I have been tinkering with wordpress in an attempt to get a blog/portfolio site together as a main hub for my artwork. Well Wordpress has not worked out for me, but instead I've started a site using SquareSpace. I'm still working on getting my domain name attached to it but GoDaddy is not as user friendly as I would like >_> And while I have figured out how to do this in the past I'm still having trouble so please bare with me. Until then you can see my new site (with this blog attached to it!) at Francesca-rowan.squarespace.com/ I'm really loving the interface and that fact that I could import my entire blog over to it. I'm going to start experimenting with updating the blog from my website so we'll see how that goes but I might hold off so folks who have stuck to this blog so long can still enjoy my updates without missing anything. But when/if I start doing blog updates from there I'll give this blog a heads up so no one misses it.

Speaking of missing updates, if you follow me on Facebook be sure to follow these instructions so you can keep seeing updates from the pages you like (otherwise Facebook will try to corner us into paying for people to actually see our updates. I'm thinking about breathing some life into my google+ page or making a new one. Would anyone be game for that?)

So as I go on I'll be sure to share more peeks at con goodies as I make them. Stay tuned and as always, thanks for sticking with me! <3

MYST: The Adora Saga

Hey Everyone!
As today is a snow day from work AND I finally feel like I'm getting over this second head cold I decided to get some artwork done today. First is an illustration I was commissioned to do for the 'Adora Blog' where hundreds of artists have created their own rendition of the adorable Adora and where her father blogs about her adventures. I chose my theme from a long list that was written out and when I saw MYST was an option, I jumped on it!

Done with a mix of pencil, colored pencil, ink, copic markers, and Photoshop.
I'm also currently working on an illustration for possible convention prints, finishing the second Alencia book, and doing thumbnails for Unintentionally Alice, a comic project Ryan and I are both working on. I'm also still trying to figure out how to turn my wordpress blog into the perfect portfolio/blog hub but just when I think I've got it figured out I realize I really don't. I'm gonna keep working on it but if anyone has any tips about how to have a porfolio page and a blog on there please let me know. Here is what I have so far if you'd like to take a look and give me your feedback. Idealy I'd like to have a tab for just my portfolio (so it's kind of like my Carbonmade page) and then on another tab have the blog part where I can talk about WIP and my creative process. At this rate I might just stick to blogger and Carbonmade but it just doesn't feel quite professional enough :/

Anyway thanks in advance for any feed back!
Back to work for me!

Drawing Dump 2014 Part II

Hello all! Continuing from the last sketch dump, here's some more sketches I've been filling my sketchbook with~

Practice page of Lor's story drawn in my sketchbook. I just needed to get this little reunion out of my head and on paper.

I started to give myself a new little persona for whenever I draw myself. I found a troll with stubby horns to be fitting and enjoy drawing her/me. So here she is being sassy in a maid costume because of reasons.

I started drawing this female knight and when I got to her arm I realized it was a boring pose so to spice it up I gave her a bone arm. I think she's cursed but over time changed her armor and started using her curse as what makes her special. I want to redo this as a full color illustration for my artbook I'm trying to cook up.

A Hime Lolita styled mouse girl. Drawn while playing around with more Alice concept art. Might turn into a character or illustration idea later.
Stay tuned for more artwork, and thanks for sticking around!

Drawing Dump 2014 Part I

Hello all! Things have been busy around here, but pleasantly so! Lots of birthdays being celebrated (my own included as I have ascended to level 26!) and I am left with a feeling being loved. I manged to have a lot of friends over to my new house for the first time and having a house full of people I care about has been recharging! Also now my house is REALLY clean.
Art-ing has been sporadic due to weekends being full of things to do but I've manged get some sketches together that I've done recently.

Sketch of Alice from an upcoming comic project. Just her admiring a new outfit she's put together.

A character design where the idea was to have a troll-like character who is a mage and uses two enchanted clubs as magic wands for casting spells. She also enjoys 'pretty' things like jewelry and dresses.

Brush pen drawing done as a gift for my fiance'. I'm very happy with how this turned out.
Aside from sketches I've also started a new blog! It's about my love of fashion and my personal journey of getting more involved with Lolita fashion. It's been fun so far and is my way of getting acquainted with Wordpress blogs.

I've also decided to leave FurAffinity and have chosen to migrate to "Weasyl" under the advice of some friends. So I'll be posting anthro art over there. Lately I've been working on concept art and story with Ryan for our next comic project, "Unintentionally Alice" and since it's an anthro story I'll be posting sketches and drawings over there for it too. But of course these drawings will make their way over here as well.

So with that I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend!
More art to come!

<3

Vanishing Man

I remember a few months ago seeing some illustrations, I think they were art deco in style, where there was a solid black background and some figures in the foreground of who you could only see their heads and hands, their bodies were suggested in the black background. I thought it was really interesting and fed right into my love of using spot blacks in my comic work so I drew up this little drawing of Lor and her Necromancer friend looking determined.

Done on postcard sized Deleter paper with ink, colored in Photoshop.
Been doing some writing of Lor's stories, hoping to get started on some sample comics soon to start getting a feel for how I want to do them (actually did one in my sketchbook, going to scan it soon!). And yes I will finish that Alencia book soon >_>

2013 Art in Review

Decided to follow suite with Jingles and post my own 2013 art summery. It feels like ages since I've done any prop making but I'm hoping to get back to work on my Alencia statue soon. I just picked up this awesome book and I'm ready to take another go at it.

I'm hoping to barrel through this year doing more and learning more~

New Years WIP

Hello all! I hope you all had a fun and safe new years celebration!

I spent today aggressively cleaning my house, leveling up Pokemon, and trying to work on some digital work that I've been meaning to finish. Case in point, my Lor the Gravedigger illustration that I started earlier this year. I was happy to find that through my work on it today I was able to figure out how to successfully (in my opinion) draw blood/gore. I also decided to try and simplify the bushes in the background. I was trying to do a more 'painterly' style with them and I've finally realized that kind of style just doesn't work for me. I just can't work with it successfully so I tried to break down the shapes and shades even more. I feel like I'm about 90% done with it. I've also realized since the entire scene was put together after drawing and coloring Lor herself, I don't think the lighting will ever be 100% correct. But I'm okay with that. I'm really happy with the track this piece is on and thought I'd share that. Hoping to finish it up soon!

December Doodles

Hi all! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday! I've been really busy at work but now that the holidays are winding down I'm looking forward to some early spring cleaning and getting more work done! In the mean time here are a few things I've done lately.

A drawing done for my friend Seir of her beautiful ball jointed doll who seems to have a life of her own.

A little WIP drawing of a mori style girl. I've been really into 'Dark Forest Mori' and 'Strega' styles recently and even picked up some great wardrobe pieces today. I love the layering of textures and fabrics as well as the darker nature themes. More on that soon.
I've got some more work coming up but most needs to be scanned. In the mean time here's a tl;dr to do list for myself:

+ Finish setting up online store (photos and descriptions, take inventory)
+ Finish branding research and set up
+ Set up website, hosting and domain name
+ Finish second Alencia book
+ Choose conventions to show at and set up registration and plans for attending said cons.
+ Get house cleaned up and sorted

Lots of work to do...

Happy International Lolita Day!

Hello everyone!

I break away from hectic overtime and bad weather to give you a frilly drawing. I found out this morning it is International Lolita day (one of two such days a year: one in winter and one in the summer). Since I was at work all day I didn't have the opportunity to dress up so I thought I'd post this drawing I did over the last two days as a mild stress reliever. It features 'Seraphim' my reluctant Lolita Magical Girl/Super hero. She was originally part of the 'Spork Bunny' story and started as a gag character yet I found myself developing her pretty well. I would really like to do a mini comic about her some time describing her background and personality traits more.

Done with Copic multiliners, Copic Markers, and colored pencil on A6 sized Deleter comic paper ('postcard sized').

Family Matters

Hi everyone!
I thought I'd drop in and post a WIP sketch of a digital painting I'm starting as a personal reference of Alencia's family. This will be of a painting that is hanging in Alencia's family home. I want the painting to point out how Alencia looks nothing like her family as well as input symbolism and possible foreshadowing for each family member.

This image has been in my head for at least a year or two so I'm pretty stoked to even get this far in getting out and on 'paper.' Aside from this and a sketches I've also done some world building for Alencia's stories so I'm feeling really good about it. I have some ideas for the elves of her world and different 'human' races, as well as Alencia's origins and family history.

Cosplay Progress- 'Fancy Dog-Tier Jade'

Hello everyone!

Sorry it's been silent around here but things have been busy as usual. Getting ready for Nekocon was busy and luckily not toooo stressful but it was a good time in the end. I didn't really get any photos of me wearing my cosplay but I did take progress photos as I made the Dog-tier hood, which turned into a lined full circle cloak.

Side view so you can see how long the 'tails' of the hood are.

Front view.

Detail of the hood's trim, which I got at Joanne's. It was expensive but made less so with the help of coupons. I also added wire to the inside of the hood's rim so I could pose it for photos as well as making it easier to wear.

For the trim around the cloak I used a beautiful black lace that I had picked up back in England. I had a lot of it luckily and there was more than enough for this cloak. I had originally bought the hood's trim for the cloak rim but when I decided to make it full circle there clearly wasn't enough. I also added little satin bows to the front as a cute detail.

And here is a peek at the interior lining of the cloak. It's a black fabric with grey designs of birds and flowers in a classical style. I had used this fabric in high school to make a bag out of (which I still have).

Once we get some time and maybe some snowy weather I want to take better photos of the whole costume together. I spent enough time on it I need nicer photos of the whole thing :P

I'm also currently working on a commission that I don't want to share until it's done, and I'm going to try to gather up sketches to scan soon and share before our four weeks of overtime hits at the very end of the month.
So stay tuned!

Brief Life Update

Hey everyone!

I thought I'd chime in and give you a little update. As you know I had to put a halt on the daily doodle updates for a bit while I get through overtime at work this week. Due to working so much and life stress I had to cancel some plans this weekend and stay home. My CTS was worsening by the end of the work week and I desperately need a physical rest as well as a mental/emotional one. Today there is a memorial service being held in Richmond for Mr. Kerry Talbot, a VCU teacher who passed away recently. He had a very positive impact on my life and how I approach my comic work. It breaks my heart that I can't be present for this, though I hope to honor him in my own way soon (hands permitting).

I'm hoping to hop back on the drawing a day bandwagon soon and get back to work on all my projects; as well as showing them to you. Thanks for sticking with me! More art to come soon!

-Fran

Day 15?

Hey guys!
So my hands are hurting a bit from work today so instead of drawing a new sketch I'll be sharing a never before seen illustration that I did a few months ago. This is part of my Elder Scrolls fan book project collecting illustrations and comics, as well as photos of props I've made, having to do with the Elder Scrolls games (as well as showing my love for them).

This illustration features my Oblivion character Mureil the Shadow Bard. Its my personal headcannon that she is the grandmother of my Skyrim character Merion the Lioness.
Here she is offering glow dust to the shrine of Azura while she is also being rewarded for completing Azura's quest by receiving 'Azura's Star.'

In other news it turns out I'm going to have over time ALL WEEK starting tomorrow so I'll be working 10 hour days and getting home by about 1am every night. Which will be taking up the night hours that I usually work on these sketches so I'm hoping I'll have time in the mornings to get these done but just in case I don't I'll try to share more finished works that I've been unable to share previously (or have just forgotten about) so you'll have something nice to look at while I'm gone. So bare with me, this week will be a bit rough :/

In the mean time be sure to keep up with podcasting machine El Goro, as he reviews a movie every day with "31 Days of Halloween."

Day 14

Day 14 continues with the next monster girl design; Alien. Lately I've been getting nostalgic for old school Lolita fashion (early 2000's mainly) so I decided to indulge myself and draw an Alien girl in her first Lolita dress. She had to tare her second set of arms through it but otherwise its a nice fit! I also purposefully drew her without breasts. She's not a mammal and her design is lazy enough without making her too human :P

Not sure if its easy to tell but she's taking a mirror 'selfie' photo with her smart phone.

Don't forget to see what El Goro is up to with his next installment of "31 Days of Halloween!"

Day 13

Hi all!
Today I'm feeling a bit rough so here is a rough self portrait, where I look how I feel.

Durrr....
Hoping to bring some more monster girls to the blog soon, I've got some design ideas. But in the mean time I gotta admit I'm liking the freedom and liveliness of this digital sketching I've been doing lately.

Don't forget to check out what El Goro is up to with his "31 Days of Halloween" podcast!

Day 12

Hey all!
For today's sketch I decided to try some 'pen sketching' by drawing without guide lines and just a black brush (digital brush in this case). El Goro was involved in a recent facebook conversation with my fiance Cult Moody to which a discussion about terrible big foot movies happened, and escalated into me and Moody looking up all the big foot movies we can and what we will encourage El Goro to watch. So here is El Goro buried under part of a mountain of terrible big foot movies. You can find a list of them here.

Honestly this could just as easily be me buried under there :/

Don't forget to check out what El Goro is up to on his blog and give a listen to his "31 Days of Halloween" podcast!

Day 11

Hey guys! I'm pretty pooped from work but the week is almost over! To celebrate here is a sketch of me with my favorite pokemon, Wartortle! Inspired by a WIP my buddy Reach posted the other day on her FaceBook page. I love me some G1 Pokemon.

More spooky stuff soon!

Don't forget to give El Goro some Halloween lovin by listening to his awesome podcast, "31 Days of Halloween."

Day 10

I decided to try some looser sketching tonight and came up with this. Inspired by a skeleton that is hanging off of my desk and memories of a certain scene from "Fern Gully."

I really like this.


Don't forget to see what El Goro is up to with his "31 Days of Halloween" podcast.

Day 9

Hello everyone! Keeping up with the monster girl challenge theme of the last few days I continue on with 'Robot' girl. I want to revisit this image as a short, wordless comic.

The story here is that this robot lady has been keeping her owner company during some kind of emergency where everyone was under 'lock down' in the apartment complex. They were there for a long time and he is now a corpse, but the robot doesn't really understand so she just keeps him company. And now years after a disaster of some kind, the apartment is being checked through by people and they open the door to find her there with his corpse. Lovely!

Don't forget to check out day 9 of El Goro's "31 Days of Halloween" podcast!