#Help a fellow artist

[crtbrain]

gonna watch some tuts on shading/lighting cuz its kinda what i struggle with the most. if yall have any good ones let me kno !!!!!

[scareghoul]

hello everyone.

i’m opening emergency commissions. i had to buy new glasses, and they costed me so so much, and since i didn’t have any commissions since april, my savings are actually non existent

you can dm me, i very much prefer this way

two to three are enough for me not to end the month on red so please if anyone’s interested hmu i very much need it

[maikaartwork]

Artists, let’s talk about Instagram commission scammers

There’s been a huge rise in commission scammers recently, mostly on Instagram. A lot of new artists don’t know what to look out for, so I figured this might help people.

How they begin

Usually the scammer will write to you asking about a commission. Something deceptively cute - mostly I encounter asks about pet portraits, with one or two photos sent. They’ll probably try to sell you a sweet little story, like “It’s for my son’s birthday”. They will insist that they love your artwork and style, even though they don’t follow you or never liked a single piece of your art.

What to look out for:

Their profiles will either be private, empty, or filled with very generic stuff, dating at most a few years back.

Their language will be very simple, rushed or downright bad. They might use weird emojis that nobody ever uses. They will probably send impatient “??” when you don’t answer immediately. They’re in a crunch - lots of people to scam, you know. 

They’ll give you absolutely no guidelines. No hints on style, contents aside from (usually) the pet and often a name written on the artwork, no theme. Anything you draw will be perfect. Full artistic freedom. In reality they don’t really care for this part.

They’ll offer you a ridiculous amount of money. Usually 100 or 300 USD (EDIT: I know it might not be a lot for some work. What I mean here - way higher than your asking price, 100 and 300 are standard rates they give). They’ll often put in a phrase like “I am willing to compensate you financially” and “I want the best you can draw”, peppered with vague praise. It will most likely sound way too good to be true. That’s because it is.

Where the scam actually happens

If you agree, they will ask you for a payment method. They’ll try to get to this part as soon as possible. 

Usually, they’ll insist on PayPal. And not just any PayPal. They’ll always insist on sending you a transfer immediately. None of that PayPal Invoice stuff (although some do have methods for that, too). They’ll really, REALLY want to get your PayPal email address and name for the transfer - that’s what they’re after. If you insist on any other method, they’ll just circle back to the transfer “for easiest method”. If you do provide them with the info, most likely you’ll soon get a scam email. It most likely be a message with a link that will ultimately lead to bleeding you dry. Never, and I mean NEVER click on any emails or links you get from them. It’s like with any other scam emails you can ever get.

A few things can happen here:

They overpay you and ask for the difference to be wired back. Usually it will go to a different account and you’ll never see that money again. 

They’ll overpay you “for shipping costs” and ask you to forward the difference to their shipping company. Just like before, you’ll never see that money again.

The actual owner of the account (yes, they most likely use stolen accounts to wire from) will realize there’s been something sketchy going on and request a refund via official channels. Your account will be charged with fees and/or you get in trouble for fraudulent transactions. 

You will transfer the money from your PayPal credit to your bank account and they will make a shitstorm when they want their money back, making your life a living hell. They will call you a scammer, a thief, make wild claims, wearing you down and forcing you into wiring money “back” - aka to their final destination account. 

Never, EVER wire money to anyone. This is not how it’s supposed to go. Use PayPal Invoice for secure exchanges where the client needs to provide you with their email, not the other way around.

You can find more info on that method HERE.

What to do when you encounter a scammer:

Ask the right questions: inquire about the style, which artwork of yours they like, as much details as you can. They won’t supply you with any good answers.

Don’t let the rush of the exchange, their praise and the promise of insanely good money to get to you. That’s how they operate, that’s how they make you lose vigilance. 

Don’t engage them. As soon as you realize it might be a scam, block them. The sense of urgency they create with their rushed exchange, and pressure they put on you will sooner or later get to you and you might do something that you’ll regret later.

Never wire money to anyone. Never give out your personal data. Never provide your email, name, address or credit card info. 

Don’t be deceived by receiving a payment, if you somehow agree to go along with it. Just because it’s there now doesn’t mean it can’t be withdrawn. 

Here is a very standard example of such an exchange. I realized it’s a scam pretty fast and went along with it, because I wanted good screenshots for you guys, so I tried going very “by the book” with it. 

Please share this post, make it reach as many artists as possible. Let young or inexperienced artists know that this is going on. So many people have no idea that this is a thing. Let’s help each other out. If you think I missed any relevant info, do add it as an rb!

Also, if you know other scam methods that you think should be shared, consider rb-ing this post with them below. Having a master post of scam protection would AWESOME to have in the art community.

[eclown4hire]

WOE, GLOBAL EXLUSIVE REFERENCE SHEETS BE UPON YEE

[proxis-shattered-expectations]

Morning Reblog, share/check out her commissions to help my lil sister out!

I usually don't like to post my personal stuff on my art accounts, but this is dire and need some help. Today at 5: 00 in the morning, my younger sister got into a car accident, and while physically she is fine, her car is totaled, and this has put a financial setback for her. I have pictures, but to put it bluntly, her car is decimated

She has no transportation until she can get a new one with her savings, but on top of that, she has a lot of other fees such as Insurance, liability fees, Towing and payment for damages. in the meantime I'll be doing whatever I can to help her such as transportation or loans, and also sharing that she is accepting commissions in order to get some money saved to avoid going into debt. I wanted to share with you guys so that if you can share this with anyone or perhaps give her commissions a look, any thing helps and would appreciate all the support you can give her. She refuses to set up a GoFundMe because she does not want to take money without earning it, so if you can share this with others, it will help so much

Her Instagram is blazing.f0x

And she has a Twitter as well

Blazing_Fox31

Whatever little bit helps!

[blu-ish]

I want to eat your artstyle but idk how to draw the silly gay hedgehogs please i need a tutorial so i know how to draw hedgehog proportions

Welcome to the most ass sonic tutorial EVER LMAO.

I essentially just use simple shapes, rough outlines of his stance, arm/leg placement ect. This is a really simple one lmao. (IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT AT ALL SHJSHSJ)

----

Next is everyone's LEAST fav part, his EYE, or eyes lol. My trick is to draw a placeholder like oval that symbolizes where his eyes separate and curve like so. <3

Next I create da muzzle, I usually start up where his nose is gonna be and the sides of his face-- then its all about shaping until he doesn't look like a potato. (Mephiles looking ass--)

Then you draw his cute widdle nose, give him a smile and some big ol eyes xD. DONT FORGET DA FANGGGGG.

now for my fav part, HIS 100 YARD STARE-- or his irises.💖add a lil shine to make him look alive, the size or lack of shine can express so many different emotions! :D its fun!

His eyebrows and ears are always a bit tricky, but don't forget, HE HAS EYEBROWS THAT CAN EXPRESSION EMOTION TOO SEGA--*dies* and ears as well! (Sonic prime did this so well I can die happy now.)

Now for everyone's least fav part, PART TWO. HIS QUILLS. They are one of the mystery's of life tbh. I start from where his left ear is and kinda brush my way down until I feel like they're correct. His second big quill is always under his right ear, and his last one under that. (you can shade where his back quills are too, depending on the stance is! I'll show this in a sec.)

For his gloves I kinda just draw a lil line so I know where they are. His fingers/hands are drawn in simple shapes as well, I always look at my own hand for reference lmao.

The rest is kinda self explanatory, but it just takes practice! Hell I mean my art style has already grown and changed so much already, theres just so many fun ways to draw. Don't get too stuck in it not looking right the first time. (I cringe at my art sometimes too xD)

HOPE THIS HELPS I HAVE PIZZA ROLLS IN THE OVEN *runs away*

[spadesncrows]

hear me out please I beg

[vladdyissues]

Seriously, there are more than enough fanfics and rule34 art of Danny getting raped by Vlad till he's bleeding, but the second the reverse is suggested you clutch pearls.

You Peppers ship a 14 year old with and adult who wants to kill him, at least don't look down at me like you got a moral high ground. And just to not sound hypocritical, of course I ship them too.

Vlad can be the cruel, brawny, tall, big dicked man and Danny has to be the catamite, but an alternative can be great too, a bit divergence damn it,

"Enough of this thing exists already! I want everyone to stop making this thing they enjoy and instead make the thing that I want to see!"

Anon, you sound like a screaming, tyrannical toddler.

You're the one throwing a hissy fit about there not being enough Tall Strong Big-Dicked Danny content while the rest of us mind our own business. You're the one spamming our inboxes with asks—sometimes very graphic, distasteful, and definitely unwanted asks—about ship dynamics that we have repeatedly explained don't appeal to us. And yet you keep sending them.

This isn't even about shipping or dynamics, really. This is about you not respecting our boundaries and trying to force us to cater to your personal preferences.

Metaphorically, you're going to every ice cream parlor in town and having a tantrum because they're not serving cheeseburgers. "There's too much ice cream in here!" you scream—in a restaurant called We Love Ice Cream And Serve Nothing But Ice Cream. "I want a cheeseburger! Why don't you serve something other than ice cream!? You're all a bunch of pearl-clutching snobs who look down at me because I like cheeseburgers! Well, the ice cream you serve is gross, anyway!" (As if there's only one flavor of ice cream, and its the flavor of Pompep that you mentioned.)

You're being an ass, anon. This is not how you ingratiate yourself to your fellow fans or shipmates—especially not when you imply that some of us are shipping Vlad and Danny the """"wrong"""" way and your way is somehow better or more interesting.

How about the next time you feel like sending someone another ask about Big Tall Strong Danny wrecking Vlad's anus with his 16-inch monster cock, you instead pick up a pencil and learn to draw art and write fic of the things that you want to see? Because that's what the rest of us did.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

[i-really-like-phrogs]

When someone else’s art is so good you physically can’t look at it because of artistic jealousy

[gum-iie]

artist hard at work

[kreftropod]

How to reference 🖍️ update

Got distracted and made an update for the "How to Reference: The difference between Tracing, Copying and Referencing" guide I made a few years back. Please enjoy some new examples of tracing, copying and referencing in a variety of styles (still images available via the link above).

Also a new Photo Manipulation example.

Original Photo(s) by Sas R. - #1, #2

[olsartonly]

Random Kinito drawing

[bonkbunn]

Work Doodles reflecting a horrid realization

(Mild tw: blood, violence, Jimmy)

[vee-isaweirdartist]

‼️Please, read if you're up to supporting a young artist‼️

In all honesty tho-I should've stated this earlier, but oh, well, better late than never!

Ignore the text change, mid way this Ibis-Paint decided I won't be using the text tool anymore

So! With that being said..

I'm opening 5 more slots on my Ko-Fi commissions! and if you can't get into Ko-Fi, Followers of my account can request directly PayPal payment!

I wouldn't ask or, be insisting in this kind of things since, it makes me feel uncomfortable.. somehow- But I need the money and, since things having been the best lately, maybe I'll have to consider using commissions for college costs and such in the nearby future..

‼️Thanks for reading, and if you cannot commission me, please consider reblogging this post‼️

Price Sheet & TOS:

[thesunbettershineonthemagain]

so whoever it was at disney who decided they were gonna design the ducks to make them as hard to draw as possible literally better count their days.

anyways heres another practice webby 💕

[wendievergreen]

Miscellaneous Snakes

I'm proud of myself for drawing 14 snakes in one week, but I also kind of regret it (￣ ￣|||) spread myself a leeeetle thin. Real snakes cited and quick thoughts under the cut

1: Mlegtugwam (Calloselasma rhodostoma, Malayan pit viper, Malayan ground snake, Malayan moccasin)- most of the asps were assigned random venomous snakes. I picked the reference image based on the pose.

2: Girtranaeg (Xenopeltis unicolor, sunbeam/iridescent snake)- god its eyes look so silly. Anyway, y'all should look up sunbeam snakes, they're beautiful

3: Hrukgolklo (Micrelaps bicoloratus, Kenya two-headed snake)- I didn't draw it in a circle shape because I was so charmed by the original photo. They really look like they have two heads, it's adorable.

6: Tafmiwukri (Micruroides euryxanthus, Sonoran/western/Arizona coral snake)- red because its victims sweat blood

4: Thagolgrom (Naja naja, Indian/spectacled/Asian/binocellate cobra)- obvs I had to include the most iconique serpent somewhere

5: Shabalrang (Rhabdophis subminiatus, red-necked keelback)- in my sketch its eyes were closed, but than I remembered that snakes don't have eyelids😔

7: Krefemklog (Vipera berus, common European adder/viper)- I really like how the vapor turned out.

9: Nrogklongo (Neelaps calonotus, black-striped burrowing snake)- just a little guy

11: Zriggwanto (Chrysopelea ornata, golden tree snake, ornate flying snake)- ZHOOM

8: Kraehozdim (Elaphe quatuorlineata, four-lined snake, Bulgarian ratsnake)- lives in Italy, on the larger side for a European snake. The pattern is from a stereotypical dairy cow, the white lip is a milk mustache.

10: Samgleshti (Crotalus cerastes, sidewinder, horned rattlesnake)- I'm 90% certain I found the original species during research. Luckily, there's a very similar snake in North America, lol. Horns are inspired by Jacob sheep

12: Kramlengga (Macrovipera lebetina, blunt-nosed/Lebetine/Levant viper)- I like how its eyes turned out. So piercing! (◉-◉)

13: Galwinglik (Bitis schneideri, Namaqua/spotted dwarf adder, Schneider's adder)- the smallest venomous snake

14: Yeakrindra (Leptotyphlops carlae, Barbados threadsnake)- the tiniest snake of all!

I finally got around to listening to the Maniculum Podcast this week :) I love it! 10/10