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mute-owl

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mute-owl

Art absence, lack of inspiration, and streaming...

2 min read

So, you guys have (maybe?) noticed that I don't post here very much these days, nor do I post much on my personal deviantART page either. This is because it's been really hard to feel inspired as of late for a million and one different reasons. I'm also not as inspired to draw my own characters, and people don't buy adopts or customs nearly as much as they used to.


Anyways, this is all fine, really. It's part of life that maybe things have to keep shifting. I'll keep trying my best to do better in other departments while my art one may be lacking. This journal is by no means a "I'm never drawing again" kind of journal, but I wanted to say my focus right now is really that I'm trying to make a shift to gameplay streaming. It's always something I've been interested in, but getting over the hump of just starting with no viewership is by far the hardest part.


So, I ask you, if you're interested at all, to please follow me on twitch.tv https://www.twitch.tv/ruskadusk or follow my YouTube channel https://bit.ly/36aSex0 for the VODs and liking or commenting. It would help me a lot, as I'm hoping that being sociable by means of interacting with the chat will be good for me since I hardly speak to anyone during a normal day. I will still be drawing when it suits me, but downtimes between inspiration are getting longer and longer and I don't really know what my goal for my art is anymore outside of hopefully doing video game character design or illustration one day.


Other places to follow me for things related to both my art and my streams would be my Twitter https://twitter.com/RuskaDusk and my Discord Server [just recently overhauled!] https://discord.gg/UsAAN5T where we can all chat, share art, photos, whatever! Thank you in advance for anyone who takes the time to participate in any of this stuff. <3

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mute-owl

New deviantArt account! Please read!

2 min read
basillicus is my new account.  Technically, old account repurposed, but you get it.
This is not a full move, but more of a split-up of my content.  I know some people don't prefer this, and I perhaps don't prefer it myself..
But the state of my gallery is causing me stress.  It's rather unorganized and I feel like a partial fresh start is needed.
I don't have the ability to completely rebrand as this account and it's commissions and sales makes ends meet and usually buys me groceries.
I'm debating storing art, but I will go through and tag everyone who has art on this account to have them save it first I think.
I'm not a fan of storage so I'm not actually sure if this is the right move, but I'm not sure how else to get the gallery situation under control.
The gallery does not at all look professional from how inconsistent the content is and how much my art has changed since I first made this account.
There may be small overlap between the accounts, as if I am selling a character it will be crossposted to be sold here rather than on basillicus since this is the money handling account.
Other than that, I just want a clearer distinction between the business and my personal art at this point.

Content that will be posted on mute-owl:
• Commission work
• Art trades
• Adoptables

Content that will be posted on basillicus:
• Personal art [digital and traditional]
• Character references
• Experimental art
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mute-owl

Ask my characters!

1 min read
www.deviantart.com/mute-owl/ga…

The last time I did this was quite a while ago, but I feel like it could give me some ideas and give me an excuse to draw some of my babies.
Pick any character and ask them a question or two and I will draw their response!
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mute-owl

Links | Terms and Conditions | FAQs | Tech Info

12 min read

- x + x Links and Other Accounts x + x -


deviantART Links
Personal deviantART | basillicus
Closed species deviantART | the-flowerlings
Old deviantART 2008-2012 | Thelightforest
Unused deviantART | FlERCE-DElTY | spooked-solid | godramphastos

Social Media
Twitch.tv | www.twitch.tv/ruskadusk
Steam | steamcommunity.com/id/basillic…
Discord server | discord.gg/UsAAN5T
Toyhou.se | toyhou.se/basillicus
kofi | ko-fi.com/muteowl
curiouscat | curiouscat.qa/basillicus
World of Warcraft name: Nendruk


------------------------------------------------------------------------

- x + x Terms and Conditions x + x -


• My art is not to be reproduced without permission. This includes, but is not limited to, tattoo designs, logos, characters designs, etc.
• My art is not to be reposted without permission;  if permission is given, I must be given full credits and sourced properly. [ie. Art is by mute-owl w/ a link to my profile]
• Commissions may be reposted without express permission, but please credit me!
• Commissioners may repost the art they purchased anywhere they like, as they are given automatic permission upon purchase, but I still must be sourced.
• My art is not to be used for profit without explicit permission from myself.  A contract must be signed if you intend to use my work commercially.  See below for more details.
• Refunds will only be issued at my discretion; so assume all sales are final when you purchase from me.*
*In the case of custom design commissions, if you are unhappy with or do not click with the design you ordered custom, I will be happy to design you something new.  The old design will be put up as an adoptable, so please keep this in mind when providing prompts.


Commercial Use:
• Mass-produced merchandise using design I created are subject to a 15% royalty - if you intend to mass-produce merchandise, contact me and we will get a contract sorted.
• Hand-made merchandise of a design i created are not subject to any royalites, and you do not need to contact me about their free use in these cases.
• Personal use of my designs such as stories, art, hand-made plushies, et cetera, are not subject to royalties, even if you profit from their image such as through Patreon or other such donation format platforms.
• Under no circumstances is my art to be used for NFT cryptocurrency mining.


Design terms:
• You may resell my designs for any price, no matter how you acquired them, such as through art trades or designs trades.  Obviously, I still do not appreciate using my designs as fodder, or only obtaining them with the intent of flipping them for a profit.  That's not cool!  I'm not your mom though, so do whatever you want, just please be respectful with my work.
• Feel free to do auctions and offer-to-adopts on my designs rather than flat sale.  If you price flat, please be reasonable with your profit margin and don't try to add $100 for a sketch you did in 20 minutes, for example.
• Optional, but notifying me of trades [especially on the original art for the character] can help people interested in the design keep track of them.
• I am to be given credit for my designs at least once somewhere.  You may not claim you created my designs either.
• You are free to change any design you get from me in any way you desire, unless stated otherwise.
• You are allowed to edit the original art of a design if you are the new owner and want to adjust something small like markings, hair, eye color, et cetera!  Just don't make it unrecognizable and don't claim you created the image!


-------------------------------------------------------

- x + x FAQ x + x -



• What art program do you use?
I am currently new to Clip Studio Paint, which I plan to be my go-to program for the foreseeable future.  I used Paint Tool SAI between 2010 to 2021.  Before SAI, I primarily used Gimp.

• Do you use a tablet?
  I do in fact use a tablet!

• What tablet do you use?
  I currently use a Wacom Cintiq 22HD.  Previously, I used an Intuos, and before that I used a Bamboo Fun.

• Will you take my commission?
  Most likely. I tend to like to see the character[s] you want me to draw before I accept, purely because I don't want to draw characters I don't like.  The more expensive the art you're buying is, the higher chance I'll put up with more complex designs.  It should be kept in mind that before you ask, you should check my commission status to make sure they aren't closed.

• Invoice? What's that?
  I send invoices rather than having people send me payment. They are basically bills sent over the email you used to set up your PayPal account.  I can input my own information into the provided fields so it keeps my finances more organized, so I'm not confused about what a payment is for, and can easily look back on previous purchases for book-keeping purposes.

• Well I can't do invoices because of _______!
  Sorry, I can't accept payment through any other methods.  It's safer for me and you to only make payment through invoice so as to reduce risk of false chargeback.  You'll have to sort your PayPal issues out if you want to commission me!

•Can you accept payment through Venmo or other payment services?
  For now, I am only able to accept payment through PayPal.  I hope to accept direct payment using credit cards in the future, but PayPal is the key for the time being!  Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

• Is it okay for me to repost your art?
  Yes, but only if I am being sources properly [see terms and conditions above for an example of proper sourcing].  Under no circumstances is my art to be reposted without a source.  If you commission me, you may post the art wherever, but I must be sourced.  If my art isn't posted by the accounts linked above, it is not my account and should not be taken as such.

• How do you feel about using your art as a reference?
  I'm 100% fine with it, but PLEASE ask first!  However, this is not to say that I may deny you the right to referencing my art if I want, but I can't really think of a circumstance where I would do that.  Just ask to be safe, and give credit when you're done.  I'll only have a problem with it if you do it without asking.  That's disrespectful.  Also, if your 'referencing' is clearly tracing, you will get asked politely to remove the art you traced, and if you you do not, my only response can be to report you and hope you learn some respect at some point in your life.

• How long does it normally take for you to finish a drawing?
  It is really varied. It can be as short as 15 minutes for something simple to 48+ hours for a heavily detailed picture. I very rarely do full paintings anymore, so I'm not sure about that time limit.  Most average things like customs or colored sketches take about one hour.

• Why do you draw what you draw?
  When I first started my journey on the internet in about 2007-2008, I found people like Wolflover007 and Miiroku way back when they were very active on YouTube. That is where I used to spend most of my time. From them, I was introduced to deviantART, and began drawing wolves. The first wolf I ever drew was a character who I called "Chisaku", now named Jhezahk. Keep in mind, these were my weeaboo days, so just bear with me here. After that, I evolved slowly over time, practicing, changing the animals I drew regularly, and here I am now, with very different inspirations than I had in my early days on the internet, with a far more developed art style and much more variation in the animals I draw.

• How do you make up your characters?
  Most often times, I think of a random thing that I think will make a cool character, and try my hand at designing it. If I don't like how it turns out enough to keep it, it becomes an adoptable. Other times, I see colors that I'm fond of, and try to fit it into a design that I make up on the spot. Other times, I just think of an idea for a new creature, and make colors up to go with the creature.

• How long have you been drawing?
  I've drawn my entire life, for as long as I could hold a pencil. I've only started finding it important to practice and improve since about 2009.

• Is there something you usually do while you draw?
  I'm normally watching movies or let's plays. I also sometimes listen to music, but I prefer movies or other, more interactive, audio.

• What are your favorite animals to draw?
  I love drawing fantasy creatures, for the most part.  I do enjoy drawing most real animals too though!

• How long do you intend to draw/paint?
  Preferably, for the rest of my life.  I'll even try to draw if I have a physical problem trying to stop me.  Not being able to draw anymore would probably make me die of a broken heart, so I'll do whatever it takes for the rest of my life to draw.

• Do you do requests?
  No. I don't have the patience to do every drawing every random person wants me to do.  I love drawing, but if I took requests from everyone who wanted one, I would have no free time for personal art, and that would ruin it for me.  Now, if you happen to be a person who wants to argue with me about this, and get very rude about my choice to not do free art for you, please go stick a cactus up your ass.  I cannot stand people with your mindset and you will be blocked right off the bat if you are rude to me for not taking requests!  Fair warning.

• Will you take MY request, just this once?
  Absolutely not. If you act like you deserve some sort of pass just because you can't afford a commission, odds are even when you CAN afford a commission, I won't take it from you because you think you're entitled or something.  No requests, and that is final.

• If I make a vague request [ei. draw a dragon wearing a beanie, draw a bear eating a fish], will you draw it?
  Of course! This kind of request is fine, as it's more of a suggestion.  If I like the idea, I will give it a shot, but I can't promise anything.

• Are you right or left handed?
  I am right handed!

• Male or female?
  I prefer they/them pronouns, but any other pronouns work just fine.  I don't get hung up on this sort of thing, and you will never be accused of misgendering me provided you are acting politely, of course.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- x + x Computer Specifications x + x -



• Main computer specs:
Case: AeroCool P7-C0 2x - Black
CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
Motherboard: ASUS PRIME X570-P
Graphics card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
Hard drive(s): ADATA SU650 SSD 240GB + WD 1TB HDD

Cooler: Corsair H80i V2
RAM: 16 GB [8 GB X2] DDR4-3200 XPG D41
PSU: Thermaltake Toughpower Grand RGB 850W 80 PLUS Gold
OS: Windows 10 Home
Total Cost: $1,700
Nickname: Arcturus


• Old computer specs [RIP - September 2020]
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 300R
CPU: AMD FX-8350
Motherboard: ASUS M5A97 LE R2.0
Graphics card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980
Hard drive(s): Samsung 850 EVO 250GB Internal SSD + Seagate 1000GB Internal HDD

Cooler: Corsair H80i [fried, needs replaced]
RAM: Kingston HyperX FURY 2 x 4GB
PSU: EVGA 850 GQ, 80+ GOLD 850W
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
Total Cost: $1,200
Nickname: Whip'o'will

• First computer specs [RIP - July 2020]:
Case: View here
CPU: AMD FX-6300
Motherboard: ASUS M5A97 LE R2.0
Graphics card: EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti
Hard drives(s): Seagate Barracuda 7200 350GB
Cooler: Stock CPU Cooler
RAM: G.Skill 2 x 4GB
PSU: BFG 1000W
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium
Total Cost: $800
Nickname: Ganymede
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mute-owl

*NEW* COMMISSION INFORMATION - OPEN FOR ORDERS

6 min read
Please read by terms and conditions before ordering!
quietraptor@gmail.com | chalkycommissions@yahoo.com

If you're interested in my illustration work and have an idea of your own you want created by an artist with experience in monster and fantasy beast design, you can contact me through my twitter @RuskaDusk
or my discord server discord.gg/UsAAN5T (i'm RuskaDusk!).
You can also contact me through quietraptor@gmail.com.
I send and receive invoices through chalkycommissions@yahoo.com, and do not check the inbox for commission inquiries!

I charge an estimated $90 per hour of work for your average colored sketch, simple background piece.
$120 per hour for more detailed work.  simple pieces usually are in the 1-2 hour range.
pieces that have a slight polish take 3-4.  detailed pieces usually cap around 6 hours, but i have had detailed lineart pieces take 8 hours or so.

Showing me examples of my work that you most want me to have in mind designing yours would be beneficial, as my style of work can vary quite a lot.  Non-specific orders sometimes get WIPs that weren't at all what they had in mind because I benefit from more elaboration!  Feel free to give me extra details with your commission order, as I value your vision of what you expect me to illustrate for you, and I want to work together to make the art piece you're looking for that you feel is worth what you spent!

---------------------------------------------------------------------
Rough time investment per art category information below.
Add the below times together to get your total estimated amount of hours for a piece, and multiply it by my hourly rate.*
*these are likely overestimations, as I tend to work faster rather than slower, but please plan for a higher cost in case of
complications with the project, or if changes requested take longer than anticipated.  I will work with you very flexibly
to make sure we get the results you want for the price you are willing to pay!
---------------------------------------------------------------------

(sketch) rough gestural work ranging from scribbles to defined stylized sketch lines
Base sketch - 30 minutes to 1 hour ||| gestural lines only with vague defining features
Second pass sketch - 1-2 hours  ||| acceptable readability in terms of detail and gesture work, lines will still be fairly rough
Refined sketch - 2-4+ hour ||| crispy and clearly readable sketch, great if you like to color commissions yourself and want to save money on lineart

(lineart) transforming the sketch lines into more concrete and well-formed borders between parts of the image
Rough lineart - 3-6 hours ||| tidies up some of the scraggly base sketch of the previous stage; more presentable than a sketch
Clean lineart - 6-8 hours ||| all important lines in the focal points of the image (faces, hands/paws, et cetera) will be quite clean
Immaculate lineart - 12-18+ hours ||| all areas of the lineart are perfectly defined and clean

(color) the base shape laid down that defines the borders of the colors for the subjects of the piece
Greyscale messy colorblock base - 1 hour ||| a click, and blobby slapping-down of the colors to get some general value differences in the composition
Messy base (single color) - 1 hours ||| cleaner then the aforementioned option, areas of the colors may be messy around lineart edges
Clean base (single color) - 2 hours ||| a select and fill method that incorporates cleaning up extra sharp edges to make an overall cleaner color layer
Immaculate base (single color) - 3 hours ||| I lay out the entire base color layer by hand by tracing the lineart with my marker tool - slow, but very clean and crisp
The cost of coloring your individual character will vary hugely depending on their patterns and
overall design complexity and requirements for shading.  Expect 1-6 hour range.

(light value) highlights, lowlights, and shadows that give a subject more 3D qualities
light and shadow only on crucial details - 30 minutes to 1 hour ||| basic highlights and shadows around only important edges to define depth
all-over subtle light and shadow - 1-2 hours ||| gives the image a more cohesive 3D feeling
gestural shadow blocking, quick shading/highlighting in painterly style - 3-6 hours ||| some edges may not be the cleanest and not all areas will be highlighted and shaded fully, but detailed parts are cared for
actually painting it with all the details and niceness - 6-12+ hours ||| the entire image is carefully shaded, highlighted, and color corrected

(backgrounds) the backdrop for the subjects of the image
This varies infinitely depending on your order.  Most simple backgrounds that I do just to make an image feel finished do not cost you extra.
Backgrounds will have to be paid and discussed on a per-order basis.
Except a minimum of one hour for any background featuring actual subjects rather than just suggestions of shape and color.


------------------------------------------
extra details or whatever
------------------------------------------
I will edit the image as much as you like, but I only work after I have been paid for the hour [or other increment based on the work required to finish your commission].
if the commission is not finished to your liking and you hit your budget, but still want more work done, I can shelf the project to be finished once you're ready to continue the commission.

I can draw NSFW art, but of course I will not take commissions for these from minors. You must be 18 or older.
You must supply me with a digital character reference when commissioning character art.
Give me your PayPal. I send invoices! This is a bill that contains all the information you and I need concerning your order.

I no longer draw characters with transparent backgrounds.  If you want the art you receive to have a transparent background, tell me as soon as you order or ASAP after receiving the finished product.
I save over the same files and cannot separate the background anymore once the file has been overwritten.
I no longer take flat-priced commissions, except for long-time customers who have a specific, now-extinct commission type in mind that used to be on my list of flat-priced commission options catalogue.

www.artstation.com/mute-owl - My ArtStation is the best place to see the most modern examples of my best quality art.
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Art absence, lack of inspiration, and streaming... by mute-owl, journal

New deviantArt account! Please read! by mute-owl, journal

Ask my characters! by mute-owl, journal

Links | Terms and Conditions | FAQs | Tech Info by mute-owl, journal

*NEW* COMMISSION INFORMATION - OPEN FOR ORDERS by mute-owl, journal