January Patron Illustration.

I was finally able to sit and finish projects again for the first time this month, and the first on the list to be finished was January's Patron Illustration.

This time around its an image of Vēž stopping over at 'Beep Boop FOOD' to get a quick bite and drink before heading to training.  I was given a fair bit of free-reign in terms of surroundings, with it suggested that he lives in a futuristic setting.

I'm a sucker for drawing tattoo's on characters.  Ironically I don't have a mark on me IRL, but I love the designs some folks come up with, and the idea that they can be culturally significant in a huge variety of ways.

I do want to thank Vēž's creator for being incredibly patient.  I was in the middle of getting the sketch underway when my father had a medical emergency, and the weeks were consumed by hospital visits and appointments.  Something that's made more difficult due to COVID still be prevalent in the area.

I'm also retiring the term 'sketch' for the monthly $10 patron rewards, and instead will call them illustrations.  It struck me last night that these aren't really in the realm of sketches, often they end up as fully inked endeavors with backgrounds (even if simplified).  And while I don't normally include multiple characters, I sometimes find adding background people adds to the overall image.  As with above, it helped with showing a theme, as well as how tall Vēž's people were in comparison.  

In a sense, sometimes background characters can be the background.  Though I have to stop myself allowing them to be fully detailed and fleshed out, or it would add another 10 hours to everything ;)

With that said, I'll be starting work on a couple more images.  I'm looking to get inks done on one, and at least another sketch of another idea before I start doing some colour flats.

I want to thank every one of you kind folks for baring with me while I sorted out the chaos from the end of last month to the beginning two weeks of this month.  Life can be a hell of a ride sometimes.

Be safe, folks.

-T.J.