Questing

Our new table!!
Originally uploaded by Jaen.

Our table is all set up, and beautiful!! We’ve been using a folding table until now, so this is really nice!

Had a nice relaxing weekend. Finally got over a stupid cold I’d had since I got home from Anime Iowa, and was feeling up to doing things again! Yah! Moving, drawing, movies!

Friday we picked up some viddy games, Star Wars Battlefront for him, Demon Stone for me. (Demon stone is only ok, way too short. Forgotten realms though, and I can control a female theif with actual sneak attacks in battle which is cool. Repetitivegameplay is not cool)

I was supposed to spend a couple hours sitting at my Grandmother’s Garage sale, and so I headed out there Saturday morning with only a little box of toys to sell. All the little girls in her neighborhood sure seemed to like my powerpuff girl toys. Somehow, those couple hours stretched into all day, which was fine anyway, because I had nothing else planned. Tiring though. I took a little break to help my mom clean her house a bit for last minute company, and then went back to the garage sale to help pack up. I made 25 bucks! hee. I have tons more things to sell, but those will just have to wait until some other garage sale down the road.

Then I came home to my husband, and we went out to watch the Sky Captain movie. Which was fun, and stylish and a bit over blurry.

Sunday was nice too, we had brunch with my husband’s father in honor of my husband’s birthday. (last monday, the 20th) His dad surprised us with a cool birthday gift, his old oak dining room table and chairs! This table has sentimental value for my husband. He used to have it up in his bedroom, and remembers role playing on it with his friends when he was quite young. His dad even loaded up their vehicle and brought all the pieces over to our place. Yah! (Till now, we’ve been using a rather long folding table, which was quite functional, but not as stylish)

I headed downtown to spend my garage sale money and a bit more on 6!!! color copic markers, swung over to Electric Earth to hang with Ray for a bit. While I was there , we talked a bit of sci-fi, and in the middle of one of my sentences I couldn’t remember a word. I’m sitting there saying over and over…’Ambi… Ambitious? Ambidextrous? darnit, the word means vague, but it’s better than vague… Ambi, Ambi’ while Ray just watches me, slightly amused. Suddenly, the woman sitting behind me leans back in her chair and says, ‘Ambiguous’ which was really the word I was looking for. ha.

I went home, and inked the mermaid picture I was working on and then started markering it…

Someone PLEASE! give me some markering tips!!! I didn’t ruin the thing, but it also didn’t come out the way I wanted it to. (There’s also some more things I can do to it, I’m sure) I’ve searched the interweb and haven’t found many marker tutorials at all. I’m positive I’m going to love this medium once I get the hang of it.

I started markering my picture by laying down some shadows with a cool grey marker(the lightest one), and then started in with my limited color palette. I tried to keep my lightsource in mind, as well as using some highlighting colors and some shadowy colors. It might make more sense if I scan the thing and then ask for more tips, but I’m eager and hungry for tips and techniques, both for markering illustrations, but also for some fun things to try with my fancy pretty copics.
makes it look so easy!

I’m sure practice will help me feel less anxiety over markering without scanning the lineart first. Still, I’m quite happy that I planned the pic out enough so that all of the mermaid is actually on the page, it’s a bit of a shock to flip through my pencil and black and white sketchbook and stumble across rich markered colors!

p.s. Congratulations on your new baby! Evan Michael

Me and Kim with our Book!

Aha! I promised pictures, and I’m delivering!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32373681896@N01/sets/12699/
is the photoset in mostly the right event order, or you could watch the photoset as a slideshow!!!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/32373681896@N01/sets/12699/show/

If you have pictures from Anime Iowa, use the tag AnimeIowa2004 , so we can use that tag to view everyone’s pictures!

We had a great time!!!

New Glassses
Originally uploaded by Jaen.

I’ve recieved the ‘call’ K&M are due to pick me up, any… moment! EEEe (races around throwing things in her suitcase)

It’s going to be an awesome convention, we’re so well prepared, hope to see you there!!!

I promise pictures!

Ace and Jess Roqs
Originally uploaded by Jaen.

Ace and Jess Roqs are heading out to the coast! We’ll miss them ever so much! (yah for livejournal though!)

Hip Hip Hooray!!!

All funds have been received and accomplished! Lea’s ticket has been purchased.

woohoo! it’s going to be an awesome convention. Thanks to you all for the donations!
These are going to be some great, and grateful commissions.

You. All. Seriously. Rock!
~~~~
Lea and I walked each other through the perils of paypal and excitement of expedia on the phone, and got to chat about art,anime, cons, fans, cons and fans, and her time with Gainax! We also talked about Promotion and teh Interweb. You HAVE to come to our panel on the Art of Self Promotion next weekend, Kim, Lea and I have lots to say about getting yourself out there and noticed!

What fun phone time! Anime Iowa is going to be a blast! We hope to see you there!

~~~
While chatting, K&M handed me the hands free phone thingy, and I was able to continue inking my page 9! (which is quite exciting, and will debut soon, likely after AI) I was able to finish it!!! which will explain the time stamp 2:41am. ack! and the exclaimation marks!!! !

Very pleased though, it’s my strongest page to date. (Kim made major headway on the pencils of 2 pages of her new comic, and Maciek shaded a new version of an early page of BYOB, we all got a lot done)

I just wanted to let you all know how we did. No rush for additional commissions.
However, as long as the artists agree, they may be willing to leave those spots open for contract. All additional monies go to the artist commissioned.

Thanks again! Studio AntiThesis appreciates your patronage.

Meryloin Factor & Tabloid Roulette Signatures

The Plate for the Cover

Our Color Cards *squee

Check this out! It’s the guts of our(Kim/Me) mini comic! This will be coming to Anime Iowa with us!

(Commissions for Lea Still Available!!! http://www.livejournal.com/users/dreamling/176589.html)

Help Send Lea to Anime Iowa - Get Cool Original Art!

WE DID IT!!!! yah!!! Thanks!!!

Send Lea Hernandez (of Rumble Girls, Girlamatic, and recently, the comic book version of Hardy Boys) to Anime Iowa. Lea is accepting sponsorship for people who would like to just donate to her here. We need your help!

Studio AntiThesis has volunteered to draw commissions and donate all profits towards purchasing Lea’s plane ticket. Here’s your chance to help Lea, and get some kick ass art from our Studio!

The plane ticket costs $329, and prices are going up. We’ll need payment up front to get the money to Lea ASAP.

Commissions will be done by November. Artist retain all copyrights.
We have 11! Commissions available, first come, first serve.
You can email us with your requests at dreamling@livejournal.com, or reply here.
Paypal to stacie@quixotica.com

Studio AntiThesis Commission Slots:
Stacie
1. $30 Baby Room pic
2. $50 Frank Mystery Vase
3. $50 - pending. (funds not recieved)
4.- commission closed
Maciek
1.$30 Duoae DnT Group Pic
2.
Allie
1.$??- pending Bishie Girl
2.$35 Azimuth Bish.
3.(Chibi slot)
Lor
1.$20 Mortavian
2.
Total:$165
Other Donations:$120
K&M purchase Inks:50
Needed:0

Commission Descriptions:
So, here’s who we have on board, what they’re up for art wise and their set prices (Support Lea at whatever price you’re comfortable with): (Select your artist and option, and either reply in this lj, or email dreamling@livejournal.com)

Stacie is the comic artist for Tabloid Roulette (
http://tabloid.studioantithesis.com )and the one who came up with this plan. She has 2 slots left for commissions, and says “I’m more comfortable with fantasy/sci-fi elements and character designs, and feel my strongest pieces are character based, but I’d be willing to try some new things. I do specialize in cute elves, but take that as you like. (please no x-rated/hentai requests)”

Prices:
$20 gets you an original Arellano piece, sketched and inked.
$25 will get you either ink wash, or quick B/W copic marker render
on the sketch.
$30 gets you color, either in pencils or marker, your choice.
$50 will get Stacie’s full attention sketch, ink, and photoshopped, printed on nice shiny photopaper. You receive the original sketch, and the printout photoshopped, printed on nice shiny photopaper. You receive the original sketch, and the printout.
Examples: http://www.metahari.com/gallery/elves/elfpinupfin72
http://www.metahari.com/gallery/chara/mohna
All pieces are signed and dated.

Maciek the comic artist for Build Your Own Boyfriend (http://byob.studioantithesis.com) and Death and Transfiguration (http://dnt.studioantithesis.com) Is up for 2 commissions. (please no x-rated/hentai requests)

Prices:
$20 for a nicely finished pencil sketch (fixed so it won’t smudge)
$30 for an inked piece (and he’s gotten quite good at those inkings as of late, uses an actual brush)

Allie the comic artist for Of Two Minds
(http://of2minds.studioantithesis.com) Her specialities are Bishi (way sexy guys) and chibi’s (cute, miniture versions of characters) and she’s able to do 1 of each of the following:

A. One Bishonen guy inked for $25. For $10 more (for a total of $35), she’ll computer ink it and she’ll send you both the original and a nice deskjet print. Nudity is an additional $10. Romantic poses are $10 more. (nudity option is at the artist’s discrection)

B. One cute Chibi ink for $10. $10 more (for a total of $20) and she’ll send the original along with a computer colored version. She’ll add extra chibi’s for $5/each (up to 5 additional chibi’s)

Lor who did the col
or mechanical angel on the cover of our latest zine (http://studioantithesis.com/images/cover_2004_05_08.jpg)
He has 2 slots for pencil sketches (fixed so they won’t smear). He will do any anime/videogame style: sci-fi, fantasy, modern, cheesecake/pinup, fanart or original. Price is $20 each, (please no x-rated/hentai requests)

Studio Anti-Thesis Needs you! Help Send Lea to Anime Iowa!