Hello!
This week has brought a slow and surreal return to normality. After a major life event, normal can feel bizarre and dreamlike, but I’ve been able to take care of my husband (and myself!) and even make time for work and art. Thank you to everyone who sent kind words of love and encouragement- you gave us more strength than I can ever truly express!
Newsletter Update
Due to limits being placed on the size of my emails, I decided to split the premium and free newsletters into separate emails. You’ll still get this free email on Thursday, but the premium content will go out separately on Tuesdays.
If you’d like a sneak peek of what the premium newsletters contain, you can check that out here:
If you want to subscribe, click here for Substack and click here for Patreon!
New Artwork
It’s been a LONG time since I painted a full scene like this! This is a scene from The Sum of Our Deeds, my novel-in-progress, showing Ava and Darius arriving on the shores of the mainland, ready for adventure and opportunity.
It took about as much from me as I have to give, totalling about 70 hours and uniting skills from all directions. I learned a tonne, and no sooner had I finished it than decided I’d do a bunch of things differently, but that’s what being an artist is all about, right?
Launch day print sale!
It’s been a long time since I released any prints, and I thought this one would be perfect for it! So, to celebrate, I’m granting 20% off this print with the code “turtlelove”. This code will expire tomorrow, so don’t miss out!
Reflection
Weekly reflections to encourage self-reflection and help you discover impactful things about yourself, your art and your career.
Oftentimes, art can detach us from the world and the people around us. It’s so easy to shut ourselves away and create and forget how important that connection with others is. We think about our art in terms of what we want and what we like, but that isn’t always the whole picture.
So let’s think about how your art connects you with other people:
What gifts can you bring to others?
How can your work provide value to others?
What do you have to contribute to your community?
How do you want your work to make people feel?
Showcase
Each week, I share the work of other people here. Be sure to check out their pages and show them some love! To find out how to get featured, click here.
Resource
Pirate Ship Reference Pack- Schmaise
Fellow artist Schmaise (NFSW warning) has put together several awesome reference packs, but how cool is this pirate ship one?! I love how these shots capture so many beautiful and intricate details. Perfect for your sea-faring adventurers!
Feature
Carina Klinkhammer (below):
Maria (below):
Batsamus (below):
That’s all for this week’s free newsletter. But if you want more awesome content (reference images, worldbuilding inspiration, study notes and more), you can join the premium mailing list below:
Subscribe on Substack
-(monthly/annual discounted subscription options)
Subscribe on Patreon
-(charged on sign up and on the 1st of the month thereafter)
Thanks again for being a part of this!
-Rachel