Crystal (she/her)

Just changed out the art wall for spooky season here! I keep coffee table portfolios of the artwork I buy from artists and switch them out every month or so. I like them and want other people to see and enjoy them too! The Castlevania one is my own original and the anime cel stays up all year.

Going to be at Fort Collins Comic Con this weekend (Aug 14 - 16) not in the artist alley but hosting a panel! Gouache: A Crash Course, is to help get you started with painting in gouache from my 20 years of experience. Panel is Sun, Aug 16 at 9:15am in The Bus room. fococomiccon.com

Fort Collins Comic Con is this weekend! Come see me and other local artists Aug 16 - 17 at the Ft. Collins Senior Center. I got my newest project, a weapons booklet styled after video game manuals. I'm really proud of it! Also, this will probably be my last con for the foreseeable future.

Working at projects still! My weapon booklet is in final proofing and some other projects are in the works. If you'd like to see them in person, I will be debuting them for Fort Collins Comic Con on Aug 16 and 17! Tickets are on sale now with guests announcements coming! fococomiccon.com/tickets/

Been working on my weapon booklet. The scope grew a bit but has more focus now. Hope to have a good mockup by the end of the week with most of the major details worked in. Until then, have a picture of my boi Calcifer doing a long boi lay on the floor tonight.

Making art has been really hard for me so far this year. Not sure what I'm wanting so it's been hard to do anything. I am trying to keep the bit of joy alive though I am finding in my newest art book project. Hope to have the complete version by FCCC. Weapons in a NES booklet. #wip #weapontember

Been just treading along here. Did get good news today that I got accepted to Fort Collins Comic Con! It's a favorite show of mine, so happy to be back. Looks like I got some art planning to do for August now. I guess in the meantime, have a a peek at a recent study. :)

As I said in previous posts, here is one colored version of the swords; Stars. It's painted on cold-press watercolor paper with Kuretake watercolors; a good change up from gouache. I like this one, but still debating about a dark background behind the star. #swordtember2024 #swordart #color #art

Last sword! Day 30: Ancient. I looked up swords held in museums for this one, and for some reason I did not make notes on which sword type this blade is. I was good with my notes except on this one. Just wanted a blade that has a patina and is rusting away. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Almost at the end! Day 29: ceremony/ritual. Another decorative sword from my story. This one is used during weddings in the Highlands. The couple wraps a ribbon each through the rings and they pull them taunt. If they don't cut, the marriage is blessed. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Cruising along here with day 28: royal. This is a ceremonial sword and would be useless in combat, hence the very decorative nature of it. It is from a story of mine, used in a kingdom of trees and lush places. Maybe some day I'll share more about the story. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

In the home stretch here for sword posts. Day 27: Floral. Always love an excuse to draw florals, so this sword is based on a bleeding heart flower. It worked out really well, as the flower is the guard and extending part of it as the blade was all I needed. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Day 26: Ocean/water. Was thinking of making the blade of this sword in the shape of a cresting wave to lean into the ocean/water part and not focus on things in the ocean. I used my pocket brush pen for this one again to keep the lines organic/flowing feeling. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Got busy the last few days, so here is Day 25: Jeweled. Another favorite of mine of this series. Based on a talwar sword. I looked up Fabergé eggs for this, as they are highly detailed and bejeweled, a perfect fit. Can't wait to share the colored version. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Day 24: Sinister. This one was a head scratcher. My thoughts went to vampires and bats and decided to play in that motif. This is a magic living sword, in that the blade is grown in a material like teeth enamel, and is replaced over time. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Day 23: Guardian. Challenged myself on this one to primarily use my brush pen, which I did, outside of the squiggle texture details. I wanted a sword that felt broad, thick, and kinda heavy. Something that is protective like a guardian. Feel like I did okay. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Day 22: Dragonslayer. This sword is a large dragon tooth that has been sharpened into a blade. I based the tooth partially on komodo dragon teeth, as they have a natural serrated edge on their teeth. A versatile weapon with two cutting edges. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Making our way along to day 21: Glowing. Had a firefly in mind for this one and did pretty well I feel incorporating the firefly's body into the sword design. I really had fun with this one and like the look and the two pronged blade. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Continuing on with day 20: multiple or many. Did this as a challenge to myself to see how many swords I could draw and make them look similar between each other and play with different ones. Helped me appreciate the saber a bit more. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Getting back into the saddle to finish posting these swords! Day 19: Justice Thought of the justice statue and such and combined the scales with the sword. Based it off a zweihander, a huge crowd control sword. I like the look of this one. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Thank you everyone who stopped by my table at COAF this past weekend! I had a wonderful time again and look forward to next year! Now to have a recovery day and just a little work by paying my sales taxes.

Got off the wait list for Colorado Anime Fest this weekend! I'm excited to be able to table. Looking forward to seeing others there :) #coloradoanimefest2025

Prompt for day 18 was nature inspired. I often think of natural materials like wood, so I wanted oak trees to be the inspiration. It got an oak leaf hilt and the acorn guard. I also wanted to have a bit more line texture and not just solid blacks for this one. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Day 17: Fragmented. Made me think of the broken tile pieces used to make mosaics, so I styled it off an ancient Greek sword. Not sure how practical this one would be as a sword, but I like the idea and imagine this one would be pretty heavy. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Got my Etsy shop up and running again! Have a good amount of prints at a lower price that are retiring. Once they are gone, they are gone, no reprints planned.

Day 16: Magic. I did a reversal for this one versus one I did in 2021 called Summon, by having the blade runes be engraved in black instead of white with a black blade. I just wanted to have fun with the shapes and incorporating a heavy use of black ink. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Day 15: Wings. This is another personal favorite of mine from this series. Based around the lunar moth. I like how elegant and delicate this sword looks. I really like my design and the inking. Certainly one I'm going to take to color. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Will slowly continue to post these swords. Day 14: knight. Wanted a longsword/broadsword type with a fancy hilt and guard. I always think of knights as defenders, so included the shield. The shield is magic and can be removed and used as needed. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Been looking through old sketchbooks and I got to remember I've done a lot and can continue to do a lot. I have different styles and studies and I can see how past ideas formulated into something more. I explored a lot and I want to keep on doing that. Thanks past me for keeping on trying.

Day 3 of Genghis Con and just making drawings in the sketchbook to keep me occupied between activity bursts. Used the templar knight from Indiana Jones as inspiration. A knight errant of some sort who has been given a dragon egg. Maybe it's special? #sketchbook #art #drawing #dragon #knight

Just drawing in my sketch book at Genghis Con day 2. Doing an old school love of dragons. He didn't end up being cute really, but I had fun giving him the scales and the folds. Been awhile since I did draw a dragon! #sketchbook #drawing #art

Setup here for Genghis Con 2025 in Aurora at the Hyatt Aurora-Denver hotel! Have my prints, stickers, books, earrings, and original art for sale. Bit of a rough drive in due to last night's snow, but we made it! Stop by and say hi if you are here this weekend :)

Day 12: Powerful. Decided to go the dragon route for this one, as I feel dragons are powerful! I like the scales in the hilt and guard and the tongue motif on the blade. I did make this sword too compact & short. I sketched out how long I imagine it should be. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Day 10: Rose/Thorn. I always like doing plant based swords and had fun with this one. I really like the blade and the thorns coming off it, the way I looped the stems for the hilt and guard, and how I was able to incorporate the black on the stem hilt. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Day 9: Divine Relic. Based this sword off the jeweled skeleton of Saint Hyacinth. This sword will bring great prosperity and renown to the one who wields it, but you have to pass the hand's test. I see this as a companion piece to day 8. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Have them all done and just posting when I feel like it. Day 8: Cursed. This one is my favorite. Based it off of reliquary. My lore is that the blessed relic has been stolen from this sword and now it is cursed and bleeding. It yearns for the piece taken. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Just continuing my slow posting. Day 7: Stars. Based the sword on the falling stars from Howl's Moving Castle. Just recently finished inking it as I wanted to keep a light and bright quality to it and feel like I succeeded. Glad I sat on it for a bit. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Day 6: Moon, the companion piece to Sun. Goal was to make this sword look light and delicate compared to sun. Incorporated moon phases into the blade and had the handle replicate the sun shape but with the crescent moon. Has a bit of a Zora vibe from Zelda. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Here is day 5: Sun. I like how this sword feels like it has weight and the sun ray/rising sun motif I have in the handle. Had to go back over parts with white ink to soften the black areas. Felt like they were too strong. Companion piece tomorrow. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Oops! Forgot to post once Friday hit, but here's day 4: Duel. Thought of gunblades from FF8 and decided to roll with it. A gun duel, a blade duel, why not bring both to the fight :p Not much to say on this one for me. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

Third prompt was poisonous. Maybe this one is a stretch but I liked the idea. Based it on an Aztec weapon and I'm saying it is imbued with magic by way of poison dart frog markings to make it poisonous. Had fun with the wood texture and the black patterning. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart #art

HI I JUST LAUNCHED MY PINTOPIA CAMPAIGN!! www.backerkit.com/c/projects/c...

Second sword. Prompt was ice so I based it on snowflakes and the shape of their crystals. Made it really sharp and pointy too. I was thinking stiletto for it (which is more of a dagger than a sword) but it felt right for the blade. Also had smears due to juicy pen. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart

First of the 2024 Swordtember swords is Fire. I based all the swords off the 2020 prompt list as I didn't know it existed that year. I looked at Persian wide swords and incorporated the elemental symbol for fire into the hilt and guard, hence so many triangles. #swordtember2024 #swordart #inkart

Going to do an actual art post after this message. I don't think I have ever shared any of my swords online before, so I'm going to start posting 2024's Swordtember works. I've been very slow with them, but finally finished the line work and have been getting into the inking. Will post one a day.

Doing a secret santa illustration for a friend and wish I could share the work in progress but I'm afraid that it'll get spoiled cause friends follow this art account and they'll figure it out :p But at least it is looking better now I'm very rusty with figures.