Hello, hello, hello (as Count Olaf would say)...

It's been a while since my last Journal and I wanted to let everyone know how things are going with my life and all... but first, I'd like to acknowledge and thank deeply to all the Notes, prayers and well-wishes I received on behalf of my father's health. He's fortunately doing better and has stabilised since his last collapse. He's home, under the care of my Mother and hopefully we'll be able to transfer him to an institution where he can be treated by more professionals than I can count.
So, it seems that the Universe did listen to you all and granted him and all my family some spare time with dad.
Thank you all.

I also want to take this brief space to THANK YOU for all the favourites, comments and critiques you leave on this humble Gallery everyday. There used to be a time when I answered all of the nice things you said, but alas! that time has passed and now I try to keep up the best I can. All I can say is that I read every bit that's osted and sooner or later I'll get to replying to each of your inquiries!



Now, on the other hand, the week I spent at the hospital brought some rather unpleaseant backwash of delayed deadlines on all the projects I was working on before it and I still haven't caught up with it all. Thanks to my clients' patience (being put to the test more than I would like!) I'm slowly working on all the assignments left behind and also trying to cope with new ideas that have arisen.

If you follow my Blog every Friday on the WildeTimes site ([link]), you may have heard of this exciting news by now. If not, here it is:

I've signed up for publishing an exclusive Artbook containing my best work, some new that's never been seen before and development material, along with a fresh new step-by-step onto one of my images and the possibility of getting a signed print with your order!
This has been a dream of mine ever since I started this career but I never actually thought I'd stand a chance of having enough talent or skills to fill up a book with my artwork in it. As it is, it seems I do and my dear Alex Kaulfuss (Head of WildeTimes and also Editor/Publisher extraordinaire of UTOPIA) has proposed to me this wonderful idea which is being put together as I type these lines.
The details of the book are amazing: 48 full-colour pages, in high quality paper, A4 size (8"x11") and with an exclusive signed print inside of each copy.
If you wanted to have the best of me in your book shelf, then PureNRG!: Artbook will be the best bet! We're hoping to make an early 2010 limited release of only 250 exclusive copies. If they sell well, we'll take another edition to the printers. That's where YOU come in, my fellow watchers: you've always been very supportive of me and this will be my most trying project after the novel. This time my artwork stands on its own, without any words to help it or a story to go along with it. So, if you choose to help it grow as you have in these past years since my coming to dA, then save some pennies and get ready to order soon... the book will sport a ridiculous price which I hope will not be too hard on the wallet: U$S 20!
The only downside to the Artbook will be that most of the dark Millenium (all of it, actually) will be left outside, so as to not step on GWs IP Policy. I know many of you are devoted fans of those, but I'd be a liar if I hadn't said anything and let you all down when you didn't saw the imagery of Warhammer 40,000. I hope you still like my original work as much as you do the grim far future and give this book a chance...


*Whew* With that out of the way, I also want to let everyone know that I'm in a bit of a financial need right now and thus, I'm selling all of my B&W original artwork at ridiculous prices (U$S 40 each!) and also taking on commissions in the saeme style for the same price of anything that you can think of. The steps to commission and/or buy an original are the same as with my regular commissions; you can find them at the foot of this Journal...

As for my other projects, I'm preparing a N0.1R proposal so it can see the printed light as well as my Artbook and also completing some rather extravagant and amazingly detailed illustrations of the Dark Millenium (including a Ravenor$Co one! ). I'm also collaborating in various ideas and looking out to get a contract on a story I've developed involving some interesting concepts I'll soon post up for you to see.

Life's been pretty crazy lately as well and work has ot left me much room for anything else, though there's been birthdays, parties, dinners roleplay and much more. I tell you, I can barely sleep sometimes what with all the energy I'm crackling each day...

So, that's all for now. I'll go post a new Poll up and leave you all to it whilst I get some sleep.

I hope you're all doing faboulously well and see you soon!

Nic.-

MiniMasterpieces commission information:

[link]

COMMISSION INFORMATION

[link]

UTOPIAn Interview by `misskittyoooo

[link]

UTOPIAn sights to behold

~CapnFlynn [link]

~IADM [link]

=Jolene-H [link]

=W4M1 [link]

~MaKo85 [link]

~control01 [link]

~Rogue-8i [link]

Hello, my dear friends...

It’s been a while since my last posts (well, at least according to my standards) and much has happened since. Life usually gets in the way of many things and especially creating art. That’s why my production’s been so slow... I’ll try to remedy that, but in the meantime, I guess some sort of update on what’s going on is necessary...

WORK

Work’s terribly delayed. Because of my personal issues, a lot of my projects have almost fallen to a halt and that’s not good at all. Fortunately my clients and collaborator’s in my many ideas and proposals have understood what’s going on and have lent me their patience whilst I solve matters at hand.
All of the projects I’m regularly working on are still in development, including N0.1R and the Libris Primaris. I have many commissions and also some other projects I can’t yet talk about.

I’m updating the blog weekly, though and there I talk about many, many things as well as giving pointers and advice where I can about the chores of becoming a professional artist. Be sure to check it out!

I’m lacking a steady contract though, something I will be looking for in the coming months, so if you have any leads, let me know!

PERSONAL

This is what’s got me so down lately. My father’s ill (and has been for the past 4 years and a bit more) with Dementia/Alzheimers’ disease... and it’s really starting to take a toll on all the family and everyone around us. Not to mention him.
We’ve spent the best part of last week in the hospital taking care of several seizures he had which have left him worse than he was and the future doesn’t seem brighter. This disease is terrible, because you see how your loved one ceases to be slowly. My father does no longer recognise anything around him, nor any people... so, it’s like a stranger is sitting in his place.
We’re trying to get him institutionalised, so he can be better and have a much more healthy life, at least for whatever time he’s got left...
He’s home now, but not doing a lot better, so these are certainly sad times.

Fortunately, a lot of people have lend a hand and are willing to keep doing it for the sake of my family, which I’m very grateful for. It’s humbling to receive help and I hope I’m always able to do the same when it’s my turn to provide it.

Things with my girl Vanesa are stronger than ever and working on a lot of plans together, some very BIG plans. She’s helping all the way through these tough times, and has proven to be the most caring and compasive human being I’ve ever met. She puts me to shame sometimes, but I’m glad she loves me because I wouldn’t know what to do without her... Oh! Also, see heere for a most gratifying bit of news about us

[link]

LEISURE

I’ve not been doing a LOT lately, but I've still managed to have some laughs in-between work and my father’s hospitalisation, with my parents-in-law and my cousins. I hope things will slowly get back to normal as time goes by and things settle down.

General

Roleplaying changed gears and now we’re back in the last world we left and with a new DMaster once again. Somehow, my character of Aerion feels much more enjoyable to play than my last creation... I don’t know why. But I’m certainly doing a lot of damage with him. I recetly slayed TWO chosens of the Gods, just to settle a score with a liason that’d get me an item I needed ...

So, it’s all I have tosay for now. I hope to keep up the posting that, with my B&Ws, should be easier and much more experimental. I hope you join me in the fun!

Until soon!

Nic.-

MiniMasterpieces commission information:

[link]

COMMISSION INFORMATION

[link]

UTOPIAn Interview by `misskittyoooo

[link]

UTOPIAn sights to behold

*CapnFlynn [link]

~IADM [link]

=Jolene-H [link]

=W4M1 [link]

~MaKo85 [link]

~control01 [link]

~Rogue-8i [link]

So, my fellow watchers and friends...

I've realised that being as busy as I am and trying to update things in every single place I'm in can be somewhat exhausting, not to mention a bit repetitive. Some of you may be watching and reading my Blog too, and I put up rants there every Friday I wouldn't like to repeat in other words (more or less) here.
Thus, I've decided to post some of my blog thoughts here, where we can more easily share our views on the matter and comment much more...

Of course, I'll post the most relevant updates and usually I'll accompany them with some more information about myself if I can. Here is the last thing (and quite important too) I wrote about concerning the direction of my artwork:

Vanesa: “…I mean, I do like your colours, but sometimes you just screw them up.”

Me: “Really? How?”

Vanesa: “Oh, honey… nevermind; I don’t want to say anything that you might take the wrong way. I mean, I always try and stay away from your work. You know that.”

Me: “Yeah but I value your opinion. I mean, you’re not a complete stranger. You’re you… and I always like to receive critiques… I’ve been feeling a lot better with my B&W pieces lately, and… I don’t know, they seem to be the right way to go…”

Vanesa: “I really love those pieces too. I think you’re doing great with them. Your problem is colours. When you do colours, sometimes you fuck the whole image up. It’s like I’ve seen a lot of your work change whilst it’s coloured. I liked it when it was just lineart, but then, something changes. There are hues you manage very well, like your… what do you call them? You know, that Fulgrim guy I love…”

Me: “The Primarchs?”

Vanesa: “Yes, those are fantastic! You keep to a certain palette, but then there are other images in which you add colours you can’t control and they end up saturated or just plain… too bi-dimensional…”

Me: “So I have a problem with colors?”

Vanesa: “I didn’t say that. I said you have a problem with certain colours and sometimes you colour pieces that don’t need colours. Your work is great with just the lineart; you get so much emotion in your characters’ gestures that you really don’t need to add more with colour. It’s all there to begin with.”

Me: “…”

Vanesa: “It’s just my opinion and I don’t know anything about art, after all…? So, you know…”

Me: “Oh, no, no! I know what you mean… I’ve felt it too. I’ve been going back over what you said myself time and time again ever since I started doing my B&Ws. I think I need to keep to those more. And revise my whole colour theory.”

Vanesa: “Or you can stay away from certain colours.”

Me: “No, that’d be mediocre. I need to control the colours. Not the other way around. I’ll work until i get it. You said you like my volumes; well, there was a time I couldn’t work volumes for the life of me, and here we are…”

Vanesa: “So, you’ll just keep at it, until you get it right?” (smiles)

Me: “Yeah, but I need to do some more B&W and get my palette straight again…”

This is as accurate an account as I can make it of an early morning talk I had with my girl regarding my artwork and its development. It’s usually those we love and who know us even better than we do ourselves that tell us the things we think deeply inside but are afraid to verbalise.

Ever since I picked up the pace of inking and doing B&W again, I’ve felt a sudden rush of freedom the like I’ve never felt in a couple of years now. I don’t have the pressure of sticking to an specific hue, palette or determined colour scheme. I just work with lines and that is what my style is most recognised for and its main foundation. However, with the passing of time (and the ever looming presence of bills I had to pay) I felt driven a bit by force, a bit by demand, and a bit by personal exploration to dwell into colour. And the results were amazing and well-received.

But in the process of "working “on demand”" I sort of forgot ‘me’… and what I loved doing. B&W gave me that back. It let me explore other ideas and finish them quickly as hell; something I’ve also been recognised for over time. I’ve seen illustrations take whatever form they would in front of my eyes, and have had the luxury of working them in the oddest places (a roleplaying night, for example!).

The dilemma lies within the boundaries of “what the public wants” and “what the heart wants”. A tough choice and not one always easy to bypass… I’m sure there’s a happy place where those two can get along just fine, but in-between, I lie in a wasteland where I feel like I'm turning the boat around in a different direction and telling people that, instead of going upstream, we’ll relax and go south following the course of the river.

Not everyone’s going to jump on that trip. Nor will they go without qestioning “Why?” and that’s the hardest part to explain. But it’s the one that artwork can. If you’ve seen my B&Ws you’ll see that I’m having a blast with them. They feel free and fun and very strong. And hopefully that’s what’ll make everyone go “Ah, yes, that’s what this guy is about…” I know the market sort of favours colour, but I feel compelled to do otherwise, and perhaps that’s what makes me an artist. To do the opposite of what’s ‘cool’.

Hopefully.

I won’t abandon coloured drawings, but as my life makes leaps and bounds into new territories, so must my art. I have to deconstruct it and learn it all over again. See where the weaknesses are and where the strengths lie. And slowly build up the colour again… from the barest B&W. A task I’m likely to enjoy by the looks of it.

Nic.-

Pure NRG! Blog at WildeTimes:

[link]

MiniMasterpieces commission information:

[link]

COMMISSION INFORMATION

[link]

UTOPIAn Interview by `misskittyoooo

[link]

UTOPIAn sights to behold

*CapnFlynn [link]

~IADM [link]

=Jolene-H [link]

=W4M1 [link]

~MaKo85 [link]

~control01 [link]

~Rogue-8i [link]

[UPDATE] First of all, let me thank you all for encouraging me and understanding this problem of mine. You've been of great help voting in the Poll as well as leaving your thoughts and suggestions over there and here in this Journal entry.
I have taken the time to revise everything and stand on all of the different viewpoints presented, trying to reach the best possible solution.
As far as I see it and from what most of you have said, there's a general consensus that I should take time mostly to work on my art and then see if I can reply to questions here and there if I can, instead of burning myself out on long string of individual replies.
Some have been more understanding, and others a bit more demanding, but all in all I appreciate every opinion and I've tried to arrive to the best possible solution that'll (fingers crossed!) keep everyone happy.

I've taken the time to reply to all already and pointed everyone in the direction of the said fair solution:

My new FORUM section: [link] !

As I said over there in my very first thread, I've always been fond of forum activity, because whilst it demands my attention, it doesn't do it in a so time-consuming way as replying to every single comment I get. In my threads we can get the chance to discuss things more generally and address questions that many of you might have, without having to resot to Notes or wait endlessly for my having time to reply individually.
I can also pour in there more sketches and stuff that usually doesn't get to my Gallery because of the standards I try to stick to, as well as rants that don't go into my Journal because they're just too woeird sometimes ...

Be sure to check the thread out as there's some artwork development the fans of the Dark Millenium (and my watchers in general) will appreciate!

THANK YOU ALL AGAIN AND SEE YOU SOON!

Nic.-

PS.. And thanks dA for having such cool features ...

Hello everybody out there!

The following rant has been taken from my blog and excuse my putting it here almost in its entirety, but I don't want to repeat myself and I think this matter deserves its longitude. Bear with me please and read until the end!

"(...)I’ve never been one to comment a lot on other people’s works. Sometimes because I don’t have enough time and that’s proven to be pivotal for my work. An artist needs to use as much of his time to draw, or else he will never meet deadlines and the hard needs of the Editorial market and the demands of the people. Thus, I’ve always put the artwork first anf foremost… but I’ve come to se that as a bit of a mistake on my part. I try to make up for it, if time allows, and to use every other medium I have to express the amazing feeling this artist has conveyed to me with his artwork. But it’s not enough, I reckon…

In the last couple of years, the communities I’m a part of have demanded feedback from me that I now know is crucial to an artist’s development and that of his craft. I mean, if one never hears opinions on his work, then that can lead to an absence of, well, every bit of motivation you can have…

We humans are very social creatures, and so we need the constant reminder and interaction of other people with us, even if that interaction comes in the form of conflict. There are a lot of artists who are regarded as a pile of crap (infamous “Director” Uwe Boll comes to mind as a perfect example); but at least they’re being recognised and have some form of feedback for their shit.

Silence is the death of an artist. But so is the lack of production. Here’s the fabled dilemma.

I was never much of a “commenter” but I sure am a guy who replies. I’ve always replied to every Note, e-mail, comment, critique, critiscism, cheer or compliment thrown my way. And it’s been most rewarding, but… what happens when the feedback is so overwhelming that you fail to have the time anymore to interact with the fans?

That’s the crux of the matter: on one hand, we strive for the recognition, and on the other, once we have it, perhaps we stop regarding it so highly. Or perhaps we realise there’s not much time left to waste. But, is it a waste? An angry Editor will probably tell you that it is, because he wants his book on time on the shelves; a patient client will tell you the same (though definitely more politely than the aforementioned Editor) and perhaps, given to choose between a reply or a new book with your art in it, so will the fans.

That I get so many comments a day, e-mails and requests or Notes is testament that you’re being watched and that’s the best reward an asrtist can ask for. People are paying attention. But, of course, they demand feedback from you. Either in the form of artwork, or in the form of a kind reply to his/her comment… that’s the tricky part. You’re so pressed for time at certain points, that you fail to deliver either of the things demanded…

The best solution I’ve come to is the one I’ve been applying to my Galleries and threads in forum-life: I stick to my place and whoever comes and leaves a reply will get one from me. In depth, thoughtful and as complete as time allows… But again: it’s not enough. And even though on one hand I’m proud to have achieved such ammount of recognition, I’m also feeling guilty that I don’t get to reply now to those who’re kind enough to leave me a message.

Another solution, for some, is easier: they’ll get to go to Conventions and talk to the people firsthand… but I’m accross the world from most of my fans! If I don’t reply to them through here, they will never have the luxury of interacting with me (at least for the time being). So you see the problem I have at hand lately.

I will surely be posting a Poll and a Journal over at dA to get some feedback and thoughts on this matter and I will certainly appreciate them here.

See? After all my rambling, it comes down to replies in the end, huh…? "

So, that's basically the dilemma I'm facing, as I said. I've posted my latest Primarch and recived tons of feedback on it that i now know I won't be able to reply to fully. I've posted a new image tonight of my Masters of the Universe reimaginings which I won't be able to reply insightfully either if you comment... but I wanted to consult with you on this and what you think of my taking more time to draw and reply generally than to each and every single post.

I will be posting a Poll, so you can leave your thoughts there and I was also planning on inaugurating a forum thread here in my Profile page, so we can all chat and throw ideas around. That'd be a good way of me addressing the latest critiques, comments and compliments on my newest additions without burning myself out. And it'd also provide a good place for brainstorming and suggestions, which is something I've been asked to provide over Notes and e-mails as well...

What do you think, faithful watchers?

Cheers as usual and see you soon!

Nic.-

My BLOG at WildeTimes: [link]

MiniMasterpieces commission information:

[link]

COMMISSION INFORMATION

[link]

UTOPIAn Interview by `misskittyoooo

[link]

UTOPIAn sights to behold

*CapnFlynn [link]

~IADM [link]

=Jolene-H [link]

=W4M1 [link]

~MaKo85 [link]

~control01 [link]

~Rogue-8i [link]

Well... despite my tight schedule, my deadlines and all the workload I'm managing lately, I've gone and fallen into the trap:

I have a BLOG!

Yes, you heard it right! My Editor and publisher Alex Kaulfuss over at WildeTimes and I were talking the other day about the site, the Online Store and its downtime, N0.1R and its slow updates and things in general, when he offered me something I had long thought about but never actually did... start a blog.
He told me it'd be interesting to keep the site running and have people get a glimpse of what went on "behind the scenes" of the illustrations I come up with and everything else in the middle.
So, after giving it some thought, I agreed and now you can find me here at:

[link]

The name of the blog is Pure NRG!, a play on my signature and its spelling and it'll be updated every Friday, along with N0.1R (Yes! Weekly updates and no more delays!).

What will you find there? Well, just about everything, but most importantly: sketches, development material and many more things related to the process I go through to get an illustration finished. I might write some tutorials, post snippets of ideas and texts and rant about my influences...

Why am I letting YOU know? Well, because I intend the blog to be a place for me to interact with those interested in my artwork and craft, just as I've done here on dA. You're invited to comment, critique, rant, shout, dance or anything you want to do and I'll have a full week to answer you in-depth. You can also suggest things you'd like to see and help me build up this place... it'll be as much yours as it is mine!

So, I hope you come by and see the first sketch I've posted: Evil-Lyn: Twilight!

Also, for those interested, the Online Store of the site is up and running again, so you can order UTOPIA through it ...

I'll see you all over there and we'll keep talking!

Until soon.

Nic.-

MiniMasterpieces commission information:

[link]

COMMISSION INFORMATION

[link]

UTOPIAn Interview by `misskittyoooo

[link]

UTOPIAn sights to behold

~CapnFlynn [link]

~IADM [link]

=Jolene-H [link]

=W4M1 [link]

~MaKo85 [link]

~control01 [link]

~Rogue-8i [link]