Hey everyone! Still working on the August rewards bundle, but you can expect it sometime this week (if things go smoothly).

It may be on the lighter side content-wise—comparable to July's rewards, I imagine—but I'm trying something new and recording a significant amount of my process, so there will be some timelapse videos and exceptionally-detailed PSDs this time around.

I'm also using a lighting-heavy/AO style for these pieces, rather than the more traditional approach I used for my recent pin-ups, so I hope followers of my older work will find the paintings a pleasant return to form.

As for the near future, I have a couple of conventions coming up in November for which I want to create new work—the major one being Summoner's Con in LA, which means I'll be mostly focusing on League of Legends fan art for the next few months. So that Popstar Ahri is incoming soon!

Hey everyone!

I was in Las Vegas last week for the EVO international fighting game tournament, so I apologize for this newsletter being later than expected. I don't really talk about it much, but I do play a bit of competitive Super Smash Bros. Melee on the side, and experiencing EVO has been a goal of mine for a few years now. It helped me take my mind off things for a while...and more importantly, I ate some amazing food there!

Anyway, as many of my patrons probably know, I've been in kind of a slump these last couple of months.

I ran into some walls trying to come up with something creative and fun for Lightning (and the bonus Sona pin-up), and since I often tunnel-vision on one painting at a time, everything essentially slowed down to a crawl. Almost non-stop traveling and conventions didn't make it any easier, either. So right now I'm trying to regain some of that lost momentum.

My personal philosophy with Patreon has always been to improve my art with the opportunities your support has afforded me — not make it worse! I feel it would be in bad taste to blaze through my painting process just to get pieces over with, with quality taking a massive hit and the art lacking a special touch. That's something I've really been trying to avoid.

As such, these past couple of months have really showcased the immense impact your support has made on my life. Before Patreon, when I had these kinds of artistic ruts, I would do some crazy things — take on way too much work to make ends meet, lower my quality standards for said work, or sometimes just lock myself in my room.

But this time, I was able to take a deep breath and just keep chipping away. I could explore different approaches or even start over with better ideas. I took breaks and analyzed my progress with a fresh perspective. In the end, instead of getting desperate, I was able to maintain my touch and come up with something I'm proud of, with more yet to come.

That's what it's all about, guys. Your support gives more than just financial stability — it gives me time, which is the most precious resource of all. Time to learn, time to improve, and time to do good work. Thanks for being so patient with me.

REWARDS UPDATES

In regards to rewards, I plan for July's bundle to be sent sometime during the first week of August. It will have the Lightning pin-up (clothed, full nude, and a few variations) and the bonus Sona pin-up (which is mostly nude). I apologize for the bundle being so light this time, and I promise I'll find a way to make up for it.

Like January, which was a down/resting month, there won't be rewards bundles for May or June. Again, I'm thinking of creative ways to make up for lost ground during those months.

MILESTONES ADJUSTED

As I've been reaching new funding milestones much quicker than expected, I've made a few changes to spread them out a bit, allowing me to spend more time on each one without falling too far behind.

I've completely removed the Alternate Mini-Series, since it seemed somewhat redundant, and moved the Summertime Scene a little later. The Art Book has been moved to the last milestone spot, which makes more sense.

I just know the Swimsuit Mini-Series is going to be a huge hit, so I wanted to give it as much room to develop as possible.

And the Secret Series (aka NSFW Series) is still at $5000 per month, so don't worry about that one!

UPCOMING MINI-SERIES

To wrap up the Pin-Up Mini-Series, I will be finishing the final two entries simultaneously. The winner for blue/green hair is Lucina from Fire Emblem, and for black/white hair it's Ciri from The Witcher! To keep things interesting, though, I do have some plans for the runner-ups...

We also started voting for the Choose-Your-Mini-Series recently, with Red from Transistor receiving the most votes! This will be a much shorter series than the pin-ups, but voting will have a different format, and hopefully it's a lot of fun for my $10+ patrons!

CROSSOVER SCENE

Another milestone we hit recently was the Crossover Scene! I'm still planning how patron interaction will work, but I'm leaning towards $10+ patrons collectively voting for things like the theme and details, while each $50+ patron picks a character to include.

I haven't been showing my Creative Advisors enough love lately, so that could be a way to get you guys uniquely involved.

FAQ

I'm in the process of compiling a list of Frequently Asked Questions explaining how my Patreon runs, so that should be posted sometime soon. It's mostly information the majority of my seasoned supporters are likely already familiar with, but I did include a few topics not often covered (such as refunds), so if you're having any issues it might be worth a read.

AS ALWAYS...

Feel free to share any ideas or voice any concerns in the comments below...I always take them to heart. Or, if you're Ash, just stop by and say g'day, mate!