Hey there fellas, how goes it?

With only a few short days until my final deadlines I have no time for anything ever. But I was required to get my website up and moving so here it is! [link]
Nothing huge, since I don't know the first thing about website making, but it does have my most recent films and showreel if you're interested!

..That a nerd-in-a-fedora is a stereotype? I read as much today and had never heard of such a thing! Will people start thinking I'm a...gulp...NERD?

How amazing My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic was!? It's just so incredibly witty and cute! I can't help but giggle at some of the jokes. Princess Luna is definitely my favourite character, and I've got a real temptation to see what all of my own characters would look like as ponies!

My newest showreel is now available here [link] so feel free to go and check it out. It'll be re-cut when I finish my current film. As part of our final term we need to get networking and make sure we have a good web presence so that we can get work!

As such, I've recently got my grubby mitts on a website: [link] (Currently empty, I should hopefully start to get it sorted later this week) and a twitter @whatskiletts

That doesn't mean I'm abandoning DeviantArt though, since I do all sorts of different work, some which is better suited to one site and some the other. At the very least it might go some way to explaining where I've been all this time! (Though updates on my current film are still available on my blog: [link] (I know right? Too many wesites!)

So that's my life right now! Sit tight though, since there's a few DevArt-only pieces in the works!

Addendum: Oh and do you like amateur radio!? This term I'm doing a uni radio show with my friend and we could always do with more listeners! [link] We're slowly getting more confident in it, and consequently more entertaining I imagine!

I was already aware that my really old Lemmy Koopa picture: [link] was featured in this YouTube video: [link] and I was cool with that (even though it's REALLY old and terrible now) since the video's author did not claim it as their own work and indicated that most of the images were from DeviantArt.

Then I came across this: [link] Now I'd understand if you don't recognise it, but I do, since I drew it: [link] Seems this fellow took my Clerk/Manager/Director lineart, coloured it (three times) and used it for these articles, without crediting me as the line drawer or even acknowledging that he didn't originally draw it!

The maddening thing is that had he actually requested to use it for this purpose I would have been alright with it! In fact, if the Mario Monsters site wanted to use any of my artwork I probably wouldn't have an issue with it, and if by chance he didn't get the lineart from here somehow and therefore didn't know who to ask about it, he is on record as enjoying drawing so why not just draw it himself?

I'm not as angry as I sound about this, I just don't know why or how it happens. I also realise that it's not my character so I don't really have any kind of rights but come on guys! I'm drawing some more SMRPG characters right now! All you need to do is ask the question and I would probably let you use them!

Oh dearest bank account, you do not deserve what has happened to you...

Okay here's the scoop:

I'll draw one character, full colour with my trademark terrible minimalist background for the potentially low low price of $25!

Right now I'm having to keep pretty strict with this, if you want two characters you'll have to take two commissions I'm afraid. Take a look at my recent work to see what kind of stuff you'll be getting, why don't you?

If this is well received I might offer more complex stuff in the future. If you're interested, send me a note with what on earth you want me to draw!

Cheers!

Let's clear that long post off my front page and write a couple of things that nobody on Facebook or Tumblr would really care about.

KIRBY MASS ATTACK. You know, it sort of sounds like how a Cockney would pronounce "Mouse Attack", which is what Squeak Squad was inexplicably called over here. Ergo, I assume Mass Attack will be called KIRBY: MULTI MADNESS.

I've always been pretty lenient with the Sonic games; I quite enjoyed Unleashed, I REALLY enjoyed Colours (Though it didn't last long enough and the boss fights were a bit disappointing) and didn't think much of the Secret Rings but if there's one thing they always deliver on, it's their soundtracks. Been listening to the Colours soundtrack for the past few days now. Divine

You might have noticed I've been on a bit of an art binge lately too. I just managed to get a good motivation going and now I'm churning through my backlog. Plenty more on the way!

Because it is so self indulgent, but TO HELL WITH IT.

The bothersome tagged me in this, and I kind of wanted to do it.

*************

1→You must post these rules.
2→Each tagged person must post 10 things about themselves on their journal.
3→You have to choose and tag 10 people and post their icons on the same journal.
4→Go to their pages and tell them you tagged them.
5→No tag backs.
6→No crap in the tagging section about "you are tagged if you read this". You legitimately have to tag ten people.

*************

1 - I'm not an artist. I have never categorised myself as an artist, because art is such a broad subject. The vast majority of art I don't understand or even like but I do have respect for it and its practitioners, some of whom are good friends of mine!

2 - Speaking of friends I'm glad I have them. I've always been a very forgettable character, my best friends at school were always the more charismatic and popular and I was just known as the quiet bloke they always hung around with. Interestingly enough I'm not actually like that, I was always too afraid to be myself. Since coming to university that has changed drastically and I've actually grown into myself and have many friends who are actually my friends and I couldn't be happier.

3 - Speaking of growing into myself, I don't like who I am and  never have. I consider that a good thing. My personal mantra is "I'm glad I'm not the person I was yesterday" and I am. I feel that I am slowly becoming a better person (and god knows I do try) but there's always room for improvement!

4 - Speaking of room for improvement I am single, but not by choice.

5 - Speaking of choice I have yet to fully immerse myself in some of the choices I have made (and may still make.) For years I have wanted to be a better musician; I want to learnt to play more instruments, I want to learn to play the instruments I already know how to play properly and I'd rather like to be able to sing reasonably. I don't seem to have enough drive to do this however, and may never find the time amidst all the "artistic endeavours" I'm working on.

6 - Speaking of drive I'm thankful to always be working on something cartoon related. Like many people in my position I don't think I've ever felt that I'm wasting my time and that all my efforts will lead nowhere. On the other hand, like many other people in my position I have yet to stick my oar into the industry, something which my tutors are constantly recommending. I think the reason for this is that since I finally have an active social life I want to make the most of it. I've got the rest of my life to work! And if that means starting on a lower rung and having to work my way up further and harder then so be it!

7 - Speaking of further and harder I don't eat properly! I think that's why I often have no energy, sleep too late and find myself in lots of 'distant' moods, as much as I hate myself for it (See point three.) It doesn't help that I can't cook, but at least it keeps me slim!

8 - Speaking of hating myself I'm not very patriotic. I'm certainly not embarrassed about being English, and it does irk me when people are particularly ignorant of British geography (which is totally hypocritical because I am spectacularly bad at geography) but there's not a fat lot to be patriotic about. Most people see us as pompous toffs or football hooligans and they're probably right.

9 - Speaking of embarrassment I am single, but not by choice.

10 - I'm not tagging ten people. They probably won't even do it and I can't really guarantee I'd read it since I don't loiter around here much these days. But if these people did it I would definitely read:

I was wondering why on earth I had so many messages, and it took quite a bit of detective work to realise that I had a Daily Deviation!
I would argue that I have much better pictures in my gallery, but I understand that wasn't why it was suggested plus that would make me just damn ungrateful.
So I should like to extend my thanks to *Zimeta (a much better artist than I) and `kangel (who I don't actually know.) A fine surprise!

Now I just have to get replying to all these new comments. I know I'm not much of a presence around here right now (and when was I ever) but this degree is taking up most of my time. That said, I have plenty of stuff in the works that will be showcased here.

Now this journal - which ended up a little more pompous than I had imagined - is OVER. Thanks again, guys!

Since our tutors are urging us to get blogs so as to relay our development work and probably network with studios or something, I got one!

[link]

For now it's mainly just a means of cross-posting from here so that my classmates (who don't use DeviantArt) can see what I'm up to.

So feel free to follow it or not follow it.

I AM A PHANTOM AMIDST YOUR BUSINESS
Hey gang! How's it going? Don't leave me hanging here.
So I have new internet! It's not as good as the previous but I don't really have a choice! For some bizarre reason I can no longer comment on your art!
I'm not sure of the exact problem but for some reason I can't make new comments on pictures, but can reply to existing comments. It's a bugger because there have been a few recent ones I've wanted to comment on. Sorry!

I WILL BE TIRED FOREVER
I'm back home for the summer but managed to get myself some work experience at a local studio (You may call me "Fancyman") and it's burning me out. Amazingly I am still finding time to get personal work done but as you may have noticed it's slowing down my productivity. Stuff on the way though!

I'VE FINALLY SOLD OUT!
I consider myself somewhat anomalous in the cartooning "community" since I've never been in dire straights and had to beg for money. That doesn't mean though that rent next year won't be punching me in the kidneys like my old DT teacher used to so I think it's finally time to offer some commissions. Presumably if you've read this far you'll know not to expect them super quick, but I'll do my very best to keep up.
Right now I'll work on a pilot scheme thus:

One character, flat colour, no/limited background: £10($15)
Not the best Example but fits the bill best so far: [link] Otherwise just check out the gallery to get a feel for what you'll be getting.

I'll open three slots for now and see where that takes us, see if it's successful and so forth. Just send me a note with what you want drawn and I'll tell you where to send the cashola (Paypal of course)

1:*SuperBunnyBun - Super Bunny Bun
2:*FAC-AgentC - Chelsea
3:Open!

A new year, a new laptop! This one's got graphics out the wazoo so I can use the 3D animation program required for my course.
Of course I'm moving stuff over from my old laptop and have discovered that for some strange reason I never saved the installers for Flash and Photoshop so I'm going to have to try to find them again before I can get any more work done (though in the meantime I might just use the old laptop) so my output will be sporadc again, but I have been doing plenty of sketching so there's stuff on the way.

So I said I'd try to get some of my year's work up on YouTube, and here it is!

[link]

[link]

[link]

From ME.

So the university year is over! Do you know what that means? It means I might have time for personal work, and in the interim I can show off what I've been doing all year.

But not here! Why? Because it seems DeviantArt is a useless place to try to upload video and Flash, while good for actual animating, is not so good for sound or editing.

SO I'll try to get them up on YouTube over the next few days and maybe get a few pictures done too! I'll also try to look around at what you folks have done since I haven't been around much.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

MERRY CHRISTMAS

(I can't do polls.)

How do you draw a circle?

Clockwise
Anti-Clockwise

Oh I sure do miss you Matt
Likewise! Which reminds me, Heather said that you were talking to her about visiting?
Then I hate to be the one to tell you this but Heather is a filthy liar
Haha!
OR I have forgotten something I said. But that seems terribly unlikely, right?
OH WAIT
Yeah, she said something about how you mentioned hearing that our roommate moved out and that you planned on taking over his old room for a while
Yeah I was actually kidding with that because I really don't know when I'll have the money to visit again but it's not a bad idea
Hehe. Fair enough
I will pay no room and board and will not work. I hope these terms sound fair
That's fine. After all, that's what I do!
Also I shall require nightly bedtime stories and everyone has to say "HI SCOTT" whenever I enter a room so that I can feel like I'm on the set of Cheers. AND I want an egg with a drawing of a different deceased comedian on my nightstand every morning that I will not eat because I don't like eggs
Now that's going too far! Drawing deceased politicians on unused food is one thing, but I have to put my foot down at drawing comedians!
Matt why do you insist on creating this social friction? I thought you were a bigger man than this!
I'm sorry, Scott, but there are some things that a man just has to remain unwavering on
Well I admire your steadfastness, though I cannot say I condone it
That means a lot to me. Now piss off

Hey.

I may have neglected to mention it but I'm back at university now so expect roughly zero activity from me around these parts.