NiteOwl94

That is, I got my artistic talent from my mom. Both the inclination to do any kind of art, and the encouragement to improve over time. Sadly though, she passed away this past Monday- December 18th, 2017. Some of you know me and mine personally, most do not. My mom was a vibrant, colorful, beautiful person whose unselfish love and heartfelt kindness influenced the lives of many, not the least of which was my own. She taught me how to be a good artist, and an even better person. The world is truly a darker place without her in it.

So, last year a really good friend of mine and I wrote an X-Men screenplay.
It was our ultimate wish list of what we'd want a proper X-Men movie to be, we pulled out all the stops and ended up with something we are exceptionally proud of.
If you haven't given it a read, please, please do. It's right here. It's also the first full length and complete story I've ever published on DeviantART. 
I'm bringing this up again because more and more likely that he and I might be writing a sequel screenplay... and it's gonna be dope.
If/when our new ideas come into focus more, I'll be tentatively ending my drawing hiatus and releasing a more comprehensive series of concept art and character designs.
I'd like to think this isn't just average fan fiction- which is usually about base wish fulfillment, but rather the kind of story that any and all X-Men fans would like to see on the big screen.
I'm excited, and I hope you are too.

Again, here is the first one:
The Astonishing X-Men
Enjoy!

I've come to the realization that I don't really enjoy drawing anymore.
It's not fun for me anymore; quite the opposite, it's kind of a chore.
I had hit some rough patches in my life for a while where I absolutely needed to pimp my skills out to put food on the table.
I know some people would be super grateful to have a skill like this to fall back on, and don't get me wrong, I was/am too.
But... now I have a steady job (yay!) and no need to force myself to do commissions anymore. I don't need the extra cash.
It was getting to a point where I felt hostage to certain pieces and I was miserable. The whole ordeal seriously put me off drawing.
Now that I do have this job, attempting to draw for myself still isn't the same as it once was.
I have an image in my head I want to get out, but I'm rushing through it- taking shortcuts, and getting increasingly frustrated all the way through.
It's exhausting, and no longer a stress relief or a hobby. So, probably don't expect any new drawings from me for a while.
Digital design on the other hand is still something I love doing, so my gallery might take a major shift in that direction and I might share some stuff I had worked on a while ago.

Thanks for reading!

How's everyone been lately?
I'd like to interact more with my more active followers.
Few years ago, I knew almost everyone by first name.
Now, I've got fans I've never even held a conversation with.
What's up guys?

I'm always open for commissions, and always open to at least hear people out about a request.
Sometimes the request sounds like something I'd really like to draw, and so I do.
But, boy have I gotten some doozies. 
Specifically though, I get people who ask me to undertake massive projects just because they think it's cool. 
For example...
Extensive concept art for an indie video game project? Wanted me to do the whole thing for free.
Guys, don't abuse the request thing. If you have a major idea, be prepared to pay for it. 
I can't dedicate hours and hours of my time and effort without being compensated for it.

In the other extreme, I've gotten people who ask me to draw their OC's... without telling me it's an OC.
"Hey could you draw me Blue Remo?"
My first instinct is, "Who?", and then like a good little internet-dweller, I google this "Blue Remo".
Much to no-one's surprise, I get the most random and unrelated results. So I have to do this message thing back and forth with this person just to find out it's their OC.
Asking me to draw your OC, by name, like that 'Blue Remo' nonsense is horrible.
You leave me with only two conclusions to draw- 
One, you think your OC is popular enough for people who don't even watch you to know them by name, and you come off as a bit self-centered and delusional. Not someone I'm keen to work for, let alone work for- for free.
Two, you think that I'd have enough sense to just start paging through your gallery to find out who 'Blue Remo' is. This is problematic, because it has nothing to do with 'sense'. It has to do with time and effort. It's rude for you to put that potentially time consuming burden on me when you're asking for free art. I don't owe you anything, let alone my time. So, don't waste it.

I've made most of my business drawing other peoples' characters, so naturally drawing OC's are just par for course when you put your services out there, but drawing OC's is always the most strenuous, frustrating, and headache-inducing work out there. I've met a lot of wonderful people on here, and many of whom I've done work for of exactly this sort, but 9 out of 10 requests I get are from people who want their own OC drawn, and they're surprisingly not pleasant about it at all. 

Last and least, just because someone is taking requests doesn't mean they're the right person to do your request.
Spend 30 seconds looking through my gallery and you will see that I don't draw ponies, magical ponies, cartoon ponies, unicorns, or cutesy animals.
There ARE people on deviantART who DO. Ask THEM. Not ME. 

I realize a lot of this might sound wildly abrasive and rude, but c'mon guys... use your heads.

~Joseph