What's coming up // January 2025

Happy new year, lovely patrons! ✨ I'm so excited to create new content for you! I've got some great stuff planned - here's what you can expect this month:

 This month's tutorial is going to be on creating original art! It will talk about how I approach an illustration from first thumbnails to finished piece. I'll be using some of my existing illustrations as a jumping off point to show you how I go about each phase, and also talk about the specific challenges that come with generating original ideas and illustrations. This one will be super helpful for those of you who are afraid to break away from reference images and studies, and more generally, anyone who wants to create illustrations and paintings.

I'm working on the notes and figuring out the overall structure right now - you can expect to see the full tutorial posted somewhere next week!

My latest tutorial is always available to Spark members, which means you can get it for just $5! After that, it goes to the backlog - which means you need to be a Flame member to access it. So if you want access for just $5, make sure that you sign up this month! And if you want access to the full backlog of 50+ tutorials, upgrade to the flame tier 🔥

It's a new year, so I want to focus on creating some new painting thumbnails that I can gradually finish over the course of the coming months. This is something I've been meaning to do for a while but didn't get around to doing because the last few months were so busy - so now is the time! I have a lot of ideas that I want to get down on paper (or in my case, screen) so this will be my main priority for the month.

I'll be posting WIP versions of all my drawings, from first sketch to final piece. I'll also be recording my process, so you can expect a process video from me! I'll be sure to include information about how I created the drawing, from tools to creative struggles.

You can find all of my previous process videos here!

Flame members get all of the above, plus a lot of extra stuff! Read on to find out what you can expect as a Flame member ~

This month, we are studying subsurface scattering together! It's a phenomenon in which a soft, organic surface - like skin, fruit, or wax - absorbs light, creating a glowing effect from within. It's a great way to practice your lighting skills and create an immersive lighting setup that feels magical and warm.

You'll get reference images, inspiration, tips, and resources to help you on your way. Check out the challenge here! And if you're participating, don't forget to post your progress in the Discord server!

I'll be participating in the challenge as well, and recording my process so you can watch how I created it. I'll also be making a 20-25 minute video in which I dicuss my process, take a look at the art that you created, and discuss common mistakes. That way, you'll be prepared if you want to draw smoke and fire in the future!

You can watch all of my previous challenge resource videos here.

As always, I'll be answering your questions in a live session. This month's session will be taking place on January 26 at 5PM CET! Visit this time zone converter to see what time that is in your area. I'm going to try my new setup for the first time - I worked out a lot of technical issues I was running into and plan to get everything up and running for this session!

You can watch all of my previous Q&A sessions here.

January always feels like a fresh start to me, and an opportunity to get my creativity kickstarted for the year. I always enjoy it so much - I can't wait to get started! For those of you who are reflecting on your art and setting some new goals for 2025, check out my exercise booklet - it has some worksheets in there that can help you set some attainable artistic goals! It's free for Patrons and just $3 for everyone else.

Thank you for supporting me for another month here on Patreon! It means a lot to me and I'm so grateful that you're helping me to create personal art and learning content. I hope you'll enjoy this month's art and videos!

If you're interested in getting access to this month's content, sign up here! You can get access to the latest tutorial, or even the entire backlog - depending on which tier you choose.

Flame members have access to the full backlog of tutorials! That's over 50 in-depth tutorials on various topics, like construction, choosing colors, and rendering. Check out the full backlog here!

Both Spark & Flame members have access to the Discord server! There, you can share your art, talk about art-related topics, and participate in fun challenges. We'd love it if you joined us! To get access, just follow the steps outlined here - be sure to follow them on a desktop.

I hope you all have a productive and creative start of this year! ✨ Happy drawing!