Illustration

Do you ever make traditional illustrations?
Of course! I studied and learned how to do art in a wide range of traditional materials, including charcoal, pen and ink, marker, oil paint, acrylic paint, watercolor, graphite, and so on. I still enjoy using traditional materials for artistic experiments and personal pieces. Usually I post those pieces in my extended online galleries (places like DeviantArt, see "Links" to follow me there).

Why do you focus on digital art for commissions and your main portfolio?
Simple answer is that digital painting is my favorite medium to work in. More complex answer: Digital work gives artists access to tools which make it much more viable to run an art business, while still turning out pieces which are bright and beautiful. I have a very small studio space, so having several giant traditional paintings going on at once is much more of a challenge for me. Also, digital allows for layers, which means I can give the client much more flexibility, and even do multiple versions of the same work with ease. People are still getting used to seeing digital paintings as a real medium, but it takes just as much artistic knowledge and experience to paint digitally! It's a medium which I still enjoy working to this day, and plan on doing for a long time to come.

When I buy a private commission, what do I receive?
Private illustration commissions automatically all come with a large sized file, plus a smaller "internet sized" version which you are welcome to share with friends. I'm open to sending the commissioner alternate sizes as well, (for example, one fitted to the desktop). The commissioner also has the option to purchase a print. I print everything in house, on a Canon Pro-200, with archivable inks/paper, and can go up to 13x19in. Let me know what you want the end product to look like at the start of the project, I've done projects which end up as stickers, bookmarks, and even magnets.
*As a note: private commissions do not include copyrights. For projects where you want to purchase rights or licensing, that would fall under commercial use, so the contract and what you get in the end product will look a bit different from private commissions.

Print Care

Do you have any care tips for your prints?
Yes! Similar to the pendants, I try to remember adding a print care sheet to every order:
*Avoid handling the print often. The oils on the skin can degrade the print overtime.
*For longevity of the print, store and display under glass or plastic. In general, prints need to be protected from things such as dust, moisture, and light. The clear bag and backing provided with your print are archival safe and acid free, and is a great way to store your print if you can't frame it right away.
*Matte prints have an acid free base stock, and acid free coating.
*Gloss prints have an acid free base stock, and slightly acidic coating, which should not have significant effect of the stability of the print overtime.

What's the difference between the metallic paper and regular matte paper?
Namely, the amount of gloss. The metallic paper is meant to mimic metallic prints. It has a pearlescent surface which glows, especially when viewed under natural light. In my opinion, they're gorgeous! It's an extra option for the print collectors out there.

Do you offer sizes other than 8.5 x 11in?
Yes! My main stock is 8.5 x 11in, since that's an easy to find frame size. Plus, as an avid print collector myself, I enjoy picking up that size since it's not so large that it's hard to find hanging space, but not so small that the details are lost. My printer goes up to 13 x 19in, and the paper company I use has a ton of sizes in between those two sizes. So, as long as they have a larger size in stock, the piece is able to go to that size, and as long as I'm financially able to grab paper at that size, I'm happy to print something larger!

Process - Pendants and Figurines

What materials are your pendants and figurines made out of?
Each sculpture begins their life in Monster Clay. This clay does not dry or cure, so the final product must be cast in a sturdy, long lasting urethane resin. Often I like to embed marbles into the sculpture, ranging in materials from glass to semi-precious stones. They are painted with pastels and acrylic, and every now and then I'll try painting with a unique paint such as glow-paint or chameleon pigment.

Do you buy your molds from someone else?
No. To ensure that customers are purchasing a truly unique item, I do all the designing, planning, and sculpting of these pendants. Truly, you will not find these little casts anywhere else, (if you do find that someone else it making casts out of my sculptures, please report it to me. Reproduction of my work is not allowed).

How long does it take to make one?
This varies greatly from piece to piece. Obviously, the time put in for the original sculpt and casting has to be factored into each of the individual casts. I like to spend a good amount of time on the mold, it takes several hours for each part of the mold - there's making of the mold box, adding the clay around the pendant, cleaning each part of the mold before pouring the next part, cure time, and of course making sure the design of the mold works. Casting is about 15 min per pour, during curing time I usually go to clean the last set of casts. Cleaning takes a few hours per batch of pendants. The painting time for pendants I've narrowed down to 2-3 hours per pendant. Figurines vary the most, they can take up to 12+ hours to paint, depending on how complex the paint job is. (For example, a tabby cat is much more complex to paint than his solid black cat brother).

Could you make a tutorial on casting or sculpting?
At this time, no. By no means am I any kind of expert on casting or sculpting. I've more or less learned by experimenting and asking questions of other artists who generously offered advice or written their own tutorials. I can however, offer what I have experienced, so if you see me at a convention, I often bring old molds with me to show people what the sculpture looks like at various stages. Also, I'm often posting process of my work over on Patreon, the Creature Collector tier and above get to see snippets of how I work.

Will there be any future animals?
Of course! My imagination is constantly being sparked by animals.

May I request (insert animal here)?
At one point I was taking suggestions for new animals, unfortunately I have to set that suggestion list aside. Realistically, the backlog of ideas could easily keep me busy for years, and I don't want to keep people expecting, waiting for something I might not get to for years.

Will you be open for pendant/sculpture commissions in the future?
In the foreseeable future, no.

I want a design you did a while back, where did it go?
Periodically designs are retired. How many casts were made depends on if they're limited edition or not, but on average 10-30 casts is the end result. The reason I do this is because over time, the molds degrade, and the casts begin to be of a lesser quality, (I'd rather have quality over quantity). Also, I am human, and sometimes I get tired of painting the same sculpture, (us artists tend to be very critical of our own work, so I need to keep it fresh for my own sanity). All the more reason to purchase when you see a design that you like!

Will you ever 3D print your work? Why cast the way you do?
Possibly, if a project calls for it. I don't have any aversion to 3D printing, and have myself been keeping a close eye on the technology. I certainly have ideas which would be more suitable for 3D printing. For my current sculptures, I started out casting this more traditional way so that I could understand how it works. Over time, working with my hands, engineering the mold, and the sheer challenge of making an intricate sculpture work has been a better fitted for my aims, and I feel that it adds to the magic of the cast. If I ever do something different, you bet my audience is going to hear me rattle on about adventures in a new process, haha!

Purchasing - Pendants, Figurines, and Prints

Where do you sell online?
In my Etsy shop.

Where can I buy your work in person?
In the past I have sold my work in various local brick and mortar shops, but for now the main place would be at conventions.

How long does shipping take, and where are you shipping from?
The majority of non-custom orders will ship within a week of the order being placed, (custom and larger orders being the exception). This store ships from Colorado, USA, through USPS. Orders in the USA are usually fairly quick arrivals (a week or two, depending on how behind USPS is), international orders may take up to 5-6 weeks to arrive.

Why are they all different prices?
The price for the special paints are determined by how much time I've put into the individual pendant, and how in-demand the color is. Some of them have extra sculpted bits sculpted in a two part epoxy, which can take up to an hour to sculpt.

What is the difference between your pendants and the character auction ornaments?
The main difference between ornament and pendant is that the pendant comes with a full necklace, whereas the ornament is hooked up to a small ribbon. The character auctions generally have sculptures that are slightly larger, (a bit too large for a pendant in my taste, but auction winners are more than welcome to hook it up to a necklace). From here on out, the ornaments made for the character auctions are going to be strictly used for the Animantia Arcana project.

How often is casting open?
Late Spring into mid-Fall are the best times for casting. Right now, I don't have the facilities to cast through the winter, although I do keep some winter stock. If you see a pendant or resin out of stock, feel free to e-mail me and ask if it will be available again in the spring.

Would your sculptures make a good toy for my child?
No, these pendants and sculptures are not meant as children's toys, especially since the varnish is not child safe and the surface can scratch when put up against rocks/dirt/places where kids like to play. These were made to be collectables and should be treated with care.

Will you ever sell (insert design) unpainted?
Some casts will not be sold as unpainted kits. It's just the way I would like to distribute the casts. Generally, my main designs, (the ones with the orbs), are the ones which will be custom orders only.

May I customize/resculpt my unpainted cast?
Yes, as long as you do not re-produce (cast) the customized piece, as reproduction of my work is not allowed. Otherwise, feel free to let your imagination run wild with the unpainted cast kits!

Purchasing - Custom Paints

How do I order a custom paint?
Customs are ordered through my Etsy shop. You can filter listings by custom paints. Click on the design which you're interested in, and order there. There may be an option which says "Custom Painted - Modified", that option is for those who want some kind of additional sculpting, like long hair, horns, etc. Once you go through checkout, you can either send me an email or Etsy message with references and color preferences.

How long does it take to do a custom?
Length of time partially depends on the customer's response time. If responses are quick, please allow at least 1-3 weeks for completion, along with another week or two for varnishing and shipping.

Where do I send information on how I'd like my custom painted?
Once you place an order, please either contact me through Etsy's messaging system, or via email.

What kind of reference do you need?
The best reference will be multiple angles showing all sides of the character/pet. Photos should be fairly large and in good lighting (not washed out, but also not dim. Basically, I'm looking for photos which clearly show markings and are near to the true color of the animal). Avoid objects or hands covering up any parts of the pet. Obviously, sometimes we have to make due with what we have, but keep in mind that the paint job can only be as good as the reference provided.

Is it possible to have some sort of add-on, like wings/horns/etc. to custom orders?
For most pendants, yes. Please check with me before ordering. If you would like an addition that is not part of the base sculpture, it will fall under the "Custom Painted - Modified" option under the drop-down menu on the shop page.

Can you make one of your pendants or figurines look like my pet?
Yes! Knowing how special the animals in our lives are, I love to paint sculptures in the likeliness of pets and have done many customs based on beloved pets.

Will you paint something which you have not sculpted?
In most cases, sure! As long as the original sculptor is okay with someone else painting their piece, and as long as it's something that I feel I can take on. Please send me an email to see if I would be a good fit to paint your sculpture.

Pendant and Figurine Care

Do you have any care tips?
Every pendant and figurine should come with a care sheet with this info:
*It is best to keep pendants out of extreme heat, as resin can warp in higher temperatures.
*While the paint is protected by a finishing varnish, take care when handling to avoid scratching the surface with jewelry (such as rings), with the silk storage bag, or by dropping.
*If cleaning is needed, the surface may be cleaned with a damp cloth (water only).
*If accidental breakage does happen, no worries! A bit of epoxy glue such as Apoxie Paste or Gorilla Glue works great for repairs.
*Avoid wearing in the shower.

I'm afraid of breaking it, how sturdy are these?
Much more sturdy than you might think! (Tested by my fumbling hands). There is a small chance of breakage if they hit, say cement just right, especially on the delicate winged pieces, pieces with add-ons, and the figurines. There is more of a risk of scratching the painted surface, in particular if these are handled while wearing jewelry, wearing in extreme heat, body sweat touching the surface, or when wearing in the shower. However, if these are treated and handled as a piece of art, you should be okay. Care sheets are given with each one so that you know what situations to avoid, and I'm happy to answer questions about repairs from accidents.

Communication

My email won't go through, how do I get a hold of you?
First, I apologize for any inconvenience! In the past, my email has been known to throw away messages from common addresses due to those being blacklisted as spam addresses. Luckily I keep multiple back-up addresses for this reason.
*Best backup address to reach me: alightir (at) gmail (dot) com OR wintersoulart (at) gmail (dot) com
Worst case scenario, try to get a hold of me through messages. I don't check those nearly as often, so please try email first! If your email did go through, you just haven't had a response yet, more than likely I'm working on a deadline or it's a day off. Please allow at least 2-3 business days for a response.

Why won't you respond to a comment I left on social media?
One of the reasons I'm active on social media and gallery sites is because I adore being able to interact with all of you! There are times when I'm overwhelmed with messages and lose track, though. If you really need to get a message through, especially if it's about a commission, please use one of the more reliable contact avenues, such as email.
This is actually a really good place to end the FAQ for now. Just want to put my appreciation out there to anyone who interacts with my work on social media! When I see comments and likes, it lets me know that I'm doing good work, and it helps my work overcome the dreaded algorithm. I hope I don't miss any messages, but if I do, know that I have a lot of gratitude for you!