COMICS!

I have two comic projects that I am currently working on. One of which will be relatively kept under wraps for now, but I will start posting work for the other soon.

The comic will be called White Wolf and the Shieldmaiden. It is a historical/fantasy story about Vikings. The main character is a female Viking who has to rebuilt her crew. There's revenge, romance, revenge, comedy, and revenge with a little redemption along the way (but no for the character you're thinking of). I've been researching Viking history and lore for a while now and breaking out my writer's breeches for this.

I started writing it early 2012 after reading the Northlanders comic series. I'm happy with my story so far, which I'm shooting for 150 pages with room for more. My script is sitting at 50 pages, which gives me an adequate amount of room to make thumbnails from.

I will update with more character designs an illustrations soon. Some may be rougher than others, fair warning. I am putting together "pitch packets" for both White Wolf and the other comic project. I doubt I will be able to kickstarter, being a nobody with no experience in comics, so I may just pay for publishing out of pocket. I really don't want to go the webcomic route, but I may post the graphic novel online in a format similar to Delilah Dirk.

PRINTS!

I am now selling prints on my Etsy Store! [link]

Thanks for my recent acquisition of an Epson Artisan large format printer, my print shop is officially open for business! All of my prints are borderless and printed on heavy gloss paper using UV resistant, archival quality natural ink dyes. (Environmentally safe and they last for years and years!)

All sales go toward the purchase of a Cintiq 13HD and funding. My trusty tablet is in the process of crapping out on me (after 6 years of service).

New prints in my shop:
     
 Yoko Nouveau                    Avatar Korra

I also have some clearance-priced prints from $3 to $5! These have small white borders. These are the remaining bunches from my convention prints from 2010 through 2012. I will be adding more prints this week! Also, buy 4 and get 1 for free!

COMMISSIONS!

I am currently open for all commissions and comic projects. I've gotta fund my stuff somehow!

Note me here or e-mail me at MIchael.Link.Art@gmail.com with your requests and I will reply with a quote.

TL;DR
I love you. Please watch me and commission me if you can.

HEY GUYZ.

I'm Livestreaming today for a bit and listening to some tunes.

Check it out:

Live Art Stuff on BlogTV

HEY GUYZ.

I'm Livestreaming today for a bit and listening to some tunes.

Check it out:

[link]

Happy Halloween, folks!

Here's a coupon for my Etsy shop for 10% off of any item!  This is a great way to save on my sketchcard sets! Coupon is also good for sketchcard commissions.

Coupon code: HALLOWEEN2012 (Good until November 2, 2012)

Remember to share with your friends!

Reblog links:

TUMBLR: [link]

TWITTER: [link]

FACEBOOK: [link]

Two Three awesome things are going on right now.
Numero Uno:
I have an Etsy shop!

Michael Link Illustration

There are a bunch of sketch cards and original illustrations on my shop's page.

Hopefully when I make enough money I will be able to buy a professional printer and make my own prints!

Numero Dos:

I created a Star Trek t-shirt design for mighty fine (welovefine.com) and it would be awesome if you could vote for it.

VOTE FOR IT HERE!

It's awesome, it's 8-bit, and there's a Zelda reference.  Enjoy!



Numero Tres:
I will be doing an 8-page (maybe more) comic for the webcomic Undead Norm.  Awesome thanks for *StineTheKitty for considering me to fill in.  The first page starts October 15th, but there is a teaser up on the website right now.  I'll likely post pencils and inks here when the comic has finished it's run.

Heeeey Kids!


Just an FYI that I have been posting a lot of works in progress of my artwork on my Tumblr.  I figured that I wouldn't clog up my deviantArt with sketches. (And really, does anyone check the scraps anymore?)  My current project is a full set of sketch cards from Dr. Who.  I have been re-watching the earlier Doctors and giving them an artistic representation in my style.

Plug! [link] <~~Tumbles!

At the moment I am working on a commission for a friend (that needs to be perfect, it's been in progress for a while) and work for Otakon.  I have also been training with different mediums, like traditional brush inking and digital painting.  Most of my practice works will llikely end up on Tumblr, however the best stuff will be published here.

I am also creating a bunch of works for Otakon.  This year they will be going up in the Art Show/ Art Auction.  I am planning on doing about 15 pieces of art, both digital prints and one-of-a-kind traditional illustrations.  Last year I did really well in the Art Auction (essentially, it was a free weekend!), so if things go well this year I will likely try to get a table next year.

Along with everything else, I have been working on my comics.  Nothing is complete as is, mostly just getting a hang of visual storytelling.  I have three stories completely finished and have been working on layouts for them.  Right now they are on the back burning, slowly cooking throughout the Summer. Unfortunately commissions and work-to-sell is a bit more important. =T

Thanks for reading and watching.  Take care!  
Hope to see some of you folks at the convention!

Update your bookmarks, folks, because I took the plunge and changed my username!

I've had the username "Sakurafire" for almost 8 years now.  (I've been using it longer, since the AOL days).  Honestly, it feels good not to look so juvenile.  I'm trying to make a name for myself, and I think this is the best way to help out my cause.

Also for those watching... I've been working on a lot of commissions.  I am still working on comics stories and practicing my sequential art skills.  Once I feel like they are sufficient, I will be posting them.

I am done for classes for the summer and the convention season is coming up.  Time to get some stuff done!

Happy New Year, folks!

Been quiet.  Practicing on painting and the such.  Did a ton of sketches this week, including some rockin' character designs for a short 8-page comic I am working on.  Everything is done but the panels! (Stay tuned!)

Spent a lot of time with my family over the past week.  Played a lot with my son, spent time with my wife, and finally beat a few video games I was working on.  Not only that, but I finally finished up my degree!  I am an official college graduate, folks (I have a piece of paper that proves that I'm a bonafide artist).

Either way, this year I am going to try to break out.  I need to find a good job, but in the meantime I have to push myself to improve.  I'm only taking two classes this year, animation and 2D game design.  These are outside-of-my-degree things that my local college is offering for the first time... Also, I have a decent amount of scholarship money left that I need to use up!

Thanks for all the favs, critiques, and comments in 2011.  Let's hope that 2012 is a strong year for everyone's art! (Year of the Dragon, right?  Rabbits were too timid anyway!)

2011 Year in Review:

My Halo: Legacy illustration has 117 favorites at the moment.



Pure awesomeness.

The student art show went off pretty well. Got to meet a bunch of cool artists, see some folks from my digital classes, and most importantly meet some colleges that liked me and my artwork. Some of the colleges that were really interesting in me are in Memphis, Tennessee and Columbus, Ohio. *sigh* There is a college that offers a Sequential Art program (Re: Comic Book Art) over on the Eastern Shore. He REALLY wanted me to go to his school... Scholarships!

Having a bad night.

College art show is tomorrow.

My son is sick.

My back hurts (blame homework, sitting too much).

Sigh.

At least drawing Huntress was fun.

One thing that scares the shit out of me...

Whenever I *have* to do artwork, I have trouble finding inspiration.
It's not because of deadlines...  I thrive under deadlines...

But I just lack flow.

Of course, not a lack of doing... I'm drawing a phenomenal picture.  Just yeah... lots of empty spaces that need things.
Hopefully when I get to do this professionally I can get out of my artist's funk.

Quit bitching!  Back to drawing. ^^

I already ate my turkey, so no excuses tomorrow!

Good news, everyone!

I made the Graduating Student Art Show at my college... Which is damned surprising since I'm just some mook comic artist. lol

Either way, that means that I might get a full scholarship somewhere nice.  It's probable, but not likely.  Then again, the same thing was said about me making the art show.  Oh well.

So yeah, that is the reason for so little posts lately.  I've been busting my butt graduating with a 4.0 GPA, while still getting portfolio pieces for this show.  Ah, fun times.

Hey folks!  It's that time of year again... The time where I go back to school and I do nothing but take classes, work, occasionally eat, and torture my body by neglecting my basic necessities!!  Seriously, when it is put like that... Why the shit do I need a degree? lol

A couple of things before I go on a bit of a hiatus... I will be finishing my degree this semester.  To do so, I need to take a full load of classes.  I will be taking about three art classes this year, so most of my posts will be related to that.  Honestly I am still not sure about what I will do once I am out of college.  This semester I am going to be working on my over-all illustration skills, mostly with life-drawing and painting.  I don't know if you've noticed or not, but I've been getting back into comic books lately...  I am thinking about actually getting a comic into fruition and getting it self published (since most places like Oni Press don't accept submissions anymore).  At Otakon 2011 I attended an awesome panel called "So You Want To Be Published" (that was hosted by Diamond Comic Distributors) and I was really inspired.  I've had a cool science fiction story on the back burner for a few years now.  Didn't realize it until I went looking for them, but I have over 50 pages of notes and character sketches done!!
(Otakon was a blast, btw.  Got to see some awesome people that I don't tend to see often... ~CrimsonNataku, hope we get to see each other next year! ~pronouncedyou and *egyptianruin, we'll have to hang out sometime soon!  If I can slip away from school.)

Recently I've been receiving about 30-50 unique visitors per day... Thanks for visiting my page! Seriously.  I'm pleased as a peach at all of the attention, because prior to the summer I was only averaging about 5-10 people.
This also means that I'm almost at 19k pageviews.  19,000 people have visited my little corner of the internet in the six years I've been on deviantart.  Wow.  Most of them were me refreshing the page!  I wonder if I'll get my own kiriban???

Well, that's about it.  Unless something spectacularly terrible happens, I will see you in December! Take care.

Michael Link

Edit: Just logged on this morning and...

Now I am  *in Vegeta voice* "OVER 19,000!!!!" thanks to my wife.  She gets the kiriban.

Edit: Edit:  Apparently I only visit my page after 100 viewers.


Edit: Edit: Edit:  First time I checked my page in 3 days. D: