Been a long time, Deviantart ")

I've been fairly sparse on this site, and social media in general. I'm sorry for that. 

My plan of getting into the art industry as a professional was supposed to be airtight and then I got thrown some wild curveballs along the way that made me do some strange things. 

I almost destroyed my hands working in a factory
sold my blood to make money for rent
lived in squalor 
stopped talking to, and later reuniting, with my family
served my city and country by becoming an undertaker
found love and then very recently ended it

and all the while art was there for me, as well as it seems this community. I kept getting messages, favourites and comments despite that I was mostly posting on Instagram and artstation, feeling pretty low because I hadn't yet made it pro. Thinking maybe I never would, though knowing I would never stop trying. 

Fact is that I'm one of the lucky ones who had this core of determination instilled in me. I don't know where it came from, or who I have to thank. It was just always there. Like the Rocky movies, I knew I just had to keep moving forward. 

SO! I started selling more at shows, touring the eastern coast of the US and selling at conventions. Most importantly tho:

I drew every day for hours and hours and hours, focussing on particular areas of weakness. I'd fall asleep at my desk, doing it. I even skipped meals so I could draw more. With all that, I one day applied to a company called Nerdstudy here in Toronto. They make motion comics based on Shakespeare and decided to take a chance on me-- Finally got my portfolio to a level that someone didn't ignore it on first glance. And with this opportunity, I put my absolute soul into the project.

They asked for 50 drawings a week. I gave 150 at my max! All I knew is that if I failed in my first studio gig as a pro it would not be because of something I did. I was going to go absolute max effort.

Naturally friends and family saw it was taking its toll and asked me to stop. The response was the same "I'm trying to be great. I'm not looking to get through this without damage." 

After that successful job I had a very brief stay at Yowza for layout art, and now hold a lead artist position at Prodigy Games. 

In essence, Life is so rich and fantastic. So happy I can say that this is one time where wanting was not better than having.  I love my work and life, and can finally enjoy doing art normally without the pressure of needing to make it in this industry... and I can breathe. Because I have a feeling that my artist brothers and sisters reading this know what I mean when I say that you can want something so badly it becomes hard to breathe sometimes.. 

Now all I want is to keep learning and producing, but also to share and help. To teach and grow others. 

Please feel free to message me directly, send an email to nemja1986@gmail.com, reach out on instagram etc... I've got my full-time studio work, but I'm making it my mission now to make connections and help anyone else I can too. 

Thanks for reading this blurb. Just know that if you're a creative like me, you and I are the same. We're made of the same stuff. This is a great community and the deeper you dive into art the more you'll see how connected we all are. 

Much love. Much respect. Hope to connect more to everyone I can ") 

--Nova. 

Atomic DNA (Deanna) and I are heading to Tokyo!!

November 7th is a pretty big day for us and our lives are oriented entirely around the preparations for our trip. I've been an avid user and lover of Japanese cultural products for years now (games, tech,anime etc...) and now it is time to go to the source!

We bought some sweet wares today:

2 battery banks for our tech (phones, camera, tablet etc...)
2 neckpillows with attached hoodies from Canadian Tire (EXTREME recommendation!)
1 60 gig SD card for my camera
new clothes and shoes
1 Audio splitter so my love and I can plugin to the same device.

We plan on filming the vast majority of the trip and showing you everything. Whether it is good, or bad, we don't know and/or care, because DNA and I just want to be as open and honest as possible.

We are gonna have some posts following which concern our packing and prep, another for take-off and arrival, and so on as needed. Let me know what you guys think and, if any of you have been, give us some recommendations!

Is there something cool we should be doing? Places that only you know about?

PEACE!

Note: I'm going November 7th to the 21st. 

Good Afternoon, my lovelies!  

The Anatomy book I'm writing and illustrating is going really well. I've now got such an abundance of content that I'll be posting individual charts on DA as teasers.

*** Also! I've started selling some of my stuff on EBAY. So far I've got These two listings:

CHEAP Wacom Bamboo Pen & Touch Tablet + Pen CTH-460

www.ebay.ca/itm/331724286152?s…

•               This is the tablet on which I did most of my digital work! It has served me well and I hope it does the same for you. Please don't mind the scoffing on the front surface. I assure you it still works perfectly and it smooth when you touch the surface with your finger. Wacom made those products to last. What can I say  
  

Xbox One Games Pack!!! 6 Games. Perfect Condition.

Hey guys .

It's been awhile since my last journal entry, but if you've been reading the writing beneath my deviations you should have a good idea as to my state of affairs. I wanna go over some thoughts in my head and update my watchers/friends. Maybe something here will get a dialogue going.

I'm interested in hearing your thoughts. 

So my last journal entry was a couple of months ago and a lot has changed. I grew apprehensive of the machinist position I earned. I was almost injured several times by the carelessness of my colleagues. The management [ and I use the term loosely] completely ignored these events. The clear measures which would increase safety were not taken, and I was literally fearing for my life. Some other workers were not as lucky. No fatalities, but several injuries were incurred. As such, I now work as an Undertaker for a leading funeral services provider here in Canada.

I've done work for dozens of funeral homes in the Greater Toronto Area, as well as various bodies of law enforcement and the Coroner's office itself. For the sake of brevity I'll just say that, along with many other responsibilities, I've conducted body removals, assisted in embalming, packaging, shipping and the internment of countless departed. I've even made the news a couple of times for the more uncanny passings. All of this is pretty exciting for me and I awake at the beginning of a new day genuinely proud of what I do, because for a long time I carried a shame in me that I hid. 

I never spoke of it before, but I want to address it. A lot of creators know how selfish "making" can be. The dungeons we seal ourselves in are our fortresses of solitude and a lot of us didn't really fit in "out there" to begin with. Most theorize that it is that very same ostracism buying us time which makes our abilities possible, but who do they help? Most of the time it's not good for us either! Being an artist is not the most lucrative field, with extremely few of us being able to survive on art alone, saying nothing of prospering to the point of acquiring a car, a descent house, supporting a family etc... Honestly, it's probably easier to become a doctor, or a lawyer. I enjoyed doing my work while the others in my family were working hard, hating it, and earning more than I. A few years ago I realized that they were beginning to resent supporting me and/or my not carrying an equal share of life's financial burden.  

It was regular white and no-collar jobs that got me my car, apartment, super computer, sweet phone etc... and all the same things for my girlfriend, who I love very much. Her standard of living is very important to me, and most days I just try to do what I can to make her, my mom's and my cat's life easier. When I was younger I thought mostly of myself, snapping at anyone who disrespected me, but now I'm a lot less concerned with myself. Maybe that's what changes when you become a man: you take responsibility, love your family and friends and provide as hard as you can.  

I've been lucky, or maybe I worked for it -- I don't know--  but I was able to support myself, my girlfriend and my cat on art alone for a couple of months, but it was damn hard; my bank account over-drafted on a regular basis as I was "living the dream." Funeral services makes money a non-issue, and I am free to do art, which I love, the way I want, instead of feeling like a dancing monkey doing ridiculous work out of desperation. Now I pick the interesting jobs, and reject the rest.        

Would I be happier if I was making the same money doing art instead? Honestly, probably not, because I want almost total creative control, as not all creators are destined for the studio [I've been working on a certain  project for over a year now and am soon to release it]. 

I don't mean to sound disheartening. If you're young, have the support, time and money to develop, then go right ahead and go for the studio job. Maybe you'll be happiest if you achieve greatness. I just hope that you don't have to sacrifice things like the greatness of family and life experiences. Drawing in that cubical, or home office could work for you, but please develop other skills. Don't be useless. Work for something/someone besides your own ego and gratification. All functioning people have to know to cook, clean, physically work and care for others. These things, plus your art, will make you high a value person who is worthy of love from others and yourself. 

*Be excellent to each other. 

It took me awhile to figure it out, but I see that doing these tutorials is a way I can contribute well to the community.

     For a long time I figured that keeping detailed knowledge about my methods, notes on anatomy etc... to myself unless paid was a good way to go, but that was just stupidity. Information should be free and art is a team sport; Look at all of those names on the credits as they roll.

Money and positions at studios will make us artists compete, which is fine when it's about bettering the work, but it becomes destructive and even stagnating when the egos get involved.

Hell, I've never had more notice before I decided to share, and I've never felt better about my work either!
----> It was all backwards, man!

Anyway: thank you to everyone who has viewed/ Favorited my tutorials, decided to watch me etc... I'm going to keep producing, and YES I am taking REQUESTS for future tutorials, if anyone wants to ask anything.

I'm also open for commissions, if anyone wants. Just send me a note and we'll work out a cheap price (I'm not rich, I don't expect you to be, and really I just want to draw for you).

Thanks again ! Love you all!