The Penultimate Week of Inktober 2022

Here we are, in the penultimate week of Inktober 2022. If you missed them, here are weeks 1 and 2.

For those who don’t know – Inktober is an artist’s challenge to draw in ink every day in October. Usually, people create prompt lists. I pick a theme and draw to it. This year’s theme is characters from my stories! These are from comics, written work, Dungeons & Dragons campaigns, and other places I tell stories.

Here’s what I drew for Week 3!

Day 14

Archie the Vampire. I played this character in Shades of Chicago – an Actual Play I recorded with The Fourth Leg! We played Urban Shadows, a Powered by the Apocalypse game, and I got to play Archie, this absolutely fabulous he/they who knows how to slay.

day 14 of inktober - Archie, a short man with dark brown skin, thick dreadlocks, and golden eyes. He strikes a flamboyant pose while wearing a poofy purple shirt under a slim gold vest and well-tailored pants and leather shoes.

Day 15

Seamus from The Uthers (a comic in progress). Seamus is an informant for an underground organization of human rebels in an Uther-supremacist society.

Inktober day 15 - Seamus, a genderqueer human with messy brown hair, pale skin, and freckles across their face. They wear a teal sweater vest over a pale green button-down shirt. The shirt has tears that have been patched.

Day 16

Nautilus from The Uthers. He is a cyborg, a human constructed into a machine. Usually, The Arena commissions cyborgs as gladiators or sex slaves. But records only indicate that he is a “private commission.” He is doing everything in his power to keep disenfranchised humans safe from the Uthers.

inktober day 16 - Nautilus. A male cyborg with black hair, pale skin, and piercing blue eyes. He wears a blue leather jacket with no shirt underneath. Out of one sleeve emerges a pointed blade.

Day 17

“Angora” The Last Valkyrie. Her true name is not known. She and her five sisters destroyed their world so the Angels of Jehovah would not seize it. In retaliation, the Angels killed Angora’s sisters. Viktor tried to claim her as a “bride prize” but she resisted him, running to the Sages for refuge. There, she fell in love with Malus, and together they had Kay. As of this writing, she has been kidnapped by the Angels and has not been seen since. Malus and Kay are fighting to save her.

day 17 - angora the last valkyrie. A woman flies, regal and proud, one hand raised. Her fiery red hair is shaved on the sides of the scalp, and the rest is pulled back into a high tail that reaches down to her mid-back. Her black wings extend out. She wears red leather under a long blue vest. Both are laid over dark green leggings and tan boots She wears armor on her shoulders, forearms, and shins. In her lower hand she wields a sword with a golden hilt.

Day 18

Auxaton the Gray, from The Name of the Forest Spirit (a yet-to-be-released novel). His people had been taken by The Brotherhood of the Demon Lords. He is now on a quest to find them and rescue them from slavery.

Inktober day 18 - Auxaton the Gray. A gray-skinned elf crouches down, ready to run. He wears a shining golden breastplate, boots, and arm gauntlets. He narrows his violet eyes at the viewer with a look of determination. He also wears a tattered brown cloak, a long, dark blue loin cloth, and gray leggings. On his shoulders and upper arms are swirling indigo tattoos.

Day 19

Runemage from The Name of the Forest Spirit. A reluctant ally to Auxaton and his cause, he initially tried to rob the elf and his friends. However, it soon became clear they were both after the Brotherhood – Auxaton to save his people, Runemage for revenge.

inktober, day 19 - Runemage. A man with a rabbit's head is missing one ear. With a cocky grin, he holds up one hand, the other hand on his hip, and summons a ball of teal green flame. He has no shirt, revealing lean muscles under a light gray cloak. His arms are covered in rune tattoos. He also wears a layered red kilt.

Day 20

“Star” from Fwishi’shi (working title). She rules the seas at the cliffs of Seabank. Her name is unpronounceable to those who know common, so Fuloos gave her the nickname. It’s not the only history they share, either. She hasn’t been seen in many years, however.

Day 20 - "Star" the sea nymph. She has a woven dress made of seaweed and kelp. Her skin is sea green, her hair long, wavy, and green as seaweed. She has solid blue eyes and webbed toes.

Be sure to come back next Thursday for Inktober sketches from Week 4 – the final week!

The characters this week are in stories I talk about in more depth with my Digital Club Members. You can Subscribe here, or get a 1-month trial subscription on Ko-Fi. Either way, you’ll get access to scripts, sketches, and story previews no one else sees.

That’s all for now. Thank you for stopping by!

You. Are. Awesome.

Painting the Two Sisters – An Archived Twitch Stream

This originally aired on my Twitch channel on August 27, 2022.

Unlike previous streams, I’m painting traditionally! This painting will appear at Comics Vs Art, an exhibition at Wild Goose Creative in Franklinton, OH (a suburb of Columbus). A print of this piece will also be on exhibit at the McConnell Art Center in Worthington, OH from Sept 15 to November 3rd, 2022.

My streaming schedule is changing. Starting October 2, I’m streaming on Saturdays on Twitch, and Sundays on YouTube. Both will be at 2 pm ET.

That’s all for now. Thank you for watching!

You. Are. Awesome.

The Water Mage

the water mage, a woman hovering in the air, containing wild water energy in her hands. The water cascades around her body. She wears an eyepatch, gauntlets, and fish-scale skirts with leather strap boots.

The Water Mage had been the first in the series of mages I drew. I believe this is a 2016 or 2017 piece, but it’s been a long time since I checked.

I drew her with Copic markers and fine line pens on Strathmore sketch paper and made her into 4 x 6-inch mini-prints. She ( and a few other mages) were part of a series, which I printed for conventions. She and the others are now out of print. But who knows? I may put her in an art book later.

For now, she’s available as a hi-resolution download! But only for Ko-Fi supporters and Patreon patrons. I’ve been posting hi-res downloads for supporters, and I plan on keeping that up.

That’s all for now. Thank you for reading!

You. Are. Awesome.

The Forest Spirit: An Illustration

the forest spirit illustration by kelci crawford

The Forest Spirit is more than just a spirit – she is a deity. She has been around since before written history. Her name has been lost to the ages, but she is forever present within the trees. When she moves, she moves slowly, thoughtfully, but deliberately. And when she is found, she will guide travelers by testing them – fail the test, and you are taken out of the forest, forever unable to find it again. Continue reading “The Forest Spirit: An Illustration”