The Blacksmith Shop Gazette

Good evening everyone! Although from where I am it is not evening, but it is somewhere else in the world. So, what's new? Today I am beginning to seriously market in many places. My full-time job has dropped to very few hours, and I am honestly getting really tired of the seasonal winter slump. So, thought I, why not just commit to doing what I love to work on?

Currently, my computer is down due to another power cord heating problem. Hopefully I will be able to take care of that soon so I can get back to work. Here is what is up at my "blacksmith shop"

1. I am still continuing to work, albeit slowly, on projects for Candlelight Games. The dwarf race has proven to be quite stubborn in regards to time. Nevertheless, I have immensely enjoyed working on the little guys' "toys" (aka weapons). I feel like I have hit a groove of understanding how I work, partially due to this project. Here is a new picture:

It is a "steampunk" style submachine gun. There was a lot of detail, but I find the heavy detailed pieces are sometimes the most rewarding, and paying the price of extra time is worth it.

2. I have a new client. I am currently the primary artist on a card game called FIWEA (fire, ice, water, earth, air). This has been one of my main focuses lately. I would love to share with you guys what I've been doing, but my client has asked me respectfully to not share the stuff online as of yet. It will be something to look forward to, as I am really excited how the pictures have turned out. I'm excited to play the game as well.

3. Personal projects. Some of you may be aware of some of these, but here is an update of what is going on. I've started to work on some stuff to submit to stock art to earn a little extra money. Unfortunately my computer crashed so I was not able to finish one promising piece yet. I am excited, because it is one of my favorite subjects and is turning out well:

I confess, I immensely enjoyed the design of the new villain in Star Wars "The Force Awakens"- Kylo Ren. I have noticed that his design seemed based very similarly off these ancient knights of the 1200s. While this picture is a mix of 1200s and 1300s armor, I think it is turning out quite nicely.

Lastly, I am working on a alternative for fun version of Axis and Allies (a popular board game of world war 2 similar to "Risk" for those of you who don't know). My brother and I played an internet version based off of J.R.R Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" series. I enjoyed playing it immensely, but I wanted to make improvements and take it to the next level and make my own homemade version. I have spent a great deal of time researching the books to get the descriptions more accurate, and will be doing some drawings here soon. I will have to, of necessity as I see it, to make alterations to the text to make it more playable and fun, while striving to keep things accurate for the most part.

Well, that's it for now. If you guys have any suggestions, questions, or feedback (such as things you would like to see, or ways I could make things better) feel free to message me on facebook or email. (nargothrond.brian@gmail.com) I would gladly accept any discussion of my work, as I really want to know what you would like to see, and what you think. I cannot improve and do better unless I get input. And discovering that input on my own is painstakingly slow. Later.