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FanimeCon in San Jose California is next week! I will be in Artist Alley in the "Art Pool" where all the staff artists are seated. Here's a little map for you! I don't have a table number, but if you click on the map, you see I'll be right on the front corner of the Artist Pool. Hope to see lots of you there!

Due to construction, Fanime put Artist Alley in a separate tent-like building behind the San Jose Convention Center, on Market Street. It is blue and white and shaped like a giant caterpillar, so you can't miss it. Come and venture into the belly of the giant blue art caterpillar.

-Zimmay

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:star: Places to find me
Twitter @MissZimmay | Tumblr | PIXIV | GaiaOnline
ONLINE SHOP: zimmay.storenvy.com

:bulletyellow: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay[AT]gmail[DOT]com for quote and availability.

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:star: Artist Alley Convention Schedule 2013
Wondercon | Anaheim, CA - confirmed!
FanimeCon | San Jose, CA - confirmed!
A-Kon | Dallas, TX - confirmed!
Anime Expo | Los Angeles, CA - confirmed!
Comic-Con | San Diego, CA - attending!
Otakon | Baltimore, MD - confirmed!
AM2 | Anaheim, CA - pending
New York Comic Con | New York, NY - pending
APE | San Francisco, CA - pending
Kumoricon | Vancouver, WA - pending
Comikaze Expo | Los Angeles, CA - pending
Nan Desu Kon | Denver, CO - pending
  • Mood: Joy
Hey DA! Long time no see~

I am not too terribly active on DeviantART anymore, so I'm going to be doing a big gallery cleanup soon, deleting some of my older Deviations and all of my cosplay. I don't really cosplay for photoshoots anymore, and since I'd like to maintain my DA as a sort of informal portfolio of finished works, my cosplay gallery is going away pretty soon.

I am now much much MUCH more active on my Tumblr. I feel like the pressure of posting only finished, polished work is gone, and I like maintaining a fun sketch blog a lot more than a big gallery. I will still post sketchdumps here once in a while, and my finished illustrations, (and update when I'm going to a convention). I've been doing a lot of illustration this past winter, but most of the work has been work under NDA, so I can't post them. But yeah, that's probably why it's been so quiet here!

Also, I am almost ready to begin posting pages of my webcomic with ~actoratheart, (Recoffthevine on Tumblr)! The comic is called Broken, and you like fairytale style fantasy with a dash of horror, I hope you will check it out. We've been working away on this project steadily, and I finally feel like we might as well start posting soon. I'm crap at making websites though, so until I have time to design and commission one, Rec and I agreed to start things on Tumblr. We both love the community and are hopelessly hooked on it anyway, so why not? Once either my blog, Rec's blog, or Broken's blog reaches 1,000 followers, I'll start posting weekly pages. Whichever one reaches 1k followers first! And we are closer to that number than you might think. That should still give me enough time while I continue turning Rec's script into pages.

It should also give me enough time while I move. Did I mention I'm moving? In a week?! AHHH- back to packing!! Thanks for reading!

-Zimmay

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:star: Places to find me
Twitter @MissZimmay | Tumblr | PIXIV | GaiaOnline
ONLINE SHOP: zimmay.storenvy.com

:bulletyellow: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay[AT]gmail[DOT]com for quote and availability.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

:star: Artist Alley Convention Schedule 2013
Wondercon | Anaheim, CA - possibly attending!
FanimeCon | San Jose, CA - confirmed!
A-Kon | Dallas, TX - pending
AnimeNEXT | Somerset, NJ - pending
Anime Expo | Los Angeles, CA - confirmed!
Comic-Con | San Diego, CA - attending!
Otakon | Baltimore, MD - pending
AM2 | Anaheim, CA - pending
New York Comic Con | New York, NY - pending
APE | San Francisco, CA - pending
Kumoricon | Vancouver, WA - pending
Comikaze Expo | Los Angeles, CA - pending
Nan Desu Kon | Denver, CO - pending
  • Mood: Joy
Just a quick announcement!

All prints over at my Storenvy are $10 each, buy 2 get 1 FREE from now till January 1st 2013! That is three prints for only $20. And my large posters are also buy 2 get 1 free! I only have one or two copies of many of these prints and posters left, and most are being retired once they are gone. So if you see one you like, get it now while you can.

:star:~ Zimprints Storenvy, please check it out!

Thanks for reading and looking. :)

-Zimmay

---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Shop: zimmay.storenvy.com
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/misszimmay
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay[AT]gmail[DOT]com for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
  • Mood: Seasonal
[EDIT]

(Cross posted from my tumblr)

I feel obliged to, but also want to say thank you for the response to my text post yesterday about my convention art pricing. I certainly wasn't expecting it to get the level of response that it did, or the kind that it did. I was looking for advice on how to properly re-evaluate my work based on it's physical quality and artistic level, but instead I got a lesson in why artists shouldn't devalue their work, and many varying opinions on the sale of fanart. While I still don't believe I am devaluing my work, I want to say thank you, especially to ~fayrenpickpocket and everyone who responded with your insights on this. Artwork and money can be such sticky subjects, and the sale of fanart is even stickier, so thank you for diving into those topics for me.

Like I said above and in the original post, I was honestly not trying to put my artwork down, but express that I completely and honestly believe that my artwork is not worth what I charge, that I am morally struggling because of that belief every time I make a sale, and that I believe I need to lower my prices to match the worth I feel it is... but I guess many others feel very differently. I am not looking for a pity party or a bunch of people to tell me my work is worth what I charge either, because I know now that no matter how many people tell me this, I will probably never agree. Though it is comforting to know that a lot of artists feel similarly about their own work - they just have the smarts, professionalism, balls, and the financial need to not give in to their feelings and charge less. Perhaps my concept of money and artwork is skewed because I've been working conventions for too long. Or perhaps I just need to find my artistic balls again.

Anyway, I think I will keep my prices as they are for NYCC, since it is my last convention of 2012. After that I'm looking forward to a nice six-month break from conventions and Artist Alley, during which time I hope to revamp at least 50% of my merchandise and do some more soul searching on my pricing and artistic worth... just, offline this time. xD;;; Thanks again, and hopefully I'll see some of you in New York next week.

---------------------------

[ORIGINAL JOURNAL]

(Cross posted from my tumblr)

For the past year or so I've been facing some morality issues on selling my art and fanart. Normally I wouldn't talk about something like this on the internet, but since most of my friends are artists and many of them also do anime conventions, I'm kind of low on unbiased people to talk to. And there are lots of different artists on tumblr, (and DA) so I'd love to hear some opinions on this and maybe get some advice?

First off, I feel like I'm overpriced. I charge what a lot of print artists charge at conventions - $15 per poster, buy 2 get 1 free. Although I am trying to conduct myself professionally at conventions, I feel as though these prices are just too much for what the customer is getting. I look at my work and think, "Wow, I wouldn't pay $15 for this let alone drop $30 for three of them, so why am I charging others that much?" Most of the artists I talk to about this say, "You're not overpriced! Stop devaluing your art!" and, "You'll make the rest of us look bad if you charge less!" But I really don't think it's a matter of devaluing my art. I'm not trying to be depressing or put myself down. I'm trying to look at my work and it's quality and find a price that I am comfortable selling it for. I'm also not trying to make anyone else look bad by charging less; this is about my work and what I feel it's worth is within the level I'm currently at.

A big part of feeling overpriced is the physical quality of my prints. My prints are nice quality - 80lb gloss text, full bleed. They're nice, but they're not great. I used to like this paper because it's light and easy to travel with, and it lasts as long as you handle it well. But I hardly travel with my prints anymore; I have to bring so many now that I mail half of them to the convention in advance, and the mail does not treat anything well. Also, this past summer my usual printer botched a whole lot of my orders, rushing through them to meet summer demand. They got colors and cuts wrong, and these details matter deeply to me. I couldn't do anything to fix these prints since I got them so close to the conventions that I had to sell them, and while I never had a single customer complain about them, I felt guilty the whole time. They were prints I'd rather throw away or give away for free, and I was stuck selling them to make sure I could pay my hotel and flight bill. One thing I've learned from doing conventions is that customers hardly ever seem to care what kind of paper a print is on… or if they do, they never say so to the artist. For this reason I've been told to stop worrying about my paper quality and just sell, and for a while I did, but with all the botched prints I've had to sell it's a worry that has crept back to me.

Luckily I've found a local printer I want to switch to next year. It will be more expensive, but the print quality will be a lot higher, and since they're local I can be there to work with them until the product is exactly what I want. But then I go back to my first worry of my art being overpriced in general, and I think… would increasing the physical quality of my prints make them feel worth what I charge? Or will it be like polishing a turd? Even with nicer, heavier paper and higher print quality, I don't know if I will be comfortable continuing to sell my work for $15 a pop. I feel like $10 per would be much more reasonable for me, and for my customers.

I know, I know… "Wtf you're actually freaking out over a $5 difference?" Yeah, it's important to me… These are the reasons why I decided to sell my prints online for $10. And a $5 difference is a lot when you add up the number of prints I sell at a convention.

Which brings me to the second morality issue I've been having…

…the sale of fanart. It's basically what I've been doing at anime conventions for the past six years. I really love making fanart, since it's how I got started drawing in the first place. I've done plenty of research and know about copyright laws. People argue that the sale of fanart is a very grey area, and I agree, but if you follow the law to the letter the very creation of fanart itself is completely illegal, (with the exception of parody). But big industry has been turning a blind eye to the sale of fanart for many years, allowing the culture to thrive and in some cases, (like Otakon) police itself. I know artists who've been hired to work officially for the things they've done fanart for, so I feel like big industry does actually like fanart in most cases. But I know plenty of people who sell way more fanart than me, some who make their entire living off of it without batting an eye, and some who fanart things purely for monetary gain. And that's fine for them, I don't really care what they do, it's their choice. But for me, it's been feeling a little more wrong with every convention I go to. I have some success with my original work now, but not nearly enough to pay the bills. While I don't think I'll stop creating and selling fanart completely, (I love making fanart too much and sharing that love with other fans I meet at conventions) I feel like I need to cut back on it significantly. Only draw fanart for what I truly love, and make sure I give back to the industry in some way, by buying official merchandise and not pirating. I also want to create more original work and have organized plans to do so, but it's going slowly and I feel like the continued success I've seen in Artist Alley is in jeopardy if those plans don't pick up faster.

Anyway, those are my rambles on pricing and print quality and fanart. Haha, can you tell I'm worried about being at NYCC next week? I'd like to hear what others think about this, and if you're an artist, how you go about pricing your work and finding it's worth. In case you need to see it, here is my art tag and my DA gallery, filled with many things I've brought to conventions, (though not everything). I've been doing conventions for so long and I still struggle with pricing. It's just one of those things that never gets easier. xD;;

-Zimmay

---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Shop: zimmay.storenvy.com
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/misszimmay
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
I've had a lot of people asking me, mostly on Tumblr, "What happened to you at Otakon?" *finni and I have been quietly mentioning some of the incident with the staff we had this year, but still keeping it hushed since we were hoping to see it resolved internally and professionally... but it doesn't seem like it's going to happen, at least not in the way we were hoping. So now we're turning to you guys, the artists of the internet, so you'll know what kind of treatment to expect from the staff if you ever want to sell your art at Otakon. It's long, so bear with me or skip to the bottom for the TL;DR version.

Around 10:00pm on Friday, July 27th, after a long first day of selling, I was asked to speak with Martin Matthews and "Dizzy", the two heads of Otakon's Artist Alley staff. They told me that my tables, (I had two and gave one to Finni as the 'secondary artist') were, "too close to being 50/50," in fanart and original art, and asked me to take down some fanart and hang up more original art. I was confused, since I had carefully planned my display to be exactly 50/50 and knew Finni had done the same, but they weren't interested in hearing my argument. I tried to show them which of my pieces were original since people often mistake our originals for fanart, and showed them how my catalogue of prints was divided perfectly in half, but they still insisted we were over the limit. They told me I had to take some fanart down and hang up more originals to be, "more like 60/40," and to have my table partner do the same. Even though I was frustrated, I did as they asked and told Finni what they said about our displays. We were both really confused at this point and weren't sure if they were doing this count by number or surface area, so she went to go speak with them to clarify the 50/50 fanart-to-original display rule.

A few minutes later I was asked by a staff member to come to their table. I was already a ball of nerves from the last encounter so I asked Finni to come with me. I'm a really passive person while she's more assertive, so I felt more comfortable with her, especially since Martin is a large and imposing man. But when we got there, Martin immediately told her to leave, saying this discussion was a private one between him, Dizzy, and me.

After she left, Martin turned on me, claiming Finni had, "verbally assaulted," him, and that as the primary artist of our two tables he was holding me responsible for her behavior. I knew that couldn't be true, but in front of him and alone I was too afraid to disagree with him. I apologized for her and tried to explain that she has a strong personality that might come off the wrong way if you don't know her, but he wasn't listening. He threatened me repeatedly, saying, "I want you to understand how close you are to being banned from the Artist Alley right now." I continued apologize, since that seemed to be what he was after. He then held up the Artist Alley contract right in my face and told me to read the third rule to him out loud. To my understanding, the rule was 'interpretation of any rules will be left up to staff.' I still didn't know what had been said to make him do this, but I read it for him despite my confusion. Martin then told me that if she were to talk to him again he would ban us both from the Alley. His last instruction was to, "keep her in line." My blood was boiling, but I managed to hold my composure and just apologized again and again since I didn't know what else to say anymore.

After I was allowed to leave, I went back to my table to hide behind my display because I couldn't keep it together much longer. Despite all the difficulties of getting there, I love going to Otakon's Artist Alley. I work really hard and try my best to get there every year. I make plans a year in advance despite the table lottery and fly all the way out from California to attend, and I've been attending since 2008. Both of us have. It's a special convention to me because it's the only time of year I get to see all of my east coast friends in one place. And I really didn't want that taken away just because one staffer didn't like my friend's tone of voice. I felt bullied and awful.

Once I calmed down, Finni told me she did not verbally assault Martin like he claimed; she only asked for clarification on the 50/50 rule, since they had been so vague. Yeah, she asked him assertively, but there's a huge difference between being assertive and verbal assault. Verbal assault is oral or written speech that creates, or is intended to create, fear of physical harm. I'm not really sure how Martin turned a firm question into something as serious and dramatic as assault, but apparently he took it as a question of his authority and blew it way out of proportion. Offended, he sought me out in order to punish her by threatening to ban us both. But threatening to ban us when we were following his instruction and only seeking clarification was a hugely unfair abuse of this power as co-head of Artist Alley.

A lot of artists were upset for us and helped us get through the rest of the weekend by encouraging us to take this matter over Martin's head to higher authority within the convention staff. Since then, Finni has been very proactive in communicating with the Otakon Chief of Staff, and it seemed like progress was being made... but we were recently informed that the only thing Otakon plans on doing is talking with staff, rewriting rules, and updating their FAQ. 
I admit, I was hoping to see Martin replaced for this, since I'd rather not have someone willing to threaten and scare artists into submission in charge of one of the largest Artist Alleys in North America. I'm also not the only case where he's bullied or been rude to artists who were trying to follow their vague rules. But this solution is a very Otakon-like thing to do. When something goes wrong, they make more rules. Rewrite those rules. Talk with staff, make more rules. Update FAQ. Lots of talk, and no action. I was hoping to make this post with a happy resolved ending, but it doesn't seem like Otakon is willing to resolve this beyond more talk and rule-making. So artists beware, the Artist Alley staff of this convention is likely to mistreat you, threaten you, and slam the banhammer down on you and anyone affiliated with you if they think you have so much as a toe out of line.

TL;DR - Finni and I went to Otakon's Artist Alley and did our best to follow all of their rules. When the staff said we were breaking their fanart rule we followed their instruction despite our confusion. Finni asked them how we were breaking the rules and what we could do to fix it, and received no answer. As punishment for asking for clarification, the head of Otakon's AA privately threatened me over and over with banishment from the Alley. This man has thoroughly abused his staff power on several occasions, and this was only one of them. Despite calm and professional communication with Otakorp on this matter, the convention has only resolved to revise their rules. Again.

And no, we never got that question answered.


-Zimmay

[EDIT] The links to the Otakon forums work (for now) but since they're in the Artist Alley forum, you must be logged in to view them.

Also, here is more directly from *finni. You can read her OP here.

Here's the story for those who have been asking and for those who saw the earlier story go around, which was mostly accurate but not the full story.

When I approached Matthews, he had not spoken to me at all, so I approached to assertively ask how my table was in violation of the rule, and how they were calculating 50-50: by count or by surface area. He told me "It's not even a point of contention". I tried to ask how this situation was being evaluated because they didn't even speak to me, and my original pieces get mistaken for fan art all the time, maybe there was a mistake, but again I was met with "It's not even a point of contention". He said that both tables are being treated as one entity, and that therefore both tables were in violation. So then I asked how do I fix my table if I don't know how you guys are interpreting the rules, and he pointed over to where Zimmay was taking down fan arts and said that the fixes were already being made; it's done. So I said thank you, and then left.

Immediately afterwards, two other artists, who were sitting in the vicinity, overheard him talking about me, saying I was "bitching" and that they were going to reject my application outright if I tried to apply again to next year's Otakon Artist Alley table lottery.

Rules are rules — and as artists who want to showcase their work in Artist Alley, we have to follow these rules. However, I really can not tolerate this man's rude behavior, nor can I trust his track record for fairly administering clauses such as allowing staff to have final discretion on how these rules are applied or enforced. I have been told now by Otakorp's Correspondence Secretary and Vice Con-Chair, who has seen our complaints, that they are going to make the rules easier to understand and update the FAQs, and that they "hope to see [me] next year." However, nothing has been initiated to rectify this staff member's threatening and degrading behavior towards Zimmay, nor his abuse of power.



---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Etsy: etsy.com/shop/zimmay
:bulletblue: Print Shop: zimmay.storenvy.com
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
Hello everyone on DA, how are you? I'm doing great now that summer convention season is over. I CAN SLEEP AGAIN!! And now I'm back to working on Gaia items, my own project, and revamping my portfolio. *3* I have one convention left this year, but more on that later.

One of the first things I did when I got home and settled down was set up a new print shop! I decided to hop on the bandwagon and try out Storenvy. Selling prints on Etsy has been tough for me because of their limited image formatting. So far I like Storenvy's layout a lot more.

:star: zimmay.storenvy.com :star:

Right now all 32 of my 11x17'' prints are just $10.00 each instead of their at-con price of $15.00!! Some are even on sale for as low as $8.00. Also, I have a limited quantity (most are one of a kind) of extra large 18x24'' laminated posters at $25.00 each. And every purchase comes with a free 4x'6' mini print while supplies last!

This store is prints only for now, and my other products such as buttons and zipper bags can still be found on my Etsy. I may end up moving those products to Storenvy in the future though - we'll see!

Thanks for taking the time to check it out. ^^

-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Etsy: etsy.com/shop/zimmay
:bulletblue: Print Shop: zimmay.storenvy.com
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
  • Reading: http://www.casualvillain.com/Unsounded/
Heeey DA, sorry for the lack of updates. This time of year is really hectic for me, and I hardly have time to update my DA journal anymore. ; o ; I'm on Tumblr a lot now because of how fast and versatile it is, so if you want better / current updates from me, please check there. zimmay.tumblr.com~

BUT ANYWAY, between now and my last journal I went to Dallas for A-Kon, to Tokyo for PacSet Tour's Starving Artist Tour, and Los Angeles for Anime Expo! And tomorrow I'm getting on a plane again for San Diego Comic Con. After that is Otakon. I'm very lucky to be going to all these amazing places and events, but I'm also pretty tired and looking forward to having drawing time again in August. ^^;

Going to Japan on PacSet's art tour was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING to say the least. Once conventions are wrapped up, I'll be posting lots of photos on Tumblr from the tour. Some of the best highlights were going to Comic City to sell artwork, going to the Asagaya College of Art and Design to meet the students, and the SHOPPING. AND FOOD. I've already started posting food photos, because fooooood. ; o ;

I also had a great time at A-Kon! Thank you everyone who came by my table and for making me feel so welcome in Texas! Anime Expo was a totally different experience, and I'm sorry if I seemed upset or angry to anyone who stopped by. I was missing half my merchandise because it never arrived in the mail, so I was pretty frustrated all weekend. That, and people kept stealing things off my table - sketchbooks, button sets, even money from my tip jar! I'm going to be working on redesigning my display to have everything stuck securely to my table to avoid future theft from now on. :C

Hopefully Otakon will be better! I'll be cosplaying as Vriska from Homestuck with ~actoratheart as Tavros, though I'm not sure which day yet. I'm tabling with *finni at C02 and C03 along the left side of the Artist Alley, up against the wall. I've noticed in past years that this area is pretty lonely, so if you're going to Otakon please come see us! Here is a handy MAP~ with lots of cool artists in that area on it too.

I won't be tabling at San Diego Comic Con, but I'll be hanging around the portfolio review section for most of the weekend. Hopefully my friends and I will get into the Korra panel too! Looking forward to it all! *___*

-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Etsy: etsy.com/shop/zimmay
:bulletblue: Print Shop: zimmay.storenvy.com/
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
  • Reading: runewriters.com
Really quick journal because I need to get some sleep before my flight! Headed off to Dallas tomorrow for A-Kon~ Finally finished my two days of cramming and I think I'm ready. I'll be in the downstairs Artist Alley at table C8. If you're going, please stop by to say hello! C8 is the happiest table, just look at that big smile.

-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Shop: zimmay.bigcartel.com
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
  • Reading: runewriters.com
Fanimecon is this weekend! Yaaaay my hometown con. *__* I get to just roll out of bed every morning and go to the convention lazy bum style, aawww yeeeaaah. I'll be tethered to table 189 in the Artist Alley all weekend, with partner-in-crime *finni next to me at 190!

I was too busy working on preparations this week to make a map, so I stole one from `snowkatt101... It's more useful anyway because it's got a bunch of awesome Gaia people labeled on it too.

:star: Click to view Fanime AA map! :star:

I'll be wearing a Vriska / Homestuck-esque outfit on Friday, and Rarity cosplay on Saturday. See you in San Jose this weekend!


-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Shop: zimmay.bigcartel.com
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
  • Reading: runewriters.com
Ahh I'm super late in saying this, but thanks so much to everyone who came by my table at Anime Boston! AB is always amazing and so much fun. You make me wish I could go to this convention every year!! But due to scheduling complications, I probably won't be back until 2014. ; o ; Until then~ thank you so much!! I had an excellent time.

Also thanks a ton to A-Kon for selecting my design for their official t-shirt this year! In case you missed it, here is the shirt design. I believe it will be available for purchase online after the convention too! Can't wait to see it finalized on shirts. *___*

The last bit of news I have to share is that I'm hosting a week-long Hetalia giveaway over at my Tumblr. I'm discontinuing some Hetalia prints, so if they're something you'd like to have on your wall, please consider entering!

:star: Hetalia Print Giveaway Page~! :star:

~*shuffles off back to work*

-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Shop: zimmay.bigcartel.com
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
  • Reading: runewriters.com
Hey guys, I'll be at Anime Boston this coming weekend in the Artist Alley! I don't get to go to AB every year, so I'm really looking forward to it. I've been working hard on updating my print selection for this year, and I've added five new prints for sale for this con! I'll also have my usual button sets, and a few bunny zipper bags, (and by a few I mean like... three. I'm running out!). So if you want a zipper bag, please come early! I will *hopefully* be taking copic commissions too, if I can get all the materials to fit in my luggage after prints. : )

Also, I just uploaded a map of the Alley with some labels in hot pink, because I love hot pink.


:star: Click for Anime Boston Artist Alley 2012 Map~! :star:


So in the past, Anime Boston has been a convention I've starved at... which is silly, because it's BOSTON, they have an amazing CREAM PIE named after them, so there HAS to be good food! Does anybody have any good restaurant recommendations that are within walking distance of the convention center? If not I'll just live off the nearby food court again. ; o ; Or just... Google for food LOL;;;

See you there!


-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Shop: zimmay.bigcartel.com
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
  • Reading: runewriters.com
Hey everyone! *finni has just opened a new store that I think will help out a lot of Artist Alley artists who are thinking of making buttons for the first time! Check out the link to see the store and prices~

:star: Custom Button Service by Finni :star:

This is designed as a service to help artists who would like their own artwork made on buttons. It is ideal for artists who are thinking of making buttons to sell in Artist Alley, but don't want to order buttons by the hundreds or purchase an expensive button machine and thousands of parts. You can order as few as 24 buttons with no limit on number of designs! I wish there was something like this when I was first starting in AA~

If you or anyone you know could use a service like this for conventions, or just to have their art printed on buttons, then please spread the word!


-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Shop: zimmay.bigcartel.com
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
  • Reading: http://finalarcanum.smackjeeves.com/
Hello! I think I'm getting worse and worse at making journals here, sorry. ^ ^;;

I just wanted to signal boost this artbook kickstarter project, Anime Angels. I submitted two illustrations to it, and the funding will end in a week from today! Check it out~

:star: Anime Angels Kickstarter Website :star:

Lots of other artists have already posted about it, so if you already know of the project, thank you for taking the time to look at it. And if you've pledged to the project or pre-ordered a copy of the book, thank you even more! The project needs about $2000 more to go through, so if you can, please help spread the word. : )



-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Shop: zimmay.bigcartel.com
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
  • Reading: http://finalarcanum.smackjeeves.com/
HI, sorry I've been... neglecting DA lately. It's been nice to get away from it for a change, but I do miss it too. I don't have much art I can post at the moment aside from doodles and sketches. A lot of the art I've been doing lately is either under contract, or it's items for Gaia, or both. I'm not really sure if you guys want to see those, but in case you do, I update my Gaia Journal monthly with all the things I make.

I forgot to make a post about it, but I went to Anime Los Angeles last weekend and had a great time! At the last minute, I ended up spending the weekend in the Dealer's Hall with ~Pallid and ~cutemew instead of being in the Artist Alley. Thanks to everyone who came by my little half-table! Man, I'm so bad at being prepared for conventions this time of year. I promise to have some great new stuff for the next one!

But to make new stuff, I have to get rid of some old stuff first, so right now I'm holding another print giveaway on my Tumblr. The last two I did were Avatar: The Last Airbended themed, but this one is BLEACH!

:star: zimmay.tumblr.com :star:
Click to go to the giveaway page!


These BLEACH prints are some of my most loved prints at conventions. But I realize not everyone gets to go to anime conventions, or spend a lot of money at them if they do get to go. I'll be trying to do a monthly giveaway this year until I run out of prints to give away. I just feel like I've been given so much love and support by going to cons that want to give back... even if it's in this tiny, incredibly dorky way. Good luck if you enter!

And hope it's not too late to say happy new year. Happy New Year!!

-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Shop: zimmay.bigcartel.com
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
  • Mood: Content
  • Reading: http://finalarcanum.smackjeeves.com/
Hey everyone, I just added some more things to my Etsy Shop! :)

I get a lot of notes about my Hetalia Button Sets, so I finally got off my butt, took some new photographs, and made a listing for them. I'm kind of surprised at the large amount of fanart items for sale on Etsy, haha. The 'Geekery' section is loaded with them! I was trying to avoid listing fanart items for sale there, but I just get so many notes about these buttons that I decided to list them to make it easier for you guys to find. I've also added some button sets that I've never posted online before! I'm not sure how long I'll keep them up, or how many future listings I'll make, but they're there for now. I really want to redraw those Hetalia sets though, they're so old. T__T;;

I also made a new section for prints, so expect to see more of those added soon!


-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Shop: etsy.com/shop/zimmay
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
  • Mood: Optimism
  • Reading: runewriters.com
Back from NYC, and still catching up on work. I had so much fun running around and seeing the city for the first time, (when I wasn't dragging luggage around). Big thanks to ~xandrei, ~Jenken, and ~I8Stuffin for helping me haul my insanely heavy AA supplies up and down subway staircases. T___T;; And thanks so much to everyone who came by my table at NYAF and bought prints! I sold out of all the bunny bags I brought, and *finni and I sold out fanbooks and a ton of prints on the last day! You guys made this trip possible for me, and possible for me to come back next year, so thank you!

I made several photo posts for the trip on Tumblr, but looking through them, you wouldn't think I went to a con at all. Most of the pictures are of delicious food and the city itself. ^^

:bulletgreen: NYC Food Post 01
:bulletgreen: NYC Food Post 02 (just desserts)
:bulletgreen: NYC Photos!


Also, I want to share my new shop!

:star: etsy.com/shop/zimmay :star:

My friend ~FreakyPicasso convinced me to give Etsy a try, so I have opened a new shop on Etsy! I'm moving my bunny zipper bags and button sets from Bigcartel over to Etsy, since Bigcartel is much more limited and I haven't had much luck with it. But I'm really digging Etsy so far. Hopefully this won't be something I will regretsy. ;D If this goes well, I'd like to eventually put a few select art prints for sale here, more button sets, sticker sets, and maybe even design some new phone straps. Please take a look!

And now back to work.

-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Shop: etsy.com/shop/zimmay
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
I can't believe I'm going to be at New York Anime Fest this year. And for my last convention of the year too! So exciting! I've never been to New York before. Hopefully I will find some time to see more of the city than just my AA table, but I'm already doubting it. It's going to be a busy week.

The NYAF Artist Alley is on the fourth floor. *finni made a gorgeous map of it and labeled some of our friends' tables - check it out! AA Floor Map here! I am at table F2~! I'll have a selection of poster prints for sale, the ATLA fanbook *finni and I made together, Perils of Picorna comics, various button sets, and my two bunny zipper bags~

Any food recommendations for NYC? I heard an authentic French macaroon shop opened recently, and that it's ten minutes away from the convention center. I am soooo tempted.

Hope to see some of you there! And GAIANS, I love meeting Gaians at cons. You guys are always so nice in person and fun to chat with! Maybe this time I will finally find time to make it out to the Gaia panel, hahaha.

-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Shop: zimmay.bigcartel.com
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
Updating with a new giveaway! A while ago I made a journal about having too many leftover convention posters that I don't print or sell anymore. I still have a bunch left, so I'll be doing several giveaways on my Tumblr account until they're all gone!

:star: zimmay.tumblr.com :star:
Click to go to the giveaway page!


This is my second free set of Avatar: The Last Airbender posters. Good luck if you enter!

-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletblue: Shop: zimmay.bigcartel.com
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
  • Mood: Joy
I've been back from Otakon for a while now, but that con back to back with SDCC always takes so much out of me. I'm looking forward to next year, since there's a week in between them then. Am I the only one who really misses Otakon being in August?

Anyway, I'm just winding down and getting back to life~ Made a couple of picture posts on Tumblr with snapshots from both conventions, including a loot post. I have Perils of Picorna 3 to think about now, along with several other freelance projects that need sorting out. I don't have the coding ability to open an updated shop for my prints, but if anyone is interested in buying my Otakon leftovers, you can do so through my Prints Sub-Gallery or my Facebook Page. I'll try to make a similar gallery for my button sets soon!

As always, thank you to everyone who comes out to all these crazy summer cons and shops in Artist Alley. When you buy art from the people there - comic artists, plushie makers, print and fan artists alike - it goes straight to supporting them and their art. That said, I think I've received enough support this summer to upgrade my hardware AND software soon. My poor little laptop-pooter is on it's last legs, and I'm finally able to get something more heavy duty and reliable to continue working on my art! Don't know what I'll be getting yet, but whatever it ends up being, it better be able to handle a lot of digital drawing~ *___*

Thanks so much again! :heart:


-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletred: Shop: zimmay.fourthewin.org/shop (outdated)
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
  • Mood: Joy
  • Reading: runewriters.com
I'm still recovering from an fantastic weekend at San Diego Comic Con, but Otakon is right around the corner. Had a great time with *finni, her boyfriend, and ~Skwinky at SDCC - doing portfolio reviews, running around the exhibit hall, shopping, eating incredible San Diego food, and hitting up panels, (yes, the Legend of Korra panel was THAT amazing). Right now I'm crashing with *finni and heading out early tomorrow morning for Baltimore. Feels like I've been prepping all month, and I'm still not ready for this con. Hnngh.

I posted a derpy map of my table location + *finni, *Shazzbaa, ~Skwinky, *zetallis, *nargyle on my Facebook Page. If you're going to Otakon this weekend, please come see us!

:star: Click for Otakon AA Floor Map :star:

I also wanted to share this article, Passion Project, by Todd VanDerWerff of American Voices. He got in touch with ~Skwinky while at SDCC, and interviewed the two of us on what it's like to do portfolio reviews at Comic Con. It is a lovely article, and I'm super flattered to be featured in it with :skwinky:! Please check it out on avclub.com.

I think it's safe to say we both had a very successful round of portfolio reviews this year~ ;D

Hope to see some of you at Otakon!


-Zimmay


---------------------------

:star: Places to find me:

:bulletblue: Website: zimmay.fourthewin.org
:bulletred: Shop: zimmay.fourthewin.org/shop (outdated)
:bulletblue: Twitter: twitter.com/zimtard
:bulletblue: Facebook: facebook.com/zimmay.art
:bulletblue: Tumblr: zimmay.tumblr.com
:bulletblue: GaiaOnline: zimmay@GaiaOnline
:bulletred: Personal Commissions: CLOSED - more info
:bulletblue: Commercial projects and work for hire: E-mail zimmay@fourthewin.org for quote and availability.
I am 1/4th of FourTheWin.Org - follow us on Facebook!

:iconfinni: :iconchuwei: :iconsilver-ruby: :iconzimmay:
  • Mood: Eager
  • Reading: http://finalarcanum.smackjeeves.com/

Journal History