So, this was originally a Inktober piece and was done in just a couple of hours. I drew him as a black lab puppy. But, that decision has bugged me because Cerberus is supposed to mean spotted. Which I knew, but didn’t think of it at the time. I really should have made him a dalmatian or other spotted breed. So, today I had reason to go back to this image and so, while I was there, I decided to fix it.
So, here’s Cerberus, the spotted three-headed hound of Hades.
Today I received a response from a potential client I’d queried as a freelance illustrator. They wrote to say that they thought my illustrations might work for their clients, who were big names and they listed quite proudly. Yada-yada-yada… If I would just send a $150 check for my work to be included in their talent list they would try to find me work (no promises, though!).
No.
That is not how it works.
I do not pay clients to (maybe) give me work. They pay me to do their work. Even art reps, which this company was not, do not charge for merely listing my work on their website.
This is predatory.
Inexperienced freelancers fall for this, waste their money, and get nothing out of it!
So.
Public service announcement.
Clients pay you, not the other way around.
Be wary.
My agent updated my portfolio on their website for me this week. It’s always interesting to see what other people think are my best pieces. Looks good, I think. (Thanks, Duncan.)
https://www.gciforillustration.com/portfolio/karen_b_jones.html
And here is the final version of the piece I’ve been working on! So much excitement going on here. You’ve got the rockets blasting off behind, probably an emergency evacuation. Are the searchlights searching for her, specifically? You have the abandoned motorcycle, maybe it was hers and it ran out of gas or something? That would explain the goggles. Looks like she must have met with an accident on her right side at some point in the past because she’s got a prosthetic arm and leg. They must be good tech, though, since they don’t seem to be slowing her down any. Notice the blue light on her arm? That’s a power indicator. She still has a full charge. It’ll turn orange, then red as it runs dead. At which point she becomes a lefty. I’m not sure what the earpiece is. Maybe just communications equipment, maybe a hearing aid of some sort? It is on her injured side. What’s in her bag do you think? Tools for maintaining her prosthetics? Or the plans to the enemy’s base that she has to deliver into rebel hands? It doesn’t look like she has any offensive weapons. Just that energy shield, but I think it’s underpowered to stop that robot hand. Maybe it will buy her a crucial second to slip out of its grip, though!
Here’s an Easter egg. You can’t tell at the resolution above, but this is in the background. The search light washes it out, but you can see that she’s not the only one running.
And here’s a behind-the-scenes from way back when I first started this piece. This little mannequin helped me work out her pose.
This piece was a personal project, not one meant for any particular client. I wanted to add a detailed sci-fi piece in my portfolio, one with a lot of action. So, that’s the reason for it. I’ll get it up on the portfolio in a couple of days here. [Edit: It’s up now.]
I had not really intended it to be as involved as it ended up, but the concept demanded certain elements and complex lighting. Luckily, since I had no real deadline, I was free to take as long as I liked. It was fun and I really like how it turned out. 
Here’s another little sneak peek at what I’ve been working on. This whole thing is proving to be all about the light sources. I really like her watch-thingy.
Here’s a bit more of the piece I’m working on. I think the scene is more-or-less complete, but no characters yet. It already looks exciting, doesn’t it?
Here’s just part of a background I’m working on.
Now consider this. If we assume that these are rocket ships rather than missiles, this almost has to be an emergency evacuation. My logic is that those rockets are blasting off at nearly the same time and way too close together to be anything any prudent space program would approve of. Therefore, I think this depicts a, “Oh, holy crap! Everyone get the hell off the planet, now, now, now, NOW!” situation going on here.
And we can assume these are rocket ships rather than missiles because I drew them and I’m telling you those are ships.
What, do you ask, might be the emergency?
Guess you’ll have to wait and see the finished piece.
There goes another wacom 3-in-1 cord.
I love my cintiq, but I swear, the cords are SO EASY to damage. Luckily, I learned my lesson last time. I have a spare. And I just now went and ordered a new one for a backup.
I’m out $50, but otherwise it’s fine.
I got my newest promo postcards from VistaPrint just now.
It’s a girl-themed card this time. I used the new Girls in a Treehouse image on the color side and the one with Sarah and Katie with the bike and skateboard on the back side. You might notice that I recolored the “No Boys Allowed” sign so that it didn’t distract from the overlaid text. You probably didn’t notice (because it’s not important) but I moved the bird too. The image wasn’t exactly the same dimensions as the card, so I had to cut off a little at the sides. So, I nudged the bird over a bit so it wouldn’t be too close to the edge. Working with digital images makes last-minute changes so much easier!
Now, I really need to get moving on my promo mailing list. I’m in the process of transferring my notecard-based system into a computer-based one. I have to type everything in new, which is time consuming now but should pay off later.
Anyone want one of these postcards? Contact me with your name and address and I’ll mail you one.
