FAQ

General Info

"What is your name?"

I go by Inkfy (Lex) or inkfycreates on all of my handles. Either one of them is fine!

"How long have you've been drawing?"

I've been drawing my entire life!
However, I didn't pursue it professionally until 2012. I did (and still do) traditional art as a hobby.
However, I mostly stick to digital artwork as my preferred media.

"Have you taken drawing lessons?"

Sort of.When I was in summer camp years ago, I joined an art program at the time, but it was more kid-oriented stuff (e.g. doodle and paint for a few hours). My parent used to sign me up for various art-related activities for kids.I didn't receive any formal art education until university. However, before reaching that point, I was
mostly self-taught. I learn primarily via art books, early YT videos and still do!

"Did you go to art school?"

Yes! I graduated art school in 2021! I officially have my BA in Fine Arts.

"What are you inspired by? Who's your favorite artist?"

This is a hard question to answer because I find sticking to one favorite "thing" is a rather difficult task. Vincent van Gogh, Bill Waterson, Peach Pit, etc., I've always been a fan of a variety of artist's works. I feel if I were to list every single person, I'd be here all day (lol). Regardless, I'm heavily inspired by vintage Shoujo magazines, early 2000's Shoujo manga, fashion magazines, and some Seinen manga as well.

"How long does it take for you to finish a drawing?"

It depends on how hefty the workload is. I work on multiple personal projects at a single time. Some can take me weeks or months. Unless I record my work, I have a hard time telling how much time I work on a single project. I typically don't finish everything in one session and tend to take multiple breaks.If you want a more accurate scale of how long certain illustrations take, check out my YouTube channel for my speedpaints. Those are recorded, so I provide the estimated timeframe in the description.

"Favorite hobby outside of art?"

Playing video games, reading, working on garage (model) kits, and even experimenting with video editing.....pretty much that. lol
My favorite games are Pokemon Emerald, Radiant Historia, Octopath Traveler, Blue Reflection: Second Light, etc.
I mostly end up playing turn-based JRPGs. Ahaha.

"Can we be friends?"

No. My social media is primarily for business (and my personal entertainment).
I believe friendships can not be forced.
I have no problem with casual chatting about my hobbies, but I like to leave it at that.
I ask that people please respect my privacy.

Art Materials

"What drawing program/tablet do you use?"

I use Clip Studio Paint (previously used Paint Tool SAI).I edit my artwork in Photoshop occasionally.You can buy Clip Sudio Paint here (However, I suggest waiting as they have sales often!)
You can buy Paint Tool SAI hereI highly recommend trying out free drawing programs like Fire Alpaca, Krita, and Medibang if you want to start getting into digital art and/or want a free program to use that's just as good as the paid ones.My drawing tablet is currently a Wacom Intuos Pro Small.I am not familiar with screen tablets and mobile drawing apps nor am I interested visiting tools like that in the future. Therefore, I can't give advice on those.

"How do you record and edit your speedpaints?"

I record my videos using OBS (Open Broadcaster Software).
It's a free, open source screen-recorder that's reliable for streams and recording videos easily.I used to edit my videos with Adobe Premiere Pro. Now I use DaVinci Resolve!I made an easy switch thanks to the convenience of the program interface being similar to Premiere Pro! It's free and easy to use. I recommend this tutorial to get started on the latest version!

"What size is your canvas?"

My canvas size is around A4 size (~8.5 x 11in.) It's the default template in Clip Studio Paint.For square ratios, I set my canvas to 3000 x 3000px.My resolution is always between 300-400 dpi. However, depending on your CPU, it's probably best to stick to 300 dpi as your default resolution.I crop and extend my canvas depending on the composition I want.The higher your resolution, the less pixelated your work will be.

"What are your brush settings?"

For sketching, I tend to experiment with basic brushes such as Clip Studio Paint's G-Pen, Real G-Pen and the Mechanical Pencil.Sometimes, I take a crack at using brushes I've downloaded to test out, but I mix and match so often that it's never consistent on me just using one brush to sketch. Ahaha.I use the basic Hard & Soft Airbrush to render as they usually get the job done.
I didn't edit them much because I already liked the initial settings. I'm not against going out of my comfort zone to use other brushes though. I try to experiment as much as I can.

I previously used Paint Tool SAI before switching to Clip Studio Paint.
I figured it'd be fair to share my most-used brush settings.
They don't function the same way as CSP's does, but they get the job done and I had fun using them.

I also have recommended brush sets from artists that I like!
I also thought it would be fair to share some of these as well as I've tried them out for myself and experimented with them a bit. Maybe you'll find them useful, too! I'll update the list as I go along and find other stuff that interests me.-01NU's brush set
-Hyanna Natsu's brush set- on Gumroad! Cheap and worth the price!
-CyanParade's Rainbow brush - great for fine detailing!

"What traditional art supplies do you use?"

I have a huge collection of art supplies varying from student to artist (professional) grade.
I still use these for my personal pieces. I collected these supplies over the years so please don't feel overwhelmed.You do not need all these supplies to be a good artist. Just use what you have available to you!
I used these supplies because that's what I had available to me in my area.
Please don't fret if you can't find a substitute for a certain material I've listed here.
Find what best suites your needs!Colored Pencils: Crayola, Prismacolor Premier, Faber-Castell PolychromosMarkers: Copic Sketch/Ciao & OhuhuLiners (Pens): A mix of Sakura Pigma Microns, Copic Multiliners, Staedtler Triplus Fineliners STAEDTLERS ARE A WATER-BASED INK. These are not WATERPROOF. The other brands listed are waterproof, but Staedtlers will bleed. Take it from me after having a "surprising" experience lol.Watercolors: St. Petersburg: White Night Watercolor Paint, Schmincke Horadam Watercolors,
Sennelier Watercolor Paint Tubes, and a few tubes of Winsor & Newton/Daniel Smith Professional Watercolor PaintBrushes: Mimik Kolinsky, Master Touch, Princeton Aqua Elite, Royal & Langnickel, and various mix-media brushesPaper: Arches Watercolor Blocks (Cold-Pressed, 100% Cotton, 9in. x 12 in., 300 gsm/140 lb),
Fabriano Artistico Watercolor Blocks (Hot-Pressed, 100% Cotton, 9in. x 12in., 300 gsm/140 lb),Sketchbook Recommendations: Strathmore 500 series Mixed Media Sketchbook (this is a 100% cotton fiber sketchbook), Canson XL Mixed Media SketchbookYou can find these at a variety of stores but I highly recommend using Blick , Cheap Joe's,
Jerry's Artarama and Jackson's Art Supplies to find them for lower prices than in stores!
(Depending on your area, this will obviously be different).I don't consider myself an expert on traditional works so **please don't ask me to do any tutorials for them.
I don't plan to make any traditional art tutorials in the future.
** Traditional artwork is a hobby for me nowadays.

"What books do you recommend for learning more about art?"

First, I highly highly recommend reading these articles by Monika Zagrobelna. She does a great job at highlighting the basic artistic struggles many of us have. Any questions about motivation, self worth, pressure, and fears/anxiety will be directed here.For Motivation/Fears/Anxiety/Pressure:-5 Myths About Learning
-"Can I Draw?"—How to Tell If You're Good Enough
-10 Mistakes New Artists Make and How You Can Avoid Them
-Don't Take It Personally: How to Make Critique Work for YouFor Anatomy:Anatomy for Sculptors, Understanding the Human Figure by Sandis Kondrats and Uldis ZarinsFor Lighting/Shading:Color and Light: A Guide for the Realist Painter by James GurneyFor Comics/Self-Publishing:The Complete Guide to Self-Publishing Comics: How to Create and Sell Comic Books, Manga, and Webcomics by Adam Withers and Comfort LoveI own each of these books and find these to be must-haves! If you can't afford them, Andrew Loomis is a great choice to have in general as it gives the rundown of everything listed above to some degree.
You can find the .pdfs online for free!

"Where do you get _ made?/ Advice for Conventions?"

For charms, I use Zap Creatives.For stickers, check out StickerMule or StickerApp.I am not familiar with buttons or enamel pins. Therefore, I can't give any information on those.If you have a manufacturer issue I also can't help you as I've never experienced one.I found this blog to be really good for convention help!

Reposting & Usage Policy

"Can I repost your artwork?"

Please do not repost, copy, edit, sell or use my artwork without my permission. I also do not allow my artwork to be used for NFTs, cryptocurrencies, AI generation, or any future projects related in the space.
Typically I am lax and will allow reposts of fanart as long as I'm credited through a link or being named as the artist.
However, please do not take advantage of my leniency.
I will immediately DMCA without warning if there is ANY reason to believe that my work is being misappropriated. I have the right to protect my artwork.

"How do I properly credit a repost?"

Choose any of the following:-Tag my username in the original post OR the description-Credit myself, "Inkfy/Inkfycreates" as the artist-Post a link to my online website-Link the original image you posted back to the source (this can be retweets with comments, sharing features, etc.)This can also be an external link to ANY illustrations I've already posted on various social media.Credit must be somewhere in the description. If not, the repost will be DMCA'd without warning.

"Can I use your work as a profile picture, screensaver, or banner?"

Yes. I have no problem with people using my artwork for personal use. As long as you are not making money from my artwork in ANY way (e.g. selling the work and claiming it as your own) I'm perfectly okay with it!

"Can I print your artwork and hang up it?"

Yes. Feel free! As long as you are not taking credit for said artwork or making money from my artwork in ANY way (e.g. selling the work and claiming it as your own) I'm perfectly cool with it!

"Can I practice using your artwork?"

Go ahead! I'm pretty lenient if people want to use my stuff to practice, just don't claim it as your own original artwork.
If you choose to post it publicly feel free to tag me @inkfycreates if you want me to see it!

"Can I make fanart of your work?/Can I draw your OCs?"

YES! YES! YES! No need to ask! I love fanart of my works!
Tag me at @inkfycreates when you're done so I can see it!

Commission Advice

"Do you accept requests, commissions, and/or art trades?"

I never take requests.
I do not work for free. I accept paid inquiries only.
My commission info is updated periodically on my commission website.
I have no longer do art trades and have no plans to do them again in the future.

"Any advice on starting commissions? I'm lost!"

I created a COMMISSION MASTERPOST on this subject.
This journal goes into detail about everything you need to know!For an introduction to the more technical aspects of commissions, check out these journals below:1. Intro to Paypal
2. Protecting Yourself with PayPal Settings
3. Don't make a PayPal account as a minor. Just don't.

"How do I know that I'm ready to start commissions?"

You have to determine that for yourself.As I discussed in my COMMISSION MASTERPOST, doing commissions takes a lot of trial and error. It's a very risky business in general.You can be as prepared as you want were and still not grasp everything. As a result, I really can't say when you are ready, but to more or less experience that for yourself.A good starting point with this is gauging interest. If people are asking you if you accept commissions, that's a good sign to start! If you find yourself getting too many free requests to handle, that's also a good sign to start! However, if you aren't gauging any interest whatsoever, you probably haven't developed a marketable skillset that's ready to be sold yet. That's okay! You just have to continue to improve. Take the opportunity. Once you do get to a point in which your artwork is much more substantial, you can try opening commissions again plan from there.

"How do I price my commissions?"

If you're still having trouble, there are a variety of videos that you can look up on YT for help!
I personally recommend this video created by Crowne PrinceI consider these videos as honorable mentions:-How to Price Art Commissions and Why Correct Pricing is Important-Commission Guide【 Part 02 】How to Calculate your Prices + Pricing advice

"How do I create a commission website?"

You can do this a variety of ways! Commissions websites can be extremely versatile so there's technically no wrong way to make one. You just need to make sure you're advertising your artwork properly to any potential clients.That involves making a website that's well-designed, functional, and accessible.If graphic design and using templates are not your strengths, feel free to commission people who know what they're doing. If you're hellbent on doing it yourself, experiment with website builders such as:
Wix, Weebly, Carrd, Toy.house, etc.If you're looking to design a website from a more practical standpoint, I highly recommend these videos:-How to Build a Website for COMMISSION INFO-How to Create a Commission Form!

Tutorials

"Can I run this idea by you?"

No. I do not have to the time to go through every single person's ideas. Please understand that I'm just an ordinary person at the end of the day who happens to enjoy creating art. I feel that it would be disingenuous to claim I could help everyone and give the perfect advice because I can't. This is relatively new to me since my following has grown, and while I'm honored people value what I have to say, I'm also not here to solve other people's problems or to give clearance to their ideas.

"Do you do 1 on 1 lessons? Can you critique my work?"

No. I do not have the time to critique everyone's work unless it's through some form of monetary compensation (e.g. Patreon/Ko-Fi). I am more than willing to can give general advice, but that's about it.

"Do you have any tutorials? Can you do a tutorial on_?"

Yes. My Tutorials are all compiled on my Ko-Fi.
Most of them are free with high-res downloads available!
In regards to new tutorials, I'll consider it for my Ko-Fi, Patreon, or if I'm in the mood!

"I love your coloring! How do you choose colors?"

Please watch this YouTube video for more info. I go into depth regarding this topic!

"I feel like I'm not getting anywhere!/I'm frustrated with my work/How do I improve?"

I have a DRAWING MASTERPOST journal that touches upon this subject.
**I feel I basically stated everything I possibly could within it.**

"Any advice for dealing with stress/burn-out/artblock?"

I find that a lot of issues with artblock/stress/burn-out stem from mental issues that I'm not equipped to answer because I'm not a therapist. I don't feel privy to that information and I don't have the time to go over everyone's personal circumstances to give said advice either. It's something I'm not as experienced enough with and I feel it would be a disservice to answer those questions without the proper background information training needed.At the end of the day, I'm just a person who happens to how to draw.
I know **my limits **and this is one of them in terms of advice.

"What advice would you give to beginner artists for self promoting?"

I'll preface this by saying I never wanted to gather such a massive following. I generally don't like social media and I still have some discomfort for it. Originally, I was planning to stay on DeviantArt, but some friends convinced me to try out Twitter to post updates for my work and the rest was history.If you're looking for a "big" answer, I'm afraid I can't really provide one specifically for you. I mostly followed generic advice like posting consistently/on a timely manner, posting finished artwork, interacting with people, taking opportunities to promote myself in threads, etc. However, I know that certain methods will work for some and not for others. I can't predict what will or will not work for you and that's reality. It's always going to be a case-by-case basis and I can't go through every single person to tell them what they're doing right or wrong. That's something you have to figure out for yourself.I just made artwork that I wanted to share with people online. And honestly, I think that's the best way to start. Post for yourself and take it from there. Don't post for popularity's sake. Don't post because you feel you NEED to. Post because you want to share your work with someone online. Post what makes you excited to share your work to the world! And Remember! Someone hasn't seen your stuff yet!

"Any advice for beginners/How do I get started with art?"

I want to state that I can't determine what will and will not work out for you. All I can do is give recommendations and suggestions. Getting "better" is entirely subjective and will highly depend of the field of work you want to explore. What you perceive as "better" will change over the course of your own career. This is essential to understanding art. There is no singular method to help achieve your goals. All you have is what you strive to create and what inspires you. How you get there is entirely up to YOU. This is a topic I go further into detail with in this journal linked here.You first priority for any new hobby is to do research. Search up art blogs, YouTube videos, books, archives, etc. for references. Find other artists, online groups, forums, etc. you might be interested in. Don't be afraid to ask very specific questions about your progress. That's how you learn! Don't overestimate/underestimate your abilities. You're only human. Things will happen in life and sometimes you don't always reach those expectations and it's fine! However, celebrate what you do achieve! Have a balance! What does exist and what will follow you throughout the majority of your art career is the work you create and what you choose to take away from it.You won't become better instantly. You aren't even guaranteed to see results in a day, a month, or even years. Art takes time. Your improvement could take decades. This can be daunting, but know that this is normal. You don't have to learn everything at once. You can start and end whenever you want. That's what makes art fun as a hobby. Even if you're going pro, there's nothing wrong with focusing on elements that inspire you primarily. Just be sure to open yourself up to new experiences outside of your comfort zone.Many people are afraid of putting in that effort because the risk for failure is high, but the reward for doing art, in my opinion, is worth that risk. The time it takes to improve isn't definite. It's an opportunity for growth. Even if you don't know when you'll start improve, it doesn't mean you can't take that risk to begin with. If art makes you happy. Draw what you like and think about how to improve while you're creating. I can't tell you how everything is going to work out or if what I say will help you, but you can at least start somewhere!