What methods and software do you use to create your art?

Depends on what I’m working on at the time. I like using .05 and .07 mechanical pencils to sketch and draw clean linework, but I prefer leaded graphite for shading. I use Sakura Micron or Rapidograph tech pens for inking, depending on how complex the project is. For color, I use Prismacolor and Copic markers, often coupled with Prismacolor colored pencils (there is simply no substitute). When painting, I use Van Gogh, Winsor and Newton, and Grumbacher watercolors. For digital coloring I like to use Painter 8, Photoshop 6, openCanvas, and Alias Sketchbook, in conjunction with my Wacom tablet.

Did you create the website layout yourself, and how did you do it?

Yes, both versions 1.0 and 2.0 were designed and carried out by me. This includes all the graphics, layouts, and artwork, and the majority of the HTML code. (Since I’m not very proficient in the programming arena, my husband often steps in to make my HTML more efficient or user-friendly.) I use plain old WordPad to hard-code every line of HTML that this site uses, and I create my layout graphics in Photoshop 6.

Do you accept requests or art trades?

Sorry, but I don’t accept free requests. I just don’t have enough time! However, if you’d like to order a commission (read: paid request), I’m usually open to ideas. Check out my commissions page:

http://www.winds.org/nekomi/sales/commissions/

Sometimes, someone might get lucky and receive an art trade or a gift from me, but it’s usually not because they asked. I generally initiate art trades myself when I’m interested, and draw gifts for people who have inspired me in the past or have really fun characters.

What if your commissions are closed?

It means I’m swamped or have a lot going on in my personal life. Check back soon, they generally open up again quickly. Or, if you want to secure a spot, email me anyway and you’ll be placed on my waiting list.

But you did a free picture for [insert name here]…

I’ll admit that I do draw free artwork for my close friends and relatives on occasion, and sometimes I drop a random gift art in the lap of someone who’s inspired me. But you can’t force art, and if you’re this pushy about getting a free drawing, you can pretty much forget it. >_>

Can I use your art for my character avatar/bio/signature/webpage/etc.?

I don’t allow my artwork to be used off-site for other purposes unless I specifically created the image for that purpose (for instance, my site banners or certain commissions). If you see my art used somewhere it’s not supposed to be, please don’t hesitate to email me.

Do you use AIM/ICQ/MSN/Instant Messenger?

I do use AIM on occasion, but I’m generally considered a hermit because I don’t log on very often. ^^ The best way to contact me is always through email.

Do you attend anime/furry/anthro/fantasy/scifi conventions?

I keep my most up-to-date convention information in my LiveJournal, but as a general rule I only make it to a few conventions a year. I almost always attend OhayoCon and ColossalCon, both of which are held in Ohio. I’d like to visit more anime conventions in the future, however. I have never attended a furry or anthro convention, and I’m not planning on it anytime soon, but I may be mailing artwork to some of the major ones next year.

Can I link to you?

Please, please do! I'll be totally honest - I’d love the exposure. You can find my banners here:

http://www.winds.org/nekomi/links/linktome

Can you teach me how to draw? Do you have any tutorials?

Sorry, but I don’t have any tutorials available at the moment. I’m usually happy to help critique a piece of artwork if you email me, but it’s not guaranteed; I’m usually pretty busy. However, I’d suggest checking out yerf.com’s excellent critique board and surfing the ‘net for all the tutorials other artists have to offer.

Who or what is “Nekomi”?

Nekomi is my online art name, avatar, and online persona. Since the word “neko” means “cat” in Japanese, she is generally depicted as a short, orange, catlike character. The name originated years ago, back when my personal art mascot was a scrawny, admittedly Pokemon-ish flying cat. I considered this character as an art mascot or a muse, but not a representation of me. A Japanese penpal gave the cat the name “Nekomi”.

I was introduced to an online RPG by my boyfriend (now husband) a few years later, and he suggested that I use Nekomi as my character name. In the spirit of things, I chose to play as a member of the Felinoid (cat-people) race. As a result of lots of in-game jokes and role-playing, I eventually assumed the name for my own persona, using the Felinoid character to represent myself in nearly all my art.

At conventions, the name Nekomi and the character associated with it has sometimes been more recognizable than the real me, but wearing an obnoxious pair of orange cat ears seems to have solved this problem ;)

Why use the term “anthro”? Why not “furry” or “were”?

I feel that anthro, short for anthropomorphic, best describes my art; it also offers a concise definition to site visitors who are unfamiliar with the genre. The term “furry” has picked up a negative connotation (especially in regards to sexually explicit art), and I don’t want to be inadvertently associated with it. “Were” tends to denote shapeshifters or similar creatures, so I shy away from that term too. I don’t really consider myself a member of the furry community in general; I happened upon the genre by accident while working on The Northwind Saga project.

When/how did you start drawing? How did you progress?

I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, although the oldest artwork I can find dates back to my kindergarten days. As a little kid, I first started drawing characters from Disney films and cartoons, especially 101 Dalmations, The Little Mermaid, Land Before Time, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I also drew crude family portraits. ^^; As I got older, I started drawing animals more than people (horses became my specialty) because I thought that human anatomy was too difficult and boring! o_O Then, in junior high, I began creating my own cartoon characters. When I discovered Pokemon around the same time period, my art style shifted drastically towards anime, and it was in July of 2000 that I first began to study art seriously. At current, I am a freshman in the Foundation Studies program at Columbus College of Art and Design.

Who or what are your influences?

That’s a very difficult question. ^_^ Just about anything might inspire me at any given moment. Music is probably my biggest inspiration – it seems like whenever I listen to a good song, I go on a sketching spree. Other artists are also a huge inspiration to me, especially my friends at CCAD. Check my links page to find out who I consider to be my biggest inspirations. Being outside, studying nature, and animals are also inspirations, as are events in my own life and others around me. I have to agree with Goldenwolf’s thoughts on the topic: “I never know when this is going to happen, and it happens to varying degrees. Sometimes it's like lightning, and sometimes it's like a whisper on the wind. But inspiration, whatever form it takes, is always a blessing to me, like it was heaven sent.”

Where else can I find your artwork?

My artwork is currently listed at Yerf, deviantART, Elfwood, and Epilogue. If you find my artwork online elsewhere, it’s there illegally – please be sure to email me right away.

Isn’t digital art just like cheating? Doesn’t the computer do the work for you?

Coloring digitally, at least the way I do it, is nothing like cheating. When I use my tablet pen, it’s just like using a normal pen or pencil. I use filters rarely, if ever, and whenever I do, I specifically say so. Solid anatomy skills, color sense, and lighting techniques come from practice alone, and can never be compensated for by a computer. The computer does none of the work for me – except provide the medium I work with, and of course, the handy “Undo” button. ^_~ Just like using paint, markers, pastel, or even crayons, digital tools have their specialties and their limitations. Mastering any media is taking advantage of their high points and skillfully overcoming their weaknesses, and digital art is no different.

How long does it take you to complete a drawing?

It depends on the media. Quick, unrefined sketches can be completed in under 5 or 10 minutes, while clean linework can take up to a half-hour to complete. Inking generally takes about a half-hour to an hour, and coloring usually takes at least an hour (usually two or three) when working with traditional media like markers or watercolor (backgrounds obviously increase the time drastically). Digital paintings usually take about 5 to 6 hours each; however, there have been drastic exceptions. My current project, “The Wedding Vase”, has taken me roughly 22 hours so far and I’m less than half-finished. ^_^

Have you had any formal art training, or are you self-taught?

I considered myself to be mostly self-taught through junior high, but high school and college changed all that. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, and I believe that most of my skills were developed when I was a kid, mindlessly doodling. When I began to take my art more seriously, I started polishing and refining the elements that were already there. Internet tutorials and how-to’s helped me immensely at first, as did the work of other, more experienced artists. In fact, I didn’t take my first real art class until I was a freshman in high school. Since then, I’ve taken Art 1 (perspective, figure drawing, anatomy, and color theory), Art 2 (working with acrylics, classical painting methods, composition, and abstract art), Art 3 (printmaking, advanced composition, plaster carving, and children’s illustration), Life Drawing 1 (realistic portraiture, drawing from life, gesture sketching, and landscapes), and 3D Art 1 (mosaic, polymer sculpting, beadwork, jewelry making, batik, and cross-stitch). Those few classes I took during high school helped me immensely in building a more solid foundation for my artwork. My first semester of schooling at Columbus College of Art and Design, though, has had the most profound impact so far. Anyone in Ohio who is interested in an education in the arts should definitely check out this school – it is superb.

feel free... I love getting emails! ^_^