Thank you 
I had a very good referense photo to look at.
Indeed, Krita needs all visibility we can give it!
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That is so fun to have a unicorn just taking it chill. 
Lovely work here 
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Thank you!
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Thanks @Zabbio for the advice! Really appreciate your thoughts.
Yeah, Iāve been trying to reconnect with that motivation you talked about. Iāve started like just daydreaming while listening to music (I tend to get imagery easier with music) and not worrying about the plot, and thatās been sparking an excitement again. I hope to be able to pick a story soon and start building. So thanks! And thatās a neat concept to write the POV of the horse. Iāll def keep that in mind. 
Yeah, some ideas are just meant to be a single story. Itās really intriguing how that is sometimes. Iāve seen some sequels that just really hit how much the first story was really meant to stand alone. So, yeah, donāt stress yourself.
Itās really nice to create a world that you enjoy playing around with. I donāt find any less value in that in storytelling. I was creating a world in the fantasy genre where the lead character discovers a secret entry to this realm on his uncleās estate. I have the bases for a few different races and environment biomes that are encountered throughout the story.
I think with those sort of heavily world built stories, the interest in exploring is very valuable, otherwise it would frustrate my curiosity as a newcomer. Just as long as some sort of underlying āconflictā is being encountered and overcome. And, that even includes just character development/self discovery. That āfriction of changeā - even if simply interior ones.
In my particular case, my character discovers later in the story that his familyās past is mixed up with that world. Without that subplot, the action and conflict I have him encounter wouldnāt have as strong a meaning. At least to me. Action is an element of the story - itās mostly just personal choice. High stakes/low stakes - as long as that subplot of the lead char is told then the story is solid.
Sorry, really rambling a bit. I donāt know if this speaks to your own writing. But yeah, itās like with artwork. Itās hard to keep creating when you lack the motivation. Finding that spark of interest is honestly its own genuine compass.
Iāve noticed your interest in fantasy creatures in your artwork! I wanted to ask, do you have a particular method when you sketch out a hybrid of creatures or do you just see it in your mind already?
Iām happy youāre finding your motivation again! Daydreaming is a valuable tool to mental health too, I believe. And a very cheap vacation. lol.
I do like the world buildingā¦ one of the few reasons I kinda want this book out anyway is to likeā¦ stake a claim of my world. Silly as it is, it feels like itās not official untill I published a book in it. And the first book was set in our world. But at least I have my webpage and I can write another story.
Agreed, the subplots and everything is what gives meat to the story. The plot is just a path to follow, whatās interesting is everything around that path. Like thereās so many stories with similar plots; farm boy/girl finds a magic item/gets chosen somehow and reluctantly have to face the evil ruler. Whatās interesting is not wether theyāll succeed (we kinda know that they probably will), but how and why and what they learn and encounter on the way. How do this person deal with the different obstacles or even help they get? If we can guess to why they deal with it that way, even better.
Sounds like you have an interesting world and subplot going on
Hm.. how do I sketch creatures.. good question. I just..do.
I suppose thereās three types of start points..
- If I know itās going to be a hybrid of sorts, I start with the real world animal. I often find a referense photo and think āwhat do I want to keep, and what can I change to make it more fun?ā Does it have enough ear, tail and fangs, is a question often answered with ānoā, lol. My dragonbirds are done this way.
- I start with a pose or even just line of gesture and just go from there. Most creatures are based on a horse skeleton, that I manipulate the proportions of. Well, all animal skeletons have similarities, so.. This is probably my most common way, and I have a trap of making them all look like slender dragon creatures so I consiously try to counter that sometimes.
- I have another starting point, such as a description or an idea. It can be to experiment with light, or now with artfight itās the other persons OC. My four-eyed lemurs are from that; I had to answer the question: How to fit four eyes in the head, and how does a creature living in trees need to be built? As well as āhow to make it look like it belongs in Anterra?ā
Sometimes itās a mix of all of them.
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Absolutely gorgeous! Loved the skin texture and the hair.
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Thank you! <3
Thank you. (I love it, ā very cheap vacationā 
!) I hadnāt put that together about mental health before. Sounds right. Makes sense.
Okay, I see. I can understand that feeling of need. I definitely get that.
As you know, delays arenāt always negative things. Any writing you do until a story can emerge might lead to some unexpected world improvements that could even make you glad you had the wait. 
Yeah good thoughts. Good points. I do enjoy that kind of analyzing. Especially how unique each story is because of all those details we surround it with. Similar to 5 artists drawing the same object in their own styles. Each piece will be so different! Even though theyāre āthe sameā.
And thanks very much! 
I really appreciate that on my story!
Those are very helpful tips! Thanks for taking the time to write all that out. Even the simple element that often you just do it. Reduces the worry of needing to have more āequationsā involved! Thanks @Zabbio !
Well this book is already delayed two years because I took two courses in world building.. they were very good though. I realized I had not built as much as I thought.. like, why did they not have any monetary systems (yes, plural..) or any expressions specific to the world (such as āthe beak-fish is swimming in dry mossā or āHeās trimmed his tail for herā?) to add some spice? And the planet - if it is a planet - how is the terrain affecting the weather and what lore do they have to explain it?
ā¦ I might have gone overboard. I did map out the beak-fishs migration patterns, and the fish has really no importance in the storyā¦
But it was fun, and I have a lot of world to play around with
Exactly, good comparison with art. Same subject, different painting.
haha, just doing it is my main strategyā¦ today I wanted to practice a more linearty style, and started with a horse. Then added stuff and now the people in my world have a new domesticated working animal.. (they donāt have horses, they ride ātren wolvesā..so obviously itās some kind of wolf)
