At the Tavern (Patreon)

It took a long while for me to get any creative spark back. I'm not sure if it was burnout, or depression, or just the constant string of 'life' events that would come up, or even if it was just a mix of all of those.

I had a brief image flash between my ears, the cortex of the tiny walnut-brain spun to life, and in that verdancy I was able to sketch a rough outline of an image I wanted to try. Another 'slice of life' kind of image of locals meeting at the public house, probably in one of the border-town areas between Lathreadon and Aucebria (Or maybe Orthienne). An image of some Reix day-tillers having a pint after work (and a doggo getting a morsel of cheese). Some outlanders, a dwarf, and gnome, likely plotting some expedition Dulcimmavor, and some other general trades and travelling folks as well.

Of course, with all sketches after a long dry spell, this one got larger and larger as I sketched. With each line, a little gremlin inside my head was screaming that I had to ink and then paint all of this stuff. And a little more of my psyche shrieked at that prospect.

There are changes that I'll likely do. I kind of like the idea of a thatched roof more for this particular place, as it's a largely agricultural society, with a stockpile of it for a roof. And part of me wants to fill more people in but I really, really should consider inking this at least. I'm rusty at that, and would like to try some full inks this time around.

I'm contemplating making this during the fall, especially considering how long the damn thing will take to complete, but for now it's still up in the air.

This is three days worth of sketch, I forced myself to stop before going too crazy on detail since this is supposed to be a rough before the inks.

Tomorrow I get a small hole in a tooth fixed by making a larger hole and then filling it in with putty and landfill. If there's not a lot of pain management after, I'd like to start wheeling away at commissions and other projects too.

Wheedle-dee.

They don't see me.

The muffin and the mouse.

-T.J.