About the Artist
character design and illustration
queer | they/them | 21+
Crow is a self-directed artist with a tendency toward fantasy and love of character design. They've been drawing and creating head-worlds since forever and has milder interests in all sorts of stuff.Having never made the childhood dream of art school, Crow still does art as a hobby more than anything else. Especially since they nearly gave it up during college and only started working on it again in 2019 thanks to the support of their closest friends.Focusing on personal projects for the most part, Crow also does Illustrations and Character Design for their significant other's endeavor, making TTRPG content as The Homebakery.
Projects
Ideally, I'd like to be able to link you to information about the projects here. If there aren't any links, it's because I either don't have enough content I consider shareable or because I haven't yet figured out the best way to publish it in a shareable format. So those links will be forthcoming for indeterminate periods of time.
As someone who's always loved making up characters to draw, I have a lot. Plenty have been retired over the years, but playing DnD makes it easier for them to stick. I'll list more specific Big Projects here with links, but if you want more of an overview you can check out my refsheet page (which is severely in need of content) and my writing blog (which is also, a bit, under construction). I'll link my portfolio gallery as soon as I figure out which site I'm sticking to for it.
Badge Raffles:
In support of the Homebakery, which is entirely the project of my significant other, Fruits, I am running a raffle for every Badge their projects recieve on DMs Guild.To be entirely clear, because the reiteration is always worth it: The Homebakery is an effort run entirely by fruits. The Raffles were my idea, and I run them independently to try to help support, and celebrate the earning of Badges. My Illustration and Character work for HB Projects is separate. We're not business partners, I'm just supporting my partner.
Alaryk:
In 2019 I was introduced to a group of friends and we started a Roleplay Campaign based in the Neverwinter Videogame. This is what I originally made Alaryk for and he very quickly became my absolute favorite original character.I'd love to do a Visual Design and Exploration of his backstory, the place where he grew up, his parents and people he knew. I've thought about it a lot over the past years, and while I have very strong visual ideas I'm not in the place to fully throw myself at yet. But someday soon I hope! I have also been slowly picking at writing his full backstory out. I've had ideas over the past four years...He also ends up getting shoved into whatever idea my brain latches onto. An AU based on that show, movie, or videogame? Yes. A random concept I came up with driving to work? Lets see what happens. He's also my FFXIV Alt.
FFXIV:
Speaking of FFXIV: My main is an Ishgardian Elezen named Elfax. True to form I allowed the lore of Eorzea to take hold of my brainspace for a while, and I've built up a Surprising Number of Original Characters for the game. Elfax is the only one I play, but he needed a backstory, which included friends, family, and acquaintances.I'm currently on Malboro on a Free Trial Account, but once I'm done with Heavensward and I activate my key, I'll probably try to move to Balmung to cautiously participate in the RP scene.I've also been writing for him, and may start other projects about him. I love this character a lot.
TTRPG Setting - Relanor:
Very, very slowly, I have been writing lore and information for a TTRPG setting called Relanor. Originally meant for DnD5e, I'm starting to consider Pathfinder more closely. We'll see. Unfortunately I don't have an awful lot to share yet...
Personal Writing:
In terms of Personal Writing Projects I have two:The first is a pet headworld about a city with two sides, the Utopian Solarpunk upper district, and the more Dystopian Cyberpunk lower district. Of course, nothing in the utopia is as it seems, and we follow Julian's discovery of the lies he's been living as a result of meeting Cipher, an undercity resident. The City is yet unnamed, as are the two districts. If you're thinking about Piltover/Zuan from Arcane or about the floating city and the surface settlement in the Astroboy movie, you're on the right track.The second is an older project, but is much less developed. I kind of overextended what I could do with the general knowledge I have, so I am reworking the entire premise to stick closer to what I'm used to. I will still be taking the opportunity to broaden those horizons though. Previously referred to as "Blood Price" it follows mostly a blood mage named Silas. An orphan who showed early and prestigious ability with magic. All the magic in this setting is blood magic, and I think how strongly a mage can command magic has something to do with their bloodline.
Visual Design Project Relni:
This is a fun one. I've fallen in love with a friend's homebrew setting in what is currently a DnD5e Campaign that she runs. We've been playing for some time and the world is fun and interesting. I have already offered to spruce up the maps to make them pretty and more readable, but getting ahead of myself has always been one of my special abilities, and I dream of drawing coins, stamps, wax seals, and other assorted objects for Relni as well.
Terms of Use
I put my work online for free enjoyment. I am just a hobbyist doing art because they like to do art. I expect to be treated with respect and dignity as a human being. This includes the following:
⬥ I do not, under any circumstances, allow my work to be used for any sort of Blockchain related technology. This includes but is not limited to NFTs and any other sort of Cryptocurrency.⬥ My work is absolutely not allowed in AI training or databases.⬥ Do not repost my work anywhere. I will consider this theft and will file a takedown notice against you. If you would like to promote my work with credit please Contact me first, with a link to the original art, a link to where it will be promoted from, as well as the reason you want to promote it.⬥ Do not use my work for commercial purposes.⬥ I reserve the right to refuse working for someone for any reason.⬥ I reserve the right to cancel work for someone for any reason.
Questions
Do you take Commissions?
Unfortunately, I do not take commissions. I have a variety of reasons for this, the main one being my inability to control how I focus and what I focus on. It's been a lifelong struggle. If you check out my Trello, you will find it a current nightmare of a to-do list. I do not see this changing in the near future. The interest is super appreciated though!
What programs do you use?
I first got Manga Studio at around 13. After a childhood of playing on a MagnaDoodle to save paper, I got a tablet and MangaStudio for Yule. I clicked with the tools instantly. I switched to Paint Tool SAI a few years later feeling a lack of certain tools. After using Paint Tool SAI for about a decade, I finally switched to Clip Studio Paint. It took three tries, but I manage. Still learning shortcuts and breaking weird habits (I still can't grasp the text tool) but I love it.
Stance on Blockchain/NFTs?
NFTs are a grift. I do not participate, nor will I be participating. My art is not available for NFTs, Blockchain, Cyrptocurrency, or associated projects.
Stance on AI Art?
I wouldn't have a problem with it for paintover practice, quick concept ideas, or inspiration except for the fact that the training datasets were not ethically sourced.Nobody was asked for consent to have their work used in AI programs. The work was stolen for the purpose and then plenty of AI Art Generators have the gall to charge for their services. They're making money on art they have no permission to use, and the artists are not seeing a cent. We never will.ArtStation and deviantArt galleries have been purged. Twitter Artists have begun to lock down their accounts to be private, some have disappeared entirely with no warning or trace. It's done more harm than good by far.If it improves and the datasets are remade ethically and/or art gallery and portfolio sites figure out how to allow its userbase to opt out from scraping I'll become much more comfortable with it. But as it stands right now, I cannot in good conscious endorse it, nor do I wish to participate.This issue is why I'm having such a hard time deciding where and how I want to display my gallery. So until I figure that out, both the Inkblot and ArtStation Icons at the bottom of the page are technically placeholders.
Contact Me
[email protected]
@courtlycrow on Twitter
You can fill out the form below to send me an email!