I recently launched my very first Kickstarter project! I’m working on funding the printing of greeting cards featuring some of my Faces of Friendship. Please jump in and help us reach the finish line!
I started a Patreon account! If you don’t know what that is, then just know that it’s a really great way to support me! And then read this! (It’s the information straight from my Patreon page. So if you want to see my page or read it from there, go here!)
Welcome, friends! I am Tanya Hales, an artist, illustrator, storyteller, mommy, and lover of ice cream. I’m mainly known for my character illustrations, comics, and cool fantasy stories. Creating art that tells stories brings me so much joy! My goal is to do as much of it as possible, and this Patreon page will help me with that.
Patreon is a subscription service mixed with a tip jar. It allows you to help fund my creative projects by becoming my patron while getting some cool rewards in return! It only takes a dollar or two a month to support me. After all, if I got just one dollar from all the people who care about my art, just imagine what I could make then!
Thank you for all of your support. It’s a dream come true to have even one person want to pay me so I can make more cool stuff. <3
This project on Patreon is actually a bit of an experiment. Almost two years ago, I fell in love with the idea of making a series of illustrations. At the time, I was also living in a gorgeously green, lush area near Portland, Oregon. Additionally, I had always loved Pokemon and creating my own illustrated creatures. These elements all combined to inspire me to create these Nature Spirits. I made around 60 of them at the time, and this is my opportunity to make more.
So what are these little guys that I’m making? The Nature Spirits are small creatures of the wild who live on the periphery of our awareness. They embody different aspects of nature and can be found any place nature thrives, including in your own garden. They are as fascinated with humans as we are with them.
For this project, I will share with my patrons a new Nature Spirit every week. Those who donate $2 or more can pitch ideas to me for the fourth Nature Spirit of each month. I will then pick my favorite idea and illustrate it. Those at the $5 level will get a behind-the-scenes speed paint video of my digital illustration process. In the future, I hope to expand to making some physical rewards like stickers and postcards!
Thanks again for supporting me. I love you guys!
(Now go look at my actual Patreon page!)
I just got back from Comic Con in Salt Lake City and it was pretty much amazing. Well, the first day was a little not amazing, but only because we had to stand in line for four hours. …FOUR HOURS! It was a kind of awful, but as soon as we got inside, I was in nerd-heaven. It was basically wonderful to see that many people selling art and geeky goods, and to be able to go to panels with artists and writers I’ve been a fan of for ages!
So, here 3 reasons why I can’t wait to go to Comic Con again:
1: The Panels
The panels were really awesome; so awesome that I pretty much thought that they were all too short. It was really neat to be able to hear from authors like James A. Owen and Brandon Mull. Basically, I learned that authors and artists are even cooler in person! I was able to get advice straight from the mouths of these very wise sages.
And then there was Brandon Sanderson. As in THE Brandon Sanderson. He read a portion of his novel to us that won’t even come out until next year.It was so cool that I just want to completely overuse words like “cool,” “awesome,” and “amazing.”
2: The Costumes
Many of the costumes were… too cool for words. I mean, look at this Team Rocket duo. Come on, right? SO cool!
And this family just had my heart. I loved their costumes so much, I even got my picture taken with them. Sir, you’re raising your kids right. That’s all I can say.
3. Meeting the Creative Masterminds
My absolute favorite part of Comic Con was being able to buy things directly from their creators. It was so neat to be able to buy books from their authors, and art from the artists. I loved how friendly they were! The artist of the book pictured above was especially friendly. His name is Travis Hanson and as soon as my husband and I stopped by his table, he asked us what we’d like him to sketch for us. It turns out he does free sketches for anyone who stops at his table, drawing them on the back of cards with some of his art and information on them. SO smart! We ended up talking to him for at least half an hour, and he gave me advice on illustration and encouraged me to follow my dreams.
I came away from comic con feeling a major boost in creativity and motivation. Thank you to all those artists, writers, and comickers who were so kind and awesome. You’ve definitely made a fan out of me.