COMMISSION DETAILS – STATUS: OPEN!

Do you know that feeling? You have created that great original character for your PnP Group or your favorite MMORPG, and then you go hunting the web for art that would work well as an avatar for your character… but no matter how long you look, the images you find are never quite right – they only get close enough?

Commission me, and together we can bring your characters to life!

Single Character: Head-to-Toe
Base Price (with simple background): 70 US$
Base price (with heavily detailed background): 140 US$
Every additional character: 70 US$

Single Character: Head-to-Waist
Base price (with simple background): 60 US$
Base price (with heavily detailed background): 120 US$
Every additional character: 60 US$

Single Character: Head shot/Bust
Base price, simple background: 50 US$


Payment method: Paypal

Have I piqued your interest? Do you have further questions regarding the commission process? Send me a note here at deviantART [link] or contact me via www.artbunnycreations.com [link] and we can start the work!

Cheers,
Kaana

NOT DEAD YET

The title says it all – I'm still alive and kicking. I'm very sorry that I haven't been very active here of late, but there've been a lot of things going on on my side of the world (mostly good ) and that dA doesn't want to load properly most of the days doesn't help at all. Does anyone else have this problem? I always use the newest Firefox version, and yet dA seems to have a lot of problems with it. Some days it takes more than five (!) minutes to connect me to my profile, and I just don't have the time and energy to wait that long – because once it's finished, dA won't stop there and loads everything else with exactly the same speed which makes browsing my favs or answering comments a real pain.

If this doesn't get better soon, I'll have to contact the helpdesk again – they weren't very helpful the first time I reported this problem, but things simply cannot stay this way!

But since dA looks rather stable today, I just wanted to hop in to wish you all the best for 2013 and hope that the new year has treated you all well so far!  As far as my work goes, my first year as professional artist has gone pretty well. I've learned a lot these past months and still have some projects in the making that I hope will work out fine this year, so wish me luck!

On a more fangirly note, I managed to see THE HOBBIT around Christmas and was totally smitten with all the dwarven goodness there. My husband and I are both very fond of well portrayed dwarven cultures, so the movie had us sold about five minutes in as we got that amazing tour of Erebor, the kingdom under the Lonely Mountain. I love how much effort and detail PJ and his team put into bringing Middle Earth to life in every single movie they make, and it's a shame that we'll have to wait another year to see part 2.

What was your best gift for Christmas? I got SKYRIM, and it's amazing! I came rather late to that party because I'm usually not that fond of these sandbox games but SKYRIM got such a positive response that I finally gave in to my cravings for a new Fantasy RPG and got it as a gift for Christmas from my husband… and I'm having so much fun with it, it's incredible!

My first character turned out to be a sneaky Nord archer, and this lady rocks even the Master difficulty! The game looks very beautiful, and I have so much fun exploring dungeons and scenery alike. My greatest concern was that the NPCs would feel like total cardboard cutouts (like those people my husband met in Fallout 3… ) but was pleasantly surprised that although they are not Bioware material, the people and followers feel real enough to not bother me – and some I do really like, like the Companions of Jorrvaskr!

And the good thing is that I've still DAWNGUARD and DRAGONBORN to look forward to – looks I'll be greatly entertained until DA3 gets out!

Take good care everyone, and let me know how you're doing!

Cheers,
~Kaana

ART CALENDAR 2013

My art calendar for 2013 is now available here at deviantArt:



For more details, you can also click here

Order it today as a PREMIUM member, and you're saving 40%!


Autumn has been a little hectic here, so it's been a little quiet here on my side. I hope that you're all doing fine, and that you've time to enjoy the season!

Take good care everyone, and let me know how what's going on on your side!

~Kaana

SPECIAL FEATURE
Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

BIRTHDAY FEATURE

Thank you so much to all you lovely people who congratulated me on my birthday – your well-wishes and offers of digital totally brightened my day!  

I spent a lovely day with friends and family (and way too much good food… ), and considering how many new and exciting things happened during the last year, I'm really looking forward to this one and the new adventures it will bring!

I want to say "Thank you!" to all of you for making deviantArt into one of the cornerstones of my everyday life for so many years, and a truly pleasant one at that, so – take a look at this feature of my wonderful and very talented congratulators:

RegretRegret  - DRAGON AGE 2 - FemHawke/Sebastian
Life went on. Since none of the others had really been aware of how close the two of them had been, they were spared the awkwardness of well meaning comments and curious inquiries. It certainly made the transition easier for Hawke.
Sebastian spent less time out with the rest of them as a group, unless he was called upon, in which case he was as reliable as ever. Time passed, and he became more determined to take back his lands. He spent more and more of his time at the Viscount's Keep and less in the hallowed halls of the Chantry.
The loneliness didn't dull with time. Hawke felt foolish for eve :thumb268785721:




Jharrek - Chapter OneJharrek, the Aetheric Dragonoid
Third Angel Falls Character

Chapter One: First Flight in A New Realm

..... In the skies above Angel Falls .....
..... around 2:00 AM, November 1st, 2011 .....

Powerful wings (composed of diamond-hard scales, ultra-dense bones, and membranes more flexible and durable than the tires from armored personnel vehicles) carried the dragonoid who called himself Jharrek high into the heavens above Angel Falls.  His shimmering eyes continually scoured the skies as he rose higher and higher into the clouds, while his reptillian nostrils breathed in the aromas, and his forked tongue tasted the atmosphere, s


(Note: I'm sorry that it took so long to upload this feature, but dA did its best to hinder me along the way by not loading any image in any of the galleries I was looking at for days… boy, that was annoying. Do you have that problem sometimes, too, or is it just me? )

Take good care everyone, and I hope you're having a great summer!

~Kaana

DeviantArt and #Screeners Present: THE 2012 EPIC MOVIE POSTER CONTEST

We write the films... you make the posters.

And best posters win Epic Prizes!  This year we are giving away TENS of THOUSANDS of DeviantArt points, 5+ YEARS of DA subscriptions, $20 - $50 gift cards to Amazon.com and Movieposter.com, Limited edition posters and much, much more.  Enter for the prizes, or enter for the fun.  Either way... ENTER!

Contest runs July 1 through August 31, 2012

All mediums of art accepted (so long as it's a movie poster).  Contest is open to ALL of DeviantArt.

This is an official DA contest - so submissions will be made to the DA Contest Folder (Contests/2012/EPIC MOVIE CONTEST 2012)

Full details can be found here: [link]

Last year, the movie poster ideas were hilarious, so I hope to see your entries there!

SPECIAL FEATURE
Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

AVENGERS ASSEMBLE

I'll admit, I never really understood why everyone was so thrilled about the 'Avengers' movie. Okay, 'Ironman' was a really good movie, but 'Ironman 2' was… really not a good movie, and now we just had more people wearing funny costumes and fighting each other – how should that be any more fun?

Boy, was I wrong!

I never read the comics so I knew only the most basic info about the Avengers Initiative, and the Ironman movies aside, I had not watched any of the other films. But then the 'Avengers' came out and got really good press, and when my husband told me that the movie seemed to be really good and that Joss Whedon had written the script and directed it (the man who gave me Firefly, for which I will love him forever!), I said:

"Well, why not… let's go see it!"

And I had a spectacular good time. I loved the pacing, the witty dialogues and nice character interaction, Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner… and Loki! Those of you who have been following my account for some time now will not be surprised that I really enjoyed watching his character – I've always had a soft spot for an interesting villain – and I really got to love him after seeing 'Thor', where he can show more of his magic tricks and actually broke my heart a little during his scenes with Odin.

Yes, after seeing the 'Avengers', I really wanted to learn more about these characters and watched 'Thor' and 'Captain America' on DVD… and I was surprised how much I enjoyed these movies as well. They even made me like Steve Rogers, which is a feat in and off itself because you'll never find anyone out there who's more of a paladin than Cap, and I normally don't like these paladin types… but Cap was so adorable in his own movie, I'll forgive him!

To make my ramblings short, the 'Avengers' got me hooked and now I'm really looking forward to see the new movies Marvel has planned for that franchise… and with Thanos out there, things will get interesting for sure!

MASS EFFECT 3 – EXTENDED CUT

Wow, that was a surprise. First, we don't get any news for a while, and then – tadaa, the Extended Cut for ME3 gets announced only a few days ahead of its release. I hadn't played ME3 since May, so I decided to start over and replay the whole game, now with the extended cut waiting for me at the end… and wow, I had really forgotten how many things Bioware did right with that game!

I have replayed 2/3 of the game by now (my Paragon Shepard just brokered a truce between the Geth and the Quarians), and it's just as emotionally compelling as it was the first time around, even though I know what happens this time. I watched some video footage of the new EC endings, and I must say I am really looking forward to reach that part of the game to see it for myself… you can never have too many Kaidan-related scenes in this game, if you ask me!

But how about my fellow gamers here? Have you played the EC already? Did you like it? Or do you think the EC is a waste of time? Tell me!



Well, that's all for today!

Take good care everyone, and I hope you're having a great summer!

~Kaana

DeviantArt and #Screeners Present: THE 2012 EPIC MOVIE POSTER CONTEST

We write the films... you make the posters.

And best posters win Epic Prizes!  This year we are giving away TENS of THOUSANDS of DeviantArt points, 5+ YEARS of DA subscriptions, $20 - $50 gift cards to Amazon.com and Movieposter.com, Limited edition posters and much, much more.  Enter for the prizes, or enter for the fun.  Either way... ENTER!

Contest runs July 1 through August 31, 2012

All mediums of art accepted (so long as it's a movie poster).  Contest is open to ALL of DeviantArt.

This is an official DA contest - so submissions will be made to the DA Contest Folder (Contests/2012/EPIC MOVIE CONTEST 2012)

Full details can be found here: [link]

Last year, the movie poster ideas were hilarious, so I hope to see your entries there!

SPECIAL FEATURE
Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

It has been some busy two months since I last updated my journal. I kept finalizing my new website, worked my way through countless Zbrush tutorials, wrote new stories for the Flo and Andy [link] webcomic and sat down in my free time to create new art for my portfolio.

The good news is that all these endeavors were pretty successful, and that I can now proudly announce that my new website is finished and I'm re-opening commissions again! You are most welcome to take a look at the website here:

www.artbunnycreations.com [link] ,

I'm currently working on a German version of the website, which should be finished and online later this month. This is my first website, so feedback would be – as always – very much appreciated!

COMMISSIONS

Need a customized portrait of your favorite roleplaying character? Want to see your favorite heroine fighting alongside her most trusted companions in a setting of your choice? Looking for a freelance artist to help with your own projects by creating promotional and/or conceptual art?

Then I might be the artist you are looking for!

Under my label artbunnycreations, I specialize in the creation of

Illustrations
Conceptual character design
Conceptual design of city- and landscapes
Promotional art

with a strong focus on the Fantasy and Science Fiction genre.

Some of the things I can do for you:

simple character portraits
scenic portraits
complex scenes and landscapes

Have I piqued your interest? If you would like to learn more about my services, please contact me [link] so that we can start discussing your ideas!

ABOUT REAPERS AND THE LORD OF TERROR

I always knew that 2012 would be a great year for a gamer gal like me. First I got to play Mass Effect 3, which turned out to be one of the greatest gaming experiences ever. I know there has been a lot of discussion about the ending already, but I happen to be one of the few people who didn't have a problem with it. I'm a strong believer of the Indoctrination theory, so I'll just sit back and wait for Bioware to reveal what future plans they're having for the franchise… and I can only hope they don't involve a MMO.

I even gave the ME3 Multiplayer a try, and I never thought it would be so much fun. A lot of my friends are playing ME3, and it has always been a blast when we went on a MP session together. What classes do you prefer? I'm playing a human Adept right now, and she looks like a lot of fun… if I get a little more practice, that is.

The second thing that has me very excited is the reveal of the Diablo 3 release date on May 15, 2012. I have always been a huuuuuge fan of the series, so expect tons of new fan art once I've finished the game in June. What I've seen of the game beta on youtube so far looks really, really promising, and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. I guess I'll start with a mage or demon hunter for my first run – these classes look like a lot of fun. But what about you? Are you counting the days already? And what classes do you prefer?

On a more artistic note, I was quite literally floored by the positive feedback for my latest deviation, . I really put a lot of love and effort into that work, so it was wonderful to get such a response. A heartfelt "Thanks!" to all of you for your kind comments and the constructive feedback, it's highly appreciated!

Take good care everyone, and happy Easter holidays!

~Kaana

Check out some examples of 's beautiful and very versatile gallery:

SPECIAL FEATURE
Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

The wonderful made this artwork of Anders and my Elisabeta Hawke:



Isn't it absolutely beautiful? Many thanks again my dear for accepting this commission, you've made me a very happy fangirl!


TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING ZBRUSH

The first month of my new career has passed, and it was fun!

It took a little while to get used to my new daily schedule, but I finally managed to find a good balance between work and free time and to enjoy my new freedom – cooking a nice, decent meal for lunch, for example, and then watching an episode of one of my favourite series while eating!

I found a great place with high quality online tutorials for Zbrush [link] and I am doing my best to work myself through the rookie tutorial section right now, truly relieved to see how fast you actually start to feel comfortable using the different sculpting brushes.

They also have great anatomy tutorials there, so I've learned lots of new stuff about the different muscles and bones of the face. Still a very long way to go, of course, but I feel like I'll get there eventually!

Unfortunately, it seems like my trustworthy Bamboo tablet and pen don't have the sensitivity I need to work the brushes in Zbrush correctly, so I decided to upgrade my tablet to an Intuos 4… and it's like the difference between night and day!

The new pen is so pressure sensitive it's a delight, and you have lots of buttons to personalize and speeding up the Zbrush workflow. I'm working on my first human head right now, and as soon as I've a bit more to show I'll post some images here!


MASS EFFECT 3 AND OTHER FUN STUFF

I'm totally excited that Mass Effect 3 is less than a month away, with the demo just waiting beyond the horizon!

I started another ME playthrough a little while ago and am currently making my way through ME2, hoping to finish that playthrough just in time to directly import it into ME3 to play it all in one epic roll. There's still a lot of missions to finish and team members to recruit, though, so I'll have to see how it goes…

For all of you who also cannot wait to safe the galaxy from the Reapers, here's a fun link to enjoy:

[link]

Combining these two great games in such a funny song is sheer awesomeness, and I hope they'll keep making these songs!

I hope you're all doing well, and let me know what's happening in your part of the world!

Cheers, and take care everyone!

~Kaana

I am proud to present 's great digital drawings and 3D works:
:thumb275221670: :thumb280287054: :thumb282466322:
I always knew science makes sexy!

SPECIAL FEATURE
Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

ART CALENDAR 2012

[link]

NEW YEAR, NEW OFFICE

Happy New Year, everyone!

I hope your year got off to a good start and I wish you all the best for the rest of it – success, health and of course lots of fun!

As for me, this is my third official day as a freelance artist, and so far it has been pretty fun. I still spend most of the time setting up my office and getting used to my new daily schedule. I know it might take a while to really settle in but so far it didn't went too bad and I'm truly glad I made that step!

We did spend a lot of time in the past weeks to set up my new office space here at home – we had to move a lot of furniture from one room to another and actually had to make some room for my new desk and other office stuff like my supercool new sketch flip chart, but now it's finished, new plants and all!

Here are some pictures that I've taken:


It's a great lofty space close to the window, and I love it already! Let's hope that it does wonders to my creativity as well…

On a more artistic note, I have spent a lot of time finalizing the content and design for my new homepage. I totally underestimated how much work I would have to put into that but I want it to look really good when it's done, so it will just take a little longer to set it all up.

Keep your fingers crossed!

GAMES TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN 2012

Damn, 2012 is going to be amazing – Mass Effect 3, Diablo 3, Starcraft II – Heart of the Swarm… I'll barely have time to do some work!

As you can see, this gamer gal is already very excited regarding the games that will hit the shelves this year, especially with all the new promo material slowly coming up in form of trailers and news articles. Now they just have to release the Fem!Shep trailer they promised us a while ago, and I'd be in gamer heaven!

But what about you? What games are you looking forward to in 2012?

Cheers, and take care everyone!

~Kaana

Come with me on a journey through 's amazing gallery:
:thumb278017734: :thumb161725588: :thumb275107944: :thumb271421205:

SPECIAL FEATURE
Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

ART CALENDAR 2012


Ladies and gentlemen, may I proudly present my art calendar for 2012!

Once again, I went with a collection of Fantasy and SciFi – themed artworks that span across all my favourite fandoms and some original concepts of my own, and I hope that you're going to enjoy it.
[link] !


MERRY CHRISTMAS
Merry Christmas, everyone – I wish you a wonderful holiday with lots of nice gifts, good food and pleasant company!

A heartfelt 'Thank you!' to all of you for making this another great year here at dA with lots of good laughs and conversations, and let's look forward to a happy and successful New Year 2012!

Cheers, and take care!

~Kaana

Let me introduce you to ~daounin and his wonderful 3D (and 2D) gallery:

SPECIAL FEATURE
Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

ART CALENDAR 2012


Ladies and gentlemen, may I proudly present my art calendar for 2012!

Once again, I went with a collection of Fantasy and SciFi – themed artworks that span across all my favourite fandoms and some original concepts of my own, and I hope that you're going to enjoy it.
[link] !


INTERVIEW AND STILL PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS

I got interviewed by 3D Art Direct magazine in November. It's my first interview ever, and it was a great fun experience. So, if you'd like to know more about Kaana and how she thinks about/creates her art, you can take a peek on the full interview here:

[link]

Another truly exciting news – only three days left, then I'll be off to enjoy my Christmas holidays right along with my new life as a freelance artist!
It's both thrilling and a bit daunting to finally set off on that new path, so wish me luck!


  FEATURE TIME

Sorry that it took me so long to update my journal, but life… well, you know what I mean.

I took part in 's Feature Journal shenanigans a little while ago, so here's the deal:

1. The first 10 commenters on this journal who want to participate with a Feature Journal of their own will get featured here with a compilation of their art – just tell me in your comment " I want to get featured!" and you're in!
2. You have to offer the same opportunity to fellow deviants in your own journal, and feature me and my art in slot No. 1.

So, let the games begin!

1.
I've known ~tankgirly for a long time. I guess she first commented on my "Red Amell" artwork shortly after it was posted, and I was pleased to notice that we not only share a love for art and writing fan fiction, but that we actually like the same computer games and fandoms… not to mention that she's also a wonderful person, and a great gal if you want to chat about your most recent fangirl excesses!
MotB- The Beast Within Ch1
 The Beast Within

 Chapter One- Inconsistencies

The ground was shaking violently. Ancient stonewalls surrounding them started to crumble and peel off like wet clay. Large boulders began to collapse and drop all around them. The deafening shriek from the now demised King of Shadows still echoing thick in the air.

Well, certainly nobody mentioned anything about this.

Leela Imarr cursed under her breath. She dived sideways, avoided being hit by the large statue just in time. A few short stride behind her, Ammon Jerro caste another protective shield charm. Debris and stones hit the invisible barrier a few meters above.

" I can't hold th
2.
I only met *ErinM31  a short while ago, but since we share a passion for Star Wars and Dragon Age and she does some nice digital painting and  photomanipulation, I'm glad I did!

3.
*Gaspode5 - fellow Bishop aficionado, talented photographer and traditional-artist-gone-digital… always willing to give valuable feedback regarding art or fiction, and simply a great gal to have around!

4.
~DemonHunterJoan - I really like and respect her for never mincing her words. Okay, and that we love the same games doesn't hurt, either!
Check out her cool art:

5.
=SeedyDeedee is, in my opinion, one of the shining examples here on dA what great 3D artworks you can create with "hobbyist" software like Poser if you just put enough time and effort into your works. Plus, she's also a lovely person, so check out her gallery!

6.
*Shade-Duelist is a truly wonderful and very supportive lady with a love for fan fiction and 3D art!

7.
*SoniaCarreras is a very talented artist with a wonderfully giving and supportive personality, and I'm truly glad we've met here!

8.
What can I say? Tara is a really sweet and funny gal and I'll love her forever for making such nice fan art of Bishop and Lily for us!

9.
10.
There are still two spots available, so if you're interested – give me a shout!



I wish each and every one of you a wonderful Christmas holiday, great gifts and a happy New Year – thank you for another great year here on dA, and I hope we'll all meet again in 2012!

~Kaana

Take a look at and her wonderful 3D Pinups:

SPECIAL FEATURE
Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

ART CALENDAR 2012


Ladies and gentlemen, may I proudly present my art calendar for 2012!

Once again, I went with a collection of Fantasy and SciFi – themed artworks that span across all my favourite fandoms and some original concepts of my own, and I hope that you're going to enjoy it.

dA has a sale for calendars right now, so it comes at the marvelous price of 14,99 US$  – don't miss it [link] !


  FEATURE TIME

I took part in 's Feature Journal shenanigans a little while ago, so here's the deal:

1. The first 10 commenters on this journal who want to participate with a Feature Journal of their own will get featured here with a compilation of their art – just tell me in your comment " I want to get featured!" and you're in!
2. You have to offer the same opportunity to fellow deviants in your own journal, and feature me and my art in slot No. 1.

So, let the games begin!

1.
I've known ~tankgirly for a long time. I guess she first commented on my "Red Amell" artwork shortly after it was posted, and I was pleased to notice that we not only share a love for art and writing fan fiction, but that we actually like the same computer games and fandoms… not to mention that she's also a wonderful person, and a great gal if you want to chat about your most recent fangirl excesses!
MotB- The Beast Within Ch1
 The Beast Within

 Chapter One- Inconsistencies

The ground was shaking violently. Ancient stonewalls surrounding them started to crumble and peel off like wet clay. Large boulders began to collapse and drop all around them. The deafening shriek from the now demised King of Shadows still echoing thick in the air.

Well, certainly nobody mentioned anything about this.

Leela Imarr cursed under her breath. She dived sideways, avoided being hit by the large statue just in time. A few short stride behind her, Ammon Jerro caste another protective shield charm. Debris and stones hit the invisible barrier a few meters above.

" I can't hold th

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.


PREPARING FOR CHRISTMAS
The last weeks until Christmas usually tend to get a bit hectic, both at work and when it comes to setting everything up for celebrating Christmas with your family – and this year is no exception!

The preparations for my new self-employment do progress nicely, and I'm really looking forward to my new life as a fulltime artist.

On the downside, I'm going to give a small farewell party tomorrow for my colleagues at work with lots of (which is actually baking in the oven while I'm typing this… makes the apartment smell delicious already! ) ... and I fear that will be both a funny and sad affair, because I will miss them terribly!

But how are you doing? I hope this journal finds you all in good spirits and thoroughly enjoying the season, and let me know what you're up to!

~Kaana

Take a look at and her wonderful 3D Pinups:

SPECIAL FEATURE
Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

SAY HELLO TO TWITTER

I'm always late to everything, so let's get right to the point:

I'VE GOT A TWITTER ACCOUNT!


Thought it was about time I made one of my own, and of course I feel totally out of place there - damn, you know you're getting old when it takes a while to get used to new IT.

Anyway, I know many of you guys/gals have a Twitter account as well, so if you want to follow me and share some tweets in the future, I'd love that:

[link]



Cheers,
~Kaana

~~~~~~~~~~~


BUSY, BUSY, BUSY


Sorry for not being more active lately, but between wrapping up my old job and preparing all different kinds of stuff for the new one, time seems to be in short supply… and I'll admit that playing Dragon Age 2 hasn't actually helped with that.

So I want to use this opportunity to say "Hello!" to all my new watchers and thank you all for the s and comments on my recent DA2 artworks – I was so happy to see them both well received, and I'm slowly working my way through the comments to thank you all in person!

Times are exciting right now – I'm right in the middle of planning my new professional website and company logo, setting up my new home office and celebrating my new 64bit render PC… not to mention that I'm all excited about the new features Zbrush 4R2 is offering to modellers.

There are still a lot of things to plan and to consider to make sure my new life as an artist goes smoothly come 2012, but I'm getting there… and that's a great feeling!

The website should be finished some time later this year, and I'll post the link once everything is set up and ready!


2012 WILL BE A GREAT YEAR FOR GAMER GALS


Honestly, I'm so excited right now. New cinematic trailers for Diablo III and Starcraft II – Heart of the Swarm, video streams from the DIII beta all over the internet and Mass Effect III hitting the stores in March 2012… looks like it's going to be an epic new year for gamers like me!

They even announced the content of the DIII Collector's Edition a short time ago – looks like the game *will* get published some time in 2012… which would be so awesome!

I cannot wait to try out the new classes like the Demon Hunter or the Monk… they looked pretty cool in the beta already. I literally wasted years of my life playing DII together with my husband, so I'm looking forward to a few more years spend in co-op monster slaying mode!


DA2 - MARK OF THE ASSASSIN and REDEMPTION


I just started playing Dragon Age 2 a few weeks ago. I have to admit that I shied away from it for a long time because I wasn't sure if I'd like the changes they made compared to the gameplay of DAO… but now I stand corrected.

I have an insane amount of fun playing the game, and that caught me totally by surprise. Sure, there are some things that I really hope Bioware will never do in any of their games ever again (recycled dungeon maps, anyone? ), but it didn't put a damper on the gaming experience at all. I think it's all the companions fault – they are such a great bunch that I'm willing to forgive the game a lot of its short-comings just because the group banter and quests are so amusing.

But no matter how much I like the game, I was a bit concerned when I saw the first trailers for the new DLC Mark of the Assassin. The new character, Tallis, smelled awfully like a hyped Mary Sue to me, and so I went into playing it with lots of mixed feelings.

I have to admit, though, that MotA was worth every single point I paid to get it. The story had it all – nice new locations, a huge amount of great new party banter and interaction, interesting quests and stuffy Orlesian chevaliers… unlike Legacy (that I really don't need to play again any time soon), I'll love to replay MotA with all different kinds of party combinations just to see the various banter, and I was very much surprised that Tallis as a companion wasn't half as bad, either, and not nearly as Sue-ish as I had feared.

So I was very surprised to see all my worst fears about what her character could actually be like coming true for the life-acting video series "DA – Redemption" that started a few weeks ago and stars Tallis as the female lead character. Tallis is played and created by actress Felicia Day (who also voiced the digital version of her character in MotA), and after watching the first two episodes on youtube… I cringed. The Tallis in Redemption looks like the smart-mouthed, sexy SuperSue no story actually needs, and has so little in common with the Tallis I met in MotA that I'm wondering if this series is actually taking place in some kind of mirror universe…

But it's not only her character that bothers me. Up to now, we've met with Qunari, templars and Dalish elves, and none of these groups behave the way I would have expected after playing the Dragon Age games and reading a lot of background lore on the world of Thedas… but maybe that's just me?

What do you all think? I know there are a lot of fellow DA players here on dA, so I'd really like to hear your opinions on this matter!



Well, I'll stop waffling now. Take good care everyone, and let me know how you're doing!

~Kaana

Take a look at 's awesome fan art and gallery:

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Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

BUSY BEE
Helly everyone,

how is your summer going so far? Since the weather here is positively abysmal (at least as far as weather goes), I don't feel too bad about spending most of my free time indoors, playing games or making new art.

I went to a Zbrush training course last week – one day of extensive training, just me and the coach. My brain felt like mush at the end of that day, but it was totally worth it and I'm looking forward to working with that program in the future. There's still an awful lot of things to learn, but now I do have a better sense of how the program works and what it can do, and that will make my trial-and-error education a lot more efficient in the future.

I'll post my first dabble once it's done, just to amuse you and myself.

COMIC AUTHOR
As I mentioned before, I'll start working fulltime as a freelance artist and author come 2012, but one of my new projects has already started:

Since Episode #23, I'm one of the authors of the "Runes of Magic" webcomic "Flo & Andy", a funny little comic about the adventures of a gamer couple in the realm of their favourite MMORPG.

The comic gets translated into several languages, so if you're interested please take a look – I'd love to hear your thoughts:

[link]

T-SHIRTS FOR WEAR
Some of my artworks are available as T-Shirts over at www.quasartshirt.com:

[link]

I just received my version of my "Red" artwork today, and the shirts are of really good quality – although they don't sell girly shirts, so keep that in mind when you choose your size!

All shirts will be on sale until August 10th, so if you're interested take a look!


Well, that's all for now. Take good care everyone, and let me know how you're doing!

~Kaana

Welcome to and her wonderful Mass Effect art, although it's totally worth to check out the rest of her gallery as well:

SPECIAL FEATURE
Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

THE CAKE IS NO LIE
Thanks everyone for all the well-wishes, llamas and for my birthday - I had a great time logging in now and then and reading all the new messages, and it certainly brightened my day to know you wished me well!

A special "Thank you!" to the wonderful , who made me this great drawing of Liliana:



Thanks so much, my dear – what an awesome surprise!

As for the rest of the day… my husband actually made me a cake that he presented me together with my birthday gift – PORTAL 2 - and we went for a nice dinner to celebrate. So all in all, it was a wonderful day, and now I'm *really* looking forward to the weekend to start playing it. Did any of you gamer guys/gals play Portal 2 already? And what did you think about the co-op modus?


MASS EFFECT AND OTHER ART-RELATED THINGS
Artwise, I'm spending all my spare time right now to finish another ME fan art that I can hand in to the Bioware Fan Art Showcase [link] along with one or two other fan works of mine. The deadline is slowly coming closer and closer, so I hope I can finish it this weekend.

Once that is done, I will have to sit down and start working on my own website and mascot for my own business, which will probably take a lot of time but will hopefully be worth the work.
I am taking a two-day course in Zbrush modelling at the end of July, and I'm so looking forward to that. Hopefully it will teach me all the basics I need to take my own modelling skills from there to the creative level I am looking for.

Stay tuned, and wish me luck!


But enough about me. How are you doing? Enjoying the summer sun? Working on some great new projects? Let me know!



Cheers, and I hope you can enjoy this summer wherever you are!
~Kaana

Come and meet the lovely *SoniaCarreras and her wonderful art:

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Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

WELCOME
I was very lucky to get another DD for "The greatest Adventure"



Since this is a pretty personal piece, I was very grateful for all the nice comments I received and therefore want to use this chance to send a warm welcome to all my new watchers, because I don't know when I will come around to thank you all personally!

A BIG STEP
Hear this, folks – this week, I officially resigned and quit my job as a geologist to work as a freelance artist and author coming 2012. I think some of us have already played with this idea in their head (and yet did nothing about it), but a few weeks ago I actually got an offer that will make it possible for me to turn this beloved obsession into a job.

I spent my past vacation to really think it all through and discuss it with my husband, and in the end, I decided I wouldn't forgive myself if I did not take this chance.

Guess my life will stay interesting, then.

This means I will also re-open commissions again later this year, so keep an eye on my journal if you're interested.

Keep your fingers crossed and wish me luck – I'm really looking forward to make this work!

Cheers, and take good care everyone!
~Kaana

Please take a look at and her stunning photographs:

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Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

UPDATE

I felt it was time for a new avatar again - what do you think?



~Kaana



******



VACATION 2011
If you noticed a certain lack of activity in the past weeks, there’s a simple explanation for that – Kaana was on vacation!

My husband and I enjoyed our last trip to Iceland so much that we decided to go there again this year, visiting the South and East over the past two weeks. To make it short – we had a blast, good weather (if a little chilly) combined with excellent food and spectacular nature.

Here are some impressions from our tour:


The Skogafoss, one of the most beautiful waterfalls I’ve seen in Iceland so far. There’s a path up to the cliff on the right, which gives you a spectacular view over the surrounding mountains and plains. And for those who still remember the Eyjafjallajökull – this waterfall is at the foot of the glacier whose volcano was such a bother to so many tourists all over Europe last spring.


This photo was made at the harbour of Höfn, a small town on the East coast. This area is known for its various birds, and we took a lovely walk in the evening sun before heading to a great dinner in one of the restaurants close to the harbour. This region is known for its langustines, too, and they truly taste delicious!


We found this beach close to Eystrahorn by chance, and it was one of the coolest stops we made on the journey. Lined with large basaltic rocks standing tall in the water, it was great to watch the waves of the Atlantic Ocean break in such a spectacular fashion all over the shore. Also a good stop for a quick lunch on the road.


A similarly nice beach, just a few bays North of Eystrahorn. Luckily, the cliffs saved us from the strong wind that was our constant companion during this trip.


Just to show you that Iceland is not just volcanic rock and ash. This shot was taken in Smyrlabjörg, a farm surrounded by an impressive mountain scenery were we made a stop for one night. They served bacon and pancakes for breakfast, which made me a very happy camper!


The Jökulsarlon glacier lake, at the Vatnajökull National Park. We made a boat trip between the icebergs, which was very impressive. The dark ash covering the ice is from the recent Grimvötn eruption, and we drove through some impressive (and even a little bit scary) ash storms while going back from the North to the South.


The Helgafall volcano on the Westman Islands, south of Iceland. We made a two-day-trip to visit the main island Heimaey, and were rewarded with lovely weather while it rained on the mainland.

This was definitely not our last trip to Iceland, and if you love hiking in spectacular nature, I can only highly recommend the island for one of your future vacations!

I hope you’re all doing well, and will do my best to catch up with your deviations and comments as fast as I can!

Cheers, and take care…
~Kaana

Take a look at wonderfully creative and colourful 3D designs:

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Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

A tea, a hug and some virtual claps on the shoulder later I do feel better already. Will go for a walk after breakfast, and all fools be damned!

I hope you're having a -ny spring day, too, and can make the best of it!

Cheers,
~Kaana

Look at the wonderful commission made for me, showing Bishop and Liliana:



My print arrived a few days ago, and once it’s framed I’ll hang it on the wall right in front of my PC desk.

Working with on this was a very pleasant experience, so if you’re interested in commissioning him you can get more information in his journal here: [link]

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Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

MY CALENDAR 2011
Make use of the dA Holidays sale and get this lovely calendar for 25% off:



[link]

COMMISSION A FELLOW DEVIANT

A good friend of mine here at dA is offering commissions, ~pixelcharlie . He is one of my favourite digital artists here and offers a limited amount of both lineart and full color commissions, and I so hope that I was fast enough to catch one of his slots.

Here are some examples from his great gallery:



If you want to know more details about his commissions, check out his journal here:

[link]

~~~~~

SPACE STEPMOTHERS AND INVISIBLE CARS
I just watched Megamind this weekend, and it was a really cool and funny movie. I think the voice actors did an amazing job, and the story was surprisingly grown-up and had some nice twists I didn’t expect.

Of course, as a 3D artist, I love to see these animated movies and to make a guess how they created certain effects and build the models (I had one hell of a time with Kungfu Panda in that regard ), and the animations in Megamind are pretty good, too!

Megamind and Minion had some awesome dialogues together, and I can only highly recommend it if you want to have a fun time at the movies and eat some nicely popped corn.

UNDER THE SEA…
If you were wondering what Kaana is up to at the moment artwise, take a look at this abomination:



Here is a screenshot from my current attempts to get more comfortable with Zbrush. I bought a very good tutorial book that really starts off at a true beginners level and has lots of detailed and highly informative exercises. Here you’re taking a look at my first exercise, trying my hands at an underwater scene with a very Jules-Vernesque underwater laboratory, corals, sea creatures and vulcanic vents (of which I heartily approve – I’m a geologist by profession, after all ).

I just finished the lab in Zbrush, and will now start working on the vents. It takes a lot of time, especially since my current work load leaves me really tired in the evenings without much energy for anything, especially tutorials, but I’m stubborn.

Keep your fingers crossed – Zbrush is a really great tool, and I was shocked to see how easy it can be to create complex looking 3D models with it. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be a proper 3D modeller, after all!

To relax a bit from all the strenuous work, I started a new project in Carrara that once again has a more Eastern touch. I’m playing a lot with the different lighting options in Carrara here, and I just love what gel lights can do to improve a scene.

Weather here is just awful today – snow started thawing over night, so it now has been reduced to a greyish muddy substance covering the ground, spoiling the long walk that my husband and I had planned for the afternoon.

Well, you cannot have everything I guess.

Take care everyone, and I hope you still have a proper winter, wherever you are!

Cheers,
~Kaana

Today, I would like to introduce you to and his wonderful gallery. He creates great 3D worlds right along with beautiful digital paintings, so be sure to take a look at his works:

SPECIAL FEATURE
Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]

NEWS


[link]

Thank you to those of you who have already purchased my calendar – I am humbled that you like my art enough to do it! Unfortunately, dA does not tell me who made the purchase, so I cannot contact and thank you directly, but I’d really like to hear your thoughts about the quality of the calendar.
I want to learn and improve, so – what did you like? What can I do better next time? If you could take the time to write me a short reply here or send me a note with your thoughts, I’d be most grateful!

~~~~~

After debating about it for a long time, I finally decided to give up my moderator position over at #Realm-of-Fantasy. That was not an easy decision, since I really enjoyed being part of that group – I started my work back in February, and I have met many great deviants and found some incredible art that I would have missed otherwise while being a moderator.

But unfortunately, life does only leave me with so much time on my hands that I barely get my own art projects done, not to mention how I have neglected this account in the past weeks due to my workload. So considering how incredibly active all the other moderators are, I felt really bad to leave them with all the work and only hopping in on occasion, and therefore decided to take my leave so that a more active moderator can take over.

So it's time to say good-bye to my fellow staff, and wish them all the best for the future!

On the other hand, that leaves me with a little more time here for dA, so I’ll do my best to catch up with all your wonderful artworks and comments – I am grateful for all of them, and I hope you’ll hear from me soon!

~~~~~

Artwise, I am still working to improve my skills with Carrara, testing some new lighting options, and you’ll probably see the first test results soon.  
I also want to keep wetting my feet regarding modelling in 3D, meaning that I am also trying my hands on tutorials for Zbrush and Curvy3D right now, but it will take a lot of time to reach a skill level that doesn’t frustrate me.

I also want to create my first "official" art portfolio, and I am already toying with some ideas for the page design – so if you have a portfolio or webpage, I’d love to get the link to find some inspiration!

All in all, it’s going to be a slow and rainy weekend for me, and I hope you’re all doing well and have a good time!

Cheers,
~Kaana

is a brilliant digital artist with great skill and neverending imagination – take a look at some of the marvels in his gallery:

SPECIAL FEATURE
Visit MIRAGE GAMES, LLC – and learn more about their great plans for a future MMORPG:

[link]