My main income is taking commissions, but sometimes I admire other people who can make their own produects, and sell them well.
My problem is I never know what people want.
So when I want to design a product, "people will really want to buy this thing?" this thought is always coming out in my mind.
I don't know what public want or love, because I don't want to buy other peoples' products either~
I always love unique, special, exquisite things than simple, cute stuff.
But making exquisite products costs a lot of time and prime cost. I guess that's why more people love making small cheap things like pins, buttons, key chains...
So I can only choose to make small things too if I wanna make some products.

By those reasons, I'm selling some kind of custom acrylic animal tags lately.
But the ordering amount isn't very big, it is more like an extra income besides my commissions.
I can easily earn more and quick by taking commissions.
But still making my design into a real thing is very interesting. Just the ordering amount is a little bug me.
I think those tag is special enough since I've never seen people making similar things.
So...maybe the price is too expensive?
Or just because no other samples of other animals?
Or people just don't like it?

How to get to know people's taste and understand it?
I've seen many other furry related products and I don't understand why people would want to buy it.
How do you know if people will want to buy your stuff before you make it? @@

Also I don't know which animal type is also a big group in furry fandom besides wolf/husky/dog/fox.
That bug me too because I don't know what animal is very popular so I can't decide which animal I should make after I done the wolf and fox one.

Guess not many people still using LJ, oh well~

I start to use SoFurry and FurryMate.
http://www.sofurry.com/user/view/profile?id=78928
http://furrymate.com/dating/JCcat

I usually hard to make friends out side of Taiwan, because~
1. The language problem.
2. I hide my real gender and I draw myself as male and maybe looks gay....so I always meet gay guys on the net....but I want to make friends with girls~~~ Q_Q

So I just treat FA like a place for showing arts and taking commissions.
Never really thinking of making real friends or finding mate there.
Beside, I live in Taiwan, long distance isn't good for making friends or mate to me.
But I really feel tired of making friends with "normal" people lately.
I tried to know some lesbian girls, but hardly to have interests in them, they seems can't understand my furry part and don't want to get to know about it.
Maybe furry is really that important to me?
I don't know.
I just want to open more chances, though I know it will be really difficult to making friends with foreign furry.

Also I put some tags on my FA.
I'm tired of meet guys! I wanna meet girls~~~ >_

Me and some friends went to Ken Ting for a horse riding in last weekend!

The horse riding place is a kind of "holiday camp village in a ranch". (Sorry I really don't know how to call it in English. ^^; )
We can ride the horse by ourselves, the horses all are very nice and kind.
They just walk slowly with the leader, so even if you've never learn of riding a horse, you can still ride their horse safly.

I already have been there in last year, it's my second time.
This year they have many ponies! SOOOOOOO CUTE!!!!


The horse I rode in last year, she is "Maggie".


David, I rode him this time, he ride like a sofa! So comfortable!


Sleeply horse, what a funny face~ LOL.


Mother and pony~~~~~~


Pony: "what is this?"


Pony: "can I eat it?"


Whaaaaaaaahhhh~~~


Got bite by that pony...XDDDD


Another cute pony~~~~


LOL


They also have shepherd!


And goats!


Goat can clam trees!!!




Me riding horse~! LOL~


The horse in front of me is a mother horse, and she taking her pony~~ >w<


So I was looking at the pony all the time when we on the way...XD
SO CUTE!!!


And a small video I got, sorry if that is boring~ XD


We had a great time there~
But I still love just watching and petting the horse, not ride them. ^^;

Saw other artists playing this, so I waana try~

1. When did you get into art?
Since I can hold a pen I guess.

2. What art-related sites have you ever signed up for?
DA? FA?

3. Show us your oldest piece of art you have on hand.
Done when 12, I have other older ones, but I think this one is old enough.
http://us-p.vclart.net/vcl/Artists/J-C/Sketches/sfall.jpg

4. What defines your artistic style?
I'm really not sure~

5. Do you practice other styles/have you tried other styles in the past?
Of course, every style that interests me I will try.

6. What levels of artistic education have you had?
Learning basic sketch and water color in an artists' studio when I was 11.
Graduated from Taipei university of Arts.
But my junior and senior high schools all are regular school.

7. Show us at least one picture you drew or sketched recently that you did not put on a public site.
If I show, then it will be public. :P

8. What is your favourite piece that you have done?
Too many, but I can pick one:
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4832388/

9. What is your least favourite piece that you have done?
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7128297/

10. What do you like most about your art?
Pose and expression I guess.

11. What do you like least about your art?
Coloring, shading. I always think I need to lean a lot of coloring.

12. Have you ever considered taking commissions?
I'm taking.

13. Are you looking to pursue a career in art?
I'm.

14. What do you like drawing the most?
Animals!
Animals fur/tail/leg!

15. What do you like drawing the least?
Anything that with straight lines form!
Like buildings, guns, weapons, machine...ect

16. Do you draw more fanart or original art? If fanart, what fandom do you draw the most of?
I drew a lot of fanarts before 2002, like Ninja Turtles, YUYU HAKUSHO, KenShin, LionKing, Okami...ect.
when I start to taking commissions, I draw fanarts less and less.
Now I don't really draw any fanarts, but I still drawing people's characters (commission/ trades).
So there is not many of my real original arts. ^^;

17. What would you absolutely refuse to draw?
Human killing animals I think.
Me having sex or doing close actions with other people.

18. What is your purpose for drawing?
Living by drawing animals.

19. What medium/program do you use the most in your art?
SAI, PS.

20. How would you rank your art? (poor, mediocre, good, etc.)
1~100, I rank myself 70.

21. Do you believe there is such thing as “bad art?”
Yes of course.

22. List at least one of your “artspirations.”
Other people's arts.

23. What do you think you could stand to improve on?
Details of everything, coloring, composition, anatomy...too many....

24. Do you have a shameful art past? (recolour sprite comics, tracing art, etc.)
Of course. I copy poses from other comics when I was young.
And copy other artists' styles.

I went to L'Arc~en~Cile's live today!
It's my fav. J-rock band since I'm 16!
I've joined their live in China/ShangHai 4 years ago, but it was raining and the fans are not very high.
Also My seat is not good and the price is so expensive! I heard that Taipei live is much better, so I really want to go if they come to Taiwan again!
So when I know they will come to Taipei have a live this year, I spent about USD 215 to buy a great seat (still cheaper than the price in ShangHai 4 years ago)!
And this time, everything is much much better than ShangHai!
The live is indoor, so no worry about the weather!
Everyone is so high and we sing their songs all together!
Band members are very high of course! I can see their face clearly because my seat is better now~
I keep jumping, yelling, singing, screaming, waving....
Now I'm so tired and my throat is hoarse...XD

I'm satisfied and I love them! <3

I made this film~~~~ I got very bad headache when making it....XD

>>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Lvmckd6YM <<<<
>>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Lvmckd6YM <<<<
>>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0Lvmckd6YM <<<<

We had a small Taiwan furry meet in Taipei last weekend.
There are 7 fursuits joined.
Bitty, Rajiv, Kaila, Lai, B.cat, SkyColor, MapleWolf.

Bitty, Rajiv, Bcat fursuits made by Dragon-x2 (http://www.furaffinity.net/user/dragon-x2)
Who is my good friend.

BGM: 君はス・テ・キ♥ by KenHirai
Hope you enjoy the film~ :)

I really hope one day we could have a large furry con in Taiwan.
But there is always someone has personality problems that many other furs don't like him/her.
If that person join the con, then no one will come. @@

Or there are many small groups in Taiwan furry, but they don't like each other.
If A group join a con or have a con, B group won't join, or A group even doesn't want B group to join. (Do you understand what I mean? ^^; )

That's the problem in Taiwan furry, so most of our meets are private, since I don't want to meet those "weird random guys" either. ^^;
I don't know how to change this situation.
Maybe just the Taiwan furry fandom is too small? (The active amount is about 50 people)

How the furry con become big in USA?
Why peopel don't care those "weird guys" join the meet? @@

So I join tumblr today.
I'm wondering how many furry fans use it?

I just want to use one site for posting my journal, but can be easily found by furry and easily use than FA journal...lol.

http://jcdump.tumblr.com/

I'm sure I won't use Twitter or FaceBook often.
So what do you guys think?

I was wondering how many people still use LJ for posting journals more than FA?
I believe people will read my journal easily at FA, but I don't want random people just read it easily at the same time. ^^;

Anyway, just want to say...
Everytime I draw arts for people, no matter it's a gift, trade or commission.
When people tell me how happy they are, how surprice they are, how my arts bring them a happy day, then I can feel my heart full of warm.
I can really smile from my heart, I can feel their joy too.
That really made me thinking drawing is a happy and meaningful thing to me.

I'm not the one who make arts just for themselves, for express their own emotions.
I think arts should make people happy, make this world better.
So I enjoy drawing arts for people, I like to observe what they like or what kind of person they are. Then draw something that they will really love.

But sometimes, people don't treasure my gift.
You know, some people won't treasure what they have when they get too much.

Since V-Day is coming, that reminds me some people in my life who never treasure what I gave to them.
Lately I start to drawing gifts to my friends, because I think I owe them too much.
Then they all are so happy when receive my arts.
What a contrast...

I'm happy again when know my friends happy, I think my heart still full of power.
The power of sharing and giving to who I love.
And those people who treat my gifts like dust, will never know what they lost.

My old friend Kofu back to Tiwan this month, I think he haven't back for 5 or 6 years...@@
I also took Nagi and Dragon-x2 there, we had a great time for shopping,chatting and joking.
And it's very nice too meet him in Taiwan, not in US. XD

Then I didn't thought Baggy also take Balaa to Taiwan until I read his journal!
I was so shock and really hope to meet them!
I think after I move to China in 2006, me and Baggy didn't have chance to meet till now.
Then I also asked AjieG out and took Nagi with me again~ XD
But we all are bad at English speaking, so Baggy became a translator all the time...^^;

We feel so embarrassed that we don't have arts to show and we are too nervous that don't know what we can chat....because Balaa is like a god to our Taiwan artists....XDDDD
Not just that, after we looked her original arts files, we all are really really shocked by those amazing works.
We shocked how she put the details, the background stories, and idea design into every work/sketch.
I feel my attitude to creating arts is soooooooo casual.
But Balaa still thinks those are very bad works, she said she is sorry to showing these bad arts to us....
Oh I think we can all go to die~ XD

I had wrote a Chinese journal about this, since I don't know how to use English to explain my true feelings, so here is the link:
http://jcintw.blog131.fc2.com/blog-entry-8.html

When we have to go home, Baggy and Balaa gave us big warm hugs.
Nagi is so happy and crazy, he said he could be happy for the whole year! Haha! that's so cute!

I really want to join FC at least once, so I'm sure I will visit them again~
It's very amazing that friendship could be very long and full of happy memories.

I posted a journal on "Artist beware" group yesterday,
talking about a person I know well in Taiwan, who keep copying other people's arts and photos for pose reference.
http://artists-beware.livejournal.com/496670.html

She is well know in Taiwan gruop because of her copy behavior.
And now she is taking commissions and trades, and seems no one noticed most of her arts are not her true skill.
Then after I read the replies in that post, most of people still think getting refs without permission and credit giving is not wrong.
So, all of the artists who don't use refs are stupids?

I try really hard to draw eveything on my own.
I don't use refs for most of my works during these years.
Because I've learned a lot, when people know me drawing something same as other arts/photos.
It may not really break copyrights, since pose can't be copyright.
But people won't trust me, won't respect my works. It is just like cheating, this work is not by my own.
I can't say it is all my hard works because I know I copy the pose from other things.
So I don't use refs, especially for pose, angle, anatomy and composition.
If commissioner ask me to draw something as same as the ref photos he gave, I will let people know.
I just don't want to cheat or lie.

But after knowing what people think about "copying pose", I feel really unfair and upset.
So they think professional artists using refs is very normal.
Then I think I should add "No any references used" in most of my works?

Maybe some people will think why should I care what she does?
Well, because I know her since she start to active on the net.
I did art trades with her, received her gifts, me and my other friends once were her friends long time ago.
Untill I found her copied other artists' arts.
I feel very disappointed, but I forgave her since everyone can make mistakes.
But after several months, we found her fursona design was copy from a DA artist's character.
We also found she is still copy pose from other famouse DA artist's arts.
So I decided to cut off with her, I start to doubt some of her great arts are still copy from something.
Then, when she started to active on DA and drawing her own comics,
Akreon (http://akreon.deviantart.com/) accused Aruku copy poses from her comics:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/jccat/copy-arts/ar2no.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v178/jccat/copy-arts/ar1o.jpg

So she still never learn..... of course after that, she deleted those comics.
But I just know too many of her arts are not her own drawing, since her anatomy skill is too poor.
Now, she got caught again, her last few Taiwan friends also feel disappointed and decided to leave her.
But she still thinking she is not wrong and keep asking art trades with other great artist at DA or FA.

I just hope no one will be cheated by her again.
But I nerver thought so many people thinking that isn't a big deal.
I gueass that's all I can do.
She is nothing to me but just a shame of Taiwan.