This Months Shop Update 2/18-2/19

How To Draw A Horse - a comic by Emma Hunsinger

Happy New Year everyone! Here's to a great year of the dragon!

[Start ID: A digital drawing of several dragon Pokémon celebrating the lunar new year. The Pokémon are performing a dragon dance parade on a dull green grassy field with dark blue mountains in the background. Several Pokémon are flying above the parade holding glowing red lanterns. There are also some Pokémon further back in the sky watching the parade. The sky is sunset colors, going from red orange at the bottom, light orange in the middle, to a blueish purple at the top with faint white stars. There are a few dark magenta clouds, highlighted underneath by the sunset with yellowish orange hues. There are also Fireworks bursting in the sky in light red, orange, yellow, and blue colors. In the upper left corner is handwritten glowing golden yellow text that reads "Happy New Year 2024".

At the front of the parade is the Pokémon Druddigon holding up a stick with a puppet of the Pokémon Minior attached. Druddigon's a spikey bipedal dragon and its body is mostly dark cyan, with tan underbelly scales, a red head and red spikes on its arms, legs, and tail. The Minior puppet is a golden yellow color, it has a roundish shape with five star like spikes. There are 5 ribbons flowing off of the puppet which have on ombre from reddish orange to light yellow. The Minior puppet is glowing and is meant to represent the pearl in a traditional dragon dance.

Behind Druddigon are the Pokémon Dragonite, Charizard, and Garchomp holding up with support sticks a large puppet of the Pokémon Rayquaza. The Rayquaza puppet is a long serpentine dragon, with two arms, and is meant to represent the dragon puppet in a traditional dragon dance. Rayquaza is mostly green, with a glowing yellow line pattern traveling down the side of its body, and red accents on the edges of its mouth and fins. Its mouth is open wide and one of its arms seems to be reaching for the Minior puppet. Holding the support stick connected to the Rayquza puppet head is Dragonite. Dragonite is a bipedal dragon mostly orange in color, with a light tan scaled underbelly, light tan antennae, and a teal wing membrane. Holding up the midsection support is Charizard, a bipedal dragon with an orange body, light yellow underbelly, blue wing membranes and eyes, and the tip of its tail is on fair. Holding up the last support is Garchomp, a bipedal shark like dragon with no wings, dull navy blue in coloration, with a red and yellow underbelly, and white spikes on its body.

There are several other young, smaller dragon Pokémon walking with the parade. Between Druddigon and Dragonite is Dratini, a blue serpent like dragon with a white snout, frills, and underbelly, and purple eyes. Between Dragonite and Charizard is Axew, a bipedal dragon with no wings, its dull green in color with a dark green head crest and red eyes. Between Charizard and Garchomp is Bagon and Deino. Bagon is a bipedal dragon with no wings, it's light blue in color, with a tan belly, and light grey head crest. Deino is a quadrupedal dragon with now wings, a dark gray mane with red spots, and a dark blue body. Behind Garchomp is Goomy and Jangmo-o. Goomy is a sluglike dragon, with a dark purple underbelly, green cheeks, and a light purple body. Jangmo-o is a quadrupedal dragon with no wings and is light grey, with a dark grey underbelly, and yellow accents on its scales.

Flying above the parade are Pokémon holding glowing red lanterns. At the front is Altaria, a birdlike dragon with a blue body and white cloud like wings. There is Noibat, a small bat like dragon that is mostly shades of purple with yellow eyes. There is also Flygon, a large slightly bug like bipedal dragon that is mostly light green, with dark green antennae and accents, and red accents on the edges of its wings, fins, and a red translucent shield over its eyes. Lastly is Dreepy, a small serpent like dragon that's a dull green teal with red accents and yellow eyes. Watching the parade from further up in the sky is the real Rayquza, as well as Latios and Latias. Rayquza's appearance matches that of its puppet, being a mostly green serpentine dragon with yellow and red accents. Latios and Latias are both jet-like dragons, with Latios being blue and white, and Latias being red and white. End ID]

This is my second time doing an image ID so feel free to let me know if it needs any changes. I feel like it may have gotten a little too long, but with like 18 characters in a drawing there's probably going to be a long description no matter how concise one may try to be.

want to be clear that if i ever talk about a headcanon and then later discuss a headcanon that is directly contradictory to the first one, that’s because headcanons exist in a quantum state where they are all simultaneously true and not true up until the point where i discuss it in detail, in which case that is the one that is true in that instance. schroedinger’s headcanons

Would love to make these into keychains some day. Have more im drawing and ill post them later :)

“We Have Always Survived” Cone 5.5 stoneware, underglaze, glaze, nichrome wire $1,500cad

20% of sales profit will be split and go to a trans aid organization in Canada and the US.

Huge thank you to Martina Lantin for putting together this NCECA - (National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts) exhibition “Beacon” at The Leonardo in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Exhibition runs March 25-29, opening Friday, March 28th 6-9 NCECA bus tours - Wednesday-Thursday Collector’s Bus Tour ONSITE: Thursday 1:35-2:35

Video link!

Some recent Pokémon oc's I've designed! First one is a fusion of my 4 favorite Pokémon, Flygon, Scolipede, Rayquaza, and Leafeon. Second one is a Flygon and substitute doll fusion.

[Start ID: The first image is a digital drawing of a character reference for Viridian, a Pokémon fusion character of the Pokémon Flygon, Scolipede. Rayquaza, and Leafeon. They have features from all four Pokémon. They are bipedal and have a dragon like build similar to Flygon, with front arms, two pairs of wings, and a long tail. They have red visors over their eyes like Flygon, antennae like scolipede, and head fins like rayquaza. Their neck and body is segmented like a bug like scolipede, their underbelly is a dark gray, the segments are green with red circle markings. Their wings are rhombus shaped and have a red rhombus marking in the middle, the tips of the wings become leaf like. Their tail is a gradient from teal to tan yellow with gray stripes and red fins and a tail fin similar in design to the wings. At the top of the drawing is text that says "Viridian, Flygon x Scolipede x Rayquaza x Leafeon". Underneath the text is symbols for their type, a purple dragon type symbol, a green grass type symbol, and a yellow green bug type symbol. At the bottom of the piece is a rectangle with the color pallet for the design. There is a watermark with the username "TheCraftyDragonC". The background is a mottled dull green. The Second image is a digital drawing of a character reference for Comfy, a Pokémon fusion character of Flygon and the Whimsicott substitute doll. Their body shape is very similar to Flygon, a bipedal dragon with front arms, a pair of wings, and a long tail with three fins at the end. They have a monochrome green color pallet, most of the body being a medium light green with darker green and cream accents. They are very fluff and have tufts of fur sticking out in places. They have a teal visor over their eyes, which are squinted closed. The top of the image has text which says "Comfy, Dragon/???, only move is substitute". Beneath the text is a color pallet for the design. At the bottom right is a watermark with the username "TheCraftyDragonC". The background is a gray green with lighter fluffy accent shapes. End ID]

Hello Dungeon Meshi fans

[Start ID. A redraw of the "Dog playing chess" meme with the characters Laios and Kabru from the anime Dungeon Meshi. The two characters are sitting at opposite ends of a wooden table with a chess board in between them. At the back end of the table is Kabru, a human wearing armor, he has a brown skin tone with bright blue eyes and wavy dark brown hair. His hands are pressed up to his face, obscuring his nose and mouth, and he has a frustrated and confused expression. There is text in a white font with a black outline over Kabru saying "The smart kid, not understanding how he's losing to me". At the front of the table, sitting very close to the viewer is Laios, a human with a white skin tone with light gold eyes and spiky blond hair. Just a profile view of his face is visible with a little bit of his armor in frame. He is looking to the side at the viewer in a slightly mischievous way and it looks as if he is chewing something in his mouth. Text next to Laios in a white font and black outline reads "Me, who's been eating monsters when he's not looking". In the bottom left corner of the drawing is a watermark with the username "TheCraftyDragonC". End ID] I'm sure other people have drawn this meme with these characters before, but it really fits them so well I couldn't shake the idea. I'm really enjoying watching the anime so far, it's fun to have something to look forward to each Thursday but the wait between episodes is also a little agonizing lol. Also here's a version without text, for funsies.

[Start ID. the same image as above, a redraw of the "Dog playing chess" meme with the characters Laios and Kabru from the anime Dungeon Meshi, but this time there is no text over the drawing. End ID.]

✦ emergency commissions open ✦

I have until the end of this week to get together the rest of our rent (about $450 left), and two weeks to get together enough for the last of 2024's quarterly taxes ($1,200) and the power bill ($170).

Altogether, I need almost $2k in two weeks.

Everything of what I make goes towards necessities for me and my partner, and the past few months finances have been very tight, so I was unable to put anything aside for these taxes like usual.

I've currently got unlimited slots for commissions open until these expenses are covered, and every kind of commission type is open starting as low as $40 - I can draw humanoids, anthros, dragons, creatures, Pokemon, Digimon, etc, and offer a lot of options like icons, badges, Pokemon card YCHs, fullbodies, custom designs, and more!

I also have a Patreon and Ko-fi which I offer memberships on for fun rewards, and members get discounts on my shops, commissions and adopts. My Ko-fi also has a shop with digital goods like lineart bases, and my Big Cartel has physical goodies like stickers and prints. If you're feeling particularly generous, my Ko-fi also has a simple tip feature for as low as $3, just click the "one time" button near the top of the page.

Anything at all helps, even just boosting this post or sharing my art! I super appreciate all my supporters, and I think I'll make my goal, but I'm really feeling the pressure as I've been pretty stressed and burnt out lately. Here's the links to everything:

Commissions | Patreon | Ko-fi | Big Cartel

if you wanna commission me, you can contact me through Twitter, Bluesky, Discord (@ Dracononite), or email maxhamiltonarts@gmail. Please look over my commission contract and terms of service first!

On Mudwing Culture

My last deliberation on Seawings and their eccentric insult vocabulary seemed to be well-received, so here is another one of my headcanons:

Mudwings are seriously into food.

I know, pretty revolutionary take when there is only a handful of named Mudwing characters, and two of them love eating so much that it either almost or entirely eclipses their personality.

But Clay and Ochre are not what I am talking about. This isn’t about a love of eating (though many Mudwings admittedly do have that). I’m suggesting that, out of all the tribes from Pyrrhia, Mudwings are at the forefront of food preparation and culinary innovation, to the point where a large part of their culture revolves around it.

The State of Food Preparation on the Continent

Pyrrhia as a conglomerate of different cultures largely sustains its populations through hunting and gathering. The average dragon, when the hunger pangs set in, will make a hasty trip into the nearest forest, cave, or scavenger den and round up some prey animals. In most cases, this prey will go straight from the talons to the mouth, or, if the hunter is a bit more forward-thinking, into the pantry, and then from talons to the mouth.

There are a few variations of this practice; Skywings may give the carcass a quick roast on an open flame before eating it, Sandwings may dry the meat out so the excess moisture does not upset their internal water balance, Rainwings will prefer fruit over meat. Icewings will nearly always consume their prey raw and unseasoned, as their extremely delicate palate is easily overwhelmed by intense flavors that may be released through cooking.

More complex forms of food preparation seem to exist mostly outside the scope of the general populace. The practice of “cooking” appears to be limited to the ranks of aristocracy, with dedicated cooks only found within the court of a queen or in private households of other high-born individuals. It creates a sharp divide between commoners and social elites, between the wealthy and (as Sea Queen Coral once put it so succinctly) the “eel-eating masses”. All exemplified through the differing standards of food.

And yet somehow, standing in stark contrast to everywhere else on the continent, nearly every Mudwing-- from the most low-born runts of the Diamond Spray Delta to the most decorated head advisors in the Queen’s palace --knows how to cook, and will do so regularly.

Why is that, and how did it happen?

Historical Benefits of Cooking

Most things that form the backbone of a culture usually start with some ancient practice that was useful at some point in time and then, as people kept doing it, eventually got absorbed into public awareness and became “the way things are done”.

Mudwings face a unique challenge compared to anyone else, as they are the only tribe whose combat prowess is significantly affected by their environment, specifically climate, weather, and temperature. Sure, you can take any dragon, drop them into an unfavorable climate, and they will generally perform worse than under normal circumstances. But the unique weakness of Mudwings is that they lose their breath weapon when they get too cold. Place an Icewing into a burning room and they will still be able to use their frost breath. Pluck a Sandwing from their dry environment and drop them into the humid, sweltering hell of the jungle, their natural weapons will still function. But make a Mudwing cower between two piles of snow for a while, and their internal fire will go out quickly.

As you might imagine, this is a bit of a liability when you have to defend your territory from Skywings hiding and scheming among the frozen peaks bordering your country.

So the ancient Mudwings had to figure out a solution to their conundrum, and what they came up with was this: They got a large pot and filled it with water, threw in all manner of meats, plants, and herbs, whatever they could find where they were holed up, then boiled it until it was good and filling. The hot food in their bellies helped them stay warm even at high altitudes and allowed them to stand their ground against the northwestern invaders.

Soon it became tradition for troops to share a hotpot the night before battle, and a rich variety of hearty broths and stews developed from there, as these were simple to make from scraps and could be reheated easily. The practice became so popular, the Mudwings kept doing it even during peacetime. Soon, in addition to the hunting of prey animals that was commonplace, Mudwings began to cultivate vegetable gardens to have access to a more stable supply of ingredients. Eventually, their growing understanding of agriculture allowed them to grow rice, which was especially well-suited to the abundance of wetlands found in their territory. Everyone was cooking now.

The Role of Food in Mudwing Society

If you ask several Mudwings which core values represent their tribe best, many would likely put forward some variation of “camaraderie”, “family”, or “loyalty to your sibs”. They are a very social people who form deep bonds with those whom they grew up with, and one of the most direct ways to grow close to someone is to share your meals with them every day. As such, the preparation and consumption of food is a vital part in maintaining cohesion between members of a Mudwing sibling group.

Every one of these groups will have a “Bigwings”, which is understood to be a combination of a leader and caretaker role. The Bigwings is aware of all of their sibs’ culinary preferences and needs and has all of the troop’s recipes memorized. When mealtime approaches, he or she makes the call on what kind of dish will be prepared and delegates roles and tasks to the troop. This is a daily exercise that builds the Bigwings’ authority and communication skills, and reinforces trust and familiarity between all siblings.

Next to the Bigwings is the Gatherer, which historically was a role assigned to one or more troop members who foraged for wild vegetables or hunted more prey if the previous communal hunt did not yield enough. While this is still true today, many Gatherers also maintain a garden or wet patch to source fresh vegetables or grain for meals.

And lastly there is the Communicator, which is a role usually assigned to the most social and charismatic sibling. The Communicator is vital for coordinating battle strategies with other troops, which, while very important, is not really all that relevant for this deliberation. What is relevant however, is the role they fulfill during peacetime, which is to set up joint meals between two or more sibling groups. This practice is critical for maintaining morale, as doing this regularly helps expand the troop’s palette and keep their Bigwings inspired. That way the troop’s collection of recipes stays fresh and innovative instead of turning stale and rigid.

Of course how much each troop values culinary exploits varies between individuals. Some Mudwing groups are outspokenly passionate about cooking and advancing their craft. They might view their work as an expression of art and get very upset or offended if you indicate that thinking about food is unimportant or a waste of time. Some extreme cases may even get angry at you if you waste ingredients or refuse to elevate a dish to its fullest potential by not seasoning it well or doing something else to ruin it. Other groups may be more relaxed and casual about food preparation, and a few might even not think about it much at all.

If a Mudwing invites you to dinner, it is paramount to figure out which of these groups they belong to beforehand, so you may get an understanding of how much of a threat this outing may pose to your health, especially if you are an Icewing or Seawing with a limited palate.

Is there any evidence for this in the books?

To my knowledge, there isn't much. Mostly because there isn't much about Mudwings and their culture in general. Across all the books, only one of them has a Mudwing protagonist, and the vast majority of it is spent in the Sky Kingdom, so his roots don't get a lot of exposure. Then whenever another Mudwing comes into the story, they tend to exit it very quickly after, without being able to share more.

I made this theory for myself largely in response to Mudwing culture being such a big question mark. I initially came up with it when I saw a Mudwing gardener in Escaping Peril and thought "That could be a cool direction for the tribe." The guidebook that released recently gave me some additional pointers with regards to a few of the looser points of this theory.

I'm hoping it is interesting, or at the very least entertaining in some way.