Collage Annex: Grand Opening Soiree

To welcome our new gift shop Collage Annex we are having a grand opening party! From 10AM-6PM on Saturday, November 19th we will be offering discounts, giveaways, and bubbly. We will be giving away 16 prizes throughout the day. You can enter the raffle by just walking in the door.  The Annex is located at 1607 NE Alberta Street.

Collage Annex is all about cute gifts, home decor, and more! Take a peak inside below:

We'll see you there!

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Select Halloween & Dia de Los Muertos Merchandise is now 50% off!

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Our New Annex Store is OPEN!!!

Our New Annex Store is OPEN!!!

A little sister to our Alberta St Store and located on the same block at:

1607 NE Alberta St
The annex will be carrying loads of gifty goodness and even more of the curated collectibles you've come to love and look for at our existing supply stores.

We hope you will come and check it out soon!

collage annex hours:
m-f  10am-8pm
sat, sun 10am-6pm

We've scheduled a Grand Opening Soiree to celebrate.

We hope you can join us on Saturday November 5th--more details coming soon!

We've created a new page on our website for the annex:  click HERE for more info & pictures!

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DIY Roundup: Felt Favorites

Did you know we carry 100% wool felt as well as acrylic felt at all of our locations? Felt is the perfect craft material because it is colorful, easy to work with, and doesn't fray! Here are some of our favorite felt projects this week!

Let's Get Wild Masks

Materials: Elastic, Embroidery Floss, Felt, Needle, Scissors

Coyote

Materials: Felt, Needle, Embroidery Floss, Fiberfill, and Scissors

Leaf Trivets

Materials: Felt, Needle, Embroidery Floss, Scissors, and Utility Knife

Rascally Raccoon

Materials: Felt, Needle, Embroidery Floss, Fiberfill, and Scissors

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Art Supply Expedition!

Our Division St store will be teaming up with our SE PDX indie art supply store neighbors, Muse Art & Design and I've Been Framed to bring you 2 days of Free Demonstrations, Discounts and Giveaways!

All the fun is scheduled for Friday & Saturday October 21 & 22.More info soon to come!

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FREE Demo and Book Signing with Susan Beal

We will be hosting a book signing & FREE demo with local author and craftess Susan Beal!

Join us at our Division location to make the lovely necklace below on Sunday, September 25 from 2-5PM. Bead Sparkle is loaded with projects including statement necklaces, brooches, barettes, little gifts, and more!

Go here to read more about Susan and her new book. We'll see you on the 25th!

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Warhammer Digital Prints are now available!

New series of original Warhammer ART are now available as limited Digital Prints guys! Do check them out at our Flicker page and contact our partner in the US in Devonian Maher for orders.

The Flicker page is... DON SURATOS Digital Prints

Hope you check it out and snag a few copies for you or your friend. Each Digital Print would only be available in limited numbers ( 50 - 75 ), depending on the demand. Do contact the email below for further inquiries...

Cutthroatcure@gmail.com

Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next update guys! CIAO! 

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Traditional Dip Pen Art to Digital Art

title="Traditional Dip Pen Art to Digital Art"alt="Traditional Dip Pen Art to Digital Art photo"

I love my Dip Pens! Albeit some clients like them traditionally colored ( with markers ) or digitally colored. I have this one client that needs the drawings ( illustrations ) for box art, manual and cards. Thus I scan my Dip Pen drawing and color them in Photoshop. The Aliens piece here ( and the project for Labmasu ) are perfect examples of Traditional ART to Digital ART.



As I've blogged here, there are various advantages between traditional and digital art.

I do enjoy both. And my current process of drawing on paper, and coloring in Photoshop, makes me produce a traditional dip pen and Indian ink ART, and a Digitally enhanced version at the same time.



Much like anything else, ART is a process. You need to enjoy making ART from pencil to rendering. An artist is in his own world from penciling to Photoshop work. You cannot jump to details OR you cannot be effective in any part of the process, if you did not enjoy every step of the process. ART is unlike office work where the boss jumps at the end and critic your work without understanding the process. Enjoy it and it will reflect in your final piece.



I hope you find this post insightful at the very least. Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next post guys! CIAO!

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Dip Pen and Indian Ink Art

I have been drawing for commissions for a while now, but have recently shifted to using Dip Pen and Indian Inks / Acrylic Artist Inks. Much like any of my other projects, I decided to use Acrylicos Vallejo Inks for all my drawings.



Acrylic Artist Inks dries a bit faster than Indian Inks and I just love my Vallejos in general. I might try the Windsor and Newton Super Black Ink soon, but I am very happy with the flow and the quality of the Vallejo Acrylic Artist Ink ( black, sepia ) I have right now.



I think I found my tool and medium. I love drawing with my Dip Pens! Other than the "old world" charm of using dip pens for drawing, the inks are just so opaque and deep. It is waterproof and permanent and it should never fade in time, unlike other pens ( brush pens ). My ART should stand the test of time so to speak.



Much like any other craft, the challenge of mastering and using dip pens for drawings add to the fun of using them. I love the idea that I am one of only a few artists who uses this tool and medium. Plus, the diversity and the control of the width of the lines that you could produce with one nib, is just so unbelievable.



Looking forward to sharing with you a ton more commissioned and non-commissioned dip pen and indian ink ART soon! Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next update guys! CIAO!

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The Grendel for LABMASU

I just finished this piece for LABMASU ( Italian Gaming Company ) today. Sketched the creature on paper using Staetdtler 4B pencil early yesterday. I got a couple of miniature model photos and a ton of description as guide. Me and the client went through the details and revisions of the sketch until I got the look of how he imagined the creature should look like. It was actually fun getting revisions online and showing the revisions right there and then.



Once the client has approved the pencil drawing ( much like all my other commissioned ART pieces ), I then scanned my drawing and colored it in Photoshop. Other than the fact that I am not too good with Photoshop ( old artist ), I really like that my pencil strokes show through the digitally colored piece.



The combination of my rough pencil strokes and the smooth transitions of digital painting, gives my piece a HYBRID Digital and traditional ART feel to it.



This will be a series of three ( 3 ) ART pieces for LABMASU. Next piece would be a Viking guy with a harpoon. Excited to produce the third piece, as it will be a battle between this creature and the Viking guy!



Anyways, thanks as always for dropping by! Until next post guys! CIAO!

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Producing ART as Yourself is Most Fulfilling

Producing ART ( or anything craft or skill related ) as Yourself is Most Fulfilling.



As I've said before, I am average in both Digital and Traditional Art.  And like most artists, I do have a day job, to pay the bills. But I have been focused on my craft the past week. And have been producing ART for clients ( hopefully happy clients ) like a popcorn vendor.



I was known as DC23 when I used to do Gunpla, but have been using my real name as an artist for a while now. What makes me so happy today, is the feeling that everything you do and produce, is credited directly to your hard work and skills. And you get to spread your real name in the process.



Unlike the usual day job, where you learn to work as a team and  give everything you can for a company. Producing ART for people as YOURSELF is so much more fulfilling! People appreciate what you do and in return, they get to know you by your real or pseudo name ( unlike the day job where they just get to know the company or your team ).



I am pretty sure, any artist would relate to the fulfillment of doing what you love to do. And getting paid for it,  as a bonus!



Spreading your ART is the name of the game. Sharing your passion for any craft is the extreme fulfillment. And establishing yourself versus establishing others is the greatest reward!



I hope young aspiring artists get to read this short post. Get a day job if you need one, but continue to hone your craft and skills... coz NO ONE can take them away from you. People driven by their passion will always succeed. Always.



Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next post guys! CIAO!

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DON SURATOS Digital Prints at Flicker

I could actually blog and will still do, every Digital Print that we will be releasing. But my partner in crime from the US, Devonian Maher, decided to put up a Flicker page of all the available Digital Prints at the moment. Most ( all atm ) of the available ART as of now are inspired from characters designed and produced by Privateer Press



Saw it initially in my phone in Flicker mobile mode, but then again I was overwhelmed when I saw it on my computer. I think I never had a Flicker account before. I really like seeing all my ART in one page. Awesome stuff. I should start printing my ART to put on my own wall soon! LOL



Anyways, the Flicker page is... DON SURATOS Digital Prints



Hope you check it out and snag a few copies for you or your friend. Each Digital Print would only be available in limited numbers ( 50 - 75 ), depending on the demand. Do contact the email below for further inquiries...

Cutthroatcure@gmail.com

Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next update guys! CIAO! 

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Will do Character Designs for LABMASU soon!

LABMASU is a new  company who produces scenario based games with cards and miniatures. They just gave me the opportunity to DESIGN a couple of characters for them. I will need to design them for 3D printing and would also need to produce some illustrations for the rule book and cards.



I have done a couple of character design work for my day job, but you don't get much credit when doing it for your day job ( as usual ). I also sketch various characters out of imagination once in a while, but have yet to do something that would have my name in game cards and booklets!



This is totally insane stuff as I am not drawing something established or designed already, but I will actually be responsible for the birth of new characters for a game! LABMASU will be sending me the descriptions for the characters soon, and I will have to produce sketches of them from my imagination.



Totally excited for this project! Albeit I am juggling various drawing and painting projects atm. Looking forward to sharing to you some of my initial character design sketches at my Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts very soon!



Thanks as always for dropping by! Until next post guys! CIAO!

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