Keaton's public junk journal

Impressions

Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:41:18 GMT

I've been busy lately, a lot, but still have some things to note from stuff I've tried on skin in the last 24 hours --

Ivanushka - Like a more mature Coyote. Coyote comes off as sweet and playful and energetic, Ivanushka is dignified and refined. I like this one a lot and may have to invest in a backup bottle.

Cairo - It may just be a skin chemistry thing looking at the calendar, but its lemony scent is making me sneeze. :( It smells kinda like cleaner. It doesn't work on me right now but I'll give it another chance at a different time of the month. Gonna wash it off for now because my nose is all stuffy.

Also need to update the lists of what I have... my collection has expanded a bit and I'm only just now getting a chance to try this stuff on.

Not really formal reviews, I'm waiting for my head to clear.

bee-pal

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 11:54:21 GMT

Oh, my goodness.

I just took my first whiff of Coyote, and I think I'm in heaven.

This smell reminds me exactly of the dusty antique shops and out-of-the-way country gift stores in rural Florida -- the kinds that stocked beautiful wooden toys and animal skins. They always had this weird dust-and-perfume scent to them, and this is what I'm getting out of this vial. I have so many memories of this kind of smell. Love at first sniff!

I'm eager to try it on now but it's nearly 5 AM and I'm dead tired, to boot...

I hope with all my heart that this agrees with my skin chemistry. I don't think I ever was so enamored with a perfume before, and I think I'm going to go for a 5ml of this if it works on me.

...

Okay, I lied. I dabbed a little bit on my wrist, because I couldn't resist. I have high hopes that this one won't make me wash it off. :) So far, this scent really clicks with me.

Commission prices and guidelines

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 04:08:57 GMT

Commissions are open!

I'm a pretty versatile artist, I can draw humans, animals, and furries with decent skill. I work primarily digitally, but I can do the odd traditional piece as well, mostly in colored pencils. Ratings-wise, I can go anywhere from G to XXX. I usually open things three slots at a time, with the exception of tinies (infinite slots), scratchboard (one to two slots), and colored commissions (one slot at a time; rarely open).

Commissions will cost more if there are multiple characters involved, due to the time it takes to draw.

What I won't draw under any circumstances: Artwork that shows children or animals in adult situations, scatological pictures, pictures depicting rape or hardcore gore, generic anime styled characters (it won't look good by my hand, trust me).
If you aren't sure of something, please feel free to ask. :) I don't bite.

======PRICING======
Sketches: $10-15. Can be shaded or have simple coloring. Done in ArtRage or OpenCanvas. Samples: [x] [x] [x]
1.
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Scratchboard: $30-40. For an example of this style, check any of the Bruised Oranges pages after page 8. Can be any two colors, not just black and white.
1.

Colored digital painting: $60+. Sample: [x] [x]
Note: These samples are outdated, I've been making many practice paintings and my skill has improved since then, I just haven't had any "big" projects lately I can use as a better example. I also no longer use Photoshop for my paintings and use Open Canvas 4 instead.
1. Closed, except for personal inquiry. Given the amount of time put into digital paintings, I want to make sure this is something I really want to work on and stare at for 6-12 hours.

Steampunk icons: $10. Samples: [x] [x] [x]
Full for now!

Simple flat colored drawing: $10-15. Samples: [x] [x] [x]
1.
2.
3.

Complex/lineless flat colored drawing: $15-20. Samples: [x] [x] [x]
1.
2.
3.

Tinies: 1 for $2.50, 2 for $5
1. Infinite slots! Note me if you want one, chances are I'll have it done in the same day!

Colored pencil index card badges: $25. Samples coming soon!
1.
2.
3.

I accept payment via Paypal, credit card (also via Paypal, but you do not need an account to pay me), cash, or check. Do keep in mind for the latter two, there will be a bit of a wait for the artwork to be started on and I will not start until the money has been delivered and deposited (or the check has cleared). I will let you know when this has happened. When mailing money, please be sure to wrap it in opaque paper to ensure that it doesn't get stolen! I will only do the latter two methods of payment if Paypal or credit card is not an option for you, just because it takes a long time.

I will not start drawing until I'm paid, because I don't want to get stiffed by someone who says they'll pay for it when it's done and then never pay me. For sketches and icons, please give me all of the money up front. For color commissions, please pay me half of the total cost up front and then pay the rest after I show you the sketch(es) for coloring. Be assured that I am a reliable artist, I don't pull disappearing acts and I WILL get your picture done. I have been casually taking commissions for over a year now, and usually with a short return time with one or two exceptions. I want to keep up that habit.

Lastly, if you're waiting on a commission from me, don't harass me on its progress. I will come to you if I have something to show you. ;) Or, you can check my journal where I list the status of everybody's commission progress. I will probably try to keep that continually updated as I work. Harassing me will only make me want to work on your commission less.

Thank you for your interest!

BPAL reviews, because I wanna archive them.

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 09:28:32 GMT

Lightning
In the bottle: This is kind of citrusy, tangy, and wet! And smells pretty nice... looking at a good start here. This along with the description makes it sound really intriguing.

Wet on skin: ACK! Really powdery and soapy. And really strong. Looks like my skin chemistry has doomed Lightning to be laundry detergent on me. It gave me that 'almost going to sneeze' pinch in my nose when I got too close to my wrist.

Dry: I'm just getting soap here. :C It's not as strong as it was earlier but I can't say I really care for it that much right now... Off to swaps, I guess, unless it grows on me later.

Juke Joint
In the bottle: A sweet, pleasant mint peeking up from a backdrop of liquor.

Wet on Skin:

Dry:

Conclusion: I want a 5ml of this. This is wonderful! :C ♥

I wore this one last night, but forgot to review it -- but the results are positive, I really really love this scent!

Mechanical Phoenix
In the bottle: Like men's shaving cream! It smells really fresh and clean, and kinda cool. I don't know if that's the "ozone" that other folks are talking about. It's really light!

Wet on skin: It still had the shaving cream smell, and I had to keep from resting my chin on my hand like I usually do because the scent was a bit overpowering for the first hour or so (or maybe I just put too much on my wrist, lol). I was kind of worried that I wouldn't get to smell the mechanical notes as mentioned in the description, but found it pleasing anyway.

Right now, about 5 hours later: It smells like an electric pencil sharpener to me! And the shaving cream smell is still there in the background, but now I'm getting warm metal and pencil dust. As someone who's spent hours hunched over a desk with a mountain of colored pencils, my wrist right now make me think of those days spent drawing at the desk -- and since I've been doing almost exclusively digital art in the last couple years due to a lack of space, I really missed having that smell around while I worked on art.

Conclusion: I still kinda hoped I'd get the steampunky notes from this but an arty scent works just fine for me too. :) It definitely speaks creativity and innovation to me, and I plan to wear this on nights where I'm stuck at the desk with my tablet and a drawing program open for hours. It's a definite keeper!

The Great Sword of War
In the vial: When I first opened this a few weeks ago, it could only be described as an artillery shell of scent - very pungent, vaguely citrusy, and smelling a bit like a souped-up lemon Pine-Sol with tea beneath. And boy, it was STRONG. I got kinda put off and put the lid back on (and got scared by some of the reviews comparing it to furniture polish), and waited a few weeks to see if I'd get the chutzpah to try it on later and brave putting it on my skin to see how it worked there. Second time around I open the imp, it's not as strong-smelling, and thankfully not very Pine Sol like anymore.

On skin: Huh, this is... interesting. My nose isn't trained enough to identify the notes clearly, but it does remind me of lemon and some other stuff. It's warm and spicy and citrus-y. Nowhere near as terrifying as I remembered it when I opened that imp for the very first time. XD

Over time: After a while the musk starts to come out, it's so nice! I can smell those traces of tobacco smoke curling out from under it, genly wisping around the fading citrus notes. I really, really like this. :) I didn't get any of the chocolate at all, but I'm not complaining. I'm kinda glad I didn't, because I dig how bold this scent is. It makes me think of incense, but not so smoky as to make my nose sniffly.

Conclusion: I'm so glad I wasn't entirely turned off by my first impression of this scent and gave it a second chance. It's really not as bad as I thought it would be, and somehow works on my skin! It's a powerful, masculine scent, unlike anything I have ever worn or smelled before. Rowr! I'm not sure how often I'll wear it, but I think I'll hang onto it for a while now that I know it's actually pretty good!

The Chopping Block
These are imps that I have, but haven't worn or tested in a proper review setting yet. ~~I'll be trying out a new one every night until I've gotten them all tested, if I can.~~ -- lol life got way too busy for me to be able to sit down and try stuff in the past month. :C

Anne Bonny
Bayou
Burial
Coyote (LOVE IT. 5ml pending!)
Debauchery
Eos
Glasgow
Has No Hanna
Hell's Belle
The Jersey Devil (Also LOVE IT! Thinking about a 5ml, or at least another imp...)
Kali
Kataniya, the Clockwork Woman (Initial impression: Pretty, but kind of light in the bottle... haven't tried it on skin yet)
Lilium Inter Spinas (Initial impression: Oh wow, this is a lovely floral)
Nyx
Pontarlier
Port Royal
Temple of Dreams
Ultraviolet (Wow! Interesting!)
Umbra
Wanda
Whip

Trading art for BPAL: Starting up an addiction

Fri, 15 Feb 2008 05:27:40 GMT

This is something I'm going to give a try, I don't expect any results at all but it's there if anyone's got the imps to spare. XD Basically, I want to try a thing where I trade artwork for BPAL scents. As I'm fairly new to this, I'm not quite certain where to begin and want to try out a number of imps. I also don't have a lot of money to spare right now, but I am willing to draw for BPAL.

Artwork samples can be found Here! All trade art will be digital unless otherwise specified, in the case I'm trading for something really nice like a limited edition scent.

Wishlist (wanting imps unless otherwise noted):
Antique Lace
~~Baron Samedi~~
~~Bayou~~
Dee
~~Coyote~~
Danse Macabre
~~Debauchery~~
~~De Sade~~
Grog
Harlot
Hellfire
Isaac, the Living Skeleton
~~Ivanushka~~
Jazz Funeral
~~Kataniya, the Clockwork Woman~~
London
~~Loup Garou~~
~~Mechanical Phoenix~~
Miskatonic University
~~Moxie~~
~~Port Royal~~
~~Satyr~~
The Bugger Alle This Bible
The Candy Butcher
The Parliament of Monsters
~~Troll~~
Vicomte De Valmont
~~Zombi~~

Swaplist (imps unless otherwise noted):
None atm!

...open to suggestions! I obviously don't know all of the available scents and haven't looked at the entire catalogue, nor have I really felt out what works on me just yet. I'll probably take any imp that you offer to me (and likely be pleasantly surprised by it!), but the above ones are the ones I want to try the most. :)

This list will probably be expanded soon in the event I figure out what works on me and what doesn't, and what notes I'm really pleased with. I'm still kind of new to BPAL, having a kind of on-off interest in it over the past year or so. If you're interested in doing a trade, contact me either via LJ comment, PM on Bpal.org (Vulturekisses), AIM (Keatonology), or email (keatonology AT gmail DOT com)! :) If a trade is done, then I will do the art first and then you send the imp after I show you the watermarked finished drawing. You are allowed to ask for one fix (or more, depending on how big the image is/how many imps you're sending). Once I get the imp, I will give you the picture un-watermarked and in the case of an icon, the full size drawing as well. The watermarking is a means of protecting myself, I don't want to do art for someone and have them use that drawing and then never get the imp they said they'd send me for the art.

I'll do sketches of increasing size for multiple imps, for example one imp will probably get you a bust drawing or 100x100 avatar/LJ icon (either full color or b/w; you'll receive the full size artwork AFTER I've gotten the imp in the mail) while like... three imps will get you a fullbody sketch and a 5ml bottle will get you a Bruised Oranges style black and white drawing of some kind. I'm open for negotiation!

And yes, these drawings are custom! I will try to draw what you want to the best of my ability, drawn outta my fool head. ;) And this can include drawing a unique icon depicting your favorite scent for you, as an example. Anything you get from me will be one-of-a-kind!

Thank you for reading!

UPDATE! If you do not have the imps that I want, but still want artwork from me, you are more than welcome to fund my silliness in the form of commissions! Click here for pricing and samples!

Selling things, pt 1: Computer hardware

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 06:34:52 GMT

Computer stuff for sale I don't need anymore, some of it's pretty nice if you want an upgrade. :)

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~~Two sticks of Buffalo 512 MB DDR RAM: $35 each, $60 for both. Good RAM for desktop computers.~~ - Sold

[img-removed]
NVidia GeForce 6200 256 MB video card. Comes with driver/installation CD. I paid $100 for this last year, but I'll let it go for $75. May go lower. It's a nice upgrade if you've got something older than this, and runs WoW rather nicely. - Sold

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4x5 Wacom Intuos2 USB tablet, dark blue. It should still work (it was when I replaced it last summer, haven't used it since then) but it's really fussy. It must be put on a flat surface and the cord held straight due to some fraying at the base, it may work with electrical tape put over it but I never tried it. Tentatively $50 (usually sells for like $200 new), but will go for less since I know it's not got all its stuff (like the mouse), it's definitely quirky, and it's old. Hell, take it for $20 if you're an artist and actually plan to use it! It's one of these things. - Sold

Plextor PX-712A DVD+R/RW drive/burner. Given to me but never used, I have no idea if it works or not. It apparently sells for $110, but take it off my hands for $40. :P

Soundblaster sound card. I doubt anyone's going to actually need this, nor do I know the details of it or how old it is. I do know that it works since I had it on my old computer. Take it for $10.

Cheesy Magic: The Gathering mousepad I got at a convention not included. :V I may update this post with more stuff later, including my old computer tower but I'll probably attempt to sell that on Craigslist first because it's big, heavy, and shipping's going to be an expensive pain in the ass.

Leave a comment if you're interested, and thank you for looking! :) If you have any questions, please ask! Anyone who buys will get a dumb little drawing as a "thank you" for purchasing, and probably something drawn right on the packaging as well. XD You pay shipping and handling fees. Since this stuff isn't very heavy it'll probably be $6 for US shipping or something.

All sales are final! I will not do refunds or returns!