kamakru

[kamakru]

F you Tumblr and every company joining the sludge of generative AI

If you want to follow my art, come find me on BlueSky.

So much for starting this account up again eh? What's the point of even being online anymore when my data is just taken by companies to make a buck.

Alternatively you can sign up for my Newsletter to be reminded I exist every couple months or so.

I also have a blog on my personal website with an RSS feed you can use. It's not that active because I'm used to just updating BlueSky, but these days it seems like it's all going to crap.

I Glaze everything I post online, but it's time to start Nightshading it all, too. So tired of this. And yes I know there's an "opt out" but I don't trust it. Meta also did the "opt out" form and then announced they're trying their own AI anyway - that includes Instagram and Threads btw!

#art

[kamakru]

New hand pressed lino print! - "Skybound"

Limited edition to 28, signed and numbered. I broke my roller making this one an had to buy a whole new thing to keep making these lol

PRINTS AVAILABLE

#art #dragon #fantasy art #lino cut #block print #hand made #limited edition

[kamakru]

Fanfiction Authors: HEADS UP

(Non-authors, please RB to signal boost to your author friends!)

An astute reader informed me this morning that one of my fics (Children of the Future Age) had been pirated and was being sold as a novel on Amazon:

(And they weren't even creative with their cover design. If you're going to pirate something that I spent a full year of my life writing, at least give me a pretty screenshot to brag about later. Seriously.)

I promptly filed a DMCA complaint to have it removed, but I checked out the company that put it up -- Plush Books -- and it looks like A LOT of their books are pirated fic. They are by no means the only ones doing this, either -- the fact that """publishers""" can download stories from AO3 in ebook format and then reupload them to Amazon in just a few clicks makes fic piracy a common problem. There are a whole host of reasons why letting this continue is bad -- including actual legal risk to fanfiction archives -- but basically:

IF YOU ARE A FANFIC AUTHOR WITH LONG AND/OR POPULAR WORKS, PLEASE CHECK AMAZON TO SEE IF YOUR STORIES HAVE BEEN PIRATED.

You can search for your fics by title, or by text from the description (which is often just copied wholesale from AO3 as well). If you find that someone has stolen your work and is selling it as their own, you can lodge a DMCA complaint (Amazon.com/USA site; other countries have different systems). If you haven't done this before, it's easy! Here's a tutorial:

HOW TO FILE A COPYRIGHT COMPLAINT FOR STOLEN WORK ON AMAZON.COM:

First, go to this form. You'll need to be signed into your Amazon account.

Select the radio buttons/dropdown options (shown below) to indicate that you are the legal Rights Owner, you have a copyright concern, and it is about a pirated product.

Enter the name of your story in the Name of Brand field.

In the Link to the Copyrighted Work box, enter a link to the story on AO3 or whatever site your work is posted on.

In the Additional Information box, explain that you are the author of the work and it is being sold without your permission. That's all you really need. If you want, you can include additional information that might be helpful in establishing the validity of your claim, but you don't have to go into great detail. You can simply write something like this:

I am the author of this work, which is being sold by [publisher] without my permission. I originally published this story in [date/year] on [name of site], and have provided a link to the original above. On request, I can provide documentation proving that I am the owner of the account that originally posted this story.

In the ASIN/ISBN-10 field, copy and paste the ID number from the pirated copy's URL. You'll find this ten-digit number in the Amazon URL after the word "product," as in the screenshot below. (If the URL extends beyond this number, you can ignore everything from the question mark on.) Once this number has been added, Amazon will pull the product information automatically and add it to the complaint form, so you can check the listing title and make sure it's correct.

Finally, add your contact information to the relevant fields, check the "I have read and accept the statements" box, and then click Submit. You should receive an email confirmation that Amazon has received the form.

Please share this information with your writer friends, keep an eye out for/report pirated works, and help us keep fanfiction free and legally protected!

NOTE: All of the above also applies to Amazon products featuring stolen artwork, etc., so fan artists should check too!

[kamakru]

I also have zero desire to read anything shat out of an AI generator. There's no value in it. There's nothing of the "creator" there. It's not their words. It's not THEIR story. It's not their voice.

Quality over quantity. Authenticity over plagiarized garbage for the sake of speed. Anyone turning to ai to "write" their novels loses my respect, my dollar, and my support. That goes for authors that use AI generators for their cover art too, because there's no telling what's inside (and that's a direct punch to me as an artist.)

Someone who uses ai to write their novel isn't a writer. They're just an ai prompter who edits.

Hello Mr.Gaiman,

I hope you’re doing well.

I wanted to get your opinion on a topic that me and a friend of mine were discussing:

With the fast paced world we live in, where everyone(understandably) wants things as soon as possible, I’ve been reading and thinking about what kind of impact this has on novel writers.

For newbie writers, that want to be traditionally published, who are still studying craft, finding their process, need to find that story that’s right for querying, etc… It feels like I’ve missed the perfect time to enter publishing. With some authors publishing a book a year(something I’m not able to do at this point in my skill set) and AI on the rise it feels like their is no room for the newer writers, who are still developing.

Why invest in the slower(in terms of speed) writer, when we can get AI to create something at the drop of a hat?

Some of my favorite writers have said it’s taken them years to break into publishing. But what if, because of the current times, you no longer have that same time to break in?

I could be wrong about all of this but I wanted to het your opinion on this matter.

Well, for me, I'm not interested in reading anything that nobody could be bothered to write. I want to read a story that tells me about the world I live in and the person who made it.

For me, Why invest in the slower(in terms of speed) writer, when we can get AI to create something at the drop of a hat? is like asking why you would take a couple of hours to get a fine chef to cook a magnificent dinner when you could add water to powder and get a tasteless sludge that doesn't contain much in the way of nutrition instead.

#no ai art #no ai writing #authentic creatives only

[kamakru]

I'm at Geek Craft Expo Seattle! Find me at booth #B-08

My final show of the year is this weekend at Hangar 30 / Magnuson Park | Seattle WA. It's a Holiday show, but it's also basically if you took the artist alley/exhibitor hall from a geeky convention and let you get in for just $2! Ok it's literally that :D More info at this link

I'll share some images of a few things I'll have this year, but there are a TON of new prints, especially in the hand embellished Limited Edition Category.

There will be a bin of Original artwork including a few on sale (PS my shop will be closed for a week for the show)

I'll have bundles and singles of my new Rune Owls stationary planner series

And a few other things at my booth: tons of stickers, washi tape, prints, mouse pads, and gaming playmats / deskmats.

And there will be a limited selection of discount blind bags for old and retired prints packed up all nice like this! There are different themes, like dragons, fantasy mix, and animals and nature. Each pack has 15 prints for $30. If any are left after the show I'll throw them to my mailing list.

I'll also have B-Grade enamel pins in these absolutely adorable gift boxes. The black box has 4 pins for $20 ($60 value) and the gold box is $40 ($120 value). These are ridiculous "I desperately need to move these ASAP because I'm tired of them taking up precious space" prices. Again, if there are any left over I'll toss them up on my site next week to the mailing list. ;D

If you're in the area I highly recommend stopping by! It's ALL local, small artists and artisans - the best way to support small businesses for holiday shopping and just in general.

#art #fantasy art #dragon #small business #artist #convention #geek graft expo #seattle

[kamakru]

More images below + New planner pads are here!

I have a LOT of art that I'm clearing out of this studio one way or another, so first I'm marking everything in the sale down ridiculously low, and whatever doesn't go by the end of 2023 will be recycled.

SALE LINK

Also, I have some new things to share! Since I'm offering free US shipping on orders of $50 or more, I figured I might as well include this. I'm happy to announce my first set of notepad planners, featuring my painting Rune Owls.

The paper is super smooth, so if you don't like the feel of toothy paper I think you'll really like these. They are custom style planners, so you fill in the days. The list notepad has a blank space at the top to put whatever you need - groceries, tasks, enemies to slay, it's up to you!

The bundle comes with one of each pad and a matching vinyl sticker.

I'm particularly fond of how the stickers came out :)

#art #fantasy art #sale #art sale #stickers #owl stickers #owls #notepads #planners #custom planners #planner notepads #desk planners #simple planners

[kamakru]

oh

The spam bots are back again in full force -_-;

#spam bots

[kamakru]

It's international tiger day! Have you pet a tiger yet and told them you appreciate them?

[Original] [Prints]

#tiger #big cats #cats #art #painting #gouache

[kamakru]

"Returning Home"

The newest painting in my PNW/mountain series of dragons in nature! This one 9x6 inches mostly watercolor and then gouache was used for details like the flowers and bright white of the dragon.

I had fun with the lighting on this, where the sun was peaking through a cloud, hitting the dragon on its back rather than the front where we see it directly. In the background a dark raincloud is rolling in.

The landscape is inspired by the North-facing view from Johnston Ridge, which is meant to look toward Mount St. Helens, but I tend to look in all directions. ;)

I had trouble getting my signature to show up in the bright red I originally wanted, so I used gold watercolor instead. It's very shiny

The original is available here.

Once the prints come in they will be here.

#art #dragons #dragon #fantasy art #painting #watercolor #watercolor painting #nature #gouache #original art #traditional art

[kamakru]

A couple of my limited edition hand pressed lino cut prints. Titled "Protect" and "Quiet Reflection", respectively. Prints

#lino cut #block prints #carved #hand pressed #hand made prints #dragon art #dragons #printmaking #carved prints

[kamakru]

"Waterfall"

Painted in watercolor and a bit of white acrylic on the waterfall for the super white parts.

Prints: Here Original: Sold

#art #dragons #fantasy art #painting #watercolor #dragon art #watercolor painting #waterfall #nature #outdoors #landscape #rocks #PNW

[kamakru]

SakuraCon! Art of Katie Croonenberghs (aka Kamakru) will be at Booth #1027 on the main floor

Pictured above you can see that I have some shiny new backdrops too! Well I've had the middle one with my lightning elemental for a few years, but the two on the side are brand spanking new and ready to debut. :D

#sakuracon #sakuracon2023

[kamakru]

"Rune in the Dark

Excited to unveil my newest gouache painting! I found the perfect frame for it, matted and framed it up ready to go to the NorWesCon art show April 7-9th!

I'll also be at SakuraCon, on the main floor booth #1027 if anyone wants to grab a giclee print of this

#norwescon #sakuracon #owls #painting #gouache #glowing rune #runes #owl art #fantasy art #owls on tree #original art #traditional art

[kamakru]

"The Shaded Lookout"

Watercolor Prints Here

#dragon #painting #watercolor #dragon art #watercolor painting #dragon painting #purple dragon #nature dragon #dragon in nature #nature #mountain #scenic #landscape

[kamakru]

"Fire Swept Memories"

"It was written upon the land in charcoal and ash The script of chaos burned into the trees And new growth spread its poetry like a salve"

Painted in Watercolor with a bit of gouache for the green sheen on the dragon. The landscape is based on an area in the North Cascades where a fire went through a few years ago. The mosses and grasses are coming back, spreading between the white stones.

Original artwork available here. Prints here.

#watercolor painting #watercolor #painting #dragon #dragon art #dragon painting #forest painting #dragon in forest #nature dragon #black dragon #raven dragon #dragon illustration #traditional art #original art #everydayoriginal

[kamakru]

BIRB STICKERS - STAMP STYLE

I made some bird stamp stickers for SakuraCon! I'm excited to debut these at my favorite local show. I'll be on the main floor at booth #1027

#bird #bird art #bird stickers #stickers #stamp stickers #bird paintings

[kamakru]

hisss

A little doodle-sketch from yesterday while I had the Huion fired up doing something else.

#dragon #digital art #fantasy art #sketch