ROADMAP 2022 Project Reveal!

Welcome to 2022! 2021 was a crazy, chaotic year. I didn’t finish half the things I meant to  but we survived! We got a new studio, painted some apolocyptic scenes for the Faerie Queene, created a ton of monsters, made some fancy new brushes, put out a new book, and had a great time hanging out with everyone here and on the livestreams! It was a wild ride.

But I have to say, 2021 was brutal. And as fun as it was, I think I need a break. Or maybe, just a change-up... I've spent the last 3 years of making tons of slimy, nefarious little monsters. And while I have loved the Monster of the Month series, there have been a lot of times I have found myself looking up at the night sky, wishing for the chance to start over on a new series, something with new characters with new goals, something that would offer new challenges and opportunities, something with new worlds to explore and create. I didn't want to just expand the monster series, I love it's old, medieval fantasy vibe. But I still really want something new to shake things up, just for a bit. 

So for 2022, I'm going to space.

And I don't mean the lame kind of "going to space", the billionaires-blowing-billions-on-a-joyride kind; I mean the cool space opera kind, like the original Star Wars, Dune, and Spaceman Spiff. For the next 12 months, we embark on a new series:THE MARTIAN OF THE MONTH.

For the next 12 months, we are delving into the classic space opera formula. In the series you can expect giant bugs, alien princesses, space crabs, cats-in-spacesuits, well-meaning leviathans, Lovecraftian nightmares from the void, and sentient broccoli.  

While this mini-series will be similar in tone to the Monster of the Month series, it will offer more a new kind of art each month. Members of the Monster Tier will now be receiving book layouts each month, which will include hi-res characters with descriptions, stories, lore, backgrounds, spot art elements and behind-the-scenes development work.  A new one each month. 

Our first martian entry and my concept character for the series, "the Blar'zuglar", will be available in hi-res later this month, and it will show the new format and elements that I will be using. 

As I go through this series, I am also going to do a new tutorial section for the TUTORIALS tier: In this new series I am going to be sharing my process for beginning a long-format project. How to collect and use reference for a long format project. How to set up the technical formatting and layout for a project. How to think about world-building so that everything feels internally consistent. I will be sharing all of this and more about the series as we dive into something new for 2022. 

So what's this actually for, Gerard?  The "secret, scented candle" line-up you've been talking about?  No, it's even better..!. I will be doing a big reveal for the project in 2 months which will give a full overview for what this is for. We are doing something absolutely crazy with this and I can't wait to share it with you. All will be revealed in the Spring...

So what about the Monster of the Month?!?! If you loved that series, don't worry, It's just on pause for now. It will come back. I just want something new for a bit. I love thatseries and it has been one of the most helpful learning endeavors of my career. So we will definitely come back, and see if our unlikely heroes can survive and possibly make their way out of this world overrun by monsters.  Until then, aliens exist...

...And what about all those other series you've left behind?

They will be coming back and we will start to see some fun returns to the $5 Tier. First, we are diving back into the Dungeon Master Series and will be streaming the next image "The End of the Line" on Twitch in January! You can expect a ton of new hi-res art in 2022. We are also still working on the Faerie Queene for the first part of this year, and you can expect a LOT more work from that. 

Speaking of Twitch streams, those will be back every Wednesday morning at 10AM EST. However, I'm sorry to say that our weekend streams may get a bit sporadic here at the beginning of the year. I have to get a lot of client projects wrapped up, and so I may end up slacking on weekend streaming for a bit.  I hope by spring to be back to 2 streams a week again.

#LETSDRAWMONSTERS continues! We still plan to do a format change this year, but I want to get the new Martian series off the ground and out past Jupiter before reworking this one. Until then, we are still making monsters on Twitch every month on the first Wednesday of the month! 

Mentorships are still on, but we are back to very limited slots for the first part of the year. Here are the available dates:

• Monday, January 10, 9:30-10:30AM EST - Available
• Monday, January 10, 1:30-2:30PM EST - Available
• Monday, January 10, 3:30-4:30PM EST - TAKEN
• Tuesday, January 11, 9:30-10:30AM EST - Available
• Tuesday, January 11, 1:30-2:30PM EST - Available
• Tuesday, January 11, 3:30-4:30PM EST - Available
• Thursday, January 13, 9:30-10:30AM EST - Available
• Thursday, January 13, 1:30-2:30PM EST - Available
• Thursday, January 13, 3:30-4:30PM EST - TAKEN

I am really looking forward to this new direction for 2022 and hope you will enjoy it. I can't wait to share more!

-jg

PS. The entire YEAR THREE Monster brush Set, Watercolor and Oil, is available for the next week ONLY!. If you are in the Monster Tier, you will find it as a link in the Christmas Bonus post! It will be taken down in 1 week!