Hello, and welcome to Meet the Artisans, a series where I get to know the talented craftspersons that make up the Variant Ventures Artisans Guild! Last week, I spoke with Ethan McIntyre of the Roll With It blog! For this entry, I talked to Artisan Member Ash, who works in the digital content space through Ashcifer Arts.
J (he/him): What can you tell us about Ashcifer Arts?
Ash (he/him): Art is something I’ve been passionate about since I was very young, I’ve known I wanted to be a professional artist since I was 12. I’m very excited that I’m finally achieving that dream and looking forward to creating so much more! My favorite things to draw are creatures and animals, but recently I’ve gotten a lot of joy out of drawing humans and humanoids as well!
J: How did you get started in TTRPG?
Ash: I was always super into the fantasy scene as well as board games, but I didn’t get into TTRPGs until some members of my family started playing and invited me to join. TTRPGs are now a huge creative inspiration for both my art and storytelling. I usually prefer to be the “Game Master” of TTRPGs versus a player, because I love creating worlds and NPCs!
J: How do you keep yourself and others safe while playing?
Ash: Going over what players want and don’t want to see in a game is essential. Not only does it keep you from throwing things at them that they’re uncomfortable with, but it also helps give you ideas of things to implement in your game that your players will enjoy! Session Zero is an essential tool for this kind of communication.
J: What are some of your favorite things to create?
Ash: I love drawing cats! I have four feline friends so I always have real life references to help come up with ideas and poses. Cats are so expressive and diverse if you get to know them, they are a huge inspiration in my art!
J: What are you looking forward to in 2021?
Ash: I’m looking forward to growing my audience as well as trying out some new things! Stuff like art streams on twitch as well as short tiktok animations in the future! I’m also looking forward to showcasing some of my original characters and worlds more, so stay tuned to see some of that!
J: Do you have any advice for anyone who is just starting to draw?
Ash: Try to draw something once every day! It doesn’t have to be a full piece, or even finished, just little sketches or doodles go a long way for giving you practice in the medium! There’s a lot of professional artists who make tutorials on sites like youtube, twitch, and skillshare that you should totally take advantage of!
J: What is a charity/non-profit we can help you signal boost?
Ash: The Okra Project is a collective that seeks to address the global crisis faced by Black Trans people by bringing home-cooked, healthy, and culturally specific meals and resources to Black Trans People wherever we can reach them.
