FAQ

**IF YOU WANT TO REQUEST ARTWORK FROM ME OR ANY OTHER ARTIST, PLEASE READ THIS ARTICLE**

Can I use your images on my site?

Yes, with certain conditions.

1. You may use my images for Personal/Non-Profit use only. No copying and pasting to be used as cross-stitch patterns, lightswitches, bookmarks, magnets, t-shirts, etc. If you want to use something as a desktop picture that’s fine.

2. E-mail me and ask my permission first and send me a link to the site where the image is to be used.

3. Acknowledge either my copyright to the piece or the company who it was produced for. Many of the pieces that I produce are for gaming companies, who own the copyright. If you do not know for 100% who the copyright holder is, please ask me. Once you have my permission and the art is on your site, you must have “Heather V. Kreiter” or “art by Heather V. Kreiter” by the piece.

4. Absolutely NO modification. If you are going to use a piece on your site, use it in its entirety. I spend a great deal of time on my work, it doesn’t deserve to be chopped and cut up for “compilation” pieces/sigs/tags etc.

Please note: The art that I create is my only source of income and, though I am happy you are a fan of it, I would hope that your respect its use as I do. Thanks!

Do you take commissions?

Yes, to a certain degree. First, please email me to see how busy my schedule is. Sometimes I may be booked with freelance work for up to 4 months or I may be in between projects. Secondly, I reserve the right to refuse any project. If you want me to create something that I have no interest in drawing/painting, I’m not going to do it. Why? Because it will look like crap. I find that the more I enjoy working on a project, the better the results will be. I once had someone ask me if I could paint a picture of their Uncle’s truck by a log cabin in the woods. Uhhh…no thanks. Put zombies and whatnot in there? Sure thing. Portraits? Absolutely, as long as you want me to turn them into faeries, angels, mermaids, or some other fantasy themed creature or put them in a fantasy/sci-fi setting. Also, I reserve the right to make prints of the piece if I so desire. If I do make prints, you will receive a signed #1 at no charge. **Please note: The cost of a commissioned piece, unless agreed upon by both parties, DOES NOT come with ANY reproduction rights.

Here’s a rough breakdown of sizes/prices, etc. Please note: these prices are starting points. Prices may go up according to the complexity of the piece.

Black & White (Graphite & white charcoal on canson felt grey paper)

8″ x 10″ - $200
11″ x 14″ - $350
16″ x 20″ - $575

Black & White (Grey Prismacolor Markers , Graphite & White Charcoal)

8″ x 10″ - $200
11″ x 14″ - $350
16″ x 20″ - $575

Black & White w/ color accents / Graphite, white charcoal, Prismacolor markers & colored pencils

8 x 10 - $275
11 x 14 - $400
16 x 20 - $800

Prismacolor Markers & Colored Pencils

8 x 10 - $350
11 x 14 - $550
16 x 20 - $900

Oil Paintings

8 x 10 - $500
11 x 14 -$800
16 x 20 -$1500

Smaller and Larger pieces are available depending on the complexity of the piece. Please email me if you have any questions. All above prices do not include shipping and insurance. Most smaller pieces I can ship for around $5. I require 25% up front before I begin anything. 25% is due upon acceptance of the sketch. The final 50% is due upon completion of the piece. I will email you a jpeg for you to look over. Once the final payment has been received I will mail your picture to you. Shipping method is your preference. I will notify you of shipping charges from various sources.

Do you design tattoos?

Yes. I designed the two that I have and there a good many folks walking around with my designs on them. My starting price for a tattoo design is $50. This includes any revisions + the original sketch/inked drawing. If you would like a full color design, the price is $60, but you will also receive a printout of the color version. If you would like the original color version in addition to the sketch, the price is $125. Depending on the size and complexity of the piece, prices may vary from what I’ve listed. Please contact me with specific details for a better price quote. Please note: if I like the image, I reserve the right to make prints of the image. You will receive a signed #1 free of charge.

How long have you been drawing?

I really don’t remember drawing much as a child, but my mom tells me that I was constantly coloring in coloring books. When I was 9 I created an exact replica of a picture from one of my third grade books. This was when it occurred to me that I could actually draw. I’ve always loved drawing the fantastical, Unicorns especially in my youth, dragons in my teens. I was actually published for the first time when I was 13 years old. I illustrated an educational manual that was used for elementary schools. It wasn’t until August of 2000 that I received my very first assignment to work in the gaming industry, though.

What mediums do you work in?

All of my card artwork is done in oils on gessoed acid free cardstock or cold press watercolor paper. Most of my earlier work was done on gessoed illustration board, but for saving time, I found it easier to switch to the acid free paper. My favorite paper is Canson Mi-tientes Felt Grey. I often use this in my personal works when I want to have a greyscale/color mixture. After I’ve put my images on the paper, I start with several layers of Prismacolor markers to lay in the base colors. Once that is done, I add Prismacolor colored pencils to “pop” the colors out. Next I’ll start to lay in areas using my trusty ol’ mechanical pencil. I use paper pencils to smudge and blend the pencil. The final step is to use white charcoal to add any highlights to the piece. Occasionally, I’ll scan my work into Photoshop to tweak the colors a bit before I send an image off to my printers or to a client. Overall, I prefer to use traditional mediums when I produce a piece. Aw, who am I kidding?! I just like the smell of paint thinner. Mmmmmmm….paaaaint thiiiiiiiner…..

Do you use references?

Absolutely! I have a ton of magazine subscriptions (I get the girly magazines at home, not my husband) so if I need someone in a particular pose I can just root through my “morgue”. A majority of the time I end up “frankensteining” my people to get the exact pose that I want. Over the years my husband has been a fairly decent model for me too if I’m having trouble with a particular pose.

I prefer to use references too because I feel that my work is much stronger when references are involved.

What school did you go to?

I graduated from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania with a BFA in Crafts. Yea, I know..crafts. They grouped painting, pottery, underwater basket weaving…all that stuff into Crafts. Although they had fabulous illustration courses, when I attended they didn’t have a Major in illustration so my major was in Painting with a secondary concentration in Illustration.

How long does it take you to do a painting/ piece of artwork?

Most of my CCG paintings are in the 6″ x 8″ range. I can finish a painting of this size in 12-20 hours (not continuous, spread out over a few days). The fact that I use oils is not a consideration of this either. I have literally been able to get oil paint to dry in about 20 minutes. 3 day old Liquin + Cobalt Drier + heat lamp = fast drying. For my mixed media pieces, I can complete a piece from initial sketch to finished color in about 8 hours for an 11″ x 14″ piece. My mini-Gryphons can be completed in about 10 hours once the clay I use to form their heads is dried.

What inspires you?

As a mother, great inspiration comes from the freakish spawn that are my son and daughter. Although my daughter is the only one so far to make it into one of my pieces, I do enjoy creating various mother/child faerie or angel pictures. All of my magazine subscriptions are also a great source of inspiration. I may see a face, pose, or landscape that will trigger a whole scene to develop in my mind. My Native American Spirituality is another great source for many of my personal pieces that show Shaman women and/or animals. Music is another fabulous inspiration for me. I listen to music constantly. A lot of times I will have difficulty working on a project until I find a good “soundtrack” for the piece.

Do you admire any other artists work?

If it weren’t for the work of Larry Elmore, I wouldn’t be creating the things I do today. His work on the Dragonlance series was paramount to me working in this field. Other early inspirations were Fred Fields, Jeff Easley, and Clyde Caldwell. Michael Komarck and Steve Argyle are fellow AEG artists whose work is just stupid good…Their work floors me every time I see it.

What are the Gryphons made of?/Is that REAL cat fur??!!/ What kind of owl is that??/Why do you use real fur?

Ah…my lovely Gryphons..nothing gets more questions than these guys. I cannot begin to mention how many times at my shows I get asked what kind of “owls” they are. Last time I checked, Owls do not have either fur or four legs! Thus the posted sign at my shows, “If you call us owls, birds, or dogs you WILL be charged $5″. All of my Gryphons start as a standard taxidermy form. I use red fox for the larger Gryphons and either squirrel or mink for the smaller ones. I use fox fur for the larger Gryphons and mink fur for the smaller one. With the exception of the beaks (either imitation eagle or hawk skulls) and the eyes (glass) all of the materials are from “real” animals. All of the feathers are from standard game birds, geese, turkeys, rooster, etc. The reason I use real animal parts is because I want the Gryphons to look as life like as humanly possible. Every year I get at least one person who leaves various anti-fur, vegan, what have you notes/messages by the Gryphons without even bothering to talk to me about them. I practice Native American Shamanism. Whenever I get ANY type of animal product, before I use it for anything, I will do a Rite of Release for the animal. This ensures that the animal’s spirit is not still attached to the remaining “shell” that I am about to use.

Can I order a custom Gryphon from you?

Yes! Large Gryphons start at $500 and small Gryphons start at $300. These prices are based on complexity of the Gryphon and availability of supplies. I can create the Gryphons in several dozen poses, even custom poses to a certain extent. If you would like a custom, I’ll go over with you all of the poses that are available, eye, body, wing & feather colors and any accessories that you would like with your Gryphon. All Gryphons come with a collar and brass name tag.