~ABOUT THE ARTIST AND AUTHOR:

Name: Adele Lorienne S.
Age: 28
Location: Oregon, USA
Pets: A rambunctious cat named Sebastian and a noisy Quaker parrot named Crackers. :)
Interests/hobbies: Art, movies, music.
Job: Professional freelance artist
Contact E-mail: Saimain@yahoo.com
AIM: Faerens Song

Other art galleries on the web:
Artician Gallery
CGHub Gallery
DeviantART Gallery
Elfwood Gallery
GFXArtist Gallery
PD Gallery
ImagineFX Gallery


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~What is MeadowHaven?~
Meadowhaven is a personal art site, focusing primarily on original fantasy artwork and characters from two private storylines: "The Wars of Avenan" and "Not All Kings Wear Gold." Detailed information on the story and characters from "The Wars of Avenan" can be found HERE and the "Not All Kings Wear Gold" HERE. Artwork can be found in the Art Gallery, and prints, cards and other products can be purchased from the Meadowhaven Store.
DO NOT take, copy, distribute, or use any portion of the work–-art, writing, or otherwise–-featured on this site without written consent. Nothing on this site is free to take or use, and is © copyrighted to me or to other artists.


Q. How did you learn to draw?
I'm a self-taught artist, and learned to draw over the years by study, observation, and practice. Practice is the key to becoming an artist--all good artists come from cruddy ones who refused to give up. :) I've been doodling since I was a child, mostly just trees and ponies, but I started to seriously draw when I was about 17.


Q. Can you teach me to draw?
I'm afraid the only advice I can give is to pay attention to the world around you--how light hits objects, how things are put together, how colors change. Memorize shapes and practice them. Sketch everyday, learn the way things move, how things look from certain angles, get someone to pose for you, even. You need to train yourself to reproduce life before you can bend it to fit your whims. Learn the rules and what you like about them and you will start to develop your own style as an artist.
Also, please do not e-mail me your artwork or writing; I am also still learning and in no position to critique somebody else's work. ^__^;;


Q. Are your characters from any book or game?
The characters depicted in my artwork and writing are creatures of my own design from personal stories I share with a friend. There are artbooks with more information available in the Artbooks section of this website, but the written story is not available to read.


Q. What happened to your 'The Wars of Avenan' series? Weren't you writing it?
Yes, for almost ten years I had been working on the novels, but eventually I realized that it was taking too much of my time and energy, and causing needless stress and frustration. There was just so much I wanted to tell that the series would probably never be completed, and I was earning next to nothing from the sale of the books. I believe that the artwork can stand on its own and show what needs to be shown without a couple thousand pages of writing, so I am putting all of my focus into my artwork. My sincerest apologies to those of you waiting for the last two novels to be finished.


Q. Is your work available for licensing?
Yes, depending. If you are interested in using my artwork on your products or for various other purposes, please e-mail me (Saimain@yahoo.com) and we can discuss details. :)


Q. Do you take requests or commissions?
I'm sorry, but I cannot accept free requests. Time is very short, and I have to make a living. I do accept commission work, though, both commercial and private. Details and availability can be found on my Commissions page.


Q. Can I use your art for my RPG site/character?
No, I don't allow my personal artwork or ideas to be used to portray another person's character or story. My characters have names, personalities, histories, and are not random people to be taken and given alternate identities to suit another purpose. If you want a character portrait of your own, please consider commissioning an artist to draw one for you? There are hundreds of artists online who accept portrait commissions, and you can find many of them by browsing DeviantArt.com.


Q. Can I use your work for tubing, websets, signatures, personal avatars, etc.?
The answer to this is also no. My illustration work is personal, each with specific characters and stories behind them. It is not free to use for stationary, tubes, tags, signatures, avatars, journal layouts, websets, backgrounds, banners, icons, pixel bases, or anything else that alters/crops/manipulates/modifies the image, whether profit or non-profit.


Q. What media do you draw/paint with, and what type of paper do you use?
For my pencil work I use an 0.5 mechanical pencil and blending stick, and your average acid-free 8.5x11" white printer paper. For digital paintings I use an older program called Photoshop 5.5 and a Wacom Graphire tablet. I also occasionally use watercolor, charcoal, and colored pencils.


Q. You do so many pencil drawings...can I color one of them?
Sure, with one exception. I don't mind at all if you color my work for fun or practice, but I ask that you *not* post the image online afterward. Mainly because people will custom color/alter my lineart to fit their own characters or preferences, and so change my work and what it was originally meant to represent. I honestly don't like seeing Faeren portrayed with blue hair and red eyes and given different names/meaning other than what I intended. ^__^;; Printing out the image to give away/sell/use for display when you're finished is also not allowed. My copyright still applies even if you've colored it.


Q. Can I buy some of your art?
Prints, gift cards, and other products can be found in the Meadowhaven Store. They are extremely high-quality, personally approved, and I will sign print orders by request. :)


Q. Can I draw your characters?
Nothing makes my day more than finding guest art in my mailbox! ^__^ If you draw one of my characters, your work will likely be posted in Meadowhaven's Guest Art section along with your name and e-mail or link to your site. I've fallen a bit behind on updates in that section lately, as I'm working on a possible redesign of Meadowhaven's layout.


Q. Do you accept art trades?
Only rarely. Usually I will approach the artist about it first. I've been jilted in the past by artists who never come through on their ends, so I'm wary of people approaching me. I have very little time for trades now, so unless you're a very good friend, chances aren't high that I will accept. You're welcome to try, though, I do make exceptions every once in a while.


Q. Is this the end of your FAQ?
Indeed it is! If your question has not been answered here, please feel free to e-mail me and ask personally. :)