Hello! My name is Marilyn Cole and I have been on dA since October of 2006! I simply love this site and the opportunities it offers. I am a big advocate of Originality, Creativity, and Uniqueness when it comes to any art form, and I try to appreciate every style I come across. I also love the artists I meet here and I enjoy learning new things every day! I am a retired Gallery Moderator for the Anthro Gallery. I founded



[ T H E . A R T I S T ]

Age: 22
Gender: WOMAN.
Fursona/Caricature: Rabbit or German Shepherd
Education: AA degree in Liberal Arts & Science. Currently working toward a BSAED and eventually a Masters.
Major: Art Education (Art Teacher) with a concentration in Sculpture
Published Material: "The Tortoise and the Hare: An Adaptation of the Classic Story" March 2010. (IBSN: 978-1-4500-5808-7)
Current Freelance Franchises (Stories & Art):
□ Sweet Nuthins
□ 5DaysAWeek
□ The Tortoise and the Hare
□ Sheru Tsang Too

Livestream: [link]
FormSpring: [link]


Commissions: yes but limited. My info is here--> [link]
Trades: very rarely and only with close friends
Requests: Nope. I don't have time to do free art anymore.

Interests/ things you like to do?
Gardening, outdoor stuff, catching frogs in my pond and naming them, Playing piano, Bass, and Guitar, dancing, singing, acting, visiting friends, Cars, Airplanes, School Projects, Continuing my journey to art enlightenment.

Friends in Real Life?:


How did you Become a Gallery Moderator?
I applied when the position was open because I wanted to put my energy and love for this website to good use for the Anthro community on deviantART. If you have the same feeling I do, go check this out to see how you can volunteer --> [link]



[ T H E . A R T ]

How long have you been drawing and what did you start drawing first?
16 years / since I first discovered what a pencil does. i first started drawing siamese cats because I grew up with them and I thought they were beautiful creatures. Then later on, I got into drawing people--my teachers more specifically-- because I loved drawing their faces in funny situations. And then later of course...I had to combine them....voila! ANTHRO. Today I draw them as people again in a very funny webcomic called "5 Days A Week"

Words to describe your artistic vision?
On one side of the spectrum, I love slapstick, silly, and humorous things. I'm also someone who admires the simple, loving and sweet and at the same time, I revere sophistication.

How often do you draw?
Almost every day. I'm constantly doing sketching even in between commissions just to keep my motivation rolling. My drawing runs on mood and passion.

How about Inspirations / recommended Artists on dA?:
Any of my Homies in my watchlist are fair game. They are nice people and they are true artists. But a few of my favorites are:


What mediums are you most comfortable with in Traditional?
I'm most comfortable with watercolor and color pencil. I've also worked in both oil and acrylic in painting as well as enamel based paints. I don't do it very often anymore because I don't have the studio space to do it. But when I do- I'll be back to it!

What Material have you used in your 3D work?
Oil and water based clay, plaster, cement, resin, masonry lathe and steel. I absolutely love forging and welding. Plasma cutting is tricky but also a lot of fun.

For your digital, what programs do you use?
Adobe Photoshop CS2, Macromedia Fireworks, Image Ready or Adobe Premiere Pro 2.0. Some of my older digital pieces were done in Corel Photo Paint 7.

What brushes/tools do you use in your Photoshop work?
I use a custom brush and eraser both set to 20% flow. I use Normal, Multiply, and Overlay layers. And I use a Wacom intuos 3 tablet to do it.

What is the Underpainting Technique?
The Underpainting technique I use allows me to establish the tone in a piece before the color. I use a custom brush that has the consistency of charcoal. I let the white of the canvas to be the lighting and I use the eraser to take away pigment to reveal highlights. Simple concept really. I use only one color (usually a dark warm gray) and the eraser. that's it.
Then I come back over top with multiply, overlay, and normal layers to add color. I do not yet have a tutorial for this method.


Do you have tutorials/ other helpful stuff?
Yep--> [link]


[ T O R T O I S E . A N D . T H E . H A R E ]

Where can I get a copy of your published book?
You can order a copy through the publisher, or you can pre order a copy through me and pick it up at the next convention OR I'll mail it to you (if you cover shipping).
You can find all the Info you need here!--> [link]

What is the story about? What makes this adaptation of the Tortoise and Hare so different?
You might recognize The Tortoise and the Hare as a classic Aesop fable, where the Hare is defeated by the Tortoise because of his overconfidence. But in this adaptation, there is a lot more substance and a twist to the plot. Basically, The characters are far more detailed in their interpersonal relationships and personified behavior, the setting is much different and given a 1930's time period, and the story itself revolves around the Hare. Jack (the hare) is an elitist and a loud mouth-- far prouder of his accomplishments than he should be. The Tortoise (Terrace) is sick of being disparaged and made mockery of because of his failure to beat the hare. In desperation, he consults the Fox Witch (Madame Agnes Fox) for a way to stop the hare from winning the last race in their bet. Upon eating a donut laced with a vanity curse from the Fox Witch, Jack is transformed overweight and is faced with the challenge of competing in the race humbled by his new figure. Throughout the story, Jack and his devoted wife, Bernadette, learn a valuable lesson in humility, and Terrace will come to understand that strength isn't everything.

How did you go about writing and publishing the book?
For a little inside scoop on the process and the people involved in the production of the book, there is some info here on the website--> [link]

Also, feel free to watch a recap of the Panel I had at FurFright 2010 about the publishing process with rourkie, one of my contributors.
[link]
[link]


[ S W E E T   N U T H I N S ]

What is Sweet Nuthins?
It's a collection of heartwarming and hilarious illustrations involving charicatures of people in real life that I know.

Where can I follow it?
Right here--> [link]



[ 5 . D A Y S . A . W E E K ]


So where can I learn everything I need to know about this webcomic of yours?
Right here!--> My Teachers and the 5DaysAWeek FAQIntroduction
The following is an explaination of why my teachers have come to be a large part of my work, a chronology of related art from the very first drawing I ever did of them, and Frequently asked Questions about my affiliation and comic.
My comic series and most of my favorite work was inspired by the most rewarding and influential school year of my school career, 7th grade. What made this school year so special was the very people that left an impression on me forever- something I would have never expected before that time. My previous school years were rough; a death in the family, and I had a very low self-esteem.
I think what initially inspired me to start drawing my seventh grade teachers was the interesting relationships they had with each other, and the uniqueness in their personalities and teaching styles. These teachers were none like I have ever had before- something about them drove me to want sucess- It ripped me out of the depression I was in, and gave me something

JEEZ are you ever going to update it?
I'll get back in the swing of it soon. I'm currently trying to find a more efficient way of drawing the strips so they don't take me so long to plan out.


[ S H E R U . T S A N G . T O O ]

Siamese cats?
Sheru Tsang Too (formerly Ting Tang too) is a story about a little Red-Point Siamese and his adventurous endeavors carrying the duties of his 500 year old ancestor and bringing as much peace to the world as he can. I came up with Ting Tang when I was six years of age, after getting a Wedge Style Seal-point siamese, Sopko; who inspired me to draw pictures of these graceful animals.

I must learn more of this franchise that is currently on the back burner.
I've started to pick up this franchise again. Have a look at some updated artwork and information.

Also, here's all of my Siamese cat art--> [link]


[ F U N . S T U F F ]

Katmomma...Bunnymomma.....Sheppymomma? WHAT ARE YOU?
I'm an artist lol. I like them all. My favorite person inspired me to become a German Shepherd. And now that I think of it- in ways I am a lot more like a dog. I LIEK STEAK......and sniffing things.
yep.
Still a cuddle bunny though. :3 And I'm a cat lover so I still reserve my title as the mother of all kats (cats spelled the kool way)

What are your favorite things to draw?
People I know. Humorous things. Romantic/sweet things. Animals and cute little fuzzy fluffy fat critters. Siamese cats. I also have an addiction to drawing things that represent people in my life that really mean a lot to me. I guess that's really how I got started into being more serious about my work. It was passion.

Fat Bunnies.... How did this mayhem start?
Truthfully, it started with the production of "The Tortoise and the Hare"-- because after Jack Hare's unfortunate mishap that caused him to be a rather rounded bunny...well he was just so darn cute XD. I started drawing more fat bunnies and their popularity exploded here for reasons I am not aware of other than they are disgustingly cute and full of diabeetus.


Your favorite things to do?
Dancing, 4-wheeling, skating, bike riding, gardening, chillaxing with friends, drawing, singing, kicking ass in videogames, and having a barbecue.

Why do you think farts are so goddam funny?
because they are. Anyone with a good sense of humor knows that.


Some Memorable Quotes?
"When you ASSUME, you make an ASS out of U and ME"
"DUMB QUESTIONS are more easily handled than DUMB MISTAKES"
"I can only please one person a day. Today is not your day. Tomorrow doesn't look good either."
"Don't Let others create your world, for they will create it too small"
"You're a dummy if you do it once, and a damned dummy if you do it again."
"What's popular is not always right. What's right is not always popular."



If there are any more questions you think belong above, Feel free to ask In the meantime, Have a nice Day!