Sketchbook July 2026 – MastaFran ComicsMastaFran Comics

Halfway through the summer dealing with conventions and heat waves, I’m still amazed at how much work I’ve been doing! Despite a certain feeling of desperation about things in life, I eliminated a more difficult assignment and moved forward with big projects like writing for Blackmask. I’m doing my best to keep my spirits up, so forgive me for my bouts of radio silence.

Conventions

Ryan Self Portrait "Mastafran" Francis at his table at Minicon 2026

I’m having a routine time with my conventions, starting the month at the Cook Memorial Library Minicon and leading up to my return to Comicopolis Lockport. Every time I sell my comics, stickers, and playmats, I remember how much I need to print a larger art book.

Homework keeps forgetting about me because I organize more important projects to finish, like day jobs and assignments. There are still upcoming events in the coming months, like Alley Art Fest, Anime Magic, and Nerdvana! If you’re curious about my future art events, check out my conventions page!

Commissions

Pixel portrait animation of an anthropomorphic female rat with white fur and red eyes. He wears a rat skull mask over his face and a dark blue cape over his head.

It’s hard for the old habit to die, as my work is cleaner to the point of being boring. Even with so many years doing pixel art, I never feel good enough because I compare all my pixel art to the Lospec cover.

Work-in-progress footage of the process of creating an animated portrait of an anthropomorphic female rat with white fur and red eyes. He wears a rat skull mask over his face and a dark blue cape over his head. Each step shows the process, starting with a color digital art sketch, a pixel art block, a refinement step, and the final portrait still image.

Here’s an icon animation commission I started two months ago. I did little experiments with my pixel art process, like incorporating Wave Warp for the hair animations while making more complicated idle animations, so it all worked out great! I’m pushing my pixel technique to be fine by leaving imperfect gaps in between without adjusting each frame.

There are still a few more big projects to tackle and I’m taking drastic measures to finish them. If you’d like me to draw and animate something for you, I’d be happy to point you to my Commissions page!

black mask

Three monochrome green pixel illustrations of three anthropomorphic raccoons. A male raccoon on the left wearing a long jacket appears to be two other raccoons. The medium-sized, moderately busty female raccoon has messy hair and a sloppy dress holding a cigarette in a disdainful attitude. The fat, upright male raccoon wears a stylish feather hat and kilt, while holding a cane.

Blackmask is doing well as most of the notable work is in the hands of my programmer, leaving me free to work on other artwork and commissions in the meantime. Your personal goal is to look for a new feature implemented every week.

Marker sketch of an anthropomorphic male raccoon dressed in a black full-body suit and boots, a red bandana, brown fingerless gloves and a belt made of a small pouch and throwing knives. The raccoon also wields a machete in his hands.

So far, swimming, enemies lose you when you hide, and alternating terrain footsteps sound effects are implemented, and more to come! At this rate, a playable version may finally be within our reach!

Myleena Queen Yeen

Pencil drawing from a double-page sketchbook showing a height comparison of a 6-foot-tall anthropomorphic female hyena wearing a top with ring closures from which her fur protrudes and a long, flowing loincloth. He also carries a hooked sword. Behind her are faint sketches of a smaller hyena head and a lion head for height comparison. Name ideas are proposed in the written text: "Queen Myleen Yeen Supreme". The hyena is found alongside smaller anthropomorphic animals: the domestic cat, tanuki, raccoon, jackal, gray wolf and lion.

I’ve been doodling hyenas. Working with an OC named Myleena, who raids abandoned Lion Empire barracks to search for scrap metal and bones from military skirmishes. He also scribbled a sloppy height chart on which she was twice the average size of a snarling hyena and about the size of a lion and a wolf.

Hearing protector

Two pen and ink illustrations of an anthropomorphic basset hound with long ears. The first illustration on the left shows the dog dressed in a feathered gentleman's hat, a tunic, and stripped trousers. Attached to the dog's ears are large shields to cover its body, leaving room to hold its long sword with both hands. The second illustration on the right shows the dog in a sword combat scenario against an armored anthropomorphic fox that defends itself from the dog's sword attack with its own thick, fluffy tail, while attempting to attack with its own sword only to be blocked by the dog's large shielded ear.

Continuing with my absurd campaign to make “Dark Souls Jr”, I drew a basset hound with shields on its ears. Is it effective for battle? Shut up, nerd!

Two pencil sketches of an anthropomorphic basset hound with long ears, dressed in a long tabbard, a headband and greaves on the legs. Attached to the dog's ears are samurai sode inspired covers to cover his ears.
Two pen and ink illustrations of an anthropomorphic basset hound with long ears dressed in a jacket, neckerchief, black boots and spikes and holding a sword on his belt. The second sketch shows the dog in action flying through the air in a long vertical sword motion while its ears and dewlap fall into the air.
Pen and ink height chart of an anthropomorphic basset hound with long ears. He wore a feather hat with the label "soldier" standing at 3 feet, and an anthropomorphic raccoon wearing a long coat called "Cabbage"standing at 3 feet, a different anthropomorphic dog with short ears and a belt of labeled flintlock pistols "Commander" 4 feet, and an unnamed, vaguely drawn anthropomorphic wolf in a loincloth and sandals, 6 feet.

Another idea is a doodle of a nameless guard dog arresting Cole and chaining him up to prevent Cole from venturing out. After a cool buddy adventure ends, the two come to understand each other.

A collage of gel pen sketches of an anthropomorphic male dog in armor and a male raccoon in a long ragged coat. The sketches above show the raccoon dressed as a dog engaged in a sword fight. The bottom sketches show the dog and raccoon handcuffed together with a long chain. There are also sketches of close-ups and alternative angles of the dog's face, some sketches specify that the dog has a border collie coat pattern. The written text says: "Dog arrests Cole; He is a mandatory member of the party."

Poodle Prince

Trying to expand on Dog Empire’s story and add some characterization, I scribble ideas from a dandy Prince Poodle. He is a Macaroni-inspired character who is obsessed with his appearance and his noble lineage.

Pencil drawing of an anthropomorphic male poodle with long, puffy fur that flutters on his legs and arms. He wears an elegant black jacket from the 17th century with tight pants and ribbons on his ears. On top of the dog's huge pompadour is a small hat.
Six pencil view drawings of an anthropomorphic male poodle with long, puffy fur that flutters on the legs and arms. He wears an elegant black jacket from the 17th century with tight pants and ribbons on his ears. The first three sketches show large shields attached to the dog's large fluffy ears and a musketeer's hat.

The first sketches had the poodle character as feminine and I realized that I wasn’t thinking of enough notable male characters and leaned toward a more effeminate, appearance-obsessed character.

Three pencil sketches of an anthropomorphic female poodle with long, puffy fur that flutters on her legs and arms. She wears an elegant 17th century black jacket with tight trousers and ear ribbons.
Pencil drawing of an anthropomorphic female poodle with long, puffy fur and large shields attached to her ears in a battle with an anthropomorphic wolf who attacks with her sword only to be deflected by the poodle's ear protector.

This isn’t the first time I’ve drawn a poodle character, so I’m digging through archives for pre-designed ideas. I haven’t written enough for this character and I’m figuring out how he might relate to the thematic ideas of Blackmask, but the conflict of vulgar Cole against a sleek purebred pantser is an interesting dynamic. I need to do more with this.

Two pencil sketches of an anthropomorphic male poodle with black fur patterned as a wavy shirt and pants combination. The sketch on the left shows the poodle reclining on a cloud holding a staff made of a lightning bolt and a cloud. The sketch on the right is a straight standing posture to demonstrate the full body design.

jimothy doodle

Digital illustration of a raccoon with a spinal deformity that gives it a short, round appearance with long legs.

A doodle of a raccoon with spinal problems that’s making waves online right now.

Moving forward

Digital color over traditional ink, half-length portrait, drawing of an anthropomorphic female green dragon in bright white armor, over a half-red, half-blue doublet.

Summer passes by me and I still wonder how much I can do. Wavering between mental flux and mental vapors, I do what I can to maintain my art. This current year has me becoming more aware of the work of art I am completing. Some may argue that this thinking slows down my production.

Still, I am looking to improve the quality of my work, so thank you for continuing through my most difficult stages of creation. I haven’t forgotten my absence from streaming, but I still don’t feel ready to return to Twitch. You’ll have to wait while I figure out what my artistic ambitions are.

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