Queer Stitches Multimedia Arts

Hello! Queer Stitches is run by me, Max Ralstin, to show off a multitude of art forms. This blog has just recently merged with another to bring together the whole collective of artistic mediums I use including but not limited to knitting, crochet, and illustration. Currently working on a goal to start working a shared booth at conventions in artist alley.

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In class we’re doing color harmony palettes and HECK I NEED TO DO MORE OF THESE. I’m also just in the mood for headless boys. Blame it on all the goretober in my feed.

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So at school we are able to check out cintiq pro tablets for 24 hours and I’m having way too much fun with it. Gonna be turning this into a sticker and patch. Soon I hope to be putting up a small website for showing and selling my art. There’s gonna be a lot of stickers and small things

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A fun ink study has produced this demon series! Will be getting these out as prints and stickers in the future

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Quick experiment painting with gouache! Never used it before but I really enjoyed it! I haven’t done any paintings outside watercolor in a very long time (since high school maybe??) but I will definitely be doing some more!

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Sketch of the test painting, it’s late and there’s no sunlight so I’m planning on painting tomorrow.

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Sketch for a test painting I’m going to do with my new supplies. Going to do a watercolor under layer and then use gouache over it. I’ve used watercolor a lot but I haven’t used guoache before. I’ll probably do multiple paintings to get my feel for it. For the final painting I want to do a ring of flowers around his portrait. I’m still thinking what flowers I want around him. Maybe something blue/purple since he’s gonna have a pinkish overtone to him, I like those colors paired together.

This is my character Michael, the protagonist of the book I wrote for Nanowrimo last year.

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Had to make use of my Joann coupons and employee discount today, so I got some things I’ve been eyeing for a while. I love Canson mixed media sketchbooks so I thought of trying their watercolor paper out. I’ve only ever used watercolor pencil so I got myself a set of tube paints as well as gouache. @myriamtillson on instagram inspired me a bit with her videos so I want to do some experimenting. Also want to get back into using my markers so I picked up a pad of marker paper too. I got a small few brushes and pencils as well. (Hint on coupons at Joann; we not only take our own coupons but competitor coupons as well so you can bring ones from Michael’s or hobby lobby to us and we’ll take it)

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I’ve been trying to work in doing life drawings during my day. Here’s a couple from last night. I like how it looks like they’re looking at each other, wasn’t intentional but fun anyways.

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Market bags!! The purple one is a bday gift for one of my wonderful friends and the green one is for myself. They are available for commission (you can pm me for details if interested). I was in a really in a grey mood when I made these, grey with bright color accents is my weakness okay? The pattern is just something I came up in my head.

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Finished the sweater!!

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Hours were cut at work so I’ve spent most of my week at my local yarn shop, Yarn It and Haberdashery, chilling with the grandmas and aunties. I’ve got so many nice comments on my sweater which always feels good 😊

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Update on the sweater! It’s nice, warm, and oversized. So far I am very happy with it. I hope to get the sleeve done in the next few days.

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Had to call off work due to me having a major medication mix up leaving me real messed up. But while I feel like shit I can at least get some progress done on my sweater sample. Hope y’all like my pjs 😂

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Commission finished! I always like to make my baby blankets a bit big so that way they can still use them as toddlers.

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Current commission I’m working on; a baby blanket for my mother’s coworker. I’m making it out of Bernat Blanket Stripes in the Seaside colorway. Love working with this yarn 💜 Should be finishing this up today or tomorrow

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Crochet and D&D, how I spend every Friday night

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My favorite online yarn store, Gnome Acres (www.gnomeacres.com), is closing down. So of course I had to get my hands on as much of their yarn as possible. Most of it is sock yarn, but I have many plans for these. If anyone has hand dyed yarn shops they’d like to recommend me please reply or pm me! I’m always looking for new yarns.