Rheic (pronounced Ray-ic) is a traditional artist, aspiring writer and reticient youtuber. She has a fierce love for the spooky in all it's forms and will likely die on a hill defending the fact that Halloween is the best holiday.
Otherwise known as Melissa, she resides in England and currently studies conservation ecology.
She would like to say she lives in an abandoned mansion with several cats and a skeleton butler - though this remains to be seen. One day, maybe.
FAQ
1. How did you get into art?
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Well not to be cliche but I've been drawing ever since I grasped that I liked making marks on blank things, and that paper would get me praise whereas walls got me lectures.
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But since I you're after a more detailed answer - I first started to draw with purpose when my dad, who is also artistically inclined, let me read his 2000 AD comics and told me to copy pages I liked in order to improve my anatomy skills. He also showed me the work he did for his O level art way back in the 80's and little me was blown away at how cool his art was. It was full of gory black and white detail, crammed with skulls and death and lots of cool gritty heroes and monsters on motorbikes.
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I decided I wanted to draw like that. And while my style hasn't evolved as raw as his or the artists that inspired him, It's still full of skeletons and monsters. And I am very very fine with that.
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2. What equipment do you use for Youtube?
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Ok so I'll be real honest with you here; I am cheap as all get out. I record all my footage on my phone. I have a clamp on a swivel which helps me get steady shots and frees up my hands. I currently have no lights set up aside from a cheap ringlight and the window, so filming is definitely on a daylight timer. My editing software is Lightworks, a free video editor that is perfect if a little unintuitive at times.
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The only expense so far is the microphone my boyfriend blessed me with. Prior to that I used the inbuilt microphone on my computer. Now I use this fancy thang and audacity (another bit of free software) to record my voiceovers.
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You don't need much to get started. You certainly don't need much to make good content.
3. Why don't you ever draw anything pretty?
Honest answer - because it bores me. I can appreciate flowers, and model-esque faces, and cute chibi style characters. But attempting to recreate these things myself makes my pencil feel like wielding a fifteen ton boulder. I draw creepy things and skeletons and weird characters because it makes my soul cackle and bounce around in my ribcage. It's fun. I recommend it.
4. Are you open for commissions?
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Always best to message me to find out! There are times when I am rammed with work producing youtube content and convention stock, and other, slower times where I try to wheel this single person madhouse into a pretence of productivity. Please be detailed in what you want and we will see what I can do for you.
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5. What events do you sell at?
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Ahh, the eternal question. I generally don't know where I'm selling until the end of January in any given year. Later depending on the responsiveness of the convention in mind. Generally speaking I try to aim for comic and film cons around Sheffield, Manchester and Birmingham, UK. I would gladly consider cities farther afield provided my travel and accommodation costs don't go through the roof.
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6. Where can I buy your work??
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First of all I am beyond thrilled that you want to purchase something of mine. Thank you!
I have closed my online shops as of 2024 to focus on otherareas of life, and with no conventions currently lined up, my work is now purely hobbyist. My Rheics Robot's storefront remains open to seel after TFNation each year, but that is - unfortunately, it.
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