~TheHeliumTiger

Finally got around to opening up a Patreon to help support my art! It's centered around 3d animation and voting on future VRChat model projects. I will be posting animations 2 weeks early there, as well as WIPs and other projects for people to vote on :3

My goal is one animation or VRChat model a month, but with my stream of commissions to do alongside it, it may be less consistent than that. Either way, I'm happy to announce it, and my first post will be up soon!

https://www.patreon.com/Helium

Hey all, as of this evening, both of my twitter accounts are banned and I have no real explanation as to why.

Regardless of one's personal feelings on the website, it was the primary means of me interacting with the broader furry community and had nearly 7k followers, with this FurAffinity account getting quite a bit of neglect aside from posting some finished pieces. I've filed an appeal, but I am not expecting to get either account back. When the time comes, I'll make a new account if need be, but I am an artist who is financially reliant on commissions so I would have to be much more professional on there. It may have to be a fairly SFW account focused entirely on 3d art in order to make it a quasi-portfolio and as accessible as possible to the broader furry community.

I will make a fresh discord soon to serve as a way of communicating with folks, especially after I hear back from appeals. Look for a link soon.

Other than that, if you have a telegram, I will be using an announcements channel as my primary means of communicating with folks. https://t.me/joinchat/RSRCm8VPp4s1NmQx

More updates to come soon

EDIT:

Here's a new twitter. RTs very appreciated.

https://twitter.com/printedonsmile

Also, this is potentially a massive blow to me financially. (And also emotionally.) If anyone is feeling particularly generous, here's my ko-fi. https://ko-fi.com/ceejay3d

Hi! I recently made a Kofi!

Commissions are extremely difficult for me to figure out considering I work full time, and 3d is a time consuming medium. But the dream is still to have less hours at my "real" job and more hours doing art! So any support helps ❤️

If my work catches your eye and you're feeling generous, consider supporting me by buying me a coffee ❤️ https://ko-fi.com/ceejayaerostat

24 now, hoping the rest of the year goes smoothly tbh??

Lately I've been deeply disinterested in posting my work anywhere, or even finishing anything for that matter. Since I have such an enormous backlog of unfinished work already I figure I should put some of it up on here, so at least other people can give it a look.

So yeah, will be uploading some doodles here and there

im ceejay....

23 🎉

fun shiny thing is Actibated

who's goin

I realize I've been about as vague and confusing as possible with my characters that I draw, so I'm gonna list them here to make things easier, and when/where I use them.

Helium
I don't use the orange and pink tiger anymore. This handle on furaffinity is unfortunately the handle I am stuck with.


Ceejay
Formerly a cat, currently an alpaca. I'm currently messing with his design. When I first made the cat and ditched Helium, the goal was to make him a very generous version of myself. Lately my only goal with him is to be simpler, a little goofy, with a face that's plain and has some animalistic features.

Over the next several months I'll be doing more art of him. I want him to look consistent, plain, use a lot of neutral colors, and be a good start for TFs. He is as close to my fursona as all of my characters currently. But at the same time I'm a human with changing moods and an ensemble of characters I want to mess around with.

He will probably never have a consistent outfit, but he will always have glasses most likely.

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/30283209/
https://i.imgur.com/1czhYrH.png
https://i.imgur.com/jWGz0CD.png


Stain
A character I've had for a long time. He serves as a roommate/friend with benefits to Ceejay. Because Ceejay is a reflection of me, Ceejay changes over time. Stain is very consistent, being detached from me as an extension of myself, where his look will always be more-or-less the same.

Stain is basically a secondary fursona, a character that isn't supposed to be exactly me and won't change, but I'll probably always identify with, unlike Helium or the cat version of Ceejay.

He is a dog with piercings, he likes to wear a hat and has dyed red hair. He is a fan of metal music, he is masculine, and tries to act as heterosexual as possible. His gimmick is that he winds up very sissy and humiliated quite frequently, and despite his protests, secretly enjoys it. He also ends up having breasts quite often-- if there is a character of mine I'd canonically make a male with boobs, it'd be him.

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/29405877/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/29854189/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/24637738/ (old, but just to show he wears jeans/black sneakers)


Rudolph
Inflatable reindeer. I like this look a lot so I'll probably end up using it from time to time. A pretty good explanation for "what happened to the tiger?" As he retains the same pink inflatable hair the tiger used to have.

I've given him a load of different body types and looks over the past couple of years, and I will probably never give him a very consistent body shape/type. I was playing with the idea of him being a canon female/mom (Carmen) but I haven't been interested in it too much. This look only has a consistent Christmas theming, and the reason why it works for me is because it gives a reasonable enough explanation as to why someone is an inflatable person aside from "i like this weird thing haha." He (the tiger Helium, or really any random non inflatable person you wanna put in here for your own imagination) turned himself into a Christmas themed decorative balloon just for the sake of it around the holiday season, but the change wasn't reversible, so he wears it 24/7.

It's a fun enough look that I would have it be my actual fursona if I didn't also like non-inflatable kinks a lot also, or simply the act of going from non-inflatable to inflatable. But he's great for being obnoxious, being extremely feminine, and being treated like an object. His main features that would be consistent between body types are his huge lower lip, a very distinct lack of intelligence, and his color pattern and red/green/white clothing and makeup.

https://www.furaffinity.net/view/30420537
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/30487193/
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/25484948/ (old, but probably will be drawn in a similar shape again later on, so it's still valid enough)


Flare
A big, mean, inflatable dad. The character is old and needs a rework. An edgy, demonic aesthetic with a rubber twist to it was the goal, and when he was first made I seriously could barely draw. Last year I made a full model of him but as it turns out I don't like his current look. At some point this year, hopefully during a time where I have undergone more arm treatment and even physical therapy, I will be able to output some content of him with a brand new look.

He is a wish granting, powerful demon who turned himself inflatable. During a redesign I may scrap his inflatable-ness, but he will still be comically buff and masculine, and clearly inflation and toy-tf centric. He is extremely dominant and specifically plays on what tf obsessed people would want-- a pure dom who will provide ownership. He has zero interest in seeking out being dominated himself; sure if the tables turn on him it can be fun, but he loves genuine worship and gratitude from people he turns into toys and playthings. He just craves having his ego stroked.

Aside from transformation, he uses his magic to inflate people (both inflating them into blimps, and also maybe something a bit more cartoonish and embarrassing like head inflation, or puffybuff things), and he also shrinks people quite frequently. His other caveat is that he loves his magic being permanent or as hard to reverse as possible.

Until I redesign him, here is his current look:
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/14709945/ (embarrassingly old ref)
https://www.furaffinity.net/view/17741654/ (also embarrassingly old)
https://i.imgur.com/f5oHvob.png (model I was working on/scrapped)


Other Characters
Anyone not listed here but I've drawn in the past is someone I would need to rework to draw again, or I'm not interested in them in the same way I was at one point. Methane the skunk is a great example. I'm just not into them right now. I would need to be inspired to rework them, and because my art output is so light and sporadic for a multitude of reasons, I am worried I'd run out of steam on them even if I did.


Future Characters
I'm pretty sure at some point I'll make a primarily female, non-inflatable character. I may also write characters in for certain aesthetics I like, and put them in kinky and non-kinky situations (cyberpunk is a good example). The gambit is that anything I make from now on, I would like a cohesive reason to exist, rather than just feeling like another weird alt, or another meaningless fursona adjustment. It will make things less confusing, make my art feel less silly, and provide for interesting interactions if a preexisting character is interacting with them.


Okay, so... who are you, exactly?
Alright you want to know how to refer to me. I'm Ceejay. For now, an alpaca. I may slip back into a cat state of mind since I've always been a Cat Guy. "theheliumtiger" is an online handle and still the way most people refer to me (and it's not one I can change on here) but my images will be marked with my twitter handle, which is BodyInflation.

-Currently in the middle of getting rid of the cat fursona and turning him into an alpaca. art is a very slow process for me especially with work/rl obligations.
(on that subject, I go by "Ceejay" and not Helium, and I really wish I could edit my username on here and it wasn't hard coded into a table on the servers)
Not that it's really important, but I consider Stain and Rudolph just as valid of characters to identify as. I will use them on social media/twitter from time to time. I'm not trying to be confusing. My moods change.

-Scheduled to get some treatment in the arm (yep, still a thing).

-Probably going to BLFC again.

-Twitter is still my primary website. I'll still try to upload some things on here for the sake of having an unobstructed gallery.
https://twitter.com/BodyInflation

22????????????????????????

wanna hang out

21, neat

Trying to doodle a tiny bit every day. I really wanna get back to work on commissions but somehow my arm is still extremely painful.

Gonna be looking into a specialist. I'll probably need some injections but I'm hoping to be able to avoid surgery.

Link your secret santa submissions here (with who you've drawn for visible) so that it's easy to find! Feel free to upload them now if you haven't already, at any point until the 27th!

Hey guys, it's almost Christmas! Tomorrow evening I'll be posting up a journal where people can link their secret santa images after uploading, to help make things easier to find. Try to post by the 27th, anything after that date will be considered late and I'll assign people to draw for those who hadn't gotten anything after that point. If anyone is unable to complete their part it's not the end of the world, but you won't be allowed to participate in future secret santas.

If you're feeling extra generous, I could always use more volunteers to help those who didn't get anything. I'll be drawing from the list of names at random.

---

My arm injury has gotten very, very severe. I'm doing what I can for my own secret santa recipient, and that will be the last of the drawing I do for the next 3 weeks or so if not more. I am actually unable to play video games or even use the computer much at this point.

For about 2 or 3 weeks I had a period of zero pain and I thought I was done with my injury, but still taking it easy. I began drawing a couple weeks ago for 6 hours a day thinking i was back to normal, and within 3 days of this my arm was in extreme pain once again. I made my Secret Santa this year under the impression I could participate and kick off an art groove by putting my best into it-- only for my arm injury to come back in full swing within a few days.

Basically, I have major swelling going on in my arm and signs of damage to a bunch of different tendons. I'm now starting to show symptoms of carpal tunnel, radial tunnel and tennis elbow all in my drawing arm. I'm on steroids over the next week and resting it as much as possible. If the swelling can go down and the pain can subside, I will begin physical therapy within a few weeks. If not, I may need more intense treatment, whether it's cortisol injections or an arm cast/surgery.

I've decided I will (probably) make a PWYW art pack of more or less every doodle I've ever done that was worth saving. I really REALLY REALLY do not like that I have to do this but I will need the help as my road to recovery has been much longer than I could have anticipated in the beginning.

What happens over 2017, with respect to my art? When I am able to draw again I am going to put a huge focus into animation and breathing more life into my art style than ever. Until then I will find other ways to entertain myself and produce content. There may be stories, interactive stuff, and 3d work coming soon. It depends on how long this goes on-- I'm hoping by February, I can resume work. But then again I thought this would be over with by November.

--Signups closed, notes & DMs dispatched!--

Hi! I decided to organize my own Secret Santa this year. It'll be an art swap based around inflation! There won't be any specific requirements for what kind of inflation, go off of what you think the person you're drawing for would like the most!

If you're not familiar with how Secret Santas work, or specifically how this one will go--I will be taking signups over this weekend, randomizing the list and assigning you a random person to draw for, while a random person will draw for you! You'll have almost two full weeks to be able to get the pictures done, so you won't have to feel rushed.

Signups start now, and end this Sunday night, Dec 11, 2016 at 11:59pm Mountain Time. I will privately message you the person you will be drawing for on Monday, and submissions are to be posted on the 25th of December.

First off, the requirements to enter are as follows:

1. Your gift must be drawn. (Try to do something special! Nothing better than to give someone something you can be happy about.)

2. You must have drawn recently. To help ensure that everyone gets their gift, I won't accept those who haven't posted anything publicly in the past 6 months. This doesn't necessarily have to be on FA, either.

3. Have an interest in inflation. Be both willing to draw at least some extension of big (especially air inflation), and happy to accept it if the person who drew you decided to draw it for you! You will be able to request your favorite kind of big/expansion as well as sizes, or perhaps a basic idea to get the ball (you) rolling.

4. Have a visual reference of your character. This doesn't have to be a ref sheet specifically, just something someone can go off of to make things easier for the person drawing for you.

Also, there is no skill requirement, only your willingness to give something nice to someone else in the community!


If you're cool with all of this, either contact me or (preferably) post in the journal comments both a reference and about a sentence or two of what you enjoy, what your character is like, etc! To help separate signups from other comments, be sure to reply to my own comment below! I will have a publicly visible spreadsheet of those who are officially signed up as well.


Once you've entered and I've noted you with who you'll be drawing for, keep in mind a few guidelines:

Keep who you're drawing for a secret. I mean this one is kind of obvious but still

Post it as close to the 25th of December as possible. Try not to post too early or too late. If it doesn't get done til some point past the 26th I'll assume it's not going to be done at that point and work around it

Don't rush it! Give yourself plenty of time to work on it so you don't feel pressured, and don't wait til the last minute either! It'll help ensure others don't miss out on getting a gift on the 25th.

Keep it SFW. Teasing is okay, suggestive is generally not.

Also, if you can't think of a good theme or setting, keep it holiday themed!


I will be participating in this Secret Santa myself, and if people up not receiving a gift for any reason, I or anyone who volunteers will do something to help make up for it, so you shouldn't have to feel worried about being cheated out of anything. Also, I will try to do this on a yearly basis, so not providing a gift on time would mean being banned from participating in any future Secret Santas I host.

Lastly, the list of those who are signed up is here, along with their refs/brief description:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/.....it?usp=sharing

Hopefully that covers everything! Also if you'd like to help in case someone doesn't end up receiving anything, let me know. Thanks!

(p.s. if this is during read only mode, feel free to message me wherever. The Google Docs link will stay updated.)

meme

Q: Where are you staying?
A: Doubletree

Q: When will you be arriving and leaving?
A: Thursday afternoon/midday Monday

Q: What/where will you be eating?
A: Wherever people wanna take me haha

Q: Will you be having a room party?
A: Probably chilling in my own room a couple nights but otherwise gonna be looking for people to chill with

Q: Will you be drinking?
A: i need water to survive

Q: What is your gender?
A: boy

Q: If I approach you, will you chat with me?
A: sure fam

Q: If I see you, how should I get your attention?
A: Just look for my badge and come say hi, especially if I'm by myself or chilling at the tables

Q: How many furry conventions have you attended?
A: This will be my 4th major one

Q: Do you own a fursuit?
A: I own an inflatable suit but I don't know if I'll bring it or not yet

Q: How can I find you?
A: Long hair, chubby, glasses, beard, looks lethargic, will be wearing a purple and black striped hoodie a lot too. Oh yeah and a tiger tail and sometimes a tiger snapback. Usually a hat tho

Q: Can I buy you drinks?
A: gimme an energy drink

Q: Can I look in your sketchbook?
A: Go for it!

Q: Can I take your picture?
A: Please don't do this unless you don't plan on posting stuff. Even then it's kinda awkward

Q: What's your goal for the con this year?
A: Just to chill with as many people as possible, I have no super big plans so I just wanna hang out with people and bounce around from place to place, and draw a lot too

I just got done with some medication for the arm. It felt amazing for a few days and has been consistently degrading now that I've tapered off.

It's a tendon injury and surgery won't be necessary, but it's possible I may be getting a sling or a cast for the arm. I'll know more of what's going on when I visit the doctor again within the next few days.

Drawing, at the moment, is possible but in really small bursts, meaning I can't exactly stream but I will try to figure out how to get myself to work so I can afford MFF.

I'll post more updates when I can.

So 6 days ago, as I was working on my current ref sheet, I ended up putting myself into a really shitty predicament.

I (was) working every single day and I'm sure people were seeing the stream icons that'd be popping up around the same time almost every night. I was working 6-9 hours a day on top of school and really getting through owed stuff like crazy. Unfortunately during my stream last Wednesday, I started having extreme, almost unbearable pain in my right hand to the point that I could no longer grip my pen. However, I didn't think much of it as I've had pretty bad aches and cramps from streaming before and usually I'm almost totally fine within 24 hours.

Unfortunately, this time I must have done some serious stuff to my wrist as it's not gotten any better after 6 days. I was initially diagnosed with carpal tunnel but my symptoms aren't lining up, especially the area of pain. (I'm thinking it may be a sprain as it happened during one of my wrist stretches)

I've had it in a brace and within the next couple days I'll be seeing about going to a specialist and maybe getting some different medication to help with pain and recovery. Unfortunately it looks like I'll be out of work for 2-4 weeks. Right before MFF. I'm going to do what I can to go but this has thrown off a lot of plans and felt like a low blow to me that words couldn't describe.

I'm not asking for donations (at least, I have always wanted to do anything I can to avoid getting to that point) so I will be exploring alternate ways to produce content and lining up future commissions for when my recovery is done. Some ideas I've had:
-Learn to draw with left hand for now (not entirely unfeasible considering how often I've used vectored lines in the past)
-Start to dabble in 3D
-Writing, especially script writing for a future comic
-Art studies in general

For now, if you want to help me out, ask me about a commission and we can get something worked out. I'll take on a few more on top of what I have now and hopefully that will get me by without putting me too far behind. However, I simply don't know how long recovery will take. Regardless I will be making as many steps as possible to improve my situation as again, this is my job, and drawing is basically my only ambition.

I will keep people updated as this is my livelihood and I am still hell bent on getting to MFF and continuing to draw and improve myself.

Again, nearly all of my art goes to https://twitter.com/BigBalloonCat these days.

I have so much stuff not uploaded onto FA, especially colored doodle commissions from streams. I was just never sure if they were complete enough in my own eyes to be put here in this "portfolio" I have on FA. What should I do with them? Upload one at a time or just a link to an art pack?

I have commissions backed up due to college, but I'm working my way through them, and by next weekend I should be much more freed up. Going to try doing some different kinds of commissions, plus doing a patreon revival project hopefully by the end of the month.

And lastly I will be going to MFF (with ~95% certainty at least) so if you're going and wanna meet up let me know. Just like every other con I seem to spend a lot of time chilling around tables and drawing

I'll be there, anyone else going?

day

In order of most to least important, here are the sites you should follow me on:

TWITTER TWITTER TWITTER: https://twitter.com/BigBalloonCat (I use my twitter so much, PLEASE consider following me!)
Tumblr: http://theheliumtiger.willinflate.me/ (Soon to be my main gallery strictly for my pictures/doodles)
Weasyl: https://www.weasyl.com/user/theheliumtiger
FurryNetwork: https://beta.furrynetwork.com/helium/
DeviantArt???: http://theheliumtiger.deviantart.com/

I'll be back once the waters are safe!