The Gray Old Trees

Wow, half a decade! This feels like a milestone!

I’ve been writing and drawing this strip, these characters, these stories, this setting, for five years now, and they all feel more alive and vivid to me than they ever have. And I feel more encouraged and determined to keep doing it than I ever have! I’m drawing more now than ever, thanks in large part to my taking up digital media (though my comic is still drawn in ink on Bristol and shall remain so!), and also in large part to seeing myself improve in meaningful ways on so many fronts. Every time I write one of these commemorative posts, I feel like a brand new artist!

The Gray Old Trees is alive and changing, and it fills me with energy. My characters are revealing more of themselves, and I’m thrilled that I get to tell their stories. Even when the physical process of creating these strips is tedious or difficult, even when they don’t come out looking the way I’d hoped, I’m always happy that I did it, and looking forward to doing it again. Art is a journey of constant learning, and I couldn’t ask for a better cast of dragons and wildlife to accompany me!

Finally, a huge thank-you to y’all! Whether you’ve bought a book, subscribed to my Patreon, told a friend about my comic, or even just read a few strips and went onto something else, you have my gratitude.

Alright, time to get back to drawing!

With artful regards,

-Strath