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Inktober Day Five: Smack. It turns out a "smack" is a type of fishing vessel, which gave me an excellent excuse to slip a kraken in! Total time: ~6 hours #Inktober #Inktoberday5 #Inktober2026 #smack #steampunk

Choppy seas with a fishing vessel in the middle ground. In the foreground, tentacles burst from the waves. One of the two figures on the boat is pointing in the kraken's direction, 'cause he knows this isn't gonna end well.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 04/10/2026

Inktober Day Four: Cactus. A steampunk cactus wren for a steampunk cactus! Total time: ~6 hours (I think? I lost track.) #Inktober #Inktoberday4 #Inktober2026 #cactus #steampunk

A cactus wren made of metal plates and gears landing on an industrial metal cactus with a smokestack. The steampunk wren has a bird skull lit from within and an additional light on its leg, both of which light the reddish, fluttering fabric around the wren's neck and upper body.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 03/10/2026

Inktober Day Three: Miniature. The tiny witch from Day One makes a surprise reappearance! I'd planned to go a different direction on this one, but our friendly witch volunteered to collect botanicals instead! Total time: ~6 hours #Inktober #Inktoberday3 #Inktober2026 #miniature #mushrooms

A storybook-style ink drawing in which a scarab beetle runs through a meadow of grass and mushrooms while pulling along an orange-and-white-striped hot air balloon. A tiny witch holds her hat in the balloon, which is labeled "botanicals." She's surrounded by her collected herbs and flowers in the basket.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 02/10/2026

Inktober Day Two: Relic! Yet more metallic ink from me, heh. But you gotta have gold for a relic, right? Total time: ~4.5 hours #Inktober #Inktoberday2 #Inktober2026 #relic #spooky

An aged skull half-covered in a brass plate and with one gold tooth. A gold pocket watch with a broken chain rests in one eye socket; the other eye socket holds a shined gold marble. Three lenses splay out from behind the skull.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 02/10/2026

Video proof of the SHININESS!

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 02/10/2026

Inktober day one: Apple! This one is waaay shiny in person and I love it. This year's theme is "steampunk," so I opted for an apple machine that makes... magic? I dunno, ask the witch. She runs it. Total time: ~5 hours #Inktober #Inktoberday1 #Inktober2026 #apple #witches

Ink drawing of a steampunk apple machine. Half of a metal apple appears to be a processing machine on the left, fueled by a liquid-filled apple slice tank on the right. The base of the machine feeds into a chute, and the processed contents are collected in a basket. A tiny witch examines the contents, which float up and out of the basket. Because magic.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 01/10/2026

Sneak peek of Inktober day one! This is the smallest witch I've ever drawn. 😆 Stay tuned for the finished version of "apple" later today! #inktober #inktoberday1 #witches #spookyseason

In-progress ink drawing of a steampunk apple contraption and a tiny witch bending over to look at something not yet drawn. My thumb is next to the witch for scale, and she's the size of my thumb nail.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 23/09/2026

Just keep signing, signing, signing...

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 21/09/2026

Silly spirits to fortify your Monday morning spirits! #art

A cluster of glass bottles labeled with classic alcohol types and drinks. In each, the labels match the cartoon ghosts inside: "simple spirits" has happy, carefree ghosts; "distilled spirits" has large, expanded ghosts; "clear spirits" appears empty; "bitter spirits" is tinted amber and has angry and sad ghosts; and "old fashioned" has several dapper ghosts in old-fashioned clothes.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 19/09/2026

Spooky season approaches! And with it, all kinds of fun horror art. :) Swipe to see the (for me, surprisingly well-documented) progress from line art to finished piece! #spookyseason #horrorart

Ink illustration of a dark attic lit by a single round window. In the window's light, a circle of lit black candles form a summoning circle, where a hellish spirit begins to rise from the floorboards. In the foreground is the edge of a ouija board.

Progress shot of the same attic illustration, with the attic rendered but no candles are yet lit. The spirit is nothing but lines.

Earlier progress shot, where the attic is brighter and loosely colored.

Line art of the illustration, showing multiple positions of the window because I did everything in ink and fixed it later.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 17/09/2026

This was one of my favorites from last year's Inktober! Who can go wrong with skeletons and rainbows? If I was on top of things, this would be posted to Redbubble or TeePublic. I am not. Instead, please revel in the brief instance of me remembering to share art. 😅 #art

A skeletal dragon with shredded, almost moth-eaten wings wearing a vibrant rainbow scarf and a wide-brimmed, flat-top hat with bright feathers.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 13/09/2026

Get you a sister-in-law who expects texts like these.

A pair of texts from me to my SIL:

This duck is impressively constructed

... Which is not a sentence I ever expected to type

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 07/09/2026

What's an example of perfect casting?

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 05/09/2026

I'm slowly illustrating my book's character lineup. 😁 This is Altair... he's a bit stuffy and overly proper, but his heart's in the right place. Usually. #OCart #characterart #noAI

A proper-looking gentleman in a three-piece suit, with one hand in his pocket and another loose in front of him. A cigarette hangs from his mouth and he looks directly at the viewer.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 26/08/2026

I got interviewed by Canvas Rebel! If you've ever wanted to know a little more about how I got into art as a disabled creator and my (extremely negative) feelings toward generative AI, this is the interview for you! Check it out here: canvasrebel.com/meet-jessica... #noAI #fantasyart #cosplay

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 17/08/2026

I'll be at Colorado Springs Comic Con this weekend with a bunch of other awesome artists! Love to see you there! Deets: Broadmoor World Arena 3185 Venetucci Blvd Colorado Springs, CO 80906 Times: Friday: 3PM-9PM (2PM VIP) Saturday: 10AM-7PM (9AM VIP) Sunday: 10AM-5PM (9AM VIP) #cosplay #fantasyart

Me as Harley Quinn in front of some of my art and some comic-themed sound effects. The text reads:

Colorado Springs Comic Con
21-23 August 2026

Times:
Friday: 3pm-9pm
Saturday: 10am-7pm
Sunday: 10am-5pm

An overall map of Colorado Springs Comic Con's layout, including the upper concourse, arena floor, and ice hall. I'm on the arena floor near the celebrities. Several other awesome artists are also called out on the map.

There's a large box reading "Swipe for close-up."

A close-up version of the same map, showing my booth location at W24. Other call-outs include Crayon Queen Creations (next to me), Colorado Kale's Art and Cryme Kat Studios (in Artist Alley), and Sin Muse Arts (on the upper concourse).

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 17/08/2026

He has been wandering around the house with it. Not gonna eat it, just gonna hang out with it. Odd is well named.

Odd lying in a doorway to the hall with his emotional support pear.

Odd standing in the kitchen with his emotional support pear.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 17/08/2026

This is my dog, Odd, and his emotional support Spilled Pear

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 07/08/2026

Throwback Friday isn't a thing, but still: here's some portrait practice I did a while back! She reminds me of a scene in Silent Hill 2, but then... a lot of things remind me of Silent Hill. 😅 #art #noAI #characterart

A rainbow-shaded illustration of a woman with her eyes closed and head tilted up. Her hair has a sense of movement, with a strand caught in her mouth. She has a patterned choker with a butterfly stamped onto a coin in the hollow of her throat. The background is various paint spatters.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 01/08/2026

Well, well. Colorado Springs Comic Con out here earnin' my respect! #noAI

Excerpt from the vendor policies at Colorado Springs Comic Con that reads "AI Art work is BANNED/PROHIBITED from being sold at Colorado Springs Comic Con. If you are caught selling this at your space at the show you will be banned from all future events at all of our Altered Reality Entertainment shows." Convention staff highlighted this clause (and no others) in red.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 23/07/2026

A little scorpion-crab has some quiet reflection and likes what they see. :) #art

Ink illustration of a blue-green scorpion-crab at the shoreline of an endless desert. Their reflection has a happy little smile.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 20/07/2026

I haven't given Basil a shirt for the last week or so because it's been so hot... So he's been hiding in his heated crate. Finally I caved and dressed him in a summer shirt so he'd come out. Dogs are weird.

A basset hound in a striped summer shirt hanging out on the couch. He very much prefers to be dressed, because apparently he's a dapper gentleman.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 19/07/2026

Stop scrolling & post 2 characters who bring you happiness

Peter Falk as Columbo. I have seen every episode... uncounted times. It is my happy jam.

Angela Lansbury as Jessica Fletcher in Murder She Wrote.

I was legit named after her. I love all things Angela Lansbury.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 19/07/2026

I've been doing inventory this week and stumbled across this friend based on my pup, Basil. He's doing his best to be a spoopy ghost! Now up on Redbubble: www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/1823... Pet tax included, of course! #bassethound #spoopy #sausagedog

Cartoon drawing (by me) of a basset hound pretending to be a sheet ghost... but his sheet is a picnic blanket with red checkers. He's saying "rawoo!"

Mockup of the same illustration on a onesie.

Mockup of the reversed illustration on a hardcover journal.

Photo of Basil the basset hound and his best friend, Holmes the grey kitty. Both Basil and Holmes look like they were just caught doing something shocking... like cuddling.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 07/07/2026

The car's all packed--time for a road trip to @enchanticon.bsky.social! Come hang out with me in St. Louis from 7/10-7/12! All the details and tickets are available at www.enchanticon.com. Vendor Hall open 10AM to 6PM (all days) at St. Louis Union Station. #enchanticon #fantasyart

Map of the Enchanticon convention hall. The portion on the left is "zoomed in" on for the lower half of the page, and shows the DragonCrest Studios booth location as 5C. It's closest to the 20th Street entrance and next to the NEW Ms. Martha's Corset Shoppe.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 02/07/2026

Some portrait practice from 2024ish! I like to layer Copics and Prismacolor color pencils over each other to get smooth color. I'm reasonably certain I pulled it into Corel PaintShop Pro and tweaked the saturation and brightness up, too! #art #tradart

Head shot illustration of a Caucasian woman with bright pink hair and long pink and blue nails. She has a cuff earring ending in a large mirrored ball. The background is abstract swirls over a red-to-orange gradient; two crystals float in the foreground, one blue and one pink.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 01/07/2026

Midwest folks: I'm coming to see YOU! (Yes, you specifically. I'll be sad if you're not there.) Catch me at @enchanticon.bsky.social in St. Louis from 7/10-7/12! #art #enchanticon #fantasyart

A composite of two horror drawings and me all dressed up in witchy attire (image on the right). The text reads "Enchanticon 2026, 10-12 July 2026." In the upper left is a picture of a demon/ghost being summoned by a ouija board in a dark attic. The lower left is a totally-friendly lady in a misty forest with white dots for eyes and an umbrella to shade her silhouetted face.

A map of the overall con, with a zoomed-in portion to show where I'll be (booth 4F). It's across from Artist Alley and on the way to the main stage.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 29/06/2026

I've been madly making more sculpts for @enchanticon.bsky.social on 7/10! I've got a whole line of Pride mice on the way. 😁 #pride #rockart #fantasyart

An army of clay mice headed by a little rock goblin.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 27/06/2026

Some old pieces for your Saturday! I'm pretty sure I want all these women on MY side... #fantasyart #scifiart #art

Ink illustration of a woman in a purple dress facing off against a shade on neon city streets.

Marker and colored-pencil illustration of a woman facing the viewer in a long metal hallway. She's gesturing down the hall with a gun. About halfway down the hall is a napping cat, who's in no way alarmed by the gun-wielding woman.

Marker illustration of a woman wearing a green flapper dress with a sun-like globe over one hand. On the opposite side, a raven perches on her shoulder.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 27/06/2026

Starting the day off right in our #Pathfinder campaign. (I'm Scrimshaw, having a Very Dead moment. It'll clearly turn around. We got this.) Hopes and prayers I succeed my recovery check(s). #TTRPG

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 25/06/2026

Catch me 7/10-7/12 in St. Louis at @enchanticon.bsky.social, where I'll be rockin' it for the first time ever! I hear FANTASTIC things about the con, so I can't wait to see you all! Tickets: www.enchanticon.com St. Louis Union Station Hotel 1820 Market St St. Louis, MO 63103 9 am-6 am all days!

A few illustrations you'll be able to find at the con (a Loch Ness anatomy diagram, creepy mermaid, and dapper bunny), plus all the con details from above.

A map of the overall con, with a zoomed-in portion to show where I'll be (booth 4F).

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 20/05/2026

This is a cat checkpoint. Relinquish your most recent cat picture from your phone.

Grey Maine Coon mix leaning into ear scritches.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 18/05/2026

Life when you're a convention artist's dog

Basset hound Basil snoozin' on the couch next to a window. There's a suitcase and a box crowded on his left, a portfolio book behind him, and layers of tissue paper stacked on top of him.

He is not phased.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 05/05/2026

I have no idea what I'm doing here but I like it. #dragons

A dragon lies on a cliff edge surrounded by a surrealistic mix of textures and colors. The dragon has a glowing mane with small pink flowers; its horns and wings are bare branches. In the background, a desert moon meets a snowy mountain.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 17/04/2026

Creepy in-progress character portrait I was working on today! Hope you're having a great Friday and have a fantastic weekend ahead! #pencildrawing #sketchbook

Light pencil sketch of a man with long blond hair. He has his head tilted to one side and a creepy smile that's made all the creepier by a set of pointed teeth.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 15/04/2026

There's something oddly awesome about a wicker dragon. If you agree, maybe you wanna check out this lil fren on all the home goods and tees? Stickers, too! And they look smashing on a water bottle. www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/1800... #art #dragons #fantasyart

Ink drawing of a woven basket in the shape of a dragon, with little button eyes. The background is a splashed gradient from brown to blue with spatters of dark brown.

The same woven dragon basket as a holographic sticker.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 14/04/2026

I'm finally getting around to loading up some of the Inktober pieces to merch! Here's our little button mushroom friend, newly available out on Redbubble! :D www.redbubble.com/shop/ap/1800... #mushrooms #dragons #cartoonart #fantasyart #natureart

A cartoon dragon crossed with a button mushroom. He's got two little fangs and long, branchy wings. A speech bubble contains a bubbly question mark, because he's just as curious about you as you are about him.

The same mushroom dragon on a black shirt, being modeled by a young black man. He's looking down at the design, and if he could actually see it and this wasn't some kind of template, he'd probably be laughing.

The same mushroom dragon on a canvas tote bag being held by a woman. Her face isn't visible.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 08/04/2026

I'm working on an art book to collect all my dragon art from over the years... here's one from 2021 I never did anything with: a diamond dragon! #fantasyart #dragons #humanartist

Ink drawing of a diamond dragon. Predominately white, the dragon's crystalline body and wings have pink and blue surfaces to display its angles. It has a long, beaked face, and it's always seemed very haughty to me.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 13/03/2026

In a completely uncharacteristic turn for me, I sketched out the mech and didn't even draw the pilot yet. But also I got to throw a million colors on it and that pleased me. 😆 Sagarmatha for this weekend's #Lancer game! #characterart #scifiart #TTRPG

Sketch of a large-armed mech that's been digitally splashed with all kinds of colors. It's got overthick arms and armor-like feet.

The text reads:
Hazard Lights
General Massive Systems Sagarmatha

Artist name (@FishWithATopHat) is in the lower-right corner.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 13/03/2026

Doing a #Lancer mini this weekend and sketching up some character portraits! Here's the prelim sketch on my pilot's first Sagarmatha mech. #TTRPG #scifiart #mechs

Sketch of a mech with oversized arms and vaguely armor-like feet.

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J. L. Barnes @fishwithatophat.com · 13/03/2026

It's easier to move house when the house moves. Now up as a print on Etsy! www.etsy.com/listing/4341... #walkinghouse #whimsy #fantasyart #ghibli #babayaga