Welcome!

Hello everyone! I hope you enjoy the new format of my website and online store!

I have a few updates and announcements but firstly I'd like to apologize for missing my October update. Being in class with my child takes up an incredible amount of time and energy. I will continue to make the effort to get monthly updates out to you all consistently. With that said let me get to the updates! I am hard at work on the second edition of How to Draw Black People and if you haven't claimed your copy yet or if yours got lost in the mail you will have the option of claiming the second edition instead of the original if you prefer. I originally intended to release the deluxe, this year but with the release being so close to the 1 year anniversary I decided to transition it into the next cycle. The second edition of How to Draw Black people is slated to release in February 2021. If you claim your book before that time I will send you the current edition.

Please continue to use the Kickstarter claim form to claim your rewards if you haven't already. Also, keep in mind that shipping times have been slow and will likely get slower with the holidays approaching.

Also if you were a member of the old version of my website you must sign up again to regain access to the downloadable materials if you haven't received them already. The brushes are available in the Clip Studio Paint asset store under the search term "SHABAZZ" however the practice materials are only available through this website. The News: This is going to be personal but it's necessary to explain my next moves and how you can participate, support, and hopefully be a part of my future projects. Let me introduce myself to anyone unacquainted: My name is Malik Shabazz, I am an artist, I am a proud parent, I use they/them pronouns and I have been making indie comics for a decade.

My last project, How to Draw Black People, took a mental toll on me and I have spent the last year recovering from a psychological breakdown while trying to get Kickstarter rewards shipped all over the world, help raise my child, and piece myself back together (this does not include the pandemic, civil unrest, and the anxiety that comes with being an American during an election year.) Despite the success of the book, the kind words, affection, and appreciation this project has received, I feel as if I let a lot of people down because of the length of time it took me to create HTDBP. The biggest thing I have learned is that I cannot do this all by myself. Between raising my child, and the time it takes to actually do the work I can no longer commit myself to another project the way I have in the past with all my other books.

So I must get smarter about the way I do things and that's why I am excited to announce that for the first time I will be taking submissions from artists and writers looking for paid work to create content for Shabazz Arts LLC.

Who should submit? How? what kind of projects will be available? I am not ready to release too many details BUT I can say that I will be looking for Black artists that would like to contribute their own tutorials for drawing Black people. In the coming weeks, there will be a tab added to the menu bar labeled "submissions" and on that page, all of your questions will hopefully be answered. In the meantime, if you have not already, please subscribe to my website to get email updates as that will be the best way to stay updated on any new opportunities that I will be offering.

My next monthly update will not be until after the new year. Happiest of happy holidays to you and yours. Take care when you can and stay safe when you must.

-M