jaen nighly || welaway
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jnb.art
jaen nighly || welaway
@jnb.art
2.6K followers 220 following 1.4K posts
illustrator of the fantastic & the macabre, metal musician, & old-school skate rat
"professionally tired with decades of experience."
// pronounced like "jane" //
🏳️‍⚧️ she/her
📨 [email protected]
💼 https://jnb.art
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jnb.art
timelapse of my drawing process on the cover from sketch to final inks in procreate
November 15, 2025 at 8:54 PM
jnb.art
final cover art for @percypropa.bsky.social’s We Wander Beneath Radiant Lights. peep the next post in the thread for a timelapse of my drawing process on this one.

pick it up right now, right here: urania-games.itch.io/we-wander-be...
A black and white illustration of a woman in a labyrinth with her back to the viewer. She is wearing a robe and has her hair braided with a hair pin stuck in at the back of her hair that has a crescent moon on it. The labyrinth is constructed from rock that looks like the surface of the moon. She is hastily striding up to an intersection in the labyrinth and two ghostly spirits drift ominously at the end of the possible two paths. The moon hovers above the labyrinth in the top right corner of the composition — it features craters and lines that imply the faces of both a young lady and an old crone. The sky around the moon is speckled with distant stars.
November 15, 2025 at 4:43 PM
jnb.art
fry scream sustain drill in the car. 30+ seconds isn’t bad 😮‍💨
November 15, 2025 at 3:04 PM
jnb.art
shredding the gnar at the southgate house revival open mic
November 15, 2025 at 2:04 PM
jnb.art
also
a blue and yellow sign that looks like mamdani’s campaign sign, except it says “SOMETIMES I for GET TO PEE”
November 9, 2025 at 11:37 AM
jnb.art
when people say “adhd is a superpower”
a blue and yellow sign that looks like mamdani’s campaign sign, except it says “SOMETIMES I for GET TO EAT
November 9, 2025 at 11:33 AM
jnb.art
me talking my family and friends into being socialists
a blue and yellow sign that looks like mamdani’s campaign sign, except it says “CAPITALISM for GETABOUTIT
November 9, 2025 at 11:26 AM
jnb.art
yoooo, it’s here and it’s sooo good, i want to eat it!!!

fucking phenomenal work
@evlynmoreau.bsky.social, @satelitesnaturales.bsky.social, & @hojesofia.bsky.social
a selfie of jaen holding a copy of the zine “feast for a sphinx”
November 8, 2025 at 7:06 PM
jnb.art
just hot doom metal girl shit
a picture of jaen performing doom metal on stage. she’s wearing a shirley manson shirt with the sleeves cut off, a studded belt around her waist, black leggings, knee high 4 inch heel boots, and is playing a cordoba stage nylon string guitar while screaming into a microphone
November 8, 2025 at 1:46 PM
jnb.art
voting is by no means the way we will radically transform & eliminate the structures of inequality & state violence from this country, but you can make a difference at the local level with your school board, local council, state legislator, & mayoral races. so if you are so inclined, go vote today.
a selfie of jaen outside from a worm's eye view. she is wearing geometric glasses, a messenger bag strap, a quilted dark gray coat with a mares of thrace patch pinned to it, and an "ohio voted" sticker on one of the chest pockets.
November 4, 2025 at 2:41 PM
jnb.art
“again, i’m too sad to tell you” (2025)
a selfie of jaen on her back, crying in bed a selfie from below of jaen crying in bed with her head against the headboard a selfie from below of jaen crying in bed with her head against the headboard and one hand on her head a selfie of jaen crying in bed on her side, pulling a pillow over her head.
November 3, 2025 at 1:56 AM
jnb.art
this year i did halloween as transfemme alucard tepes
a photo of jaen wearing an alucard tepes costume. she has a long wavy blonde wig, a white shirt with an oversized collar and a silk cravat, a long black cape, a belt that crosses over in an x at the waist, tight black pants and knee high black riding boots a photo of jaen in dramatic red lighting, showing off her fangs. she is wearing an alucard tepes costume. she has a long wavy blonde wig, a white shirt with an oversized collar and a silk cravat, a belt that crosses over in an x at the waist, and tight black pants
November 2, 2025 at 12:24 PM
jnb.art
here was my reference board in freeform for HELLPIERCERS

i, uh... i pulled a lot of reference
a screenshot of the freeform app on a mac. the freeform board is for HELLPIERCERS, and there are like hundreds of small photo thumbnails in a semi organized grid.
November 1, 2025 at 11:15 PM
jnb.art
i’m 39. i started HRT at 38. you can do it. and if you are in a relationship where they don’t support your transition? leave them.

i know none of it is easy, and sometimes you have to make a plan for your safety to make either thing happen, but there’s still time & you deserve to be fully you.
screenshot from the movie "i saw the tv glow" showing a road with chalk art that says "there is still time"
October 22, 2025 at 11:37 AM
jnb.art
i’m at a local open mic night to play 2 songs from my solo queer post-doom metal project “WELAWAY”

forcing myself to be here despite this deep episode of depression cause my therapist says i need to do things that fill me up. hopefully screaming songs about choosing to be alive will fill me up 😮‍💨
A selfie of jaen, a white femme with brown and gray bangs and the rest of her hair tied back in a pony tail. she’s wearing glasses, makeup, lego skull earrings, and a ghost bath metal tank top. she’s sitting in a bar in front of a stage that has music equipment on it.
October 15, 2025 at 10:54 PM
jnb.art
at least my floofy son is sticking by me through my descent into unyielding woe
a photo of a long haired tabby with a floofy white belly and an asymmetrical face pattern sleeping on a bed a photo of a long haired tabby with a floofy white belly and an asymmetrical face pattern stretched out and sleeping on a bed
October 14, 2025 at 3:13 PM
jnb.art
new haircut. haven’t gone this short in a long time! i love it 😊
A selfie of jaen, a white femme with wavy brown hair. she’s wearing a black oversized muscle tee and sitting in front of a window. she is smiling slightly with mouth closed. A selfie of jaen, a white femme with wavy brown hair. she’s wearing a black oversized muscle tee and sitting in front of a window. she is smiling largely with her teeth showing.
October 2, 2025 at 8:53 PM
jnb.art
i was 38 years old when i started HRT. i of course wish i started decades sooner, but i can't reclaim lost time. it's ok to grieve lost time, but all you have is now. so, the best time to transition is today — whenever your today is.
screenshot from the movie "i saw the tv glow" showing a road with chalk art that says "there is still time"
October 1, 2025 at 3:00 PM
jnb.art
it's my 1 year anniversary on HRT!

no-makeup selfies separated by a year of estradiol💉, progesterone💊, & laser hair removal⚡️

(not pictured: 38Bs & a healthy booty)
A selfie taken on October 1, 2024 of Jaen, a white trans femme with long brown hair that's parted in the middle and tied back. She's wearing a black v-neck shirt, has a neutral expression, and doesn't have any makeup on. A selfie taken on October 1, 2025 of Jaen, a white trans femme with long brown hair with curtain bangs and the rest tied back. She's wearing a black low cut shirt, has a neutral expression, and doesn't have any makeup on.
October 1, 2025 at 2:52 PM
jnb.art
“i’m too sad to tell you” (2025)
a silvertone selfie in landscape of jaen looking down and crying with the fingers of her left hand touching her forehead. a silvertone selfie in landscape of jaen looking down and crying harder with the fingers of her left hand touching her forehead. a silvertone selfie in portrait of jaen looking down and crying with the fingers of her left hand touching her forehead. a silvertone selfie in portrait of jaen crying harder with her face turned away and the fingers of her left hand touching her jaw.
September 26, 2025 at 12:55 AM
jnb.art
BOOK COVER ARTISTS
QRP with your book covers.

hand-lettered & hand-skulled

#BookCovers #HumanMade #NoAI
A color cover illustration for the Little Wolves TTRPG with muted purples, blues, greens, yellows, and reds, with black line art. The title logo is done in a yellow stylized blackletter ambigram style that reads the same upside down and right-side up. The logo sits in front of a large red moon. The main focal point of the composition is a young werewolf with glowing eyes, running along with two wolves behind them. The werewolf is tangled in the vines emerging from the silhouetted trees that frame the composition. Along the edges of that frame, in four circular vignettes created by the branches and vines, there are cameos of the four queens of the game: the witch queen, the troll queen, the pumpkin queen, and the mermaid queen. A banner along the bottom of the cover reads “A realm of folk and fae from Dinoberry Press" a black and white illustration for the cover of the game HELLPIERCERS. It features a decorative border of metal and gems with skeletons bearing spears. the title text is written in a stylized hand-lettered blackletter typeface. there are arcane sigils and floating geometric forms, as well as two veiled and haloed attendants flanking the composition below billowing clouds. one attendant is holding a hammer and the other, a sickle. an angel wing and demon wing cross below the title text, and at the base of the art, demonic hands and limbs reach upwards. A color cover illustration of a vast abandoned valley flanked by craggy mountains and crumbling castles. a skeleton with a royal crown and cape lays on a rock in the foreground. The title text spells “Dead Reign” and is written in a black letter typeface with a dagger in the middle for the ‘i’ in ‘reign’. The lettering also implies the shape of a crown and sits on top of a skull in the top center of the cover. A color illustration of a planet with an angry face exploding from its middle. The words “10 MILLION HP PLANET” are bursting out of the planet in the center of the composition. Black fractal-like circular forms, sometimes referred to as Kirby Krackle, are drawn around the edges of the image. The limited color palette of yellow, orange, red, fuchsia, and blue, is applied as halftone dots.
September 25, 2025 at 3:23 PM
jnb.art
artists, quote with skull art 💀

🕯️💀 it’s my time 💀🕯️

more skulls here: https//jnb.art

#b&wart #skullart #ttrpg
a black and white illustration of a skeletal figure adorned in draped cloth and jewelry. they are reclining in a gil evgren style pinup pose on the ground surrounded by rocks and mushrooms. A color cover illustration of a vast abandoned valley flanked by craggy mountains and crumbling castles. a skeleton with a royal crown and cape lays on a rock in the foreground. The title text spells “Dead Reign” and is written in a black letter typeface with a dagger in the middle for the ‘i’ in ‘reign’. The lettering also implies the shape of a crown and sits on top of a skull in the top center of the cover. a black and white illustration of a swamp landscape gnarled trees and skulls floating in the water. there is an aged and winding banner at the top that has "swamp" written on it in a handlettered blackletter typeface. A black and white ink illustration of The Moon Tarot card. The moon sits high in the star filled night sky — it has a skull like shadow on it. Two monoliths sitting on the horizon frame A path recedes into the distance — winding up and over hills and mountains all the way to the horizon. Along the path there are two wolves howling at the moon. In the foreground there is a skeletal knight and a skeletal horse — they are both covered in fungus and are seated on the ground at the edge of a lake. The skeletal knight looks at a reflection of the moon in the water. The reflections of the moon and the knight are each young and embracing in a kiss. Cattails are coming out of the water on the left side of the water. The top of the card reads “XVIII” while the bottom of the card reads “THE MOON”
September 17, 2025 at 2:14 PM
jnb.art
hey y’all, this coming weekend is my first time going to the renfest as a fully out trans woman & i’d love to get myself some femme renaissance garb

if you wanna toss some coins my way here’s my ko-fi:
ko-fi.com/jnbutlerart

if you send me $100 or more i’ll sketch your fav anime character for you ✍🏼
a black and white illustration of majin buu with one fist on his hip and the other rubbing his chin in thought a black and white illustration of a worm’s eye view of astroboy flying with his rocket boots. he is smiling at waving at the viewer a black and white pencil sketch of alucard tepes drawn in the style of akira toriyama a black and white sketch of piccolo holding a phone in a penguin-cat case close to his face. piccolo looks really happy and is raising one of his fists in excitement.
September 8, 2025 at 1:20 PM
jnb.art
hey y’all i’m still struggling with sole intrusive dark feelings, but i spent some time outside at the apartment pool and that had me a little less despondent at least.

but i still don’t know if i can survive everything that want me to cease existing
a .5x photo of my legs and feet dipped into a pool at my apartment complex a .5x photo of the pool at my apartment complex as the sun has set and the pool itself id illuminated with a mix in of different colored lights.
August 24, 2025 at 2:36 AM
jnb.art
i'm still around, just immensely depressed and dysphoric, so not really wanting to post much…

but here was me last week at the @midwesternlesbian.bsky.social queer talent show, performing "and yet…", a song from my solo metal project, WELAWAY.
a picture of jaen playing guitar and stepping on her pedalboard on a stage. the lighting makes her hair look pink. she's wearing a lace crop top with a corset and a long skirt — it's all black. her guitar is a cordoba stage, and she's using a neon pink guitar cable with it. there is a sign behind her on a garage door to the back patio that says "midwestern lesbian presents queer talent show" a picture of jaen playing guitar and screaming into a mic on a stage. the lighting makes her hair look pink. she's wearing a lace crop top with a corset and a long skirt — it's all black. her guitar is a cordoba stage, and she's using a neon pink guitar cable with it. there is a sign behind her on a garage door to the back patio that says "midwestern lesbian presents queer talent show"
August 21, 2025 at 10:00 PM