#'Draw what you like' is indeed the single best piece of art advice out there

[tmntkiseki]

Don/Iseult doodle I did this morning for fun. Originally it was just going to be a sketch, but I liked it so much I ended up slapping some flats on it.

(If anyone recognizes the lyrics: I'm sorry.)

[abyssalzones]

What's your comic writing process like? I'm starting to get into making my own comics and I really admire your work!!! Any advice?

Ah, intrepid traveler, you've done well to journey to this secluded mountaintop spire, in search of the answers you seek. I indeed can provide such forbidden comicmancy knowledge... at the cost of your mortal soul...

coughs. anyway, I'm going to warn you immediately that what works for me does not work for everyone else, and in my experience the way I do things can prove very slow and discouraging for anyone who is more interested in the actual "drawing the damn comic" part of the process. I only do it this way because I enjoy weaving a narrative web that feels not only fully contained but re-readable, but my projects are often so long and my memory so shitty that I can't just keep all of it in my head! It would spill all over the place and make a really embarrassing mess of brain-juice. Not ideal.

but as for my own process, uhh... I suppose a comic would be fitting, right?

a little choppy but you get the idea.

as for turning words into art, I've been experimenting with figuring out the best way to do that for a little while now. Originally what I was doing for something like Ad Astra Per Aspera was to take my "script" and sketch it out on paper very loosely, before transposing that onto my canvas and working from there:

...but, I've found that can make it kind of difficult to space everything around on your standard page-size, and the thing I'm having the most problems with currently seems to be finding the sweet spot of panel-size proportions. So, I've taken to printing out standard thumbnail templates (you can just find these on google) and sketching very tiny panels in those, which seems to give me a slightly better sense of scale... (mild chapter 5 spoilers, sorry ad astra fans)

but I have yet to totally pull through on this, so who knows, maybe I'll try something else in the future!

As for advice, this is probably most applicable to me, but as a disabled artist I have a very hard time managing my workload without literally working myself into injury. I don't think I talked about this publicly but when I was working on that ten year anniversary comic I was literally drawing every single day for 3 solid months. Sometimes, in my case, I really can't bring myself to stop once I've latched onto an idea, and sometimes I find the most rewarding thing I can do with my time is to draw- but I seriously cannot overstate: Do not fucking do this.

You will fuck up your wrist, your back, your neck, your eyes, and probably your mental health. It's a well-known fact that mangaka have a lower life expectancy than the average japanese person due to the intense workload imposed on them by deadlines and personal expectations. Comics are a very demanding artform, and even though I'm not on any sort of mandated schedule there are times where I've toiled away at something when I likely should have been exercising or taking vision-breaks. Therefore the best advice I can give you is to chill the hell out.

Namely, find parts of the process you can be lazy about, and embrace the laziness! You don't like digitally sketching? Don't do it! Skip it, or maybe find a way to traditionally sketch things out in advance like I do. Hate lineart? Don't fucking do it. You really don't feel like wasting your time writing 72k words of comic scripts? ...then, don't be like me. skip that part. I'm a flawed human being and what works for me might not work for you.

The second most important piece of advice I could give is to read comics. Of all kinds. The reason for this is pretty self explanatory: In order to figure out your own comic-making style, you should first pick out bits and pieces from the artist's buffet to add to your plate. Manga, graphic novels, american comics, european comics, weird niche little webcomics, funny papers, anything and everything. This advice rings true of pretty much any art form, but I find it to be essential to honing comic-making skills because so many things you feel will just come intuitively often don't. and that's okay! nobody is born knowing how to leave space for speech bubbles or shape their panels in a way that imitates stretches of time. The best way to figure out stuff like this, in my experience, is to study the "masters", and then after becoming well accustomed to the basics, figure out what rules you want to bend or break to create your own style.

I consider myself to be in equal parts a writer and an artist, which lends itself well to making narrative comics, but maybe you're a bit more of an artist and want to focus on panel-by-panel visual storytelling. Or, conversely, maybe your talents lean closer towards writing, and the art itself is more of a secondary skill. Regardless of your unique blend of talents you can and should make a comic, you should just also be aware of your strengths and try to hone in on those- there will always be opportunities to build up skills you lack, but focusing on what you do best will always lead you in the right direction.

Anyway, that being said, here are some recommendations in no particular order:

Monster, Naoki Urasawa (!!)

Bone, Jeff Smith

Witch Hat Atelier, Kamome Shirahama

The first IDW run of Transformers comics (namely More Than Meets the Eye and Lost Light)

Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi (!!)

Through the Woods, Emily Carroll (really any Emily Carroll comics)

Kill Six Billion Demons (webcomic) (!!)

Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo

The Third Person, Emma Grove

Tintin, Hergé (can be super racist please be wary)

Dungeon Meshi, Ryoko Kui

Calvin & Hobbes, Bill Watterson

Maus, Art Spiegelman

Cucumber Quest (webcomic)

Jellyfish Princess, Akiko Higashimura

Golden Kamuy, Satoru Noda (!!)

Note that I did not grow up with manga so I am seriously behind on a lot of extremely influential japanese comics such as Dragon Ball, One Piece, basically any of the original Shonen Jump comics, but they're widely considered building blocks of the genre so if you love the artform I think you should give them a try! Same goes for classic non-shonen manga genres like various Shoujo, Josei, Yuri, Gekiga, ETC.

same as above applies to a lot of classic DC and Marvel works, I unfortunately am just not a big fan of superhero comics... but I'm sure there's good stuff in there. a couple of my mutuals talk about booster gold and the blue beetle all the time so I'm assuming there has to be something worthwhile.

...and many, many, many more that I'm forgetting! I noticed as I made this list that, to my knowledge, hardly any of these are made by black or just non-japanese-mangaka BIPOC artists, which makes me sad about the gaps in my own comic collection. Therefore, anyone is welcome to add their own recommendations in the replies!

now go forth, and combine images with text!!!!!!!!!!!

[polnareffenjoyer]

Uh unsure how many characters you’re willing to write for but can I have the SDC crew reacting to seeing their crush’s sketchbook filled with drawings and silly comics of them? On the case you do have a limit on how many, then I’m fine with either Polnareff, Kakoyin, Jotaro or Avdol (who can pick whoever if you want to!) Hope you’re having a lovely day!💕💕

This is such a cute idea anon, hope you like it. Also I don't really have a character limit, I wanted to do all of the crusaders but then I got tired and it already took me such a long time to finish it and ahhh. Sorry for all the grammatical errors, English is not my first language and it's already so late when I'm finishing it and it's just bleh. I hope you like it anyways, sending much love to you anon! ♥️

Stardust Crusaders finding their crushes' sketchbook

Jotaro Kujo

He notices that you've been spending most of your free time drawing in that sketchbook of yours. Truth be told, it bothers him a lot. Jotaro has had a big fat crush on you for a while now, and he secretly longs for your company. He can't admit that tho, he has a hard ass bad boy reputation to maintain after all. What would people say if the saw him all flustered for a girl? The fact that you would rather sit by yourself and draw than be around him and the others bugs him. So one day, when you're busy with something else, he takes your beloved sketchbook and decides to see what's in there. He knows he's being creepy, but he couldn't care less. Just trying to get to know you better, without actually talking to you. Exactly.

He's very flustered but would rather die than admit it. Has read through all of it, admiring every single little drawing. After he's done, he'll just put it back where he found it, it the exact same place just so you don't notice someone has been messing with it. You probably have no idea he had seen your sketchbook at first, but you surely notice the blush dusting his cheeks whenever he speaks to you from that day on. Probably avoids you for a little while because he's so flustered.

The rest of the crew also notices something is off, Jotaro is always lost in thoughts and smokes more frequently. He can't keep himself from thinking about those cute drawings of yours, reading through your comics was a true delight. It fills him with glee to know that HE, among all of the crusaders, is the one who's the main character in your stories. It makes him giddy on the inside.

His secret eventually comes to light one night, he accidentally admits to having read through your comics while a late night talk between the whole group. While you were talking, Kakyoin had brought up the topic of your sketchbook. Now it's your turn to be embarassed, blushing crimson while trying to get as much information out of him as possible. How much did he see? Did he read through ALL OF THEM?

The rest of the crusaders are shocked at first, but quickly they start to laugh at the scene. Jotaro is reluctant to give any information, but he eventually tells you that yes, indeed, he's seen EVERYTHING. However, doesn't admit what the content of the sketchbook really is. Despite everything, he would never embarass you like that.

After everyone goes to sleep, you catch Jotaro before he has a chance to fall asleep, lying on his sleeping bag while looking at the night sky. You want to apologize, say anything, just to talk to him, but you're unable to find right words. He just sighs.

"Yare yare daze, there's no need to be embarassed [Y/N], I'm not mad"

Your eyes light up at his words. You want to say something, anything, thank him, but before you get a chance to do so, Jotaro's deep voice cuts you off.

"To be honest, I think your drawings are amazing. I really liked them" you notice his face is slightly tinted red from underneath his cap "But if you wanted me to model for you, you could've just said so"

With that, he rolls over and away from you. Completely baboozled, you roll over as well and try to sleep, or at least pretend to be asleep. Honestly, neither of you had slept much that night.

Kakyoin Noriaki

Kakyoin had a thing for you since you joined the crusaders, and your sketchbook is probably the very first thing he had noticed about you. He's always been interested in art, his parents had signed him up to numerous art courses and whatnot through his life. He's always loved drawing and painting, using it as an escape from his daily problems, and seeing that you two might have something in common makes him incredibly happy, especially since he has feelings for you.

He'll try to approach you about your sketchbook very subtely, afraid that he might scare you away by being too pushy. Of course you get extremely flustered everytime he brings it up, but it doesn't discourage him. Kakyoin respects your boundaries and understands that you might not be ready to show him your drawings yet. Despite that, he's always willing to share his knowledge with you. He'll give you advices about proper shading while you two are waiting in the hotel lobby for the rest of the group to finish up picking rooms. During a long car ride, he'll talk to you about his favourite artists. If you want him to show you how to put certain shading techniques into practice, he'll be more than happy to do so. He'll just pick a random piece of paper and start drawing on it, you might want to lean in closer and maybe put your head on his shoulder to get a better look? He has no objections! Just sayin.

When he eventually gets to see your sketchbook, this man is so honored! He didn't mean to look, at first he though it was just some book lying around and wanted to take a look inside, out off boredom. Once he realizes what he's reading at, his face flushes with crimson. Your sketchbook is filled with sketches of him? This whole time you were actually drawing him, out of all people? He couldn't be more grateful that no one else was around, if someone saw him reading through your comics with this stupid smile on his face and red cheeks, they would've though he went mad.

Kakyoin wastes no time trying to find you. For a moment, he thinks that perhaps he should've waited a bit, just to get you alone and not embarass you infront of the whole crew. He can't think straight though, his mind filled with your cute little drawings, with his face drawn with black pen over and over again. With glee, he notes that you had used the very techniques he had told you about earlier. If you had drawn him so many times, does it mean that you have a crush on him too? It's too good to be true.

"[Y/N]! Can I talk with you for a minute?"

He goes to confront you immediately. Others give him a puzzled look, but he couldn't care less. He grabs your arms and leads you away.

"Don't be mad [Y/N], but I've seen your sketchbook and I have to say, I think your art is beyond amazing!"

You're at loss of words, your face red and you could swear that you've never felt so embarassed in your whole entire life. However, his reaction is making you feel a bit better. He's not mad, nor is he making fun of you. If anything, he seems enamoured.

"Please, [Y/N], we should draw together! Maybe next time we have a chance, I should paint your portrait?"

Despite the awkwardness, the whole situation turns out amazing in the end. How he's sure you must have feelings for him, and it makes him incredibly happy, hoping that one day, after your crusade is done, he'll get a chance to repay you and make that promised portrait.

Muhammad Avdol

With everything that's been happening lately, Avdol gets a little bit distracted from you. Before he would steal glances your way all the time, watching with curiosity as you would draw something in your sketchbook. Recently, he's been too busy fighting enemy stand users and... well, trying not to die. He still cares about you a lot and watches over you during fights, ready to shield you from danger with his own body, if it's what it takes to keep you safe.

It probably happens because of a mishap. While you are deciding on your rooming, you leave your sketchbook lying next to Avdol's things and go to the bathroom. After he's done helping Joseph with translating and getting everything done, he goes back and assumes that it's just one of his books that has fallen out of the bag. Not thinking much of it, he picks it up and leaves with Mrs Joestar to settle in their shared room.

You can imagine the panic and shock that nearly paralyzes you once you notice that your beloved sketchbook is gone, nowhere to be seen, reduced to atoms! You begin to look around frantically, looking under the furniture while sweating profusely. Other quests give you weird looks, but you don't even notice them staring. Polnareff is one of them, he asks if you're okay and tries to calm you down, but to no avail. After he leaves, you try to focus really hard and try to remember - when did you see it last time? It was on that chair for sure when you left. God, you can only pray that it doesn't end up in Avdol's hands somehow...

Meanwhile, Avdol is getting ready for shower and goes through his bag. He notices the book he picked up from the lobby isn't even a book, but a sketchbook! Now he's sure he must've picked it up by mistake, he decides it would be best to put it down and not look through it. It's someone's very personal art after all, it would be very disrespectful to - wait a damn minute, is that HIM?

Long story short, he goes through a good portion of your drawings before Joseph comes out of the shower and gives him a puzzled look, seeing how his eyes are literally shinning with adoration. He puts your sketchbook back into his bag, acting as if nothing happened and continues on with his nightly routine. Later on, when Joseph is already fast asleep, he contemplates about whether or not he should go to your room right now and ask about the sketchbook he had found. He's already suspecting it's yours, whose else would it be? He has seen you drawing often, could it be that you returned his feelings and had spent your time sketching him? Ultimately, he decides to wait until tomorrow to find out.

The very next day, he knocks on your door early in the morning. It startles you awake, running up to your door to look through a peephole, seeing a muscular man on the other side. Sighing heavily, you unlock the door and open it just a little bit.

"Excuse my intrusion, [Y/N], but I have found something that I think belongs to you."

Now that's embarassing. You see your sketchbook in his hand, a wide, knowing smile on his face. He knows it's yours. All it took is one look at your stupid red face to figure it out. God, he can read you like an open book, can't he? While you reach out to take it from him, your fingers touch just slightly.

"Don't worry, I swear I won't tell anyone about this" she winked at you, which almost made you gasp "If anything, I think I should maybe pose for you in private? So you can get a better look? You should think about it..."

Who would've thought this man could be such a flirt sometimes...

Jean Pierre Polnareff

You better watch out, because if this man has a crush on you, you bet he would go above and beyond to find out what's inside that sketchbook. I'm not joking. He forgets what personal space is, he's even worse that Jotaro, because while JoJo would make sure to be sneaky, Polnareff wouldn't even bother. He'll try to catch a sneak peak by looking over your shoulder while you're drawing, constantly asking you questions about art related things, everything always leading to your sketchbook.

He wants to know what's inside. Simple as that. You're like an enigma to him, I feel like all women are mysteries to him and he always works towards finding out what their secrets are. You are especially interesting to him, because of how secretive you are with your art. He's captivated, and while he never had any interest in arts himself, he had always fancied himself as a man with a great sense of beauty. That being said, he's always trying to get your attention while talking about how "France is a wonderful country for artists! You should come and visit after our crusade is over, [Y/N]! I'll show you all the greatest museums and art galleries!"

He's like a puppy, following you around and being just a bit too pushy. If you tell him you feel uncomfortable, he'll back off of course. He's not just some juvenile pervert after all! He's a honourable man who would never touch or bother a woman without her permission, no matter how desperate he seems sometimes.

When he finally sees your sketchbook, it's probably because he did it on purpose and not because of an accident. He wanted to make sure that it was him your were capturing in your drawing, and boy was he happy when he saw what's inside! It's all him, cute little sketches, little comics, it's better that he could've ever imagined! He's literally crying the tears of joy while reading them. Before it was all just wishful thinking, but now it turns out to be true! He's honoured, admiring every single little drawing with hit tears streaming down his face. He must look pathetic right now, if anyone was around they would think the was a mad man. He gets up and runs away with your sketchbook in his hand, trying to find you.

"[Y/N]! Ma cherie! Mon coeur! My love, my life! We need to talk!"

Did i mention that he doesn't shy away from nicknames? Yeah.

It's probably the worst confrontation compared to the rest of them, he's not subtle like Kakyoin and decides to talk with you about your drawings right then and there, in front of everyone. At first they're surprised, looking at Polnareff as is he was crazy, but slowly their shock is replaced with amusement. Joseph doesn't even try to hold back his laughter, while the rest of the crew is trying to keep it cool as not to embarass you any further while the Frenchman is just going on and on with his declarations of undying love. It's a bit dramatic, one of these moments that you will probably laugh about in the future, but you felt like disappearing right then and there.

"Your drawing are magnifique! [Y/N], my love, if you wanted to draw me, you could've just said so! Although I don't think I deserve to be potrayed by you, to be drawn by your skilled hands, ma cherie!"

You snatch the sketchbook from him. After that incident you probably try to avoid him, but he won't give up! He's more determined than ever, knowing that you feel the same way as he does fills him with hope, hope for a future life with you that is! He won't give up until he makes you the happiest woman on earth.

[jisungsmochi]

the coffee shop boy - njm

new coffee shop employee! jaemin / little rivalry b/w reader x jaemin hehe / just lots of teasing eachother and some fluff too 

some references to my jeno imagine for my nct dream job au series! 

link to my masterlist so you can read the others! 

a/n: inspired by katie & aiden’s story in ‘alexa & katie’ on netflix! pls stream it hehe 

word count: 3.9k - hope you all enjoy :) 

//

the first time you met na jaemin was in front of the cafe you worked at. your manager was running a donation drive where customers could donate toys or books for the local children’s hospital. you offered to bake complementary cookies for each person who donated. so there you were, standing outside the cafe, handing out cookies. you swore you turned away for one second, when you heard someone halt infront of the stand. the person swiftly grabbed a handful of cookies, shoving one into their mouth. you turn back around, glaring at the clueless boy infront of you.

“excuse me! those are only for people who have donated” you sternly informed, the boy still not having any sign of regret,

“my bad, i just see free cookies” he smirked, taking another bite of one. you reached to grab the others that were in his hands, but he ended up pulling away before you could reach him. you felt your body tip over the table, the plate of cookies and some donations, falling onto the ground. you loudly groan to yourself, quickly standing up and brushing off any dirt on your apron. your manager, doyoung, immediately rushed outside and to his dismay, he only saw you and a broken table with cookies scattered everywhere. the mysterious boy just took off, what an asshole.

“y/n, clean this up, now” doyoung orders, as you nod. you hoped that boy never came anywhere near the cafe ever again, or you might as well just lose it entirely.  

“and then, he grabbed the cookies and took off! if i ever see him again i want to give him a piece of my mind” you rant as your friend lia listens carefully. you were both eating lunch at a random restaurant she had heard about.

“he sounds like a dick” lia shakes her head in disappointment as you both chew on your fries.

“i know right! and now doyoung thinks i’m incapable of being assistant manager” you grunt, frustrated at the events of the day prior.

“don’t be so negative! you are a loyal employee and you are good at your job. you’ll get promoted soon, i’m sure of it” lia gives your an assuring smile, as you nod along with her. you were glad to have her by your side whenever you would rant like this, it helped you not completely lose it.

“hey! cookie girl!” you heard a sudden voice echo through the restaurant. both you and lia turned to the voice calling you, only to be met with the boy from yesterday.

“you’ve got to be kidding me” you groaned, putting on a small, fake smile to greet to boy.

“fancy seeing you here, stalking me now right?” he chuckled to himself, approaching your table. lia looked over at you with a ‘what the hell?’ expression, you just widened your eyes, unsure of how to respond to either of them.

“whatever helps you sleep at night” you respond, as jaemin just smirks.

“sorry about the cookies by the way. don’t get offended but, they weren’t that good to begin with” he slyly poked at you. you wanted to give him a good lecture about how hard you worked on those damn cookies but you noticed how lia was getting concerned about your next moves. you took a deep breath before giving the boy another blunt answer,

“you’re entitled to your own wrong opinion. now may you please leave me and my friend alone?” you just shot another fake smile, as jaemin couldn’t take his eyes off you. you started feeling repulsed by just his gaze, why did he have to stare for such long periods of time?

“sure thing, see you around” he winks before heading out of the restaurant.

“who the hell was that? is he the cookie thief?!” lia’s mouth was agape as you nodded.

“he was indeed. i just want to wipe that grin off his face!” you cross your arms in frustration. lia just rolls her eyes,

“he’s kinda cute, don’t you think?” she starts to wiggle her eyebrows as you throw a fry at her.

“you have a boyfriend!” you begin to tease as she starts blushing,

“jeno doesn’t need to know” she jokes as you both begin laughing.

(a/n: yes the jeno here is from the bubble tea girl au hehe) 

you were happy that lia had a boyfriend, but it often made you feel distant from her. you felt like you couldn’t ask her to hang out as much, incase she had plans with jeno. you knew that she would have dropped everything to hang out with you, but you still felt guilty if she ditched jeno like that. you wished that you had a boyfriend of your own, so you could hang out all together without the awkward third wheel vibe. but that was a long shot for you, or so you thought.

//

it had been a solid two weeks since that interaction with jaemin, in which you still didn't know his name yet. after constant hassling, doyoung promoted you to assistant manager.

"we have a new employee coming in today, i need you to train him" doyoung orders as you nod in agreement.

"never fear! i'll teach him everything in my barista 101 guide!" you smile, pulling out a pastel green notebook with random coloured tabs sticking out of it.

"i didn't ask, but you do you" doyoung shrugs, patting your shoulder before heading to the back room. doyoung always picked on you, but you were sure, you were his favourite employee.

you were fixing up any last notes in your guide, when you heard the bell above the door ring. you set everything aside, ready to take the next order. you look up, eyes meeting those of the boy you never wanted to see again.

"you" you huff out, eyes immediately glaring, face now stone cold.

"me" jaemin smiled widely, walking up to the counter, leaning his elbows on the top of it.

"fall on any more tables yet?" he chuckled to himself as you mimicked his words, turning away from him to continue writing in your book. he had some nerve teasing you like that.

"y/n, what are you doing? this is jaemin, the new employee" doyoung bursted out of the backroom, standing behind you. you instantly froze, looking over to jaemin who was now standing up straight with his arms crossed over his chest. he had bright blue hair, a blue denim jacket on, and that damn smirk of his plastered on his face. you couldn't stop glaring, slowing moving to face jaemin and doyoung.

"just train him well okay? i don't want to have to deal with any mess in here" doyoung sighed, walking away from the both of you. jaemin had his eyes fixed on you.

"you know just cause you're cute and all, doesn't mean this job is going to be easy" you muttered as you dig behind the counter to find jaemin a spare apron.

"oh so you think i'm cute?" you could hear the flirtatious tone leaving his mouth. you shot up from behind the counter and threw the apron forcefully at his face. to your displeasure, he ended up catching it before it could hit him. jaemin tied the apron on himself, meeting you behind the counter.

"let's get started shall we. i have written pretty much everything you need to learn in this book right here! it's a beginner's guide, with all my best tips and tricks so i-" you were interrupted by jaemin fiddling with the coffee machine, not paying attention to a single word that left your mouth. you groaned in annoyance, watching as he handed you the cup of coffee he had just made.

"try it" he urged you, observing your every move. you cautiously look at him and then at the cup in your hands. you didn't want to admit it, but it looked and smelled pretty good. you slowly took a sip of the warm drink, eyes avoiding those of jaemin. you hated to compliment him, but the boy had some skills. you felt jaemin's eyes on you, ready for your verdict.

"it's alright i guess" you sigh, trying to play off how impressed you were. jaemin just chuckled, knowing he was already doing a good job.

"i don't need that little book of yours, i think i'm just about perfect" you rolled your eyes at the taller boy, giving him a small slap on the shoulder.

"get to work buddy, tables need some wiping and coffees need to be made" you made your way to the cash register, beginning to take orders as customers entered the shop. jaemin couldn't help but shake his head at your bossy persona. he found it entertaining, but also quite enticing. he couldn't wait to work with you more.

//

weeks had passed since jaemin started working at the coffee shop. he never asked for any of your help, making you quite frustrated that he wouldn't even listen to a single piece of advice you had. it's as if your authority as assistant manager and his trainer, was thrown out the window. you were getting ready to start your shift, noticing jaemin drawing something on the front window with some paint pens.

"what the hell are you doing? doyoung hates it when we mess with the window art!" you nag at the blue haired boy. jaemin just rolls his eyes, turning back at you,

"can you like stop nagging me for one minute?" he responds, continuing to draw on the window. you let out a small huff, and as if on cue, doyoung approaches both of you.

"ooo you're in troubleee" you slyly mutter, waiting for the scene to unfold. jaemin turns to face doyoung, who at first didn't say a word.

"jaemin, i didn't give you permission to do this" doyoung started, you felt yourself perk up at the possibility of jaemin getting scolded.

"but i was kind of wanting a new design anyway, your doodles are quite nice actually. keep it up" doyoung smiles, looking over at your pissed off expression. he just pats your shoulder before heading off to do business of his own.

"you can't bust me, sweetie. i'm just that good" jaemin walks closer to you, backing your up against the counter.

"you are so infuriating" you grunt through your teeth, eyes meeting jaemin’s. he had a slight kindness in his eyes. as if he was pleading for you to not to be so mad at him. jaemin chuckled softly,

"you're gonna just have to deal with it then" he leaves you stunned as he walked behind the counter, starting to take orders.

was he always this handsome?

you shook your head from your thoughts, na jaemin was utterly unbearable to be around, so why couldn't you stop thinking about him?

//

"you know what he did the other day?" you begin another rant, this time lia and jeno were your audience.

"what did he do?" lia played along, looking over at jeno who was invested in your story.

"so, you know suzy? the dreaded middle aged woman who always complains about her coffee having too much sugar? yeah well, jaemin served her the other day and she complimented him! right infront of me!" you started to pout. lia started giggling causing jeno to start giggling as well.

"what's so funny?" you furrow your eyebrows at the couple.

"doesn't sound like you hate him all that much to me" jeno smirked, wiggling his eyebrows at you. you just give him a scowl in return.

"no you see jeno, y/n hides her feelings for jaemin through all this teasing, and so does he. it’s adorable" lia commented, causing you to know scowl at her.

"you guys are being ridiculous! he is so infuriating, no one can be that perfect at making coffees? especially a beginner anyway" you continue being stubborn as your friends just roll their eyes, already convinced you were in complete and utter denial.

you went home that day, thinking back to the times you felt yourself stare a bit too long at jaemin. he was so charismatic, he could practically charm any person who entered the shop. he had doyoung, the most stone cold person you had met, wrapped around his finger. he was the perfect barista, and could even do coffee art. you envied how good he was, considering it took you months to perfect your own skills. you knew that hating jaemin wasn't the way to handle this whole situation, but it was much easier than having him know that you sort of liked him.

//

you were writing down stuff in your weekly planner, it helped you stay organised with your daily tasks so you knew you wouldn’t forget anything. well, except your pastel green notebook. you swore you had left it at work, but for the past week you hadn’t been able to find it. you were slowly starting to accept that you lost it, and all your hard work over the past 6 months was for nothing. you let a soft groan, finishing up your final sentence, as you heard the boy next to you clear his throat.

“may i help you?” you move your head to face him, not realising he was already inches close to you. you immediately froze, unsure of what to do next.

“you’re slacking off, i can’t make all these coffees on my own”  jaemin smirked, like he had many times before but this time, you couldn’t help but admire how handsome he was up close.

“i- well uh, yeah sorry” you stuttered, pulling away from the boy. jaemin just sighed, he didn’t understand why it was so hard to talk to you. he wanted to get close to you, possibly even ask you out, but your repeated attempts to ignore him during your shifts together had deflated his confidence. you caught yourself glancing over at him multiple times during work, watching how he interacted so kindly with customers and somehow always kept his composure when being lectured by doyoung.

you were about to close up, making sure to double check that the bathrooms were clean. as you made your way back to the counter, you caught jaemin in the act. he was reading from your notebook. the one you thought you had lost. he didn’t see you approaching, making it an even better bust.

“AHA! i knew it! you read my book” you exclaimed, catching the boy off guard, causing him to fall into his butt. you couldn’t help but laugh at his exaggerated reaction, before helping him from behind the counter.

“it’s not what it looks like” he just sighs, knowing he had already been caught.

“oh really? cause it looks like you were reading my book, and have possibly been following every single piece of advice in it” you continued to tease, a bright smile plastered on your face. jaemin couldn’t help but crack a smile back at you, nodding in defeat.

“yes okay, i read your book. it helped a lot! is that what you wanna hear?” jaemin could feel the redness flush his cheeks and the tops of his ears. you couldn’t help but gush over how hilarious the situation was.

“and here i was, thinking you were a barista prodigy! well na jaemin, you just got schooled!” you started getting up in his face, watching as the taller boy just shook his head at your incredibly quirky antics. he found you adorable, not that he would admit it anytime soon.

from that day onwards, you and jaemin bickered less. of course you’d still poke fun at him now and then for initially taking your book, but it was all fun and games.

“y/n look!” you heard him call, as you were both closing up that night. jaemin had smeared on a foam moustache on his face, attempting to make you laugh. you just threw a dirty towel at him, rolling your eyes at us childish antics.

“god you’re such a loser” you smile softly, removing your apron. jaemin wipes off the foam, placing the towel away, before removing his own apron.

“you know, i think that all this teasing from you, is really a way for you to hide how much you like me” his words made you freeze. you didn’t want to face him. you weren’t sure if he was kidding or not, so you opted to just crack another witty comment, to avoid any more awkwardness.

“in your dreams, i do it because you’re just easy to make fun of. it’s what friends do” you shrug, looking over at the blue haired boy. you were expecting atleast a small smile to come from jaemin, but instead, he had an unreadable expression. he approached you slowly, causing you to shuffle backwards, your back now pressing against one of the cupboards behind the counter. jaemin places his right hand next to your head, leaning closer to you. you felt your breath hitch as he stared into your eyes. jaemin didn’t want to keep beating around the bush, he needed to know how you felt, and soon.

“ so you’re telling me, we are just friends?” he mumbles, quiet enough for only you to hear. you could practically feel him begging for you to deny it, but your heart wasn’t sure if you were completely in it. of course you found jaemin attractive, who wouldn’t? but to be in a relationship or even start something more than a friendship, with anyone was a huge step for you. you had never had a boyfriend before, and watching your friends experience immense heartbreaks in the past, made you unsure of your own experiences.

“y-yeah jaemin, we’re just friends” you whisper, watching as jaemin’s face softens. you didn’t know if he was upset, hurt, or both. but you knew something was off. jaemin just nodded, packing up his things.

“have a nice night, y/n” jaemin gave you a small wave before exiting the coffee shop. you felt your heart tighten, what the hell was he doing to you?

//

“y/n, i’m your best friend and all, but you’re an idiot. jaemin clearly likes you and you have just ruined your chances!” lia sighs, comforting you the next day. you just nod, knowing everything she said was true.

“i know i messed up. i just don’t want to get his hopes up if i’m a shit girlfriend or something” you worry, unsure whether you could really show jaemin the appreciation as love he deserved.

“stop being so afraid! don’t stay sheltered! if you like him, you should tell him. you deserve to be in a happy relationship, never doubt that” lia pulls you in for a long hug and you begin t think about what you wanted to say to jaemin, the next time you saw him. you knew she was right. if you didn’t confess soon, it would eat at you inside about what could have been. it was time to take a chance.

//

at your next shift at the coffee shop, jaemin came in late. he apologised to doyoung who didn’t mind, as today was fairly slow. he would usually shoot a witty comment at you before he started making drinks, but today he just gave you a small smile without a single word. your heart clenched at how he was acting. but you knew exactly why he was doing it. you wanted to wait until closing time, to properly talk with jaemin. but you couldn’t help but notice how down he looked whilst he was serving customers. it really must have affected him a lot. you tried to talk to him during your shift, standing next to him as he was making a drink.

“h-hey, how are you?” you tried to start, watching as jaemin halts his movements. he turned his head to face you, the expression was unreadable. jaemin knew he was being petty for giving you the cold shoulder. it wasn’t like he could have forced you to like him back, especially since he hadn’t properly right out confessed to you.

“i-i’m alright, and you?” he tried to act as normal and nonchalant as possible.

“i’m okay i guess” you mumble, unsure of how to continue. you were thankful that jaemin had to serve more customers, cutting your conversation short.

you waited for the clock to strike 9:30pm, as it was time to start closing up. doyoung tossed you the keys before he finished his shift earlier that day, leaving both you and jaemin to pack up together. jaemin had finished cleaning the bathrooms and all the tables as you worked on the countertops and back area. you made eye contact with him from across the room. he looked so solemn, as if he would rather be anywhere else but here with you. you sighed to yourself, knowing what was on his mind. you approached the blue haired boy slowly. he watched your every move, his heart beat increasing with every step you took.

“i lied” you blurt out as his eyes furrowed, confused at your words.

“when you asked me if i thought we were just friends. i lied. i don’t think of you as just a friend, jaemin. i-i think of you as something more” you avoid his eyes, watching as he sets down the dirty towels onto the nearest table. he pulls your chin up with his fingers, making sure you were looking at him directly.

“why didn’t you just say so?” he had that cocky smirk on again, which would have drove you nuts before, but now you found really attractive.

“i was in denial, okay? i didn’t know if you really liked me back or not and i guess i was just scared about what to do next” you admitted, as jaemin’s lips formed a small pout.

“you drive me crazy” jaemin smiled, cupping the side of your face with his left hand, softly caressing your cheek with his thumb.

“well so do you” you mumbled while blushing.

“just so you can hear me say it, i like you too. kinda have been trying to drop hints. you’re completely oblivious” he playfully teased, causing you to give him a small shove. you couldn’t help but smile at him as he pulled your face closer to his with both his hands on your cheeks. you move your hands to wrap around his neck, watching as his smile widened.

“bold move there” he muttered, lips brushing briefly over yours.

“can you just kiss me already?” you whine, which made jaemin’s heart burst. he nodded eagerly before connecting your lips with his. he moved one hand to grab your waist and the other was left caressing your cheek. you couldn’t believe you were kissing the same guy who stole your cookies months ago.

jaemin suddenly pulls away, mumbling,

“i knew you’d fall for me, i mean i am a catch”

“you really know how to ruin a moment don’t you?” you pull away from his completely, letting his take his hand in yours.

“yeah but we have a lot of time to have more moments, won’t we?” jaemin pulls you to his side,

“we sure will” you smile up at him, leaning in for another kiss when you were interrupted by a familiar voice,

“i freaking knew it! you two better not do this lovey dovey stuff during your shift otherwise i’m firing one of you” doyoung warmed as you both burst into laughter.

you didn’t know what you were getting yourself into with jaemin. but that was the thrill of it all. he was constantly surprising you with new things about himself. you completely adored him, as he did with you. you realised it was okay to let yourself be vulnerable, you never know what you could get out of it.

a/n: ahhh i loved writing this one! let me know if there were any mistakes! x 

[vronnica]

‹ ･ ｡ ☾  [ blackpink vc ] hey boys. soz for missing plotting hour and opening… my bf wanted a cheese and wine night, so y’all know i was knocked af for like 12+ hrs. but now i am back and ready for action ! HENNYWAYS,,, i’m acacia ( she/her ), i’m twenty years of age, and i hail from the pst timezone ! i love kpop ( specifically got7 and blackpink. however, my ult bias is vernon from seventeen. if you know, you know. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  ), milk tea, and mac and cheese. sooo sorry you’re all trapped in this rp w/ me. but y’all will learn to adore my 3am messages and casual spam on the dash. with that being said, under the cut you’ll find out more about my piece of shit baby angel, ronnie ! if you want ur muse to be friends with the stereotypical rich bitch. keep on readin bbs ;) psa: if you like this then you’re obligated to plot with me srry but i don’t make the rules. ( i’m jk please like this or i’ll cry. ) i’ll either slide in your IMs or you can contact me on discord @ mlilk#3162

jennie kim & cisfemale • hey, isn’t that veronica moon? she is that twenty-two year old that’s been living in conyers farm for twenty years. did you know her family is worth $18B? no wonder she is so ingenious & haughty. she is known around the estates as the aesthete, after all. 

                                Q U I C K   G U I D E   O F   V E R O N I C A

PINTEREST BOARD

STATISTICS PAGE

RELATIONSHIPS ( WANTED CONNECTIONS )

                                    H E R   D A I L Y   R O U T I N E

in veronica’s dreams, she is the epitome of a morning person. in reality, she’s a two in the afternoon kind of person. however, her schedule does not allow her to do that. so she does everything possible to transform herself into a morning person. new white rays shine through the window as she lies in her queen sized bed. she lifts up the aqua colored silk eye mask and the warm ball of light filtered through her thin eyelids. it takes her a moment to adjust but eventually her eyes flutter open to reveal the exhaust in her chocolate brown hues. she extends her arm out to her bed side table, grabbing ahold of her phone. she clears out the notifications that do not automatically appeal to her and checks the ones that do. after five minutes of procrastinating, she finally slips out of bed.

ronnie trudges her feet against the hardwood floor, making her way over to her bathroom. with a flick of a switch, the bright light from the crystal chandelier fills up the room. she runs herself a bath. filling the tub with lavender and jasmine bath salts. her le soir silk night slip pools around her feet as she climbs into the warm water. she’s completely and utterly relaxed. the time passes too quickly and she’s back on her feet. she wraps the fluffy white towel around her small frame and walks into her closet. winter, her favorite time of the year. she picks out a classic veronica moon outfit. a light orange and black tartan patterned dress paired with her wool cashmere burberry coat. and with a single spritz of her chanel no.5 onto her chest, she’s ready for the day.

                                              B A C K S T O R Y

moon jisung, ( chairman and co-owner of urban place resorts / hotels ) met vanessa ross ( retired model, turned fashion designer ) back in 1995 at one of vanessa’s casting calls. that, of course, was being held at urban place’s gangnam location. it definitely was not love at first sight. vanessa’s serious aura made jisung think she was a lawyer. jisung’s spazzy persona had vanessa thinking, “ this man is the chairman ? ” their relationship remained business. until one day jisung accidentally texted the designer one letter, “ q. ” from there, the relationship blossomed.

october 29, 1996, veronica moon was born, the moon family was complete, and they’re absolutely perfect. two years after she was born, jisung and vanessa decided to make a permanent home in conyers farm. therefore, veronica grew up in a really nice household. nice cars, designer clothes, and every day was a vacation. she was constantly spoiled. always given whatever she wants, whenever she wants. and of course, she’s used to getting her way all the time. ultimately making her: bad and boujee. her family is loaded. ( duh every1′s is. ) and she’s always been surrounded by lots of love and luxury.

being the only child, ronnie never had any consequences. in school, she became sort of a bully. she was very ruthless and cold. she had that, “i’ll do anything to get where i need to be,” personality. and if it meant paying someone to transfer the other student threatening her valedictorian spot, then yes, of course she’d do that. people either hated her or loved her. there was no in between. she kept her clique small. ( yes, a clique, which indeed was very exclusive. invite only. think of regina george or blair waldorf. ) she ran her school and she liked to keep it that way. 

once she graduated she became more of an adult about things. but, old habits die hard. therefore, some of those traits she developed in school still linger with her til this day. just a little more filtered. ( truly, just a tad bit. ) she got accepted into almost every ivy league college. her mother gave her the option to just pass on college. her father on the other hand, encouraged her to go to school to have the major under her belt. ultimately, she decided to go to yale and major in art history. ( she chose yale because it was only a little over an hour away from conyers. ) though, now, most of her classes are being completed online.

present time: veronica is currently taking a semester off school to really think about what she wants to do after she graduates. at the moment, she spends a majority of her time working on her art. growing up she always had an artistic eye. vanessa ( being a fashion designer ) taught her all the techniques when it came to drawing for fashion. though eventually, veronica steered away from the clothing industry and found herself drawing more intricate works of art.

                                           P E R S O N A L I T Y

too long; didn’t read: an angel with a halo unbalanced with horns, not a devil but not a saint either ?? kind yet has a backbone. softer than what she seems like. humorous and witty though understanding. mistrusting but willing to let loyalty speak. wealthy but tries not to depend on her family. stays away from the king glitterati lifestyle and fronts as if she’s just a normal gal livin��� in conyers etcetc.

she has that tell it like it is personality. she just calls it likes she sees it. even if she’s not exactly right. she’s literally drowning in her riches. making her materialistic af. some people might think she’s that dumb bimbo rich bitch. but she’s actually very VERY smart. witty and intelligent to be exact. 

super particular when it comes to most things. ( high maintenance queen. ) she wants things done correctly. so she often runs by the quote, “ if you want things right you gotta do it yourself. ” she absolutely despises like relying on others to get things done when she knows she could do it faster and better. a little bit of a ocd queen. 

her instagram = her job. it’s filled with ootds, selfies, food pics. but most importantly: her art. it’s the platform she uses to show people she isn’t just a pretty rich girl. she has talent. ( *insert "the kardashian's have no talent" - proven wrong in 7 minutes vid.* ) 

she’s very dedicated to her work, thus making her very goal oriented. she’s very creative and she’s actually a very good artist. she’s one of those people that set their mind to something and goes through with it until the end. i’m sure she picked up doodling and bullet journaling while growing up. *plays boss ass bitch vine.*

too long; didn’t read pt. 2: she’s slowly growing out of her tough head of hair and morphing into a young woman so beautiful over the years, but also at times, terrifying ?? self destructive ?? even if she’ll never let anyone see her deteriorate her insides sigh. she’s a hot mess. but she tries her best to hide that shit. yeye sweg.

                                            R E L A T I O N S H I P S

FRIENDSHIPS: she has plenty of friends, at least in her head. in reality, she just knows a lot of people through her many connections. so she has many affiliations. but never real friends. she’s very particular with the people she associates herself with. she believes that those around you reflect who you are as a person as well. therefore, she only surrounds herself with the best of the best. she may not be the best person to tell your secrets too either because she’s quite the gossip queen. but she can probably persuade you to trust her. rip. however, if you are a close friend of her’s, she’s very loyal to those who are loyal to her. which means she’d never do you dirty. but that’s only if she really cares about you. she’s a really great listener and she’s willing to give advice to those are willing to take it. plus, she’s the type to spoil the people she loves. so expect the best christmas gifts ever if u rollin’ with her. 

honestly, she really does need to surround herself with good people with genuinely good intentions. so please, someone teach her what loyalty is. 

bonus points if they’ve been friends for awhile. displays loyalty.

ENEMIES: she was bully in high school. so you know this girl has more than enough enemies ( and haters. ) she uses people, she pushes people around, etc etc. like she has some very evil intentions. she’s vengeful and irrational. she puts fuel to drama and loves to see people crash and burn. why ? she wants that reassurance that she is flourishing above all. she never wants to be belittled and will do anything to remain on the very top. however,,, ronnie does have some good intentions. she leans more to the chaotic neutral side. ( maybe tilted a bit more towards evil, but still. ) deep deeeeep deeeeeeeeeeep down the girl is trust issue central when it comes to letting people in. she can’t help it. she’s like that one rihanna meme, them: you can’t just cut people off. ronnie: *holds a pair of scissors* she doesn’t have problem with letting people go. so people think she’s a bitch because, “how could you just drop our five year long friendship like that.” and she’d just shrug. but really, she’s hurting beyond repair and will go home crying while eating a thing of ben & jerry’s chunky monkey.

there’s always that possibility where a friendship just didn’t work out. maybe they just stopped having time for each other and now it’s just mad awk. whatever it is, an enemy would b beaut.

veronica absolutely needs enemies. give her many. plenty. an abundance please.

LOVERS: i have a feeling she’s dabbled in the dating world. she’s had a few boyfriends, dates, etc. but most likely nothing LONG TERM. possibly because she doesn’t see the point unless it’s for marriage. just like her mom and dad. she has this [ beyoncé vc ] independent woman facade going on right now. which makes her seem like she doesn’t want anyone. but she’s secretly a hopeless romantic. this girl would love to be loved. and she truly needs it. she’s probably read tons of books about love and fluffy shit like that. it’d be a hard mission to win this girl over. but not impossible. she just has high expectations when it comes to relationships. so someone rlly needs to come here and treat this girl right. 

100% dabbles in the quick hook ups for the sake of fulfilling those needs. 

though, if the right person were to come along… she’d be loyal to them, completely devoted to just them.

CONGRATULATIONS ! you made it to end ! if you read all of this… i love you. i only ever write so much bc… it gets me in character lmao. also, i wrote all of this literally the moment i woke up so pls excuse any mistakes. i would really love to plot with everyone. so just slide into my IMs and we can get things started !! luv u *blows a kiss*

[pussycat-scribbles]

Answers abound!

Ahh reading through all of my messages was dlfkjsdf I’m so grateful when people take the time to send me something! 

I’ve answered an absolute ton privately, and I’ve made the executive decision not to include messages here unless there’s a direct question involved, but I do read every single thing that arrives in my inbox and I am so incredibly grateful for your words of encouragement. I love hearing that a piece of artwork has made you smile, or that you saw something that reminded you of me, or you’ve been inspired to start your own art journey because of me - or just that you enjoy my gifs! 

I’m sorry not to acknowledge all of these wonderful messages individually but they really, truly always brighten my day when I get them

If you’ve sent me something that you really would like a response to and it isn’t here, please do send it again!

I’m delighted you’ve been inspired to draw again! With regards to your tablet, be sure to check that you’re using the latest tablet driver - they can be really tricksy things so reinstalling your tablet with a driver downloaded direct from the source might help. And as with anything, practice really is the only way to get better! Personally I’m currently using a Wacom Intuos Pro Small, but in the past I’ve used Wacom bamboos and other tablets by the same brand. I’ve never had a problem with any of their products, but have yet to try the cintiq line. 

For actual drawing I mostly use Photoshop CS6, but I’m slowly learning Clip Studio Paint (which is really good!). I usually use the default brushes for most things like lining and colouring, and fiddle with opacity settings as necessary. For inking specifically I like to use the hard round opacity brush at 75% opacity with shape dynamics turned on. I occasionally use custom brushes I’ve collected over the years, for stuff like clouds and the odd bit of texture, but not very often.

Unfortunately publishing is just one of those very competitive industries where people tend to stick around once they’re in! I was lucky enough to land a graduate trainee position (what my company was calling their internship programme in ye olden days of 2011/2012) not long after I left university, and I’ve stayed there ever since! The best thing you can do is network with industry people - follow them on social media, attend open industry events, get to know who works where if you can. It’s difficult to give advice without knowing your particular circumstances, but don’t give up! Best of luck :)

Oh ho ho it pleases me immensely that people are enthusiastic about this AU! Sorry for the radio silence about it, but @notallballs and I have both been super busy with other things. Oikawa and his *cough* magical plant adventure with Iwa have been put on the backburner a bit, but Bees and I talk about it regularly and it is definitely not forgotten. There might be a little bit more of a wait, but we’ll get around to it in good time, don’t you worry!

I love fantasy and science fiction! Although I have a slight preference for fantasy, I think. I read a lot for escapism, and I don’t particularly have any interest in mainstream fiction or more literary stuff, but I’ll occasionally dabble in crime. I love too may authors to name, but favourites include Terry Pratchett, Brandon Sanderson, Ben Aaronovitch and C.S. Pacat.

If you’re new to art or trying to get back into it: just go for it. Don’t stress about being bad or rusty to begin with - everyone has to be bad at something before they can be good at it! And use the tools that you can easily access/afford. Worry about upgrading later when you’re comfortable with what you’re doing! The best resource for tutorials and art advice is youtube and devianart (although I use the former more these days). Look up things like speedpaints and follow tons of artists and see if they’ve got any tip/tutorial videos! And the main piece of advice I can give is to practice, practice, practice. That’s the only real way to improve at anything. Draw as regularly as you can manage, and draw from life to build a solid foundation before you start bending rules! 

Good luck!

I was using the lasso tool to select part of the canvas! I use it in the way you’ve described here and to select parts of the drawing to move around and transform if they need resizing etc. It’s a fundamental part of digital drawing, so if you’re getting into it you’ll learn how to do that kind of thing pretty quickly!

Pray.

Thank you very much! This is a really tricky thing to answer because it’s often not a conscious decision? I know my colour theory and warms and cools and which colours go well together, but explaining my actual thought process behind why I use the colours I do is…another matter. There are colour palettes I’m more drawn towards - I love blues and purples! - but a lot of the time I’m drawing fanart of characters who already have established colours so I start with their canon colour scheme as a base and use hue + saturation tools to adjust to my tastes/whatever the mood of the piece is. 

I have every intention of finishing that picture! I think when I started working on it last Christmas it was a bit too ambitious for me, but in the last few months I’ve started working on much more elaborate/extensive pieces of artwork and feel a bit more confident tackling a piece with so many characters. It might be a case that I start over entirely, but I fully intend to draw the full seijou mermaid squad together one day!

Use references! Photos are great, as is your own body, but drawing other people in real life situations is the best thing for improving at anatomy. I don’t use refs nearly as much as I should for my regular art, but I rarely go into my smut artwork without at least a ref or two to work from. 

I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, but I’ve been drawing “seriously” - and by “seriously” I mean I’ve drawn regularly and with intent to improve - for nearly 15 years now. I’ve been posting my artwork online since late 2004! I keep a progress meme here if anyone is interested, although I haven’t updated it for a couple of years. I should really do that!

I do indeed have an instagram account, but I don’t use it as often as I should. It’s more of an afterthought at the moment, but I want to get better! My username is emily_fay_

AND THAT IS THAT, FOLKS. I deleted so many messages I would have loved to acknowledge directly but it just isn’t feasible. My inbox is cleared out now so your ask response service should resume as normal! Please do keep messaging me

Thanks for reading if you made it this far!

[sometimesalwaysmusic]

KAMANCELLO

Kamancello (KA) is a musical duo consisting of Raphael Weinroth-Browne (cello) and Shahriyar Jamshidi (kamanche). We spoke with Raphael to discussed the freedom of improvised performances, the blurring of genres they perform, and their origins as a group. Keep an eye on their social media pages for details on their debut full-length, to be released later in 2017.

VITALS

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kamancellomusic/

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/kamancellomusic

Email: kamanchecello@gmail.com

Latest release: Radiance (Single, February 2017)

Upcoming shows: Stay tuned!

SA: How did Kamancello start, and when did you start playing together? KA: Shahriyar and I met in summer 2014 in Toronto. I found out through a friend that Shahriyar had recently performed in a fully improvised concert on kamanche. I’ve been listening to Persian music since I was very young and always loved the kamanche, so, naturally, I was excited about the possibility of collaborating with someone who played the instrument. I reached out to him online and we met up for an improvised jam, which went very well. There are many improvised concert series in Toronto, so a few weeks later we decided to perform together in front of an audience - the chemistry was excellent and we felt inspired to continue playing together.

 Over the past two years, we have performed at a variety of concerts in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, and we have recorded material for a full-length album.

 SA: What bands, musicians, or artists would you say are the biggest influences on your sound? KA: This is an interesting question because in many cases, a band’s sound will draw influence from very specific places but our music, being purely improvised, is primarily the result of our individual musical personalities and the way they interact together. Shahriyar has a strong background in traditional Kurdish and Iranian music, having spent most of his life in Iran, growing up around music, and attending the conservatory in Tehran. I have been an avid listener of Persian music for over a decade, and I also incorporate elements of metal and classical; they are an integral part of my playing. What we have created live and in the studio feels very fresh to me, unlike traditional Persian music or other forms of classical/world music. 

I think that when you have to create music in real time, it directly reflects your musical identity, which is a very different process from building a piece gradually over time and having the opportunity to edit or even censor certain elements that come through naturally. 

SA: Thus far in your career, what has been your biggest accomplishment? KA: From a live perspective, performing at Montreal’s Festival du Monde Arabe was an awesome experience. We played at Place des Arts to an extremely engaged and attentive audience, and I felt that our performance was very focussed and fulfilling. 

Recording our first album was also a big achievement in my opinion and a truly inspiring experience. We spent a full day in the studio recording long improvised pieces. Despite the fact that nothing we played was premeditated, all the pieces felt cohesive and unique. The second day was almost exclusively spent listening to takes. It was a beautiful experience to simply allow the music to reveal itself and not try to construct and edit something to clinical perfection. It’s also very liberating to enter the studio with no idea what the resulting sounds will be and to be able to discover them almost for the first time after having recorded them.

 SA: On the other hand, what is the biggest challenge you have faced, and how have you dealt with it? KA: As a musical group, I think our ongoing challenge is finding the right venues and contexts in which to perform. Given that what we do is unrehearsed and fully spontaneous, we need a fully attentive audience and thus bars and clubs are not ideal spaces for our music. This limits the possibility of playing frequently as a smaller act, but we have nonetheless had great experiences performing at venues such as Place des Arts in Montreal and Small World Music Centre in Toronto. We also played a house concert in Ottawa more recently, which I consider to be one of our best shows to date, as the audience was totally engaged and we had the right energy to fully immerse ourselves in the sonic worlds we were creating.

 SA: What are your thoughts on the Ottawa music scene, and particularly, your fit within it? KA: I grew up in Ottawa and feel very connected with the city’s musical landscape, and I have worked with many local musicians over the years. I think that culturally, Ottawa has huge potential waiting to be fully realized. People in Ottawa love music and always seem to respond well to new artists and sounds, and I feel like many very unique and interesting projects have emerged from the city over the years. Whenever I invite musicians from other cities in Canada or further abroad to perform in Ottawa, they are always impressed by the response they receive and the quality of the local acts. 

At this point, I don’t necessarily see Kamancello as part of the local “scene,” particularly since we’ve only played a couple of times in Ottawa to date - that being said, the response we received both times was fantastic. I wouldn’t say we really fit squarely into any scene for that matter - world music or otherwise. Our main focus is to make great music, regardless of genre or association. Like all of my projects, Kamancello is not solely focussed on operating at a local level, but an international one. If there’s any one piece of advice I would give Ottawa musicians, particularly younger artists or bands, it would be to concentrate on the bigger picture and find a broader audience without getting overly concerned with one’s popularity on a local level.

 SA: What was your experience like working at Toronto's Union Sound Company and how did the recording session go? KA: Union Sound Company is an amazing studio and I was fortunate to know about it and work there multiple times before it was officially opened. They have a huge live room and fantastic microphones, which are ideal for a project such as ours. The sessions were recorded by Leon Taheny; he is an absolute wizard when it comes to capturing acoustic sounds and mixing detailed, intricate music. He also has a very calm and relaxed manner while working in the studio, which I think is an important quality for any engineer. I had previously worked with him on the debut albums from The Visit and Flying Horses among a number of other projects so it was a very familiar process to record with him again. As you can see in our video, Shahriyar and I were set up facing each other in the live room, so we were able to communicate our musical ideas very directly and maintain eye contact while playing. We also didn’t need headphones, which allowed for a very natural recording process and better timing and intonation. The first day was very intense as we recorded roughly 16 pieces, averaging 10 minutes each. It was exciting to hear the diversity and range of moods evoked by each improvisation. On the second day, we recorded two more pieces, and then spent the rest of the session listening to all of the material and getting a sense of what we had to work with. Essentially, we spent two days working in the studio and virtually no time editing, which is an unusually easy process. It’s nice to know that what you will hear on the album is exactly what we played.

 SA: I personally have not heard anything like your music before: I'm curious as to how would you describe it to someone who has never heard it before? KA: Timeless, nationless music performed by two people playing from a completely honest place. Although Kamancello clearly has roots in our respective musical backgrounds, I think our sound exists in a realm outside of the “world music” or “fusion” genres and deals more broadly in conveying emotional landscapes and intricate dialogues. This is music for anyone and everyone, if they are ready to listen.

 SA: Apt613 has written about you: 'Their improvised performances are unlike anything you’ve ever heard, both from anyone else or the duo themselves'. Is this process always invigorating, or is it ever stressful, not knowing what comes next when performing together? KA: I would say that improvising is always less stressful than performing written music because there are truly no mistakes. In this spontaneous context, the performance is only as good or as bad as you feel it is. The important thing for us while playing is to embrace new and unexpected ideas as they appear and trust that we will find the end of the piece somehow. I personally find it quite nice - indeed, very liberating - to be able to discover and enjoy the music as it reveals itself, instead of judging myself on how I am playing something that already exists as a composition for which I have certain set expectations.

  SA: Lastly, what’s on the agenda for Kamancello next in 2017? All the best, and thank you for taking the time to answer these questions! KA: We plan on releasing our first full-length album later this year, likely in September. In the meantime, we have a few more videos slated to come out in the coming months. We will be performing in Ottawa again and playing a number of other shows in Ontario and Quebec over the course of the spring and summer.

[redsoapbox]

Family Jools / Interview

Singer George Sims - the kinetic force driving the ‘classic’ sound of Family Jools. 

Hoyfest returns to the Gate Arts Centre at the end of this month, building on the success of its inaugural festival held there last November. It was a wise decision, indeed, to make the converted church in Roath the festival’s permanent spiritual home - it’s an aesthetically pleasing venue, with an easy-going vibe that lends itself to a day-long celebration of music. 2017’s sixteen-strong bill is headlined by big hitters Pretty Vicious and Estrons, while intriguing support is provided by the likes of Farebrother, RedFaces and Vida. 

One crucial piece of advice for punters making their way to the festival, though, is to make sure and get there for the kickoff. The astonishingly good Bristol band Family Jools, young pretenders to pop’s crown, are booked into a surprisingly early afternoon slot.  If you like a rock, pop or soul tune where the verse is as catchy as the chorus and the chorus is so damned catchy it sticks like honey to the silver-lining of your soul or like a slab of gum to the undersides of your nearly-new dancing shoes, then Family Jools is the band you’ve been waiting to hear all your life!

Following a string of sublime releases over the past twelve months the Jools, presently a three-piece following the departure of guitarist Jack Hawkins, are fast becoming one of the most talked-about bands in the U.K. On the eve of the group’s appearance at Hoyfest, emails were exchanged with drummer Euan Palmer and singer George Sims.

How did Family Jools get together? 

EP: Me and George met in Bristol and started playing as a two-piece. But we needed to unleash George’s songs, so we set about adding members and crafting the sound. 

How difficult was it, initially, to make a name for yourselves in Bristol? Looking from the outside in, there appears to be a thriving live music scene in the city. Is that the reality?  

EP: I think it’s hard for any band to make their name initially. Bristol has loads of places to play, so we just played wherever we could, as often as possible, which just opened the door to other cities. 

There seems to be a good vibe surrounding End of the Trail Records: their “mission statement” on artistic freedom drawing comparisons with Factory records avant-garde approach to making music. How did your tie-in with the label come about, and what’s so special about the relationship the label has with its artists? 

EP:  We started working with End of the Trail after meeting Kelly (Kelly Munro, Managing director & Head of A&R at the label) at a gig in Bristol. Kelly’s label is full of great, original bands that really put everything into what they do. 

You’ve put out a handful of mesmerising singles, including this month’s “American Dream”, a  two-minute burst of college rock which is probably (along with the trippy debut single “Twisted Side”)  your most energetic, up-tempo track to date. Is the idea to showcase a different side of the band with each single or does “American Dream” signpost a whole new direction for the band? 

EP:  I feel that regardless of ‘your sound’ you can always experiment with different ideas. Different songs can require different vibe and direction, so don’t always stick to the easiest route. George always likes to try his songs in different styles so we can come up with the best it can be. 

Rumours abound of a debut album being released before the end of the year. Can you confirm that’s the fact and tell us a little about the making of the record?  

EP:  An album is in the works: we’ve been working the songs and recording all throughout the year. 

Your refreshingly uncluttered, classic sound has been described, by a variety of music journalists and bloggers, as blues-rock, cosmic-soul, and even bubblegum pop! Are they on the money? 

EP:  I’m not sure. We just play the music they can decide the genre. 

Are your songs written collectively? If not, what’s the division of labour in the combo? 

EP:  George is always writing new tunes, when he feels they’re getting there we tend to start recording them. Some get put on ice, some get pulled back, some change, some change after we’ve recorded them. 

For me, the real appeal of the Jools lies in your ‘classic’ approach to songwriting - “Don’t Know”, “Fallacy” and “Get Off” all take the scenic route in getting from A to B, and each song comes with a chorus that’s simply irresistible. Which are the songwriters, Lennon and McCartney aside, that you particularly admire? 

EP:  We listen to a wide range of artists, soul, rock, pop and funk, so the list is endless. For me, personally, it has to be the likes of Hendrix, The Who, that sort of classic sixties rock. 

You’re gearing up to play Hoyfest, is this the first time you’ve played Wales? And what can gig-goers’ expect when they see Family Jools in the flesh? 

EP:  Yeah, it will be the first time for us. I’ve never seen us from the other side of the stage!  

Earlier this year, the band backed Gavin Martin on his Rory Gallagher tribute, The Revolutionary. How did that collaboration come about, and are there any other one-off projects in the pipeline? 

EP:  Gavin used “Get Off” to do some spoken word poetry over on his album. The first time he joined us on stage was in London, and a couple of times since. 

GS: “Get Off” was also used in a recent independent film Happy Birthday Toby Simpson. 

BC Camplight headlined this year’s Wales Goes Pop Festival, turning in a splendidly strange set. How did your recent solo slot in support of them turn out? Did you get to spend any quality time with Brian Christinzio, their larger-than-life singer? 

GS:  I met him briefly - he seemed like a nice man. 

Your vocal delivery is, for the most part, a pretty laid back affair, but on “Don’t Know” you inject a dash of soulful venom into the girl/whirl rhyme that reminded me of Van Morrison in his Angry Young Them days. Would it be fair to describe you as a soul singer? 

GS:  Yes – thank you. 

What does “living the dream” look like for Family Jools?  Is the ultimate ambition simply to earn a crust doing something that you all love, or will you have failed as a band if you don’t succeed in making records that people will still be talking about fifty years from now? 

EP:  We just love being in a band. It’s really great fun and doesn’t get much more dreamy than that. Which band wouldn’t want to be talked about for decades to come? 

GS:  Do what you love if you can, man. 

https://www.facebook.com/FamilyJools/

http://www.endofthetrailrecords.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/hoyfest/  

[mredwinsmith]

About to Exhibit Your Art for the First Time?

The Devil’s in The Details

Congratulations! You have an opportunity to exhibit your work and you want to be sure you’re ready. Over my artistic career, I’ve exhibited in a wide range of settings from small local venues to museums and galleries across the country and abroad. And, as the commercial goes, “I’ve learned a thing or two along the way.”

Here’s a checklist to keep handy when preparing to show your work. Note that this advice is focused on two-dimensional art, but much of it applies regardless of what medium you use.

1. Your Artist’s Resume/Vita

Photo courtesy of Getty Images

  Like it or not, you have to have a resume listing your artistic achievements available to the public when you have an exhibit of your work. This is also a necessary component of your website, blog or even your Facebook profile.

If you are relatively new to this, an artist’s resume is not at all like a typical job resume where you list your address, date of birth, education, places you’ve worked and what you did there.

Instead, you are listing the dates of your previous shows including solo and group exhibits, any articles written about your work, honors, awards and grants you received, residencies you participated in and any other honors you’ve received as an artist.

Given there are people out there who think art teachers and students are not serious artists — and some of them run art galleries — you may want to leave those details out of your resume. Even though it has nothing to do with the quality of your work, listing your day job, whatever that may be, is not likely all that important to include on a resume for exhibitions.

Moreover, listing things like, “First place at the state fair” or “I had a show at Jacob’s Water Bar and Spa” can also work against you. What works better is to use a general statement, such as “(Your name here) has exhibited his/her work regionally (nationally, if that’s the case) and received many awards and accolades for (his or her) art.”

Keeping your resume simple isn’t a cop-out for your lack of experience, but rather it’s a way of letting your artwork speak for itself.

Keep Up with Experience

Your exhibition resume can take different forms depending on your experience. If you’ve had a lot of experience showing your work, but you haven’t been keeping track of the names, dates and places, you have to start making the time to sort those things out.

Then, get your experience on paper and on the web. Remember, having an artist’s resume is valuable PR for showing and selling your work.

Believe it or not, however, listing too much experience is also a pitfall because no one is going to read multiple pages detailing your lengthy career. The fact is, people have a very short attention span in our fast-paced world.

Even if you have an extensive background, think of your resume as a summary or capsule of your accomplishments that fit on a single page rather than compiling a complete list of your shows over the past decade or so.

You can always include, “A complete list of my exhibitions is available upon request.”

2. Artist’s Statement

Cartoon by Gary Hallgren

  Facing the dreaded artist statement is no easy task. And, in my opinion, it’s probably one of the most hated professional obligation artists have to grapple with!

But no matter how hard it is to try to say what your art represents in a public statement, you can’t squirm your way out of this one. In a sense, you just have to grin and bare it.

Clearly, it’s not all that reasonable to think you can be completely objective about the meaning and substance of your own art without making unending drafts which wind up in a wastebasket. I’m in total agreement with anyone who says, “If you want to know what my work is about, just look at it! “

I’ve written two books on art, and you would think writing a statement on my own work would be a piece of cake. But no, it’s just the opposite. I have written approximately 40 versions of my own statements from the time I was a grad student to the one I use now for gallery shows. And, I still hate them all.

You just have to accept the fact it isn’t really possible to summarize who you are as an artist but just do the best you can.

Ask a Third Party

Many times it’s better to have someone write about your work from their perspective than it is to go it alone. And this method to an artist’s statement is completely fine. You’ll see this approach in catalogs produced for gallery shows where an art critic, historian or fellow artist writes about the work of the artist displayed.

This tactic gets an “A” for getting you off the hook and making the writer of the statement somewhat accountable for how it goes over. Regardless, there’s no way to control what people think about your art or what’s written about it.

At least you’ll know there are artists just like yourself who are frustrated trying to express what they want to say about their work. That’s not to say writing an informative and meaningful statement about your work is not feasible. Just remember to keep it short, honest and as clear as you can. Lengthy, flowery and poetic proclamations are doomed at the starting gate and will drive readers away.

Lead by Example

It can be helpful to read other artist’s statements that may inspire an approach you haven’t thought of. I recommend doing a web search for “artist statements” and “famous artist statements” which yield a lot of samples. Here are two sources, I recommend: “8 Artist Statements We Love” and “Art and Art Statements — Quotes by Famous Artists.”

I had 50 artists from across the spectrum write short statements about their abstract work in my book, Creating Abstract Art. The results show the diversity of thinking among artists practicing the same genre of work. And, not any two of the artists say the same thing. I recommend reading the ones in my book and those on the web that ring true for you, then put that into your own words.

3. Framing Your Work

In my opinion, one of the worse reactions someone can have when viewing your art is to say, “I really like the frame you put on this piece.” Thank you, but did you happen to notice the painting in the middle of the frame? If that’s ever happened to you, don’t blame the viewer, but start reconsidering your framing choices.

  Photo courtesy of Getty Images

  The frame you choose should present your work without drawing attention. In my opinion, you shouldn’t waste your money or time choosing a frame or mat just because you think it looks impressive.

Frame shops like to push unnecessary and pricey frills like ornate gold leaf details, museum glass and densely colored mats that likely do more harm than good. Framers have a bottom line business to support. And, I respect that.

But don’t let them talk you into buying superfluous trimmings or anything overly decorative that takes attention away from your art. Frames can be simple and elegant without hogging the stage.

Ornate by Nature

The idea of keeping the frame simple is not necessarily consistent with the job of gallery and museum directors who must respect the origins of the art itself. For example, most artworks depicting religious iconography in the Renaissance and Baroque periods were specifically made to impress the viewer much as did the spectacularly ornate cathedrals that presented these artworks to their parishioners.

In addition, many legendary artists actually made their own frames — that were works of art in their own right — and were married to the paintings inside their borders.

In fairness, I have to mention the controversial example of the “simple is better” dictum played out by the Museum of Modern Art directors in the 1980s, who decided to reframe the entire contemporary art collection with one simple frame design that was supposed to keep the viewer’s attention on the artworks and not the frames. I have to admit, I personally don’t agree with that decision even if it makes me look like a hypocrite.

  Illusion 11 by Dean Nimmer

  Like the art itself, the choice of a frame is a subjective decision. I don’t think one prototype fits every situation, and it certainly doesn’t match everyone’s tastes. Indeed, the choice of the right frame is up to you and you alone, and I hope to give you a perspective from both sides of the coin.

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