#'If I don't color it surely I will draw it quicker' I say as I color the lineart and lie to myself

[beneathsilverstars]

Drew some family portraits to figure out how I want to draw everyone!! I was so brave and basically kept them in canon greyscale even though coloring is my favorite thing in the world 😤

[askleaderscrest]

Morris: There's just something about me that attracts you legendaries, isn't there? Can you even actually die?

@the-feral-one

Welcome to the pokeask blog hunger games

Bellow, you will find the 24 contestants have been divided into pairs of 12 teams in hopes of being that last one standing in this brutal (and fake) fight to the death!

Tags and info will be under the cut ✂️

District 1: Oakwen from @flying-type-teacher and Rimi from @ask-the-shiny-pokemons

District 2: Vespa from @askvekpa and Perceus from @poniquest

District 3: Kanna from @perish-song and Parisa from @sinnohsiblings

District 4: Jet from @symphonies-of-silver and Zipporah from @the-last-of-alto-mare

District 5: Monarch from @the-sleepysiren and Zantzu from @ask-suicune

District 6: Wo from @the-feral-one and Morris from @askleaderscrest

District 7: Faun from @life-of-kalos (here) and Reshi from @lightofunova

District 8: Singularity from @singularity-and-co and Kyurem from @askthehoenngods

District 9: Roshi from @lustrous-dawn and Deo from @askdeoxys

District 10: Diane from @ask-diane and Abigail from @office-pokemons

District 11: Riddle from @ask-meowscarada and Altair from @starintheday

District 12: Matthew from @greedentstripes and Begonia from @ask-imaginary-dreamers

There were a small handful of those who submitted characters but we're included because of the limit. I apologize if you didn't get in but hopefully I'll do another later on so keep an eye out in the future!

Now for info;

Tag anything that has to do with this #pokeaskhungergames2024 and feel free to @ me too! You can draw/write/rp/ect for this if you'd like but honestly no pressure! I just think it's funny to see how it goes haha you can just sit back and watch if you want.

I will have a queue for the progression to post every 2 days. (If you do not want to be tagged every time just let me know) Day 1 will be posted on Sunday 03/31

Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.

[acesgirltonight]

Crack head canons: How My favorite JJK men would take care of their skin- with a skincare obsessed partner

This ones for all my skincare obsessed JJK fans out there

includes: Gojo, Geto, Choso and Nanami (the four husbands of jilly fr)

x reader, no pronouns used!

𝚂𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚛𝚞 𝙶𝚘𝚓𝚘

He has a full skincare routine. 

BUT it's all over the place

He always wants to look his best 

If you like skincare, he WILL steal all your products 

“What’s a skin type”

Picks only the most bizarre packaging and colors because that's what draws his attention most 

“Is this a toner or a serum?” 

He's a little lost but you try to guide him in the right direction 

He loves doing face masks with you, he thinks its funny 

𝚂𝚞𝚐𝚞𝚛𝚞 𝙶𝚎𝚝𝚘

He used to have a moisturizer when he was still with Satoru

And he used to love it

But then he decided he didn't give a shit anymore because of that silly change of heart he had 

When he met you, you asked him if he had anything

“I don't really care too much anymore” he would say 

It totally reminds him of Satoru 

He wouldn't let a face mask NEAR him

𝙲𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚘 𝙺𝚊𝚖𝚘

He doesn't understand his human body that much compared to his curse. 

So, when he meets you and notices all your skincare, he assumes it's something humans do and..

He got curious

“I just thought you put it all on at once according to the labels” 

So one day when you come home, he’s got all of it on his face. 

He looked stupid, and you laughed A LOT

It's a hot mess but you wipe it off and attempt to teach him how you use it for your skin

He eventually picks it up because he notices his curse marks on his face are darker and change quicker

He agreed to doing a face mask with you one time.

It stung and he hated it so he never did it again 

𝙺𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝙽𝚊𝚗𝚊𝚖𝚒

He would always buy you the products, and always knew when they were low so he’d get you more 

but he never used any unless he was with you in the bathroom while you did your skin prep 

You loved to ask him if it was all rubbed in, and sometimes he’d try and be helpful by making sure you didn't skip a step

(He’s so husband material someone help me)

He doesn't mind it, sometimes you’ll put some on him for fun or to laugh about it 

As long as it makes you happy, it made him happy

“Do you need more of that? I can run by the store and get some for you?”

“We can do one of those masks as long as you promise to not take any pictures, i can't let gojo see that.” 

I love writing crack headcanons and this one came to me this morning so lmk what you think!!

reblogs and notes are appreciated <3

[jev-urisk]

Writing thrupples with a 'hinge', from someone who falls asleep in the middle every night.

A hinge thrupple is where two people are dating the same person, but not one another. So, not a triangle.

I don't know any thrupples with a childish Jacob-Edward rivalry over the 3rd person (annoying, overplayed)

I don't know any always lovey-dovey thrupples where the two suitors don't do anything outside constantly showering their 3rd with affection (honestly a bit creepy to me)

I'm bi/pan and nonbinary/fluid. My partners are a big burly cis dude and a tall snarky androgynous lesbian, they're not at all attracted to one another. Sexuality/gender plays a big part in dynamics and what I'm called (one calls me Wife and the other calls me Boyfriend).

Many poly peeps set out with intention to have multiple partners, my situation happened accidentally with some help from my autism. Basically I fell in love with two people like the movies but instead of drama I had an honest conversation and they both agreed to try it out. 🤷

I call both my partners 'babe' which in hindsight maybe I should've used 'hun' for one of them, but it's also so cute when I say babe and have two people turn to me. ❤️ They do have some unique, less appropriate pet names tho.

So so so much communication is needed to make sure you're on the same page as your partners. Google calendar helps, as do chore charts. I have 2 date nights a week, one for each partner. Holiday plans are discussed months ahead of time.

Relationships develop at different speeds! One partner may be ready for a milestone a month in, a different partner may be ready for the same milestone in 4 years.

So many perks! Splitting bills, splitting chores, coordinating when emergencies happen, and VOTING! With 3, the discourse for deciding anything from what to eat to what color to paint a room is SO much quicker.

I think the biggest difficulty was getting over my fear that I was doing something wrong, that I was selfishly drawing 2 people into something that would end in heartbreak. I was also afraid my partners wouldn't get along. 😵‍💫

Minor difficulties include deciding who to take for events that are +1 only, remembering who we've come out to, and getting crushed in the middle of the night when both partners roll towards the center of the bed where I sleep. 🪦

I can only be legally married to 1 partner where I live, but my other partner hates the idea of doing joint taxes so 😂 when we have a wedding one day, we're going to get legal permissions to, say, visit me in the hospital when I'm dying and call it good.

Yes, I can have another wedding and it will be just as beautiful and symbolic as the one that included legal paperwork.

Only two people can be on a marriage certificate, but three people can be on a mortgage! We've jointly owned a house for almost a year and a half and it's been so much work but so nice to have our privacy.

My partners get jealous of one another, that's normal. They know to communicate that feeling with me so I can give them some 1 on 1 time or special attention.

If me and one of my partners are struggling in our relationship, I DONT vent to my other partner and just give a basic 'I'm working through something with X right now'. I know too many polycules that have become a drama mosh-pit. 😓

My partners can be friends, or lovers, or simple acquaintances but THEY decide that and I don't push them to do anything except communicate when needed. My partners are introverts and it's taken years for them to build up their platonic relationship lol

Yes, I do occasionally get double-teamed in sexy ways (less than you'd think). 90% of the double-teaming I get is both of them calling me short or agreeing that I'm cute when I'm angy about trivial things, though. 😾

My partners now consider each other metamores, friends, and team-mates. My lesbian partner calls my male partner their 'husband in-law' sometimes, particularly when they want something from him.

Sometimes my partners bicker and I think it's cute bc it means they've become very comfortable with each other. If they have an actual issue I just encourage them to talk about it/I don't try to fix it for them.

We generally live a comfy, laid-back life and do all the mundane things you'd expect of mid-twenties to early-thirties folk- raising two dogs, fixing the sink, caving and ordering taco bell, forgetting to make that appointment, griping about the economy, bringing home plants, watching birds fight over the bird feeder, and sleeping in on the weekends. We just do it with 3. ☘️

Extra note: Polygamy is a term used in religious and male-centric plural partner situations. We use polyamory, polyfidelity, harem (jokingly), and thrupple to describe ourselves. Maybe some use polygamy and like it, but where we live (Utah) the term is generally reserved for fundentalist mormons.

There's probably a lot more to say, so maybe this is just a part 1. Feel free to ask me questions or comment with your own hinge experience (or tell me about your thrupple ocs)!

[vellichorom]

Fuck- I forgot to add the following question to the last one SLWNWKWBS

But uhm,,, I was just wondering how you do your sketch progress if I may ask?

I always find it interesting To see how artists do their sketches and put down the shapes to archive their wonderful artworks! (And I feel one can learn a lot from seeing the progress :0)

-💜🐈

OHH WELL, WHAT A QUESTION... 💕

i don't think i do it much differently than any other artist really... especially in more RECENT years when i've leaned more into more of a " traditional artist process " rather than just being the most insane person & drawing from nothing,

because i used to do that. no sketch, no skeleton, no regard for anatomy, no pillow, no NOTHING & let me tell you. i'm better mentally for changing that

( no nothing on the left vs used a presketch / skeleton / structure on the right )

okay maybe you can't tell because these were drawn years apart anyway BUT BELIEVE ME ONE OF THESE TOOK MORE PRE SETUP THAN THE OTHER & IT'S NOT THE ONE ON THE LEFT

hi everyone who's been with me since 2018

ANYWAY. THE CURRENT DAY PROCESS;

STEP 1 ) the " beta sketch "

my clients will Especially recognize this term & these shapes;

SEE HOW THIS LOOKS LIKE A LOT OF BULLSHIT NOTHINGNESS? i usually start with This Nonsense to get a good feel of the pose / situation i'm working with / to give a poor client working with me some idea of where i want to go with their request;

this is the starting phase to put an idea in everyone's heads but everything is plenty subject to change;

NOW, STEP 2 ) uhhhhh beta sketch part 2. thumbnailing maybe

NOW i start shaping the ball of clay i've birthed a little more, NOW i start taking anatomy, structure, the final positions & expressions into account according to how i or a client may want them;

this is the stage JUST before linework so the majority of changes are usually done Here. this is still obviously way messy but Much more coherent ( at least to people who are me ) & what i imagine professionals deliver to their clients first as to save time. i however have plenty of that & will harass you with every passing second

STEP 3 ) linework !!!

HOWEVER clean or messy it may be, this is the lineart stage! the second to last course! this is where the BIG SHIT goes down & everything falls into place; everything's WAY cleaned up, the picture is Almost done, & well- you get the idea,

STEP 4 ) heueheuhsijhruigrjhdihirednguerhgiudf DONE

this is where the final colors & details & SHADING & WHATEVER needs to be incorporated comes into play, OF WHICH INVOLVES LIKE 3 ADDITIONAL PROCESSES but i consider this just One Big Step considering it's all relative to me & i don't even stop to BREATHE once i hit this stage

& THEN WE END UP WITH THE FINISHED PRODUCT! just like that!

of course, it maybe takes a bit LESS depending on the seriousness / level of detail necessary for each piece, maybe i feel more than confident to skip right to the lineart & cook, BUT THIS is USUALLY how the process goes!

& i'm sure there's someone out there who probably laughs at me & thinks they can do better or quicker or sexier & TO THAT I SAY

ok cool

MAY THIS HAVE BEEN AN ENTERTAINING & / OR INTERESTING READ FOR YOU! because god knows i have as much trouble explaining this as any marvelous thing i do

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CURIOSITY!

[einsatzzz]

Ein's Art Log #1

@lixenn!! Here's the timelapse I recorded for my rarepair week submission! I'm just gonna start this log series because I wanna study art more and take notes of it here in this blog. And maybe it will help people with their drawings? I'm putting my notes below ↓↓↓

Draft & Lineart

First, for this art, I used a base made by Ging (깅). Using bases like these are always useful for a lot of things and it also forces me to draw things (like poses, hands, etc) I wouldn't normally draw by myself (if its up to just my hand with zero braincell input, I would just draw the characters facing 3/4 to the left over and over). Also a lot of them are just so *chef kiss*, god bless Korean artists. They're so good, especially with how they do the figures and anatomy!

I just adjusted the base a bit to match the characters' heights, since Kurumi is taller than Chrome by like 6cm.

Then when making the drawing a draft layer over the base, I usually use bright colors like green, red or blue (most often green). I usually don't think about the draft too much even if it turns out ugly, I think it's actually better that it turns out ugly and messy.

Otherwise, if the draft looks slightly more decent than expected, then I'd become too lazy to draw a more proper lineart. Whenever I remember to do so, I also use a gray-colored background so it's easier on my eyes, especially since I drew this after work.

For the "lineart", I used a brush called 촉펜 (MTL says it's "Touch Pen" in English; Content ID: 2050169). I recently started using this for doodles/sketches, it feels nice. It was free when I downloaded it, but it costs 10 Clippy now.

Anyway, I used a little bit more braincells for the "lineart" now after the draft, but then I didn't really try that hard to make it look clean, since I'm rushing to finish it as fast as I can. I just made sure that the outside lines are connected just enough for easier selection & coloring later.

Coloring & Shading

The coloring is where my experiment actually started! I usually go ahead and color them one-by-one per each color and part, but to be quicker, I used the Magic Wand selection tool to select the area outside the background, then inverting it so now the selection is at the characters *except* the background.

I then used the the bucket tool to fill the selection with the color I use as the base skin color. I still keep the selection there for further coloring purposes.

Just from here, I added another layer on top for the shading of the skin! For the shading, I used a brush called Yuri Watercolor (Content ID: 1889385). This one's really a paid brush, but I liked it a lot so I got it hahaha.

I do plan on replicating on doing this on IbisPaint one of these days! My plan so far is to use the free watercolor brush there, lower the brush opacity to around 60-70% and then draw the shading on a clipping layer set to the Multiply layer effect.

After shading, it looks like this now! I didn't mind the colors bleeding through the non-skin parts (except for two parts: the neck shading that would bleed to the face and thigh shading that would bleed to the skirt). I also used this brush to color Chrome's eye. Huhu I can't remember how I did it, helpskjfbjsbf

Then for the coloring of the hair and clothes, I just used the soft airbrush! I tried using the Yuri Watercolor brush for it too, but I couldn't quite grasp it yet on how to use it for coloring/shading those parts. I guess I know what to study next hahaha

When coloring the hair (and clothes), I did color the middle parts but didn't really full-on color till the edges to make that fading effect at the edge.

For the shading, I added clipping layers above and used the watercolor brush again!

For the hair highlights, I used the soft airbrush again. I just used a white color on a Soft Light layer effect to add a faint highlight on their hair (showed on picture on the left). Afterwards, I added another layer above with the Add/Glow effect and turned down the opacity to around 50%, to put more shine to it (showed on picture on the right).

Additionally, I also added a paper texture layer at the bottom! I also grouped up all the lineart and color layers into one folder and set the layer effect to Linear Burn.

Finally, after a bit color corrections/adjustments, blur filters (post-processing stuff, maybe for a different post?) and adding some decorations, the drawing is finally done! KuruKuro my beloved 💖

That's the process I'm playing around with so far, but I think I can still improve on it. I'm also planning on making a page on my wiki to compile my resources, references and such (maybe some free to use assets too). But anyway, that's all for now!

[deeptrashwitch]

@stuffireadandenjoy @snootlestheangel @alypink @catterdraws @justasmolbard it's done!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

I came across with a post about how to properly draw an asian character, and it was really interesting to see everything, also is a good lesson. So I thought about how colombians are pictured around the world, and is sure to say that certain people has marked the perception of us. I love how many people recognize people like Shakira or Gabriel García Márquez (I love this man books 💕), but unfortunately Escobar is also recognizable.

I don't know. Maybe no one will use this or maybe someone will, but here are some tips to write a colombian character. Remember this is my experience, and it still limited to what I've known all my life. I might have something wrong.

-First things first. The accent! I know that probably you have heard the accent used for some series or maybe you heard Shakira's accent. But those aren't the only ones in Colombia, actually those are really specific.

We have regions, and the accents change from one to another and from a city to another! The most known is from Medellín (we call them paisas) and it is stronger than others from the same department. For example I have a friend that travels a lot to that part of the country, and she says that outside Medellín the accent is somehow softer.

And from the Caribbean region, the accent is (from what I've heard) quicker and they speak louder, as far as I know is because of the heat and a physics matter. I only have traveled to Cartagena once, but is a big difference between their accent and mine, I can assure you that. Also, unfortunately I haven't visited many places, so I can't say for sure about other regions, for example I have no idea how the accents change on the Pacific region or the Orinoquia.

But I can speak a bit more about the Andean region. I'm from Bogotá and I sound weird sometimes, but if someone tells you that in Bogotá we don't have accent, that's bullshit. We do have an accent and it varies from a part of the city to another, I don't know how to describe it.

When you are in the north, it sounds like they are eating something while they speak (my mom compared it with a hot potato). And in some parts of the south, some people speak with many words impossible to traduce to english and it sounds like they are going to start a fight.

-Next, the skin color. It's usual to think, even among colombians, that a skin tone is unique for a region, but in reality there isn't a specific tone. There are afro-descendants, indigineous people, half-blood, and white people. Many skin colors can be present in a same family, again the example case is my own family.

I'm white as well as cousin but my uncle is black, and my grandma, she has brown skin. All of us are related by blood, but our skin is really different. As far I have investigated and seen, the most common tone is brown, and is really usual to see black/brown hair and brown eyes (red or blonde is rare, also are blue and green eyes).

And our height is a big comparison too! While my dad is 6', his mom is 5'3, his brother is 6'2 and his father was 5'4 (I'm 5'6 btw).

Something I really hate to admit, but that gives more information about my own country, is that even after all this time and the change of decades, many people continue being racist unconsciously. Across the country is usual that the mother tell the daughter to marry a white guy, but I'll be usual to discourage a marrriage or a relationship with a black person. (My experience, when I introduced one of my best friends that born in Chocó Pacific region, my family thought he was my boyfriend and wanted me to broke up with him.)

-About people, we are religious in many levels and most of the kids are raised catholic, not necessarily nuns schools, but religion is really important in most schools. It's normal to see many grandmas doing the rosary while making the lunch and many grandpas going to mass during sundays. And so, it's usual to use expressions such as "Ave María Purísima!" when you are surprised or "calle la boca que Cristo escucha" when someone says something weird and "Dios me lo bendiga, mijo" if you are grateful for something.

Also across downtown Bogotá there are many churches, a cathedral on the main square, churches near many neighborhoods and a church on top of the Eastern hills (Monserrate to be specific). Personally I'm not very religious, but during part of my childhood I was dragged to mass, because of homework and now I just memorized part of the service.

Some universities are also religious, or at least managed by an archidiocese. The one I attend is laic, but one of my professors also teaches on one that is religiously managed and he told us that they asked him to keep some...topics outside the pensum.

-There are some expressions apart of the ones above that are only colombian, even some are from only one region or city. I'll write and try to explain some of them.

"No dé papaya, hermano...": This one is used mostly when you have a valuable item (cellphone, jewelery or your wallet) outside without a care in the world. Unfortunately is awfully common to get robbed, so if you "das papaya" is like let yourself get robbed basically.

"Este chino es juicioso, tranquilo": In Colombia, "juicioso" means be responsible, respectful and kind. More or less. To be honest, is difficult to explain, so I'll write as I interprete it.

"Uy no, ya paila": This one is used when someone is beyond reparation or fixing. For example when you made a big mistake and there's no way to solve it, also when something is broken and you can't repair it.

"El man es un bacán": When someone is really cool and fun to be around.

"El que busca encuentra": Is the equivalent of "fuck around and find out".

"Se le corrió el shampoo": We use it when some is acting weird, or acting differently from how they usually act. My mom uses it often with my dad, he is a bit childish and well, there it goes.

"Mande al chino": It's to send the child to do something. Here we call "chino" to a kid.

"No me abra los ojos que no le voy a echar gotas": The moms use this one, mostly when a kid is getting scolded and they open their eyes in surprise or disgust. But also it's used to warn a kid that the are misbeheaving.

"Son como uña y mugre": It's when someone is so close with other person (family or not) that they do almost everything together, and know eachother perfectly. They can know eachother from a long time, at least that's my case.

"Ay sí, no jodas...": You use this one when you don't believe something that someone tells you.

"Ese man es más abeja": This is when a person is cunning or sly, and it can be said in a good or a bad way.

"Este es como los burros cuando les echan flores": When someone got praised, but a moments after they do something stupid.

"Va pal' cielo y va llorando": This one is about someone that has everything, or that thir life is going right, and keeps complaining about little things.

-Our geography is variated and some of us are used to some aspects of it. For example people that live near the coast are way more used to the heat, but people from the center mostly can't stand heat (my case). And on the other hand, the people of the center are used to the altitude and the steepness of the road (fucking downtown streets), and I've seen that, during the first year of a classmate from Guaviare, it was difficult to get used to the altitude.

The weather are really different from place to place, humid, dry and more. In Cartagena is a dry heat (I think) and in Bogotá is usually cold and foggy, but it can change in a minute. During january to june are the hottest months and during august to december are the coldest ones.

In Bogotá can be raining hard (an aguacero as we call them) and five minutes later can be doing a hellish heat. Personally I prefer the rain and the cold that the heat, but the sun is appreciated from day to day.

Also, the road trips can be from two hours (Bogotá-Ubaté) to almost two days aprox. (Leticia-Riohacha)

-Music! I love the music and many people also does! And if I can think of something that always make me laugh are the songs tipical from december!

Here are many songs that we hear for the holidays (the radio stations usually start to put them since september because...tradition), some of them we know them so good that we identify them just with the rythm. I can think of many but the names just don't appear, but the ones I'll never forget are:

Adonay by Rodolfo Aicardi (*muttering* Adonay, ¿por qué te casaste, Adonay?)

Cariñito by Rodolfo Aicardi (dancing this one with my grandpa. Do I know how to dance? No, but I don't give a fuck, it still a beautiful memory :"3)

Daniela by Rodolfo Aicardi (now that I think about it...the rythm is great but the story is fucked up xd)

El hijo ausente by Pastor López (this one hits worst when you're far from home even if you only are outside your city)

Cinco pa' las doce by Néstor Zavarce (like it's title says, it's always on the speakers when is 11:55 pm)

And some that are obligatory in my house during christmas and New Years!

En Barranquilla me quedo by Joe Arroyo

Rebelión by Joe Arroyo

Oiga, Mire, Vea by Orquesta Guayacán

Niégame Tres Veces by Silvestre Dangond (For some reason, a cousin is always going through a break up during holidays and always sings this one drinking aguardiente and also he puts El Venao'. I wonder why... /s)

Ella es mi fiesta by Carlos Vives (THAT is when I start singing without shame and my cousin /my favorite\ joins me)

For now is everything, but if something else comes to mind, I'll edit this! And if another person thinks I left something outside, feel free to add it! I want to see other perspectives about the country!

And please, people that has seen Narcos, for God's sake, stop thinking that all the colombians sound like we came from Antioquia. If I hear another person ask me to say "'mor", I'm going to fight that person, I swear.

[kebriones]

Hi! I am thinking of taking commissions. Any idea on how to get started?

Hi! :DD here's a list of things:

STARTING: -Choose 1 or 2 types of commissions you are confident you can do. (example: Just colored fullbodies and headshots, or just icons, or just uncolored sketches. Much easier to organise and advertise and potential customers won't have to go through a whole list of what you're offering) That's just if you're now beginning, later you can branch out.

-Set up your payment method (paypal, kofi? Getting direct bank transfers is not advised and most customers won't do that)

-Have good examples of the type of art you're offering at hand, and prefereably arrange them on a single image that will show what you're offering and the prices. Many people use carrd to list commissions but it's more complicated and if you're just starting out a menu-like image or two is fine.

-Figure out your Terms of Service. This includes what types of use you allow for your art (usually you'll mention that for commercial use of your art there will be an extra fee), how often you will give updates and how many updates of the process you'll give (usually you at least send a rough sketch for the customer to approve of and ask for changes before the final product), what methods of comunication you prefer, when you want the payment to be sent to you and things you do not feel comfortable drawing etc.

-Don't take too many commissions, in fact I would recommend starting with just one at a time.

-Don't undersell yourself, but also understand that if you're just starting out, maybe you won't be making as much as you would've liked. You can always slowly increase your prices. Also keep in mind an estimate of how long it takes you to finish a piece and price it somewhat accordingly.

Some tips on the overall process:

-If a potential customer asks for something that's beyond what you feel comfortable doing, say so. Do not take commissions you do not feel 100% sure you can handle. It's already stressful, don't make it even more so, it's gonna suck.

-this is kind of vague advice but be nice to your customers and build a good relationship with them. Not only are they more likely to treat you like a person and not a machine in return, but you also want the overall experience to be pleasant for both parties. You can have the best art in the world but people will be reluctant to commission you again if it was unpleasant to do so overall. It's like as if you're in a store, like a bakery, and you have to smile and say hi and thank you and all that to customers who come in.

-If you find yourself struggling to work on a commission and it's taking you a long time, don't leave your commissioner hanging. Simply sending a message of "hi, I was struggling/got busy but I am working on your piece, thank you so much for your patience!" Is enough to put them at ease that you haven't forgotten about them.

-This last one is maybe controversial, but I would recommend, especially if you're starting out, to not take payment in advance. This is going to make the people who commission you more confident, if you don't yet have many examples of already delivered commissions to put them at ease, and it's also going to motivate you to work quicker, because the "reward" is at the end. Send low-res files along the way, and ask for payment right before delivering the finished, high-resolution piece. It has worked for me for years and only once I had a person who due to irl emergencies couldn't pay me and delayed it for a couple months. Especially if you're not offering extremely expensive commissions, this works in my experience.

[lumiidragon]

Do u have any social and tips on drawing?

Not sure what ya mean on 'social' but I do have drawing tips!

-Practice! This is probably the tip you will hear from ANY and EVERY artist, but it really is true. You will not improve if you do not practice. When I say 'practice' what I mean is this: Draw as much as you can when you can. If you only draw for 5-minutes once a month, you're not going to improve like someone who draws daily. How much and often you practice will also be determined by your lifestyle. Work, school, social life, other hobbies ect are important as well, so remember your balance. Also, PLEASE use references. No, using references is not and will never be cheating. Anyone who tells you otherwise is full of it. Also, draw as much variety as you can as well. Always be willing to work out of your comfort zone, but also don't feel as though you have to force yourself to draw things you don't want to all the time. Balance. When practicing, utilize tutorials that you can find literally everywhere and try watching speedpaints/draws. They help me a lot!

-Learn your anatomy! Your art will improve so much quicker when you take time to learn anatomy. For some, learning anatomy in art is fun while for others, it's a bit of a drag. However, it's super important. Once you know your anatomy, you can push things in terms or art style because as the saying goes 'You have to know the rules to break them'. So before you go all cartoony and wobbly with your anatomy for a style, try to know the actual anatomy first. it helps!

-Artist > Tools! No, you don't need an expensive tablet or art program or marker set or brush set ect, ect. The tools do not make the art, the artist does. Yes, tools can make things easier and can be fun to experiment with and eventually everyone finds what they prefer more, but the more expensive your art equipment is doesn't mean that your work will turn out better. If you're a beginner artist, play with cheap mediums first. Crayola crayons and MS Paint can still make art. Only put money into supplies, tools, and programs that you know you will utilize to its worth. If you're brand-new to digital art, for example, don't go looking into a tablet that costs hundreds of dollars. I started digital art with Gimp (a free art program) and my computer mouse. I've used a mouse longer than I've used my tablet so far and even though I've traded in my mouse days for my tablet, I was still able to make some good art with the mouse.

-Get Inspired By Others, But Don't Compare! Every artist, big and small has looked at someone else's work and told themselves "Why can't I draw like that? My work isn't as good as theirs.". This is a good way to put yourself down and to take the fun out of your art along with turning a blind eye to the progress you have actually made. Instead, look at other people's work and inspire yourself. What about their work do you like? Is there any technique that they do that you can try out? Break down how they put their art together and maybe you can learn from it. Of course, never copy a person's artwork or directly steal, but take away inspiration. Do you like how they do facial expressions? Do you like they way they do anatomy? Do you like how their lineart looks? Do you like how they color? What about someone else's art do you love, and take inspiration. Take it from multiple sources and you'll find all sorts of unique ways people make art that you can try out for yourself!

-KEEP YOUR OLD ART! Especially if you're a beginner at art, this is important. It's super easy to look at your art and go 'ew', before deleting it or throwing it in the trash. Don't do that. Your future self will thank you for hanging onto all of your old art so you can go back and see just how much you've truly improved. Also, it's fun to go back and redraw old art!

These are just some tips I have and I do hope they help!

[frostbite-the-bat]

stop that.

yknow how you can start with idk.. a mascot or vtubing? hit up an artist. support them. pay them. does your friend draw? maybe they'd be willing to help!

or maybe get involved!! start drawing yourself! in this day and age i know people are often very busy but if you have time to look at this ai shit and want a hobby like, as they for example say, fandom or vtubing - you probably have time to draw and design a thing.

its not about affordability, though yes, many adopts are overpriced but artists DESERVE PAYMENT FOR THEIR WORK!!! there are issues with adopts and scams and all this, and i agree that people hyping designs up because they're by someone famous is a bit... meh... and many artists will underprice because of this in the end.. but really. ai. is that your solution. stealing more art?

none of this is embracing creativity. you are stealing artwork. embracing creativity is being brave and drawing something yourself. even if it "sucks" at first - you created something! who else was going to draw it the same way you have? ai sure wont. it's just data making images based on prompts.

nobody can draw like you can!! embrace it!!! that's what is wonderful about art!!! i know people can be rude and exclude newbie artists, and people seek out these sleek "professional" art styles and you will get overlooked in certain areas of the internet if you DO not look like that. but like... why follow that??? just!! do your own thing!!!

i am all for supporting anyone starting art!! it is a difficult journey and i am still going through it!! but if you want to do an artsy thing WITHOUT putting any effort into the art itself... why fucking bother? why care? is art just assets to you??? how swallowed by everything corporate are you???

it's fucking disgusting that these people are SELLING these. art they didn't make themselves. i do give them props for "cleaning them up", at least there is minimal effort put in. but to me it is no excuse. you can draw then, right? make your own adopts!!! hell back then i had worse art and people bought my designs regardless because (it was cheap) and i put it where people sought adoptables in the community!! these people even turned their comments off. you don't even need to speak to them to get an adopt. you just buy it on the side and can download the image (which, is often cropped)

like my hand drawn adopts sold better and faster than most my base adopts - which i think says something??? not to say all base stuff is bad! it is not a bad thing. but going out of a comfort zone and drawing my own thing ended up working for me. here's the art below. it wasnt perfect but it was genuine. y'know?

you can make base adopts!! there were people even sought after and well known back then who made designs on bases and they sold WELL!! it allowed people to buy designs someone made and it was quicker with the help of a base. like as long as those are okay to use by the creator you can use them. theres nothing wrong. its like a coloring book. you still put in some effort and your own spin.

with this ai fixing you just fix the text being weird and the paw being off and are good. you did nothing.

sorry for popping off but it's pissing me off. i do believe that ai could be used for useful things - but art theft like this branded as CREATIVITY AND FREEDOM is. so sick to me. that's what ART is. that's what ANY CRAFT IS. that's not what telling words to a bot that shits out pictures based on other, real artists, art.

im so mad. ai art where fandoms come to life. no, artists who work their asses off making art for things they love out of passion is where fandoms come to life. interacting with fellow fans is where fandoms come to life. not this shit. i feel so bad for the new generation of young deviantart users. it wasnt perfect even back when when i began using it early 2015 - god it was horrible, but at least we didn't have art theft like this painted as CREATIVITY AND ART COMING TO LIFE! no the fuck you dont. but man things sure have changed since 2018, damn.

[inverted-flowers]

Secret Life Tarot Reading no 7.

It's Etho's turn!

This is the last reading done prior to Ep 4s! Which is mildly annoying to myself cuz I was really hoping to get more of them done this week... Anyway! I didn't know what color to use for Etho so I picked purple cuz no one else left is gonna be purple.

First Card - Start

I've drawn The Star in Reverse to describe the (now passed) start of the season for Etho. I'm really feeling like this is about his first task from the secret keeper. This card is talking about an initial (albeit probably short lived or simply just fake) arrogance. That's then followed by feeling overwhelmed. I really don't wanna spoil for those who haven't seen it so I'm not sure there's much else I can say. This is past tense too so...

Second Card - Individual

This card is meant to describe how Etho plays Secret Life. For this I drew the Nine Of Cups. This card talks about comfort and accomplishment and I'm thinking he's probably just trying to have some fun. Which makes sense to me! So far Etho's pov gives a much more chill vibe than the other's who have at least some air of competitiveness.

Third Card - Social

This card is meant to describe how things go for Etho in the social aspect this season. I drew the Eight Of Wands. This card talks about direction and being back on track. Maybe we're talking about Etho and Cleo here. They are teamed up this season after their whole divorced family thing in Limited Life. But there's a line in my deck's manual that I'd like to quote because... wow lmao. "The ideas and opinions of the flock are no longer in the way."

... Tango, Impulse, and Skizz really getting dissed by a deck of cards huh? Now I'm not so sure that's what she's getting at here but this was too funny of a concept not to share haha.

Other than that this could be talking about outside Cleo and Etho's team as well. Or, even more interestingly, particular times this season! Maybe he does really well with avoiding letting the others distract him too much from his tasks for example. How fun!

Fourth Card - Big Impact

This card is meant to describe what makes the biggest impact for Etho. I drew Death in Reverse. This card discusses being resistant to necessary change which then holds him back. There's honestly a lot of ways this could manifest. Firstly he could be dealing with alliance trouble which seems unlikely. Then there's the option that this alligns with a task. It could also crop up socially with Etho maybe holding a grudge that only serves to cause him more problems to keep.

Fifth Card - End

I drew the Seven Of Pentacles in Reverse for the ending of Etho's season. This card represents doubt and how short term positives can cause more harm for the long term. This is very very broad and could apply in a lot of different areas but... well maybe not a win prediction here huh?

Final Thoughts and Theories:

This reading was painful... literally. I don't know why but while I was drawing the cards I got this awful burning sensation on my palms. Like it felt as if I'd just tripped and scrapped my hands on like a newer-ish sidewalk ya know? It was only during the selection process so uh... I dunno what that was about. But I did pick the cards a bit quicker this time so that's nice! My indecision usually causes QUITE the delay lmao.

So I don't exactly think this was predicting Etho as our winner here. With our 2nd card though I highly doubt he'd be too upset over it. This reading feels a lot more broad and open ended almost. It's hard for me to say much in the way of my usual ideas for how the cards predictions may manifest.

'Til next time friends!

[knackfandomarchive]

Top 18 of my favorite full-body poses of Little Knack, from the first game.

He still glows brightly from manifesting, here, but I like this expression because it reminds me of a kitten somehow lol.

I'm not sure why I like this one so much. He is far quicker at climbing the giant relic than this image describes, but there's something like, I like the shape and there is an energy there.

The composition? Is so pretty? You might notice that my avatar is a sketch of this (as of early June 2023. I know I will change it again).

This one, I really like: the color and shadows of the night, the grey stone, and drama of the pose. It's not really representative of the scene since he gets back up quickly and seems no worse for wear, but I still like it.

Knack has such long arms in the first game, that when he isn't running and is more casually walking, he sometimes holds his hands out just a bit while he swings them to avoid dragging. It produces an interesting effect.

More below; Thought it would be nice to cut off after 5 images to avoid long posts.

Trying to decide whether this one will make the cut. I like the hunched over crouch look, not sure why. Also did anyone notice they straightened his posture in the second game? I'll have to check again.

The sunset does a pretty good job of putting those carvings in stark relief. Literally! Look up "define in relief". Anyway I just love the colors, texture, and detail here.

Put that boy on a skateboard. Need I say more?

I'm mainly just putting this here because it can be hard to notice, although I think even the animators play pretty loose with it, but Knack's pupils may still be pupils when he small; there's a radial pattern that could define his eye region, and the pupils tend to move within that pattern, except for when they don't.

Once again I like the colors, the energy. You know he's going to hop off that rock. He is so Shaped.

The contrast here is perfect! You can see Knack and the relics lit up against the shadowed cliff. There is pleasing visual interest drawing the eye from the little sprinkle to the relics more up close and visually larger, you can tell the relics are falling away as Knack plummets. Interestingly, they seem to come off in layers.

Might remove this since I can't brain. Something like, the poses are nice and the lighting. There's somewhat the arm-swing I pointed out earlier.

Oh my goodness this one! Hi! I want to also include the smile he does, but that's a close-up.

And the high-five! YEAH!

I love Knack's expression in this one hehehe. Kind of wish I could combine it with another one where the Doctor and Ryder aren't awkwardly mid-stride.

BEAST BEAST BEAST

I just love that impish grin.

And the kinetics of this one are so nice I think. You can tell which direction he's going based on where his ears flap around.

That's basically it. I wanted to share screenies of the second game also, but my mama's laptop can't handle all the Knack.

[uncannyalien]

Artists are crazy [a long text post]

Like how are people able to make art so quickly? How are they able to crank out full line work and coloring and shading and highlights and add textures and little details and also make it look amazing and it's done so quickly??

How the hell do people make art on a daily basis? How do they have the skill or even the time to do so?

I can't draw to save my life and it takes me at least a week just to make a reference for my characters. Do you know how many times I have to redraw a single line?? And it's for every single line???

And yet I'm surrounded by amazing artists who can whip up entire comic strips, people who can fully design a character in a matter of hours, people who have a fully developed art style and you can tell their art is theirs

And I'm digital! Digital art makes things incredibly easier! How do people make physical art like it's nothing???

How is someone able to make a doodle, a simple sketch of lines, and it's better than anything I ever have, can, or will create?

Why did I get stuck with the wrong media? I love creating but why did I not get the amazing art skills? I understand its through years of practice but it's still difficult

You have to understand how a creature looks and scenery and making sure everything is proportionate and looks good, and then you BREAK THOSE RULES? And it still looks amazing??

And visual media is given so much of an advantage in our society. It's true when someone says a picture paints a thousand words, bc you can still feel intense emotions and joy and heartbreak from a singular image. The image the creator wants is given to you, you don't have to put it together using words.

Who reads massive chunks of text anymore? Who reads books anymore? Why do I bother with a medium that is forgotten and dropped by the wayside? Did anyone even read this far? Or did they just see a wall of text and move on?

Art is quick to process while still holding emotions, you're able to completely understand the vibe through pictures. And it makes you grow much quicker. Everyone follows artists and creators, everyone cannot wait for the next comic update or for a silly doodle someone made on a napkin. Who follows writers? Who even bothers?

Who waits for a bunch of words to be thrown at them? There has to be something I'm doing wrong, as even big fics get art. That's how you know you've made it and your work is worth anything, when other creators come in and make something better than you ever will. That's how all the big fics even get found, through art.

So why do I bother?

[thestraystarproject]

status report production wise...

so, about the latest update. you may have noticed i've been able to put out two updates in a single week, which is insane considering the short amount of time i've got to work on these, but a big help has been my recent decision to switch to a much quicker and more consistent method of updates.

you see, the stray star went through a few revisions on what type of media its updates would mainly consist of. first it was going to be mostly fully animated video game cutscene-esque videos with original music and sound effects. then, it was scaled down to special occasions for videos, but fully colored and self contained comic issues for each update.

finally, we have reached the current compromise, which is a few exceptions made to make fully animated videos when it might seem cool to do so, as well as some other types of media once in a while, but mostly sprite comics.

there are a few reasons for this, the first being as you can see being that it gets the job done much quicker. i can simply draw up a static background, get a few character sprites done for each fitting pose and expression, and set that bad boy rolling with the dialogue necessary.

the stray star is a big, BIG story, and i know it may not look it at the moment, but if i'm going to tell this whole story before i, oh, i don't know, end up doing this for like four years, i need to cut down on how much time it costs me to get these going. i want to at LEAST have arc 1 finished by the start of next year, and that's already a big ask.

but with this format of updates, things get significantly easier. therefore, you may see comics popping up significantly less. as for animated videos, there are some in store, but again, they will only show up when fitting.

that being said, one of such situations is the next video! i have the music ready for it and i'd hate to see that funky little baby go to waste. it's quite different from the demo i put up here a few weeks ago, so i wonder if people will get pleasantly surprised from hearing the newer version :3 i sure hope so!

so that's going to take a little longer. drawing all the sprites, looping animations, effects, arranging the video, all of that requires a lot of time to get going, so i'll do my best to work on that and get it to you as early as possible! we will see how long this takes...

there is one more thing before i wrap up this update. i think if you frequent the site enough you may or may not have noticed tumblr is kind of. uh. going through a rough patch. i'm currently hatching a plan to, if possible, move the stray star to its own neocities domain, however i have never made such a website before, and i'm famously bad at coding (believe me, if i could make tss a video game, i would, but i really and truly suck shit at this, plus it would require a lot more asset building than i already am doing). i have heard there are some ways to set up domains easily via using handy assets to set up a premade code n then customize, so i'll try that this weekend... and we shall see.

all this to say, as i work on the next update which will take longer because of its complexity, expect me to also try and set up a website for tss. i probably won't shut down this blog and will keep updating on it and will keep it up as an archive even if i decide to stop using tumblr, but if i can help it, i'll try to move most of tss there and spruce it up as a definitive gateway for the project.

well, that's it, see you all next update! (or status report... we will see)

[sharklovingcriminals]

I shoulda shot her the first time I ever laid eyes on her. Logic tells me i didn't shoot 'cause I was fresh out of silver bullets, but that wasn't the real reason. For the first time in my life I'd been outshot, not by Sinclair but by Cupid himself.

I'd heard of her o' course. Not many folk hadn't, the only shot in the west to rival me. Ain't fate a funny thing, that i should end up fallin' for with the only one who could kill me. Perhaps it's not so much funny as it is a sick joke told by a sadist.

We were stood in the centre of the town starin' at each other, both waiting for the other to make a move. The local sheriff was layin' in a pile at her feet and i knew it was over for me. Strangely, I wasn't too scared, if this had to be the end i was sure glad to die lookin' at her.

'Course I couldn't let on. I moved my hand away from the pistol and tried to hold my composure. A death threat usually helps clear my head. "You really oughta be more careful where you show that face of yours Sinclair, the posters say dead or alive, and I don't take nobody alive."

She snarled. They didn't call her the wolf for nothin'. When she spoke her words were violent but the sound was beautiful. If sirens ever lived in the desert, I coulda believed she was one. "Feel free to try me Addams, maybe you could share a grave with the Sheriff here."

She was the only thing for a mile that had any color under the the mid day sun, which burned all colors from the world. I ain't no man's poet, but seein' her there, I saw a single vibrant flower in a field of dying crops. I saw the first light of spring breakin' through the blinding snow. It's exactly the sort of sight I've hated all my life but now seeing her, it felt good. I guess for the first time I truly understood bounties. She was worth every cent of hers.

Still, if there's one thing I take seriously it's death and I sure wasn't about to spend my afterlife with some lousy Sheriff in a one-horse town. I drew my pistol and fired, barely payin' attention to where I shot. I couldn't tear my eyes from her face.

She didn't move.

Usually, she woulda been a quicker draw than me, but I was always the best marksman the west had ever seen. I could throw an apple into the air, shoot clean through the apple and hit a bullseye on the other side. I didn't need to look at my shot to know I'd knocked the hat clean off her head. When I want to miss a target, I'll sure as hell miss.

A smile crept across her face. I don't know why. After an insult like taking her hat from her I expected to be dead. But she never shot me for an insult and boy, do I insult her a lot.

We've worked with each other a lot since, mostly on the wrong side of the law, but I guess that's why they call us outcasts. Since that day, neither of us has drawn on the other. We're a single team, a team that never has and never will be beaten.

I know she'd never let me say it but sometimes when we sleep outdoors, the fire dies and we have to hold each other for warmth. And ever so occasionally, when i know she's fully asleep, I tell her I love her. I make sure it's just loud enough for the stars in the sky to hear, so when we finally lose our touch and get outdrawn, they'll know that I loved her. The stars will remember our love even when the bounty posters forget us.

Maybe we'll even share a grave, so we can hold each other for warmth in the land of the dead.

ofc my first art post has to be a wenclair wild west au <3

[8huas]

#the inauspicious burden of surreal nightmares.

down the drain is a sound so faint that if one strains go hear it, they can listen to it— muffled: drip, drop, drip, drop. water dripping quietly, secretively— a thin veil between reality and imagination.

what happens then, when they blur? when your mind fails to draw a line and you slip into the drain, your body taking shape of goop and then mutating into something else? what happens then?

(i dream quietly. i don't remember the dreams, often. but this one i remember too vividly.

down the rows of seats on the bullet train, streetlights filtering between windows and the night heavy on our shoulders, i see a familiar head. my heart pounds— anxiety. the dream comes rushing back to me.)

a tormented door that cannot unlock (a sliding door) where he presses his back to and breathes heavily, head pounding like there is a percussion of drums playing in tandem just under the muscle of his temple (a migraine). sweat beads, people want to come in and celebrate, but he sits there and the room around him swirls into multiple colors, then one muted color.

a blink. he realizes he needs to shower. he gets up (the world around him unswirls, everything is back to normal) and grabs his items. at the desk, a man— wordless, though his mouth is moving and he is charmed by the mouth, the silent flow of words that pull at him like a magnet. at the desk, a man— smiling and gesturing to the laptop. he drifts over like a ghoul on a leash, tethered to the very essence of this hotel room, and he notices a movie in a room with a couple of others. distantly, like an echo in a vast yet empty canyon, he hears himself say: make sure you stay there. make sure you add me.

wordless, beautiful man smiles and rolls his eyes (when he checks later, he has been added— they have been friends again). wordless, beautiful man takes a step forward first and nods, a hand on the shoulder, thin lips forming the words, "don't worry, hyung, i'm here now".

he finds it hard to believe— tortured by the remnants of a greyed and fuzzied past but he's nothing if not prisoner to his own hope, so he smiles and nods. a shower, then. he pads to the shower, refraining from the urge to turn around and triple check if that man is still there. trust him one more time, his mind whispers. he trusts him, so he showers.

but the shower melts off the colors off his body, his form turning into putty as it slips into the drain and there he is— free falling through the darkness with a startled, cut-off scream. a hand reaches out for a moment, before giving up— succumbing to whatever's happening. the wind screeches in his ears noisily, the descent never ending, and he closes his eyes. is this how alice felt? did all her regrets pile up in her thoughts as she fell? did she stab herself for following the rabbit, for leaving a life behind for something so frightening as this?

no, alice was a daring character. him? not so much.

he closes his eyes, then, the darkness pressing into even more darkness and then— then he's able to breathe, when before he had forgotten the function entirely.

a sharp inhale, pain twinging in the chest— a sign of life, and then a fast exhale. then, a quicker inhale and a panicked exhale. the breathing rhythm becomes panicky, his body tethered to the essence of this room once more and when he snaps open his eyes, frantically looking towards the desk—

the wordless, beautiful man is not there, as if he was never there to begin with. nary a hair nor an indentation in the chair, not a single scent left lingering in the air like a lover's kiss goodbye.

(i remember waking up with a startled noise, a deer-in-the-headlights look— i remember feeling like my heart would pound right out of my mouth, that my hair would fall off my head. was i alone? i had to check.

the train had been quiet, save for the life-like signs of people sleeping. was he... still here? out of reach, but here?

i had spared a look before— he was. and he was still out of reach.)