#Acrylic shadow box

[pictureworthcustomframing]

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[nethompson]

Some pieces of the Cedar Creek series that have been framed in shadow boxes. I just finished putting the newest piece, "Nature Reclaims," in the frame yesterday.

Cedar Creek series, SteelArt By N.E.Thompson

[greythefae]

New shadow box has been made!!! I call it “New Life”

I’m contemplating making this a series?

*this piece is made with paper towels, glue, water,acrylic paint,moss, dead flowers, hot glue, a Halloween decoration fly(off season clearance) and a shadow box I got on sale*

[sonichedgeblog]

Look what came in the mail today! The Ebiten Exclusive Japanese 'Sonic x Shadow Generations' Collector's Edition Deluxe pack with 3D crystal set! This comes with a lot of stuff, so let's unpack it all.

Let's get right to one of the coolest things here - the crystal set! A Shadow and Sonic set, which sit ontop of a base, where you can might it be an awesome LED light show.

A part of the Deluxe package - first we have the wallscoll, with a winged Shadow.

Secondly, a SXSG mug featuring Sonic and Shadow.

The last parts of the DX set are these - an Acrylic Coaster of Shadow (for the mug) and a set of 2 Sonic and Shadow Acrylic Figures.

Now, how about we get onto the collector's edition itself! I got the PS5 version.

Inside you'll find the game, and then a box collecting the Shadow Figure and Keychain. The Art book is at the bottom.

The Shadow figure features him holding his Emblem. Very cool. It's pretty sturdy, though Shadows limbs are a bit thin.

As well as the Sonic and Shadow shoe keychains!

And finally, the art book! It is the same as the digital art book, though perhaps higher resolution, but all awesome.

And that's it!

[revelboo]

No pressure but are you planning on continuing the sunny and sides stories? It can be hard to find someone who writes for them. I love all your works though and are always excited to see what you've written!

I am, I just have… quite a few ongoing storylines at this point

Can’t Finish What you Started Pt 8

Sunstreaker x Reader, Sideswipe x Reader

• Stretched out on your belly, you yelp when a heavy box is dropped about a foot from your face, neck craning to glare up at Sunstreaker as he just stares right back, completely indifferent to your annoyance. Pushing up onto your knees to look into the box, your lips part. Because the big, yellow jerk has brought you art supplies. Charcoal sticks, canvases, pens, watercolor palettes, acrylic paints, and paper. “Did you rob a Hobby Lobby?” You ask, digging through the pile.

• Stiffening with a low growl, he hooks a servo inside the box to tug it away. “If you don’t want it,” he begins before you’re seizing the box with both hands and pulling it back toward you, expression almost afraid and he relents. “I didn’t steal anything. I used a holomatter avatar to retrieve the items and convinced the console funds were exchanged.”

• Convinced the console. Biting into the inside of your cheek to keep from blurting out the fact that he definitely stole it, because with his temper he will take it all away just to be petty. Mostly you’re surprised that he’d cared to begin with. That he’d been listening when you’d told Wheeljack you were an artist. “Thank you for this.”

• “Just don’t make a mess,” he growls, uncomfortable warmth spreading through his spark as you smile up at him before turning your attention back to the box. Surprised that he does want to see what you create even as it spills bitterly through him. Reminding him that he’d wanted to be an artist once before the harsh reality of living on the streets of Kaon had crushed those idealistic dreams. Part of him wanting to linger, to do more than watch you create, wanting to add his own touches to a piece. Instead, he walks away to leave you to your excitement.

• Sitting crosslegged, bent over a canvas, you dip your finger in a puddle of paint and use it to mix colors. There wasn’t a mixing palette so you’d stripped into a pair of shorts to use your thigh and you’re shivering as you paint with a finger like a kid because there were no brushes either. But you don’t mind as you use a pinky to feather on highlights. The desk around you littered with quick charcoal sketches, working in almost a feverish state like you need to get it all out. Get it down. So focused you don’t even notice you’re not alone until the shadow falls across you. “Sunny is going to lose it,” Sideswipe groans and you startle, looking up. And he’s laughing at you, making you realize you’ve got paint all over your hands, your thighs, probably on your face. And charcoal smudges everywhere there’s not paint. Just don’t make a mess. Oops.

• Flicking his servos at you to shoo you toward your tiny curtained off wash rack area, he studies what you’ve done. Sees himself and Sunny from different angles. Alone, together. Arguing and relaxed. He hadn’t realized you’d been watching them both so closely. Or that Sunny would have cared enough to give you art supplies just because you’d said you were an artist and they might make you happy. Neither one of them able to say the things they want to say out loud, it’s always been that way. Awkward silences and false starts. Maybe you’re the same way, unable to say what you need to. But studying the art of him and Sunny leaves him oddly warm inside, because it’s your own way of telling them that you like them, like being here despite the unfairness of having no choice at all.

Previous

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[reddpenn]

The current state of the Rock Wall!

Video transcript:

Who wants a tour of my rock collection?

I guess we’ll start over here; this is the newest shelf. I just added it. A lot of stuff from the other shelves have now joined this shelf. It’s got a nice little sliding glass door to protect my more high-end specimens. On this we have a lot of my thumbnails, including some of the more delicate, or some of the more valuable thumbnails. Some of my more high-end specimens over here, like that beautiful wulfenite.

I have started labeling the stones now, so some of the stones have these neat little labels, and some of them do not. But everything in this case does.

And then of course some of the larger high-end specimens down here. And I’m not sure what I’m gonna put on those lower shelves yet.

Up above that I have a new display case, and this is where I’m putting all of my cabochons.

So here I’ve gotten it down and we’ll open it up. This is all velcro. I made this myself out of a normal shadowbox that I got at the store. These are all attached by velcro so that I can take them out and rearrange them and add more to them and move them around.

This case is lighted. The case next to it is technically lighted, but the lights are out of battery right now. Eventually I want to switch that to something more permanent that can be plugged in all the time so I don’t have to constantly swap out the batteries.

This is the Original Rock Shelf, so it is crammed full of some of my oldest specimens. I recently did a project where I added these acrylic risers to it to kinda make a little bit of space, which made it a bit less crammed, which is nice. A lot of specimens on this shelf. Buch of geodes down there. That’s Geode Territory.

Next to it, below the North American giant ground sloth bone, we have more of my thumbnail specimens. Just a bunch of little guys. I’d like to light this shelf too. I think that would help them show up better. The meteorite collection is over here. We got some rust on this guy, but I think he’s doing okay. And then over here, my opal collection. So here is the Ethiopian opals, we’ve got an Australian opal, we’ve got a Honduran opal back there. That one up there is also Ethiopian opal, right in the middle.

Down below that, just more of the really tiny stuff, and some miscellaneous stuff.

The spheres and eggs are under that. The one under a cloth is a reconstituted quartz. If I leave it where sunlight can hit it, it’ll burn my house down so I just keep it covered because I’m a little bit paranoid about that.

Miscellaneous stuff: I got some tumbled stones, I got some palm stones. Just… stuff gets thrown down on that shelf.

The shelf next to it. This was at one point my large specimen and high-end shelf, and at this point is just the large specimen shelf because the high-end shelf is now over here. Which has made this shelf a lot less crowded, to move all that stuff over. Again, I’ve got my acrylic risers on there. I have a bunch of my big specimens. I’d like to light this shelf too. You can see how the shadows are kind of a problem like on the halite in the back there.

And then below those are the agates. This shelf is the bane of my existence. I have so many agates that I physically cannot cram any more agates onto this shelf. I’m gonna need to get some more risers and see if I can clear a little bit of space for the agate collection.

Down below that, some more miscellaneous large things. Got a jade, got a labradorite, got a kambaba stone. In the box is vivianite, but it can’t be exposed to light, so it lives in a box. And then here I have another one of these shadowboxes that opens up, and it’s got a bunch of gem jars inside of my very very small stuff.

And then over here, this is the shelf where my newest stuff starts living. Stuff that I’ve added to my collection most recently. This is also where all the fossils are living currently. And in that box is all the crinoids I just pick up off the ground. We have a ton of them around here.

Underneath that we’ve got this big desert rose, fills the whole shelf.

Next to that I have this tiny shelf that has some of my rock-adjacent things like my mineralogy puzzles. Tully lives here. Some of my mineralogy books but not all of them. They don’t all fit.

And that’s the short and sweet tour of the current state of my rock collection!

[nazo-kg]

A piece from 2022 of Trico and the boy from The Last Guardian.

I'm quite fond of the Team Ico games, they're honestly magical and unlike any other games I've played. The emphasis on creating a poignant piece of art that transcends yet elevates the medium is stunning and powerful.

Shadow of the Colossus shaped me as a young teen, it's still one of my favourite games of all time.

A4. painted in acrylics on back of a cereal box.

[mysticalpotater]

"But tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow, my blades will thirst again." - Orin the Red , Baldur's Gate 3

▫️

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Recreated the bloodthirst dagger from Baldur's Gate 3 carried by Orin. The design was so beautiful and unique. I could have done something simple, but this screamed display piece. With the help of @foiledimagineer we created something beautiful, and I can not thank them enough for helping me make this idea into reality. Sitting at almost 26in tall .. I'm obsessed 😍

Materials used :

- Air dry clay

- Air dry foam

- Resin (mold had to be made from scratch. A replica soap carve out sealed heavily was used to form the mold)

- Inner claws made out of buildable nail gel filed down to shape

- Teardrop /bloodrop beads

- Black marker / Acrylic paint

And of course, the star of the show ✨️The Blade✨️ made out of a vibraint, fiery hint of orange glass cut by the wonderful @foiledimagineer.

I can't wait to get it up on the display case. Currently mid staining the wood. Had to get a custom shadow box made with how tall it is. 😅

[eddiemunsonmash]

part one: Baby You’re a Haunted House

summary: In the summer of 1985, your life is turned upside down when your family moves into the newly renovated Creel House in Hawkins, Indiana.

warnings: foul language, marijuana use | WC: 1052

“You can’t use the basement today! I told you I was going to paint down here,” you exclaimed, squeezing past the mountain of boxes that leaned against the wall. They jutted into the so-called “living space,” which was a sad mixture of a battered coffee table, a peeling chair, and a mildewed couch, all framed by the shabby wood paneling that seemed to be shedding its own skin. The only splash of color in the dreary room came from the gaudy green and yellow Hawkins High cheer uniform, proudly hanging from the rod above the dryer.

“I get it,” Riley said, adjusting the coffee table just a smidge to the right. He stepped back, eyeing his handiwork. “But this is my ticket in. If I host the campaign here, I’ll score major points with the guys.”

“Seriously? Here?” You laughed, shaking your head. “In this creepy basement?” You propped a basket of acrylic and oil paints on your hip, observing the chaos around you with a sigh.

“Fine,” you relented, a hint of mischief in your eyes. “But keep them down here. I don’t want any surprises.”

As you turned to leave, you glanced over your shoulder. “And while you’re at it, carry a few canvases up to the attic for me.”

An hour later, you had plugged in every lamp you could scrounge up and lit a small army of candles, desperate for a semblance of good lighting in the attic. Yet the glow was dim, casting an eerie ambiance that sent shivers down your spine. The flickering flames danced, creating ghostly shadows that stretched and twisted across the walls. As you smeared your mixture of acrylic paint on the canvas, caught in a whirlwind of creativity that teetered between brilliance and madness, you could have sworn the shadows were alive—contorting and writhing along the wooden beams with every flicker of the candlelight.

As if the house sensed your unease, the lamplight flickered, causing you to jump.

“Fuck this house,” you muttered, forcing yourself to focus on your work.

“How do you paint in silence?” a voice called from behind the canvassed easel, becoming visible as he stepped closer, his face illuminated by a cluster of candles flickering on the floor to your right.

“What are you doing up here?” You asked, placing the brush on the palette and setting it down on a crate that served as a makeshift table.

He flashed you a playful grin. “Would you believe me if I said I was looking for the bathroom?”

You chuckled dryly. “No, I wouldn’t.”

He pulled a box of cigarettes from his pocket, rummaging until he produced a skinny joint, waving it triumphantly like a golden ticket. “What if I told you I was looking for a place to smoke this?”

Once again, your laughter rang out, genuine and bright. “Absolutely.”

“May I?” he asked, his brown eyes sparkling as he attempted a charming, demure blink.

You nodded, a hint of mischief in your smile. “Only if you share—and don’t tell my brother.”

“Done and done.” He bowed his head dramatically, a mock gesture of servitude.

“Open the window,” you said, gesturing to the one behind you, and he complied without hesitation.

“So, about the silence,” he said, the lilt of his voice rising as he inhaled deeply. “How do you manage it?”

You sighed heavily, accepting the joint from him. “Not by choice,” you replied, pausing to take a hit. “I use all the outlets for good lighting, so it’s a sacrifice I had to make.”

“Huh,” he tutted, shaking his head. “Ever heard of an extension cord?”

You snorted, a grin breaking through your serious facade. “Ever heard of minding your own business and not snooping around a stranger’s house?”

He placed a hand over his heart, feigning offense. “You’ve wounded me, Wednesday Addams.”

“What?” You laughed, taking the joint back. “You’re weird.”

“I’m weird?” he countered, raising an eyebrow. “You’re living in the Addams Family mansion where actual people were murdered, and I’m the weird one?” He cocked his head, a playful challenge in his expression.

“If you look close enough, you might spot a disembodied hand scuttling across the floor or a rusty guillotine lurking in the shadows," he quipped, his laughter echoing through the room.

He sidled up to you, his eyes darting across the canvas. "What's taking shape here, anyway?"

You exhaled heavily, your gaze fixed on the jumble of colors before you. "I wish I knew," you confessed, your voice tinged with frustration. "Ever since I moved here, my creativity has been a dry well. I throw colors onto my palette, praying for inspiration, but all I manage are black voids or angry smears of red and purple."

He extended the last wisp of the joint towards you. You plucked it from his fingers, taking a long drag before muttering, "At this rate, I'll be slapping mascots on high school gymnasium walls until I'm old and gray."

"Nothing wrong with an honest, all-American job," he quipped, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Beats peddling shitty weed."

You rolled your eyes, but a smirk played at the corners of your mouth. "I don't know," you mused, your body suddenly weightless, senses electrified. "This stuff's got me pretty high."

"Well then, 'High,'" he extended his hand with exaggerated formality, "I'm Eddie."

You grasped his hand, your grip firm despite your altered state. "I'm pretty sure we are in the same English class," you cocked an eyebrow, your tone playfully accusatory, "on the rare occasions you grace us with your presence."

"Guilty as charged," Eddie admitted, throwing his hands up in mock surrender.

He made his way towards the door, his footsteps light on the creaky floorboards. At the threshold, he paused, turning back to face you. "Have fun, Van Gogh," he called out, his voice tinged with amusement.

Your paintbrush hovered mid-stroke. "I'm actually surprised you know who that is," you shot back, your tone a mixture of impressed and skeptical.

"Course I do," Eddie scoffed, puffing out his chest. "Dude lopped off his own ear - that's metal as hell."

As the door clicked shut and Eddie's footsteps faded down the stairs, you let out a laugh - a sound caught between confusion and delight, echoing in the suddenly empty room.

[zimisnotdrifting]

Repainted my Sonic Prime blind box shadow figure because thw original was so miscolored I got infuriated.

Progress photos and more below

The primary things I noticed about the original paint job was the lack of shadows stripes. He only had the top one originally. The red on his shoes were also entirely absent.

I would've done better on his inhibitors, but I didn't have any yellow acrylic paint and wasn't about to go out to Walmart just for paint.

Asbfor why I thought it was so important to do this...

I wanted to decorate my pc to celebrate sonic x shadow generations and this was my only shadow the hedgehog figure that could stand on his own

O yea I should add I am hardly skilled in this kind of thing if that's not obvious

[pictureworthcustomframing]

The Timeless Appeal of Vincent Van Gogh's Art

The Timeless Appeal of Vincent Van Gogh’s Art Vincent Van Gogh remains one of the most celebrated artists in history, known for his vibrant colors and emotional depth. At Picture Worth Custom Framing, we understand the significance of presenting Van Gogh’s masterpieces in a manner that enhances their beauty. Our expertise in custom framing ensures that each piece is not only protected but also…

[samimarkart]

pin-up, acrylic on taxidermied stag beetle, felt, glue and shadow box, 7x7 inches

an older piece made comparing the histories of insect pinning and domestic sewing - both processes including pins and needles. the imagery painted is that of a classing tomato and pepper pincushion. made at the height of my fascination with pinning my own insects for art reference purposes (i pinned this beetle myself)

this piece is available for sale, $145 including shipping, please message me with if interested :)

[dreaminghelaena]

random things i think asoiaf characters would do at school in a modern!au

theon: probably one of the worst people in his class. manspreads obnoxiously, gets people distracted and laughing, and has undiagnosed ADHD so he doesn’t know what is going on at all times. mrs. catelyn stark gets pissed and in the new seating chart puts him next to jeyne poole for him to get his shit together. he doesn’t. he even manages to rope jeyne into some of his antics. he has not shown up to school once in anything but pajamas, even on the first day, and has one notebook and one folder. that’s all. always is asking people for answers and gets into major beef with jon because jon purposely gave him the wrong kahoot answers. brings a “water bottle” to school but there’s just vodka in it. shadow boxes. stinky

jeyne: the sweetest person you could be sat next to. she’s super prepared for school and has 20 different folders arranged by color, her locker is decorated with a bunch of mini furniture and fairy lights, and she always has perfume and pads and stuff for all of her girlfriends. however she does look a bit odd sometimes because her hair just sticks out in all directions in every hairstyle she does. she always forgets to put on her retainer and tells theon to remind her. he forgets about it too

dany: is always bringing her three kittens (drogon, rhaegal, and viserion) to school. chews gum a lot so her breath is overwhelmingly minty when she comes within 6 ft of someone. in study hall when she has nothing to do she creates braid trains with sansa (poor missandei’s at the elementary school across the street). rides her bike to school on the first day and it is immediately stolen. always is dropping her hydroflask on the floor and it makes a really loud noise that teachers yell at her for. you can’t even see what color her water bottle is because of how many stickers there are on it

sansa: does her makeup in class and does not care. cries hysterically during math class (real) but always says it’s her “allergies”. does cartwheels in the hallways ???? eats a whole box of fig newtons in class while she’s on her period and proceeds to say that it’s healthy because there’s fruit in it. always has the prettiest acrylics and loves getting her nails done!!! she’s crashed her car trying to park in the school parking lot 3 times

jon: emo emo emo emo. never has his chromebook charged and gets screamed at for it. he smells like chlorine because he always goes to swim practice at like 4 am before school. draws a lot but especially draws ugly alliser thorne art and then leaves it on thorne’s desk after class ends. people ask him how his eyelashes are so long and he acts like he doesn’t know but he wears mascara. is in the robotics club with sam. never makes it to the bus stop in time and then complains when bus driver lysa arryn gets pissed off at him for it. the 9th grader of all time

margaery: has really bad RBF and is so popular that people are intimidated by her but she’s actually really nice. she’s a cheerleader and her brother is the quarterback. always has the prettiest notes with designs and drawings and stuff 😭 in every other class she’s smart but she does not understand physics at all. yells a lot in gym class??? not at people she just yells. also does gymnastics moves in the hallways for no reason

[journalsouppe]

Sorry for the hiatus again!! I'm slowly getting back into journaling. In the meantime while I'm getting reorganized, here's the spread I made when my very first piece of physical zine merch I made came in!

Turnabout ballroom @turnaboutballroom !!! This was the first ever physical zine i worked on as a merch artist (I had been in a couple of zines as page artist before) so it was SO cool getting to have my merch printed!! This was such a fun zine to be a part of, and what a fitting theme for The Great Ace Attorney!! Since I was a part of this zine instead of structuring this how I normally structure zine spreads, I wrote down all my thoughts about the zine from my perspective as a contributor than a buyer.

I made the Sanguine Ball print, an illustration that was inspired by the Van Helsing movie! All the art, merch, and writing is so gorgeous. The merch is especially really high quality, and I’m saying that as someone who reviews all the merch in my journals not as a contributor to this project hfdjs. (Although it was sooo nice getting such a quality print of my print!!!) The stickers especially are not only really durable but super restickable. I am so honored to have been a part of this project!!

Leftovers are only open for a few more hours so if you want this zine now is your chance!

All writing is all typed below.

Turnabout Ballroom. Zine theme: DGS Ballroom

Merch List

Acrylic Charm

Dancing Print

Mascot sticker sheet

Herlock Wallpaper

Sanguine Print

Nikolina Button

4 dancing die cut stickers

Digital Icon Set

Color Page

Thoughts:

I had so much fun being a part of this zine!! All the art and writing is so well done, I am honored to have been in this zine!! I made the Sanguine ball print!! My inspiration was from the Van Helsing movie when Anna was dancing with Dracula in the ballroom and was dipped in front of a mirror and realizes she’s the only human in the ball. I wanted to use that idea for a fake Herlock Sholmes invesitagation case where Herlock faced a “vampire” attack and Barok was blamed due to his suspicious nature. All the iconography surrounding the two of them dancing are evidence. I’m so happy with the piece and it’s so nice having it physically!! Zeta even gave me the idea to turn the piece into shadow box art — I might just!! Or even reuse this concept for my DGS ballet au! This was such a great theme for DGS!! This and the tea zine are just too perfect, if DGS gets another sequel i really hope one of the settings is at a Victorian ball. The graphic design of the whole zine is incredible, the columns throughout the zine fit so perfectly and are drawn so well. The cover art is so dynamic and a perfect fit — they all look like they’re getting read to go to the ball and when you open the zine — you see them at the ball in different scenarios. I adore everything made! The production quality of the merch is especially great! The stickers are all durable and restickable. I have never seen such a nice quality button. I also love the quality of my print. The texturing adds to it! It was also really cool being in a dgs zine with so many dgs artists I admire! I’m excited for the day a new AA game is announced so the DGS community can be revitalized again. The mods were great!! It was fun working with familiar faces from the DGs sprig zine. TYSM to everyone on the zine, especially the mods, for making this such a wonderful experience. Being accepted as a pinch hitter opened up so many more zine opportunities for me. This plus the Sheik zine led me to being a merch artist for the TLOZ horror zine and that led me to now having multiple mod positions. My zine and art growth has been so dramatic since the start of this zine and I am so proud of my journey. Thank you again everyone, it’s been incredible!

[tagsecretsanta]

From @katblu42

From @katblu42 to @misstb2

Prompts: Christmas past Christmas cracker jokes Christmas paint job on the ‘birds

I’ll leave it up to you to work out which prompt I concentrated on!  I hope I did it justice!!

Notes:  I don’t know anything about patchwork quilting, so I hope that part makes sense. Cracker prizes are based on my own winnings as a kid, but I hope in the 2050s or 2060s they won’t be made of flimsy plastic!

The Stories They Hold

Every Christmas Scott insists that he is the one to fetch all the decorations from the storage locker where they spend most of the year tucked away.  On the rare occasions when MAX is unavailable to help transport everything up to the lounge, where Virgil and Brains will inevitably be securing the tree, each box and bag full of fragile cargo is carefully transferred to a cart and wheeled to the elevator.

It’s so different from collecting the boxes from the attic back at the old house, with the winter sunbeams through the slanted windows catching the dust in a golden glow, and the constant reminders to be careful as he passed each container down to waiting hands below.  But many of the contents of those boxes have remained the same, even after the passing of many years.

Scott enjoys the holiday traditions that the family has continued to uphold.  In fact, if he thinks about it, perhaps he was one of the driving forces behind a few of those traditions.  Particularly the insistence that the whole family, Kayo and Brains (and MAX) included, make the effort to decorate the tree and the Villa all together.

Of course, the occasional rescue would dash their plans, but most years they managed to have everyone play a part in placing all the decorations, old and new, where they needed to go.  Scott knew each person had their favourite ornaments, and often fond memories to go with them.

His own favourites were the “special” decorations – the commemorative ones that marked milestones.  There was one for each of them.  For the brothers these were of the “Baby’s First Christmas” variety, with the year of birth etched into the design somewhere, and usually the name of the relevant brother as well.  There was an ornament to mark Kayo’s first Christmas with the Tracys, and another for Brains, and even a teeny tiny MAX.  Grandma’s milestone decoration was a candle holder designed and made by Grandpa Grant from artfully twisted fencing wire and a few scrap parts into a star-shaped cage that sat on the mantlepiece.

Every year Scott personally hands each of these special ornaments to the relevant member of his family so they can hang them on the tree, or set them in an appropriately prominent place for display.

The baby decoration with his name on it is silver with little blue gems decorating the points of the snowflake design, and a darker blue ribbon looped through the top for hanging.  The silver scroll containing the engraved “Scott’s First Christmas 2034” wound between the bottom two points like a flowing ribbon.  Scott particularly loved how well it matched with the pair of bells commemorating their parents’ first Christmas as a married couple. 

This one is silver with royal blue acrylic glazed embellishments and a pale blue ribbon.  The bells dangle and even make the slightest tinkling noise as they do.  The only engraving, at the top of the housing for the bells, is the year the marriage took place.  Scott can still remember years where his parents had smiled all doe-eyed at each other while hanging it together on a prominent tree branch.  And later years where his misty-eyed Dad had hung it solo, a sadder smile on his lips.

***

This year Virgil is finally completing the last in a set he’s been slowly adding to the tree for a number of years.  It all started with the scale model of Shadow that had been part of the production process, which inspired him to make tiny model Thunderbirds as tree ornaments.  That first year he’d managed to create an even smaller scaled model of Thunderbird S, as well as matching scaled Thunderbird 4, and a Thunderbird 2 model that was technically smaller in scale, but looked comparable in size beside the other two before running out of time to make more.  Each of them was as accurate as he could make them, but with a few festive touches added here and there in the extra sparkly paintwork.

Thunderbirds 1 and 3 followed the year after, and he now has a completed FAB 1 on his workbench ready for Lady Penelope and Parker to add to the tree when they arrive at Tracy Island in a few days.  But the one that has taken him the longest, and caused the most frustrated cursing is the miniature Thunderbird 5 that has finally come together without any of the tiny appendages breaking.

As he applies the finishing touches to the painted details he finds himself remembering so many long-ago Christmases making decorations with his Mom and brothers.  Sometimes it had been paper chains and fold-and-cut snowflakes, other years it was popcorn garlands and shortbread cookies (or gingerbread ones, or sugar cookies) “painted” with coloured Royal Icing.

His head shakes a little at the memory of younger brothers getting frustrated, or losing interest and drifting away from the kitchen table leaving just him and Mom as the last two left finishing the crafting of hand-made ornaments.  None of those crafty decorations had survived this long – they were never really meant to.  But the drive to make his own Christmas decorations had never left, and he now knew how to make things out of much more permanent materials. 

He hadn’t really thought much about it before, but Virgil was sure this little tradition he’d fallen into was only partly due to his generally creative nature and mostly a way of connecting back to those happy memories of crafting and chaos with brothers, and quiet moments with Mom.  It didn’t feel like Christmas to him without a festive creative project to work on in weeks leading into the holiday.

The last thing to add to his Five ornament was a tiny little VT signature.  It was one of two things that Mom had always insisted on for all the decorations they made, and he could still hear the ghost of her voice whispering, “Always put love into to the making, then sign your name with pride.”

***

John knows this is the right box, knows exactly what he will find under the protective layer of tissue paper, but even so the moment he lays eyes on the Christmas tree skirt the memory hits him and wraps itself around his heart.  A vivid memory of Mom kneeling at the base of the tree absently smoothing her hand over the surface of the quilted skirt with a warm but far-away smile on her face.

When he’d asked her what she was thinking about she had beckoned him over to sit beside her.  She didn’t speak for a moment, as though she was working out how to explain something a little bit complicated.  Eventually she had explained that she was feeling the love in the stitches.  He didn’t understand and must have pulled a face that obviously said so, which made her laugh before explaining further.

She pointed out every patchwork star and tree and snowflake in the design as she relayed to him the way her own mother had told her that the beloved Christmas tree skirt was handmade by her grandmother – John’s great grandmother.  It had been a gift lovingly sewn and given to her parents “for Lucille’s first Christmas.”  And though she couldn’t remember her grandma, she could remember the way her mother had got all misty-eyed explaining how much time and care Grandma had put into making this gift, and how much she adored her baby grand-daughter. 

Even at that young age John had been able to see what his Mom meant about the emotion that was contained within this one decoration.  A great deal of care had obviously gone into painstakingly sorting all the little pieces and stitching them together so precisely.  And it was very evident that the skirt had been lovingly cared for ever since – kept clean and fresh, tiny tears repaired, fastenings re-attached.  He saw the beauty in the way the small geometric shapes combined to make the bigger shapes of the overall design, and the way the different patterns and colours in each piece of fabric worked together to blend or contrast with the pieces around them.  But the real beauty was in the way looking at it, and touching it could spark memories of people who were now long gone, and connect him somehow with them.

Mom had said her grandma died when she was very young, and her own parents were sadly gone by the time John shared this moment with her, but she said it warmed her heart to know so much of their love remained here in so many ways.  Especially at Christmas when we have all these lovely little reminders left they behind.

He knew his brothers may not fully understand it, but John made a point of always dressing the tree with the patchwork skirt each year.  Taking his time to check over the fabric, the stitching, the colours and patterns as he did so. 

Over the years he had needed to make a few repairs here and there, adding his own love into the stitches.  He’d had to learn about the art of quilting, and now had a greater appreciation for the effort and skill that went into finding the right type of fabric, in the right colour, with a suitable pattern, cutting it into the right shape, and with the weave in the right direction, and then keeping the stitches neat and even.

Kneeling at the base of the tree, smoothing his hands over the surface of the skirt he’s just carefully fastened in place, he smiles and wonders if his brothers know about his sewing skills.  His stitches lovingly intertwined with those of an ancestor he never got to meet, but whose love is still visible in her handicraft and the fond memories it sparked.

***

Of course, Gordon doesn’t like to confine himself to just one favourite decoration.  He has multiple favourites, all with a marine theme, and all handmade.  Not by his own hands though.  He didn’t think he really had the patience or the knack, but he did appreciate the talents of others. Four of these ornaments are his most favourite of all.

He remembers the annual craft sessions with Mom, but not with exactly the same fondness that Virgil does.  One year he had complained about painting pinecones and asked why they couldn’t paint seashells instead.  It was suggested that perhaps children who lived closer to the sea might make their Christmas decorations that way, especially in Southern Hemisphere countries where Christmas was celebrated in summer.  He was also reminded that in their land-locked state seashells were in short supply and pinecones were easier to get hold of.

Apparently Virgil hadn’t forgotten that little episode, and for their first Christmas on Tracy Island he had gifted Gordon a set of three seashells.  Each one sat in the display box “pretty side up” displaying either the soft pastel colouring of the outside, or the pearlescent inside, and had a little hole punched through and a ribbon attached for hanging on the tree.  He had loved them immediately, but when he picked up the first one he discovered their true beauty.

The other side of each shell had been painted with the most wonderful tropical landscapes, using a palette of colours based on the natural hues in the shells, and with little festive hints in the tiny details.  The delicate little paintings were so exquisite he had not been able to express in words how much he adored his gift.  He had simply launched at his big brother and wrapped him in a fierce squid-hug.

These three decorations provided the perfect accompaniment for his fourth most beloved tree ornament – a carved, wooden sea-star.  Grandpa Grant had made it for him one Christmas while Gordon had sat watching in stunned fascination.

He knew Grandpa had carved ornaments for each of his brothers, and some to give to friends or to donate to the annual community displays in the town square, but he’d never before seen anyone turn a little block of wood into something new.  As he’d sat beside his Grandpa on the porch, a growing pile of wood shavings at their feet, he’d been transfixed by the transformation taking place in those sun-browned, wrinkly hands.  That little block of wood became a quite realistic looking creature that would seem totally at home in a little rock pool somewhere.

Gordon loved Grandpa’s sea-star so much he had petitioned for it to be the star that topped the tree several years in a row.  He was denied on the grounds that it was too small.  That didn’t stop Gordon from making it a tradition to try and get the little carved sea-star as high up on the tree as possible each year, and taking great joy in putting it as high as he could reach.

This year he’d managed to get it almost a full six feet high, and he hadn’t used anything to stand on or increase his reach.  That would be cheating.

***

Gordon also had a hand in the creation of Kayo’s most treasured tree ornament.  The decoration itself is fairly ordinary – a red keepsake bauble with a pattern of tiny gold stars and trees, and a gold stripe around the middle where the hinge and clasp were hidden.  It wasn’t the bauble that she loved, but the little treasures she kept inside.  A collection that had been accumulating since the very first Christmas she’d spent with the Tracy family.

Back then she had been a shy, quiet little girl, unused to the noise and bluster of such a large family in the same space all at once.  The boys themselves, and their parents and grandparents, had been friendly and welcoming, but they were loud and always moving.  Even around the dinner table.  So, she had sat quietly throughout the meal, just watching and listening and trying to take it all in.

Then, after the main meal was done but before dessert, the crackers came out.  She watched the Tracys pair up and pull at the coloured paper tubes until they came apart with a little bang.  Thin paper crowns were placed on the heads of the “winners” of the tiny prizes of dice and moustache combs and hair clips . . . and tiny slips of paper were unfurled. 

She hadn’t encountered the tradition of terrible jokes inside Christmas crackers before.  As each one was read out the grown-ups mostly groaned, the kids would often giggle, and Kayo had found a smile spreading across her face at the silliness, and the absolute joy around the table.

She’d shared a cracker with her father and won her own crown and a tiny star shaped charm, and had the chance to read out her own mildly amusing joke.

Why has Santa been banned from sooty chimneys? Carbon footprints.

She’d shared another cracker with Gordon and lost, but the joke – read by Virgil because the small print and fancy font were difficult for a six-year-old – made her laugh heartily.

What do you get if Santa forgets to wear his underpants? Saint Knickerless.

A little later that day, when the table was being cleared, Gordon had approached her with a handful of slips of paper.

“Here.  So you can always have them to make you smile and laugh.”

She’d been surprised at first, not knowing what else to do but accept the gift and shove them in her pocket. There they had remained until later that night as she was getting ready for bed.  Kayo had pulled the half-dozen slips of paper out and did indeed smile at the memory of all the fun, and the kindness behind the giving of the gift.  She had kept them ever since, and added her favourite joke from every year.

Her collection now included gems like:

What do you call an old snowman? Water.

Who hides in the bakery at Christmas? A mince spy.

What do you call a penguin in the Sahara Desert? Lost.

What do you get if you put a bell on a skunk? Jingle smells.

How did Darth Vader know what Luke Skywalker got him for Christmas? He felt his presents.

What do you call a polar bear wearing earmuffs? Anything you like.  He can’t hear you.

What do you call a snowman with a sixpack? An abdominal snowman.

Why was the snowman looking through the carrots? He was picking his nose.

She hangs her ornament on the tree, not far from Thunderbird Shadow, and reflects on how lucky she is to be part of this family and share in simple joys like bad jokes around the dinner table.  She wonders whose terrible Christmas cracker joke will make it into the bauble this year.

***

Alan can remember so many happy moments from Christmases when he was little.  All involving his brothers, many with his Dad as well. He remembers some very frustrating moments around the holiday too – not getting the present he had so desperately wanted, or worse still, a brother getting the gift he wanted instead!  Not being allowed to open presents before everyone was awake.  Toys being damaged or lost before the day had ended . . .

But his strongest early memories of Christmas are of Dad lifting him up to place the star on the top of the tree. Apparently it had been a tradition since Scott was little, but old enough to manage the task.  Since then tradition dictated that youngest Tracy able to do so was the one who got to put the star on the tree.  The job had been Alan’s since he was three years old and he had no plans to give it up any time soon.

They had been through three or four different stars since then, and for a brief period the tree had been topped by an angel instead, but Alan couldn’t recall why.  In any case the decoration for the top of the tree was his favourite, because he had the honour of placing that final piece in place.  Plus he liked the teamwork aspect.

Scott had taken over lifting duty around the time Alan was five or six.  That was the Christmas before Scott went off to the Academy, and since he had the height and, in their father’s words, the “military bearing” to manage it, as well as the desire to have as many bonding moments with each brother as possible, Dad had relinquished that part of the job to him.

When the family moved to the island things had become a little trickier.  Now they had room for a much taller tree, and Alan was getting bigger.  Heavier.  That first year there had been failed attempts with lifts from both Dad and Scott, while Virgil and John had whispered to each other as they watched the proceedings.  Quite obviously a new technique was required – couldn’t get high enough with the traditional lifting method, couldn’t get close enough sitting on shoulders . . .

At Virgil’s suggestion the patriarch and the eldest had finally stepped aside for John to try.  There was brief discussion about John having no better (or worse) chance than those who had already tried, because he was much the same height, but Virgil smiled and told them to just wait and see.

John crouched a little and Virgil lifted Alan so he could stand on John’s shoulders and steadied him there as John took firm hold of Alan’s ankles and straightened to his full height.  Virgil had then acted as their spotter, standing ready in case of any wobbles.  Or worse.  But there had been no wobbles.  John’s grip had remained firm and Alan had felt on top of the world reaching out to the top of that giant tree to place the glittering star.

This technique should have continued to work just fine, but after the accident there was a mood change. That first Christmas without Dad, Scott had dared to suggest they just use a ladder to reach the top of the tree, but had quickly retracted the suggestion when he’d seen the crestfallen look on Alan’s face.

Gordon had started asking Brains if they could rig some kind of contraption – Mission Impossible style – where Alan could be suspended from the ceiling.  But Virgil had other ideas and whispered them in Alan’s ear.  It was an interesting plan for Mr Safety-First to have come up with, but Alan was excited to try it, and had full trust in Virgil’s heavy lifting muscles and past gymnast expertise.

The conversation amongst the rest of the family had died down as Alan and Virgil went running up the stairs to the mezzanine level and Scott had asked where they were going.  Without a word, they approached the railing as close as they could get to the top of the tree.

Everyone had watched in slightly terrified awe as Virgil hoisted Alan up onto his left shoulder, sitting so Virgil could wrap his left arm firmly around Alan’s legs to hold him in place.  Virgil raised his right hand above his head to hold Alan’s right hand, then leaned out over the railing so Alan’s outstretched left hand could snag the top of the tree and secure the star in place.

That manoeuvre only became easier over the next few years as Alan’s height increased, and thinking about it now Alan considers it to be kind of fitting that the brother who’s had the least amount of Christmases as star placer is now the one with the most years as lifting assistant.  He knows that Scott, and possibly John would prefer a less risky method of reaching the top of the tree, but they won’t say anything.  Virgil’s grip is as firm and dependable as ever, and Alan still feels on top of the world being held aloft to uphold the tradition.

***

For so many years Jeff had not had any reliable way of measuring when Christmas was.  He had kept his watch wound, but couldn’t be sure his count of days or months, let alone years was accurate.  But even if he had known exactly when each Christmas fell, he would not have felt much like celebrating.  The holiday had always been very much a family affair, and alone, so far away from them it could never be a true Christmas without them, whatever the date.

But, out there he had often turned to his memories of past Christmases.  The traditions old and new, the treasure and the trash, the tears and tantrums and general chaos, but mostly the love and laughter.  His heart had ached for his boys, but the memories kept him going, holding on, fighting to find a way back.

And now here he was sitting contentedly on his recliner in the sunken lounge watching, listening, making the odd suggestion as his nearest and dearest decorated the tree.  He laughed at their antics, tried not to chuckle too much at their banter, and felt his heart swell with pride at the way they all worked together.

“Here, Dad.”  Scott was beside him, holding out the pair of silver bells and smiling a little uncertainly.  “It’s your turn.  You should do this one.”

He needed to lean on Scott a little to get out of the chair, but once on his feet he managed the walk to the tree unassisted. Up close he took in the details of many familiar old decorations, all hung and placed just so with great care. His hand was a little shaky reaching out to hang the bells, and he wished he still had Lucy’s hand on his like in those early years.

Stepping back to admire the fully decorated tree, he glanced over to where his mother stood with Kayo and Brains over by the piano, and spotted his father’s wire star.  His boys gathered around him, admiring their handiwork, bringing his attention back to the tree and it’s glittering decorations.

If only these old ornaments could talk.  Not just trinkets and keepsakes, but ghosts of Christmases past. The memories, the love, the stories they hold . . .

[dinoclawsz]

coloring/rendering tutorial when 🙏🙏🙏

Omg okay…I’ll do my best to explain with an older piece of mine tehee

I always start off by making small thumbnails of a piece just to visualize how I want the composition to look as well as map out lights and darks, so after I finish the sketch I use this thumbnail as reference to make a layer of color beneath the sketch. I like using darker and less saturated colors and I also like referencing baroque paintings for color palettes. Been really interested in the later works of Francisco Goya lately but I digress..this is what the piece looks like after blocking in colors.

For this piece, the colors around the focal point (Nishiki’s face) are brighter and more vibrant while the objects far away are dark and less saturated. It’s rly easy after this part because all that’s left to do is to finish lineart and paint over the sketch ^_^ I ALWAYS color the background first, then when that’s done I make a new layer on top and color the subjects/objects in the foreground. This part is super hard to explain but I build it up by deepening preexisting colors, adding more colorful tones inside of the shadow shapes, and introducing transitionary colors between the light and dark parts. It’s impossible to explain how to render form and shadow because understanding the basics of value/shadow takes a LOT of personal observation and study so I won’t even try here LMFAO. But anyway here’s the piece after the background portion is finished…

And this is what it looks like after ive colored over the sketch completely. I added a lot more definition to the clothes and hair. It’s also important to remember that colors in the background will reflect on the subject (note the blue present in Nishiki’s legs and the dark green present in y0 Nishiki’s arm). Keeping this in mind makes drawings look more real and rich. Only use straight black to shade if the rest of your piece is dark enough to warrant it.

The brushes I use are part of the jingsketch basics brush pack (free to download and super awesome) here https://jingsketch.gumroad.com/l/JingsketchBrushes

I also use these Procreate brushes which can be found under the Painting and Inking categories respectively

I’m an oil and acrylic painter as well so it’s taboo to me to use blending brushes unless absolutely necessary ^_^ using textured brushes to paint will always yield a better product imo. Anyways after this I create a new layer on top of ALL the others for ‘detail’. I like to go in and further define lights and shadows, add more texture to clothes, draw stray hairs, outline lighter sections, etc. I try not to let myself get too attached to my lineart layer and this detail work tends to cover some of it up. I did a lot of scribbling on this piece in particular and this is how it turned out

I hope this is helpful at all I’m rly terrible at explaining my drawing process cuz I don’t fucking know what im doing either LMFOAOA😭😭 pls feel free to comment and ask questions, and if yall want more in-depth ‘tutorials’ about more specific parts of my art process my ask box is always open ^_^