#Even though these were the 'silly' designs your art makes them look *so good*!!!

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

This is the *true* form of an ultimate power couple. You may not like it, but it's solid fact.

As we approach the next arc in the story, an outfit change is now on the horizon! The question is, what are our lads going to wear?

(Please also vote in the Lan Wangji poll!)

[kunikukitty]

✐ Always An Artist, Never The Muse

Scaramouche/Wanderer x Fem!reader

xi. covet

The last time you held a pencil was a couple of months ago, and it was used for shading your answers in exam.

You prepared yourself mentally before going here, yet you really cannot run away for too long.

You thought that messaging Mona would atleast ease your nerves, but it's no use, you're still overwhelmed. Being inside an art studio where you're surrounded by different types and brands of mediums is surely taking a toll on your mind.

You're tempted to pick up something, whatever it is, anything could be used to create strokes and form a shape.

But you can't. The materials not being yours is one thing, but the fact that it might cause you to actually give up on art. Because yes, you still have hope, you are still wishing for that talent to magically come back to you, just not yet.

You remember the times of your frustration. A blank paper awaits in front of you to be filled with yet another masterpiece. With a flick of your wrist, you guided your pencil to leave an ink behind. You did it a few more times, but it's not turning out good.

Erase, draw, erase and draw.

The lines ain't making sense, the paper is almost ripped due to the continuous erasing. You're beginning to lose your patience, the image in your head is turning blurry. The more you try to correct the mistake, the worse they get. It is the only thing you're capable of doing, so you have to finish it. You cannot fail.

Silly you thought it was just an artblock, and you told yourself that you cannot have that now. You have to fight it. You have to create something. You did not allow yourself to rest until you manage to draw something pretty.

You tried, tried and tried again and again. Until your hand stopped moving and your creativity dried up.

You remember how your wrists, fingers, and inside your head feels like there's something so itchy internally that you cannot soothe.

"What are you doing?"

You were surprised that you almost let out a gasp. You looked over to the door to see Scaramouche looking at you with a raised eyebrow. "I suggest not to steal anything, I have all of my materials memorized."

The gasp now left your mouth. "Are you accusing me of thievery?!"

He simply shrugged, and when he put down something that's when you noticed he's holding a tray, with food in it.

"Wow, I didn't expect you're the type to give food to your guests."

"Yeah, right? Shocking. Especially to you? I'm too kind." He rolled his eyes at you. "Quick. Eat now so we can start."

"Oh wait, you mean... you'll paint me eating?"

"You just confirmed my assumption of you. You're pretty stupid." He remained indifferent while you glare at him. "I told you I'm too kind, didn't I? I'm letting you eat before making you stay still."

'Oh yes, of course of course...' you muttered irritably under your breath as you walked towards the table where he placed the tray. He managed to hear them, even heard his name being cursed—a predictable response from you, really.

Nonetheless, you're thankful. Although you aren't on good terms(but not really much on bad terms either) with each other, he still prepared something for you. He can choose not to, but he did. Not to mention, you are indeed hungry right now.

You look at the plate and it's a... jelly? Transparent too, but you can't make out what's inside. The most dominant color is light brown, and theres some orange, yellow, white— maybe it's a gelatin cake? You've only seen those in videos, where they decorate floral designs and whatnots inside the gelatin. This jelly is not as pretty, though.

You took the spoon he prepared and sliced a small piece, and the texture inside interests you. The spoon glides easily unto it yet at the middle part it gets a little hard— and inside the brown part is white. You took a closer look by bringing the spoon close to your face, the closeness made the scent of it go through your nostrils.

By the look of it, it seems like a— wait... is that...

"Is this meat??? Inside a jelly?!" You were appalled. Is this a joke? Is this a prank? Your eyes are wide open as you looked at him, stunned.

"What?" He clicked his tongue as he shook his head. "That's a traditional snezhnayan dish, kholodets. How rude of you to react that way."

Wait, what? "Oh." You calm yourself. Right, you're in a different country, their cuisine is different from your homeland. Now you feel bad from reacting like that, it's no different from his earlier statements about blind people, you think.

Not wanting to stoop down his level, you fixed your composure and sat straight. "Right, sorry." you say with seemingly matured tone, putting the spoon down.

"I even chose carefully what to serve you, especially after I heard from Caps that you're a picky eater." He said, shaking his head and clicking his tongue again repeatedly. He looked so disappointed, too.

You may dislike him, that's true, but you're a person with morals. You don't like upsetting people unless you're purposely doing so.

So took the spoon again in your hand, the little piece still in the scoop, then you brought it into your mouth.

Your eyebrows contort in disgust as you taste the unfamiliar food. Boiled meat with meaty jelly, complex seasoning and unusual flavor— you don't understand. The jelly... is it supposed to be the broth? It doesn't go well, in your opinion. Disturbing, for you.

Amidst your evaluation of the taste, your ears caught on a quiet chuckle.

You turn your head, only to see Scaramouche looking down at you as if belittling you.

"So it's true," he starts, "for foreigners, kholodets is unappetizing at first glance. I really thought you wouldn't give it a taste, but you did. How surprising."

The face you make is that of someone who just got betrayed. He doesn't even look like a snezhnayan himself! You forced to swallow the bits in your mouth, "You..!"

The remaining chance for your relation with him to be amended is completely gone now. How dare he? You regret playing nice with him. Men are truly atrocious beings. How can Capitano even tolerate this guy?

You're utterly shock. And how did the fucker react now? Giggling, like an ass. He looks too amused, in fact.

While he's in a laughing state, you took the time to drink water.

"Glad to give you fun. Didn't know you're so childish."

He shrugged, unaffected. "You won't eat anymore?"

His sarcastic smile is annoying you. You really shouldn't had agreed to this. "It was so delicious Im already full at first bite. Thank you very much."

You watch him take a round brush and sit sit on the stool with the canvas im front of him. He looked at you, "Come on." he said, pointing at the other stool.

You rolled your eyes before obeying. "Pose?"

"Arms up."

"Fuck you."

He chuckled again and you're beginning to dislike the sound of it. "Try Mona Lisa's."

You crossed your legs elegantly and straighten your back. You faced left a little, mimicked her hands in your memories, and... should you smile too?

"Is Da Vinci your fave artist?"

...Fuck.

You want to slap your mouth at this very moment. That was out of instinct, you guess. You like asking artists you meet their favorite historical artist— well, before.

No, it's alright. Knowing Da Vinci is a basic knowledge, even non-artists knows that. You shouldn't think too much.

"What if I say it's Picasso?"

You don't know how to react to his answer. Would it be obvious that you're an (ex) artist if you react as if you know?

You remember how confused Itto was when he learned that not many artists like Picasso. He's dumb though... but still!

Should you act confused too? Should you act knowledgeable?

You glanced at his artworks on the wall with your peripheral vision, who could he be inspired of? However, when you looked at him again, he's paying attention to his canvas.

Maybe he doesn't care. Good, good. Stay that way.

Wait... His hand is moving. He started now, yet he hasn't told you to smile yet, should your expression remain fierce?

Okay, now you're nervous again. Does your face look asymmetrical? Can he see the texture of your face at this distance? The corner of your eyes do not have gound, right? You want to lick your lips but you're not sure if you should move. It's not chapped, right? You only applied light make up, it's not too much, right?

"Relax." You heard him say. It felt like you were allowed to breathe again.

Right, right. Relax. This is another one of your reasons why tou dislike being a muse, you feel awkward! What are you so nervous of, anyway? This man, asshole one at that?

He doesn't deserve your kindness anyway. You may make funny faces to tick him off, you couldn't care less.

Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes. You don't know how much time passed but you guess the painting is going smoothly. It doesn't seem like he's struggling nor does he look stressed.

But what matter is... how long is this going to take?!

You, personally, it takes so much time to finish a painting. Hell— you don't think you were able to finish a piece in just one day.

"Can't you just take a picture of me?"

Not being able to move too much is annoying for most people, you're not an exception. You're an impatient person, too. And you're still on a stool, too!

One word, tiring.

"That defeats the purpose."

Your eyes narrowed and your lips curled inwards. "Everything has evolved, we're in modern world."

"Besyashchaya devushka." You didn't understand what he muttered under his breath. "Shut up and stay still, fix your expression."

There's no point in convincing him, you realize.

Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes. Being in this room is surely annoying. The emotions you've been trying to reject ever since you step foot in here is resurfacing much stronger now. Especially now that you have nothing to distract yourself and there's an artist painting in front of you.

You miss it— holding a brush, the feeling of relaxation when the process is going well, the challenge of drawing the reference...

You miss all of it. You want to paint again.

"Fix your expression."

You were taken aback of his words. He noticed the slightest change, he must be really paying attention. Artists are truly amazing, aren't they?

Scaramouche. That's his name, right?

He's rich, he can buy as many materials a he like. Based on this studio; he can sculpt, paint, draw with charcoals, color with different types of mediums.

This could've been your life too if you didn't stop drawing, you think. But no. He's much more capable and skillful.

Come to think of it, you never even hang your works on the walls of your house. You don't even have many finished artworks, and the finished ones aren't that beautiful.

You heard him click his tongue. "I told you to fix your expression, don't I? If you're eager for this to be done as soon as possible, then do as I say."

"When did you began to draw?"

"None of your business." He glared at you, "Look, if you have time to kill, waste is somewhere else. Don't start a chitchat with me, I don't have all day."

Wow. Now he's the one annoyed, when he was the one who wasted time earlier by making you eat something he know you wouldn't like? He's funny.

Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes. After a while, it was done. You checked the time and it has only been two hours and a couple of minutes that passed ever since he started.

That was fast.

"Can I see it?" When he nodded, you immediately approached the painting.

Honestly, you were expecting it to be a little messy in style with some defined parts since it was just done in two hours. But the painting is a perfect copy of you, as if he took a picture of you. The only blurred part is the background, and your entire image is refined. He caught everything in perfect precision.

Is this even humanly possible? Two hours is too short for this.

You take back what you thought earlier. This could've been your life too? You wanted to laugh at yourself. Compared to him, your level is way too low— even if it's the you from before.

prev | masterlist | next

taglist. @veekoko @aeongiies @featuredtofu @kodzusmiles @magica-ren @feiherp @beriiov @hiraethhv @kleej @eutopiastar @keiiqq @bananasquash @kuniisvt @tamikahoshiko @scaraenthusiast1 @sketcheeee @xxrougefangxx @luciledreamz @icomeheretolaughnottofeel @sereniteav @lily-lmao @h3xi2g0n3 (i cant tag those in bold)

note. i searched the worst rated russian food and interviewed some russians for this okay, don't come at me (for this ill share something in my country that foreigns would find disgusting— a cup of coffee poured in rice!)

[ch3rriiii-bunn]

I was wondering if you could do where Muzan and Douma have a female partner who has tattoos

And they don’t understand the concept of tattoos . Like they would ask them “Why would you sit in a chair and have needles pierce you repeatedly . You humans are weird.”

And they would be like “It’s called art.”

Tattooed s/o♡

This idea is so cute. Hope you enjoy this!

Warnings: fem!reader, reader is described to have tattoos, fluff, a little suggestive on doumas part

Douma

Douma first noticed your tattoos when you joined him for a bath. His knowledge of tattoos are people who were/are criminals, and he felt pity for you, evening going as far as to ask what crimes you've committed. "I've never seen criminal tattoos in these designs though," he said.

You chuckle. "These aren't criminal tattoos. These are tattoos with different meanings to me that I wanted to have put on my body," you explained. "Is there a special reason you want these meaningful tattoos? It's beautiful, I won't lie, " he asked, tracing his slender fingers over your tattoos outlining the shape of them. "Not really anything special, really. I also love the art designs of it all," you said only for douma to look at you confused.

Douma decided to join you and see for himself how a tattoo is done. The tattoo place you went to is safe and welcome to humans and demons. There was no hostility there, so your demon boyfriend douma didn't need to hide himself. As the tattoo artist began adding a new tattoo on your arm, douma sat in the chair next to you, watching intensity on what's happening.

Minutes soon turned into an hour. You'd think douma would be frustrated, but he still had his eyes locked on the needle piercings your skin. "Y/n, doesn't that hurt?" He asked "yes but it's fine, " you respond. "How strange... not only are you sitting in this chair for hours, you're ass probably hurting you, but you want to take this pain just for an artysle you want?" He asked, and you only nod.

After the session, you signed being relieved from the pain but smiled at the beautiful design done on your arm. "I thought it was silly at first that you sit in this chair for this long, having these needles poke into your skin repeatedly, but I see that it's worth it for you. I still dont understand, but seeing you satisfied, good, " he said.

As the tattoo artist applies petroleum jelly on your tattoo and then wrapping a bandage, you notice douma still sitting in the chair, but this time examining your body. "Baby, is there something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. I'm just thinking about where I want you to tattoo my name on your body. Maybe on your boob or under your boob maybe" he thinks with his chin, resting between his fingers

"Douma!!!"

Muzan

Muzan has lived for centuries. He's not stupid on what tattoos are. However, he's not that educated on them. Muzan didn't like the tattoos on your body and even went as far as to shame you for it.

"How revolting. Why would you even let needles sink that dirty ink into your skin permanently? And humans wonder why they are so weak. You're putting that poison in your body," he said with disgust. "But I'm healthy... if the ink was dirty, my body would show clear signs of infection, but I'm okay," you said, almost laughing at his assumption.

You practically begged muzan to come watch you get a tattoo. "You should be grateful for the time I'm wasting just to sit here and watch you put that filth in your body," he spits out with his arms crossed. "Yeah, yeah, I'm grateful," you said with your head tilted, letting the tattoo artist make the design you want on the side of your neck.

As time went by, muzan grew impatient from sitting in the chair for almost 2 hours. His foot began to tap until he had enough. "How much longer is this going to take? You've been sitting in that damn chair for almost two hours now." he complained. You chuckle. "Art takes patience. You can't rush it, " you said only for muzan to make a first in anger. "What a foolish answer"

Once you were done, muzan took a good look at your neck. "Do you like it?" You asked. "It's not ugly. Why blue roses? I thought red roses were your favorite," Muzan asked curiously.

"Of course, I love red roses, but I wanted to try something different this time. You always talk about the blue spider lily and sadly I haven't seen one but since we both love flowers and you love the color blue why not get a blue rose for a tattoo" you laughed.

"What an idiotic thought to have. Wasting that time just to have a blue flower that's not the flower I wanted, " he said, turning his back to you, but his ears turned red at your stupid yet cute idea.

[rick-ety]

Here’s the first batch of drawings I have done!

@robygoonn I love him so much you have no idea omg…. He’s a pathetic wet cat in the best way possible and needs SO much more love I swear. One of my favorite interpretations of the narrator I might even say

@bugenthusiast0 (from discord) I’ve already drawn this guy quite a few times FOR GOOD REASON I might be in love. I love love love him so much please tell him to not eat me 🥺🙏 /silly i do NOT taste good we should cuddle instead

@an-theduckin these guys were actually so much fun to draw and idk why,, I love how tired Stanley looks btw hehej z

@unorchido your narrator is so unique and silly I LOVE how stylized he is!! The arrows were really fun to draw, I had a really good time making this guy <3

@genericusername422 (from discord!) I actually tried drawing him a while back but I totally forgot to finish it,, agh. His HAIRR and I love his robotic markings those are SO cool. Anyways throws him at a wall really hard

@employee052 YOU KNOW HIM YOU LOVE HIM. VIRGIL MY BABY (old man)…. I’ve definitely been familiar with this guy for a long while, I’m really surprised I didn’t draw him sooner but honestly it was a good thing since I can really do him justice now… though I may need to draw him again in the future..

@machathecat another really pretty design! I love seeing more animal like designs in characters. I just think his horns are really neat……… 🥰

@dirtylittlemuffin THEY ARE SO IN LOVE. AAGH I love your Stanley and the little arrow goatee it actually drives me crazy bro.. and this narrator design is really neat to me <3 I love them

@sketchygoober MY BABYYY I’ve always loved your narrators, they’re so iconic to me.. drawing your characters is always so fun and I LOVE drawing wings!!! Ahhfjriehwkakdkf he is so pretty..

@bookshopsandtea last not DEFINITELY not least! Your coloring is so soft with them and it’s so so so soooo <€{£{£\¥\ ♥️♥️♥️ interpreting your characters into my style was definitely really cool!

and that’s it for now, but there’s still a lot more to go so don’t worry we’re not done yet ahah. Drawing everyone’s different face shapes and nose shapes and body types and hair styles is really helping my art skills <3 so thank you for the submissions!

[the-hydroxian-artblog]

I love your animatronic toy OC guys so much, they have so much personality to them and their colours are really good (especially umbra)

Thank you! The funny thing about Umbra's design was that while I was developing it about two years ago and had some colors in mind, I described in text what I already came up with to an image generator for fun (shitty unconvincing old kind, vs now where it looks like shit but in a somewhat more convincing way) and it produced something so silly that I made her design better than what I would've settled with out of spite.

More details of my process and anti-AI ranting below the cut, so the examples given won't show up on search results. Google Images is getting polluted too much with slop to begin with.

Let's begin.

In 2022 I was drafting up Umbra's design with mostly concrete details. At this time image generators were newer and much less convincing, and I was a bit less aware of just how unethical they were, so I fed one a text description of what I had drafted for her design out of curiosity. Something along the lines of, "doll of an anthropomorphic owl librarian in glasses, blazer/suit jacket, skirt, corset, high heels, sitting on a bookshelf" and probably a few more terms. Really specific, lengthy prompt.

I try to be open-minded and give new things a shot, but the results were Not Great. Ideally, I'd want to not share the AI pictures at all on-principle, but I feel like it's useful, transparent, and necessary to show them. Both as a means of not hiding anything, but also just to appreciate where the design is at in spite of it.

Outside of this particular collage of Weird Owls, no other pictures on this blog are AI-generated. AI Image Generation is harmful, and I am against its usage.

But hey, two of the generated pictures look close, right? The top left is the closest, and bottom right is second.

That's because they started out worse, and I had to actually erase chunks of them and have the generator fill in the blanks to get anything remotely close to what I wanted. Misshapen limbs, unrecognizable anatomy, fever-dream clothing details, etc. They didn't even have a corset or proper legs until I slapped the generator in the face enough times to make it produce them. I was just using it to photobash, which was such an annoying process, I just went "this is dumb" and stopped. They're literally posed like that because I kept erasing and regnerating their limbs until they looked vaguely in-character. It literally only looks passable thanks to STRANGLING it with human input.

Before I used the image generator, I already drafted her to be night-themed with yellow eyes and something like purple, dark blue, or sky-blue as her main color; the generator making one owl yellow-eyed and purple was a happy coincidence, and the only thing the generative AI "came up with" that I didn't already have in mind or included in the prompt was the light blue shirt, which I did adapt into her cyan shirt and stockings/socks as well. That was a good call. You get One Point, Mr. AI.

...Which still meant that at its absolute best, it was a largely redundant step in the creative process if its contribution was worse than what a randomized palette generator or character creator could come up with.

That's already putting the ethics of it aside, like carbon emissions, data pollution, using artists' and photographers' work without credit or permission, the incentive to plagiarize, flooding sites like deviantart with slop, Willy Wonka Shit, etc etc etc. When people say "you can use AI as a tool though", this ordeal was enough to convince me that it's more trouble than its worth, even in its most ethical usage. I feel gross for having even tried. I wish I knew what sources went into the creation of those Weird Owls. It'd be better for research if the right people could be credited.

Nothing else on this blog is AI-generated or ever will be. The art below is purely my own (2022 vs a few weeks ago)):

Actually drawing Umbra and solidifying her design was far more rewarding than having an image generator vaguely approximate my own ideas. I wanted her to look really special, so I used a black cape and pants, gold highlights and buttons, and blue undertones to make something more distinct. Also, neck floof. Very important. I wanted the head in particular to look distinct and original, going with bold black streaks to really help her look distinguished.

I also have certain inevitable Hydroisms for Fancy characters like her; most apparent in these designs for Chasey and Kaita from even longer ago, which were more of an influence than anything else. (Old art of mine from like 2021, Kaita ref looks wonky but Chasey still holds up nicely):

Most of Umbra's other design elements were already commonly used with established ocs like Kaita, like her shape language, corset, skirt, heels, etc. It was my previous work with Chasey that inspired the use of gold buttons and highlights.

Umbra is also now a bluer shade of purple partly to distance the current design from that ordeal. All things considered, I'll probably make her more indigo next time. I already wanted her to have a wide color range from the get-go (Featured below is, again, purely my art from 2022:)

I may use a different colored shirt and stockings in the future. I like to think she has many different shirts and clothes based on the different stages of the night sky, from dusk to dawn, and the painting I made in the top right there was an exploration of her range in different lighting.

All in all, it's frustrating. I'm proud of her design, but explaining all of this is annoying, because it's technically all relevant to showing how her colors were picked and how the design was made. I still technically have AI to """Thank""", in the way you thank a bad experience for encouraging you to make things better out of spite.

[song-writer-melo-wrath]

Silly Game Time: Who are some of your favorite "rogue" characters? And what do you like about them?

They can be of any class or race/species (in the fantasy or sci-fi sense), so long as being sneaky and tricky (a thief, a lockpick, a con artist, or etc.) is a major element of their job in the story and their identity as a character.

I had a moment of wrestling with myself with bared teeth here, one of my selves lost, let's talk about Astarion Ancunin

[inhales]

So not only does he act as a deconstruction of the seductive vampire trope, not only does he make for a character that SA and abuse survivors can take solace in and empathize with, not only does he provide so many good lines in this game ranging from the meaningful “You're not alone in this. None of us are.” to the infamously comedic “WHAT IN THE SWEET HELLS WERE YOU THINKING?! I WAS RIGHT! THERE!”,

he also carries the team sometimes with how crazy high sneak attack damage can go.

he's also...really pretty, and could kill me-

Okayokay so the second to come to mind was Sheik, who I once did this drawing of-

I know I'm not the only one who looks at Sheik and thinks, in multiple ways, this is goals. Who wouldn't want to be saved and advised by a harp-playing ninja? Who wouldn't want to BE a harp-playing, smooth-and-soft-voice, calm-despite-peril, IMMACULATELY dressed ninja? Maybe in canon they're not non-binary, but I feel very "what canon" about that.

Uhhh, this is Kagero, my emotional support ninja character who realistically would make a terrible ninja

Her outfit [vineboom] trash. Her personality [vineboom] needing in development. But she's really calm, loyal to the point of self-sacrifice, and creates art even though she's not the most skilled at it. I have a lot of love for art that improves her design. It's what she deserves.

Aaaand Bio Spark from Kirby. I just think they're neat.

[beartitled]

Hey Bear remember the detailed art where it’s a place and there’s a just filled with different bears, I think it will be a great excuse to practice but idk how to approach it. Any tips?? Or just things you learn when you started drawing those

Hellow 👋

I have a feeling you asked this a while ago, but I only saw it now

If it's the case, sorry must be a tumblr glitch💥

👏a wall of text warning👏/silly

Planning

First thing I usually do is - I plan a lot beforehand

Especially if it’s a drawing with existing characters

Ironically TSP/STP drawings were easier to do for me

Even though bear megadrawings look simpler (I think?)

Basically when you already have a list of character you want to include - you just need to think where to locate them

When you just draw a lot of random characters - you need to design every single one

Which is kinda a nightmare on your brain 💥

The second type is a lot more flexible tho (you can add or remove characters at will, no count needed)

Project stages

I will use TSP + Undertale reblog chain drawing as an example

1) Collecting references - if you plan to draw existing characters, it’s better to gather all the references

Making an additional list of all characters helps too (this way you can track which character you already drawn)

2) Planning the area

Photobashing or finding a good location reference really helps here

Sadly don’t have a photobash I did for this, I deleted everything 💥

This is just an example to demonstrate things 👆

I usually just do a rough sketch on a small piece of paper

You don’t have to have it 100% planned, if characters don’t fit, you can just extend/edit the area

3) Character planning

You have to determine where your characters will be located

The common mistake I see when ppl draw detailed drawings: they draw a singular character and move on to add others

If you’re doing it digitally, this may not be a problem for you (ya know just make a character smaller or move them, problem solved)

But what I recommend doing:

Is drawing shapes where you plan to put characters in

This will help you plan out the composition more and regulate the character amount in different parts of the drawing

Also keep in mind the size of you character

I struggle with it to this day tbh

Usually the characters on the foreground are bigger then the ones on the background (this is one of the art principles used to showcase distance)

But an interesting thing you may notice when looking at illustrations like “Where’s Waldo” series

This principle often may be ignored

It’s still kinda present, but you can pretty much say many characters are -+ the same size

My theory is that it’s done to make every character equal, so the purpose to find Waldo is still challenging

+ I think to keep the whole picture harmonious

I may not know certain principles (the nitty-gritty of detailed art like this)

So keep in mind this is just my experience, do your research too >:D

4) Key characters

This one is a bit vague, but I will try to explain it the best I can

When you have a specific character, who, for example, is way bigger or has brighter colours then the rest

Special bois 🌸

You need to give them more attention

Let’s see an example

- Big creatures on da background - they were drafted first, bc they required a lot place

- Spider Barry - a special area for spider characters

- Thierry - active action, running, led to a chain of characters interacting

- Narry Grilby’s, Bearline, Pixel Alphys - themed areas for certain characters

(my apologies if I made a mistake in any character name here, let me know, I will fix it)

+ Advice for colour: try to keep them the similar saturation, so the image looks harmonious

You don’t really have to have key characters, it’s just my method that makes the process easier to plan out

5) Art part let’s gooo

This part is up to you obviously, different ppl draw differently

For me it’s usually > small draft > sketch > line art > scan > colour

Advice for my traditional artist - ya’ll need a big paper sheet

I usually work on A3 format, bc it’s easier to scan

But the bigger the paper the more detailed characters you can draw

This one as an example

Bc rookie mistake

Too many characters, not enough paper

I used A3, but looking back A2 would work way better here

I used a really thin line pen (005) and didn’t realise the consequences of that 💥

As a result scan turned out not the best quality (+ if you zoom in on the faces 🐻‍❄️🔫)

It was impressive at the time, but rrrr I wish I just bought a bigger piece of paper back then 💥

Just to illustrate the issue

On the top are pens I usually use for comics lineart, the bottom one is 005

And my finger as an obscure reference lmao 💥

As you can see the lines are REALLY DAMN THIN and everything is smol, tiny even

So just keep that in mind 👍

And for my digital fellas

🫵 Big canvas 🫵 big 🫵 the pixels will eat u 🫵

How much time it takes

Practicing concentration and patience is important 💥

This may sound silly, but it does help with finishing stuff

Projects like those require a ton of patience and focus

So just mentally prepare yourself for sitting on your desk for hours™️

From my experience I would recommend to start with small drawings with a small amount of characters

And then gradually build up to bigger amounts and more details

My first ever megadrawing was this piece

Line art took 2 weeks, colouring -+ a week I believe

This was exhausting the first time 💥

After practicing the process became faster and less tiring

The TSP x Undertale took about 4 days (but like full 4 days)

Remember doing lineart in 1 day, taking breaks just to like eat

🫵Ok don’t worry about me🫵

I have a tendency to concentrate on things for a really long periods of time, so it’s not a “🔥I WILL BURN MYSELF OUT WITH THIS PROJECT LET’S GO🔥” type of deal, this is pretty much how I am

If I enjoy a specific process I can spend an entire day doing just that, without getting tired (the only problem could be not enough movement and eye pain, my eternal enemy 👿)

But 🫵 don’t expect yourself to do the same 🫵

Start small, practice, don’t push your limits right away

Take breaks and care about yourself fellas 👏

Good luck with your projects🫡

Alright

Hope it was helpful, thank u for you question ❤️

For new ppl here, you can check the megadrawings section in navigation (pinned post), if you got interested

[bugcreations]

Master post for my most favorite subject when it comes to my MK1 stories - my fankids! They each mean so much to my little hearts in different ways and I'm always looking for ways to make them better, so please ask about them! For now here's the info on them…

🩷Astrid🩷

Age: 17

Sexuality: Bisexual

Height: 5'8

Likes: Fashion design, poetry, "fancy things", the color pink, butterflies, weaving

Hates: Stormy days, dull colors, mint flavors

Astrid, as you can probably guess, is the princess of Outworld! She has a pretty neutral image, some praise her for her fighting talent, polite, charming and witty personality and fashion-foward mindset, while others show disdain for her as she’s a result of a once formerly forbidden relationship, and…she inherits Tarkat.

However, Astrid has a strong heart, and she doesn’t see her Tarkat as a burden or a struggle, rather an obstacle that makes her stronger each time she comes back from overcoming bursts of her infection. She’d rather focus more on the things she wants to do, which involve fashion design, poetry, and hoping to explore Earthrealm and the unique cultures it can offer, something she wants to do a tad bit more than becoming Empress.

💙Mankato💙

(Note this one technically a windwolf fanchild - I HC Fujin to be a girl, and Nightwolf to be transfem in this timeline. Ed Boon dont fuck them up!!!!)

Mankato, otherwise known as Blue, is the definition of crafty and fun! He has autism and ADHD, mainly expressed through his energetic and disorganized nature, and his intense interest in owls! He lives and breathes owls, through art. He loves to paint, draw, sketch and color owls and all in his favorite colors, which are the primary colors.

Blue is pretty much your definition of a “silly little guy,” he’s the heart of gold of the team and also the shortest! But despite his small, sweet personality, he has impeccable fighting skills, which he can put to good use thanks to his mom’s wind talisman! He greatly aspires to be as important and strong as his Uncle Raiden, and wishes to be something like a Champion like him someday. But for now, he’s too busy having adventures with his friends and painting…wait for it…owls.

Age: 17

Sexuality: Gay

Height: 5’3

Likes: Owls, primary colors, soft clothing, sushi (with salmon and avocado only! It’s his safe food), adventure, arts and crafts

Hates: Anything bitter tasting, loud parties, people touching his braids

🧡Nanami🧡

Nanami is a total butch, reckless girl - she’s sassy, brave, and dresses like Adam Sandler. She’s got a big interest in boxing and basketball, and her athletic skills also aid her in kombat. While she definitely struggles with issues like her impulsiveness, her dads’ constant smothering, and her secret insecurities, she doesn’t let that show, as she just tries to do what she wants.

She’s the fighter of the group, she’ll protect them at any costs as she feels the most comfortable around them. If anything were to happen to any of her family and friends, she would never forgive herself.

Age: 17

Sexuality: Lesbian

Height: 5’5

Likes: Tigers, basketball, gaming, blue and orange colors, sports, boxing

Hates: Dresses, flowers, the color green, mushrooms

💚Kung Wei💚

Kung Wei is a bit of the jokester of the team, as he’s cowardly, often talks as if he’s full of himself, and throws himself into rather dumb situations for attention. He’s not a bad person at all though! He just likes to enjoy the wild side of life, and everyone constantly talks about how he’s a mini copy of Kung Lao.

Like Nanami, he too has insecurities, mostly rooted in being compared to all these great heroes in his family and scared he will also be forced into the dangers they have experienced. While his dads try to help him realize he doesn’t have to live like that, Kung Wei has some deep down anxiety that makes it hard for him to think otherwise.

Age: 16

Sexuality: Gay

Height: 5’8 Likes: Animals, food (especially involving shrimp), nature, skateboarding and board games (even though he loses half the time) Hates: Horror movies, lemons, insects, Vaternians (he’s terrtified of them)

❤️Spindle❤️ And now for my most favorite fankid, and makes up a large majority of my stories, my Reivik fankid!!!! Spindle was born and raised in Chaosrealm, so he’s a bit of a unique person when it comes to who he is! He’s a bit socially awkward often, under the impression others don’t trust him, but if he’s comfortable around othetrs (typcially his friend group) then he becomes witty, friendly and very joking as well. His intelligence comes from the ability to observe his surroundings and others in crystal clear ways in order to figure out how he can make others like him, since he always believes they don’t at first.

He may crack jokes and all, but he has the worst secret of the group - a type of curse he was born with, called Flesh’s Teeth. The way Spindle's curse works is like this - Any part of Spindle's skin can open up to create a mouth of razor-sharp teeth with a long snakelike tongue, and his eyes will glow red. Spindle gets much more ruthless, bloodthirsty and Ravenous in this form as due to his curse.He will go out of his way to attack anyone he finds delicious (Relatives are immune to his craving). When he eats his fill (typically 100 - 150 pounds), his nose will start bleeding, he will black out and not remember anything when he wakes up an hour later. His manifestations are spontaneous, but they typically occur every two weeks or so.

Spindle is always living with the fear that he will kill someone close to him, even if not his actualy family - and so he thinks everyone has a right to not like him, and that it is up to him to change it. However, what he doesn’t realize is that he is the glue of the group, and his friends are always there for him, even during his worst moments.

Age: 17 Sexuality: Pansexual Height: 6’0 Likes: The color blood red, hyenas, human anatomy, sewing, the smell of wood Hates: Bright lights, huge crowds, being questioned, tight spaces

[meglyfer]

Do you have any info about your Lux variant? :O Her design is literally so gorgeous; I'd love to know more about her!

OKAY, SIT DOWN BECAUSE I HAVE MORE TO SAY ABOUT HER THAN I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT (I've been here for like an hour or more)

Her design was made by both me and my friend @xommed, and more than a variant we think of her as our interpretation of the character, which may or may not be very different from the original Lux because the only thing we have from he is fro when she was a kid, so we kinda made up all about her lol

She lives in the Omega Timeline with her parents Dream and Cross, and her half brother Palette. Her best friends are Shino (one of the afterdeath kids) and Drew/Sasha (Mine and Xomma's horrordust fankid), though she is friend with a whole lot of other characters and fankids (The Death kids, Gradient, Blue Print, PJ, etc)

Lux doesn't have a defined age, as sometimes we may draw her older or younger depending on the situation, but most of the time we draw her as a teen or young adult. If I had to be a bit more specific regarding her age, I'd say she's about a year older than Shino and Drew

She is a calm and kind person who won't hesitate to help people, but she's not afraid to say things just how they are or kick someone's ass for being an asshole. Her world view is similar to Dream's but a bit more realistic; she belives that anyone can be a good person if they try, but she knows that not everyone really wants to try to be good

In her friend group she is the voice of reason, but just because she's usually the smart one it doesn't mean that she doesn't have her stupid moments either. She can be very silly, but knows when to get serious. Lux usually likes going along with whatever dumb thing Sasha and Shino have going on, sometimes even she herself initiating said dumbery, but knows where the line lies for things

Regarding school, Lux is a decent enough student. She is a smart girl, but school is just so boring! She does just the bare minimum to pass, leaving homework undone and projects half baked. She may be the "voice of reason" in most occations, but that doesn't mean she follows her own advice when it comes to responsability

As noted in the previous paragraph, Lux can be a bit "rebelious". She doesn't take certain laws, rules and regulations seriously, either because she thinks they're dumb or can't make any sense of them (Example: doing grafities in the Omega Timeline, eating in class, elbows on the table while eating, etc). There has also been ocations in which she has skipped classess she finds easy (like English class to give an example) out of boredom or gotten out of her house when she wasn't allowed to (She always notifies Palette though, so at least someone knows where she is + she knows her brother is not gonna snitch, because she does the same for him)

Lux has a very good relationship with her family, but her parents can sometimes be a bit too overbearing for her, specially when they talk about responsability. With Palette everything is all good all the time. They constantly tease each other about certain things, but they know there's no intent to hurt behind their words. The siblings are always there for each other when they need them

Some fun facts about her: · She can change her "hair" however she wants. Most of the time she has it like how you see in my art, but if she wanted to she could change it so it lookes more like canon Lux, or make it longer, make it defy grabity, etc. The only thing she can't change about it is the colour · She's very intuitive when it comes to figuring out people's feelings and what to do about them. However, she has a bit of a rougher time when it comes to figuring out her own feelings · She is a self sacrificing type of person. She'd do and give anything, and I mean, ANYTHING for the people she loves · She's a lesbian (of course she is) · Her design was subconciously inspired by Hatsune Miku (we didn't realise how similar they were until later on)

Lastly, I'd like to share some sketches me and Xomma did while trying to figure out her design because, WHY NOT? (All pencil drawings were made by Xomma)

(Thank god we didn't go with this one ↓)

[pinchan]

i had a question about your latest kenjaku art! did geto have the piercings and they kept them, or did kenjaku get the piercings after taking geto's body? either way i wish the facial piercings were canon they look sooo good🥰🥰🥰

sorry for the late reply oops. this ask and the recent conversation of kenjaku altering the bodies they inhabit after there's no longer any need for pretenses just really got me thinking since it's an idea i never considered before. before i always imagined they just keep the looks of the body as is because it's easier due to the habits ingrained to the muscles of the body. but kenjaku is a silly guy who likes to have fun, i should've thought this sooner

anyway a quick redesign and a not-so quick rant

they'd swap out the ear gauges for ear tunnels, and get a custom centipede ear cuff that goes through the hole. in contrast to tengen i always imagine their OG body to have a more elaborate hairstyle. something in my brain decided kenjaku really likes braids when i designed the eraswap au, so that stuck. they're particularly fond of side-braids; they work as some sort of continuation to the stitches, i don't see why kenjaku wouldn't play more into that trait of theirs

they're a busy brain though, so they can't really do fun hairstyles everyday with their packed schedule. but that's no longer a problem now that they have curses to help them out with. after acquiring tengen they make her help them do their hair. they're normal and well-adjusted like that

i've seen some ppl say they should swap out the buddhist robes, and while i agree it'd be good to distance kenjaku even more from geto i think it'd be thematic if they keep it to spite tengen and her teachings (it also makes a nice pair with uraume's robes). and in relation to that, they also wear beads around their wrist to have a more physical connection with her

[moonmaiden1996]

Silent Pursuit- Chapter three

Surveillance was an art. River Cartwright had honed it to perfection under his grandfather’s sharp, unforgiving gaze. It wasn’t just about watching—it was about truly understanding the target: their rhythms, their impulses, their habits. It was knowing their thoughts before they even crossed their own minds. Timing, positioning, and flexibility were all essential in getting ahead of them without ever being seen. And yet, somehow, he’d underestimated you.

He’d treated you like an ordinary mark—someone predictable and easy to read. But you weren’t just anyone. You were perceptive, sharp, unknowingly playing the game right alongside him. River had moved too clumsily, too overtly. And, of course, you had sensed him. After all, you were you—sweet, kind, with just enough naïveté but you were also smart. You were aware, in a way that excited him and that made you perfect.

This time, there would be no mistakes. He’d planned everything meticulously. The coffee shop on the other side of town was ideal—far enough from his flat to avoid suspicion but close enough to you to seem natural. It was a place you frequented just irregularly enough that his presence wouldn’t raise an eyebrow. A quiet, artistic café where the chance encounter could happen as if by fate. You would see him, and then, you would come to him. This would be the first step in a courtship you wouldn’t even realise was happening—until it was too late.

The coffee here wasn’t to his taste—too fancy, filled with intricate designs and pointless garnishes. His grandfather would’ve mocked it called in bollocks and dumped it on the floor. But you liked it, and for River, that was enough. He could tolerate any triviality if it brought him closer to you. Today, he sat with his back to the street, staring at his reflection in the ornate mirror above the table. Normally, he would’ve preferred a seat with a view of the door and the street—all the angles covered. But that would have been too obvious. This way, you’d spot him first. You’d approach him.

The air outside was biting now, autumn settling in, and he knew you’d stop somewhere to warm up on your way home. River’s grip tightened on the cup in his hands as he brought it to his lips, his anticipation rising with every moment. And then, right on cue, your familiar figure passed by the window.

He forced himself to stay composed, to act surprised. Seeing you up close again made his pulse race, even though he’d imagined this scene countless times. You moved to the counter, and he shifted slightly in his seat, pretending to be engrossed in the book in front of him. From there, you’d see him, and—

“Hi,” you said softly, your voice hesitant. “I don’t know if you remember me from last week…”

River looked up, a casual smile playing on his lips. “Of course,” he replied smoothly, turning towards you. There was a faint awkwardness in your smile, which only thrilled him more. You were standing there, so close, but thankfully, the table between you kept him from reaching out, from letting his instincts take over.

“How are you?” he asked, his voice carefully measured—not too eager, not too indifferent—just enough to make you feel comfortable.

“I’m good,” you answered, though there was a small, distant note in your tone. After a brief pause, you added, “I’m sorry about the other night… I was being silly.”

“Don’t be,” River said, his response smooth and quick. “You can’t be too careful these days.”

He wanted to tell you that he understood your caution all too well—that it was the very reason for his obsession with you. But those thoughts remained hidden for now. You didn’t need to know just how closely he’d been watching you. Not yet.

“Anyway,” you said, your voice brightening slightly, “I wanted to thank you. Could I buy you a coffee? Or maybe some cake? You could share it with your girlfriend.”

The word hit him like a punch to the gut. Girlfriend? River’s stomach clenched, but he quickly forced a chuckle. “Girlfriend? I don’t have a girlfriend.”

“Oh.” Your voice squeaked in surprise, your face flushing pink as you blurted out an apology. “I thought—I saw you with someone, Louisa, and I assumed—I didn’t mean to—”

“It’s fine,” River said, his tone gentle and reassuring. He couldn’t help but enjoy the way you fumbled over your words, how your blush deepened, and he explored just how far it went down. He wanted to see you flustered more often; he wanted to be the cause of that shy, sweet reaction. “Why don’t you sit down?” he added, motioning to the empty seat across from him. “You look like you could use a break—and this book is bloody dull.”

For a split second, River saw the flicker of hesitation in your eyes, a brief flash of wariness. But then you smiled apologetically and slid into the seat, nodding as if to accept his offer.

As you settled into the chair, River felt a rush of quiet satisfaction. It was a small victory, but a critical one. You were letting your guard down, little by little, exactly as he had planned. Soon, you wouldn’t just see him as the man you bumped into at a café. Soon, he would be an undeniable presence in your life—constant, reliable. He would weave himself into your world, as subtle and unavoidable as your own shadow.

River leaned back slightly in his chair, making a deliberate show of relaxing. His body language was open, unthreatening, as though he had all the time in the world to listen to you, to let you settle in. He wanted to make you feel comfortable, to lull you into thinking this was just an ordinary encounter—a chance meeting with a kind stranger. Not someone who had orchestrated this, who had been waiting for you.

“Rough day?” he asked, his voice soft and conversational. He glanced at your hands resting on the table, noting the way your fingers fidgeted slightly—tiny movements that gave away your discomfort.

You gave him a faint smile, one that didn’t quite reach your eyes. “Yeah, I guess you could say that… things have been weird lately. Working too hard, I guess,” you said, awkwardly scrunching up your hands.

He nodded sympathetically, as though he understood. He didn’t, not really; there was a sense of guilt for making you feel this way. He was the one you felt following you, but it was for the greater good.

“I see… hope you’re taking a break, taking some time off.”

“Yeah,” you agreed, your hands stilling on the table. “That’s exactly it.”

He smiled warmly, “I guess we all need a break from it sometimes. Even just a cup of coffee can make you feel better. That’s why I like this place; I only discovered it recently. I love their foam art—it makes me smile.”

You laughed, a light, relieved sound, and River’s chest tightened. He could sense the tension starting to melt away, your guard dropping ever so slightly. He knew how to pace this, how to stretch out the conversation until you were no longer on edge. There was a pause, the kind that felt natural, and River let it stretch out, making you feel like the silence was comfortable. He didn’t want to push too hard, too fast. No, this was about patience. Building trust. Slowly drawing you into his web, one strand at a time.

“So,” he continued after a beat, his tone light, “what brings you here today? Just escaping the cold, or…?”

You shifted in your seat, your body language softening just a bit more. “Yeah, I needed a little break before heading home. It’s been one of those days.”

River leaned forward just a touch, not enough to invade your space, but enough to show he was engaged and interested. “I get that. I’ve been trying to make more time for little moments like this. Life moves so fast, you know? If you don’t slow down, it can feel like you’re just… going through the motions.”

You nodded, and River could see the flicker of recognition in your eyes. He was speaking your language now, echoing thoughts he knew you had. You would start to open up, and that’s exactly what he needed: a shared sense of understanding. He was making himself feel safe to you, relatable—someone who wasn’t a threat.

“You’re right,” you said quietly, as if thinking out loud. “It’s easy to get caught up in everything and forget to just… be.”

River’s smile deepened, his eyes soft as he studied you, as though he were seeing more than just your words. As though he were seeing you. “Exactly.”

The way he said it, like a gentle reassurance, had an effect. He saw it in the way your shoulders relaxed, in the way you tilted your head just slightly, as if you were starting to believe that maybe, just maybe, you did deserve a moment of peace—a reprieve from whatever worries you carried with you.

River kept his voice steady and smooth, designed to put you at ease, as he drained his cup. “It’s nice to run into you again,” he said, his words carefully chosen, as though this really was just a coincidence. “I wasn’t expecting it, but… sometimes things just happen for a reason, right?”

You looked at him, your expression softening. “Yeah, I guess so.”

He took that as a sign to keep going, pushing the conversation deeper but still keeping it casual and unthreatening as he shrugged on his coat. “Funny how life works like that. You cross paths with someone, and maybe you don’t think much of it at the time. But then you run into them again, and it feels… I don’t know. Meant to be, in a way.”

You smiled, but there was a small flicker of hesitation in your eyes again. River noticed it and adjusted immediately. He couldn’t afford to come on too strong.

“Of course,” he added quickly, his tone shifting back to light-hearted, “it could just be that we both happen to like this place. Either way, it’s nice.”

You laughed again, and the sound was more genuine this time. He felt the tension between you ebb further, like a knot slowly loosening. The false sense of security he was building, brick by brick. Soon, you wouldn’t question why he was here, why you felt comfortable enough to sit with him and share a conversation. Soon, you wouldn’t realise how much of your guard you had let down, how close he had managed to get. He could see it happening already. Slowly but surely, you were starting to trust him.

“I hope to see you again,” River said, smiling before turning swiftly and giving you a wave as he stepped out the door. No matter how much it pained him, he needed to be slow and cautious, he would make his move when you we open and suggestive to the idea of him. You just needed a little push to be ready.

[modgryphonrambles]

I love TAOCC so much!

It is 5-6 in the morning, and I'm feeling emotional and affectionate. So I'm gonna ramble about how much I appreciate people. Apologies if you don't want to be tagged in this or if I'm not making any sense because I'm sleepy.

@silhouette-anon Soup, thank you so much for running the Gangle blog, if it wasn't for you, I would never have found this silly little RP community. I was so scared to interact for so long, I lurked and only sent a couple of unsigned anon asks, but the way you interacted with your regular anons gave me the confidence to also try and become a regular. You were just so kind to everyone, and it was wonderful to see. Love your art, love your RP, love how you make me smile in one moment and then make me cry in the next.

@sh4tt3rg1rl Basil, Soup may have been how I found TAOCC, but you are the reason I wanted to get involved with actually RPing in it. I don't remember how I stumbled on Mix's blog, but he was the first non-canon character in the group that I followed. I just loved his story, his design, the way you RPed, everything. Again I was too scared to actually approach you, instead I watched for a few weeks without making a single RP post. And even when I did start RPing, I was still a little intimidated by how amazing your writing was, so even though I still followed your blogs, it took me way too long to finally ask if I could interact with one of your characters. And of course your art blows me away all the time!

@the-moth-from-elsewhere Elsie, you were the first person in TAOCC I actually RPed with, though I never intended that. But I was so intrigued by Aoki's interaction with Mix, he seemed like such an interesting character, and I was blown away with how you RPed him. I wanted to follow that OC, but I didn't know what his blog was. I just knew yours. When I asked you if you had a list of OC blogs, you not only gave them to me, but pointed me in the direction of Dusk as a nice OC for me to introduce Grif to. In a rare burst of confidence, I sent an actual RP ask. I haven't looked back since. Your art style is so adorable, and you kinda scare me with how many characters you have, but I'm impressed by all the thought you put into TAOCC and I could listen/read your rambles for hours!

@shot-of-hopes-and-dreams Hope, I've already told you before how much I appreciate you for being the first person to send a character ask to Grif completely out of the blue. But I don't think I ever told you that you were also the first person I DMed to ask about joining a plot. DMs always scare me, I think because of how private they are, and it took me a good few days to work up the courage to send the message, but I'm so glad I did! Every time I get a message, or ask, or @ from you, I get excited, and sometimes a little nervous, you do love being evil after all! You surprise me a lot, keep me on my toes and really make me think when we RP together, and it's a ton of fun! I do love your sketchy art style too, and in my opinion it doesn't get nearly enough attention.

Star, Feiar, and everyone else that I've talked to outside of RPing (including the people I singled out above), thank you for all being so sweet and kind and welcoming. I really do struggle with social stuff especially voice calls, I always feel a little awkward by how I'm mostly non-verbal, and I often avoid calls because of it, but just you guys being so understanding has really helped me get over that fear!

And for everyone in TAOCC whether I've talked to you before or not, thank you for being such awesome creative people, you've given me so much joy over these past few months, I am so glad I found this community! Whether it's the writing, the art, the silly little memes, all of it makes me so happy (or breaks my heart in a good way when you decide to be angsty). All of you, never change, keep being such wonderful, amazing people!

[sparkysxi]

Fun things I enjoyed about the Fontaine Archon Quest(s):

Spoilers below. Obviously

Bro Furina/Focalors is the funniest archon yet. I’m sorry Venti she’s taken your throne

I like that they had Childe talk about his abyss experience out loud, so now even people who do not have Childe and don’t know his story somehow at this point know what’s fucking wrong with him

I’d like to state that I am a Childe main and stan so all criticism of him is done lovingly

I understand that Neuvillette is literally not human (likely the Hydro Vishap Soverign?) but he is sooooo autistic coded hehe *twirls hair around fingers*

Either way I am pleased with his character

I was really worried I was going to find a lot of the characters annoying, but I was pleasantly surprised. Lyney is actually pretty good, and Navia wasn’t annoying at all (she was the one I was most worried about). Furina is annoying, but she’s more intentionally written to be so I don’t mind. I liked how her voice actress gave her a very specific intonation pattern!

shout out to Malus for carrying Act II

Paimon’s silly detective glasses. that is all

This quest was probably the same level of darkness we’ve come to expect? Kinda weird in the specific artstyle of the game-I would expect a lot grittier style art wise to match with the story, but Genshin is gacha first and foremost. gotta be pretty

And by darkness I mean. Archon ripping away hopes and dreams from her people. People locking up their Archon to keep her from stopping them harvesting dreams to make a new Archon. Whatever the fuck is going on in the Traveler/Dainsleif quest line. I think murder and serial murder is kinda tame in comparison?

Still liked the court scenes though.

The npcs were fucking annoying. Intentionally, clearly, but if I was really the Traveler I would’ve started yelling about how the peanut gallery doesn’t talk in court proceedings.

The Melusines are adorable.

The end of Marcel/Vacher’s case was *chefs kiss* beautiful. I’m glad those girls got their justice.

Also, I looked up “Vacher” at the beginning of the quest line cause I was like “who/what the fuck is a Vacher”. Genshin has pretty specific naming rules so

Vacher was a prolific French Serial Killer. it was foreshadowing.

I am incredibly intrigued by the Oratrice. what is goin ON with that thing.

Glad Childe got to go apeshit. He deserves it. But oh sweetie I need you to go to therapy

I get why he won’t, he’s not about to talk to Il Dottore of all people about his emotional problems.

The last scene in Act II was beautiful.

The Court of Fontaine is a fun city, I love the design and the aquabus is a great way to get around. I’m a slut for art deco

also MULTI LAYERED MAP

[cobythinks]

I need to get inside your brain about your writing process. I’m new to this specific medium myself but I’m quickly falling in love with the pieces of it like pulling off a successful shock reveal (like what u were able to pull of in like every step of divided soul). Writing like yours and learning about every compounding element of Arcane or whatever else I get stuck on for a month is just so gripping, I need to learn how to emulate and embody it.

(Unrelated q but where can i get ur novel? I’m relatively new to both tumblr and ao3 lol)

For someone new to writing, I'm going to give you advice that a lot of people will give that will very quickly become annoying and repetitive: practice. I've been writing for 7+ years, and you damn better believe that my first works weren't anywhere CLOSE to Divided Soul and The Path of an Heir. So, write. Don't worry about being good, just write.

BEYOND THAT - Writing twists is somewhat of an art form, and it's one that I haven't fully perfected. Divided Soul is a great example of how I found a good way to do it, but even I'm not sure how I managed as much as I did! The biggest advice is for a first draft, if you're in a scene and you want a twist, just ask yourself "what would be the most surprising thing to happen here - without being completely out of character?" Then, once you decide your twist, GO BACK. Either after you finish the full draft, or right after you write the 'big reveal scene' and find other scenes where you can place the tiniest, smalllllest ever hints. That's what I did in Divided Soul, as well as The Path of an Heir!

Don't be obvious, but make it so that looking back a reader slaps their forehead and says 'I should have known' - even though they found out exactly when you wanted them to. (this is a hard balance to achieve, but SOOO satisfying as a writer and as a reader) give re-readers easter eggs, hints that on a first read are just one-off character moments that are secretly building toward the twist

And, something you're already doing: Read. Consume content. As I always say, you have to eat to shit.

you have to read to write. You read my works, you read other works (I assume) and you watch tv shows with cohesive plots and incredible character design. Take what you read, and use it like playdough until it's something that You Made. The more you change and tweak and adjust, the more You it'll be.

Forget the dream of an 'original idea'. The odds of 1 out of 8 billion people having an idea and being the ONLY person ever to have it? Impossible. But you're a different writer than everyone else, and tropes are beloved for a reason! Take well known tropes and put them in your own world, with your own characters, and you'll get a LONG LONG WAY.

Join writing comunities! Get other perspectives! Hop in the writers reddit, and don't even post or comment anything. Just read the advice that goes through. Find a group of friends in discord or in real life who love to write and read - these people will be your beta-readers someday, so pick good ones! lmao

Welcome to the writing medium! It's infuriating at times, but it's my biggest passion in life and I would never want to do anything else! Get some good playlists or podcasts, get a regular spot to write (I currently write while on my overnight job, but that's because I'm lucky to have a job where I can multitask!) <3

I'll repost my promo for the novel with the links, cuz ya boi was silly and forgot to add them! Enjoy this slab of advice! <3

[anime-cat-with-bong]

So I decided to get that fanservice anime games bundle on Humble Bundle, and like...the fucking cowgirl samurai in a bikini games are actually good????????

I really didn't expect much going into them, but these games are so much fun. A few thoughts I had (kinda long post incoming):

The combat feels really satisfying and flows so well. Especially when it comes to things like switching weapons or characters mid combo to extend said combo.

The Xtasy/Dare Drive forms were both badass and fun to use. I really like the risk vs reward feeling that makes you consider the right time to use them.

The plot isn't really anything special or amazing, but it's got that same vibe as a super campy grindhouse B-film which I personally adore.

I honestly really liked the characters. Again these games aren't trying to have the deepest plot in the world, but the characters are fun and memorable. Like I genuinely love them and feel attached now.

I even grew to really like the character designs a lot. Like hell yeah Aya. You go rock that bikini, feather boa, and cowgirl hat while you bathe in the blood of the undead. Again it's just so campy and silly I can't help but love it.

The music goes way harder than it has any right to. "Ichiban Wa Me" has been stuck in my head and refuses to leave.

Origin in particular has amazing combat. Combos flow well, hits feel really impactful, and it's honestly just downright addicting. It also almost reminds me of the Dynasty Warriors games with how you can feel really strong and unstoppable against basic enemies, but boss fights are still challenging and require you to focus.

I definitely think Origin is the better of the two in terms of gameplay, but there's a lot I did really love about it in Z2. One of the biggest things being the chase mechanic which I would really like to see return in a future game along with the more polished gameplay that Origin has.

While I do actually like the more "realistic" look of Z2, I think I like the more stylized anime look of Origin more. It's just much more visually appealing in my opinion, and I hope they continue with it in the future. (I'm also dying to see Kagura and Saaya in that art style)

As much as I've fallen in love with these games they do have some issues worth mentioning though. Mainly the fact that they are a bit buggy.

Z2 doesn't really have any game breaking bug that I found, but sometimes camera angles can get a little wonky. Especially when you're cornered and targeting an enemy. Also hitboxes on some enemy attacks can be a little taller than they appear to be. This is most noticeable with shots from guns that will hit you even when you are jumping high above them.

Origin can take some messing with to get working properly on PC, and even once it is working it's known to crash on occasion which will corrupt your save file. I haven't run into this issue myself, but it is a thing I've seen people talk about so I think it's worth mentioning. While annoying it is possible to protect against this by just making a back up of your save file in the event it does happen. Also worth mentioning that in a few cutscenes the models can be a little shaky. It's honestly not a huge deal at all, but it is noticeable when it happens.

One other negative I will say is that the regular prices are a little high. Especially with Origin which also has bonus missions that you have to buy as DLC. These missions are only $.99 a piece, but I still feel they should have just been included in the base game. I highly recommend these games, but I do suggest grabbing them on sale.

I'm honestly glad I got that bundle if for no other reason than these games, and I definitely plan to put a lot more hours into them to master the combat fully. Needless to say I'm a fan now, and I'm actually really hoping they continue to do more with this series. Maybe with a slightly higher budget even. I see a lot of potential with these games.

[mewintheflesh-2]

How would you go about designing fusions?

Like, I think my design for Razor looks more silly than scary (mainly the beak face why are beaks so hard) and I don't know if it fits with the rest of them.

Im honestly not 100% sure about the process of how I do it! 😭 I guess I just do?????? But I’ll try my best to explain my thought process even if it might be what you were already thinking/doing

I think mostly what I do is look for very prominent features on the Pokémon first, like for example, the legs of a Zoroark, its claws, and its face markings. That, and its ears. I also take notice of how on some parts of the body there’s longer fur jutting out of places like the elbows or the hips. With Mutt, who to be honest I haven’t made art of in a long time but I don’t feel the need to change him that much, I just compiled all of the features I thought defined the Pokémon and found ways to incorporate them into/onto the human body.

With Alexandra (Dragonite girl) I took the antenna, wings, and big tail as main points of the design I wanted to incorporate into her and found ways I liked it. I used them in pretty basic ways, but I did replace her ears with miniature Dragonite wings as well, as I was inspired by some art (of which I don’t know the fandom of) where there were bird-people with wings for ears.

If a Pokémon has distinct legs I will incorporate those by replacing the human legs entirely, and if the Pokémon has claws I’ll replace their fingernails with those instead. Pretty basic stuff though

I think almost all of the fusions that I’ve posted about so far aside from Parasect Girl have tails too, so that’s a little funny to me.

Also, I don’t always make every Pokémon part completely proportionate to the human body, with a certain fusion that will go unnamed, instead of shrinking fhe Pokémon’s “tail” to be how a normal sized tail would be for a human, I made the tail big and thick, which would no doubt get in the way of normal living, but that’s one thing that’s consistent with most all of the fusions. It disturbs their ability to live “like a normal human would” even if they tried their hardest.

Fusions can also take away senses and disable you to some degree. Like for example, Parasect Girl has extremely low vision and relies mostly on hearing to tell where things are/what’s happening. As a result her hearing has gotten very very good.

I think my main thing when designing fusions is that I’m not afraid/hesitant to make their bodies impractical/take away vital limbs for living/adding limbs that actively inhibit them. If you got your legs replaced with a dogs or a birds, wouldn’t you feel disoriented too?

One fusion I made also has a beak, a tentacruel fusion, but for that one I ended up making the squid beak act as weird lips. The actual “beak” design parts on the tentacruel ended up going other places, like jutting out of her arms.

ALSO another thing I like to do is spare no expense when it comes to adding details. Fuck “over designing” do what you want forever. Though that doesn’t mean that designs can’t get incomprehensible, it’s a somewhat delicate process (I guess??? It comes easy to me so I’m not sure.) ANYWAYS if you see an empty spot on the body and you’re not sure if you want it to stay empty or not, go ham and try out as many things as you want until you’re happy with it!! It might take a bit but what doesn’t when it comes to character design?

For a clearer example that might show my line of thinking more, I’ll generate a random Pokémon and brainstorm what a human fusion of it might look like.

Okay so I generated a Pokémon and I swear to god

SLUGMA BA- [gets shot]

This one is a little difficult since it doesn’t have too many distinct details if you just look at it at a glance.

let’s list off some features of it first!

Okay, so: Yellow pointed eyes, antenna like features coming from the head, very goopy, and also RED.

Also taking into account how hot the temperatures slugma gives off.

So. Let’s take a human, and try to fuse them together. More often than not when I get a pre-evolution fusion, I make them a child/just generally a younger person. However I think that for this we’ll just go with no age in particular.

So! First, I think the extreme temperatures wouldn’t fuse well with the human body, it would make them very melty/goopy. I would likely add little drips of their skin at their lips, and maybe even take away their legs in their entirety. Maybe they could just be a torso and melty pile of searing hot goop/flesh/magma beneath them? I think i would make it magma just to keep more of the Pokémon incorporated into the design. I would make the whites of the eyes yellow, make their eyes a more almond/pointed shape, and their irises either black or piercing bright red.

I think their hands would be a little goopy as well. Perhaps their hair would be melting/dripping over their head/face or maybe even acting similar to those visual heatwaves you see when it’s super hot outside! Now for someone who is literally searing hot and melting, I don’t think they would have any resemblance of clothes, but since their body is so melty, I don’t think it’d matter to be covered up too much. I think at some point as the flesh melts and drips off, it turns into magma. It’ll never be anything but complete magma when it falls off of the fusions body unless you actively take it off. (Looking at you FUSE. He’d probably be very curious how they’d taste.).

I think they’d have fire jutting out of their forehead in the shape of the fire antenna, or maybe it’d be their hair instead standing up and waving like flames in a strange way. I think they’d leave a constant burn/melting trail behind them, melting the floors as they slug around, and melting anything if they get too close. They’d likely have to be fed/given water similar to water tribe prisoners in ATLA (That one girl who taught Katara blood bending). Speaking of water, I don’t think they’d be able to get anywhere near it, it would hurt them severely, but that would mean they couldn’t drink water whatsoever. Maybe they don’t need water to live? Would they even have blood anymore? Or would it have all been boiled out of their body? Questions like these, questioning how Pokémon anatomy/natures would pair with humans/human behaviours is also important to designing fusions for me. I’m not sure exactly how important it is for it, but it’s definitely a part of what I think about when designing fusions.

Let’s try another shall we?

Wartortle! This is a nice design.

Something I immediately take notice of is the feathery ear like projections out of its head, along with its feathery tail. Boom, replace their ears with the feathery protrusions, and give them their feathery tail. I think their hair would also look similar to their ear protrusions, a wavy ocean look. Their arm hair, if they have any, would probably look the same, same for their leg hair. Wartortle’s also got white claws coming out of its hands, so those go onto the humans hands as well.

Then of course there’s the shell. You could make it look like a weird backpack, but that’s not something I would do personally. Especially since I’d want them to have the ability to hide in their shell. I would make the shell larger than their body, which would probably limit their movement quite significantly. Now about the front of the shell, I’m not sure how that would work out. If it’s proportionate to the back of the shell, then that would limit their movement even more. But if we strike a good balance of size, they can still move around decently while still being able to hide away in their shell. Now I like that a lot better. Their mouth would likely be wider than normal human mouths, and they would have decently sharp canines poking out of their lips. Their eyes would also be decently slanted and red, or atleast instead of slanted, would be in a permanent “im pissed off” look.

Okay so I actually really like the Wartortle concept a lot so I think I’ll keep them. TEEHEE >:3c

Oh yeah! Also another thing, specifically with Momo, is that Furfrou’s ears are pretty large/long compared to their head, so I exaggerated that to an extreme for her, making them go down to her middle-upper leg.

ALSO when it comes to clothes, pretty much all of the fusions have clothes that they wear, even if it’s just a shirt (See Mutt and Momo.). Unless it’s a Slugma fusion situation, they will pretty much always have atleast one article of clothing. I don’t put distinguishable human nudity in any of the fusions, the closest you’d get to that is Mutt if he didn’t have a shirt on, or like I mentioned, the Slugma Fusion.

I hope this helped literally at all!!!!!!!! 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 I’m not even sure if this made sense in any way at all aside from the impromptu fusion design brainstorming