#I also got to use watercolor brushes which is always fun

[moonstruckdraws]

I couldn't help myself and I decided to do a full image lol. I had a lot of joy shading the gold parts 'n stuff!

I thought it'd be cool to draw Tapa learning ballroom dances 'n such, just cus. Finding a gown was tough though, but I think it works. I also changed Tapa's hairstyle, since that is what is usually done, and found this one hairstyle with like pearls in the hair and thought it was cute! I was hoping the shape could still kind of look like bunny ears, but I think I made the hair too curly- Also drawing the full panel poses were so fun.

I thought that Tapa would be the kind of person to be terrible on their first try, but not even 5 minutes later they do it almost perfectly on the second try lol. Cass is salty about it, you can only handle your feet being stomped on so many times

And finally, I did a bit of a relaxing sketch with all of them outside! Tapa's making flower crowns while the other two are resting

I was going to draw more, but I knew that I'd keep drawing for another week and not post it probably lmao. So maybe I'll post more sketches of this some other time. And of course, the creators of this au, @somerandomdudelmao, @tapakah0, & @hodd1 . Still love it. I wanna draw more of it. Maybe I should do some for the dystopian au... centipede Cass does look fun to draw

[sharpbutsoft]

So I know you do digital art, but The Hanged fireMan looks like a watercolor. Do you work with watercolors as well, or is it the program you use?

(please brag about your art process, basically)

Yeah! So I do all my (fan)art in everyone’s favourite innuendo of an art program, Procreate. (Specifically on a 2019 ipad pro with a 1st gen Apple Pencil, both of which I would tentatively recommend if you can get them 2nd hand for less than 200euro like I did)

I did a lot of painting as a teenager, and still paint often to this day. Though I mostly worked in acrylics, I have been known to use watercolours (like, when I was in college I bought a little 3euro paint set and would use the inside of cardboard cereal boxes as diy watercolour paper and paint wild little Irish landscapes… and Winter Soldier fan art, sometimes. 2017 was a different world)

So in summary - I ‘paint’ digitally using some very traditional techniques I picked up over the years, and I kinda prefer digital art now, which I will elaborate on below the cut as I detail how I created The Hanged fireMan…

I’ll start with my favourite digital art ‘cheat’ which is that I use So Many Layers. Like seriously, pretty much every new colour goes on its own layer because I am a control freak and love being able to tweak them all as needed. So for this relatively simplistic piece, I’ve still got something like 20 layers all together.

I’m also usually better at grouping layers but in this one I gave up at some point and it felt dishonest to group them nicely before showing you guys lol

So yeah layers is my biggest hack, but the other is using specific texture brushes

I spent a while playing around with various brushes before finding this Tarraleah one which has just the most delicious watercolour-y texture and a really fun edge to it (and it’s got pressure sensitivity, so I can really control the amount of colour I want to put down on the page)

This background was painted entirely with the 1 brush & colour, and I think it turned out pretty cool. For this particular piece I did have a reference on screen to work off for the most part, but those clouded were just painted with my heart

Next (or maybe before, it’s a while sinceI drew this and sometimes I mix it up) is the lines, which are always done with my best friend, the Procreate Pencil!! I love her, she’s so fuzzy and textured and also if you tilt the tip on the pencil you get a broader line (like with a real pencil) which is just the coolest thing!

When it comes to lines I just sort of go for bigger shapes 1st and details later, and basically always with some kind of reference. I also use a very old & well known trick of putting the most detail into the object of most importance, and leaving the background more loose and vibey

Artists will tell you that this is to draw focus with details. Artists are lying. It’s cause we got lazy after drawing he fun part & phoned the rest of it in lol (I know this because I am an artist)

Also I love this pencil because I don’t have very steady hands and I actually cannot draw straight/smooth lines to save my life! If you’ve ever seen anything resembling a smooth line in something I’ve drawn, it is almost certainly a whole bunch of lines over each other and then erased at the edges to make it look neater

But who needs straight lines when sketchy sketch lines are so fun!

Next is flat colours (the 3layers in the middle with check marks beside them)

I used the same colours as the background, which you can tell from where they completely blend together right down the bottom, and what I genuinely do is use the Tarraleah brush to generally block out he shape, and then go back in with an eraser and smooth out the lines

Why do I do this? …good question

Next is one of my favourite parts, which is adding the lights! Procreate has some really fun -glowy- layer effects - my favourite is probably Add (A) though Colour Burn (CB) is great too for its vibrancy.

Also those 2 layer 11s are there because I duplicated one and then used the ‘Gaussian Blur’ feature to ‘fuzzify’ it (yes, that’s the technical term) It’s a pretty quick and easy way to add a more diffused light effect around something. (I did the same for the yellow reflective strips on the turnouts too!)

Last step now! So full disclosure - I absolutely traced that writing from a photo of a tarot card lol. I actually always trace writing, as, much like drawing straight lines, I’m bad at handwriting on a screen

I also stumbled upon the Exclusion (E) effect by accident - Originally it was going to be a plain cream boarder like a traditional tarot card had, but I wasn’t fully happy with it, so I just flipped through a few layer effects and as soon as I got to this one, I knew it was the right choice

I love the dreamy contrast of the pinks and purples to the dark navy and grey & how it makes everything looks kinda unreal and outer-spacey

And yeah that’s about it! Everything else comes from my 15+ years of Practical Art Knowledge but these are the specifics of how I utilise it digitally!

This was a lot of fun to write out, and I hope that if you’ve made it all the way here, it was fun to read too!

[sondersketches]

Sonder Sketches (June 17, 2024), Prompt: Studio

Reference:

The first image is a digital sketch/painting done using an oil paint brush and a watercolor paint brush. It was drawn in the free version of the Tayasui Sketches app on Android with a generic phone stylus, for a prompt from the Sketch a Day app/site that provides daily drawing prompts and has a largely positive community.

Since I'd already drawn someone doing art in their drawing space for the "stroke" prompt, and this prompt was "studio," I decided to follow the example of some other Sketch a Day artists and draw fanart for an animation studio I like. Looking at others making Studio Ghibli art, I knew not a lot of my favorite characters could fit my style or look right with my beginner level of skill/knowledge. I wanted to keep my character(s) simple and my background even more minimal, so I chose the lovable soot sprites who always made me happy and inspired me to worldbuild when I would see them appear in "Spirited Away" over my many rewatches. I used low opacity oil brush and watercolor brush digital paints for the main body to give a "fuzzy" and "sooty" look, then used the oil brush at full opacity to fill in an amount of lineart that felt like it wouldn't interfere with those visual textures and would more or less match the reference. I couldn't make the star candy three dimensional, the eyes grew bigger than I'd planned, and there wasn't enough space on the canvas to draw .ore than five total. It's also not clear if they're all on the same plane, in the same foreground, or where they're spaced in relation to each other.

Even with these issues and mismatches from the reference, these soot sprites turned out cute and everyone I've showed them to since drawing them has recognized what I was referencing. I like their energetic expressiveness, and I think my style lends well to those traits. I also like these unusual structure and lack of logical organic design, which I think are also clear in my version. Most of all, I like the little sounds they make and how they give the impression of sentient squeaky toys. I think mine convey that, too.

Overall, it's not the cleanest or most high-level fanart but it does what I want it to do and I like it a lot. It was a fun piece to work on and it's fun for me to look back at, too. I'm glad Sketch a Day did this prompt and I got to try out fanart. I don't do that often, if at all.

[studioboner]

Hey! Have you tried using watercolour pencils before? And if you have, do you have any tips for using them? I'm kind of curious as to what other people think of them, as I use them frequently when colouring a traditional sketch.

Hi! sorry for the wait on answering your ask. I do actually use watercolor pencils! The thing is though, i've always used them as final steps OVER my other watercolors and never really on their own.

So i tried a bit with them to see if i could find any tips to give you.

Truth be told i dont think theres anything here i can say that you probably dont already know given you use them more often than me

in fact if you have tips to share here feel free to!

Overall though: and i find it most important

This is LIGHTLY going over the paper with my pencil, from a part that was dry to a part that was gradually wetter. The wetter your paper is the more the pigment will activate and the more easilly it will spread and paint. This means less line marks, but it also means MORE saturation

here, this one i made sure to wet all oh it before i even started going over with the pencils. he is INCREDIBLY sturated, and his colors are very even, almost a flat color look to it! had i put more effort it would look very flat, some adore this type of effect

this one though, i sketched it very lightly with some colors to use them as underpaint

and then i went over it with a wet brush to even out the pencil marks, and while it was all still wet i started applying more pencil on areas that i wanted to give focus to

it's very easy to see which areas were wetter [his face.the forehead] over areas that were drier, more moist only [such as his ears] by how the paint is spread thickly and evenly

i'll often use the watercolor pencils for texture and color saturation emphasis like here

or for lineart like here

but it was fun to try using only them fully, i might try again in the future, thanks for the ask!

Oh also if you end up setting a custom theme for your blog [so that it has a page on desktop] set a link for your art tag yeah? I got really curious to see what you've painted but couldnt find them

[paintpanic]

Thanks earlier for your advice on drawing Elfilis! If it’s ok to ask this next, what’s a good way to experiment with brushes for an art style? And may I ask how you draw the outline things you do? They’re really cute :)

Long post that got a little rambly. 😅

When I experiment with brushes, I'll generally open up the "all" tab for them and start picking out ones that look interesting. Just start scribbling things on the page!

Generally, when I'm looking through brushes, I have an effect I want to achieve in mind. For example, if I want to make a soft looking sky, I'll check out whatever blending brushes and airbrush type-things I have in stock.

Also, if you haven't already, you can go online and look for brush packs to add to your program. Download whatever looks neat, if you don't end up using it it's no big deal!

Don't be afraid to use brushes in ways they weren't intended for. Right now, my favorite brushes for line art are ones that seem meant for color blocking. (I'm using GDQuest's "Pixel Grunge" and Krita's default "Charcoal Rock Soft".) I like slightly fuzzy, gritty-ish line art, so these work well for that.

You can also try making your own brushes, either from scratch or by playing with existing ones from the program. Last summer, I made a brush out of a normal watercolor brush and a Paint 3D render of Elfilin. Here's something I drew with that. Please, don't be afraid to get silly with brushes!

In addition to experimenting with brushes, I love to play with filters, especially to make backgrounds more interesting. If you use Krita, you can go to Filters > Start G'MIC-Qt to play with a big list of powerful, fun ones. (I also reccomend playing some with Filters > Artistic > Halftone).

In regards to line art, I generally use the two previously mentioned brushes (GDQuest's "Pixel Grunge" and Krita's default "Charcoal Rock Soft" both scaled really small) to get a grungy, textured look. Like most people (I think?) I do my line art over a sketch layer which I've made semi-transparent.

I leave little gaps in my line art, which I've heard can contribute to an "illustrated" feel? Anyways, I color in between the gaps as if there was a continuous line there. (I do my colors on a layer below the lines, which I also think is common practice) Sometimes I'll tint my line dark brown or dark blue to add to the color palette of a drawing. It's also fun to set your lines to "alpha lock" and play with colored line art or airbrushing a gradient onto it.

The most important thing about your art style, though, is that YOU enjoy drawing in it! If drawing things a certain way is too hard or stresses you out, you're always allowed to draw it a different way. You're also always allowed to "cheat". I totally have templates made for things I know will be a pain to do (eg. Sectonia's wings) so that I can trace them when I need to draw them in a piece.

Good luck with your art! Have fun!

[this-is-not-a-slow-burn]

HEY. Are you an artist?

Do you do traditional watercolor (physical media as opposed to digital)? Do you use water brushes? (the kind that have water in the handle) Do you use them with aquarelle pencils? (water color pencils or water soluble colored pencils such as Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle, Albrecht Dürer Artists' Watercolor Pencils, or Derwent Inktense) ?

Tell me, what water brushes do you use and love? Which ones have you tried and hated?

I had some in some unknown brand (or I just forget the brand) and they were just ok. The brush head was rather stiff acrylic white bristles, not too unlike a toothbrush, and they were too stiff. The cheap ones my mom got from a dropshipper are almost the opposite. Way too soft, like cheap doll hair. They don't hold water and paint very well, it just floods the paper immediately. I'm looking for some that are not real animal hair, but feel more like a traditional brush. Any idea?

Blarbly ramble under the cut about watercolor pencils

Watercolor pencils have always intrigued me, but the cheap ones I kept buying were really not satisfying, because the paint would never fully dissolve. There was always lines still visible, and the colors were blah and muddy. I gave up on them, thinking they were just not a great medium.

I tried some Derwent Inktense about idk 6 or 7 years ago, and they were much better, but still not quite what I wanted out of something like a watercolor pencil.

Fast forward to about a year ago, when I ordered a mystery box of art supplies and in it was a Caran d'Ache Museum aquarelle pencil. OH. This was a whole other world. I was hooked. They're so smooth and the colors are stunning. But sadly they are kind of spendy.

So for Christmas I had put some on my list, (both Supracolor and Museum) among a bunch of other things, not expecting all of it, just trying to provide a wide variety to make it easier. (Wound up getting most of it, which while I'm appreciative of, it was unnecessary lol)

The result is that I am currently test driving the Caran d'Ache Museum Aquarelle and their SUPRACOLOR line as well. So far I like both of them more than the Derwent Inktense, though admittedly they are somewhat different products (Inktense are unsurprisingly slightly more opaque and ink like, sort of like an india ink, hence the name)

I also ordered one of their Keith Haring sets on my own, because they're Keith Haring, I mean come on how could I resist?

I was thinking they would just be Supracolor in a fun tin, but I don't think they are. They feel harder than Supracolor, because they don't lay down as much color and I have to press a bit more to get the same saturation. I still love the tin though so not a total loss. I'm sure they will have some use somewhere and I'll be glad to have them on hand.

The Supracolor are lovely to use, with smooth application and bright colors, and while not what I would consider inexpensive, they are lower priced than the Museum line. Better than student grade, but still not top of the heap.

Which brings me to the Museum Aquarelles. My gods. They are like butter! Silky smooth and they lay down so much saturated color it's like a dream. They're not smooshy soft like Faber Castell Gelatos which are pretty much lip balm textured watercolor paint sticks, but that's the closest I can think of in terms of being enjoyable to work with as far as texture and smoothness goes.

So I'm basically in a love affair with these, now that the good stuff has been discovered.

I love the fact that you can easily transport them and not worry about paint squishing out everywhere, and they're way lighter weight than pan paints. They're also great for painting in bed! This is specifically why I am asking about the water brushes. I was feeling like yuck because an ice storm forced the closure of local businesses, and I was unable to pick up my prescriptions for a week. I was going bonkers without anti-anxiety meds *and* basically having to stay indoors to avoid risk of a busted tailbone due to ice. So I took to painting in bed. I could have done it at a table, or my desk, but staying in bed for a day or two just felt right. Anyway, trying to balance a tiny lidded cup of water in bed was sort of a pain, but it seems my water brushes have all vanished. :|

Cons are the risk of breaking them while traveling, and the lack of flexibility in mixing color like you can with pan or tube paints. But there are workarounds like scrabbling the colors on some scrap paper in solid slabs, (sorta like those paint sheet books) and then picking up paint from each with a soaked brush and then mixing them on a palette. It's a tad wasteful, but works better than the other method of layering the colors on your paper like you would with standard colored pencils, and hoping you get the ratio right.

Hm. Didn't mean for this to become a rambly review of my experience with them, but there you go.

[goron-king-darunia]

Eggtober 12 Avocado Toast (Featuring Tomato and, of course, Fried Egg.) Clip Studio Paint, Gouache Brush, Dry Gouache Brush, Airbrush (for the barely visible bread texture) and Freckle Pen (for the pepper.) 20 colors, 1 hour 30 minutes. Took a little longer on this one because I spent an inordinate amount of time lovingly rendering the tomato that I knew no one was going to get to see in the final product. (Don’t worry, I saved it to another layer since @quezify said last time that he appreciated the peek behind the curtain.) This was another request by a friend. I must say, I wake up every day excited to choose an egg from the many options I have available and just... have fun putting it down on (digital) paper. I’ve got some yammering about that, but since I’m already going to post a “behind the scenes” under the cut, I’ll shove the musings down there too. As always, big thanks to the Egg Master Supreme, @quezify​ for organizing this. It’s wonderful to see so many people getting into art again or branching out and drawing eggs for the first time, all because one zany dude said to Tumblr “You know what? Let’s paint eggs for a month.” And enough of us said “Hell yeah” that I get to see so many different styles and mediums. Loving every moment of it!

(Art first, because LOOK AT THOSE TOMATOES! I love how they came out, I want to shove them in my mouth! AAAH!) Now for the rambling musings. I’m starting to get really comfortable with the gouache brush, a tool which I previously never used, and I’m also getting more comfortable with art in general. My usual process from childhood, when I did much more art, was to slap down pencil work on real life sheets of paper, line it in pen or photograph/scan it and upload it to my computer to line with the pen tool, and then just do everything with pen for bright, solid colors. Most of my other techniques were one off flukes, like the fire I did in my icon’s background. And my newer process, as an adult who just started learning Clip Studio Paint, was fairly similar. (I just started with CSP recently because it came free with my newest tablet and my old standard, Photoshop Elements [I dunno the version, 7 maybe?], was too old and would resize on my new rig so all the buttons were SO GODDAMN SMALL it was a pain to use.) The only difference is that, as an adult who’s home more often than not, I skipped the paper. Sketch, linework with the pen tool, then color under the line art with pen. Or, for a certain other project, I color under the line art with the watercolor brush. I’ve always wanted to try gouache because I’ve seen it worked with IRL and it’s got such pretty results! Opaque like acrylics and oils but flows like watercolor. I suppose it never occurred to me to look for it in the toolset. The last time I even used brushes meant to represent real media before CSP was when Corel Painter was a thing and I had it with my very first drawing tablet. And even then I didn’t use it often. I mostly used the watercolors because that was my favored medium IRL. But I quickly started to prefer Photoshop Elements which also came with my first tablet. And slowly I stopped using anything resembling traditional mediums. But I figured, hey, Eggtober is already a time for me to learn some new tricks and get some practice in, watercolor will look too translucent and it has a paper texture to it that I’m not sure I want. Let’s see if this thing has Gouache. And it did. And now it’s my favorite brush. The way it blends naturally, the ease of pressure controls so the opacity is easy to alter stroke by stroke. It feels like laying down real paints. Once I got used to how it behaved it just... clicked. So yeah, now that I know how to work with it and now that I had the brain explosion necessary to figure out my new process of laying down the darkest colors first and working my way up, it was all too easy to go “Oh. I like laying down these colors. And instead of trying to predict where I’m going to put the avocado, I’m just going to draw the full tomatoes for fun and practice and then figure out the avocado slice placement.” And then I spent roughly 45 minutes just... adding detail to tomatoes. Because it was a genuine joy and I was smiling the whole time and I could just look at those juicy tomatoes forever. So yeah, I know I say it every time, but I for real owe quezify everything for giving me a reason to pick up a new tool and learn and just have fun with it. Kicking my depression’s ass, my ADHD’s ass, my artblock’s ass, and my (lack of) motivation’s ass, all with the power of “Egg fun, draw egg.”

[robogart]

I get lots of questions about what brushes I use - and bc I use old Kyle Webster brushes I bought from gumroad years ago, I always feel bad that I can't direct anyone to any actual brushes! SO!! Today I made this piece only using ✨ FREE ✨ CSP brushes! Links are below! 😊💪💖💖

Literally used ALL the brushes in this oil set, there are so many fun ones!! 💪💪💖💖💖Thick Coating Brush Set: https://assets.clip-studio.com/en-us/detail?id=1683127

I only used a few in this piece, but these were really pretty and fun to play with and I want to recommend them here too!!! 👏💖💖💖 Watercolor marker set: https://assets.clip-studio.com/en-us/detail?id=1682349

I also used "Real Pencil" which I LOVEEEE and is just a default pencil brush that CSP has!! 😭🙏💖💖💖💖 i'm a sucker for a good pencil brush and highly recommend!

And while you have to have a CSP account to use them, I 1000% recommend CSP to anyone who isn't using it yet! It's a one-time purchase of $50 (SUCK IT ADOBE) and they always have sales that pop up for it throughout the year where you can even get it for half the price!! 👏💖💖💖

I am NOT sponsored by CSP at all (but like...helloooo babes 😏👋💖💕) but I remember being so scared of updating my computer for the LONGEST time bc I was going to lose photoshop cs6 - but I finally did it and got CSP and it's been literally amazing ever since!! 💖 100/10 STARS!!

[jocosejoni]

HI ok I love ur stuff and ur stories and ur style of making comics and im looking to start making comics in the near future, do you have any advice or tips???? I hope u have a good day :] !!

!!! Ooo!! Get ready this is gonna be a lot! Maybe I'll put in random art???? to separate it????

So for advice:

Before you draw any pages or anything, have the story written! It doesn't have to be a book it can even just be a word doc w/ bullet points of what you want to happen. For CoD I have a general 5 point story thing (beginning, rising action, climax, falling action, and ending) with big things I want to happen under them that I end up building the chapters around.

Have your characters fully fleshed out too. Maybe your story doesn't have anyone get ice cream, but we all need to know what their favorite flavor is and why.

Find a style you like that's fast and easy and ideally doesn't do too much damage to your hands/wrists cause with comics you're gonna be drawing A LOT. Remember to take breaks to stretch your wrists/fingers/shoulders and to not look at a screen for a bit. And mental health breaks, they say "Comics will Break your Heart" and they mean it.

Lots of people say to start with short projects first and I think that's a good idea!!! you can always build on short stories if your heart desires, but also if you have a giant magnum opus idea that you think is perfect, just start it now! ALSO, also, if something happens and you gotta end it early its okay too, you can always reboot it! IF CARTOONS CAN HAVE A BILLION REBOOTS so can your comics.

Vintage 2013 Conner (technically CoD is a reboot of a comic I started in hs/early college that I had to end because a character I had based on a real person died in the comic and a few weeks after that page went up the real person died irl and I got SCARED.)

For Tips:

I love using all mediums. Sometimes its fun to experiment and use mediums specific to your story. Maybe you wanna do a mermaid comic, maybe try it in a watercolor style??? I normally use like a heavy ink style, but with CoD I wanted something sharper so I've been trying that.

Usually the flow with comics is Script, Thumbnails, Pencils at page size, inks, colors, and finally lettering. But after Scripting and Thumbnailing It can go in whatever order.

For lettering font choice is important! You want it to be legible and fit well with the tone of the story/dialogue. There's lots of good lettering info and free fonts for personal/self publishing use here: https://blambot.com/ They also have a scripting guide but there's been a newer guide floating around too that's trying to standardize scripts (cause if you start working with writers you'll find that EVERYONE is so different when they send you a script) https://www.oheysteenz.com/scs-template

I am inhumanly fast at comics usually, and that's because I like to cheat. I don't always do pencils. on digitally drawn comics I'll take a photo of the thumbnail and draw over it cause its just a general idea of where things need to go. On traditionally inked ones I do the same thing but I end up printing the thumbnail onto the Bristol paper.

Following sample is from apoppy chapter 2 and features traditional penciling which allows you to make fun notes like "less dick shapes" very accurate inks and to flesh out any drawing problems you might have.

For Drawing Print Comics:

In Clip Studio/photoshop/procreate, You want a canvas that's 300 DPI or higher sized appropriately for what size book you want to make. Regular size comics I make at 11x17 inches and size down for books to like 10 something by 6 something. Different printers have slightly different requirements and they all should have templates available. If you're coloring it export your image in CMYK, its gonna look weird on the webpage but don't worry.

For traditional drawing: 11x17 Bristol Board and ink. Some people swear by certain brands, I'm cheap and use a giant bottle of Speedball Ink and a brush or a set of fine tip pens like Faber Castell Pitt Pens or Microns. I like those because they're waterproof and I like to paint at random. Scanning should be done in full color at 300+ DPI but, that size is a challenge, I've had to scan in sections and piece it together digitally. It Sucks, but large flatbed scanners are hard to find. I haven't tried one of those kind that feeds the paper through tho.

I don't know much about the mobile format comics as far as pacing goes. I'm in the grandpa zone and think mobile format is making you do more work for nothin cause if a "normal" episode has like 60 panels you could equate that to print comics and say that it's 10, 6 panel pages or 6, 10 panel pages (which is a lot of panels you sorta don't wanna go over 10 if you don't have to but that's all up to you) and over the course of history webcomics have only ever posted like 1 page a week or more. anyone posting a page every day is wildin.

Oh oh oh also! Coloring!! everyone colors differently but i swear by making your own color palette. CoD started with a limited color palette and has been building over the years, and Apoppytheosis has a very very limited color palette and a rule for that comic was to not use any other colors. (any other colors seen were from another palette color doing something weird over the top of that layer) (This is the apoppytheosis color palette. Apoppy 2 is similar but more vibrant.)

Anyway I'm going rambly!! feel free to reach out if you got specific questions on pages or approaches to stuff!! I went to college for comics and I could talk about this all night.

[matthewbeilschmidts]

It’s been a long while since I’ve posted but I’m so glad that I am :’)

This is for Day 1: of @prucanweek - Ordinary

Apologies for spelling errors, it’s a little short but I hope you enjoy 😭💞

-

Matthew doesn’t mind that he’s living an ordinary life. Really.

He grows up near the coast, two parents, a fraternal twin brother, and their gangly hairless cat, Tony (picked curtesy of Alfred). Their parents take them everywhere they can during their childhood, the beach, museums, sports game. They focus on their interests, figuring out what the two like and dislike, as they encourage them both to be themselves and do what they love no matter what. Alfred debates between whether he likes wrestling or football more, while Matthew settles into hockey. In between family get togethers, community festivals, and endless sports training, they somehow have time for homework. (The two share answers a lot.)

He and Alfred each have their own rooms when they enter their teen years, a space to decorate and fill with their own mementos and awards. The sports continue, but later their parents find themselves a little bit busier than before. They do though, give them as much time as they can during the school year, never wanting them to go without someone by their side.

Matthew fades into the background a little bit as they get older, while Alfred puts himself front and center. Matthew watches once with a hand over his eyes as Alfred auditions for the school musical, and surprisingly he read and sings the lines well. “It’s always the rowdy ones!” their theater teachers says after he’s finished performing, a mix of anticipation from planning on putting Alfred on stage and dread at the thought of having to manage him.

Matthew silently supports him, after all he has his own things to do.

He’s the co-caption of the hockey team, the coach giving him the position to give him a little more of a voice, and his teammates verbally agree, considering on the ice Matthew has a lot more to show than he does in person. He accepts, albeit hesitantly.

By the time graduation comes by, Matthew can barely believe how the time has passed. His team even wins a championship under his watch. Some of his fellow classmates look so ready to go out and experience the world, and it’s scary to him because weren’t they all going at the same pace?

His parents talk him through picking his college of choice, and he decides to go. He needs to do what everyone does and experience the world.

And if he decides he wants to come home, that’s okay because at least he tries.

-

He’s in his first art class during his third year at university. The time has been going well, he’s got pretty decent grades and has managed to join a few clubs. But he’s not done yet. Extra curriculars, can’t finish without them. He prioritizes his general education first, and even slips himself into a few major classes early on, but humanities is on record now and has to be completed no matter what one’s studying.

He can get through one semester, he hopes.

Next to him, a student is snickering and the professor doesn’t look amused.

“Gilbert.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“If you’re done, I can introduce myself now.”

The professor goes in with complete, in-depth introductory slides with her name and credentials, and a briefing of all they will overcome this semester.

He’s never been an artist, at least not one that picks up a pencil and creates a realistic masterpiece with nothing but that and a pad of paper. Maybe some poetry contests in high school, if that counts. The written word has its own impact, its own set of colors to breathe out for the world to see.

There’s another snicker, interrupting his internal monologue.

He doesn’t say anything, because he doesn’t know the student, and it’s not his place to control others. But, if it starts to hinder the class, maybe he’ll tell him something. He’s paying to be there, too.

The man catches him staring.

“Yes?” he asks Matthew without being spoken to in the first place.

“Oh,” Matthew flushes at being caught, not that he was trying to hide it anyway. “Well, she didn’t say anything funny?”

The guys waves a hand, making a “psssh” noise as he does.

“I’m just laughing because of how formal this all is. She won’t be this dignified later in the semester that’s for sure. She’ll be ripping her hair out.”

Matthew glances back, he doesn’t want to say anyone looks mean but, he would believe it if she was.

“You look scared,” the guy laughs, which is rude because isn’t he the one that just put the thought in Matthew’s mind? “She’s not too mean just a sticker to the rules. Will get real pissy if something doesn’t go right.”

“And you still set her off knowing that?”

The man laughs again, but this time around he’s actually trying to contain it behind the thin art easel. He’s not very hidden.

“She’s my cousin’s wife.”

Ah, that makes sense then? Messing with family is normal, but also he shouldn’t be bothering her at work.

“It’s no wonder you seemed casual.”

“She taught both of the lower division figure drawing classes, too. This is my third semester in her class. She’s the only one teaching this specific class I didn’t have too much of a choice.”

“Art major?”

“Yep! And you?”

“Psychology major. I have to get in some cultural classes.”

“Ever taken art?”

“Actually no, not even in high school. I got through that stuff by working backstage in the theater department.”

“Well not to worry my friend, because you picked the best one.”

“Is it easy to pass?”

“Nope. Well, maybe if she likes your work,” Matthew deflates at the blunt response, “but don’t worry because I’m here to be your guide.”

Matthew perks up, but it takes him a moment. This guy’s gonna help him?

“Are you any good?”

“Am I good?” He looks perplexed Matthew would even ask. Matthew has to cover his own amusement. “I may not look it but charcoal and I go way back. I’ll show you my work later as proof.”

“Deal.”

“Gilbert, since you’re adamant on talking, you can be the first to introduce yourself.”

Even if his name wasn’t said, Matthew feels just as guilty. Caught, for talking on the first day of all things.

“Gilbert Beilshcmidt. Fourth year. I’m an art major and my favorite breakfast food is pancakes.”

Matthew looks surprised that he was paying attention, even to the last addition of their introduction. Matthew’s not sure he would have known considering he was distracted.

-

And so their friendship starts.

-

Gilbert sits next to him again. And again.

Where ever Matthew sits in the art room, Gilbert follows not too long after.

Some days they take the sitting desks, some they stand and lean against the stools.

And despite not even talking much, Gilbert treats him like a friend.

-

“Do you have any plans this afternoon?”

“Nope, this was my last class.”

“Do you want to get some coffee and work on our sketch books.”

“Yeah, let’s go.”

-

Matthew finds himself meeting Gilbert in his downtime. Every Thursday after drawing for three hours becomes the day they meet. At first, all they do is draw, little more.

Gilbert is animated in all moments, but he has short spurts where he focuses exceptionally on his work. Matthew is no art critic, but he thinks Gilbert expresses himself quite well on paper. Graphite, charcoal, and pastels, all the utensils glide easily without a single stroke missing its mark.

Watercolor though, could use some work, which actually happens to be Matthew’s favorite. Even if the intention is to guide the colors with a brush, it’s okay for them to take a life of their own spreading across the thick paper.

They share snacks, art supplies, and their time.

Gilbert proves himself very useful as he promised. Matthew though never planning to be the next Van Gogh, has to pass this class. And it would be nice to pass it with flying colors, but some concepts are harder to grasp than others.

It’s obvious to tell he’s a beginner, while Gilbert excels. Matthew finds out he only now needs the intro class since it’s the first semester it became a requirement.

Gilbert helps him find the shapes he’s comfortable with, explains the processing for hatching and how it relates to shading. And while he’s no expert, he sees a subtle improvement over the next few weeks that makes some pride swell within himself.

-

“Do you want to come with me and my friends to this cool bar for dinner on Friday?” Gilbert asks about a month into the semester.

It’s the first time Gilbert and him will have spent time off campus.

“Yeah, I’d love to.”

-

Gilbert’s friends are just as animated as he, it’s almost hard to keep up. Overwhelming as they are, they’re extremely welcoming. Matthew eases into the atmosphere, joining in when he can but mostly pleased to be out and doing something different.

He’s made friends during his time, but like him they’re a little more reserved and pick quieter places on the town.

It’s fun. And he wants to go out again.

Matthew invites Gilbert and his friends to watch his next hockey game.

After their shock in finding out he plays such a violent sport, they’re all agreeing and planning to find the best seats in the arena.

-

“Are you serious. Are you hiding muscles under that red sweater?”

Gilbert pokes at him, it tickles when he gets closer to his biceps, but he knows he’s only teasing.

“You think I’m playing but I’m serious! You should have been there, well you were there. On the stands, I mean. We all screamed after you sent that player flying against the wall.”

Gilbert recreates the motions, but only slams himself into the wall and whines after he bounces back. He then plays it off like it doesn’t hurt. Gilbert’s not a very good actor.

People tell him it’s so much different watching him on the ice, but it’s still him. He’s always wondered how much different, he feels like himself. He just knows he goes into the zone when he’s in his gear. He just wants to win. And he will.

“It’s like night day,” Gilbert continues. “You were ready to kill a man down there.”

“You’re not the first to say that. I guess maybe, I could be a little more out there in real life, huh?”

Gilbert stops walking.

“Nope.”

“Nope?”

“You’re perfectly fine the way you are. I like the way you are, so don’t go change. I don’t want to be at risk of dying during art class.”

And as silly as it sounds, he’s pleased. He likes Gilbert a whole lot, too. Just the way he is.

-

“Do you want to have dinner with me?” Matthew takes the initiative.

“Dinner?”

“Yeah, just you and me. I want to take you out.”

“Like you did to that guy on the court,” Gilbert laughs nervously.

“On a date. Gilbert, would you like go out with me?”

He says yes.

Later that evening when he’s heading home, Gilbert starts running through the courtyard cheering that “I have a date with the cutest guy I’ve ever met!”

Matthew’s window is open, he’s face is bright red and he slams head first into his pillow. He needs to plan the best first date ever.

-

Three months into dating, he’s finally heading home again for a school break. He wants to take Gilbert with him, who is waiting for the next major holiday to go back home. But isn’t it too soon? They haven’t been dating that long, after all.

But Gilbert surprises him, and jokingly says he wants to go with him because he’ll miss him too much while he’s gone. And then, Matthew asks if he seriously wants to go.

“I do.”

So they ride the 3 hours train down to Matthew’s childhood home. He’s a little bit nervous, because he’s had dates to school dances, and brought friends over, but this is entirely different. This is someone he wants to take a serious step with, even if the time hasn’t been that long. They’ll never get anywhere if they don’t, so they’ll both take the leap and pray it works out.

“Mom, dad, Alfred, this is Gilbert.”

It’s the most timid Matthew’s ever seen him.

“Nice to meet ya, I’m Matthew’s boyfriend.”

After he shakes all their hands, he takes his hand back to link pinkies with Matthew.

There’s not an once of regret in his mind as the long weekend passes.

-

Gilbert graduates the next year, and the year after it’s his turn. They’re going to move in with each other. Gilbert really has no irresistible urge to go back to his home town, satisfied with just visiting a few times a year. And Matthew thinks he would like to go back closer, just to figure out his next move. So, they go together.

It’s only a one bedroom, but is more than enough space for them both. Gilbert finds work as a docent while Matthew works for a second degree in education.

He still plays hockey for a local league, Gilbert becoming their number one fan. They find their own rhythm, a pace that works for them both, where they can settle down or speed up when they agree with each other. Dewey mornings, warm summers, chilly evenings they spend them altogether.

They decide move up North closer to Gilbert’s hometown. Matthew’s more nervous meeting his grandparents than he was introducing Gilbert to his own family, but Gilbert assures him again and again they’re just a stuffy old family who actually really care about each other a lot more than they let off.

Gilbert’s grandfather towers over him, despite being a hair above 6 feet. He’s silent, eyes boring into Matthew as he introduces himself. And to end all of Matthew’s worries, the elder man pulls Matthew into a hug and tells him he’s glad him and Gilbert are home. Gilbert, just as perplexed as he, stares, but he melts into a pleased laugh.

Yeah, this is his and Gilbert’s home now.

-

They stay, for a long while, contemplate moving a few times, but they’re satisfied for now.

Gilbert and him always make time for each other, continue their own respective interests with complete support of the other. They’re never afraid to complain, because they always work through it rather then let it simmer.

Gilbert’s vivacious spirit keep them going, and Matthew’s heart keeps them grounded.

His life at first seem a little bit ordinary, but how can he complain when the pieces of the puzzle fit themselves in and stayed locked in tight.

[jackyjackdraws]

Since i got nothing to do this afternoon,i took on the @sealbatross​ challenge, but instead of drawing Stan, i did Ford instead

Since you can’t have his bro without his twin!

They aren’t exactly as equal as their orginal artist’s style, but i did my best!

The rules are simple

1: no tracing or copying

2: Try some different poses or expressions

I went with mugshots beacause i didn’t totally skipped this rule, no sir, i did not

So here we go!

@kiki-kit 

This was relatively easy to make since we have very similar styles, but i gotta love how smooth and clean their lineart is

The style is very recognizeable and rounded with a great attention to detail,with a small yet cool color for shading

It made me slowly enter in the mood for this challenge and it helped my hand relax for the anxiety i was feeling of “not being as good as theirs”

@hellmandraws​

Oh boy that was fun! I think this is my favorite of the bunch and i cannot express how much fun i’ve had with this one

I love how simple yet so awesome their style is and how clean the lineart is, i also love the attention to details in shading and the huge care even for the smallest of details

10/10 would draw with this style again

@eregyrn-falls-art​

Another banger 

This was fairly easy and fun to make, i only struggled with the shadin beacause i couldn’t find a brush similar to the shading tool that has been used so i guess we just had to stick with this :/

I just gotta love that half smile, it always melts my heart and it gives me some late 50s/60s PSA or commerical cartoons vibe

(also that jawline is THICC)

@sealbatross​

i obviously add the creator of the challenge

It was a nice cooldown after i went out of my comfort zone, which is a thing i did multiple times during this challenge XD

I love this sharp and blocky style and the similarity between their arty and the doodles made by Alex when he goofs around or even makes them during charity events

It was really nice and solid to make and i loved it

@siriuslyart​ (or siriuslymeg i dunno)

This one is my least favorite, not beacause i think the style is bad, mind you, but beacause it’s the one i screwed up the most

I like how polish and clean their sketches are and i tried my best with it, also i love how they draw the jawlines and the teeth, UGH! it melts my heart!

@sleepsentry​

I have been firends with them for quite some time now and i thought i wanted to bring some justice to it by drawing something in their style

It helped me to come out of my comfort zone, trying watercolors instead of markers and clean colors

It was a fun challenge and it made me shape interest in doing painting more often!

@smudgethistle​

I’ve always loved her style and how intriguing it is, this is sort of semi-realistic style with some nice watercolors that give it these washed out and bleak tone to the picture as a whole

It was fun to come out of my comfort zone once again with this one just to show how much i love their style and them as a person

(also sorry if i forgot the glass holders or however they are called, i miss them like 24/7 when drawing)

@gruvu​

And last but not least we have the moth boy itself, Gruvu

I love how messy his style is and how manly his characters always look, and that jawline that cheeckline that’s so good but so difficult to draw, holy frick!

It helped me cool down too and it was absolutely amazing to draw with this style

Welp, that’s pretty much it, if you want to add some feedbacks or comment about the artworks, especially if you are one of the guys i just mentioned,let me know

(Reblog are VERY welcome)

[awxward]

A3! Boys + My Stuffed Animals

Spring Troupe:

Sakuya

Gabriel

Gabriel is a small elephant with big ears that constantly make him fall over. He has a pink bowtie that says 'I Love You'

Makes Saku feel safe and Gabriel is a reminder to himself that he's loved and appreciated by everyone at Mankai.

Named after a friend from theatre class :)

Masumi

George Washington

George Washington is a tiger. He is small, but his arms are like those slap bracelets so you can wear him on your wrist (or let him hang on the side of shelf like I do).

So I got Georgy-Boy for easter 2020. i asked my friends for name ideas. They sent me stuff like 'Stripes'. I went offline for a few minutes and when I came back online I told my friends his name was George Washington.

//////////

Me: tiger has a name now

Friend: which name did you choose?

Me: his name is George Washington.

Friend: what the fuck. how'd you get George Washington?

//////////

Pretty sure he got the name bc I was listening to the Hamilton soundtrack.

Citron

Daniel

Daniel is mostly pink but has other pastel colors that look like watercolors. He's a unicorn. And a ketchain. And he's one of those dream lites, so he lights up. (He's supposed too anyway, but he's never lit up since i got him like 7 years ago at a yard sale).

Named after Daniel Howell (formerly danisnotonfire) [YouTube]

Tsuzuru

Lucifer

Lucifer is a small panda pillow pet. Very easy to travel with bc he fits in most backpacks.

My mom told me she wanted me to have a stuffed animal with a biblical name, i picked him up, looked her in the eye and said "His name is Lucifer." My mom tried to protest. "You said a biblical name, Mom. Lucifer is in the bible."

Itaru

Pao(???)

Pao is a panda. They are also a phone holder thingy. Like it'll hold your phone if you're watching movies or whatever.

Like 5-ish years old. Got them from a friend. They have a tag with their name on it, but I read it once and then just called them "the panda" for some reason instead of their actual name and now the tag is too faded to read the name, but i am 38% sure it says Pao or something close to that.

Chikage

Tsuki

Tsuki is a dinosaur. Tsuki is a sparkly dino. He's green rn, but if you brush your hand over him, the sparkles turn over and he becomes orange. I like green tho bc his tummy and the bottom of his feet are orange and so are his eyes.

Named after Tsukishima Kei (Haikyuu)

Summer Troupe:

Tenma

Hinata

Hinata is a narwhal. A bright orange narwhal. Infact he is the same color as Tenma's hair.

Named after Hinata Shoyo (Haikyuu) [bc its the same color as his hair. there is a theme with this narwhal and the anime boys i associate with them]

Yuki

Steve

Steve is a regular teddy bear, except he has a shirt that has pikachu on it. (the shirt was originally Tsuki's bc i got tsuki at a friends build a bear bday party, but it fits Steve better)

I just think Yuki would try new designs/color schemes/styles by making clothes for Steve to see how they look.

I got Steve from a claw machine (my bf at time won him for me just before we watched Endgame together.)

Named after Steve Rogers (Marvel)

Muku

Eeyore

Muku most definitely loves the Winnie the Pooh movies and I will fite for this hc. He gets my Eeyore. You know how Eeyore's tail is always going missing or falling off??? Eeyore's tail comes off (velcro) but its attached to his actual body with a string so it cant be misplaced.

Eeyore has a patch that says "official disney store" but i got him for $3 at a thrift store.

Misumi

Sherlock

Sherlock is a polar bear. Sherlock is very huggable. He makes Misumi feel safe. He has a hat and scarf (that don't come off. they are sewn on him)

the hat has a pom pom on top and the scarf has a pom pom on each end. the hat and scarf and the bottom of his feet have a blue/white plaid pattern.

Kazunari

Victor

Victor is a puppy and the first big stuffed animal of mine on the list! He's all tan and abt maybe 3-4 ft long. Victor lays pretty flat so he's comfy to lay/sit on. I think Kazu would like sitting or laying on him when drawing. Probably has him on his bed so he's like a giant pillow.

Victor is from Toys R Us. I got him last August-ish from my Aunt and Uncle who found him at a thrift store and thought I'd like him.

Named after Victor Nikiforov (Yuri On Ice)

Kumon

PJ

PJ is a small white tiger. He is also a ball. He can fit in one hand. When Kumon is thinking or stressed or bored (etc) he just lays on his back and tosses PJ up into the air.

When Kumon is laying on the floor tossing PJ, Misumi sits on the bed closest to where PJ is and tries to grab him (but only if Kumon is in a good mood and okay with it) It's a fun little game they made up they like to play.

Pretty sure he was named after KickthePJ (YouTube)

liber pls give us a pic with all of autumn i am begging

Autumn Troupe:

Banri

Sammy

Sammy is another one of my large stuffed animals. He is also a puppy, but unlike Victor he is sitting instead of laying. He's abt 2-3 ft tall. His fur is the same color as Banri's hair. Great to squeeze at anytime, but very therapeutic when you're in a bad mood. Has a heart on his ear.

i got him abt 7 years ago. I had just finished spn season 2 and was upset abt the finale and had no way to start season 3.

Named after Sam Winchester

Juza

Tiggs

Tiggs is a beanie baby tiger. Tiggs is a little larger than PJ (and not a ball). He's a regular orange tiger instead of a white tiger like PJ. He'd buy Kumon PJ so they could have matching stuffed animals. Small and very comforting to just hold/hug.

Omi

Benedict (Ben)

Benedict, also known as Ben, is a small koala. Just a little bigger than Tiggs. He has a heart on one of his feet (i think the right one). very soft. very fluffy.

Named after Benedict Cumberbatch (Actor)

Taichi

Dean

Dean is my largest stuffed animal. He is a dark brown teddy bear that's abt 4-ish ft tall. He can be put in a corner and used as like a bean bag chair, or he can lay down flat and be a good pillow like Victor can.

It's very fun to just wrap around him and squeeze as tight as you can. Especially in when your in a bad mood. Very comforting to cry into.

I got him a couple years ago at a thrift store.

Named after Dean Winchester (Supernatural)

Sakyo

Lev

Lev is a lion abt the size of a regular teddy bear (maybe slightly larger). I got him a thrift store so he's slightly worn out from age. He's mostly a pastel dark yellow-ish tan and his mane is dark brown. very huggable.

He's the stuffed animal I sleep with. Smells nice all the time, like the fabric softener.

Named after Lev Haiba (Haikyuu)

Sakoda

Emotional Support Iron Man

So Iron Man is small and he sparkles. He will hurt you/someone if thrown hard enough. Sakoda likes heroes bc they remind him of Sakyo they look cool. I'd hc that he got Iron Man from Sakyo when he was younger and its one of his most valued possessions and goes everywhere with him (or stays with Azamo or Sakyo at the dorm. Maybe Izumi or a couple others are on the list of who can watch over Iron Man.) Very protective of it.

Got the emotional support part of his name from a friend.

She saw Eddie Redmayne on a movie cover (think it was The Danish Girl) and started freaking out bc she loved him. I handed her the Iron Man and the next day she thanked me and said he was an Emotional Support Iron Man and the name stayed.

Azami

[Emotional Support] Spooder-Mon

Sakoda knew Azami as a kid. He most definitely got him the Spider-Man so they could have matching plushies.

Spider-Man is square and has little blob hands doing the web thingy. The tag said travel pillow, but he probably just chills by Azami's bed. When needed, Iron Man will be placed next to him if Sakoda can't take Iron Man with him.

I brought him to school one day and we had a bio test and all the people sitting around me passed him around and gave him a pat for good luck. We all got good grades and then he was dubbed as Emotional Support Spooder-Mon, but the Emotional Support title isnt part of his name (unlike the Iron Man).

i wanted guy in the pic, but i also wanted tsumu and hiso in the pic so you get 2 pics for winter

Winter Troupe:

Tsumugi

Phil

Phil is a zebra. He is a pillow pet zebra. Like Lucifer, Phil is also easy travel size. The bottom half of Phil is pink, so I refer to him as my pink zebra.

I just think it'd be cute to have Tsumugi with a pillow pet ok. I also thought he'd probably have has Phil for many years (since he was a kid) and Tasuku most definitely brings up things from when they were kids and shit.

//////////

Tasuku: you chose the pink zebra, and for what???

Tsumugi: its a very aesthetically pleasing pastel pink.

Tasuku: THERE WAS A DOG PILLOW PET RIGHT THERE AND IT WAS CUTER

Tsumugi: dont talk bad abt Phil.

the rest of mankai: ????????

//////////

I got phil before I got Lucifer many years ago. He was old when i got him and he is very old now. I love him so much.

Named after Phil Lester (AmazingPhil) [YouTube]

Tasuku

Cap

Cap is a husky. He was won from a claw machine with Steve.

There's just something abt the grey and white that gave me Tasuku vibes. Also, Cap's eyes are abt the same shade of blue as Tsumugi's and Tasuku knows this bc they are in love. Very squishy when hugged and with the way he sits, you could make it look like he's guarding something.

Named after Captain America (Marvel)

Homare

Ushijima (Ushi)

Ushijima, also called Ushi, is the last of my giant stuffed animals. He is abt 2-3 ft tall (like Sammy) and has a tail abt the same length.

Ushi is a raccoon thats mostly hot pink. Ushi's eyes are also pink and just abt the same shade as Homare's hair, although Ushi's fur is brighter by a few shades.

Ushi hurts when thrown/swung hard enough. Very fun to hug bc he's filled with beans (like beanie babies) so unlike all my other giant animals, he doesn't have to be fixed/adjusted after everytime you squeeze him. The tail has cotton tho and makes a good pillow.

Homare would definitely just see a 3 ft tall hot pink raccoon and claim it with no explanation.

Named after Ushijima Wakatoshi (Haikyuu)

Hisoka

Vladmir Dracula the 3rd (Vlad, Drac)

Vladmir Dracula the 3rd, who has many other names but usually goes by Vlad or Drac, is a vampire (surprise).

Vlad is a squishmallow thingy, and their tags say something abt them being able to be used as pillows, and thats why Hisoka gets Vlad.

Vlad is triangular in shape, with triangle ears, and triangle fangs, so I thought abt Misumi, but i figured Hisoka bc it's a pillow.

He's like the perfect travel size and he has a cape and a bowtie.

Named after Vlad the Impaler, the real life inspiration behind Dracula (my brother thought he was named after Vladmir Putin and I wanted to punch him for that but I was too busy laughing.)

Also named after Dracula, who was a vampire.

Idk where 'the 3rd' came from, but it's part of his name for forever.

Azuma

Sebastian

Sebastian is a dinosaur thats blue with a white tummy.

He's also a squishmallow, but he's bigger than Vlad by abt 2× as wide, so he'd be harder to carry around, which is why Hisoka got Vlad instead. Being a squishmallow means he looks more blob than dinosaur and i love it.

His tag said his name was Dominic or something, but I named him Sebastian before I actually checked the tag, so he's Sebastian.

Named after Sebastian (Black Butler) and Sebastian Stan (Actor)

Guy

Moriarty

Moriarty is my other polar bear. I got him with Sherlock and named him Moriarty bc Moriarty is Sherlock's nemesis.

He's just a plain white bear thats very huggable and adorable. I usually have a bowtie on him bc it makes him look fancy.

Guy would like him bc he's plain white and very fluffy.

[brahkest-fr]

Is it alright to ask what settings/program/brushes you use in your art? I've personally been having this massive issue where I feel everything I make is too blurry, even when I don't want it to be. (Like is my canvas so small I can individually see every pixel from anti aliasing or is this a problem with my settings, I have no idea.) So I've been asking my favorite artists what their settings are to see if maybe it'll help me find what I'm looking for in my own art.

I can try! Long post ahead captain

Sizing

So for like, my usual doodle posts ‘round here, I make them tumblr’s recommended size which is 540x700. That’s good enough for the quick shit I do but it’s not great if you want to squeeze in a lotta detail and can look crunchy. I compensate by using grainy brushes or very small, very clean brushes at like size 3 or so (going off paint tool sai).

For art you see of my individual dragons, those usually have a max height or width (I flop between the two) of 1500px. No particular reason, I just kinda settle on that number. I shrink em down to 1000 for posting. If I’m feeling spicy, I go 2500 to 3500 for things like commissions and stuff - shrink those by half for posting. The bigger the canvas, the more detail you can put in. Also some brushes will just functionally perform and look better.

I always have a dpi of 300 but lately been doing 600 just cuz I have a few brushes that look nasty ass at 300.

Programs

Paint Tool Sai - me bread and butter <3 I lost access to 1 so I’m using sai2 now and still getting used to it but it’s my preferred tool for lineart and coloring. Watercolor tool is *chef kiss.* If I’m doing pixel art, I flop between sai’s binary brush and mspaint, windows 7 version preferably

Clip Studio Paint - sketch and fancy effect machine lol. I like the way brushes look when sketching stuff in CSP but I’m still working on finding a good way to line stuff that feels good like sai. Also it just has a million tools going on with it that sai doesn’t so it’s good for a lotta stuff

Brushes

Sai - default all the way baby. My lineart and color is done with a default circle brush, with no texture that I toggle the pressure on or off (min size) depending on what style I’m doing like so:

Pressure hard - soft is my personal preference for getting the lines very thin.

If I’m going for my grainy brush (also used for sketching if I’m not in CSP), it be like this:

Watercolor brush for blending:

I don’t touch tool prefs for this one. Personally I find sai’s blur/smear/watercolor better than CSP but I might just be a moron and haven’t set it correctly yet

CSP - I got a brush called woody pencil that’s free to download in the asset store. Don’t really change anything with it other than minimum size and sometimes texture density if I want it to be less grainy

Another pen I got called lineart odemi is very fun when I’m lining, again no changes to the default settings

Bold line pen which is self explanatory. Still getting the hang of this one

If you’re using another program that isn’t the two above, these can all be more or less recreated by just fiddling with textures and settings. A lot of it will just come down to opening a canvas and smearing your brushes across them until you find what fits.

Hope this helps a bit!

[who-ever-said-i-was-nice]

Hello there ~ Congrats on 100! 🎉💕 I'm so happy for you!! I was wondering if I could request a match up for Ikevamp. I'm fairly new to Tumblr and this is my first match up request so I'm a bit nervous since you are literally the first person I will have interacted with on here 😅 but I love your writing! If you are busy or have a lot of requests or anything please don't worry about it or overwork yourself! It's a lot of work and I totally understand!! Also edit, I'm really sorry in advance. This was way longer than I intended.

I am a bi female. I am an Aries but I am close to the cusp (April 18th). I don't typically associate myself with most Aries traits outwardly though since I am really shy and reserved, but internally I can see it as I am competitive with myself and a major perfectionist. But I'm low-key chaotic as can be like I'd identify myself as chaotic good since I'm just a mess with good intentions 😂 I am an INFP-T personality (which is scary accurate to me) if that helps any!

I am very short, only 5' tall and I am slim with overall small/petite features and frame. I have medium/dark, warmer toned brown eyes and auburn wavy/loose curly hair. I am very pale but have a lot of small freckles on my face and body. I've been told I look a lot younger than my age I think since I have a round face and am overall a small person. I'm very friendly and smile a ton but I am shy. I get big "eye smiles" whenever I smile and tend to blush a lot cause nerves. I've been told I tend to smile a lot and because I'm a shy, vv awkward person, my go to whenever I meet up with literally anyone is to smile out of nervous habit so people tend to think I'm overly friendly or approach me but in reality I'm a nervous boi.

I study landscape architecture and wildlife biology in college rn so I really love art and nature! I want to do habitat restoration after college. I especially am interested in plants and often go hiking and identify plants as well as do botanical drawings.

I am interested in both math and science as well as art. I enjoy watercolor painting as well and I am interested in illustrating children's books if landscape architecture doesn't pan out 😅

Besides that I have an obsession with extreme love for cats. I'm not ashamed to say my cat is my best friend, she is perfection 😂 I love anything living though thats not a person. Plant, animal, insect, they're all so wonderful to me and I tend to feel more comfortable around animals and nature than people.

My favorite color is a pale pink, I really love light, cutesy things. But my personal style is very retro academia. I wear a lot of clothes from the 60's and 70's or inspired by then. I really like fashion and fashion history.

My favorite food is spaghetti with just cheese. I may be an adult but oh well,, some plain ol spaghetti just hits the spot every time. I love baking and cooking though and have a sweet tooth. I used to decorate cakes in high school and I enjoy creating my own recipes and desserts.

I like to daydream, play video games, drink tea, sketch, read, and listen to music as well. I also spend a ton of time outdoors enjoying nature. I love trivial and fun facts. I want to gain as much knowledge as I can about the world.

I don't like things that are too loud I suppose. I'm a pretty easy going person but I am very nervous in crowds or places that are too loud. I'm also afraid of storms and I'm not fond of extremely dark places either. I don't like failing/faltering or embarrassing myself, especially in academics. I am extremely nervous talking to large groups or meeting new people as well, I prefer small, more personal interactions. While I enjoy talking to people it's just really hard so I don't usually unless they reach out to me first. I also hate conflict and drama (unless I'm not involved, then bring the popcorn). But any conflict is a big oof for me.

In a relationship, I really like surprise hugs and signs of affection. Sudden surprises create a sense of excitement which I really like to have. I like the idea of a relationship feeling new, passionate, and exciting, despite being together for awhile. I don't like gifts necessarily since I feel uncomfortable receiving things, I prefer sharing special memories. I'm not huge on PDA, I feel uncomfortable if someone is too clingy around others, especially my family or someone I know since my family is pretty conservative. But if we are alone, I love tons of affection and little acts of love. Hugs from behind, a small brush of our hands, holding pinkies, light kisses, and lots of smiles just make me melt, ugh tiny gestures are so cute. Communication is very important to me but not my strong suit, I tend to shy away from issues and trip over words I don't mean, but body language is very important and I think can be better for me and for my partner to understand.

I would like to be able to enjoy a comfortable silence with someone while we both read or do something while holding hands or just touching in some subtle way. I would love to be able to escape my perfectionist front that I have around others when I'm with my partner and be able to make really silly, dumb jokes and have lots of laughs. I love the idea of joking around while loosely holding each other. I present myself very seriously but I'm a big goof and rather dorky and like to have fun but romantic interactions.

Also it would be a plus if they love or at least tolerate kitty cuddles with me and my cat. My cat is such a baby, she's constantly in my lap or following me around so we are a package deal basically 😂

I'm sorry this is so long, and I hope it is enough for you as well!! Thank you so much for opening up match ups too! If you need anything else let me know! Take care of yourself and congrats!! 💕

It’s perfection don’t worry. Thank you so much for sending the request. I hope you are taking care of yourself too and everything is good.

Anyway I matched you with.....................

                                                            ............Isaac

HA BET YOU DIDN’T SEE THAT ONE COMING!

oh you did?

ok I’ll stop

Isaac is a very curious person much like yourself

he loves discovering and learning new things

and that is the first thing Isaac noticed about you to be honest

sure he saw you and was like Damn she gorgeous but that was about it

however when he discovered that you are also a curious but little nervous bean he started opening up to  you

neither of  you like crowds and loud people who disrupt your concentration, so usually you spend your time in the library

sitting together in silence and reading

loves that your cute and blushy

even tho he’s exactly the same

as you got closer he started noticing more and more things about you

how your eyes would lit up when you passed certain plants in the garden

how you would hum to yourself and dance around thee kitchen a little when you thought nobody was looking

he loved everything about you from your adorably freckles to your reserved yet charming personality

it too him a long time to confess to you

a long time and a lot of pep talks from Leo

in the end he forgot everything Leo said and confessed to you in his own way

after that oh boy

you are the definition of inseparable

he’s new to this so you have to give him a little time to get used to it

after he’s comfortable he’s very affectionate

more in private but still

will give you surprised  hugs all the time

whether it’s that he walks up behind you and hugs you while turning apple red God if Isaac was here he’d kill me for that pun or him walking and scooping you up and plopping you in his lap in the library as you both get into some book

totally gets that you don’t like going to very crowded places

BOOM your wish is my command Isaac will almost always take you to fields of beautiful flowers so you can hang out, goof around, have a picnic and the stargaze

Isaac will pull you close or just hold your hand while explaining a few things about the constellation, after you will just enjoy the silence as you bask in each others company, while gazing up at the starry sky

he holds you pinky

finds it super cute and usually blushes harder than you even though he initiated it

holding your pinky is a personal thing for him

he finds it reassuring

you’ll just be walking and all of a sudden Isaac intertwines your pinkies

he’s anxiety on legs and holding your pinky is his way to tell you that in that moment he’s scared, anxious or just extremely nervous

you usually hug him and kiss his cheek

holding your pinky can also be that he loves you and hopes he’ll be with you forever

it depends on the situation, but he likes telling you he loves you like this

he has a surprisingly good sense of humour and likes to goof around with you

loves your cat

he wasn’t much on a cat person before, but your cat likes o play with Harry and he thinks that’s really cute

all in all you guys have a really good relationship

Ok now i have to pour some water on my head

CUTENESS OVER LOAD

Lia .exe has stopped working

That’s it! I hope you enjoyed and I hope you are well! Once again thank you @uwu-catlin for the request and the compliment. Love you 3000!

[arthurflecksgirl]

Hello ♡♡♡ Could you write a request where the female reader wants to visit a circus in town with Arthur? Arthur will agree, but he wants to go as Joker to the circus and he is very sweet and romantic to you. And at the circus it will end in chaos, because a bunch of idiots insult Joker. The female reader trys to calm Joker down, but something will happen. That would be so beautiful if you could write that.

Hey my dear friend :) Here it is and I really really really hope you enjoy it :) Love you, sweety.

The smell of coffee in the morning mixed with Arthurs voice humming a Sinatra song was the best way to start in the day. There was always a song hanging on his lips. Oh those lips, you couldnt wait to kiss them in about a minute, when he`ll get back in bed with you, sharing his Murray Franklin show cup. There was no need for two different cups. You both loved to share everything with each other. Even the little things like a hot cup of coffee to get the sleepiness out of your bones.

"Good morning, my love" he said when he came back from the kitchen, placing a sloppy kiss on your mouth, the sweetest  smile on his face. His bed hair was one of those things you couldnt ever get enough of. It made you feel so at home seeing him like that. It made him look even more vulnerable.

You took a sip and put the newspaper away. Arthur grabbed it and started reading the news. "Seems like Gotham is in trouble again. What else is new?" he said. His puppy eyes staring at the pages.

You felt the warm coffee down your throath, it tasted even better knowing that Arthur made it for you. " So sad....but you know what?" you handed him the cup "I just read something else on page three. There will be a circus on Amusement mile today. And I was wondering if you want to go there with me? Just the both of us. Maybe there will be clowns. Nicer ones than your work mates."

Arthur lit himself a cig and leaned back "You think so? I know most clowns here in Gotham. Most of them are hired ones. HaHas`s used to work for Amusement mile,too." he closed his eyes "...but....sure...if you wanna go and have a look. I`m always up for a surprise. I mean, you never know, right? Maybe we`ll meet some nice people around here  for a change. Tourists or something" he joked.  

He was right. The only nice people you met in Gotham was tourists. The citizens of this city seemed cold hearted and rude. Growing up in this block must have been hell for a sweet soul like Arthur.

"So you wanna go?"

Arthur blew out the smoke "Yeah...why now? But maybe I should put on a costume or something. I`m sure Randall and his friends will go there too and I dont want them to ruin our day. " There was a subtile sadness in his voice while he said so. You didnt knew that Randall was still picking on him. But appearently he did. "Oh I havent thought of that, Artie. Look, if you dont wanna go its okay. We can just stay home. It will be just as nice."

He took a deep drag of his cigarette "Oh. No it`s fine. I wanna go there with you,too. It will be great to go to the city. We`ll walk down the streets and I`ll be holding your hand, showing everyone around that you are my girl." he grinned. "I just dont my work mates to come up to us. I know them well enough to be sure that they will talk some shit."

You lay your head upon his chest and pulled him closer "So what are you thinking of. They will also recognize you in your Carnival costume".

"Yeah, I know" he mumbled while he put the cig in the ashtray. "I have to think of something different" he ran his fingers through his hair. You couldnt help but placing kisses along his collarbone. He looked so delicious.

"Mhhh....I love it when you do that Y/N"

"I know" you moved to reach his right collarbone and did the same. Arthur stroke your hair  "I was thinking about wearing the red suit maybe. And the Joker make up."

His words surprised you. "Really? You haven`t put your Joker outfit on for like...a year or two?" He nodded "Or even longer. But I dont know...Today I feel like it. I mean...if thats okay with you. I understand if you dont feel comfortable with me wearing the...."

Your kiss interuppted his words "Of course thats totally fine with me. However you feel, sweetheart."

He took you deeper in his arms "There is no particular reason behind it. I just need a costume in which they won`t recognize me from a distance. And I feel like wearing red today. So....dont worry about anything, okay? "

"Okay" you kissed him again. The taste of coffee and cigs still lingering on the corner of his lips.

"When is it starting?" he asked.

"I guess it already has been started half an hour ago."

"Oh. Wanna get ready?" he jumped out of bed with excitement as you agreed, disappearing in the bathroom. You could hear his steps. He was dancing around to the music in his head. Brushing his bed hair. "Hey baby, wanna help me dying my hair?"

You didnt hesitate to enter the bathroom and get the bottle with the green hair dye. Arrthur sat down, humming a song you didnt recognized. "What song is it?" you asked while you started to put the color in his hair. "It just came to me a minute ago" he said in his dreamy voice "Maybe I should play it on my ukulele. It`ll be perfect for it". Your fingers seperated his curls from one another, making sure to get every strain colored in.  "Oh, I would definitely love to hear it. Maybe you could even sing". Arthur shrugged "I`m not a great singer". "Yes you are!" you now put your fingers into his curls. So soft to the touch. Arthur always claimed to not be a good singer, but you have heard him so many times, you knew he had a wonderful singing voice. Maybe he was just fishing for compliments, which was just as cute. "C`mon, Artie. You could sing it to me wehile I`m helping you with your Joker make up. How does that sound?" he chuckled "Okay, okay. You won!"

You put the hair dye beside "Done. Now lets get the watercolor make up. Where did yo put it?"

"By the big mirror" he said.

"Oh, of course, gimme a sec" you headed for the make up and a weird feeling overcame you as you touched it.  You couldnt tell what it was about but it was there.

Back to the bathroom Arthur held his ukulele. The surprised look on your face amused him "Where does that came from? I was just out of the room for like....a minute".

"It`s magic" he blinked at you, starting to pull the strings.

"I really wanna hear it. But I cant put your make up on while you`re playing an instrument, sweety".

"Try it"

"I will, but don`t complain if it looks all messy afterwards"

"I wouldnt mind" he smirked. "It will look messy later today anyway. After I kissed you so hard the make up wouldnt stand a chance."

You put as much make up on as possible while his face was moving. Hearing his beautiful voice made it so hard to concentrate.

"Thats a beautiful song, Arthur. I really, really love it" he put the ukulele away. "That was all i needed to hear to feel better, now I will make it easier for you." He leaned back and closed his eyes while you did his lips. The crisp edges on the corner of the fake smile,the shapes around his eyes.  You already felt the urge to kiss those red lips and ruin your work. What a marvel he was. A true piece of art.

After you were done he rinsed out his hair and looked into the mirror. You catched him looking at himself. There was still so much sadness inside of him. Hidden behind all of this. But you also saw the difference since you started dating. He wasnt as sad as he used to be anymore. It was a different kind of sadness. A transformed one. One that was much easier to carry on his fragile shoulders.

His reflection stared back at him, unsure of who he actually is.

"Can you get me the suit? Its on the left side in my wardrobe"

"Oh, of course" you headed to the bedroom and caught him still staring at himself as you got back. "Here it is" you handed him the Joker outfit, like he used to call it.

"Thanks Y/N." he changed his clothes without saying a word. He also did it very slowly, like he put much thought into this kinda transformation. He needed to feel it. To get into the mood.

After he put on the last sock he turned to you "How do I look?"

"Stunning" your hand touched his "Breathtaking".

He smirked before he checked the mirror again "I dont know....something doesnt feel quite right....whatever. Never mind. Lets just go. C´mon. Get your clothes. We`re gonna have a good day anyway."

He took you under his arm and kissed you on the forehead. His kiss felt almost light hearted, which surprised you after the way he looked at his own reflection.

Amusement mile was as crowded as expected. Serveral street artist such as painters, dancers ,musicians, athletes and small animals filled the place. And clowns. A lot of them. Most of them in bright colored costumes.

"Oh, these are a lot of clowns" Arthur said, sqeezing your hand. "But only one of your kind". He smiled and leaned in to kiss you. Compliments still made him happy as a lttle boy on christmas eve. "Are you feeling good, Artie?"

"I am. Yeah. I actually am. "

"So good to hear. Should I....call you Joker now?"

The sweetest smile lingered on his lips "Nahhh. No need to. To you am am still Arthur. But....you can call me Joker later tonight...if you know what I am talking about...." the smirk grew.

"I would like that. I cant wait to ruin your make up".

Arthur stopped and took your face in his hands "Admit it. Thats whay you put it on by yourself in the first place. Because it will be so much fun to ruin it." His stare weakened your knees within seconds.

"Maybe..."

Arthur put his lips on yours, moving his mouth gently from side to side before he parted your lips with his tongue, allowing you to taste him.

You walked down the street with him, your head still spinning from his kiss. Arthur stopped by te piano man and carefully listened. You could feel his body moving, even though it was barely visible. You felt him vibing next to you. The music finding its way in and out of him. "C`mon abby, dance with me" he raised your hands and started to spin you around in circles, pulling you close to his chest "Youre my one and only. You know that right?" "Dito!" you replied, stroking his green hair. He was so incredibly beautiful it hurt.

"Wanna check out the clowns?"

You nodded "Yeah, we just have to cross the street, they`re right over there" you pointed at the graffity wall before you both headed over.

Arthur watched a clown doing a magic trick with a little girl. She took a card from him and giggled. You could tell that Arthurs heart filled with love immediately. He loved kids. And he loved to make them laugh. "See how her eyes shine? Thats the best part of my job" he said in his soft tone.

"I wish I could show her a trick,too. But I`ve got nothing with me. I`m not Carnival today, right?"

"Right. But I guess you can still mae her laugh. I mean, you know some great jokes."

He lit himself a cigartette "You think so?"

"I do"

"I know some jokes for kids....maybe you`re right. I should ask her if she wants to hear some" he inhaled the smoke, looking like a painting thats hanging in a museum. Sometimes it was hard to belive that he was actually real.

Arthur waited on the sidewalk until the magic trick has been done, snipped his cig away and walked up to the little girl. You followed him and couldnt await to hear the joke he would  tell her.

Suddenly the lttle girl started to run. Arthur really wanted to tell her a joke, so he ran after her.

"Hey, you" he yelled. The girl stopped, looking at him with big eyes. "I was wondering if.....you would like to hear a joke." Now you catched up too. Standing right beside him and her.

The kid pointed at him "You`re a fast runner".

Arthur smiled "Thank you. You are pretty fast,too. I almost didnt catch you" he blinked.

"I would like to hear a joke Mr. Clow.n." she giggled.

"You can call me Joker" he replied making a majestic gesture.

"Joker! Thats such a funny name"

"Yeah?"

"Mmmhh hmm"

Arthur kneed down to her "Okay here`s one...Whats colorful and stuck between an elephants feet?"

"I have no idea Joker" she shook her head and waited for the punchline.

"A slow clown" Arthur tried not to laugh at his own joke, which was always hard for him.

The little girl chuckled "Thats a funny one."

"See?" he said "Thats why it`s so important to be fast".

She started laughing even more "I like your make up, Joker".

"Thank you, sweety. Whats your name?"

"I`m  Aly"

"Hello Aly. So...where are your parents?"

She turned around "Somewhere over there. Í`m not sure. I stopped to see the magician and when I turned around they were gone."

Arthur looked at me "Oh no! We should try to find them. I guess they are already looking for you." You nodded and so did the little girl.

He took her by the hand and you headed into the direction she said her family went. The streets were so crowded it was hard to find someone. "How do your parants look like?" you asked and she gave a discription "Alright, we`re gonna find them, I promise" Arthur said.The little girl smiled "I know, Joker. I`m not scared or something. I know they aren`t far. They never go far. But....will you stay with me until we found them?"

"Sure, sweetheart. You are very brave." he replied in his sweetest voice.

Your heart melted seeing him with the kid. he was the kindest soul. Always thinking about others, while his whole life no one ever thought about protecting him.

All of the sudden the angry voice of a man appeared close behind us.

"Stop!" he yelled "Stop him!"

You and Arthur turned around immediately. All went so fast.

The stranger threw himself against Arthur. He fell to the ground and so did Aly.She started to cry from hurting her knee. The stranger slapped Arthur in the face "How dare you!" he yelled.

"Let go of him? What are you doing? Let him go!" you screamed as he punched Arthur one more time.

Arthur tried to cover his head with his hands "Stop it, please." he begged.

The man let go of him and stood up, while Arthur was still lying on the ground. You kneed down to him, stroking his hurting cheek "Oh my god, darling, are you okay?" he nodded "Yeah".

Aly was crying hard watching this. The man standing tall in front of us "You fucking circus freak. I saw what you just did. You tried to kidnap the little girl".

"What?" you helped Artie to get up. His Joker make up was smeared.

"God no. She lost her parents in the crowd and I wanted to help her find them...." he tried to explain.

"Its true" you threw in  "How dare YOU to punsh my boyfriend in the face without even knowing the whole story?"

The man looked at both of you with disgust in his face "I know freaks like the two of you. You go to these events to harass people."

"Dont call him a freak" you felt the anger rising inside of you and took a step closer to the man.

He ignored you and got up to Arthur to spit him in the face.

Arthur looked shocked. He wiped the spit away and tried to get a look at Aly. She was gone.

"Look what you did!" he yelled to the rude man`s face "She`s gone now. If she doesnt find her parents now it`s your fault, you fucker!"

"What did you just called me?"

Arthur took a step closer to him. They faced each other now. The tension between them was terrible. You just felt that something bad would happen.

You turned around to get a glimpse of Aly, but there was no chance to make her out in the crowd.

"I said you are a fucker!" Arthur yelled to his face "This little girl needed help. And I was there. I just wanted to tell her a joke in the first place"

"Artie?" you tried to sound calm, hoping he would calm down too. "Maybe its better to ignore him. We should go now" you touched his arm.

"No, its okay Y/N. I got this."

The man laughed at his face "A joke huh? I will tell you a joke right now". His fist hit Arthur right in the stomach, so hard he once again fell to the ground. That stranger was much taller and bigger than him. It looked like Artie couldnt stand a chance against him. A kick. And another.

You watched out for the police. Nothing. All the people just passed by without even looking at him.

"You still want to tell jokes now?" the man asked, while Arthur stood up again.

"Arthur are you okay? Please darling, lets just go home, okay?"

He kissed you on the forehead "I`m fine. Don`t worry about me, okay? Its just....a scratch. I will take care of him".

He turned back to the man and reached down his pocket "I think I`ve got a special joke for you".

The man laughed. It sounded kinda evil. "I`m sure you do. Because you are the joke after all. Right? I mean look at you. You are not even a real clown. What is this outfit and make up?  I`m sure under all this face paint hides a scared little boy who is crying for his mommy to take care of him."

You could tell from Arturs eyes that this one hit him right in the feels. He swallowed hard. He tried not to let it show but you knew him so well.

"Whats the similarity between a bag of chips and a gun?" his crisp smirk looked so intense.

The man rolled his eyes.

"When you pull one out, everybody wants to be your friend" Arthur pulled out the gun.

You didnt even knew he got it with him.

For a second there you held your breath.

The man started to shake "Dude, listen...."

"I know" Arthur chuckled "I`m a funny guy."

"Arthur. Please. Lets just go home" you begged. You couldnt stand the thought of this situation to escalate. What if Arthur got hurt?

He looked at you in the softest way possible while the gun was still pointed at the man. He held it ow enough for no one to notice. People used to be so ignorant around here. ""We`ll be home early today, honey. You know I can`t miss my fave comedy shows".

The man held his hands above his head "Lets just forget about this okay. Don`t shoot. "

Arthur pointed the gun at him "I will put my gun away now, if you will let us go find the little girl. I need to know if she found her family. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

The man nodded.

"Alright."  Arthur put the gun back into his pockets, grabbed your hand and walked down the street. So many people passing by without even looking. No one noticed. No one ever did.

"Lets find Aly" he said to you. You felt reliefed taht you finalyl got out of this situation. But then.....there was a noice. A scream. Hands grabbing you from behind. The man was still after you and he didnt hesitate to attack you this time. He jumped on your back, dragging you to the ground, hurting you  while he tried to keep you down. You screamed for help right before you heard the gunshot.

Arthur fired the gun,

He did it.

To protect you.

Your heart was racing so fast it felt like you coudlnt breathe anymore.

The man screamed from the top of his lungs.

He was still alive.

"Arthur!" you yelled "What did you do?"

He picked you off the ground " Dont worry. I only pointed at his leg. He`ll be fine. But I couldnt allow him to hurt my baby. C`mon." He lifted you up and  carried you all the way through the crowd. Leaving the man sobbing  and cursing on the pavement.

"Artie. I wanna go home"

"I know, baby, I know. We will. Are you hurt?"

"He hurt my back when he attacked me But I guess I will be fine".

"Okay. Soon we`ll be home."

He carried you all the way to the subway station and you couldnt belive your eyes as you saw Aly sitting there wth her parants.

"Joker!" she yelled with the happies voice "Thats him" she said to her dad "Thats the friendly clown who wanted to help me find you. But then this man came up and..."

You both sat down beside them.

"I`m sorry " her mum said "Aly has a strong imagination".

Arthur smiled "No. Its all true. I talked to her earlier. I´m glad she is with you again".

"Really?" her mum looked surprised.

"See?" the little girl stick out her tongue "I wasnt lying at all."

"Sorry Aly"

"His name is Joker and he knows some really really good jokes. "

Arthur stroke the little girls hair "I`m so happy you think I`m funny"

"The funniest clown there eeeeeeever was" she giggled.

Your subway was about to arrive so you said your goodbyes. "It was a pleasure to meet you, sweet girl" Aly smiled at him and whispered to him "Hey, can I tell my mum that joke you told me? The one with the elephant?"

"Sure you can!"

"Thank you, Joker."

You both waved at her while you stepped into the subway and  from the distance you could hear Aly telling his joke to her parants. "Whats colorful and stuck between an elephants feet?"

When you got home, you both fell into bed. Arthur didnt even wiped his make up off. He carelessly threw his clothes on the floor and put the gun away.

"I`m sorry" he sighed "This wasnt going quite as we planned it."

You wiped a strain of hair  out of his face  "It wasnt your fault, Artie. People are so ignorant and rude around here."

He kissed the tip of your nose "I´m so glad he didnt hurt you ".

"I`m glad you`re fine, Artie. "

He lifted up the blanket for you to crawl under it "Lets just  enjoy each other. The world outside these windows  means nothing compared to your touch".

You crawled into his protective arms and closed your eyes.

"That girl" he whispered "She thought I was funny".

"You are funny, Arthur!"

"Thank you for saying this" he kissed into your hair.

"Well..." he smirked...."Now that we got home earlier....we have a lot of time in our hands...." he started to stroke your thigh, whispering in your ear "You can call me Joker now".

"Kiss me, Joker! Kiss me all night long" you whispered back, as your lips found his, tasting the red lipstick and a little bit of blood from being punched in the face.

Arthur smiled between the kisses, knowing that this was all he ever needed.

The certainty of being loved.

[terminally-karkalicious]

allow me to rant about the only thing that has been in my brain for the past two months and that is doll customizing babeyyyyy

i know there’s a 90% chance that you wont give a Shit about any of this but here we go anyways

SO first you gotta choose a doll. preferably one with a high range of motion to avoid creating new joints or having annoying limitations like not having elbow joints for some fucking reason. what the fuck mattel. give monster high dolls back their ball jointed shoulders and elbow joints. smh

the most common dolls ive seen used as bases are monster high and ever after high. most customs ive seen are highly stylized so the stylized face molds work well for those types of dolls but dolls like barbies are good for when you want a more realistic face-ups.

once you’ve got your base picked out you gotta wipe that bitch’s face off with like. acetone or nail polish remover or something strong like that. you can also use acetone to shrink doll heads which is cool as hell imo. n e way once the face is wiped you gotta chop off the hair and remove the hair plugs from the inside. ive seen this done several ways but the easiest and most common way ive seen is to dunk the head into boiling water for ~30 seconds until it gets squishy and malleable. once you’ve got the head back, you can use pliers (i think tweezers would work in a pinch) to pull out the hair plugs which are kinda icky because theyre covered in glue and other gross shit. ew

now you must decapitate the doll. dunk em back in the boiling water to soften them back up then just tug the head off. the neck pegs look funky and are usually a different color than the body so thats cool ig

once the head’s off, you can start the face-up which is basically just giving the doll a new face using stuff like watercolor pencils, acrylic paint, gouache, and a whole lot of other stuff. hell ive seen people use person makeup on these dolls.

next,,,,, hair. there’s about twenty million ways to do hair from gluing yarn wefts to sewing to rerooting with purchased nylon doll hair or yarn wefts but i’m gonna talk about the most common one ive seen which is rerooting and gluing.

before you can reroot, you need doll hair. which, as i mentioned, can be bought at stores like the doll planet or made at home with yarn in literally any color. have fun with it! make rainbow hair or something idk

to make homemade wefts, you take some acrylic yarn, cut it twice as long as you want the hair to be (keep in mind you can cut and style the hair once it’s been rerooted), fold them in half, and tie it to something sturdy like a wire coat hanger for the next step.

once you’ve got your yarn tied to your hanger, use a pet brush and brush the yarn until it’s wispy and looks like hair. then take a straightening iron and iron the weft flat. then remove from the hanger and boom. hair wefts. ta-da

to reroot the wefts onto the head, use a rerooting tool (which can be as simple as a needle with the eye cut at angle) (just google it please i’m shit at descriptions)) to poke small sections of the hair into the head. you can use the pre-existing rooting holes for your own reroot as they’re usually pretty reliable. to reroot, take a small length of you doll hair (about 10-15 strands), loop it in half, and put the middle of the loop into the reroot tool. poke the end of the tool with the hair on it into the pre-existing hole and remove the tool. the hair *should* stay in and fill up that plug!! also remember to plug thickly at the hairline and part of the hair where it's most noticeable. it doesnt matter as much in the center of the head as that’s not usually visible on the doll. once you’ve rerooted, squeeze in strong glue through the neck hole and squish around the head to make sure it covers all the plugs and secures them in place. then pour hot water onto the head to make the hair lay flat for styling later.

also, you can reroot yarn directly into the head to make thicker, more textured hairstyles. and since the yarn is thicker, you dont need to glue the inside of the head for the hair to stay in place!!

if youre not doing body modifications (which are also cool as hell) then it’s time for clothes but clothes are boring and i like body mods more so i’m gonna rant about them instead

the material ive seen most doll artists use is apoxie sculpt, which is like play doh on steroids. it comes in two parts which you gotta mix together for some reason. why dont they sell it pre-mixed. what was the reason. also once it’s dry it’s super super strong and you can sand it, drill into it, paint it, and all kinds of stuff. very nice and i want some for myself.

you can use hand saws and drills and shit to whack off doll limbs to make stuff like digitigrade legs or new joints. also dont be afraid to use other mismatching doll parts when customizing like heads and bodies and forearms and hands and shit. it literally does not matter if youre gonna recolor the doll anyways so have fun with it. make frankenstein’s doll if youre feeling spicy

accessories my beloved. stuff like tiny beads and clay baubles and shit will literally transform the entire doll plus they’re adorable and multi-purpose

i suppose i must talk about clothes now. ah well. you can find great clothing patterns if youre new to customizing on other customizer’s etsy shops and probably google although those will probably be lower quality than paid pattern pieces. and keep in mind that if it exists as clothing irl, you can likely make it doll-sized. there are literally no limits to your clothing options as long as you can execute your idea.

the once all your components have been made, you can assemble the doll again!! and finally see what all the parts look like together!! very cool 10/10 stars.

ight that wraps up my doll rant. i could really go into more detail on certain parts but thats a whole other rant for a whole other day smh. sorry for fucking flooding your inbox ender ahaha……………. you asked for this

little did you know that dolls have been one of my favorite things since like ever. if i can read a 25 chapter long fanfic i can read this B)

mattel definitely fucked up by completely ruining MH doll designs and just stopping EAH, alot of their profits most likely came from people who collect and customize dolls and by changing MH doll designs/Stopping EAH dolls they 1. most likely lost a small (or big if we're not jus talking people who customize dolls) part of their profit and 2. made it harder for doll customizers to make dolls/get commissions out rather quickly because they probably have to waste more time making joints or learning how to make joints.

EAH/MH dolls (specifically MH dolls) had AMAZING MODELS because there was so much variety with height, face shapes, etc (my favorite molds had to be the short/tall dolls and the cat molds because of the tails) and doll customizers really went all out with enhancing a molds unique features. The only "downside" abt MH dolls is that they (or atleast most)(from what i remember)) had slimmer faces but wider eyes while EAH dolls have wider faces with slimmer smaller which left a canvas for the face and not the eyes (and vice versa for MH dolls)

I've never seen any videos where a barbie is customized (maybe because i absolutely despised barbies at the time) so I'll definitely have to check those out but they seem to be good for realistic makeovers. I've seen like like semi realistic makeovers for EAH/MH dolls that were pretty good too tho (pretty sure mostly EAH dolls since yk MH dolls were used for creature makeovers while most EAH dolls weren't)

yeah i was always amazed by the head shrinking with acetone. honestly i still am?? idunno i have no idea how that chemical bullshit works. Ive seen a few of uh makeovers that just pain over the face (in multiple layers ofcourse) but that's usually when they're painting the entire body a different colour (again usually when they're turning a doll into a funky little baby man). I've also seen a few that just chop the hair off and take out the hair plugs yk without uuh like softening the head or just go straight for the hair plugs after taking off the head (i used to do that it was funny to me??). i always really liked when they used watercolour pencils or just colour pencils in general to draw/sketch on the face cause like wow ur drawing on ur doll without ruining it?? kinda epic maybe even poggers and pogchamp?? oh god my brain is failing wjshsmsj.

Watching them putting the hair back on the doll was, other than the face stuff, was the BEST part for me. Favorite type of hair was iuuuuuh was either thick yarn or brushed out yarn. Literally worship the people that would reroot the hair, theyre the most patience people on this earth!! it's literally insane but i guess that's what happens when you've been doing that for years? you guess kinda get used to it. when they put glue into the head does it just become stiff?? like it's just a clump of dried glue or does it like..hollow out again??

dude you literally cannot convince me most of the supplies used for doll makeovers. APOXIE CLAY LOOKS SO FECKING GOOD. its edible and i will die on that hill. The body mods are literally so amazing!!!!! it's so impressive how theyre able to imagine certain features THEN LIKE ACTUALLY MAKE IT LOOK ACCURATE TO WHAT THEY WANTED TO LOOK LIKE AFTER LIKE ON TRY (or many yk trial and error is very necessary for..everything). Absolutely loved when doll customizers would saw off a dolls legs and use different ones or just completely get rid of the torso to use a different one. it's like uuh that one big guy that's mismatched and sewn together. very cool. The accessories are so fun!! just small little details you seen really need but can add because it's your feckin doll!! I used to be absolutely obsessed over the doll clothes i would find on etsy, so much so that i started sewing shitty shirts and dresses for my uh "customized" dolls (they were absolute HORRORS idk WHY my mom let me feck up my dolls like that).

Thank you for this!! i haven't been able to talk about any of my interests for a while and this just really made me happy!!

Question fer u my fellow MH/EAH enthusiast: what was your favorite MH/EAH movie/episode and doll series. Mine was The fusion dolls (MH obvi) and that MH movie "Haunted" cause we got to know more about Spectra :D