#I don't really have a coloring style so my goal more than anything was to experiment and find something that convinced me 😐

[pinkieriver]

couatl!marcille x chilchuck

[unhinged-transmasc]

"If you go on T you won't look like a pretty anime boy, you're gonna look like an ugly man!" is so funny because I'm SE Asian, have been on T for 3 years with subtle (but satisfactory) changes, and definitely still have been told I look like an anime boy or a K-pop idol (because racism.) I do like to take care of my appearance and make an effort to look nice and stylish, but that's not a "pretty anime boy" or "K-pop idol" thing, I'm just A Guy who wants to look nice and pretty and cool. It's such an odd statement cause from my perspective it definitely does not consider the experience I described above, LMAO. It's assuming a "little white girl who doesn't know any better and likes anime" person, or something like that. (Just putting this out there because transmascs of color definitely need to be heard more, and transitioning on T experiences are all very very different.)

And anyways, the condescending way people talk down to trans men who do want to look like their cute/pretty fictional men transition goals is so weird... Like, what's wrong with that, anyways? Some fictional guys are really designed nicely, and may give new perspective on masculinity or maleness that people IRL may not show depending on where you live. Anyways, I think even if T changes you to be more masculine than you expected, you can still present in a way inspired by characters and styles you admire if you so like.

And the other side -- what's wrong with looking like an "ugly" man? I feel like that's saying any masculine trait is "ugly," so if you think that please reevaluate yourself. Looking more like a man Is Kind Of The Entire Point. Many transmascs will embrace that masculinity, and that's not anything bad, wrong, or poisonous. If you think it makes them look uglier or more like a predator or enemy, I want you to know that is not a very kind mindset to have toward transgender people, or to any man in general; it's rather in poor taste, and shows you are not an ally to transgender people. So if you do desire to be an ally, I urge you to reevaluate yourself and challenge yourself on what being a "man" entails, what being "masculine" entails. Because it's not inherently immorality or ugliness, it's just a gender.

This framing of masculinization as something to be warned against, that we don't know what we're getting into is not very cool, definitely ignoring we have our own agency and choices and feelings about our bodies. Like, when we go on T, often we know what it will do to us, and what kind of person we are gender-wise. We're making that choice for ourselves, absurd that we're treated like we don't know any better. We know. Don't treat it like a warning that we'll become less desirable types of people.

[lupiinist]

Emmeline Vance, Emma vanity

Where did they come from like I can’t Rember them being referenced in the book (not that it matters😭😭) but also what are liek the best bc for them (house, bsf, personalit, style) cs I wanna know more abt them

oh, actually, i have no idea where they were first mentioned, i never finished the books (i'm reading them now because i got them as a surprise gift, sort of against my will lol), but if i had to guess, probably some extra content book! (i sorta went to google it and emmeline i think was mentioned in the... sixth? fifth book? something like that!)

as for hc, i also don't see a lot of them in the fandom, but i'm happy to share mine!

for emmeline:

i don't know for sure if she has an official hogwarts house, i don't think so, but i personally like her in ravenclaw, she's the seeker from her quidditch team, which often makes other people surprised, because she doesn't seem the type, but she's very athletic. she likes sports as much as she likes charms (it's her favorite class), and she's got a great memory for spells and for history of magic. i think she would be besties with both pandora (she likes the way pandora thinks, and they study together often), emma (they train together for quidditch, and they even dated for a while), and also marlene (emmeline likes marlene's vibe, they are good friends). emmeline has a more "girly" style, painted nails, little hairpins with interesting shapes (gifts from pandora), and make-up are her go-to. she loves styling her hair in cute ways (space buns, pigtails, braids, anything that comes to mind).

for emma:

she's a slytherin girl boss through and through, quidditch team captain (this one i think it's actually a canon fact), a sports enthusiast, she's very focused, very serious, very professional. her goal is to be a pro player, and she will. she's a year older than the marauders, not fan of many classes, but very good in potions and defense against the dark arts, with dada being her favorite class, but minerva being her favorite teacher. she's tough, smart and knows how to pick and win a fight. i like to think that emma's best friend was emmeline, but she had a special bond with regulus, she had him under her wing in quidditch, and he sees her as the greates player he ever saw, they have a cute mentor/student relationship, reggie respects her a lot! (she played as a chaser, btw!). emma, contrary to what people think by her last name, wasn't really vain, at least not with her appearance, she was always messy, with her hair tied, because it was easier for her to fly any time like that, and she always had a heavy coat even when was hotter, because she spent most of her time flying around. her favorite color is purple, and she likes shiny things. i hc her as a black person, very curly hair, and although being in slytherin in a time where most students in the house were purbloods, she's either half-blood or muggleborn

i absolutely love making hcs, thank you so much for asking! i've been working a bit more on emmeline and emma recently for a fic i'm writing, so it's always good to put those little details down in words! i hope you liked it c;

[amerricanartwork]

Do you have any tips for drawing? Anything really

Well, "any tips for drawing" is rather vague, so I'll just offer some general advice for now, which is more about how to learn and improve than how to draw any specific thing. If you'd like some more specific advice, though, I'd love to help where I can!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Use references when you're stuck on something! No artist is ever "too good" to use references when they want to draw a particular thing better. References can be photos or other artists' art (ideally with credit depending on how closely your art resembles the original), though I don't use the latter much because trying to copy another artist's style typically doesn't work as well as just keeping the inspiration in the back of my mind and going with the flow.

Speaking of that, finding an art style is a gradual thing, from what I've experienced. To me, it seems to be a thing that develops over time as a result of how different artists solve different problems. You don't have to stress about getting any one "style" with your art; just focus on solving problems with your drawings, and it'll develop its own unique look by virtue of you being a unique person and consciously or subconsciously adding new things to the solutions you find. If you are looking to emulate a specific style, try to pick one that solves problems you have with drawing or (to go off the previous point) appeals to what you enjoy, or perhaps what specific genre of art you plan to do.

To go further, Always look to solve problems. If you're struggling to draw a particular thing, try to figure out what specific part of the drawing is challenging for you, and look for ways to improve on that aspect. If you realize you struggle drawing hands — or even more specific, you struggle drawing hands in dramatic poses where the fingers are curled — for example, set the goal to find a method to draw hands in those kinds of poses, then relax. I usually find a solution to these kinds of problems within days of setting the goal, and I don't even have to search super hard. In fact, sometimes more comfortable methods of drawing certain things just pop in my mind!

Save any tutorials or references you find especially helpful! I like to bookmark YouTube tutorials I like, as well as the blogs or websites of any artists whose work I find inspiring. I also have a HUGE Pinterest board with tons of tutorials on drawing all sorts of things, so that definitely helps!

This is perhaps one of my biggest tips: try to get in tune with your "artist intuition" in a sense. Recognize what things you already do and don't like to draw, not just in the subject, but the general process you use to think about and draw an image, what parts of said art process you enjoy the most (line art, coloring, shading, sketching, etc.), and what kind of art you want to make in the future or what purpose you plan to use your art for. I've found understanding these things about myself really helps figure out which art tutorials will be more or less useful, and which art styles/processes feel comfortable to me. This is not to say you should never seek to improve, but rather, look for a means of improvement that fits your natural drawing preferences and habits. Maybe the Loomis method isn't the easiest way for you to visualize the human head, and another method works better. As long as you get the result you want, the process can be tailored to fit you specifically, even if that means using a process that's obscure or even exclusive to you.

You will never be perfect, and can never stop improving. So don't worry so much about making sure you're "good enough" to draw the ideas in your head. I know it can be worrying to think you aren't skilled enough in certain aspects to bring your ideas to fruition, but because you can never stop improving, if you need to be "good enough" before you can draw the things you love, you'll be waiting forever. So don't bottle up your ideas just because you think they won't turn out very professional. Instead, just do your best in the moment and note what you can get better at afterwards. And worst-case scenario, you can always come back and redraw the idea once you've improved.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Okay, well, this was the stuff I could think of so far right now. I hope this helps!

[tamelee]

Hi Tamelee!

I was wondering if you could give me some tips/advice about color theory (in art/illustration specifically)?

Anyway, hope you’re doing alright! ( how’s life post uni if that’s not too intrusive?)

With luv <3

Hi @bruitdevague !!

No problem! ^^ I mean, with AI and all, things have changed a lot since my previous plans fell away. It's a bit stressful to say the least... But I don't want to stop drawing, and I really want to dive deep into storytelling (I also can't wait to share my SNS stories with all of you 💕) so, we'll see!

And yeah, sure!

Color theory is a massive subject though, is there anything in particular you want to know more about? For me personally, I think the best thing you can do is to simplify your learning process. I've ignored color theory for a long time because I found it complicated and overwhelming and always just thought I'd wing it. The main reason being that color is relative: it changes depending on the impact different interactions have with the subject: material, color temperature, transmissions, reflections, etc. And my brain can't really handle "well, it depends" when it comes to learning new things. But the result is obvious; I think some of you may be able to see at which point I finally started to learn it a bit on my own journey. ><

Of course, you’re completely free to use whichever colors you want and experiment to develop your own style regardless of theory, but understanding how colors interact is helpful, and in some cases, crucial. Some things are just more visually appealing together and more effective to suit the mood you're going for. (Look for complementary color theory, here's a helpful tool.)

I think, above anything else, the best thing you could do is start learning how to cell-shade until it becomes easier. (It's the art/shading you see in anime, webtoons, and comics.) This also helps you with forms and shapes.

Open a document, add a screenshot, and take your color picker to study the color wheel and take notes on saturation, hue changes, and light. 

I've done this many times until things just started to 'click' in a way. But take your time, it can take a while. For some this also might be overwhelming, in which case I recommend doing this while studying the theory together.

When it becomes easier and you want to take it a step further, then look at the famous ball that explains other lighting:

And honestly, also take your time with this.

Take any term, learn what it means and implement it one by one until it starts to make sense.

One thing I'd certainly learn first, or which one has been the most helpful for me is learning about color temperature. Since color is relative, shadows/highlights can become cooler or warmer (it's the shift in hues), which is a much more efficient way to look at it than determining whether something is just darker or not. When I started, I learned greyscale values at first, and although it helped me a lot regarding readability, it never taught me any of this, setting me back for a while. If you want to learn more about the theory itself, I'd recommend: "Color and Light" by James Gurney, and follow along while reading with a document to experiment. Or watch YouTube tutorials for free, but definitely scribble along while you do so! I think, even if you watch YouTube tutorials, it's important to have some kind of goal, or steps you want to take, otherwise you'll drown in all the information. So, this is what I'd recommend:

Cell shading (like in anime, webtoons or comics)

Learn about color temperature and experiment with casual scribbling.

Study the relevant terms which you see in the circle (sometimes they have slightly different names though. "occlusion shadow" can also be referred to as "ambient occlusion")

Implement them one by one into your art/illustrations if you want. Maybe just add highlights at first, then maybe consider focusing on the terminator if you're interested.

Practice a lot and whenever you find something you like, use the color picker to see what happens to the colors. You don't have to copy it, but you can copy the changes within your color wheel and see what happens!

Like I said, it's an incredibly large subject, but I hope this can at least give you some direction ^^💕

[divineerdrick]

Homestuck: Beyond Canon Upd8s for June 26, 2024 and July 6, 2024

The peak of my convention season is almost over, and I'm taking a break to liveblog some Homestuck. It doesn't help that we've had two upd8s since I last checked the site. I'm also not feeling well, and I like browsing Homestuck stuff when I'm not feeling well.

When last we left off, I predicted that Calliope is using the Plot Point to influence the Candy Timeline through their connection with Roxy and her/their Void powers. If I'm right, this is the worst thing to have anywhere near a Serket. So I'm really wondering what's going on. Perhaps they think Vriska's ability to influence the narrative can give it a boost?

We don't get a news post for either of these upd8s, so we're going to jump right in!

Trippy . . . Though this seems considerably less seizure inducing than Homestuck's prior stuff. Perhaps the HICU are working on that a bit.

Okay, so I might be way off! So the Plot Point itself is the singularity at the center of the machine. The machine itself just stabilizes it, perhaps preventing it from expanding Big Bang style or sucking anything into it. And the fact it has both Calliope and Roxy's colors means they probably just worked on it together. I'm gonna go stand in the corner and turn into a sheep now.

Oh boy. Vriska is not having any patience for this . . .

Calliope said they needed authenticity, and Vriska following someone else's plan wouldn't exactly do that. Vriska would actually get as much info as she could normally though. So she thinks she has all the information she needs, she doesn't believe she can get accurate info from anyone in the Candy Timeline, or she's being affected by the Plot Point too. Possibly a combination of the three.

Either way, no we get an [S] page! Maybe this will be a substantive one.

So Vriska just got spaghettified into the Plot Point, and that seems to have changed the machine. That music was really creepy too. I'm continuing to have a bad feeling about this . . .

Oops . . . Roxy is not happy about this.

"Grumpy Exposition Creature: Exposit." lol

Oh shit! They have attracted some attention I don't think they're ready for.

Whelp! Even Dead Calliope isn't able to do much beside reveal what's going on. We've got another [S] page too.

Well this is eerily familiar . . .

Wait! That's Vriska's hive! But it's just Vriska's hive, no sign of Equius's. This has some dream bubble vibes, but it's definitely not that.

More God Tier art!

Uh oh. Ominous call back is ominous. And the narration here is driving that home even further. But what do they mean by "hungrier?" What other forces can be called into play here. The Horrorterrors perhaps? Something new? Us being hungry for more?

Yeah, I was already pretty sure this was a bad idea. Calliope might be many things, but they're not a liar.

Davepeta jumpscare!

Um . . . that's a lot of sprites . . .

Yay! Fefetasprite is here too!

Apparently this is an infurvention.

Holy crap it's SBAHJification time! I'm not gonna spoil that. You can see this masterpiece for yourself.

Okay. So the sprites seem to want to set Vriska straight. Emphasis on "seem." So why is this a bad thing? Is this simply bad from Calliope's perspective and her goal of trying to stabilize everything and end Dirk's influence on the timelines and the narrative? Is this a trap? Is this a previously unseen force or a new angle on one we know about?

So I'd previously blogged about how powerful the Plot Point could be. It is well within the realm of possibility for Vriska to be forced through a redemption arc. And there are definitely people out there that are hungry for that. As a god, this could put Vriska on the path to ascend, which might give her even more control over the narrative than Dirk.

But even with all the bullshit that's been going on in the Candy Timeline, even with the potential power of the Plot Point, even with all of Homestuck's prior ridiculous shenanigans, this feels a bit too convenient. Too contrived. Vriska, her Hive, the sprites. It all strains any kind of credibility.

And while there are people who are hungry to see Vriska redeemed, there's another outcome that I think far more people are hungry for . . .

"welcome to hell"

[catprinx]

I know art is all about practice and trying out new things and not being afraid of using references, but do you have any advice for newer artists about areas to focus time on? Especially for learning digital art/colouring? I've always loved your art style so any advice you have would be valuable.

hi anon!!! Thank you for the kind words :)

There's no one good answer to this because art is about a lot of things. So rather than give you clear-cut actionable items to do, like a checklist, I'll just write down my own philosophies about art exploration. I've also been thinking a lot about this in terms of my own improvement.

(Also for everyone reading this I am by NO MEANS a teacher so take everything I say with a grain of salt. I'm simply someone that just enjoys thinking about art)

I think art is a lot about the combination of technical skill + visual language + concept.

Practicing technical skill, as you said, involves using reference and doing studies. I think an important thing to remember is you need to know what you're trying to learn. Here's a good example the former is a traditional still life of grapes, the artist probably intended to make a piece with a good composition and an impressive rendering technique. While the latter is definitely more of a value/color study. I'm certain this artist could have gone into detail rendering those grapes but being realistic isn't their intention/style. So when you're doing your studies I think simply asking "what do I want to work on?/what am I trying to communicate" can be helpful.

If your goal is working on color specifically I think it would be important to practice values, hues, and temperature control. Those things are the basis of color and after that you can play with more stylistic color. In the end my advice is to do a lot of studies, and look at a lot of art! Doing these studies digitally is just a matter or practicing and familiarizing yourself with the art programs (it takes time). If you have an artist you like you can probably look at their work and breakdown what you like about it. For example the narumitsu art I was working on here is kind of a study of @/rei_17's art (from twitter). I love her use of non-local colors and colors that are very close in value but the depth comes from the hue/temperature shifts in color. It's so masterful to me!!! So, now that I know what I'm looking at it becomes easier to break down and put it into practice for my own art.

Visual language usually refers to "style". To me, it can mean a lot of different things but for the sake of this long ass text post let's say it's just about "art style". My tip is to...copy! Copy what you like and figure out what it is you like about it. I feel like your hand will guide you towards your own art style in the end. I don't view myself as someone with a particularly interesting or unique art style but I can breakdown my influences a little. I'm someone who grew up with anime/shoujo influence but also copied a lot of popular tumblr styles back in the day lmao. I want my anatomy to "feel" correct even though it's rarely realistic and I don't really exaggerate form too much because I don't have a preference for it. I'm someone who values drawing speed and clarity of form over details. And all those things added up are the reasons I draw like I do. You can totally make a style by more intentionally riffing off others, and you can also develop a style just by doing your own thing. Your art will always have an identity of its own even if you don't know it at the time!!!

Concept is just your idea/intentions/narrative etc. I really think concept can be anything you want. Some people can go really in-depth with their concept with studying and research and etc, and other people can make something visually interesting simply by going "I want to draw a cute girl". Everyone is different! I wouldn't take concept advice from me personally because I don't make original illustrations. Fanart is easier to work with because usually you're interpreting someone's existing narrative and you can churn out something cool from that. Maybe my advice is draw more fanart???

[just-a-carrot]

Carrot, I love your art. It is so unique and expressive and the way you portray emotion is so raw. You somehow pack so much character into such simplistic designs and I commend you for that!

I was wondering what your art journey was/is like, if you're okay with telling? When did you start drawing, how did you develop, and how did you get to where you are now?

Thank you!

ahhhh that's really kind ;-; 💕

I feel like I've been drawing even longer than I've been writing. I used to cart my sketchbook around everywhere as a kid and just be sitting in a corner drawing while everyone else was talking or doing stuff

I drew tons of anime growing up, mostly fanart of sailor moon and ranma and fushigi yuugi and stuff like that. I'd also come up with ideas for manga I wanted to draw (my mom had to convince me in junior high that moving to Japan and becoming a manga artist was not a realistic career goal lol) and I would order those physical screentones you had to cut out and place on the paper and use a G-pen with a bottle of ink to ink

most of my life I've drawn on paper and would line by hand, scan it, then color it. I was convinced I couldn't use tablets because I'd only ever tried on a glossy Samsung tablet and I hated it (it wasn't until working on OW that I bought a non-screen tablet and that changed my world)

I ended up getting a degree in studio art drawing because I didn't know what else to do (I started as a music major but didn't like it, wanted to switch to Japanese but my school didn't offer it, so chose art lol). I will not say my time in school radically helped my art... but I did get to do some figure drawing and did do a lot of art. but I felt quite out of place as many of my professors would try to talk me out of my cartoony style (I still remember when we had to share our sketchbooks with the class and mine was full of fanart done in my own style for things like gijinka Mario and Star Fox, but all my classmates told me it felt fake and copied since it was cartoons and not real art... 💦)

anyway......... I tried to go into animation storyboarding after school but couldn't get any ins or leads so I went back to school for Japanese LOL art became just a hobby again. But I continued drawing all the time. When I was in Japan and didn't have a scanner, I started doing mouse drawings in MS Paint. I think this is where my affinity for pixel drawings started. I'd continue to draw, draw, draw for all the fandoms I've been in since. my style evolved and changed a lot, sometimes a bit more cartoony, sometimes a bit more realistic (but still mostly anime-esque style)

I don't think it started turning away from anime entirely until I got into some cartoon fandoms. I think that's when the big ears and noses started to develop. And then a short while later I made Easter, which you can see has a slightly different style than early OW but it was like the precursor. I also returned to the mouse drawn MS paint style for the Easter CGs because I didn't have a scanner. this style continued into my early OW drawings but I guess kinda kept evolving as I kept drawing the chars for years and years. It's become a lot more fluid and organic now and I've gotten more consistent with the style and how I draw the chars

I guess that's it, really!! I feel like I've left out a ton but it already feels so long and I can't really think of anything else specific to add or focus on, so I'll just leave it with that kinda summary I guess 🤣 but ofc if there's anything more specific you want to ask I will do my best to answer!!

[a-d-nox]

i tried skims... here is my review.

i thought this would be an interesting assessment/reveiw to apply to both astrology and the wyrd web.

let's start with astrology... i am a pisces rising (we are off to a good start as a pisces rising should love shape ware), sagittarius venus (i like fun and flirty clothing - haha i would try their micro once ig - tbh i would try anything once), capricorn lilith (i live for style and quality - if it looks basic, but expensive i like it), and virgo aphrodite (i want something that looks classic and is practical - which slightly contradicts a micro (which i didn't buy one (thank god)), but fun can still be practical and flirty can still be classic).

as for the wyrd web... i am a lover (6) core person, so of course, i will want to try a popular underwear brand. since we are talking about underwear, the energies of my root chakra (the chakra closest to the underwear region and ruling over external genitalia) are important. i have the high priestess (2) for the physics, who while conservative is still ruled by the moon and is a symbol of feminine energy (mother, maiden, and crone). the world (21) for the energy - she is nude on her card but a simple cloth is artfully draped in front of her from lower rib to upper thigh (tell me that's not underwear haha). and for the emotional energy i have the hierophant (5) who, while also conservative, is a venus-ruled individual - a taurus, in particular.

i feel like i was made to talk about skims; it gives off neptunian vibes because it is shape ware, but when looking at the site they generally have only earthy/muted tones (i got that going on) and they are supposed to be selling basics while being inclusive to everyone which i can get behind as a virgo aphrodite and capricorn lilith person (i love when everyone can get the same styles). my web is also very fortunate in terms of fashion especially where this article of clothing is concerned. i also feel like as a hierophant emotional muladhara person i can really preach about underwear haha - SO THIS IS MY MOMENT.

why did i buy skims?

to be honest, this is not something i myself would have gone for because i don't really like the kardashians, and i feel like they have enough money without needing mine... i also saw this stuff when it first came out and was not impressed. my aunt (she is a empress (3) higher self person, so of course, she wanted to get me something very venus-esque) however loves the kardashians... as a wheel of fortune (10) material person, who am i to not try something new to me on another person's dime haha.

what did i buy?

cotton (what else can you expect from a virgo aphrodite person with a hierophant muladhara) rib brief bundle (3 for 36.00 USD) and long sleeve turtleneck (56.00 USD).

what color?

soot :) - haha - was that a question... i am a capricorn lilith and a virgo aphrodite person - classic look all day every day.

what do i think of the turtleneck?

i like it a bit more than the underwear (which is bad in my eyes considering one of skims primary goal is to be "the next generation of underwear"). my complaint, however (i am picky; i can't help it as a virgo aphrodite person), is the quality... i feel as though it is rather thin, not see through oddly enough. BUT as a northeastern girlie, this is not the most helpful for winter ware.

what do i think of the underwear?

bro, i am not happy. maybe it is because of the band on the rib brief BUT like what is happening? i am moderately small and toned, yet i look ridiculous? like why do i look like i am flooding out of the underwear? their size chart says that i would fit this size, yet i feel that it runs smaller perhaps...? i don't feel like, for my pad girlies, you could reasonably wear these on your period (the gusset, or vaginal panel, is just to thin/narrow, in my opinion, for a pad even for a brief cut - i feel like the pad will just be hanging off on the sides?). also the band on the rib brief hits every annoying place for a period - their is no space for bloating either haha (sorry this is just the high priestess girlie in me).

would i recommend skims?

no :) the price point doesn't match the quality in my opinion.

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[rillyfrilly]

blog talk...! ୨ৎ

♡ ‧₊˚ ⋅ ౨ৎ ‧₊ .ᐟ

greetings, cuties~! (˶◜ᵕ◝˶)

this week's blog post was inspired by a post i read on magicalgirlme's blog post called, "wait, do i have a complete lolita wardrobe?". when reading it i was struck with the idea that it might be a great example to follow what she did as someone starting out with a smaller wardrobe at the moment! i'm always thinking of my wardrobe and thought now is really the time to keep track of it while it's small and still in the works...! considering i've laid out the tracks of exactly the style i want to wear, and what pieces i can imagine myself coordinating with, i think it's high time to find the number of things i'd like to limit myself to in order to call each section of my wardrobe complete. it'll be like a long-term goal which is really fun to think about planning with you all from here on out. ◝(ᵔᗜᵔ)◜let's go~!

jsks (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡

currently as of dec. 2024, my jsk collection is pretty small. i have 3, but only one of them is one i'd consider my signature style that i plan to be able to have my accessories, blouses, etc. mainly based around since it's versatile, easy to style, and has colors that are complimentary to solid ones (if this makes any sense). not taking into account my signature style, i have 9 other jsks on my wishlist current, but around 6 of them are jsks i have as iso, meaning that i could live without having all 9 but the 6 i'm searching for i'd love to have in my closet one day! ( ∩´͈ ᐜ `͈∩) in total i'd say my finished jsk goal would be around 10 to 12. anything more than that i cannot see why i'd need so many jsks.. hehe~

jsk goal - 10 to 12

blouses (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡

as of right now i have 1 white, trusty blouse i share between my two completed coords...! (ᵕ—ᴗ—) huhu... i am in desperate need of other variations of blouses in white, black, and light pink as those are my staple colors. for blouses i think it's pretty simple to set a small goal as i won't need many if i buy them with good quality and keep up with sewing / mending. safely to say i think that my goal for blouses would be around 6 or 7. i'll leave a little legroom in case i need to buy a long sleeve in each color for whatever reason may make sense to me at the time. ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

blouse goal - 6 or 7

skirts (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡

ah yes... gorgeous lolita skirts! i dream of owning even just one, but i unfortunately don't yet. these have sort of been the last of priority for me as i've been focused on already completing what i have in my wardrobe at this time. i'd love to get a skirt for the days i still want to dress up, but a bit more casually than just a jumperskirt, because you truly can't go wrong with a sweet skirt or two! (ㅅ´ ˘ `)

skirt goal - 3 (pending thoughts)

petticoats (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡

similarly to my blouse situation i currently only own one petticoat that i use for all my coordinates (not counting a hoopskirt i recently became an owner of thanks to my lovely friend reo♡). it is a simple a-line shape since i wear lolita everyday and casually, i originally didn't want any insane poof-age on my coords when wearing them out, but overtime i've definitely grown warmer to the idea of having a variation in the poofs i want! (𖧹𖥦𖧹) however, i will say i'm still kind of a noob on what petticoat would suit whatever kind of jumperskirt, but i'll get there eventually... safe bet to say the goal is 3 (counting my current)!

petticoat goal - 3

cardigans (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡

now this is DEFINITELY one way to get me talking! my recent obsession as of current is lolita coords with cardigans. i love it, i love them. i think they're so perfect, easy to coordinate, and really finish off any coordinate, truly..! the most depressing aspect of it all? i don't have a single one yet! (╥﹏╥) it's all i can think about in this cold lolita-less winter as i don't even own a jacket i can throw over myself or my coordinates to keep warm and still feel cute.. eheh.. (i'll fix this eventually). i am in luck though as cardigans really come cheaply on mercari jp, so i can proxy a couple to accomplish my dream of staying warm and frilly, and not break the bank..! ٩(^ᗜ^ )و ´-

cardigan goal - 6 or less

accessories (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡

this is my downfall.. as an autistic person, i do not like to wear more than one thing or another as it makes me feel trapped in my clothes and i do not like or want to trigger that feeling. so less has always been more for me. i currently have 4 headpieces, but only about 2 can be coordinated into my future wardrobe (that i know of at this moment anyway). for this goal, i think i'll honestly stay leninent and let myself collect accessories as i feel that i need them. my one huge bxw baby headbow could save every single future coordinate, and be the only one i wear for ages, but of course, variety is nice so i plan to expand a slight bit in the future! i've made it my goal to get more into necklaces and bracelets, so that my neck and wrists aren't barren anymore when dressing, so that is for sure something to be on the lookout for in the future..! ( ⸝⸝´꒳`⸝⸝)

accessories goal - none

purses (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡

bag control is so terrible for me. matching purses and wallets have always, always been my favorite thing since i was younger, and getting into lolita definitely did not help fuel this addiction. sweet lolita has some of the cutest purse i've ever seen and has made me super obsessed with heart-shaped bags( that of which i hadn't seen done so cutely before)! this is a goal i know i need to be firm on, but it's hard.. ૮(˶ㅠ︿ㅠ)ა i have 1 bag i use casually / overall, and 1 special case, the special case being it's a heartshaped itabag made for my oshi that i don't plan to really ever try to coordinate with sweet unless it's for an occasion. i'll be fair and set my purse goal to 5!

purse goal - 5

finally, i think i'll end off my goals for the future here. ദ്ദി(˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧ but, before i go, one thing some of you who may be familiar with lolita might be asking why i didn't list an OP goal? this is simply just because i don't have any OPs on my wishlist and i do not think i'll purchase any unless i really, realllyyyy love it. i own one OP and that is it for me, i think..! if you're curious and you'd like to keep track of my wardrobe progress i log everything on my lolibrary! you can see my wishlist there as well. ദ്ദി(｡•̀ ,<)~✩‧₊

looking forward to next week, cuties~! thanks for reading.

♡ ‧₊˚ ⋅ ౨ৎ ‧₊ .ᐟ

riri ❤︎₊ ⊹

[voxofthevoid]

Wait I— WHAT— 500k+ words for JJK? Alone? Oh my god. I’m one of your new readers, and I’m blown away by not only your word count but the wRITING LOGS?? How?? Do you keep track of your WIPs?? Do you write consistently, period?? Do you have any advice for someone who can barely squeak out a paragraph to describe a vision in their brain?? Please bless me with your skills, Vox-sensei 😭🙏

Welcome to my madness 🤣❤️

Okay, in all fairness, I'm usually not this unhinged productive. Last year, for instance, my total word count was only around 250k (iirc). I'm sure I wrote more than that from 2018 to 2020, but my logs from those are divided by fics/chapters or weekly.

... I've, uh, tried a lot of shit over the years.

Which is an important point! I've been posting to ao3 for nearly a decade now (not consistently, but I don't think I was away for more than a year or two), and I've been writing in some capacity for around 15–17 years now. There's been a lot of trial and error over the years, plus changing life circumstances leading to varying energy levels and writing time. The main factor is inspiration; if it's there, I'll write a lot, but if not, I'll be a potato.

So with all that in mind!

Logs

I do keep track of both my word count and my WIPs. I've got color-coded docs and spreadsheets even because I'm a fucking nerd. I've got pictures of it floating somewhere on this blog, but my fic folders tend to be nested, numbered little monstrosities.

WIPs

I call them WIPs sometimes because they're extensively detailed outlines mostly, but the more accurate term is ideas/plot bunniesdemons. I don't work on more than one story at a time. Typically, I start something and write it in narrative order until it's done. There are exceptions—my current fic was started in a post-236 frenzy, and I set aside the PWP I was working on for it. But usually, I only actively write one story at a time while everything else gets developed/outlined as inspiration strikes.

Consistency

You could say I write consistently, yeah! I don't do it every day because I take breaks whenever I finish a chapter (and of course, life throws curve balls sometimes), but typically, I write around 22–25 days a month. I set aside a few hours for it. Average daily word count also varies, but these days, it's 1.5–3k. When I'm really in the zone, it can reach 5–6k.

I'm a hobbyist writer with no aspirations of writing professionally, so my approach to the whole thing has been to wing it and see where it takes me. So I haven't really done anything with the concrete goal of improving. The best (and only) advice I have is very boring and cliche though: read and write.

Read widely if you can and narrow in on the kind of style and genre you like. Note down passages or turns of phrase that struck you and figure out why. You'll absorb a lot automatically, but I've heard people recommend emulating styles on purpose as a writing exercise.

Mainly though, the best and easiest way to improve is to keep writing. Technical rules can be learned pretty easily, especially with how many resources are available online now. Field/subject-specific reference materials are also abundant. But developing your own style and improving the flow of your prose are things that need practice. And it never really stops, especially because your writing will continuously evolve in more ways than one.

This got way longer than I intended. Oops? Thanks for asking though, anon. I did have fun replying!

[babumakeanart]

6 hours of playtime of Hades II -thoughts so far

This post will contain spoilers so those who want to avoid seeing them please don't read anything under the cut. Also, take these are my first 6 hours only, my options might change, develop etc. Don't take anything too deeply as this is my brainrot i need to get out because I am just amazed by this game!

First - Melinoë and the story: 

Melinoë is the most badass sweetheart and she is very pleasant protagonist to follow and learn things in her footsteps, like Zagreus's dynamic to another character she can be respectful but can bite back when her line is past which I really like and it is fun to watch and person is hype for another interaction with NPCs and the environment. 

So far the story is ‘simple’ and I am putting it like that because so far we have a clear goal but you can sense there is something deeper going on and is really interesting to explore. So far I got into the third level, already forgot the name of that but it’s the Mourning Plains or so and boy, that place gave me the creeps the first time I got there and THE BOSS!! oh boy :’DDDDD 

Gathering items:

This is what I kind of find refreshing in one way, that I can gather ingredients much faster than it was in Hades I. Maybe it is just me but gathering the crystals in Hades I is tedious and I still need to buy so much furniture for the house. So far I like the variations you can get and use things for. The gardening is very nice and I think I saw Odysseus checking the garden at one point?? very cute. 

And taking different tools for the run so far doesn't feel like bother to do so and if you unlock forget me not you can actually see what tool you need for recipes. So unlocked stuff is very helpful to you. 

Fighting: 

Of course, the fight style is very different than Zagreus had. Zag feels more like go and smash and be fast, while Mel feels more strategy fight. Not that is slow is still a nice hack and slash, and the difference is very nice to see between siblings! So far I unlock all the weapons and my fav is the axe :DD and the flame weapon is so funny when you are running with them XD 

Nemesis:

I do not really know all the lores about all the characters that are being in the second game as well some in the first game but I love how the game is built on Nemesis' interaction with your runs. How she sometimes (so far I have met her like four times or so in my runs) challenges you who have the most kills, clears the room before you even have a chance to stop and she blocks one doors so you have to choose the other door!! also she buy items in charon shop?? it feels so alive?? and I love it so so much!

Hermes and Artemis:

AAAAAAAAAAA seeing these two actually being there with you is so cool! love it 

Clothes: It's such a tiny detail but when you get different fabrics your clothes change color and is so adorable TTATT ofc my fav is lavender

Cats, dOGS SO MANY ANIMALS:

TTATT do i need to say more??? 

CHAOS: okok when I seen the door to the dimension where Chaos is I sprint there without any thinking but seeing the SPRITE??? hello?? IS THAT MEG?? what does that mean, what is happening why does Chaos look like Meg? What happened to the underground?? This was a point in the game where I really stopped and my brain did this: 

Didn't make a screenshot because I was just stunned but wow

Anyway if anyone want to scream with me please you are very welcome to because I am crying about this game!!! Excuse my bad English I just had to get my thoughts on the paper otherwise I would do no work haha 

Love to hear all the theories!

[afniel]

Hi there's really vague (but kinda heavy?) Third Novel stuff under the cut, so don't spoil yourself if you don't want to know anything. Because there's a liiiiittle something something in there plus some art.

Man I'm like. Writing on chapter 2(?) of I Can't Believe It's Not A Trilogy (ICBINAT...world's worst working title) and this story is gonna need such a ridiculously huge content warning for suicidal ideation, way more than the first two, and the second has more than the first, so you know this one has got it bad.

And yet this is just kinda Where X Is At Right Now at the start of it, for Reasons (that I can't say further shit about until Outcome Unpredictable is all online, lol). I have a chapter and a half of, I dunno where or when it fits, just kinda disconnected noodling, and they were hard to write in the kind of way that's warning me that I don't really know what I'm doing with a character, just kinda slapping events together without much emotional weight to any of them or any real direction.

Then I kinda had a few revelations in a row, realized I was trying to lean way too hard on X to Just Be Better Already Dammit, and he was just coming out flat because he's not better already, dammit. Reploid Grandpa is 100% a fucked-up old veteran who's barely out of the hell he came from so yeah, he makes huge strides in his mental health, but he started at the bottom of a really deep hole. That's not a quick climb! It takes real life people decades to escape that hole, and they usually didn't go through it for 80+ years without a break. He's just gonna be down there, even if he's a lot higher than he started. (IRL veteran suicide rates are absolutely dismal too, and yeah, X's mental state very much reflects this at the point that I'm writing.)

Once again all I can actually do is write down the words as they happen and trying too hard to steer it myself only makes it stop working. Am I ever going to stop writing about this old man's mental health struggles? Uhh. Well, I've tried to stop twice, if that tells you anything. I swear he does get a happy ending and keep recovering. Well, maybe not that much physically, because Protagonist Who Stays Disabled And Isn't Magically Fixed is still a primary goal, here, and the story agrees with me on that, but even given that he could stand to be more comfortable even if he's not magically fixed. I dunno why this is where it's going but I think it's just my extreme commitment to What If This Stupid Video Game Plot Was Realistic Though. It's definitely realistic now! Maybe sometimes a little too much, but honestly, that's what makes it work, I think. It would never stick the landing if I stopped short of 100% painful sincerity, even if it's hard to look at sometimes. Feeling a bit like you're being invited to see and feel vulnerabilities that maybe aren't entirely your business when you're reading fiction is the secret sauce, if you ask me.

(At this rate I'm gonna have to update the author's notes at the end of Outcome Unpredictable because I'm making myself a goddamn liar. I straight up say I have no intent of writing a third one, but here I am, evidently doing that before the author's notes even hit the internet.)

I'm not gonna explain shit past that at the moment, so just feel free to conjecture amongst yourselves at the one thing I've kinda drawn in the ICBINAT era. This is about a year and a half from OU and 2 years from FtC, for the record. It is a truth universally acknowledged that if you leave an AU running unattended for long enough, even the canon characters will eventually turn into OCs.

(Also that if my coloring style gets any more rim light I'm going to be in Sonic Adventure style coloring territory...which would fuck severely, actually.)

[shovelbug]

I wanted to drop down another idea,, Amethio x Trans masc Reader, (preferably if they don't have supportive parents, I love what you did with the Arven headcannons,,,)

I do apologise if my wording for requests is weird,, but I hope you have a genuinely amazing day!!

not weird at all, i can understand you perfectly. Also, an Amethio request AND a transmasc reader? i owe you my life, anon. i feel truly spoiled.

Amethio x Transmasc! Reader

I honestly headcanon Amethio as transmasc as well so. T4T couple goals to be honest.

That aside, Amethio's response to you being trans is pretty neutral, regardless of where you are in your transition or how you tell him.

It's as simple as a nod, and maybe "I see. Thank you for telling me."

And then he just goes on with his day.

It doesn't change how he views you at all, you're still just. yourself. Not really his style to make a big deal of it.

That's not to say he doesn't care, though.

If he ever has any questions, he takes care to say them as politely as possible and doesn't pressure you to answer, and listens intently if you do.

Will help remind you to take breaks while binding/make sure you aren't pushing yourself if you ask him to, for example.

Occasionally will see something with the trans flag on it or with trans flag colors and will hand it to you/get it for you.

"This seems like something you'd like."

If someone's being an asshole to you, whether it be a family member or stranger on the street, he'll swiftly intervene.

"Excuse me. Just what do you think you're saying to my boyfriend?"

He doesn't even have to battle them. If his icy glare isn't enough to scare them off, the very angry Ceruledge looming over his shoulder is.

Then will pull you away, muttering something under his breath about what a nuisance that person is.

As for your family, well, Amethio is most likely to just tell you not to engage with them at all. In his eyes, there's no use in being around others like that.

He knows sometimes it's not that easy, though.

So if you have to deal with it, he'll just nod in understanding. He knows you're more than capable on your own, but he does worry.

Tells you to let him know if anyone says anything to you, and that he'll settle it in a pokemon battle.

You might think he's joking. He's not.

Ceruledge and Corviknight both love you too so they'll throw a fit if anyone makes you upset.

His job means he may not be able to come with you if you have to see your family, so he finds himself checking his phone more than usual when on a mission, wondering if you're okay.

Zir and Conia notice that he seems more distracted than usual, and wonder if he's worrying about something

Will text you more often, too. Expect messages at regular intervals inquiring as to if you are okay and how things are going, if he needs to pick you up.

"Ame, you can't just drop everything on your mission for me."

"I can and I will."

Afterwards, will just sit with you and spend some time with you to make up for his absence. He's not the most experienced in comfort if that's what you need, but he'll hold you and make sure you're not alone, and will listen to you talk or vent or rant or whatever.

Alternatively, if you'd like some space, he understands and is more than happy to give you that, too.

"You're a strong and capable person and trainer, more than you give yourself credit for. don't let those blind to that fact make you doubt yourself."

[quotidian-oblivion]

Writing Positivity Tag!!!

Wasn't tagged, but again saw this game and loved it.

What do you take pride in with your own writing?

Hmmm... probably the plots. Because I really like the ideas and concepts I come up with. I mean, the Bruce Wayne writes fanfic au? I'm still blown away by it.

Did you have any big inspirations from another writeblr?  Who and how?

Ughhhhhh. I have so many. But the biggest ones? @cygnusdoesthings because of her, i'm still writing right now. Cuz the comments she put on My School’s Local Mafia Boss and then the recordings was what made me really, truly, well and fully realize that there were actual people who were saying all those stuff behind the comments. And also she has helped me a whole lot through so much.

@tristicorde cuz i go to her every time i feel low about my writing or about posting something and she always - always - knows the right things to say. Thats because the things she says are just facts. Not reassurances made up for the sole purpose of reassuring, but facts that reassure me. Also, her descriptive style of writing is something i strive to achieve 😭

@wakkoroni It's because of Vibes that I have as many crackfics as i do now (wips and posted). We have such a time and vibe just spouting out shitposts to each other in conversations, as well as incorrect quotes and hypotheses and hcs about the batfam, it is impossible to spend even 5 minutes with her and not get inspired to write or create something.

@sardonic-sprite because the first real fic i wrote (Ya Dun Fucked Up) was inspired by her Harbor. Her fics are the ultimate comfort, the ultimate hurt, the ultimate angst, the ultimate crack, and the ultimate family bonding. If you don't at least appreciate them, you don't appreciate anything.

That was a long answer. Anyways, moving on! (oh, special mention @uncertainwallflower cuz she helped me get past a very incredibly super-awful severe case of writer's block once)

What are you most proud of in your current WIP?

LMAO. WHICH WIP? 🤣

K the main one i'm focusing on rn is the tim gets kidnapped fic co-written with Vibey. And two things i'm most proud of in there are: a) how well mine and vibey's ideas just meld into each other b) the sheer amount of angst sprinkled throughout the fic. It's awesome. I love it.

What is your idea of a perfect day of writing?

Uhhh. I have chocolate milk or boba. I'm sitting at my desk instead of the beanbag cuz the desk is actually clear for once. I'm hyperfocusing as i write and don't notice the time pass by and don't have any pressuring due dates for school and everyone at home is sleeping and the sun is sending its rays through my window and shining on my hair making it go the cool brown color i love as i'm tip-tapping away at my computer. It happened once. I was writing the angstiest thing i had ever written at the time and was shaking. It was glorious.

What’s your big goal with writing?

That I never treat it like a chore. Ig thats more of a wish than a goal.

Then ig a goal would be to make it mean as much to someone else as it does to me. Or for people to just have a blast and let go of their worries and take a break as they read my stuff. But the goal that will never leave is to improve. I take one thing and work on it one by one until it's to my satisfaction. Currently, i'm working on describing settings.

No pressure tags: @uncertainwallflower @cygnusdoesthings @sardonic-sprite @wakkoroni @tristicorde @foursixtwonineoh-pieces-of-lego @blightwritesfic @pevensiechase

[micalpixel]

May Flowers Game - September 2024 Progress Report

Another month comes and goes, so here's another update on my May game.

Lore and Plot

So... I don't have anything visual to display this month, sadly. I kinda spent an entire month working on lore and plot. :D I keep looking at the layers the game has so far. Characters, sidequests, themes... And little by little, I keep finding new ways to connect them. May's afraid of heights. But why? Well, there's now a reason. And it links to something else that until now, was completely unrelated. Plot holes get filled in, rough edges are ironed out. I'm happy with how things are progressing. I feel as though all of the biggest, most important pieces, are now in place.

One reason this has been taking a while is... well...

When I worked on the puzzle mechanics, I cut out a lot of ideas. Because it was too much for a first game. I wanted an upper limit on the insanity. So, some neat ideas were shelved. Even though they very closely complemented the ideas I WAS going to use.

And when working on the plot, there were also some ideas which, in my opinion, are really cool. But completely clash with what I'm doing for this game.

But I still kept thinking about those things. And kept having new ideas for them, and developing them. Writing down ideas as they game. Seeing ways they connected to the ones I WAS going to use.

Long story short, I realized two months ago that there's enough ideas here for three sequential games involving May. And I've been working with that target in mind. Three games that each tell very different stories, but are still connected, each with very different goals, and each telling a larger story about May and the people she meets.

It's kinda embarrassing, and reeks of arrogance. Planning three games before I've even finished one game. But I'm just too excited to do otherwise. The idea's been planted. And in fact, it won't require very many changes to the first game at all, other than leaving a few (seemingly unimportant) loose ends to resolve later. (No cliffhangers, I swear!) So I figure, why not?

And actually, the beginning and ends of all three are already set in stone. I know how each one will start, what each one's tutorial "level" will be, and how each one will end. The most important parts of the plot are, well, done. And now it's just the filler that remains. The minor characters, the sidequests, etc. Everything after the first hour of each game and before the last hour. Which, by comparison, should be a lot more flexible since they're not as important to the overall plot. I feel like this is very doable. My main focus will 100% be on the first game though. I will not be doing ANY work on the next two other than lore and plot, since those could impact the first game in small ways.

Graphics

I've been mulling over the game's graphics style. Although I love the very-limited-color palette look, I also wonder if the game would be more enjoyable and colorful if I let myself use a bit more color. Keep the same character sizes, but try to make the colors pop. I've seen some games use an art style like that, and I do wonder if it would be better to go that route.

I had intended to participate in Drawtober 2024, to experiment with different pixel art styles, every day, trying out different things, using my own 31 prompts.

But work has been much more stressful than usual this month. I feel very tired. I'd wanted to get other drawings done before October, and wasn't able to do that. So, I don't know. I really do want to experiment with that though. Maybe once these other WIP art pieces are done, I'll get to that. A late Drawtober, maybe. We'll see....

Closing

Thanks for reading! Sorry it's not a very exciting update. I do still work on this game a little very day. After four months, my excitement for this game has only increased, and I'm very happy about that.