#I love that Nibs is a bit chaotic

[fairy-writes]

Vampire!Viktor x Female!Reader 04

part one of vampire!viktor HERE

part two of vampire!viktor HERE

part three of vampire!viktor HERE

all parts of this series are tagged under cryptid!viktor

cryptid!viktor also includes my pieces with merman!viktor

CATCH MORE OF MY DOCTOR WHO QUOTES

your friendship changes after viktor drinks your blood. he doesn’t ask again, but you offer when you notice his skin color changes to an unhealthy pallor. 

and you notice how he doesn’t say no after the first time. but you also notice how he never takes very much. 

just enough to survive.

but not enough to live. 

you find out why three weeks later. 

you’re working at clearing part of some stubborn bushes in the corner of the estate late in the night, watching as viktor passes in front of the candlelight in his library. you had discovered his library when dusting various surfaces when you first met him. 

it was filled with books upon books upon books. but not normal books.

journals.

his journals. 

neat cursive lining the pages with the occasional sketch. you made it a point to ignore the sketch of the woman with glasses. while you yearned to look through them, it was none of your business. 

you yank a stubborn branch out of the way and stumble upon a wrought iron gate with a rusted lock. it looked old… really old… you frown and tug on the metal. it falls away in your grasp and breaks with a resounding ‘clang.’ 

opening the gate, you arrive at multiple tombstones, covered in moss and dirt and grime, but still there nonetheless. you fall to your knees and brush some of the plants away, frowning at the name. it was barely legible, but there nonetheless. 

“jayce talis”

“1527-1558”

“our future is bright.”

you do some quick math and frown. he was only thirty-one years old? that felt so young… you were barely twenty-nine and had no idea how old viktor was. 

then a thought struck you. 

was he alive in the 1500s? was jayce his friend?

“he was a good man.” comes viktor’s voice, and you shriek, whirling on your knees to face the vampire. he’s leaning on his cane, staring at the grave marker with sad eyes that look ancient and like he’s close to tears. 

it’s the first time you’ve seen him this close to crying. 

“who was he?” you ask softly, and he shifts his grip on his cane.

“my best friend. died of a plague that swept the country. i had already turned by then, but he didn’t care. he still wanted to be around me.” he whispers, and your heart breaks. 

“can’t be easy… outliving the people you love,” you say, and he comes closer and lowers himself onto the ground next to you.

“according to my journals… it’s hell,” he says, drawing one of those coveted journals out of his vest pocket and flipping it open, and handing it to you.

he was letting you read it?

you took it reverently and looked at the page. 

it’s a sketch, albeit a bit chaotic, but a beautiful sketch regardless. it was of the man with the bright eyes and wistful smile hunched over a desk that you had seen on another page. in messy ink at the bottom are the words “DON’T FORGET.” the pen nib had been pressed so deeply into the page it almost ripped. 

that alone made your heart drop into your stomach, fur-lined with grief and fear for the man beside you.

was he slowly forgetting his life from before he was a vampire? 

would he eventually forget you after you were long dead and dust?

he looks at you with those big sad eyes of his, and you realize you said your thoughts aloud. 

“in the end, you just get tired. tired of watching everything turn to dust,” he says, voice thick with tears and misery.

and you don’t have a single word to comfort him. 

[ryuichirou]

hi there! first of all i wanna say i love all your works~ i found your works right after i entered the TWST fandom and it made me fall in even harder LMAO especially for lil mushroom eel man i love our lil mushroom eel man- I wanna ask though, how to you perceive Idia's interaction with the Tweels? It's always fun to see those two messing around with Idia and being intimidating for Azul's sake but I wonder how does Idia think of them in your headcanons? Is it a "run at first sight" type of relationship www have a good day!

Hi Anon! Thank you very much, it’s fantastic to hear that you love our stuff this much. I am very grateful.

Ahhh lil mushroom eel man!! This is such a cute nickname, and he is such a special boy lol, I’m happy you like him. I don’t draw the Tweels as often as I’d love to, but then again, that goes for a lot of characters… But damn it, drawing them is fun, especially with our poor popular boy Idia lol

Sooo, here is what Idia thinks about the Tweels in our headcanons! In a form of a headcanon list haha.

You’re right: in general, it definitely is “run at first sight” type of deal: Idia is a scaredy-cat in general, but with these two? He senses legit danger to his safety lol

A lot of times the Tweels harass Idia because of something Azul asked them to do, but there are times when they do it just for their own fun, and these situations are much more terrifying to Idia. Like, what do they want from him? The answer usually is to have fun. They won’t elaborate on what kind of “fun” they want to have with him.

A lot of times Idia sees the Tweels as a unit, but he is actually aware of how different these two are, and if separated, their dynamic actually changes quite a lot.

For example, Idia ended up having a surprisingly good time with Jade at Epel’s village. He didn’t expect to enjoy hanging out with him as much as he did, but they kind of bonded. A lot of times Jade would say things that would amuse Idia, like when he suggested sabotaging their opponents before the sled race. Idia was instantly on board with that, because, unlike Epel and Sebek, these two had this weird sleazy petty solidarity.

That trip also made Idia fully realise how much of a (mountain) nerd Jade is, which made him kind of relatable to a degree. Idia respects that and is actually happy that he got to know Jade better.

Idia is actually a liiiittle bummed out that they don’t get to hang out anymore after the trip, but whenever they see each other in the school and Jade smiles at him, Idia remembers that time and feels a bit fuzzy.

That being said, none of that made Jade stop teasing Idia together with Floyd, so Idia still needs to be aware of the Tweels lol

Idia is wary of the Tweels, but with Floyd he’s genuinely terrified at times. When he’s with him alone, he feels like Floyd can pounce on him at any moment: he’s too chaotic and unpredictable and god know what he’s capable of, especially when Jade and Azul aren’t around to stop him or at least get him to senses.

Idia is kind of irritated by Floyd ignoring his need for personal space, and Floyd doesn’t give a fuck about personal space: he touches Idia, he strokes his hair, sometimes even nibs on him. This makes Idia shake in horror, which only makes Floyd more playful and interested in him.

Oh, and also Idia is terrified of the fact that the Tweels know some pretty cringy personal stuff about him. He is still traumatized by that time they tried to blackmail him. The Tweels probably have already forgotten about it, but Idia haven’t…

[evermorehqs]

CATCHING MY BREATH, STARING OUT AN OPEN WINDOW

Nico 'Nibs' Navarro is based on Nibs from Peter Pan. He is a 26 year old human, personal trainer, and uses he/him pronouns. He has no powers. Nico is portrayed by Miguel Bernardeau and he is taken.

CATCHING MY DEATH, AND I COULDN’T BE SURE

Nico loved nothing more than adventure, and no matter what challenges awaited him and his fellow Lost Boys, Nibs was standing right alongside Peter at the front of the group, battle weapon in hand, ready to take on any and everything with the widest grin on his face. Many deemed him the bravest of the group, always the first to suggest taking on Captain Hook and his crew head on, not caring much for intricate planning or fine details as he was just excited to get into the thrill of it. He could be a bit headstrong at times, the first to start an argument when anyone backed down or suggested “thinking” before doing anything, but to his core; he loved his crew, he loved Peter, and he loved being a Lost Boy. When the Darling’s came, he was the first to offer to teach George and Michael how to fight in a battle, supplying them with branches and sling-shots and even going as far as to make targets for them to practice with. When Wendy went missing, Nibs hopped right into throwing blame at the pirates, begging Peter to plan some kind of ambush so they could get aboard his ship and get Wendy back. When it was clear his plan wasn’t going to be honored, he went off on his own to try and get her back, but turned back up a bit battered and empty handed. Frustrated his efforts had failed, wanting to prove himself, Nibs offered to accompany Peter in their search when they talked about leaving Neverland. He promised he’d be able to help protect him, which in turn, lead to all of the Lost Boys coming along. When the group ended up in Evermore, Nibs was beyond disappointed in their circumstances at first. No pirates to fight, no tall mountains to scale, no woods to run through— what WAS there? Nibs decided to use his skills to get himself a job at the gym as a personal trainer; that was something he knew he was good at. When he wasn’t at the gym though, he was out on the town looking for his next adventure, trying to keep himself on his toes, though part of him wishes he still had the easily accessible adventures of Neverland.

I HAD A FEELING SO PECULIAR

❀ Barrett Olivares: Though Nibs tended himself to be more of a chaotic-good, it didn’t mean he didn’t like getting his hands dirty every once and a while. Barrett had a mischief to him that intrigued Nibs, one unlike he had ever encountered, and he wanted IN. ❀ Elisabeth 'Eliza' Thornberry: Eliza is one of Nibs closest friends besides the Lost Boys. She’s so down to earth, outdoorsy, and likes to get right into the thick of whatever adventure they get themselves going on. It’s a small town, but with Eliza around, it feels a whole lot larger. ❀ Aisha Andros: Nibs has had a pathetic little crush on Aisha since he first met her. She’s pretty, intelligent, sassy… she gets his head spinning. Not that he’d ever admit that out loud, of course.

THAT THIS PAIN WOULD BE FOR EVERMORE

[bravestboy]

                      meet  nicholas 'nibs' lapin  !

                                 24 — STRUGGLING ACTOR

favorite song? am i wrong by anderson .paak sexuality: bisexual pronouns?: he/him big three? aries sun / leo moon / gemini rising

nicholas was born to loving parents and a lavish home, there he stayed for an odd amount of years before the incident. it all happened very quickly, one minute he was being put to bed by his parents and the next he just another kid in the system. he was old enough that he should remember his time before the orphanage but given the traumatic event took everything good away, maybe it was best that he couldn’t recall too much, what he could remember was the loving nature of his mother and father. he'd changed once he was placed in the orphanage, mainly, he was still grieving the loss of his parents, his toys, and his familiar bed. the whole ordeal was a lot for him to process so he kept to himself, didn’t talk at all if he could help it and followed the orders of mean adults that were in charge of him and all the other kids. that was until he met peter, meeting that guy changed everything. here was this kid who did whatever he wanted, never followed rules and seemed to have a fun time doing it. despite the circumstances all the kids were in, peter was the happiest and most carefree person he’d ever seen, nicholas wanted the same. suddenly he had a new group of friends, ones that gave him that same sense of family he once had. he started talking again, coming out of his shell, and even got a cool nickname, all thanks to peter.

nibs is always up to do anything, a bit too willing but he says it's because he likes adventures, something he picked up from peter. anything that'll get the adrenaline pumping is very much up his alley. that's why he likes acting so much, the nerves of getting up on stage and the waiting with baited breath to see how the audience will react is something he never quite gets used to and just builds up his intense love for performing. sure, there isn’t stability in acting and he takes up whatever role just so he can cover his share of the rent but he does it because it’s what he loves and no one can take that away from him. his refusal to get a “real” job leaves behind a messy resume; despite attempts at getting a 9-5, it never lasts longer than a week. nibs just wants to be in the moment, no point in planning for the future ahead because things may change at the drop of a hat. 

HC’s:

nibs might seem reserved, even quiet when you first meet him but just give him a second to evaluate you and once you’ve got the green light, he’ll treat you like a best friend

always the first to defend or support a friend, regardless of the reason he will always side with you no matter what and ask what happened later

constantly going to auditions, even for one’s he knows he barely has a chance of getting but it’s all about dreaming big, he knows all it takes is one role to make the big screen and once that happens, he and his buddies are set for life

before the incident, he belonged to a wealthy family. one that afforded him nurses, maids and private tutors. he doesn’t remember any of this now but he subconsciously kept the good manners and the some of the education, probably why he held some of the best grades before he ran away with the lost boys

rarely ever raises his voice, even when he's in a panic. very much giving off chaotic calm energy, he really doesnt like making a big deal of things so whatever inner turmoil he's dealing with will have to be pried out of him

[nibenhutracycas]

Classical Alignment Test

Tagged by @hisbloodrunsgold

Tagging: @greentigergirl @kellyfhaycock @hanaxsongs @colonel-jeff-tracy @thunderbirdscolonelcasey @saialeucothea @kayokyrano @dustycords @samanthalexistracy @wander-into-the-forest @coded-lighthouses 

Your Result: Neutral Good 86%

You are more of a modern kind of good. You are willing to break or use the law to defeat those you see as evil, and, though you prefer the truth, you are willing to lie to get those who are evil imprisoned or exposed. If you are working for an evil villain, you most likely are using him as a way to stop greater evils.

75%Lawful Good

57%Lawful Neutral

57%Neutral

54%Chaotic Good

29%Lawful Evil

3%Chaotic Neutral

0%Neutral Evil

0%Chaotic Evil

[goddsnmonsters]

Moon all the way to wooden fence. Good luck

moon: what is your astrological sign? Aries

gingerbread: your moral alignment? idk bout that neutral/chaotic shit but im good hearted and kind generally but i can be manipulative, mean or inconsiderate sometimes. wouldn’t hurt people out of malice tho and wouldn’t hurt those i really care about.

birdseed: family or friends? family but real friends is family.

sheets: your sexual orientation? skraight

warm milk: when do you usually fall asleep? when the gods decide. joke answer but honestly depends, i try to sleep by 3-4 am but if i have a reason to stay up ill be up till the morning.

pot of honey: your gender identity? male

snow: what is your favorite time of year and why? i love the spring cuz i fkn love flowers and weather is super chill.

yarn: what are your most enjoyable hobbies? music and drawing 

bicycle: what are you talented at? i’m naturally gifted at drawing i feel. im also really good at writing.

folktale: what stories remind you of your childhood? ummm idk honestly idk stories like that. 

woods: where do you feel at peace? at home, or with somebody i love

chicken feet: what is your emotional “flaw”? im too kind and ill make a fool out myself and go way out my way loving ppl that dont feel the same w me. also assuming the worst when someone is away for a while. learned my lessons tho so i try to keep those in check.

red cheeks: what makes you nervous? texting ppl i dont know very well esp if im tryna be closer with them

sunflower: what do you love and cherish? thats a loaded question i love so many things im a walking heart. i love the sky and flowers and my mom and yung nibs and music esp long songs or foreign songs and finding low key stuff that’s really cool. i love artists and visionaries especially those that have been through shit and wear their hearts on their sleeves. i love frank ocean and lana. idk i love so much shit i could go on for days. cherish is a strong word and only one person comes to mind for it, my nephew. 

bells: what sounds are your favorite or calm you the most? ummm thats a bit tough but i think my favourite sound is a tie between piano keys and strings (esp cello) also a soothing female voice

turnip: what is a food you could eat everyday? steak and pasta with brocolli, sweet potato mash and cream gravy.

spit: do you get jealous easily? umm i wouldnt generally but if its with a certain someone i probably would. i’d keep myself in check if im being unreasonable tho.

mushroom: list unique things you like about yourself. too many to list honestly. biggest one would be music taste

cupboard: a good childhood memory. having a big breakfast with the whole family on friday mornings.

eyebags: what do you think makes a person attractive? lots of stuff can’t really decide that shit subjective af. if i had to choose one i’d say depth. 

fallen log: something you’ve gotten over that you never thought you would. that one night

dagger: your worst fear. wasting my time not being able to create the life i want and having to settle for one that i dont. also never getting a chance to see my loved ones again.

whisper: do you have any secrets? if its from all ppl then yeah i have a lot. honestly who doesn’t.

wild boar: which person do you feel closest to? yung nibs

sweet: what candies or cakes are you fond of? i dont like candy or cake anymore really i lost my sweet tooth. im still a sucker for kinder bueno tho thats my one weakness. 

footprints: do you remember your past lives? weirdly i feel like i do, not in the sense of memories but in the sense of my purpose, character, and certain people i feel connected to in my life. i feel like i’ve felt it all before..

fur: name an animal you feel connected to. cats brooo catssss

vodka: do you drink? yea but only recently started drinking drinking

sour cherry: an obscure tradition from your family? idk can’t think of any

pine needles: what is your favorite scent? i love the smell of cologne, no specific one but i always have some really nice scents with me. also fresh laundry

heart-shaped: do you believe in love? are you in love? i do and i think so but still gotta make sure. love can be very confusing esp if you love too hard. i felt that i knew love before but it wasn’t the case. this time it feels very different tho so idk ill get back to u 

home: where do you dream of living? in the south w bae

spice: list your favorite herbs. lol idk i fw mint

mud: something you’re insecure about but trying to love. my big ass heart

tobacco: do you have any addictions? tobacco but hopefully not for too long

sock: how would you describe your clothing taste? simple but elegant. lots of black with some nice coloured pieces here and there. also love sweats and comfy clothes that still look nice.

cuckoo clock: are you a morning, a noon, or an evening person? night night night 

wooden fence: a favorite memory. getting her hair out my face that one time.

[learningjournals]

Research: Experimental Caligraphy

I want a feeling of the past but contemporary (I know confusing but this is more or less what I want to do) so I need a bit of writing so I started to research and practice with a bit of calligraphy and markings

Cola Pens

Cola pens create marks that are just fantastic. I wanted to experiment and see how this work and use it to break the page a bit. Experimental Calligraphy is very chaotic and rich, which is fascinating but can obscure any other element on a page. So I tried to control it a bit without taking away the richness of the marks. 

The videos below are the ones I used. In the next post, I will add the work I did and how I felt about these pieces. Secondary research

How to make Calligraphy pen (Calligrascape, 2016)

This is a very simple way to create more traditional pens. The mark is closer to the traditional instruments that calligraphers use but not really what I wanted but I still made them and work with them (I will show the pages for the experimentation on a later post)

How to make a cola pen for calligraphy ( Calligrascape, 2016)

This video showed a cola pen that is simple and can be used quite easily. I made this pen also. As the video shows, the nib has problems like inking it a lot and a more straight line but I think you can experiment with it.

Homemade Cola Pen How-To // Modified Design for Better Calligraphy ( tinlunstudio, 2020)

This type of pen is an improved design for the regular but it is more bulky and difficult to use. I love the texture and hold more ink but the clarity of the letter is in question. There is more chaos and more richness in this pen and also the way the creator uses the pen is more expressive but difficult to imitate but I will try. Another important issue with this pen is the need for big paper (A3) to write simple sentences. if you want to be legible. This is impossible if I want to use a small space for the project.

Victorian Letter-Writing Etiquette Rules ( The StudyTube Project, 2020)

This video is quite different. She talks about how to write a letter in the victorian time, which is fascinating and fun. I also notice that there is no mention of how the language was used by the average person and I always wanted to know if all the rules she mention were used for the average person. The etiquette in Spain is quite different but they share the formality and the intention of being published. I have never imagen that a private letter should be so well written that can be published. I would have never written in my life if that is the standard. In my research, many personal letters were published in the papers or on books, I thought that letters were just a literary technique to make the story more interesting but it seems that "real" letters were done with the idea of getting published.

Summary There will be a second post with examples of these pens and my attempts to make them into the final piece of work. There will also be some posts with notes of the "Victorian and Edwardian" research that I did for this project.

Calligrascape (2016). How to Make a Cola Pen for Calligraphy. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iLMNO3QD0c [Accessed 10 Sep. 2021].

Made by Edgar (2018). How To Make A Homemade Cola Calligraphy Pen (FREE Template Included). [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fq0iPacHOOY [Accessed 10 Sep. 2021].

The StudyTube Project (2020). Victorian Letter-Writing Etiquette Rules. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsKHF1ci1wA [Accessed 10 Sep. 2021].

tinlunstudio (2020). Homemade Cola Pen How-To // Modified Design for Better Calligraphy. [online] www.youtube.com. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rDy_oWL3xQ [Accessed 10 Sep. 2021].

[kinfoodie]

voidkin here, i realized that while i did ask for drinks, i never gave any examples of what kinds of drinks i wanted oops! stuff like ice cream floats (as for booze, i'm quite fond of vodka and irish creme) btw thanks so much for the desserts, i'll be sure to try them some time when i'm not too busy

Hey again! No problem, it happens 83 I hope when you get to try out the desserts that you end up liking them! I tried to kind of mix what you asked for up? So it was several things of what you wanted in one recipe. A bit chaotic but hey, it’s more fun that way. Anyway onto the drinks! I also enjoy vodka, never had irish creme though.. Sounds creamy haha.

Ginger Peach Ice Cream Floats

Coconut and Cream Float

Mini chocolate stout brownie sundae floats with burnt irish caramel + hot fudge

Irish Whiskey Ice Cream with Salted Caramel

Boozy Buttered Rum Ice Cream Floats

Cherry bourbon cacao nib soda

Kahlua and Coke Ice Cream Float

Jungle Float

Caramel and Root Beer Float

Chocolate Soda

Old Fashioned Ice Cream Soda

Firecracker Float

White Russian

Mudslide

Caramel Apple Martini

Baileys Honey Bee

There ya go! I hope this fits into what you were looking for as far as drinks go. I must apologize the majority of these somehow ended up being boozy… Even though I tried to find some non-alcoholic ice cream floats, apparently alcohol-drinkers love ice cream floats with a dash of some kind of alcohol in there xD I even looked up stuff for “kids” and it still only showed up with alcohol. There is some stuff, and I’m sure you can like omit the alcohol but… I was just astounded at the amount of booze + ice cream float recipes there were out there! o_o Anyway! If you need anything else of course feel free to come back

[quietschart]

Flying Dog The second labelling I chose to look at was Flying Dog which was started in the 60′s by George Stranahan in California. I used to buy this beer alot when I lived in Boston and loved that Ralph Steadman and Hunter S. Thompson had a part in the branding and imagery of the beer. Through Stranahan and Steadman’s friendship “in 1990, Thompson introduced Stranahan to Ralph Steadman, who went on to create original artwork for Flying Dog's beer labels in 1995.”* Steadman is a traditional satirical cartoonist that works with inks and nibs, paint and pens so the graphic designers are working with a very analogue, splashy artwork each time to convert into a label. I think it took the company a while to find it’s voice with Steadman’s drawings. Although, similar to Brewdog their beer really stood out with Steadman’s distinctive style from a Graphic Design point of view I feel they struggled to find typography and hierarchies that worked with steadman’s chaotic and splattered style. If you look at the blue Classic Pale Ale you can see that it feels a bit thrown together and not very successful or coherent. Fast forward to The Truth Imperial IPA packaging you can see they’ve settled on a solid green instead of a gradient and allowed the splatters to dominate but they have also found a typeface that goes well with the hand written elements of the design. I think overall though the packaging is successful now because it speaks to the younger craft beer drinker who want something that looks cool alongside tasting good. With Steadman’s labels they really do stand out and I know people that have kept the bottle purely because the label pleases them that much. _________________________________ Classic Pale Ale box -  Saucey.com. (2021). [online] Available at: https://images.saucey.com/84441d70-2b10-4839-b89e-9bc23e4abb25.tfss-c10c04e0-d0f7-45c4-b517-db509008ec74-BE-FDPALE-6BTL.jpg [Accessed 30 Apr. 2021]

* -  Wikipedia. (2021). Flying Dog Brewery. [online] Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Dog_Brewery [Accessed 30 Apr. 2021]. Flying Dog Logo and can and bottle images -  flyingdogbrewery.com. (n.d.). Flying Dog Brewery - Good People Drink Good Beer. [online] Available at: https://www.flyingdog.com/ [Accessed 30 Apr. 2021]. The Truth box packaging -  Sparrowine.com. (2021). [online] Available at: https://www.sparrowine.com/media/catalog/product/cache/4affeeb0391b580bb11202aa0f1726bb/1/8/18771.jpg [Accessed 30 Apr. 2021].

[cloudytreefolk]

Exercise: The History of Illustration - E. H. Shepard and Dave McKean

E. H. Shepard (1879 - 1976) began his career illustrating editions of Aesop’s Fables, David Copperfield by Charles Dickens and Tom Brown’s School Days  before drawing cartoons for Punch, a popular satirical and comic magazine. During the First World War, in his thirties, he served in the trenches and for military intelligence, recording enemy positions with his illustration skills. After the war, Shepard continued to work for Punch, for a time as Head Cartoonist, before being removed by the new manager in 1953.

Whilst at Punch, E. H. Shepard was introduced to A. A. Milne by a colleague and  established a productive working relationship, E. H. Shepard providing the iconic illustrations for the Winnie-the-Pooh series, which were used as a basis for the classic Disney movie. Shepard also illustrated Kenneth Grahame’s The Wind in the Willows. For the purposes of this exercise I’ll focus on E. H. Shepard’s Winnie-the-Pooh illustrations, as they are the best known of his work and there’s a large pool of work there to analyse.

Dave McKean (1963 - ) is an artist, illustrator, photographer, musician and filmmaker. His career began in 1986 when he met author Neil Gaiman, and the pair published several smaller comics together before the highly successful The Sandman series was released, which brought McKean and Gaiman properly into the public eye. McKean also illustrated DC’s Arkham Asylum. Since then he’s published numerous comics,illustrated several more Neil Gaiman works including Coraline and The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish, illustrated  books by S.F. Said, David Almond, Steven King, Ray Bradbury, Richard Dawkins and many more. He’s designed album covers and promotional artwork, produced concept artwork for major feature films and directed MirrorMask, written with Neil Gaiman from 1998 and released in 2005. 

Did the work of the illustrator you chose seem old fashioned? How?

Shepard’s illustrations for Winnie the Pooh have a classic, literary feeling, reminding me of the pen and ink style I’ve seen in illustrations for Sherlock Holmes or The Secret Garden, however with a bit more of a sweetness and cosy humour, a bit more playful and cartoonish than those more representational images. I feel like Shepard’s style fits the books and characters very well, with their reassuring combination of more grown up thoughtful-ness/ character observation and gentle humour reflected by the “classic” pen and ink style and “cartoonish-ness” where the lines become less representational and more humourous. When I read the books growing up, the illustration style made me feel like they were somewhat serious and mature books for me to read, which made me feel accomplished. They feel quietly enticing like doodles in the author’s notebook, as if you were being read the stories directly by the paternal voice of A. A. Milne and being given an inside look. The landscape of the Hundred Akre Wood is relatively realistic, somewhat sparse and scrubby, so feel more relatable and familiar than a big colourful jungle - you could meet the characters in the trees at the bottom of your garden. 

“I was able to draw many of the places with the comfortable feeling of - it really happened here-” E. H. Shepard on creating studies from life at Ashdown forest to consolidate into the finished Winnie the Pooh illustrations.

What attracted you to the work of your chosen contemporary artist?

Dave McKean’s artwork is highly textural, feels cinematic, can feel both bleak and stark or warm and intimate through specific lighting and colour choices. I love his combinations of rich colour and texture with deep black shadows or scratchy black lines, this is something I love producing in my own artwork. His illustration work and faces feel very sculptural and influenced by his 3D work, like masks but also sensual. There’s an off-putting, distant feeling by the mask-like nature, but intimacy from warm skin tones and fleshy shapes. Cinematic feeling from almost theatrical lighting and texture, cartoony feeling where the text requires more comedy with the scratchy lines and wacky shapes and expressions.

I picked McKean’s illustrations of Neil Gaiman’s The Wolves in the Walls to focus on for this exercise because I thought the comparison with E. H. Shepard’s work would be interesting. Both works feature anthropomorphic animals and relatable childhood experiences (playing with soft toys, being scared of monsters hidden in your house) but the nature of the animals is far darker and chaotic in The Wolves in the Walls, and I feel like the multifaceted, abstracted mixed media artwork reflects this mood.

  Sometimes the wolves are completely abstract; mad and dark shapes, they warp and twist, especially when Lucy is at the bottom of the garden worrying about what the wolves will do to her puppet pig. When she enters the house to save her pig, the wolf she sees in reality is white and hairy, a living, sleeping, solid animal instead of a twisted demon. Having faced the reality of her fear she feels braver and encourages her family to take back their house from the wolves. Something I think is really clever is that the wolves don’t lose all their character and become docile cute and fluffy, they are more realistically drawn/more grounded than before and white instead of black but still wacky and scratchy and cartoonish, just the nature of that abstraction has changed. Now having taken over the house, they’re more force of mad chaos instead of a dark ominous threat and feel more comical and cathartic than terrifying.

How did each artist produce their illustrations, what tools and materials did they use?

E. H. Shepard began his illustrations by making pencil studies from life in the countryside of Ashdown Forest, the basis for The Hundred Acre Wood. He’d then take these home, make thumbnail sketches to develop his ideas, then trace from his studies to compose his final images. He would “drop in” the characters on top of these scenes, drawn from imagination but originally based off the real life Christopher Robin and his toys, along with Shepard’s son’s bear Growler as the eponymous Winnie-the-Pooh. Then Shepard would ink over his pencil lines with a nib pen, later adding simple and bright watercolour washes when the books were later published with colour illustrations.

Images from The Art of Winnie the Pooh by James Campbell

In keeping with the technological advances of illustration since Shepard’s days, Dave McKean uses a more technologically based approach to create his illustrations, and uses a wide selection of media. On his website FAQ he writes “I use whatever is appropriate for the job. If the story needs close storytelling and a light, simple style of narrative, then probably pen and ink, or brushpen, or pencil would be best. If the story needs a more symbolic approach then maybe collage, or paint, or digital. It all comes down to the emotion and atmosphere you want to convey.” For The Wolves in the Walls he uses a mixture of traditional and digital painting for the humans, scratchy, powerful traditional ink lines for the feral wolves, and photography and found textures to construct objects such as the puppet pig, father’s tuba, mother’s jam and walls and fabrics of the house. Natural forms like plants and fire are totally digitally painted; little abstract elemental flourishes occasionally dotted in. All these parts are compiled and layered together digitally in Photoshop, reminiscent of Shepard’s method of compiling several sketches into one piece by tracing.

[theforkedspoon]

Raspberry Beet and Cereal Smoothie Bowl

Sweet berries and bright red beets transform this Smoothie Bowl into a healthy, vibrant and fiber-rich powerhouse. Thanks to the addition of milk and yogurt, it's also packed full of protein (no powders necessary).

 Am I the only one that thinks that the time between Christmas and New Year's is... weird. It's like I'm stuck in limbo. I literally went from crazy work all the time to peace and quiet. It's like half the world is working while the other half is hanging out on a tropical beach somewhere.

Ok, I'm totally exaggerating. However, it's still the strangest week of the year.

Lucky for me, my child has school three days this week; so, with only a few upcoming deadlines in the beginning part of January, I have started sorting and planning my January calendar and meal plan. Yes, you guys, MEAL PLAN. For the whole entire month.

After the feeding frenzy (better known as October through December), I need a reset in January. Also keeping in mind that I will be traveling through New Zealand and then on to Tahiti the entire month of February...well, let's just say there is no dieting while on vacation. While I am on vacation I eat all the things.

That said, I don't have plans to go crazy and do cleanse or cut out any one thing from my diet. I will still eat carbs and I will still consume sugar. However,  I'm looking to get a balance back to my diet. So, that means more salads, more vegetable-based soups (this is SO easy, you guys) and more fiber. Less candy and ice cream and cookies, and sadly, yes, less alcohol.

I will fail if I attempt a crazy diet, so I simply seek balance. Plus, I run and exercise quite a bit- and more now that my schedule is less chaotic. I need food to stay strong. And although I could certainly be a vegan athlete and consume no sugar or alcohol, that would be boring.

Sorry, not sorry.

Oh yes, if you're wondering if all the recipes I share over the course of the next month will be borning and "healthy", I can promise you that will not be the case. I may be eating healthier, but this blog here is in NO WAY posted in real time (that would literally be impossible). 

For example, all the posts I have scheduled to go out while I'm in New Zealand (except for the travel ones) are already shot. And this bright, bold and beautiful smoothie bowl? Well, I think I shot this over the summer. #bloggertruth

That said, it's still amazing and super nutritious. Promise. Protein in the milk and yogurt (pick your own personal favorite), fiber in the oats, and all kinds of amazing goodness for your body in the beets and berries. There is NO ADDED SUGAR in this smoothie bowl. If you want to be extra healthy, toss a handful of spinach in there. You won't even taste it. Your kids won't either- I know because my son loved this smoothie.

JK. He loved the smoothie not the smoothie bowl (something about the straw).

Raspberry Beet and Cereal Smoothie Bowl

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes Total Time: 5 minutes Yield: 2 smoothie bowls

Ingredients

1.5 cups milk of choice 1 cup plain Greek yogurt 1 banana 1 large or 2 small beets, cooked, cooled and peeled 5 strawberries 1 cup frozen raspberries 1/2 cup rolled oats Toppings- Fresh banana, strawberry, raspberries, dragon fruit, rolled oats or granola, cocoa nibs, and Love Grown Fruity Sea Stars

Instructions

Combine all ingredients, except for the toppings, in the bowl of a high-speed blender. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes or until smooth and completely blended. Pour into two bowls and top with fresh fruit, cereal, granola, and cocoa nibs, if desired.

Enjoy!