#I needed to make a quick sketch as an example on my commission sheet | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

albacanta-art · 2 months ago

Text

Opening 3 commission slots to afford furniture and other basics!

The pricing for sketches and TOS can be found below the cut. Lineart will be +100% of the prices below.

You may reach me via DM on here, via Dis//cord alba_canta or [email protected]. I look forward to your ideas!

TOS:

General Procedures

-I reserve the right to deny or turn down any commission request I do not feel comfortable with, be it due to skill or topics I do not agree with.

-Commissions are for personal use only. I do not allow my art to be fed to any kind of A//I engines, nor for any kind of commercial use; there will be additional fees for commercial use.

-I reserve the right to post my art on social media unless requested otherwise. Regardless of this, all art will be put in my art portfolio.

-I accept requests to change only during the rough sketching phase. If you can't settle for a design and keep changing your mind, I reserve the right to deny continuing on your piece. After the sketching phase, I only allow 3-4 minor changes that don't drastically change the final piece. Any changes beyond that will increase the price of the commission.

-In order to start on your commission, I need as many details as possible: be it in written form, ref sheets, previous commissions, and so on. The more things you make clear are important for you in the beginning, the easier it will be for me to make your vision a reality.

-Please understand that excessive detail or complexity (such as intricate tattoos, clothing, or patterns) may increase the base price shown above.

Payment

-Payments are solely via Pay//Pal. Once we agree on a price and I put together the first sketch, I expect 50% of the full price to be forwarded in advance. I will forward the final product only after the full payment has gone through. All payments are final, I do not accept refunds.

-Once the finalized artwork is finished and accepted, I will send you full-res files of the work and watermarked versions for social media. No physical product will be delivered.

Other specifics

-Please be patient and allow me up to 3 months for your piece. I put a lot of care into quality and detail and that takes time. I will make sure to update you on my process, but you may also ask for them in moderation. Pestering me won't make me want to work for you any faster. Rushed art is only available for additional fees.

-You are allowed to share my art on your social media, but please make sure to only use the watermarked versions and tag me @albacanta-art. Please use a link to this blog for other social media.

-Be kind. Any and all inappropriate, pushy, or aggressive/rude behaviour towards me will result in a cancellation of your commission.

-Please keep in mind that I can not be available 24/7 for your messages and might need a day or two to answer during the week.

By commissioning me, you confirm that you have read my terms of service and agree to them.

Thank you for your interest!

Examples:

Rough Sketch: Quick and dirty, with or without faded first sketch lines underneath and minimal shading/detailing (Different line colours are optional, the norm is black)

Clean sketch: Carefully cleaned up lines and punctual highlighting / details

Greyscale sketch: Varying degrees of shading and lighting, including a simple background unless a detailed background is specifically requested (as was the case for this commission)

Full-colour sketch: Complete colouring and shading on a clean sketch with or without a simplistic background unless a detailed background is specifically requested.

Character Sheet Bundle: Includes a colour palette and 3-5 detail drawings depending on the pieces you choose to include besides the two full-body sketches (I will charge an additional fee for any more details you wish to include). I will provide a censored and uncensored version upon completion, but request that only the censored version is shared on social media. The character sheet will be flat colours only for the sake of being a reference sheet, e.g. for future commissions.

#art commissions open

10 notes · View notes

for-lovely-things · 2 years ago

Text

domicofo commissions | OPEN!

I would be really happy if you would commission me or signal boost this post!💕 Please read the following rules!!!!

What I WILL draw:

Your OC

Canon characters

Real people

Pets (only together with person/character)

NSFW & SFW, nude

Preferable fandoms: Cyberpunk 2077, Winx Club, The Witcher, Dragon Age, but I can draw on every other fandom you’d like ^^

What I WON’T draw:

Mechs, hardcore gore (blood & injuries ok), furries

Inc*st, r*pe & anything else that feels weird (kinks are ok)

Some ships, which make me uncomfortable

NSFW art rules:

price on NSFW drawings from now on is indexed on 10% from full price

nude doesn't count as NSFW, I love drawing naked people

masturbation (1 char) and sex (2 chars) count as NSFW. Kinky stuff too

And some more things you need to know:

Every additional character +75% to the price

+5$ to the price for detailed clothes and tattoos (I won’t charge extra for Kerry’s tattoos, but if any other char has complicated tattoos you:

a) give me their tattoos as flat png images so I can slap them on their body;

b) pay extra for me to draw them by hand

c) don't pay, but I simplify them)

+10$ to the full price for complex background (I won’t do something too complex like complicated perspective, only nature, rooms, blurry townscapes etc.)

The style of fullcolor may vary from lineart+color to color-no lineart (you can request the preferable one)

Line art can have one/two spot colors

I'll send you a sketch of commission if I won't be sure about composition

I can draw you traditional art commission too, if you want it :) It will cost the same as digital one though (i do watercolors and pencils)

I accept payment by Boosty, 50% of the price no refund ahead, the rest 50% after I finish. FOLLOW THIS TUTORIAL ON HOW TO USE BOOSTY or WATCH THIS STEP-BY-STEP VIDEO

Tell me, if I have any deadline to which I should hurry up, but usually commission takes me 2-4 weeks

Price can always be negotiated ;)

NEW! Character sheet

Consists of one character full body, 8 quick sketches of outfits (OR sketches of poses OR sketches of facial exressions)

Can consist of more elements like turns, rendered face and etc, but the more you add the more it will cost

PLEASE let me design you an OC from zero (moodboard or description) I can do that!!!!

If you wanna commission me please DM me here on this blog, write to my e-mail [email protected] or contact me via Discord - Domicofo#0080 . I’ll need descriptions of what you want to see and as many references as you can provide~ Would be perfect if your references would be collected in one Google Drive folder beforehand.

DM me or leave a comment below this post if you still have more questions. You can see more examples of my works by the #my art tag, for more examples of NSFW works stop by at my Twitter

Stay tuned, gonna announce more fun stuff soon ;)

116 notes · View notes

sparkwithinme · 1 year ago

Text

Commissions open with a new commission sheet. ^.^ For more examples, my work can be found mainly be found on my Tumblr all under this tag, but some ancient work is kicking around on Deviantart. Also post things on my main twitter.

Prices are in USD.

I now have a Commission Form to make getting the ball rolling easier!

For a quick run down, keep reading! :D

1. My own style is sorta a mix between Disney-anime, but as I'm trained in animation, I enjoy dabbling with many styles. More anime? More disney? More realistic? Not a problem. :) For OC characters, visual examples or a detailed description is a must! Pose references are fantastic too! Basically the more visual reference you can give me, the better I can capture what you have in mind. :)

2. The above examples are just estimates as complexity of the request can affect the price. I am, however, also super flexible! My sheet is just some examples. Like if you'd be happy with a rougher sketch, pricing can be adjusted. I do also make physical artwork, working in marker, coloured pencil and watercolour--again, contact me to discuss this.

3. What won’t I do? Mecha/technical things I’m hopeless at. Heavily detailed things, like armour (looking at YOU FFXIV) makes my brain melt, thus can affect my quote. And, sorry, I can't do detailed backgrounds. (Don’t ask about my animation layout class grades! Cry XD) Simplified spaces and more natural landscapes I'm much better at. And, lastly, mature content just isn't my cuppa tea.

4. Paypal is my preferred method of payment! (But if you’re a fellow Canadian we might have another option... contact me and we’ll talk! :) )

5. The finished piece is yours to use for any personal uses. (Wallpapers, icons, etc.) However, copyright over the work is retained by me. If you’re interested in work to be used for commercial use, this is something that would need further discussion. See the google form for more thorough explanation of my terms.

6. Finally... I also make stuff! I love making crafty things! And more crafty things! Also MORE! XD (And some older things!) Here is a lot of the things I currently have available and also do custom work. Currently only able to mail things to Canada and US. (Things have been getting complicated lately. :( ) My apologies. Please get in touch if interested! =D

(P.S. I also stream a bunch on Twitch! Games (particularly a LOT of XIV right now) mainly! But also art sometimes too. ^.^ Come hang out with me!

#commissions #commission info #commissions open #jen draws stuff #draw many things but obviously FFXIV is a focus lately #especially G'aha #and lalafells lol #but still love stuff like Nippon Ichi #and you know I still love you TAG gang <3

6 notes · View notes

fawnnbinary · 3 years ago

Text

Hi there!! You know what would be awesome? If you would commission me! Or send me a tip on ko-fi for a quick doodle!

Sketch:

Lined:

Emojis:

I don't have a cute sheet for them yet, and will update this post when I do, but I'm also offering 4-pack emojis of a character of your choice for $12! Here's examples of some I did of Theo, Asher, and Axel!

You can pick the expressions and each expression is $3 each if you wanted to get more or less (ex: just get 2 for $6 or get an extra 2 for a total of $18) These will always be lined and full colored unless you ask for them otherwise!

I also do YCH heart emojis!

These are also $3 each and can be any character, any species, and I can do either solid color hearts or pride flags!!

Here's a quick run down of my commission terms!

If you are interested, contact me either here on tumblr through dms or on discord (current tag is fawnnbinary#1546)

These prices are for one character, but I only charge $3 more for every character!

Reference is immensely appreciated but not required, especially if I am drawing a character I have drawn before or a well known character from popular media

Please give me as much detail as you can! I want to make sure I give you the best content possible!

I can be paid through either p/aypal or c/ashapp, and would prefer to be paid at least half of the price up front and the rest after

You will receive every step of the piece (sketch, lined, colored) up to that that you paid for, as I finish it, so that I can make every change you desire!

For all options, line color can be changed! (ex: if you got a lined, monochrome piece in blue, I could make the lines blue too!)

It isn't clear in my charts, but the second option between full color and uncolored is a monochrome option - which can either be a single block of a single color or done with shades of that color in place of full colors!

If you allow it I will post the finished commission on tumblr with my watermark on it - I automatically put my watermark on all my work, but I can also give you a version without it if you desire!

I will start working asap and if you have a deadline you need a piece by, please tell me! I will prioritize pieces with deadlines given!

My p/aypal is fawnbinary (1 n), cashtag is $fawnnbi, and my kofi is fawnnbinary (2 n) just like this blog!!

I will draw:

ocs

fanart

real people

furries

ship art

nsfw

I won't draw:

mechs

cars

gore

bigoted or illegal material

Here are some examples of my art:

Bonus coupons:

If you give me a "yeehaw" I'll give you a $1 discount 👉👈

Thank you for reading my commissions post!! I love you!! ♥

#commission sheet #fanart commissions #art commissions #commissions open #pinned post #ocs #original characters #fanart #fan art #original character art #oc art #digital art #artists on tumblr #custom emojis #emoji commissions

145 notes · View notes

corruptimles · 4 years ago

Text

Monthly Check-In (Jan/Feb)

By the time I remembered to do a summary of December, it was halfway into January due to personal life and world events, so I thought to combine with January’s

Quick shout-out to my patrons who supported me until now:

(Patreon and life updates under read-more)

Patreon in December/January:

December Sketch Dump

January Sketch Dump

WIPreview: Neon J (Pokemon x NSR crossover)

Process Work: Shamrock Commission

Process Work: Jordy and Ink Demon Commission

Character designing: spear-gun robot, turret droid (original)

Character designing: snowflake objecthead, candle objecthead (original)

and more

General updates:

I’ll be updating my commission price sheets soon; just with more recent examples (the pricing will be the same)

I noticed part of my tablet screen is getting damaged, so I may need to start a goal for a new one in the future, along with a new computer to make streams and such easier.. we’ll see

If you’d like to see extra stuff and help me out, you can support me on Patreon.com/Corruptimles

#patreon #me post #absolute professionalism #key words 'until now' so list may not include new patrons or declines

15 notes · View notes

lethendralis-paints · 5 years ago

Text

Art Commissions (May 2020)

Hello there! I’m open for commissions again!

I know that times are hard and we all have our own financial struggles, so I will be doubly grateful for any work that might come my way!

Please note, that my main focus are one character portraits. But I will also gladly create complex scenes, character design, animals, landscapes and architecture if needed. It doesn’t have to be specifically DA focused! I had previously done original fiction illustrations, fan art for other fantasy or sci-fi fandoms and enjoyed the work immensely!

I would like to avoid romantic scenes if possible as they are too emotionally taxing for me to create at the moment.

[email protected] for any inquiries

***************************************************************************

Take a look at my regular commission pricing and rules here:

https://lethendralis-paints.tumblr.com/post/188253804681/commisions-post-updated-added-the-pricing-in

And for the quick sketch commissions here:

https://lethendralis-paints.tumblr.com/post/612304533287272448/quick-sketch-commissions-round-2-march-2020

If you’d like to order a highly detailed painted portrait (follow the link for the style example), let me know! The price for such a piece will be between 150-200$ depending on the complexity (as it’s really time- and energy consuming), but the result will be worth it!

https://lethendralis-paints.tumblr.com/post/617107116220645376/a-pair-of-old-oil-painting-inspired-portraits

****************************************************************************

As always, huge thanks to anyone who chooses to reach out and commission me or share this post around!

Banavis fedari! May the ground rise to meet your feet!

FAQ under the cut:

1) How does Patreon payment work exactly?

You just do a custom pledge for the amount we agreed upon and keep it up until Patreon charges your account at the start of next month (usually the billing period wraps up by the 2nd of each month). After that you are free to cancel the pledge or edit it down to as little as 1$ to remain my patron if that is your wish!

2) Can I ask for changes and adjustments for the ongoing commission?

Yes, but only on the rough sketching phase. I usually send at least 1 update while I’m sketching out the scene, and after conforming all the details move on to clean line art/ detailed painting. At this stage I couldn’t possibly make adjustments without considerable suffering on my part.

3) Where do I get the piece once it’s finished?

Be sure to download the high resolution file from my Patreon page! The image posted on my Tumblr (with your permission) is low-res and not intended for printing. If you’d like to request a layered PSD file or a TIFF version of your commission for high quality printing, feel free to tell me!

4) Will you be changing your prices in the future?

Not at the moment, no. They are rather low, actually, but the times are tough and a lot of us are battling financial insecurity, so I’m leaving them as is, even though the detailing and overall quality of my works is constantly evolving. But if you have the opportunity to leave a tip - don’t hesitate to do so; it would make me very happy.

5) What if I don’t have all these detailed reference sheets and face claims for the character I want?

That’s not a problem at all! You would just have to trust my imagination and whatever my overactive brain comes up with! A text description may well be enough!

#art commissions #may 2020 #help lethy pay her bills

111 notes · View notes

yeslahrt · 3 years ago

Text

Commission Details & TOS

The prices indicated on my commission sheet are base prices for the examples shown on the graphic. Here is more information to help clear up any additional question you may have. Once I am commissioned, it will be assumed that you have read through the information below!

WHAT I WILL DRAW:

Animals! I can draw a variety of animals and would love to have more practice to expand on my portfolio.

Mythical animals! I will do my best to illustrate your fantasy animal.

Monsters! I will take a stab at drawing your weird creature and make it look awesome.

D&D characters! Anthros! If it has a skeleton, I will do my best to draw what you want.

Yes, I am open to drawing sensual illustrations per my taste.

WHAT I WILL NOT DRAW:

I am still working on gaining more experience with using perspective, therefore I will not draw mech. One day, though.

I do not have the experience to draw gore.

I do not have the experience to draw chibis.

No, I will not draw pron for you.

WHAT TO EXPECT...

INQUIRIES & ORDERS: All clients should tell me everything that I need for your quote. If the client is too vague, I may not be able to accurately portray the character in the same fashion as you would like. (See below for info regarding references). Once we are ready to move forward, you will receive an invoice at the PayPal email you provide me.

I will not start working on your commission until the invoice is paid. If the invoice is not paid within 72 hours, I will send a confirmation of cancellation of your commission and discard your project. You will then have to wait until I have slots available again.

Repeated offenders will be denied service and potentially banned from my services.

Responsibility of following copyright notices and laws will fall solely on the client. Please do your own research and due diligence when commissioning licensed characters that do not belong to you. *

WHAT I NEED FROM YOU:

PayPal Email: (Please note that I only take USDs.)

Commercial or Personal Use? (If commercial, please explain.)

Printed and Framed? (Yes, I can have your illustration printed, framed, and sent to you for additional costs.)

Type of Illustration: (Please tell me what to illustrate for you. IE: Icon, extra small (XSm) portrait, regular portrait, half body, full body, etc.)

Do you want flat color for your illustration? (+$10 for regular portraits, +$15 for half body, +$20 for full body illustrations)

Do you want full color and shading? (+$30 for regular portraits, +$40 for half body, +$50 for full body illustrations)

More characters? Additional characters per illustration START at half cost as a base idea, but prices will vary depending on your commission and how much added work it will be.

Quick Personality: (Used to get a sense of the character I will be illustrating.)

Extra additions? (Do you want them smiling? Crying? Serious? What do you want them doing, if applicable?)

Do you have references? (If yes, I will ask you to email them to my business account. Do not send them to me via Tumblr.)

REFERENCE GUIDELINES

Please send me pictures of your character(s) for reference! Things to consider: potential hairstyles, outfits, color palettes, preferred skin tone, other illustrations of your character that you commissioned from other artists, etc. Anything to better help me portray your character correctly is good.

I also need a few words about their personality for setting a mood for your character. This should be no more than three sentences max.

If you have a pose in mind, please reference the pose. Otherwise I will take artistic freedom with the rough sketch.

WARNING: Do not send me a link to your toyhouse or website where I have to get the references myself. Otherwise you risk your inquiry being rejected.

Yes, I am okay with clients sharing a google folder of references specific to your commission with me.

WiPs & WORK PROCESS

You, the client, will receive periodic WiPs of the initial rough sketch that will lay down the foundation of your commission. This is the time for you to tell me if there are any major concerns or adjustments that should be made to avoid incurring additional work fees.

You will eventually be asked to confirm the rough sketch before I begin working on finalizing the line work and illustration. Once confirmed, minor details can be requested to be altered and changed, but the main part of the illustration will not be altered without incurring additional fees.

Once the line work has been finalized, I will begin working on adding flat colors. I strongly recommend you to send me color palettes if you are very particular, otherwise I will take artistic freedom with the illustration. You will again be sent a WiP to make any color corrections. If any of the flat colors are off, this is the time to tell me before I finish your commission with the final shading.

POST PERIOD OF REVISION: I will make minor alterations within reason after the first 72 hours of completion. Any changes that require me to go back and rework the line art, which will lead to me fixing colors/shading, (ex: a different outfit) you will incur an additional 50% - 75% of the original commission cost.

PLEASE BE ADVISED: If you are having me design your character for the first time and your thought process is exceptionally particular concerning your character, you may incur an additional 30% conceptual design fee for the additional time I will spend with you to make the actualization of your character the best it can be.

DELIVERY OF COMMISSION: I will send you an email with a link to your finished commission (usually via Google drive). Unless you have specifically requested for a printed and framed bundle, there will be no physical product or merchandise exchange.

WHAT ABOUT DEADLINES?

The client is more than welcome to suggest a date that they may need the commission to be completed by. Depending on the type of turnaround you are requesting, you will be charged a rush fee of 35 - 50% of the original cost of the commission.

Otherwise the commission will be done in the order received and you may be given a rough estimate of when the work should be started. The completion of the project will take between 1 week and 2 months, give or take, once you have been notified that the work has started.

ART SCHEDULE & SOCIAL MEDIA

Please be aware that I hold a job outside of social media. I sadly do not have a set schedule for my job. I find my creative drive spontaneous throughout the day, therefore I do not have a predictable drawing schedule. If you wish to watch me draw, then you can find the link in my bio to follow me.

Sadly, because of Tumblr's algorithms of hiding/shadow banning posts, I cannot add a link to it here for your convenience. All I can say is if you have the ITCH to watch me draw, you know where to find me, if ya' catch my drift? 'Eh? 'Eh?

ADDITIONAL FEES

If you, the client, are requesting thorough concept art of your character, which include reference sheets alongside of an illustration, I will ask for an additional fee for the service I will provide when spending extra time making sure that your new character is just right and providing a character reference sheet.

As a rule, I always add my watermark to a small portion of every commission that will not hinder your view of the work. If you wish to have a file without my watermark, please expect an additional fee added to your commission price. Personal use only.

If you wish for a high-quality illustration for printing, please expect an additional 50% minimum fee added to your commission. Personal use only.

The print-and-frame bundle will incur additional costs and time. Please contact me for more details.

CANCELLATIONS AND REFUNDS

Every client has the right to cancel their commission any time before I START work on their commission. Other refunds may be issued based on client relation, otherwise all payments are non-refundable once I have started work on your commission.

I also reserve the right to cancel your commission for any reason, for which you will see a refund if you have paid.

HOWEVER: If I terminate your commission due to the harassment of myself or my followers on social media, racially charged behavior or hate speech, threats of violence, obsessive or otherwise disturbing behavior... YOU WILL NOT GET A REFUND REGARDLESS OF THE STATUS OF YOUR COMMISSION.

I reserve the right to refuse your inquiry and/or commission for any reason I feel necessary. If I refuse your commission inquiry, please do not inquire about said commission again in the future.

— TERMS OF SERVICE —

MY RIGHTS — My right as an artist grants ownership of the copyright of my artwork. I do not however claim ownership of a client’s character or ownership of characters from television shows, movies, games, books, etc. In addition, I control the display and exhibition of my work, and the distribution of the work. Clients and/or followers cannot:

Re-post my work without my written consent.

Use my work for their Wattpad novel colors.

Upload my work on other social media platforms without my written consent.

Claim my work as their own, even if it's a commissioned piece.

Use my work with the intention to redistribute, promote themselves, generate revenue off of my work, or take away from my bottom line. I am a business owner and my artwork is my brand.

PERSONAL USE TERMS — As default, all commissions will be assumed that they are for the client’s personal use and enjoyment. Any intention to use my work in any way that may promote you, generate revenue, or that will redistribute my work will require a commercial user license.

COMMERCIAL USE TERMS — If you would like to commission artwork from me in a way that will promote you, generate revenue, or that will redistribute my work, (such as, and not limited to: promotional material, merchandise, raffles, giveaways, indie games) will require you to sign an official agreement. Commercial based commissions have different fees. Once signed, my illustrations will not include any watermarks and will come to you with a high-quality resolution. This will not allow you to change, edit, or repurpose my illustrations and I will ask you to credit me for my work in some form. You are required to clearly state if your commission will be used commercially.

Extended License — This license is an agreement that will grant the client full ownership of your commissioned artwork. You will receive my work with no watermarks, at a high-quality resolution, and you will be able to edit, change, repurpose, redistribute the product at your leisure with no credit to me as the artist is so desired.

Licenses are not eligible for discounts. Non-negotiable.

Again, responsibility of following copyright notices and laws will fall solely on the client. Please do your own research and due diligence when commissioning licensed characters that do not belong to you.

— DISTRIBUTION OF INFORMATION —

I acknowledge that I sometimes collect sensitive information from my clients. You have a right to privacy. I do not collect, sell, or otherwise give out your personal information. Your inquiries and orders are confidential unless I feel a reasonable threat is being made and/or must report such information to the authorities.

If the client requests that I do not display their commission in my online portfolio, I will respect that request to the best of my abilities. However please understand that I reserve the right to print and display my artwork for my physical portfolio and that your request will not extend to my physical gallery unless other arrangements have been made.

#commissions #commission info #commission sheet #commission tos #tos #terms of service

5 notes · View notes

hedwigstalons · 4 years ago

Text

High Expectations - Ch13

Ok, art challenge officially flunked. I managed 12 chapters though and as someone who did not art I think I’ve spent more time being creative over the course of this fic than I have in the last 20 years cumulatively. I’m still going to keep drawing (I’m actually quite enjoying it) but the writing and sketching schedules are not aligning.

@willow-salix has been incredibly patient with me, it would probably be a very different (and much shorter) story without her.

Earlier parts: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, Twelve

AO3 chapter link

Chapter Thirteen

Jeff had been surprised to get out of his meeting and find the memo on his desk. He hadn’t known his eldest son was coming home so the request that he make it back in time for dinner was pleasant if unexpected. It would be nice to have another adult in the house. Maybe having Scott around for a few days would set a good example to Gordon and get him to buck his ideas up; his fourth son was still being a distinct trial on his patience.

He entered the apartment to snippets of conversation and laughter that drifted down from the kitchen. Scott’s clear voice carried strongly down the hallway and the sound of his eldest brought a smile to his face and he hurried through to see the son he now saw the least of.

“Evening Gordon” a quick, curt greeting to one son before turning to the other, “Scott, this is a pleasant surprise, how come you’re here?”

“Hi Dad. I just had some leave owing, I thought I’d come back and see you folks. It is ok for me to stay isn’t it?”

“Course it is, Son, this is your home after all.”

“Thanks. Dinner’s nearly ready, it needs another, what, ten minutes?” Scott looked across at Gordon for confirmation and got a nod in return.

“Great, I’ll just go get washed up. Where’s Alan?” he asked, noting that the table had only been set for three.

“Senior science club. You’d know that if you paid any attention to his schedule.”

The animosity radiated off of Gordon and Jeff noted the warning hand Scott placed on his younger brother’s arm, urging him to keep his cool.

“Fine. Well, I’ll be back in a few minutes boys.”

As Jeff exited the kitchen Scott turned to Gordon, still keeping hold of his arm.

“Look, I know things aren’t great between the pair of you…”

“Understatement” he was interrupted with a snort and an eye roll.

“...but please don’t make things any harder than they have to be.”

“Fine, I’ll be a good boy.”

“Gordon…!”

“Ok. No arguing with the old man, I get it. Now, can you let go of me please, I need to turn the stove off.”

Scott released his brother who turned back to the bubbling pans on the stove and put the finishing touches to the meal he was preparing. They carried the plates and dishes over to the table between them and waited for their father to join them before starting. The smells coming out of the pots were really quite tempting, it looked like Virgil was right when he said their brother had hidden talents. The meat was grilled to perfection and the sauce was full of flavour.

“This is delicious Scott.” Jeff commented after spearing a piece of broccoli.

“Actually, Gordon cooked, I just did what I was told.”

“Hmpf, at least one of you can follow instructions then. Did you finish your personal statement Gordon? I want to see it after dinner.”

Scott realised that the arguments clearly flowed both ways. No wonder Gordon had been so miserable if every achievement was overlooked and every opportunity to take a dig at his failings was fully exploited. With every passing minute they were in close proximity, and each sniping comment from their father, that fragile confidence he had bolstered was visibly leaching out of Gordon. He noticed with concern that Gordon’s plate was still worryingly full. How could a man that was meant to love his children equally be so complimentary to him in one breath and scathing to Gordon in the next? He had always been prepared to excuse their father’s faults, the long hours of work and pushing responsibility onto himself and Virgil was an unfortunate consequence of a man trying to do his best for his family, but he couldn’t stay quiet over tonights’ injustice. Placing down his fork he took a deep breath and prepared to enter the fray.

“Actually Dad, Gordon and I have been busy this afternoon. It’s my fault he hasn’t done it.”

“Well he can work on it after dinner then, the next college application cycle will be closing soon. Perhaps you can give him some pointers.”

“I’ll help Gordon with his application but it won’t be for college.”

Jeff, sensing insubordination, narrowed his eyes. He had come to expect it from Gordon but Scott had always followed his lead. This new development was surprising.

“Well what else would he be applying for?”

“WASP.” It came out slightly louder than Scott intended causing the surrounding silence to deepen ominously. He held his father’s gaze and set his jaw in determination. He had committed to supporting Gordon and was prepared to make a stand.

“Not that nonsense again” The rebuttal was swift and accompanied by the clatter of steel against crockery as the remains of the meal were abandoned. Jeff’s anger rose swiftly at the mention of the aquanaut patrol. “He’s too young and hardly has the right temperament to follow orders. Even if they would accept him he would probably be court marshalled out within a month and I will not have that sort of shame brought on the family”

“He won’t be too young in February and he has exactly the right temperament to join as an officer.”

Now it was Gordon’s turn to be surprised. He was grateful to Scott for his support in joining WASP but to hear his brother thought he should be an officer was a step further than he had ever considered. He had been staying silent during the verbal tennis match between Scott and his father, trying his hardest not to inflame the situation. Tensions around the table were escalating. Scott had always deferred to their father previously but his time in the Air Force had him used to being in command and now it was like watching the alpha male and the young contender circling for dominance in the pack. He wondered if the comment was deliberately designed to challenge their father or if Scott really meant it.

“Gordon? An officer? You cannot be serious about that.” There was derision at the mere thought of Gordon taking a role of responsibility.

“I’m perfectly serious. You never saw him at Marineville. You never heard what his assessors said about him. If he hadn’t had to withdraw from selection they were going to offer him a commission, they could see he was wasted in junior ranks and I have to say I agree with them. WASP selection makes the Air Force tests look like a cake walk but Gordon was good out there. If he wants to go into WASP then I for one will support him, it would be nice if you could support him too.”

“I think I know how best to support Gordon and that is in continuing his education, that’s if Gordon is even still eligible for college.” Jeff reached into his jacket and drew out an envelope, it was addressed to Gordon and bore the marks of the California Department of Education. He slid it across the table. “This was in the mailbox downstairs. I was hoping to talk to you about it privately, Gordon, and save you any embarrassment, but seeing as your brother is determined to play a part in your future we may as well discuss this now. I can only assume there has been some error in the awarding of your high school diploma.”

Scott looked at the envelope with some concern. If Gordon really had flunked his diploma then becoming an officer was off the cards and even junior ranks looked doubtful. WASP really could afford to take only the best and this could be a major stumbling block. His younger sibling paused for a moment, trepidation etched across his features, before reaching out and picking up the letter.

“Took them long enough, I’ve been waiting for this.” There was something in his tone that Scott couldn’t quite place; more nervous anticipation than worry.

Gordon slit open the envelope slowly, as if not wanting to see what it contained despite having been expecting it. A single sheet was carefully extracted and it only took Gordon a moment to read the short correspondence.

“Bastards.” The exclamation was spat out as the page was thrown down in disgust.

Whatever reaction Scott and Jeff had been expecting it wasn’t this.

“Gordon, what’s going on?” Scott butted in, cutting off their father from issuing a rebuke for foul language.

“They won’t change the topic.”

“Topic?” Scott looked at his brother in confusion.

“Yeah” Gordon sighed heavily, too exhausted to maintain the mask he normally wore around his father. The anger in his features mixed with pain as the memories resurfaced. “You wouldn’t have had to do this one back in Kansas but California have a unit on Modern American History and Dad here is a compulsory assignment. I wrote and asked them to take it off the curriculum.”

“Why would you try and do that? I know things aren’t great between you two at the moment but surely you don’t want to wipe Dad out the history books.” He tried to place a reassuring hand on Gordon’s forearm but the limb was yanked out of his reach.

“This isn’t about Dad, it’s about ALAN!” Gordon dropped his head into his hands, his elbows slamming painfully against the tabletop. Grief and a sense of failure bubbled up inside him as he hid his face from twin questioning gazes. He hated showing weakness, hated giving his father yet more ammunition to throw back against him, but the memories were too strong to repress.

“What the hell has Alan got to do with this. Seriously Gordo, you aren’t making any sense.” First it was about school, now it was about Alan. Scott felt like he was trying to read a book with half the pages missing. He was sure it made sense somehow but at the moment all he knew was that Gordon was clearly upset and hurting.

Jeff snorted, choosing to ignore the deep breathing as Gordon fought to maintain control. “I dare say your brother will do a better job than you when the time comes. From what I remember of that paper you barely scraped a pass grade. It really says something about your abilities when you can screw up what should have been the easiest assignment of the lot. It’s your own family for goodness sake.”

“Easy?” The blonde head snapped up, locking eyes with his father and channeling the grief into anger. “That was the hardest paper I’ve ever had to write in my life and it’s going to be ten times worse for Alan. At least I wasn’t mentioned by name.”

“Gordon, what’s going on?” The rising flush of emotion to his brother’s cheeks filled Scott with concern.

“The paper, it’s not just about Dad, Mom’s in there too. Do you have any idea how hard it is to have the worst moment of your entire life there in the set text for the whole class to see? The avalanche, Mom dying, Alan surviving, it’s all there. They didn’t even have the decency to put it in the main text either, it’s just a footnote like it isn’t really important. Our Mom’s death is a fucking footnote and I didn’t want Alan to have to deal with it like I had to, it’s not like I’ll even be here to help him when the time comes. Ever since Dad decided I was going to be packed off to college I’ve been trying to get it changed.”

“That...that sucks.” Scott couldn’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to have to face their own personal tragedy in the classroom. What it evidently had been like for Gordon. “But Alan won’t be dealing with it alone, Dad will be here.”

“What, like he was here for me? You and Virgil were better parents than Dad has ever been. He only cares about the bottom line. Make the grade and nothing else matters.” The chair was shoved back angrily.

“Gordon, you should have told me.” Jeff cut in quietly, his face ashen at the sudden reminder of the tragedy that had ripped his wife away forever. That Scott and Virgil were viewed akin to parents by the younger ones rather than just brothers was also a shock. Had he really been so far removed from his family? What else had he been blind to? His eyes tracked backwards and forwards, trying to keep pace with Gordon who was now striding about erratically on the opposite side of the table in a display of energy Jeff suddenly realised had been absent for many weeks.

“I tried to but you weren’t exactly in a listening mood. You were too busy bawling me out for getting suspended.”

“You got suspended?” How much had he missed out on in the last seven years? If Gordon had ever confided this to Virgil his next younger brother had never shared the burden of knowledge. The Gordon he had left behind may have been a bit of a pest at school with the occasional prank or missed homework but nothing that would warrant him getting suspended.

“Guess some of my screw ups Dad didn’t even want to share with the family. Yes Scott, I got suspended. I...well...I got upset in class and some of the others kept going on about it and then one day I snapped. Ended up breaking someone’s nose. The Principal took it off my permanent record though when he found out what it was over. I think he felt sorry for me.”

“So you tried to get the Department of Education to drop the topic.”

“Yes.” Gordon picked up the letter again, a look of disgust crossing his face. “They won’t though. They ‘thank me for my concerns and provide their strongest assurances of the factual accuracy of the text books’. He’s got another year to go yet but when he gets there please look after Alan” this plea was directed straight at their father, “cos I can’t if I’m at college and it’s going to be rough for him.”

Scott found the disgust mirrored in his own features, not just at the Education Board, but also for the actions of their father who had clearly skipped out on the emotional wellbeing side of parenting. Gordon had faced the demons alone and was now doing his level best to protect Alan.

Any further discussions were cut short by the arrival home of that same small, blonde hurricane.

“Scott! When did you get here?” Alan launched himself across the room and draped himself around Scott’s neck, nearly strangling his older brother. The new arrival seemed unperturbed by the obvious tensions around the table and Scott wondered just how normal it had become for the youngest to be surrounded by bad feelings and barely concealed arguments.

“Hey, let a guy breathe.” The clinging arms loosened slightly but weren’t released completely and Scott returned the hug. “C’mon, we’ve finished here. Do you need to eat? Any homework due tomorrow?”

A shake of the blonde head. “You’re as bad as Gordon. What is it with everyone checking up on my homework?”

As bad as Gordon, not as bad as Dad; Scott filed that away for the next time he spoke to Virgil. He had been so happy to be free of the responsibilities of family that he had never really considered who had stepped up to take his place.

“Well if you’re sure you’re good let’s go somewhere more comfortable, you’re pushing me off this chair.”

Jeff watched as Scott unhooked Alan’s arms and led the party through to the lounge. Those were the questions he probably should have been asking as a father but hadn’t thought to. Scott had stepped in first as though checking in on the youngster was the most natural thing in the world.

All traces of the argument were put to one side for the sake of the youngest but the look Scott shot Jeff showed that the discussions were far from over.

#thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction #high expectations #Gordon Tracy #Scott Tracy #Jeff Tracy #family arguments #brothers standing together

24 notes · View notes

veryimportantsparkles · 5 years ago

Photo

Alright I’ve kept meaning to do sort of an infodump on my projects because I’ve been really slipping lately. I dunno how obvious it is? Probably kind of obvious. I’ve also been really bad about checking messages and responding to people. So I figure I can write up a status report and then point to it when I’ve been inadequate about communication.

My IRL job has been wiping me out. I’ve been getting short, labor-intensive shifts in the evenings, and then random surprise morning shifts shortly after, which has been really hard to manage my time around. My sleep schedule has been extremely broken and it’s affected my productivity a LOT. Leadership in my department is about to shuffle around and I’ve been interviewed for the manager position. If I get it I’ll be working an entirely different schedule, which could potentially be good for my sleepy brain but will definitely leave me with less art time overall. I’ve also been enduring some back/shoulder issues over the past few months. Nothing urgent, but it’s limiting how much I can draw each day. I think replacing my desk chair is going to be a big factor but it’s not the only factor. I just need to be a smart human and take care of my joints and not hunch over so much. Working on it.

Here’s the current status of my various art projects:

Laserwing

I ended chapter 5 in June and said I would finish up some other side projects before I start concept work for chapter 6. One of the projects I needed to finish was the Popkas Yugioh season 4 special, which I finished. The other big one was my Neonmob card set, which is most of what I’ve been posting lately. Once that’s out of the way (see below) I need to do concept art. Chapter 6 will put all the Laserwing characters in new outfits which will need reference sheets. I’ll need background sketches and layout diagrams so I don’t have furniture shuffle randomly around between scenes. I also need to sketch out the chapter 6 draft page by page. I’ve made Laserwing in GIMP up until this point and am going to try switching to Krita for chapter 6. I might need to do a test page to make sure my process transfers over well into a slightly different system. Once I’m ready to make real pages, those take a while. Chapter 5 pages were going up maybe every 2-3 weeks. I don’t know how many pages are going to be in chapter 6, nor can I say for sure how many chapters are in Laserwing. An old outline had maybe 40 chapters. It’s a story with a defined end point, I can say that for certain, but it’s intended to be long.

Popkas

I’ve had issues with Popkas for a while. I keep picking new themes for dailies, thinking they’re going to be quick and easy, but then end up making them hard for myself. It’s been to my benefit, I’ve forced myself into learning new art programs and techniques through Popkas. But it’s hard to keep up the daily schedule. Currently I’m doing the Paper Mario: TTYD bestiary, which has 124 enemies. At a rate of one per day, by the time I’ve finished them, Pokemon Sword and Shield should be released and we’ll have all the info about the new Pokemon. Those will be drawn in ‘Popka classic’ style (scribbly shitposts). After those are finished, unless my IRL work situation dramatically changes, I’m considering putting Popkas on pause. In order to do any other monster dexes I’d have to do a lot more research (for example, people have suggested Yokai Watch but I’ve never played one) in order to have anything meaningful to post. Same deal with Popka Specials (the anime writeup things), those take prep time and anime-watching time that I might not have. I don’t ever want to end Popkas, but a hiatus might be necessary.

Angelfire Hime

Did anyone even know about Angelfire Hime? Well I want to post more but that involves finding, scanning, retouching, and transcribing my old high school scribble comics. It takes as long as any other project but is also low priority because it’s all old content. Nobody is waiting for the latest update because nobody but me actually knows what that content is, and possibly nobody but me can even read it. It’s more a personal journey of self-reflection than anything. I want to return to it but not at the expense of better work.

MeganFantastic dot com

I had a domain name linked to a tumblr that was supposed to be my news blog/front page and I barely use it. Also, I let the domain registration drop. Also, I had let a typo in my banner graphic go unnoticed for YEARS and still haven’t fixed it. Even now, I’m writing this big post to my personal blog instead of the one for news. The idea was to eventually buy some real hosting and make MeganFantastic a whole site of its own, but that’s a lot of work. I’ve got a generally good idea of HOW I’d do it (probably wordpress) but I’m not a coder, it would take a lot of trial and error. This would be a huge undertaking and eventually Laserwing, Popkas, and all my other junk would be contained on one big non-tumblr website. But it’s uhhhhh not happening yet.

Hundera Youtube

My contribution to our LP channel is to show up, talk about video games, and then draw title cards. All recording, editing, and channel management is maintained by Josh, and I can’t speak on his behalf about our update schedule. I will say there are a lot of half-finished games we want to return to. I will also say that when the new Pokemon comes out Josh is dead set on recording it. I don’t know if he intends that to be a stream or a regular LP. In the meantime he streams Minecraft with his friends every Sunday and we fit in our own streams and recordings when we can.

Commissions/Patron Art/etc

I’ve not been very good about this lately and I’m truly sorry! I have a few things I’m working on, a few things I’ve promised to start working on, and a few things I’ve told people I can do once my workload lightens up, which hasn’t been happening yet. I really don’t have an answer. I almost never delete anything so if I’ve been sent a message in any form I should still have it, and I’ll be sure not to forget anyone. And if I do forget someone feel free to throw rocks at me!

Rane Story 2

What the heck is Rane Story 2? Well I guess I have to explain Neonmob. Imagine if ChickenSmoothie and DeviantART had a baby. It’s a virtual trading card site, which is fun and cute, and I’m drawing out a card series to release on there. I’ve been using it as practice for painting backgrounds and to fill out some backstory for some 4th-string Laserwing support characters. Before Mistaire came to Earth, she went to space high school, and that’s where Rane Story takes place. You can preview the series, and when it’s finished I’ll post about it. I’ll also repost all the art to DA. If you scroll through the last several pages of this blog you’ll see some of the art. I’ve put a lot of my brain energy into getting this done in spite of my work/sleep issues because I don’t want to resume Laserwing until I’ve finished it. This is what’s stolen my life, guys. Right now I have 6 more cards to make, and then I have to write and finalize all the text. I should be done SOON.

Pokemon Nonsense

When my back and shoulder get too hurty and I have to take a break from drawing, one of the easy things to do is whip out a DS and play Pokemon. I’ve done a lot of twitter shitposting about it lately. I’ve also drawn up a bunch of gijinkas for my Pokemon. I’m talking about it now because I also intend to draw up gijinkas for Pokemon to trade away. I’ve already done a few. However, I don’t know for sure how I’m going to distribute them. The idea is people can trade actual Pokemon with me (in either X or Let’s Go Eevee) and the Pokemon they get will come with a character design for you to keep. I was thinking I might do a discord server for organizing trades and such, but I haven’t yet. Mostly because it’s low priority and I have SO many other things going on. But actually playing Pokemon can happen when I’m too fatigued for real work, so the horde keeps growing. Hopefully my posts and scribbles about it are entertaining.

I feel like there’s other projects on hold that I wanted to discuss, but right now I’m too braintired to remember, and some of my ‘projects’ never actually got talked about online so nobody’s waiting for an update. My greatest problem seems to be that I try to juggle too many pointless side projects and then drop them all over the place. Sometimes I’ll shitpost about an idea and even I won’t be sure if I was serious or not. How do I end this post? I don’t know.

tl;dr Megan is SLEEPY and dropped her spaghetti everywhere but somehow still has time to play POKEMON and WON’T STOP TALKING ABOUT IT

#long post #what do i even tag this as

5 notes · View notes

warriorstickers · 6 years ago

Text

Commission Prices!

My Commissions are pretty much always open! Here are my simple rules: - I will always work on your commission to get it done as soon as possible. I will also sent WIP shots if requested, so you can see how far along I am and ask for any changes needed in the sketching and coloring phases. However, do NOT harass me to get it done faster then I am able. This is not my primary source of income, and I have daily life chores and needs to attend to as well. - If you want something done by a certain date, I can do that, as long as you let me know when ordering! I will not make any guarantees on dates of delivery if I did not commit to it upon ordering. If I do commit to it when you order, I will do everything I can to get it to you on or before that date. If for some reason I failed to get it to you by that date, you will be refunded 50% of the commission cost. - I have the right to refuse any commission for any reason! - If you would prefer I not post your finished commission on my Tumblr or Deviantart, please let me know. - All prices listed here are for one character per image! If you want an extra character, it will be +50% of the cost of the commission*

- If your commission involves very complicated characters, the price quoted may be slightly higher, as these extra details take more time. - All prices are in USD and will be paid through Paypal What I Will Draw: Any animal or fantasy creature Same sex couples, and LGBTQ+ characters I will attempt humans, but I’m not very good at them currently Some Gore Some ‘suggestive’ images What I will NOT Draw Nothing illegal Nothing hateful to any group of people Nothing too explicit Anything that makes me uncomfortable If you’re not sure if your request falls in these categories, feel free to ask!

----Traditional----

Traditional can go from a quick sketch up to a detailed traditional picture with colour/shading, and the price will differ for these. Headshot- Sketch $1 Lineart $2 Colour $5 Shaded $6 Full Body- Sketch $2 Lineart $3 Colour $6 Shaded $7 Background $10-15 (depending on complexity) Traditional Examples Here Here

----Digital----

Headshot- Sketch $3 Lineart $5 Colour $7 Shaded $9 Full Body- Sketch $5 Lineart $7 Colour $9 Shaded $11 Background $15-20 (depending on complexity) Digital Example Here Here

----Reference Sheets / Custom Characters----

These will be priced on a case-by case basis depending on how complex you want them (how many details, views, text, ect.)

*Any additional Character +50% of cost Ex. A $10.00 commission with an additional character would be $15.00

When Submitting your Commission Request, Please Include: Your Username (What should I call you?) What Commission you’d like to get Any specific poses, interactions, expressions or feelings you want Any character references If no references, give me as much description of the characters as you can

4 notes · View notes

madameocotillo · 6 years ago

Text

OC Open Call - Closes 1/31

I’m currently working on making a new, comprehensive, commissions info document, which means I need fresh examples of the art people will be buying! The thing is; I don’t want to use licensed characters, I don’t really enjoy just.... drawing random people (I get attached, and then they’re my new oc who I have to fit in or make a new story for), AND even though I have plenty of my own characters, I would like to have art that shows a variety of design sets other than my own. THUS!

This is an open request for characters for me to draw, for use in my commission examples masterpost! I will accept totally original characters as well as fan characters, so long as they are yours!

Please read the points below if interested for requirements & what to expect.

Submitting Your Characters:

Anyone can send in, but please be aware that I will be giving preference to mutuals and people I interact with (sometimes I may not be following someone, but if we’ve exchanged comments, I remember you). Don’t feel like you don’t have a shot if you don’t fit the above two categories though, because -

1. I do not have a set idea for how many characters I need, and may be adjusting/adding as I go. This is going to be a very detailed sheet that I intend to be able to use for a year+, and I am going to need a lot of characters.

2. Above all I am looking for designs/color schemes that catch my eye, and if you gottem, flaunt ‘em. If I love your character, they’re in.

You MUST have visual, color reference for the characters you send, I am not looking to do any design work. They don’t have to be stunning, they just have to be clear. Feel free to send quick personality details, but no long backstories at this time. If you think your reference art doesn’t communicate certain details that you have in mind, i.e. “Her face is rounded, and her nose is small and upturned” i’m happy to take that sort of info as well.

Submit image references and any accompanying text descriptions or info to my Tumblr Messages. You may submit more than one character, but no more than three.

I might choose a very complex design or two, but it’s much less likely. Please, nothing crazy, I do not have it in me to draw a layered chantilly lace ballgown with in-laid armor elements, I will die.

“WILL YOU DRAW...?”

YES - Furries, Transformers (except Bayverse. Beeverse maybe, but I will simplify it), Monsters, L I G H T G O R E (blood/cuts/etc sure, organs spilling out NOPE), Romance/PDA, etc. If you are unsure, feel free to ask.

No NSFW at this time.

What to Expect if I Use Your Character:

I will be illustrating a number of options commissioners will be able to choose from, some more ‘finished’ than others. Please do not submit if you are only in it to get a full body, full color render of your baby. I cannot guarantee that.

To keep my commissions post clean, I will not be naming or linking you or your characters in the text. They will simply be examples of my styles and abilities.

Once complete, I will send you a a separate, high-res PNG of your character(s), to use however you want. Make it an icon, make it a background, print it out and stick it on your wall, all 4 you. You may also post it on your own blog, so long as I am credited. (Link to my commissions post and/or artblog preferred)

This is a large undertaking, ultimately for the benefit of me, and I cannot give you a set timeframe I will complete it by. If you are interested because you want your personal character art by Valentine’s Day, sorry. This is free art, and if you pressure me about when it’s done I will remove your character from the lineup and pick a new one.

Depending on the number of submissions I receive, and my own personal preferences, I may not use your character(s) at all. Please do not feel bad! I will message you one way or another on Feb. 1st to let you know if I did/didn’t select your character.

For anyone who shows me their stuff that I opt not to use, I will make you a little sketch as part of a ‘thanks anyways’ sketch page.

Sketches and finished work will be reblogged here, but posted at my art blog @ohkoart

This post is open to be reblogged or linked to friends, as I have not been particularly active in a while, and I am not sure what level of response to expect here. Thank you!

#ohkoart #commissions #oc open call

12 notes · View notes

awkwardbreakdance · 7 years ago

Text

I made a Ko-Fi page!

Hey y’all, I finally decided to cave and make one of these bad boys. Since I feel I still need tons more practice, I only want to do commissions for quick sketches or colored sketches. Examples of my work and what I can do are in my art tag.

But for a quick rundown of things I will do:

OCs

Fanart

Slight furry (like not fully animal)

Character Sheets

Mild NSFW (like nudes or suggestive)

and what I won’t do:

Incest

Hardcore NSFW

Mech

Full animals

Environments/Buildings

Gore

Donations are incredibly appreciated, as I’m working part-time and living with my elderly parents, both of whom are sick. If I can get on my feet, it will vastly improve all 3 of our lives.

ko-fi.com/caeyen

#art #my art #ko-fi #rbs are appreciated

1 note · View note

ntrending · 6 years ago

Text

Designing for accessibility: From Frida Kahlo's corsets to Franklin Roosevelt's leg braces

New Post has been published on https://nexcraft.co/designing-for-accessibility-from-frida-kahlos-corsets-to-franklin-roosevelts-leg-braces/

Designing for accessibility: From Frida Kahlo's corsets to Franklin Roosevelt's leg braces

One in five Americans has a disability, whether it’s diabetes or Down syndrome, asthma or paralysis from a car accident. To make the most out of life, people invariably turn to design.

Built environments are one example of the power of accessible thinking. Small choices like curb cuts in a sidewalk or elevators in subway stations can make the difference between an individual in a wheelchair (or, for that matter, with a child in a stroller) making it to their destination safely—or at all.

But the design of more personal belongings—things we might even term “fashion”—matter, too. Access to affordable hearing aids is important, but wouldn’t it better if they were also beautiful? Ditto canes and prosthetics, velcro jeans and onesies with stomach flaps for a child’s feeding tubes.

People have always lived with disabilities (Hannibal, the ancient warrior, lost an eye). But orthopedics, prosthetics, and other compensatory tools have only improved since ancient Carthage—if you can afford it. Here, we’ve compiled the stories of some of history’s most famous individuals and the state-of-the-art tools they were able to access.

Gottfried von Berlichingen’s iron hands

“Götz,” as he was not-so-affectionately known, was a complicated man. Both a mercenary and a poet (his main literary contribution seems to be the invention of the phrase “lick my arse”), he fought in countless military campaigns and blood feuds during his 47-year career. For most of those years, he relied on an iron right arm.

It started in the 1504 siege of Landhut, when, depending on who you ask, cannon fire ripped his arm off at the elbow, or caused him to accidentally cut his arm off with his own sword. Determined to continue fighting (and, presumably, writing), the 23-year-old Götz commissioned an iron substitute.

The first replacement hand was a rather typical five-fingered affair. It bent slightly at the top of the palm to clumsily grasp a sword. But the second hand, commissioned some years later, was a serious upgrade. It could hold not only a sword, but the reins of a horse and even the thin tip of a quill. Its mechanical fingers bent, like human fingers, at three joints, curling ever-tighter around the object in question. This early masterpiece of biomimicry served “Götz of the Iron Hand,” as he became known, for the rest of his murderous career—and into a long and peaceful retirement where he made poetry, not war.

Peter Stuyvesant’s peg leg

The last Dutch director of New Amsterdam, Peter Stuyvesant’s name (pronounced “Sty-va-sent”) is still written all across the city now known as New York.

Born in 1610 in the Netherlands, Stuyvesant joined the Dutch West India Company as a young man. He was first stationed in Brazil, then in the Caribbean, which is where, in 1644, his leg was crushed by a cannonball and subsequently amputated below the knee. He returned briefly to the Netherlands to recuperate, but quickly began hatching new plans, motivated by the belief the loss of his leg was a sign from God that he was destined for greatness.

In 1645, he ventured to North America, with a wooden peg for a leg, which he reportedly studded with silver nails. He then spent the next 20 years harassing Native Americans, suppressing religions that differed from his own, and tending to a pear tree he brought from the motherland.

Helen Keller’s ocular prosthesis

When Helen Keller was just 19 months old, she contracted a life-threatening illness, probably meningitis or scarlet fever, that made her deaf and blind. As she grew, she used homemade signs to communicate (and eventually Braille, American Sign Language, and the English Alphabet), distinguished family members by the sound of their steps, and read people’s lips with her hands. In adulthood, she wrote a dozen books and was an international advocate for women’s suffrage and the rights of workers.

Looking through photos of Keller throughout her lifetime, attentive viewers will notice a subtle shift in the way she was portrayed. In her youth, Keller was mostly photographed in profile, a way of hiding her left eye. In later pictures, however, Keller faces the camera directly, revealing striking blue eyes. The difference was ocular prosthetics, which Keller had implanted when she was an adult.

Such prosthetic devices date back thousands of years. One ancient Iranian woman was buried in 2,900 BCE with an eye made of bitumen paste, coated in gold to look like the rays of the sun. For her part, Keller received spheres made of glass. Today, most artificial eyeballs are a convex sheet of acrylic with the pupil, retina, and even some capillaries painted on; the whole thing is placed over an orbital implant. Typically, these devices aren’t medically necessary. The rapper Fetty Wap for example, made the decision to stop using his prosthetic. But many continue to choose them for appearance and comfort. Others, like the glass artist Dale Chihuly, opt for eye patches.

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s leg braces and cane

Many American presidents have had disabilities. Bill Clinton wears hearing aids and Woodrow Wilson had dyslexia. Teddy Roosevelt was blinded in the left eye in a boxing match at the start of his second term, while Dwight Eisenhower had several heart attacks and strokes while in the White House, one of which caused aphasia, a form of brain damage that makes speech difficult. James Madison, one of the founding fathers, had a condition now thought to be epilepsy. But perhaps the president most closely associated with the rights of individuals with disability is Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Roosevelt was diagnosed with polio at the unusual age of 39. The result was paraplegia—immobility that extends to the abdomen, pelvis, and legs. He was outfitted with full-leg special braces, which allowed him to stand. To keep upright, he also required a cane. When coupled with the arm of a family member or White House aid, the cane and braces allowed him to swivel his hips forward and give the illusion of walking in public, something he felt was important to maintaining his political legitimacy. The press was complicit in this; newspaper and magazine photographers agreed not to photograph him in a way that showed his physical disability. Secret Service agents were instructed to hassle deviant photographs and destroy any supposedly images that ran counter to the administration’s narrative.

Despite this, for much of Roosevelt’s adult life, he moved around in a custom wheelchair, which was really a narrow dinner chair retrofitted with wheels.

Frida Kahlo’s plaster corsets

In one quick sketch, Frida Kahlo imagined herself in a see-through dress. Beneath the outline of the traditional Mexican clothing, she revealed a hard corset holding her upper body together, a metal strip running from her belly button to her neck, her pubic hair exposed, and butterflies climbing up her leg. “Las apariencias engañan,” she wrote below: Appearances can be deceiving.

When Kahlo was six years old she contracted polio. It left her right leg shorter and weaker than her left. Then, at the age of 18, while studying to become a doctor, a wooden bus collided with a streetcar, sending an iron handrail through her pelvis. Both legs, several ribs, and her collarbone were also broken; three vertebrae were displaced. The incident, which left her bed-ridden for years, is also what made her an artist. She took up painting herself in her sickbed, using a mirror.

While she went on to travel widely, Kahlo needed support to get around. Between 1940 and 1954, she went through 28 different corsets, none of which seemed truly comfortable. Some were made from steel, but others were fashioned from plaster, which she painted with hammers and sickles (she was an avowed Communist) and compact fetuses (the accident left her unable to have children).

That’s not the only device Kahlo used to augment her body. In 1953, doctors amputated her right leg at the knee. Her prosthetic—and some absolutely incredible velvet platform shoes—are part of the Brooklyn Museum’s exhibit “Appearances Can Be Deceiving,” about her life and art. Part of the show’s goal, says Catherine Morris, one of the curators of the exhibit, is to reveal Kahlo in all her complexities.

“Too often she has been portrayed as a victim—of Rivera, of her disabilities, of her not having children. Kahlo’s complexity is her strength and her life experiences are what drove her art,” Morris wrote PopSci via email. “I also think it is important to acknowledge that typically able people often want to believe that those with disabilities overcome them—that somehow their humanity is outside of disability. Kahlo never overcame her disabilities, in fact she died from them, but what she produced and how she lived her life were fully attached to her experiences as a person with disabilities.”

Stephen Hawking’s wheelchair

Like Franklin Roosevelt, Stephen Hawking had a custom wheelchair. The late theoretical physicist was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 1963 at the age of 21, which progressively paralyzed him. At first he used only crutches, but eventually required a wheelchair. It also made it more and more difficult for him to write or speak.

For a time, Hawking responded to spelling cards with his eyebrows, picking letters and words with little up and down movements. But in 1986, he used the computer program Equalizer for the first time, which allowed him to press a switch to select words or phrases. His friends rigged a computer to his wheelchair, so he could take the robo-translator with him. As he lost the ability to use his hands, he began to use his cheek. While the software updated many times over the years, the basic mechanics helped Hawking communicate until his death in 2018.

Written By Eleanor Cummins

#Technology

0 notes