#I think I did a good job...? I've improved at drawing backgrounds A LOT in general at least. Proud of myself :)

[shimmershy]

Undertale Month Day 5: Ruins

[tartrat]

Kapyy but Night Swan got him or something

Funny idea that popped into my head on Monday night. Calling him "Night Kappy" makes him sound like a mushroom. Like what if there was a season were night swan just took over other coaches. If i were to make the twins headcanon into an actual fanfiction, Kapyy getting corrupted and Talia sway having to snap him out of it would be a plot point towards the end.

I can't do feathers so i did his cloak and the feather accents the same way i'd do hair, i think it turned out all right. He's just really giving 90s supervillain here. For the chain necklace, i used the night swan badge from doing yssmiac but gold. I also just liked the idea of giving him those spiked bracelets.

I had to make a few concepts of what Kapyy would look like so here they are below. Have 90s supervillains, street kid or something. and the one thats totally not Cyclops from the Xmen. The out come is a mix between cyclops clone and 90s supervillain (2 and 3) with a bit of the others mixed in. I really wanted to give him the cyclops visor, I know nothing about the xmen but ive just been thinking about cyclops a lot recently and that got translated into this (watch me draw them high fiving or something). There was something about giving him longer hair for this that i just really liked. I really just went onto pinterest and typed "90s futuristic fashion mens" and found a few looks that i liked and mashed them together. Also feathers, a lot of feathers.

The word "Night" doesn't look like a real word to me anymore ever since i started making this. I'd do a night version of Talia Sway but that would just be her wearing the reputation bodysuit but with feathers instead of snakes, and i've already done that with snakes. Unless i can think of something else

Personality wise, he would have the mouth of a sailor like this, but no one would take him seriously and they'd start laughing at him. He'd be like a toddler who heard a curse word once. Others think he's adorable and not a threat. He'd also be more of a danger to himself than others whilst like this, Talia has to tie him to a chair so he doesn't run into a wall and give himself a concussion by accident.

I'm planning a continuation for this one like i did for the visceral reaction post, i'm writing the dialogue in my notes app. I just want to try and improve my story telling and dialogue writing. it'll be funny. I started writing something last night where he can't sleep and asks Talia to stay with him, just twins headcanon stuff that's been floating around in my head because i listened to safe and sound by taylor swift on the bus home yesterday. Basically i have all these ideas in my head that i should put to paper.

Lastly what i learnt while making this is that Night Swan did such a good job on the just dancers outfits for tainted love, like she knows how to throw an outfit together. Gabriel Agreste wishes he could be Night swan (I've watch all the seasons of miraculous and had a visceral reaction when that teaser for the map dropped last year. Like that show's so bad but i can't look away). So i hope i make Night Swan proud with this design.

Also here he is in his unblended glory, looking like the backgrounds from phineas and ferb (because of the shapes on the track suit).

[lawlietscaramels]

Hey, uhm... hi!

I had seen you have reached 210 followers which is wonderful! Great job, both your art and your writing has brought me some happy moments over the course of the last few months I've been here.

Can I ask you about your art journey? What's your relationship with drawing? Did you like drawing as a kid too? I'm currently struggling with learning how to draw (despite having graduated from "elementary" art school, lol) and I like your style, so I thought it would be interesting to get to know how you got here.

Sorry for bothering, and even if you don't answer (which is totally fine) have a nice day/night!

WLAHHH HI THANK YOU SO MUCH I'M GLAD YOU LIKE MY STUFF !! I'M GLAD IT'S MADE YOU HAPPY!!!!! <333

My art journey, huh? It's so weird to be asked about it!! Not in a bad way, I just never expect these sort of things.

As a kid - I don't know. I took an art enrichment and elective at different times from years 5-7 and I absolutely hated that. It was all "draw this piece of paper with the lights turned off" and "draw this vase with negative space".... But at the same time, I drew (bad) sketches in the margins of all my textbooks. So I guess I enjoyed "doodling".

I got into art when I got into anime 🙇 ... Yeah. Having an OC I really wanted to draw as if they were part of the media, and seeing other people do that, really motivated me. That's ... still what motivates me. I don't necessarily want to mimic the anime's style so much anymore, but I have the most fun when I draw Rie, even if it's silly!!

If you like my style, you should know it's had many many identity crises. I've tried (with my limited skills):

Watercolour (ish) (the background took 15 hours)

Anime (got pretty good at it, if I say so myself)

an obsession with chibis (I never get the facial proportions right)

semi realism (please give Rie her heart ahoge, Lei. this is Not Rie.)

whatever this is, that I only managed to do one time and kinda want to do again

and many many more, all different, some with only subtle changes, some with drastic. There is a lot of super ugly in between as well! I feel embarrassed sharing it hajajsj but believe me: I don't think what I have above is perfect, but it's some of my best work. I've improved a lot because I've drawn a lot.

I've settled on this, for now. And I like it, for now. But it'll probably change again, when I don't like it or when I like something else more. Maybe it'll be better, maybe worse.

But really it's just a lot of experimenting, picking out what I like from a thousand other artists, practising, changing, practising again... By changing style so much I've learnt a lot. I don't know, I was drawing in a different way for months and then I went back to anime and drew it the best I ever had.

I had a brief stint of teaching myself the human bone structure too. That was helpful. I should do more of the art class stuff, the colour theory and muscle and light and shadow.... but I don't wanna BDBSBZBXN

And I do it all to draw my Silly Little Characters <3

Sorry for the giant ass answer and good luck drawing!!

[inkabelledesigns]

Can't believe it's almost the end of July. I still have a small number of pieces I want to do before art fight is over, and we will hopefully get there. But even if not, can I just say, I'm really proud of myself? I've never done art fight before this year, and I have improved as not just an artist, but as a person. My goal was to get better at doing traditional line art, and mission accomplished! I've gotten so many kind words about my line weights looking great, and that means a lot.

But also, I've started to untangle some of my complicated feelings about drawing for others. I've been in so many groups over the years where art (and the people who make it) was something transactional, where if you had something made for you, you were expected to make something back, at the same quality or higher, and it was this huge obligation. Alternatively, if you drew for one person, you were expected to draw for everyone you were friends with, and that weighed on me a lot. None of that is healthy. I don't like feeling like I owe people, in art or in any other circumstance. I've discovered over the years that I barely have the energy to create for myself sometimes, and I just, can't make stuff for everyone, not enough hours in the day. So it was easier to never draw for anyone ever, even when I wanted to, that way no one could be disappointed, but even that's fruitless and untrue. There has always been someone that's felt entitled to my art and time, even when I didn't give that part of myself to anyone.

The reason I could do as much for this month as I did is because I put down some very reasonable guidelines for myself: only line art so I didn't burn myself out, not working on other art forms so my focus was in one place (save for voice acting because I owed people lines), all traditional because I was gonna be traveling, grabbing references beforehand so I had a clear idea of everything I wanted to draw. I was prepared, I was kind to myself, and it was good. And I've let myself draw what I want to draw, that was the big one. This was a gift that I was allowed to give freely, on my terms. And ultimately, that's what's made it rewarding. The people I've chosen to draw for have been so excited over what I've made for them, and it's left me feeling like I did a good job. I MISSED the feeling of bringing someone joy over something unexpected. It's why I purposely told no one I was making something for them, so it could be a pleasant surprise. It leaves me feeling really good, and I get the sense it's the same on the other side too. And the amount of feelings I've gotten over the art I've received are through the roof. I read every description, thank you for saying such nice things about my character designs, it makes me so warm and fuzzy to know that you enjoy what I've made enough to want to play with it on your own, that is a massive compliment! I spent a lot of my life never being told that I did a good job with my art or characters, so getting to hear it a lot this month has made me happy. Everyone's pieces have been rotated in and out as my backgrounds on my phone and laptop all month, I love turning them on and seeing all the love that went into this art. Everything is so beautiful!

It's not about the points or who wins, I'm here for seeing people light up. I'm here for celebrating fun character designs. And I'm so glad I did this. I'm crying because I didn't think I'd ever be ABLE to do this. But I was, and it's been great. Now -twirls pencil- we have some work to do!

[xuune]

Hi! I've been following you for a while (don't really remember why or when) and I love your art! I just wanted to ask:

What's your favorite and least favorite part of animation?

oh cool! thanks for sticking around for so long :) honestly, if you've been following me for some time now it might've been either bc of my fanart, oc art, or both haha

thats a big question which prompts for a big answer so here's me rambling about it below B)

when asking fave/least fave things abt animation, its hard to answer without getting in depth on a variety of things LOL. animation, as a medium and field, is very nuanced with its own concentrations so its kind of a disservice to not recognize those areas esp when the skills u learn have a lot of overlap on how it improves other areas of study

i had practice in some 2D/3D ani, storyboarding, visdev, 3D modelling. here's my general experience with all of those:

2D

fave: figuring out how movement is created, rough animation stage, analyzing and figuring out timing/spacing, esp love the fact that you are creating motion, not pretty illustrations to gawk at, seeing the entire ani come together at the end feels very rewarding

least: cleanup and colors lol, feels very time consuming. if im gonna spend time making lines clean, id rather do that with an illustration piece

3D (in maya)

fave: can rely on the program to do the heavy lifting while you do the keys and adjustments, doing 3d actually enhanced my understanding of how the body moves in motion and space and where drag, follow thru, overshoot could be applied in both 2d/3d

least: i dont get to draw :( majority of my experience in the adjustment process is looking at a mass nebula of graphs and figuring out where i fucked up or smoothing out areas and fixing it. prefer 2d since i can just redraw what looks wrong vs scavenging thru multiple graphs. also modelling the key poses can feel like it takes forever vs drawing it

storyboarding

fave: creating strong, key story beats, keeping drawings rough when possible, shorthanding drawings, researching reference for shot compositions + studying them

least: can be very hard figuring out how to fill in the gaps between certain beats, easy to become uninspired/uncertain abt a sequence drawn

visdev

fave: seeing the final piece come together, figuring out composition, blocking in values/shapes, character design, research phase/looking for references and creating moodboards

least: i hate doing backgrounds lol. complexity affects how much i'll end up dreading it. personally not a fan of working on pieces for very long. im also not a fan of constantly doing paintings/bgs as a job

3d modelling (in maya)

fave: painting the model and texturing it, uv mapping and arranging it

least: the modelling part. fuck up 1 part and you fuck up the rest, you'd have to restart from square 1 or be lucky enough that you had a previous save before the fuck up. a proper process matters a lot in saving yourself the pain and headache from fixing everything (i redid a model that i worked on for 3 wks 4 times bc of my fuck ups)

overall, as a field of study

fave: its fun getting surrounded by others who can talk the same language as you do. ive always wanted to be around people who can get as hyped up and excited over discussing and analyzing story and animation, since i didnt have that with some of my other friends or family members. i've also been able to build proficiency in variety of programs too, which is useful. working in a team project is fun if you've got the right kind of ppl and that makes the experience fun when you the project finished. i've worked on various short films for rough animation, and i always love seeing the final film/composited shot and going "i worked on that part!! look at how nice it turned out with the rest of it! whoever did the [cleans/colors/compositing] did so good!!" i think my biggest satisfaction in this field is understanding the why and how something works (i.e. why/how does this animation effectively sell its movement? what makes these boards convey strong story moments? what about this composition is so appealing? why does this story beat matter to the rest of it? why do i/what makes me care about these characters?) it can easily deter people, but this field's a huge time commitment and youre constantly evolving your own craft. it doesnt come easy to everyone, but when you start seeing your own mileage, it feels very rewarding and pays off

least: industry's hard to get into lol, its kinda like that no matter where you go and once youre graduated, the time you spend in limbo is primarily working on your portfolio and catering to studios you wanna get into. its also easy to get the impression that being a "somebody" and maintaining a reputation matters to just increase your chances and connections of getting a job. that shits hard to deal with when youre not the most extroverted person on the planet, and even if your classmates do know you, are you gonna be the one that they end up talking about constantly or regarded highly a lot? names spread within circles, and it can feel like a competition to just get yourself known. its very easy to beat yourself up over seeing other people's work too. we're desperate, we're starving, we want our work to be acknowledged and validated, we want a job that satisfies our creative needs.

this field is incredibly demanding and its more than just having fun and drawing pretty pictures when much of it is a collaborative effort for a project. the disciplines you learn will majority of the time, without a doubt, will be applied for a larger team. at the same time, what you learn has overlap into other areas too which is always fun when you have this moment of "holy shit, i get it now"

[handinlovablehand]

Here are some thoughts/reflection/process things re: the Tallahassee comic. Since this is my art blog, I figured this was the best spot to put it! Lots of images and pretty long, so I've thrown it below a cut.

This is the first time I've seriously worked with Microns and a lot of 'em since... oh, lord, 2020. I'm pretty sure I've done some other stuff along those lines, but here are examples and an emulation of the style digitally:

(Respectively, May 2020, March 2020, and September 2020. Apologies for quality on the first two; I had to rely on old photos.)

Compare with this spread from the comic:

I'm still not super comfortable with backgrounds (or cars; all the shots at the beginning are framed VERY carefully so that I do not have to draw one), but you can see that they've gotten a lot better. The sparseness of the floor was intentional - I wanted to create the effect of an infinite-looking space, with the ceiling fan to provide depth. There's a bit more depth and weightiness than in that drawing of Karkat or the seagulls.

That's partially because the house is as much of a character in Tallahassee as its narrators. Aside from the space in the liner notes devoted to describing their environment, there's also quite a bit in the album itself. There isn't much physically happening in the notes, either, so I had to rely on shots of the house in order to fill panel space. Three cheers for symbolism and vivid imagery!

To pull up another page, I've also gotten A LOT better with natural environments in particular. I'm quite proud of that rose bush and the fence, although I could've taken a little more care while filling it in and the lighting leaves something to be desired.

Speaking of, my attempts at lighting are quite a bit more solid, but still not perfect. Consistency isn't great, and I have some qualms about the Alphas' hair and the shadow cast by the Alpha Male sitting up, but what can ya do? At least I'm drawing shadows being cast by things, haha.

I think the attic, the window shots, and "knocked down" panels look the best light-wise. I was trying to convey bright moonlight, and I think I did a pretty good job! I adore the curtains. A solid runner-up is the open door; I wanted to use it as a reverse light source, of sorts. In retrospect, I could have spaced the door shots out a bit more to make it feel more ominous.

Craft-wise, there's also a lot of improvement. Normally, I'd do a longform, easy-to-fuck-up project like Tallahassee digitally. However, I forgot my drawing tablet stylus in a very stupid place that I won't return to for a few months. So, I've been going back to pen and paper again.

I felt very confident right out of the gate, which is very strange considering it was the first time I'd used many of those pens for art in a hot minute! I actually did another casual-ish piece with Microns and gel pens in my sketchbook a few weeks before this, shown below:

but while I was VERY excited about my use of color, I wasn't super fond of the ink work. That's because I fucked up before I even started.

My sketchbook is, er, a sketchbook. The pages are pretty rough. I learned while working on the comic that technical pens are meant for use on smooth paper, and will often appear spotty/inconsistent on the rougher stuff. You can REALLY see it on the frame around the magpie. I switched to standard-issue copier paper in the comic, which plays much nicer with them. Sketch paper also frays brush pens. Oops! Guess that explains what happened to one of those poor, poor souls...

I got my first set of Microns in 2017-ish. I was really only interested in the fixed-width pens; I'd tried a brush pen earlier on and HATED. IT. With a burning passion. My hands have always been pretty unsteady, but it was worse when I was younger, so my lines looked godawful. The set came with a brush pen, though, and I made many valiant attempts to use it. In my sketchbook. Which inevitably frayed it terribly and rendered it unusable for most purposes.

I used the set quite a bit, but infrequently enough that I've still got most of them! My 005 is going strong, but the 05 is lost, and the 1 and 03 are not long for this world. I've known the 03 is on death's door for a while now, but the 1 just started giving out on me while working on Tallahassee. I tried to replace both, but instead ended up with a 2. It worked out, though; I used it to fill in large, dark spaces. I really should've been using an alcohol marker, hence the streakiness.

Back to the brush pen, I ended up getting another set in 2019 that was all brushes, but this time with colors! "It will be different now," I told myself. "I'm a better artist. I'm stronger, and I do colored lines digitally. So I will use a brush pen, and I will like it." I did not use those brush pens and I hated them. But I did end up with a mercifully unspoiled black brush pen thanks to those, and also a red.

All three of the brushes I've named make an appearance here. I used the frayed pen to texture the grass and the Spanish moss; it ended up perfect for soft, fluffy things. I used the healthy and whole one for the tree branches and the Alphas on the "knocked down" page to lend them a more organic feel. The red makes its appearance on the last page.

It's the staircase on the left. I drew the lines with the red brush, then VERY, VERY, VERY carefully colored around them with the black. The red lettering was done by writing it out in pencil, writing over them in red gel pen, then VERY, VERY, VERY carefully tracing around them with a black pen and filling things in. Do not do that. It is stupidly time-consuming. If I pull a similar trick next time, I'm just going to write with my white gel pen and then go over it again with my red brush.

For the sake of my sanity and yours, I will not discuss that process in any more depth. I will also abstain from telling you about the hellish nightmare that was trying to print copies to distribute as zines, because DEAR FUCKING LORD.

I've already spent an hour writing this, and I've got quite a bit to do today! So I'll end it off here. Thanks for reading this!

[sirius-to-pup-archive]

11.24 Happy Anniversary to us~ !!

Me tenía una sorpresa. Que hoy me trae de cabeza Y mi sorpresa fuiste tú, mi amor

We've been together for a year now and we hope it continues that way . . We went to a theme park to celebrate and have some fun, Natsuki was kind enough to carry me back most of the way. I appreciate it so much (Though I was totally dying on the inside.)

The background is from Shining Live's Amusement Park Nighttime wallpaper! Unfortunately I didn't have time to finish drawing my own background. ;u;

Something a bit more sentimental under the read more.

Needless to say, the past 2 years has kinda been rough on me mentally. I was in that weird era of just, nothing is sticking, I felt out of place compared to most of my friends, broke up with my ex cause I kinda felt out of place dating him, not really studying anything or had a job to do. I mostly felt useless and was looking for something new or fun to actually feel and commit to.

I downloaded Shining Live one year ago today on a whim, mostly as a joke cause I was never big on the type for idol games but I did really enjoy rhythm games so I'd figure I'd at least give it a shot even if it was as a joke. Man, am I absolutely glad I did.

I think it took me less than a month to realize that "oh my gods I really adore Natsuki!" So then I kept with the game for a bit more longer, which kind of in-turn helped me a lot mentally. I never really did realize just how much I needed someone really positive in my life, just by how bright, positive and absolutely cute Natsuki can be sometimes just smacks my head in a really good way!

Though I was still in a really rough spot, especially with my art. I was just about to quit I'd say mid-April, I wasn't improving anywhere. I felt like I was only going continuously downhill, looking at my art only filled me dread and the worst desire to quit it entirely.

But then I gave myself the thought of "Well, I can't get better at drawing Natsuki if I don't practice drawing him."

That was THEE best decision I've ever made so far in the year. It really made me realize that just drawing him in general made me so happy, it made me realize that I can have fun drawing again. It's like Natsuki renewed my passion for art, hell I even started editing videos again for just dumb meme edits for the characters in Utapri which I honestly thought I lost that kind of drive. Not long after I see people ship themselves with the boys and thought maybe I'd partake myself in that too. I'm really enjoying it and I really hope I don't stop.

This did turn out a bit long, but I'm just so thankful for Natsuki. I really can't imagine how I'd be now, if I hadn't tried out Shining Live as a joke.

I love Natsuki, I love him so much. He is my everything and the only one I can ever love. Thank you.

[fansofvow]

Interview with Eve Golden Woods!

Many of you know who is Eve is. She's a writer and artist, a part of Dreamfeel studios whose beautiful game If Found won Best LGBTQ Narrative and Best LGBTQ Indie game at the first ever Gayming Awards presented by EA games. I am really excited I had the chance to ask Eve some questions about herself, her time at Lovestruck and her creative process.

Congratulations on the two Gayming Awards (Best LGBTQ Narrative, Best LGBTQ Indie Game) for "If Found" from your game studio, Dreamfeel. What was the inspiration behind making the game?

If Found... was a game that emerged out of a collaboration between Llaura McGee, the founder of Dreamfeel, and artist Liadh Young. Liadh's background is as a comic artist, and so when they started working together Llaura had the idea of showing off Liadh's art by making a diary game, and using an erasing mechanic she had previously developed to let the player move through the diary in a fun way. By the time I came on board at the start of 2019, the game had already been in development for a while, so in some ways my work on that game was similar to the work I did for Voltage, because it was taking existing characters and concepts and writing a lot of scripts for them. Unlike Voltage, though, my work for Dreamfeel was a lot more collaborative and I had a lot more creative input. I really enjoy taking something and helping to make it the best version of itself that it can possibly be, but I was also really happy that I got to reflect a lot of my own experiences in If Found. Llaura and I both grew up on the west coast of Ireland, and although If Found... isn't autobiographical for either of us, it was definitely really meaningful to be able to tell a story that reflected our own experiences of growing up as queer teens in a similar kind of environment. Since the game came out we've had fans reach out to us and tell us that they also connected to the experiences of the main characters, and as far as I'm concerned, that makes me feel like I achieved everything I wanted to.

You are a writer and a visual artist. Does one come easier to you than the other?

I used to think of art and writing as talents, and I always felt like my art was at a very mediocre level (that's probably still true, lol). So when I was younger I focused a lot more on writing. It was only later that I started genuinely trying to improve as an artist, but when I did, I think I had a much healthier mindset, and approached it as a skill I could learn with patience and effort. Because of that, even though I still have a lot more confidence in my writing, I find art more fun and relaxing, and I don't stress about it as much.

Did you always know you would follow a creative path?

Kind of? Both my parents are artists, and I grew up surrounded by artists and writers, so it was something that was always very familiar and accessible to me. On the other hand, I didn't exactly have a clear idea of how to make it into a career, or what kind of work would be involved. But there's never been a point in my life where I wasn't doing something creative, even if it was only writing fanfiction.

What did your path to working professionally as a writer/artist look like?

I did a creative writing masters in college, but after that I spent years teaching English as a second language. That was really fun and I got to live abroad, but it was so busy and tiring that I didn't have time to do any writing outside of the occasional fanfic. I only started to take art seriously again when I became interested in games and comics as ways of telling stories. I did some critical writing, which led me to speak at a few local events and get involved in zine fairs. That was how I met Llaura, the director and lead of the Dreamfeel studio, and it's also what gave me the confidence to start applying for actual writing jobs.

Is there any work of art, visual or written, that you look to for inspiration?

So many! I try to read and watch as widely as I can, although there are touchstones I always return to, like the works of Ursula Le Guin and Terry Pratchett. Right now I feel very passionate about the actual play podcast Friends at the Table, which manages to combine really thoughtful worldbuilding and storytelling with cool, fun characters and great action scenes. I'm also reading a book called The Memory Police by Youko Ogawa, which has extremely beautiful prose.

Do you have a favorite piece of your own art, whether it is something you’ve drawn, a screenshot of something you’ve written or something else?

My favourite piece of art is usually whatever I finished most recently (I think that's true for a lot of people). Especially with visual art, once a bit of time has gone by you look back on it and start to notice all your mistakes, which is very annoying. But actually I do still really like the first piece of Fiona fanart I did last year. I managed to use some effects to give it a kind of nineties anime quality that I find really fun, and I think it conveys an emotion pretty effectively. That's always one of the hardest things to predict with visual art, whether the different parts will come together to create the exact mood you're looking for.

I also really like the compass I did for Bycatch. Krissy (@xekstrin) was the one who suggested filling it with fingernails, which was such a good, gross idea! As soon as I heard that I knew it was perfect and that I had to try and draw it.

Many people who read this blog know you as a writer for Lovestruck. When you look back on your time there, what stands out in your mind?

Lovestruck was very important to me when I first started because it was my first ongoing, regular, paid writing work. It gave me a lot of confidence and helped me to get into the habit of writing consistently and rapidly, which is a really useful skill to have. I know I was right to leave when I did, though, because I am just brimming with energy to work on my own projects, and channeling that power into something that you can't control will always end up disappointing you. Also, I made a ton of incredible friends, through Lovestruck itself but then even more so through VOW (@vowtogether), and that is more than worth all the difficult parts.

Is there any character that you would have liked a crack at writing?

Oh gosh, what a fun question! There are so many, but one I do sometimes think about is Axia, just because I know there are a bunch of fans who want her route, and because I had fun writing her as a villain in Zain's route. I can see in my head the shadow of a storyline that takes place after Zain's route is over, where she's in prison and trying to understand how she lost the battle with Zain and MC. I think there's, like, a gap there, where you could see her downfall forcing her to reconsider her assumptions about power, and that could build into a very interesting redemption story. But maybe it's for the best I never got to do that, because I would have wanted full creative control over it, and also I think the story in my head is very different to the sexy, in control, menacing version of Axia that her fans enjoy.

Do you have any upcoming projects you can talk about?

Most of my current work is under NDA, but I will say that I'm doing something very exciting with other VOW members that we should be able to talk about soon(ish). Maybe I can even give a little teaser... It's not a game, but it is something you can read, and my part involves cakes, swamps, and a museum.

Do you have a favorite quote or song lyric?

It's a big long, but there's a section from The Dispossessed by Ursula le Guin that has stayed with me ever since I read it:

"For we each of us deserve everything, every luxury that was ever piled in the tombs of the dead kings, and we each of us deserve nothing, not a mouthful of bread in hunger. Have we not eaten while another starved? Will you punish us for that? Will you reward us for the virtue of starving while others ate? No man earns punishment, no man earns reward. Free your mind of the idea of deserving, the idea of earning, and you will begin to be able to think."

It's such a profoundly radical way of imagining the world, so different to everything I was raised with, but whenever I think about it I feel like I can see something very beautiful and powerful that I hope to come closer to understanding some day.

And of course, "Solidarity forever, the union makes us strong."

I was a big fan of the show Inside the Actor’s Studio. Host James Lipton asked every single guest the same 10 concluding questions. I’ve picked 3 of them:

-What is your favorite word?

My favourite word: for sound, I like words you can really roll around on your tongue. Chthonic, alabaster, insinuation. For meaning, I think simple words that encapsulate big concepts have a kind of power to them. We use them so often we forget how big they are, how much weight they really have, but they give us the space to imagine new possibilities. Love. Freedom. Revolution.

-What is your least favorite word?

I've heard that "moist" is a lot of people's least favourite word but it doesn't actually bother me. My least favourite word is probably one where I feel like the sound doesn't match the meaning. One of the Irish words for rain is báisteach, which I feel has a much weightier and more onomatopoeic sound than rain. Rain is just very flat and uninteresting.

-What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?

Oh, so many! I love history, and I think being a historian/archaeologist would be fascinating. Or something that had a physical component to it, like being a potter or a carpenter. I don't think I'd be any good, but I'd love to take the time to learn.

What would be your advice to anyone who wants to pursue a creative career?

All the work you do matters. Even the failed experiments, the things you hate when they're finished. It all helps to make you better. Also, creative career paths are often really unexpected, so chase any opportunity that seems remotely interesting. Don't work for free for anyone who can afford to pay, but work for yourself and put it somewhere. On a blog, twitter, whatever. You'd be amazed how many people get noticed and get offered opportunities because of something they made in their spare time. You'll probably have to work another job for a long time, so don't be hard on yourself if you're too tired to devote much energy to creative work. Try to make art consistently, but don't feel like that has to mean every day. Don't chase after celebrities. Make friends with your peers.

[thewolfmanslayer]

Honestly the amount of people who say artists and writers should do stuff for free, or try to rip them off on comissions still royally piss me off.

I think the worst part of it is the entitlement, I dont want to make this too much about generations but a lot of commissioners are millenial/Gen z's who grew up on the "steal and pirate everything" mentality, take everything that you can because no one else is going to hand it to you. which I can get behind, when you are screwing over MULTI BILLION DOLLAR COMPANIES. NOT THE STRUGGLING ARTISTS AND WRITERS who are trying to keep food on the table as desperately as you probably are!

It's simple, you wouldn't walk into a restaurant, order food and tell the server "sorry I don't have any money, but I've got like a few thousand followers on social media, I can get your name out there, get the restaurant some exposure" NO! They don't need "exposure" they need you to pay the damn bill!

On top of that, most of these artists and writers ALREADY HAVE FOLLOWINGS. They already have thousands of people following them, waiting for the chance to get a commission, who are willing to pay for said commission, they don't need "exposure" when they're already out there! He'll even the artists and writers with a few hundred don't need it, they'll get more followers as time goes by, their skill alone will see to it.

And what is with people trying to get free art and writing? It's not going to work! You can't harass someone until they cave, trust me, you'll be long since blocked before you even have the opportunity. I don't do comissions, online anyways, but my own friends and family, people who actually know me STILL PAY ME whenever they ask for me to do art for them because they KNOW it takes TIME AND EFFORT.

How many times do we need to have this discussion???? Like when is it going to finally click that people who need to pay their bills just as much as you do AREN'T going to do this shit for free!?

Here's the thing about art and writing, that you've heard a billion times but still aren't getting; IT. TAKES. TIME. AND. EFFORT. TO. GET. DONE. the art isn't going to magically appear and the writing isn't going to suddenly write itself, if either were so convenient YOU WOULDNT BE ASKING AN ARTIST OR WRITER IN THE FIRST PLACE!

Look at that, you see that? The first picture I did back in 2012-13, the picture beside it? I did that TWO YEARS AGO. I didn't suddenly know exactly what to do, or had anything close to a god given talent for drawing (I'm not that talented). The first picture WAS THE ABSOLUTE BEST I COULD DO AT THE TIME THAT I MADE IT. In the time between these two drawings I admittedly took a break from art, but then I got back into it four years ago. EVEN STILL that was four YEARS of starting over from the basics, relearning everything, learning new things, wanting to actually improve my art.

Which, guess what, DID NOT HAPPEN OVER NIGHT. It was HOURS UPON HOURS of my limited free time as an adult drawing over and over and over and over again, every single goddamn day to get to the point that I was able to make that redraw look as good as it does in comparison. He'll, my art now puts them both to shame! Because I spent the time improving my quality!!

Now look at these artists doing comissions, they've probably put EVEN MORE of their time to get that good! They've put in LITERAL YEARS of sweat, blood, tears, frustrations and dedicated hardwork. Some did the same as me, self teaching and lots of practice, others probably had to go to school, which definitely wasn't cheap. But all of us put in that time and effort TO REACH THESE POINTS. Of being better artists, developing our styles, getting faster at drawing.

And maybe you think that this is super easy, right? That I or every other artist can just fire some art off and boom its good and done in like an hour?

FUCK. NO.

Even now it takes me several hours a day OVER MANY DAYS to make something exceptionally good! It doesn't matter how good an artist is, it still. Takes. Time.

Maybe the issue is that you don't understand how much actually goes into art, let me break it down for you, the steps that most people follow to finish ONE drawing.

-Rough draft: general character outline, get a feel for what I want to draw.

-Rough sketch: I start doing a bit of pencil to start filling in details like mouth, nose, eyes, hair, clothes. Ect.

-Penciling: I go over the rough sketch and clean everything up, maybe do some editing, this is when you can start making out all the details.

-Ink: I trace over the finished pencil with a pen tool and actually have the line art, everything looks clean, presentable, it actually looks like a character now. I'll spend time editing this and possibly redoing the inking many times over to get to a point where I like it.

-Flat color: I decide on which colors to use for skin tone, clothes accessories. Ect.

-Shading/highlights: I figure out where my light source is and how strong it is, I then apply the correct amount of lighting and shadows to the color to give it depth, I also have determine the texture of skin, clothes and accessories to make everything look real and natural.

-Blending: I smooth out the shading and highlights so that it looks more natural and isn't too hard (noticeable difference between color) so that it looks as natural as possible.

-Finish: I go over last minute details, finish any editing or corrections that need to be done. Once it's good I call it a day.

Each process is longer in length then the previous, with the exception of the final editing (as long as everything looks good) and even the rough draft can take some time. Over all this is SEVERAL HOURS of work for a SINGLE DRAWING.

So is it sinking in yet? How much is put into doing even a single character drawing? God forbid if its done with background. This isn't a "scratch a pen around and be done with it in ten minutes" kinda deal, no, this is SEVERAL HOURS OF SOMEONES LIFE BEING PUT INTO THIS

And if you still have the AUDACITY to try and wrangle free art from an artist then there's no helping you, you're just a selfish piece of shit, no question and I want nothing to do with you.

Someone might say "But I got free art/writing from.-" look I don't give a shit if someone did something for you THAT ONE TIME, these other artists and writers? Totally seperate and different people. You're one freebie experience does not, and should not apply to other artists and writers.

"But what if I really want this commission but don't have the money right now?" Well, that's tough shit. Save up and properly commission them when you can, it's not their problem.

"But what if I'm in a really bad financial situation and really want it?" That sucks, and I'm sorry, but again, not their problem. Chances are this is their only source of income and they need to make money so that they don't end up in a similar situation.

"They have a gift! They should share it!" What kind of cheap ass- LOOK, just because someone is talented or really good at something does not automatically obligate them to do anything for total strangers in anyway shape or form. These are living, breathing people, the same as you. They need to eat, they need to pay rent/mortgages, they need to pay vet bills, send their kids to college, do their taxes and everything else that YOU YOURSELF need to do. Asking anyone to spend their time doing something for free, when that something is how THEY ARE SURVIVING is beyond asinine. Not only that, this obviously isn't a hobby to them, it is very clearly THEIR JOB. Would you want to do a job where you didn't get paid at all? Doing a shit ton of work for absolutely nothing? No? Didn't think so.

"It shouldn't be about the money!" Well unfortunately, as with almost every other job, it is. We live in a world where we desperately need to make money in order to survive. That's the painful fact of the matter. If money never had to be an issue ever again then this would be a very different story. But it's not, plain and simple as can be.

Look, these people are just like you, artists and writers who are just trying to get by in a shitty ass world, using the one thing they have that let's them have an income. Leave them be, don't try and trick them, guilt them, or cuss them out when you don't get your way. Either properly comission or leave them the hell alone, plain and simple.

[thatmindfulmorena]

3 Truths about Setting Goals as a Happy Go Lucky Person

I was never the Type A kind of person who had their whole lives planned out for themselves; the ones who wrote their step-by-step plans to either go to a prestigious college; or to start up their own business; or become a full time volunteer and activist, advocating their beliefs and proactively changing the world. I never had that heavy kind of calling.

Being drawn to art at a young age, then forced to study a course in college that was deemed more "practical" than Fine Arts; my parents probably thought I had to take that choice because I seemed "lost" and "needed guidance". Ever since then, I let go of big decision making, and just let things flow. (Spoiler alert, that's when my depression unconsciously started)

Fast forward to years later, working at a career while daily questioning my purpose in life and resenting over and over why was I in this current situation--it seems like I've had enough. Seriously.

I tried therapy, and one of the few assignments that my therapist had given me was to list down some goals that I wanted to achieve one, five and ten years from now. And that scared the hell out of me. I'm already having a hard time thinking about what food I'll have the next day, what more my goals in the next ten years?!

By this time, its plain obvious that I let the wind take me where it wants to go. I never decided to interfere with it because I didn't like disappointments.

Here are a few things that I learned about setting goals as a happy go lucky person:

1. Setting goals does not equate to writing the end goal, but setting the steps to get there as well.

I remember writing down one goal of starting a plant business. And I started without much of a thought, purchased lots of plants, posted on Instagram, told myself that I'd only start selling when I get 500 followers (which never materialized probably thanks to the algorithm), then gave up when I realized that I wasn't getting anywhere near that number, eventually gave up, and is now stuck with pest infested plants that's hard to get rid of.

Being the non-planner type of person that I was, I failed to equate the extra effort it takes to actually manage a business. Especially when you have no background in it. I didn't take in the length of time it would take to gain followers, the number of daily postings, the truth about algorithms, and the lost money that I invested out of my whim dream. I only thought of the end goal, and not the amoutn of work that it took to get there.

2. Habit building (a.k.a. Discipline and consistency) is needed.

I easily give up when I think that I'm not good on the first try of something new and creative. I ventured into the art world ages ago, and thought about becoming a great and famous Instagram artist by drawing anime scenes or whatever fancies ny eyes. Just because I got a few followers, I did not bother to study and improve my art style. I got lazy, and instead of practicing everyday, I relied heavily on what other people would like to see. I felt that my art was dull, repetitive.

In order to achieve something, starting with tiny habits such as sketching for 10 minutes would be better than not sketching for weeks. Or maybe if I wanted to get better at cardio, I can do 10 minute walks every day, instead of a full 30 minute run in one day.

3. I have the power to change my course, where I want, and when I want.

As someone who has low self esteem, I let the wind take me where it wants me to be. And now I'm at a job that I really don't pour my entire self in, always questioning and thinking about doing anything else other than that; all because it pays me and feeds me well.

I'm not powerless as I think I am, and being an adult, I can redirect myself into a life that I genuinely look forward to living in everyday. And while society thinks that at certain ages you have to achieve this and that, I still have the power to try and reinvent myself (all in good ways of course).

While it takes a lot of practice, the results, regardless of whether I achieve my goals or not, will eventually pay off.

[vileart]

Dramaturgy Off The Top: Jason Kravits @ Edfringe 2017

NYC’s Award-Winning Improvised Solo Musical Cabaret “Off the Top!” Plays Special Engagement at Edinburgh Festival Fringe   In Off the Top!, TV and Broadway veteran Jason Kravits (Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Drowsy Chaperone) pulls off his most fearless act yet…a completely improvised, completely fictional, completely ridiculous one-man musical cabaret, based on audience suggestions.

This limited engagement plays The Boards, Edinburgh Playhouse at 16.30 on 9 - 11 August, 14 - 16 August, and 19 August.

What was the inspiration for this performance?

I wanted to do something that terrified me. I'm at a point in my life and career where doing the same thing over and over again is less interesting to me. I wondered what would happen if I stepped on to a stage with nothing but a band and a microphone and asked the

audience to inform the rest. The audience is my main collaborator in the show, I rely on them for everything: To tell me what my name is, where I'm from, what happens to me and (most dauntingly) the names of the songs I make up.

There has never been a performance where I don't say to myself, the moment before I walk on stage, "The is dumbest thing you've ever done. Who came up with this idea?!" Then I close my eyes, walk on stage and see what happens.

Is performance still a good space for the public discussion of ideas?

Oh, absolutely. Even though my show is completely improvised, the suggestions come from whatever the audience brings in with them that day. And you can tell by what's suggested exactly what's going on in their collective psyche. It's my job to reflect that back to them in an entertaining way. I think people come to the theater craving that reflection, even if they don't know it.

How did you become interested in making performance?

I've never been content with the schedule of the typical "actor's life," though that's where I've made my living. Even the busiest actors have a ton of down time. I get bored and I get the itch to do something creative, preferably collaborative. I spend my down time doing web series, sketch shows, play readings, sing alongs, writing short stories and plays, learning instruments, recording music. If I had any proficiency in drawing or painting I'd probably be doing that as well.

Is there any particular approach to the making of the show?

The real challenge for me was in finding the balance of improv, comedy, theater, parody and cabaret. It's taken a lot of small adjustments, a lot of trial and error to create something that is so unplanned and up in the air, and yet remains grounded and consistent.

I've spent a lot of time listening to, and dissecting, different musical styles, from Sinatra to Sondheim, Bob Dylan to Bobby Darin. Musical cabaret has been around a long time. and I got rather obsessed with understanding what elements make this form, a "life story in song," so satisfying to an audience. The details, however, are completely unknown until I step on the stage.

Does the show fit with your usual productions?

Well, given that almost everything else I do is scripted, you can say it's a real departure.

What do you hope that the audience will experience?

In a way, the audience and I are experiencing the same thing from the moment I get on stage: Both of us are wondering, "Can he really pull this off?!" So from the start there is an "edge of your seat" element for everyone involved. Like a magic act. Except in this magic act there are no illusions. I don't see any suggestion beforehand, none if it is planned out.

And I've tried to make that as transparent as possible: I really am making this stuff up in real time. Any improv, at its best, should exist in some ethereal space between audience and performer... a heightened event that wouldn't have been possible without both of us. It's as exciting for me as it is the audience, and it's the collaboration between us is what makes every show so unique.

What strategies did you consider towards shaping this audience experience?

It's important to me that this show is as improvised as possible, and obviously so. I threw out a lot of ideas that could even appear to be cheating, even if they weren't. Once the audience thinks you planned something based on previous knowledge, they lose their trust in the integrity of the improv. And then they relax. I don't want them to relax, ever. The should never see the show as anything less than a tightrope walk. It's so much more satisfying for all of us if it's as transparently improvised as possible.

That being said, there are certain elements, certain story-telling tentpoles, that have to be in place in order to make it a satisfying show. But I think I was able to add those without sacrificing the feeling of danger or excitement. Ultimately, the audience experience will be based on their suggestions. There's very little I can do to influence those. And, in a way, that's the point!

  In his musical high-wire act, 2017 Bistro Award winner Jason Kravits spontaneously creates a character, a life story and an entire evening of original songs, all based on audience suggestions. Showstoppers and character songs, trifles and segues, sob stories and back stories, humblebrags and overshares - Jason makes it all up in real time, off the top of his nimble and slightly demented mind, to the amazement of his audience. A man. A band. Totally unplanned. Off the Top! delivers an entirely new show every time.    Tickling the ivories is John Thorn - one of the world’s foremost improv accompanists, and award-winning composer/pianist/musical director - best known for his work with Meow Meow, Bob Downe and Spontaneous Broadway.  

At the Edinburgh Fringe, Off the Top! will be performing at The Boards, Edinburgh Playhouse — located at 18-22 Greenside Ln. Limited engagement performances on 9 - 11, 14 – 16, and 19 August. All performances at 16:30. Tickets are £12.00/£10.00/£8.50.  

    Jason Kravits (Performer/Creator) has been appearing on stage and screens large and small for over 30 years. Perhaps best known for his long-running role as Richard Bay on ABC’s The Practice, he has had recurring roles on The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Madam Secretary, Smash, The Michael J. Fox Show, Royal Pains and Dallas. Other TV credits include Blindspot, The Blacklist, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Hot in Cleveland, Married, Masters of Sex, Raising Hope, 30 Rock, The Good Wife, Gilmore Girls and Everybody Loves Raymond. Film credits include Chinese Puzzle (Casse-tête Chinois), The Stepford Wives, Sweet November, Morning Glory, and What Just Happened. On Broadway, Kravits made a splash with his work in the hit musical comedy The Drowsy Chaperone. Other stage credits include Sly Fox and most recently, Relatively Speaking, three original one-acts by Ethan Coen, Elaine May, and Woody Allen. Kravits is a founding member of The Rumble in the Red Room writing collective, as well as the improv troupe Erasable, Inc. and he is a member of the Actors Center Workshop Company.

  John Thorn (Accompanist) is an award winning composer/pianist/musical director and one of the world’s foremost improv accompanists. Based in Melbourne he has worked with major Australian and International cabaret artists including Meow Meow, Bob Downe, Barb Jungr, Caroline Nin and Bridget Everett as well as producing the ground breaking Australian version of Spontaneous Broadway and the children’s format Random Musical. He has written 5 musicals and scored countless cabaret and theatre shows. Recently he has begun accompanying himself, performing his original one-man show Background Boy to acclaim at The Butterfly Club (Melbourne) and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival. He was awarded the 2015 Melbourne Green Room Award for “Outstanding Contribution To Cabaret.”   PM2 Entertainment/Peter Michael Marino (Producer) – Produced the 2015 Edinburgh Fringe debut of David Carl’s Celebrity One-Man Hamlet at Underbelly, in association with Richard Jordan Productions and Project Y.  This acclaimed solo comedy also played Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Kitchen Dog Theater and The PIT NYC. Other producing credits include the NYC debut of Joe’s NYC Bar, David Mills: Shame!, Charles’ Moby Alpha, and NYC's annual SOLOCOM festival - which has launched over 400 world-premiere solo comedies. www.petermmarino.com  

from the vileblog http://ift.tt/2sunqD4