#I'm a firm believer that the triangle is yellow

[1dcommunityficrecs]

Rec List: Niall-Centric Fics!

With my university's students already dressed in green and shutting down streets to drink on the rooftops, it's time to celebrate the sweetest Irishman I know (to be fair that is a limited list). I'm well aware that St. Patrick's Day is more of an American phenomenon than an actual Irish one (they're drinking beer EVERY day), but I enjoy a relevant theme, even if the relevance is slight.

So here are 10 Niall-Centric fics for your enjoyment! Lots of Shiall here, as well as a Nouis and a Captain Niall. And a fascinating amount of Niall Christmas fic -- but I'm a firm believer that holiday fic is just as good any time of the year.

Enjoy! Kudos! Comment! Reblog! Thank your friendly neighbourhood fic writer! Go forth and prosper!

The Words Just Get In The Way by alienharry/ (5200, Not Rated, Niall Horan/Shawn Mendes)

Niall doesn’t have a crush on the cashier from the apple orchard, he absolutely does need 3 dozen apples, and it’s none of Louis’ damn business.

Reccer says: This one is so cute and funny!

The Stories They're Not In by abrighteryellow/@a-brighter-yellow (10587, Explicit, Niall Horan/Shawn Mendes) – fic post

An AU inspired by Niall Horan's "San Francisco," the movie Rocketman, and Elton John and Bernie Taupin's real-life relationship (except more gay).

Reccer says: This one is full of great songwriting, pining, and build up! But it's the evocative writing that makes it so special.

Hash Brown, Egg Yolk, I Will Always Love You by LiveLaughLoveLarry/@loveislarryislove (1853, General, Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post

Niall is a regular at Harry's hole-in-the-wall breakfast diner, coming in almost every morning. As such, he feels uniquely qualified to opine that another regular, Louis, would be a perfect match for Harry. He doesn't realize they're several years ahead of him on that.

Reccer says: I am always a fan of Captain Niall, and I crack up at him trying to matchmake when they're LITERALLY MARRIED

A Green Christmas by tommokat /@tommokat (871, Teen, Niall Horan/Shawn Mendes) – fic post

All they want for Christmas is a real Christmas tree. And each other.

Reccer says: It really is the little details that make Christmas memories so special.

Pee Before You Buy the Tree by Ebb_tide/ (3326, Teen, Niall Horan/Louis Tomlinson)

Niall and Louis joke that they're dating so neither of them will be single for the holidays. Except maybe they don't want it to be just a joke.

Reccer says: The author does an amazing job blending the sweetness of their pining with the hotness of Louis' need to pee.

It’s Not Unusual by zanni_scaramouche/@zanniscaramouche (7890, Explicit, Niall horan/harry styles) – fic post Warnings: The mildest of dub con (but it’s resolved)

In the otherworldly middle of the night, Niall and Harry push each others boundaries with hardly a word spoken. It’s just physical, until suddenly it’s not, and the emotions come pouring out.

Reccer says: The vulnerability and tenderness between them!

Whole Lotta History by zanni_scaramouche/@zanniscaramouche (13000, Teen, Multi) – fic post Warnings: None!

Niall has no idea what he’s in for when he agrees to go speed dating and winds up tangled in not just a love-triangle, more like a love-octuple? I

Reccer says: Sweet and funny, a wild ride!

A Tear in the Sky by zanni_scaramouche/@zanniscaramouche (27000, Mature, Niall Horan/Liam Payne/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post Warnings: Cults, PTSD, ambiguous mental health

Niall is brought in to interrogate members of a cult to determine their roles in the mess. An intense angst fest heavy on the plot!

Reccer says: The suspense, the world building, the depth of emotions!

Things I Used to Feel by zanni_scaramouche/@zanniscaramouche (4000, Explicit, Niall Horan/Harry Styles/Louis Tomlinson) – fic post Warnings: Main Character Death (but… ghosts)

Two ghosts in the same house, and the man who charms them both!

Reccer says: The sex! The teasing! The ghosts!

Consider This by Peerpressure/@horansheroes (83000, Mature, Niall Horan/Harry Styles)

Wholesome stripper Niall meets single dad Harry and it gets sexy and serious (and seriously sexy)

Reccer says: All of the emotions wrapped in a grounded plot. My fave Narry ever

[wabart]

Would you ever do a tutorial on how to draw tit so well? you are a titmancer!

Thank you! 🧙‍♂️

getting used to the Shapes of masculine chest/arms/etc takes some time but tbqh it is sort of just rectangle with more chunks

sketch the body

hes a quick how-to for the front angle and how i sketch the pecs

and then I put together a colour palette: i believe skin tones are not just a "base" and then the "darker shadowy colour" and then the "highlight colour"; it is made of so many blue-green-purpley-yellow-orange tones you wouldn't think to include, and all of those together are what creates the illusion of one solid skin tone. Study from real life and use photo references as much as you need. Challenge yourself and get lots of practice! I make a palette from photos when i want to make sure I'm accurate. Here's an example:

In this, there's light, saturated tones and desaturated colourful ones in deep purples. I tried to get as many different-looking swatches as possible; when I paint, these will blend together and create hundreds of more colours on the canvas. Try to not over-swatch or you'll be sitting there for ages and be focused on perfection.

here, I'm getting the general shapes of shadows. In most real-life situations, shadows are not pure black, and highlights are not pure white. Of course, that isn't always true!

I'm not working from a photo reference in this because I am very very very very used to painting boobie but i REALLY recommend using one until you could do it blindfolded. I use references ALL the time, for colour and shape and lighting and angles I have trouble with. There is absolutely no shame in it; you are creating a strong foundation to draw from :)

I'm making it very stark so it's easy to see: the top "square" of both pecs is more shaded where it meets the collarbone. Notice how these bits of shadow don't touch; there's a highlight separating them. This creates the illusion of depth! Shading the body is all about shading the simple shapes plopped on top of eachother :)

I added purple to the underarms area; I find that adding a saturated colour fools the eye to think the shadows are more intense without needing to dip into a dark, instense palette. I blended out the colours on the pec to make them less stark: see how the general shape of shading versus shadow is the same on the left and right, but the left is more gentle. A lot of my technique is memorising What Stuff Goes Where; for example, the little triangle directly under the collarbone where it meets the shoulder. The collarbone itself is a strip of highlight, with that darker triangle directly underneath. This makes a HUGE!!! difference in how you perceive the shape.

As a general rule (with basic, diffuse lighting on the subject) I will do a strip of shadow along the bottom of the pec (ending a little above where the nip is at; this depends on how big the pec is. Someone with a smaller one will have a taller shadow!!) and then it is IMMEDIATELY a highlight in a kind of "U" shape. A lot of the form comes from choosing to blend slowly between dark and light versus putting darkness and lightness side-by-side. Practice and study photos and you will see what I mean, I promise!!

And there you have it!! The pec is just one part but it can really level up your apparent skill when you know how to draw or paint one to your standards. :)

Another quick tip: these general rules also apply to breasts, though the shadow at the top near the collarbone is far more gentle; that sharp shadow implies firmness and flatness.

And: when more at an angle, you can draw pecs quickly by doing this:

"the closer tit is dark around the edges" up beside "the right tit is highlighted on the edge"; the contrast between dark and light implies the two side by side :)

See, even without lineart, it implies Mounds:

I hope this is helpful!!!