#I'm not really good at teaching art stuff tbh :/

[wombywoo]

how do you get your lineart so smooth? 😩

lots of practice!!! this sounds like a cop-out, but really--it's true! you'll only achieve nice smooth lineart in digital art if you've gotten comfortable with your tablet and pen sensitivity, so that means lots of scribbling and hatching to get a feel for it. my best tip is to make your lines quick and fluid--don't hesitate at all because your pen will pick up on it and turn the line wobbly; make fast, broad strokes and keep going, you can adjust them later. for more detailed lineart, zoom in! try to keep those lines short and precise, less bold than the frame of the figure.

here's an example of what I'm working on now, with some of my pen settings:

I tend to keep the opacity pretty high, but the flow can shift depending on how pencil-like I want the line to be. and for pieces like this, I keep the brush size the same for the whole figure

different textures call for different line types. experiment with the way the brush moves--thicker and bolder in the middle vs thin wispy lines, spontaneous, jerky movements vs. controlled swoops, etc. I tend to exaggerate the juncture where lines meet by filling in the corner a bit, and I'm not too big on having bold and shadowed lines (this is a 'style choice', but really, I wish I could make more dramatic lineart 😔)

all in all--just have fun with it! lineart styles vary, so keep practicing, and you'll be able to achieve a smooth, effortless effect once you've gotten comfortable with it <3

[stitchposts]

OK, so while I sew a lot, I've always thought of embroidery as something I Just Can't Do Properly, because I was bad at it when I tried to learn it, while other crafts I've picked up easily.

And then I realised what had happened.

Mother often offloaded me on her three great aunts when I was a kid and they had the tools, knowledge and supplies for knitting and dressmaking, and soon figured out that teaching me to Make Things was a great way of keeping me quiet.

And they'd all done a lot of embroidery when they were young, beautiful tablecloths and things, BUT they'd stuck to more practical things as soon as they were out of what passed for school then, so they didn't have the stuff for doing embroidery, so when they tried to teach me it was with a crappy kids' kit with a plastic hoop that couldn't hold its own shape never mind the fabric and a blunt needle, so no wonder I sucked at it.

What would be your recommendation for someone getting started?

Hey there! Damn, that's pretty insightful for you to realize and it makes a lot of sense. I'm happy to help you get started!

My usual recommendation from absolute zero is to just buy a kit with everything you need from a reputable vendor. Since you have a crafting history I think you're good to not be overwhelmed by the stuff you need to buy. You'll need:

a pattern

a hoop (plastic are totally fine, just not the kids ones you used)

non stretchy fabric (I like kona quilting cotton for beginners, it's a name they can search for easier, is widely available, and good quality without being expensive)

embroidery floss (dmc, anchor, or cosmo are available worldwide depending on where you are and are high quality)

embroidery needles (larger eyes, sharp tip)

scissors

way to transfer your pattern to your fabric

Transferring a pattern is as simple as using a window as a tracing pad and copying the pattern from the paper printout to your fabric using a washaway or heat erase pen. You can also use chalk. There are fancier ways to transfer, let's keep it simple for now though.

I like patterns that casually integrate a large amount of stitches into a design. The ones that are like, carefully laid out sections of DO A BACKSTITCH 5 TIMES. DO A CHAINSTITCH 5 TIMES. DO 3 FRENCH KNOTS - those don't teach you anything in a way that matters. it's not enough repetition to make the stitches stick in your mind nor is it integrated learning to see how stitches look in situ in order to get a grasp of how to use them for your own art.

To learn to do stitches, I like the Royal School of Needlework stitch bank. Other stitch banks online don't give the historical citations for their stitches and often make shit up just to look more impressive or have options not on any other site. Yeah, of course other sites wouldn't have your made up stitch name.

DMC's free patterns are high quality, tell you what threads to buy, and are aimed at all skill levels. I'm linking the list of the ones I personally think are good for beginners to learn on under a cut here because this is getting long!

Blue Hill - wreath with blue flowers

Etoile Constellation - celestial star/moon/sun tableau. Ignore the call for etoile threads tbh and just use the number codes for the plain colors

Etoile Magic Star - tri-toned shooting star. Ignore the call for etoile threads tbh and just use the number codes for the plain colors

Strawberries - a scattered ditzy design with strawberries, leaves, and flowers

Lemons - a scattered ditzy design with lemons and sprigs of flowers and leaves

Oranges - a scattered ditzy design with whole oranges, orange slices, and sprigs of leaves

Raspberries and Roses - a scattered ditzy design with raspberries, roses, leaves, and flower bits

Toadstool - an amanita mushroom scene. This one's really fucking popular online, you see it a lot.

Jellyfish - uses a variety of stitches to give texture to the titular sealife

Octopus - uses a variety of stitches to give texture to the titular sealife

Seahorse - uses a variety of stitches to give texture to the titular sealife

Shrimp - uses a variety of stitches to give texture to the titular sealife

An Hee Jin, Toucan - cute lil toucan on a branch with leaves and flowers

Flying Snakes - snakes but theyre circus performers. lean into the whimsy. life is short.

Woodland Bear - forest scene with a bear. Lots of french knots for the trees, still a beginner pattern. Get that practice in.

[girls--complex]

hi, love your work a lot! it manages to blend coherence with layers of esoterica, in a fun & meaningful way. do you have any big influences with your style?

Writing this as a narrative because my whimsicall mind can't seem to organize information logickally otherwise

So

When I was a child my Dad would show me a lot of comics/cartoons in all different styles/eras and so I was internalizing comic book logic from the very beginning. He really liked American comix both capes and Indie stuff but was also into franco belgian artists and let's be clear my papa has good taste so I was readying good stuff though I couldn't remember it all too reliably... Also Comics Journal, so I was reading comics & meta about comics. So basically I have like a deep archetypal brain stem dark spring of mind that spits out raw comic information like a dream that I can't place until I rediscover them, and a lot of deep unremembered imprintations that R kinda roiling around under the surface #Stupidsoldier

N then I was a deviantart kiddo and a reading manga at barnes and noble kiddo, and then I went and got a formal art education and learned about all these artists that sort of did pseudo comics or cartoons but didnt articulate it that way-- The German xpressionists are a big example of this -- and also about overall principles of like scale and hierarchy and time and presence -- and also just that I really like drawin the human figure in particular :)

I'm really grateful that my parents especially my dad were actually really supportive/invested in me being an artist even though they had very little faith in my character or overall competence. so I was always doing art activities to make me better at drawing because that was like the one redeeming quality I had, a lot of household resources went into me having art tutoring or doing community classes, and I was really strongly encouraged to get ma BFA

So 4 influences well I like things that are very stylish but very specific in how they represent figure N physiognomy... Naoki Urosawa & Jeff Smith were fascinations 2 me along this line... Arakawa is good too... I feel like this is a strength of American and British cartoonists generally but struggling to think of names

My favorite painter is tied between two commies: Siqueiros, who was a Mexican muralist and chaotic socialist, really specific markmaking and texture, pathos drenched figuration, charged epic landscapes, and Petrov-Vodkin, Russian ikonographer who became a propagandist for the USSR, semi-social-realist, semi-ikonographic compositions in which space is wrapping around itself to organize human figures according to a mythological logic, flattish, very cartoons/comics aligned, strange treatment of color but all really effective

History painting overall is everything to me it really doesn't show in Coward but I think it shows elsewhere some of my other dramatic sensibility is a lot from 00s action movie shlock which I would always enjoy to go see when I was younger and was somehow fascinated with the environment of government buildings and prisons and secret operations happeningunder the surface of every day life erupting into wet violence of men punching each other

I love the movie THE RAID redemption !!!!

I learned a lot of the logic of pacing N building pages around Tezuka's work as well as FMA N Death Note I think were big 1s to teach me that logic. Tezuka is a really good artist to look at for how to compose a page that supports the energy of the events that are happening on it, not that that's something I personally am good at. Favorite mangaka for tone and environment and visual identity are Katsuhiro Otomo, Tustomu Nihei, Suehiro Maruo, Nishioka siblings, Hideshi Hino

A lot of my sense of timing is also from news paper strips tbh. It's just a gut thing to me at this point hehe , Character design is also a gut thing for me I draw a little thing and I can either ensoul it with psychosexual fixation or I can't

I was born in the hospital Henry Darger worked at St. Joe's he's an ancestor to me but ofc inimitable by virtue of GOD being his sole audience

As for the esoterickal dimensions I feel like it's all it's own post let's just say I lack the inclination and ability for systematic and rigorous study but I am really interesting in gathering little packets of information and arranging them into dioramas and the longer I do it the more packets I accrue

I want to make a list of artists on here that I like/admire sometime too but that's too much for me rn. I also suspect a lot of people R mad at me for arbitrary reasons just as I also am mad at a lot of people for arbitrary reasons so I dont wanna bother no one ...

Oh well so I'm intentionally reorganizing how I draw right now because I sense a shift in my trajectory again so thanks for making me reflect

[i-yap]

Hi! You mentioned in a prev oneshot that you were Indian, as a fellow south asian it is so nice to have someone into the fandom as well !!! May I have a request if batboys with an south asian so who does Indian classical dance like bharatnatyam or odissi please?

Heyyy I have never professionally learned classical Indian dances but I love watching them so ill try my best. Im sorry if its offensive, Im doing fem reader cuz gn wasn't requested..hope that okay too

Batboys x Dancer!Y/N

Dick grayson

He loved the story the dances depicted. He learned all the meanings and history behind all the hand movements and music.

Dick had probably been to India for a mission so he does know a little about indian history but now he has a much stronger motivation to learn everything and anything about that culture .

Also we all know dick has a thing for strong powerful women. And Bharatnatyam or Odssi or any indian classical dance for that matter REQUIRES SO MUCH STRENGTH . The facial expressions, the precise movement and the beauty of it all..he is whipped.

'He also loves when you get in touch with your culture. Dick is like a culture connoisseur and having a beautiful south asian girlfriend who is proud and expressive of her heritage makes him so proud.

He for sure has videos on videos which he show or boast about to anyone- even at galas , his favorite thing to talk about you and he is just so proud.

Jason Todd

I dont think todd will take the time to look into the difference meanings or stories these dances depict.

I have mentioned how much he stares and now he has a new found excuse to stress. Its like those movie montages of the wife through the husbands eyes where there is like a light glow behind her and he is just laughing (and then she dies or something)- idk if you know what I'm talking about but that exact thing happens with him.

you are like his salvation , so beautiful, golden poised and graceful. Its like a beggar seeing a goddess , a murderer on the steps of church or a ray of sunshine in the cold cold dark city - it becomes his way to spirituality.

He doesn't talk that much about it. the whole experience feels too surreal for him and he loves to see that side of you. when your practicing and don't have the routine perfected, he loves seeing the side of you no one else would get to see.

Tim drake-

This boy probably went to the ballet as a kid and I mean western rich parents-gotham city- I don't think he knows anything about indian classical dance so when he sees it for the first time he is shocked

He Is so intrigued , It just makes you so much cooler. He will love dropping in the middle of his patrols to watch you train and bring you snacks

He also loves doing your makeup for you , and the whole outfit....it looks super complicated and he is good with assembling stuff so he'll be really into it.

He would tbh encourage you to use your skill to start and internet channel and use that to promote movements. Also if you are into the idea of teaching immigrant kids on how to dance, he'll help find the means because being connected to your roots are just so important.

Rather than boring ass ballet in galas , he will promote other styles of dance especially indian classical.

Will cheer like a madman after your performances , even if they are at rich gotham galas. "WOHOO THATS MY GIRL THATS REAL ART YOU SEE THAT YOU RICH PRICKS"

Yea just because you have this super serious super cool skill doesn't mean you both wont be sitting in a dinner eating greasy food in the whole costume+makeup after performances. Youre still teenage dirtbags after all

Damian wayne-

he will draw you . loves sitting and sketching you dance .

He too is really into strong women and appreciates the beauty and precise art of indian dance.

Itll remind him of his home, like up in the mountains. Maybe dance is taught as a way of developing balance and precision. So to him you look like a strong fighter.

It just brings nostalgia and you look so ethereal while you dance. I think out of all batboys he would be most appreciative of the art

these are comparatively shorter but i didnt have too many thoughts. hope its okay tho

[itz-pandora]

Urrgh

I was just kinda moody today and yesterday and I think I'm just. Stressed.

I keep feeling like I have a mountain of work that I can't get done because I can't focus on anything but art at home, so I'd have to stay after school to get anything done, but I stayed after for like 3 days and I hardly got anything done and I'm so upset about it. I feel like I can't get anything done in the timeframe I have and I can't even focus in class and get things done. I just feel like I'm falling more and more behind and it's all my fault that I can't catch up. I'm trying so hard.

I have 4 different comics/storybooks I need to make for class and they ALL demand some kind of quality and I am a perfectionist. And I hate it. I think it won't take long but it does! I feel like if I don't turn in something that looks good then I'm not really an artist. Not to mention finding inspiration and time! I am dedicating so much to my Unbreakable Bond comic for my class, and I'm already 8 hours into 3 pages of SKETCHES! Just. Sketches. And I feel like I need them to be perfect. I need to make 2 short books based off stories (3 little pigs and Juan Bobo) and dude I can't think of inspo... Ughhhhhhh I'm sad. I'm halfway done with a storyboard for my Spanish class tho... Urrgh perfectionism is a bitch

And I'm falling behind with normal assignments too! I have a month old PowerPoint that every time I think about I feel drained and I DONT KNOW WHY? why cant i make a stupid powerpoint on one of the 5 senses development in utero?? It was due over a month ago! And we're in the story unit in Spanish and my dumbass can't keep up with our pace and it's driving me CRAZY. I'm supposed to be fast with this, I've always been fast with this, how am I falling so far behind?? It takes so long for me to get through it and we keep moving on before I'm ready. And my graphic noveling class? I spend so much time on the actual projects that I neglect the busywork. Not to mention how my brain doesn't think the same way as the curriculum does, I like to plot out as I go! It keeps telling me to plot out with words, but I know the gist of what I want, it's just hard to translate into words and I don't know how to properly describe stuff. Also I straight up didn't start one of our first assignments because I can't flip images on our school computers and it made me mad

Thank you Earth Science for being NORMAL. It's my most rigid and lecture-based class and has the most traditional style of teaching. It's the easiest in the execution and I don't feel like I'm behind in it. It's the only one I feel normal in.

My child development class is very lax, I goof off tbh, it's so easy to waste time. With Spanish, I need a translator and my friend in that class is chatty so I procrastinate, and in my Graphic noveling class, I make too much for myself and end up drowning in it.

i havent worked on my animatic since yesterday so that's another thing my brain put in the loser bin. Smh

I'm kinda sad

I'm not saying this in any negative way towards you guys, I'm glad when you interact with me. Doing things on here is actually such a mental boost

[sylenth-l]

I'm sure someone has asked already but there's no harm in asking this question again, I was wondering how do you plot out your drawings? Like your proportions and stuff? Because I have never been able to get proportions done very easily, the head is always too small for the shoulders, arms aren't the right length, torso is too long/short, ect ect. Do you have any advice to help with this? Thank you :) 💜

Hey! Okay, I'll start with saying that I'm not a qualified art teacher and everything I say are just things I've noticed over the years of drawing myself and thus can only share things that worked for me personally ✌️✨

I use head to measure the height of everything and make the width whatever I feel looks good 😅 The classic art anatomy teaches us that perfect human's height is 8 heads and legs take exactly half of it. I rarely stick to that model tbh, I prefer to draw in an even more stylized way, so I usually make legs a bit longer (making it 8.5 or even 9+ heads total) and head just a biiit bigger.  Still, I started from classics and I believe it's much easier to learn it first, so I drew the 8 heads model for a better demonstration:

I've developed a little checklist of the most important proportions; usually if those conditions are met, the whole figure looks convincing enough to me.

Head + torso is 4 heads;

Elbows and waist are relatively on the same line;

Open palm is the same length as the face (head minus hairline);

Arm length ends a bit higher than half of the hip;

Knees are located at the middle of legs length minus feet.

Okay, it looks really easy for a frontal view of a standing still figure, but what about more complicated poses? My suggestion is to measure the stick figure inside the body (not forgetting about the perspective distortion though). Take the "spine" and the least bent leg to check everything, then make sure both legs are the same length.

Note that these measurements don't need to be exact as if made with a ruler! We aren't doing blueprints here. If you don't trust your eye, then try training it, whenever you have a free minute: just draw a long line and try to divide it into equal parts. Or draw a long line with many short lines of the same length; kinda like a dashline, but with no gaps.

Also, I think it's important to remember that measurements and proportions are cool, useful and make your life a lot easier, but often you may need to bend them for the final drawing to look good. And obviously, people come in many shapes and heights, so I suggest taking these classical measurements as a cheatsheet to draw a good standard stick figure, which you can shape into whatever you want later. The 8 heads canon isn't realistic anyway, it originated in Ancient Egypt and Greece and was used for art needs specifically (mainly sculpture iirc). It represents an idealized view of a human figure already, so no harm in changing it a bit further I think!

 Art doesn't really need to be anatomically correct, it just has to look like it is.

[yikes-kachowski]

Hiii! I dropped by on accident and found out your avatar headcanons and OCs so so nice

I gotta ask a few curiosities of mine if that's cool? *takes out a notebook and a pen*

- since katara and zuko are a thing, did it make their friendship with aang weird or was he cool with it instantly? And how did it even began for them? Did it followed the show's events? Did Aang even got a crush on Katara?

- What happens to Azula?

- How does all these next gen kids react when Korra shows up? Is it weird, is it fine, is it all the same? I mean, they all knew the previous avatar and he was pretty much their family and all. Tho I think them having their own lives also mean it's not that much of a deal?

- Is Katara still one of Korra's teaching masters?

- Sokka's kids get along?

- Does Tenzin and Bumi eventually get okay with each other?

- Korra still loses her connection to the past avatars and therefore Aang? Do they even talk, like he did to Roku and all?

- do you have any other headcanon or change of other characters from tlok or tloa that you mind sharing? like, a plot from tlok that you think it could be better improved or discarded, or something that happens on your universe and you haven't talked about yet?

Sorry for this such a big of an ask, i really REALLY liked these ideas you had (and your art is also amazing and so awesome and pretty too 💞).

heyyyy anon! sorry for the late reply, i hope you still see this.

First of all, thank you! I love genuine interest in my stuff I never expect it. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy and clever. ALSO thanks for complimenting my art! i'm a slow artist so my blood sweat and tears (mostly tears) are in every drawing !!!

onto answering your questions to the best of my ability:

1) Aang is completely cool with Katara and Zuko's relationship. He's basically their biggest shipper :) He did have a crush on Katara (and Zuko tbh), but he was able to let it go pretty quickly. As the Avatar, after the war he was almost too busy to even be sad about it. Overwhelmingly, he was just happy for his friends

Also, Katara and Zuko get together after the war, when Katara's about 17 and he's about 19. Katara goes to the South Pole and they fall for each other through letters and short visits.

Most show events aren't really taken out for me. Just really the kiss right at the end.

2) Azula has a redemption arc. I like to think of it as being a redemption arc she herself is hardly aware of. She just thinks she's really in the long haul of fooling the gaang into liking her. Her redemption arc starts immediately after the war because Zuko keeps her safe in the palace.

Aang becomes her friend first and encourages everyone else to give her a chance. Sokka provides an outlet for all of her older brother issues, since she and Zuko have an awkward relationship. And Katara is tutored by Azula in Fire Nation etiquette and history so she's better equipped to be Fire Lady.

sorry if this is confusing, but believe it or not this rambling all makes sense to me.

3) Korra is very important to the next gen kids, aang's kids and the zk especially. Her arrival is in the middle of great political conflict that never would have happened if Aang wasn't murdered, so they're eager to get her in on the Avatar business.

My idea with Aang dying so young, is that all of his business is half finished. His kids didn't get real closure for their relationship. So Bumi, Yelaan, Palkyi and Tenzin all have complex feelings toward her. Bumi's in particular are very intense.

Being around Korra FEELS like being in his father's presence, which is hard for him. He doesn't want aang to have been a good person or a good father because then he'd really have to miss and mourn everything he was gone for. but this is a lot and hard for me to say so

the steambabies also need Korra and consider her central. They watched their parents' reactions when Aang died (particularly Zuko), and that has affected them deeply. Sakari has been advised to always follow the avatar, so she's happy to have guidance. Besides, she hopes the Avatar will restore and era of peace since she worries for Bumi and Akiak.

Akiak has changed since Aang died, a lot. In ways he's not always proud of. Facing Korra is somewhat hard for him for that reason. Especially since sometimes she opposes some of his methods. He thinks her way of bringing peace is naive.

Tophs kids (and Tenzin to some extent) are the same :)

4) Yes! Katara is one of her waterbending masters. I feel like when you're an Avatar's Master, that's your role for life. She already knows how to train the Avatar. She, Zuko, and Toph taught Korra in the right order, and are old friends with her. Korra has already met the whole Gaang even if she doesn't see Toph or Zuko as often as she'd like

5) I usually choose not to give Sokka kids. I feel like he doesn't want to be a father (even though he'd definitely be the best at it). He and Suki work too hard and have agreed they just aren't super interested in kids. He and Suki are full time Aunt and Uncle to all of the Next Gen. Now, ive made some OCs for asks and I'd say that they do get along :)

6) Bumi and Tenzin's relationship is ROUGH in this story, but yes, they do. It takes a while but eventually they're only mildly hostile with each other. Tenzin helps Bumi reconnect with Air Nomad culture, and Bumi helps him commune with the spirits better. This is jumpstarted by Korra.

7) Korra does keep communication with her past lives! But her path to being a fully realized Avatar is much more difficult. The decision to raise her in a compound was a mistake, and so her growth as an avatar is severely set back. This means, she speaks to her past lives when they reach out to her (and she's in tune enough to listen). Aang is not easy for her to talk to, but eventually she masters it. She doesn't really tell anyone because she's scared everyone will then only want to talk to aang, not her.

8) First of all: for atla, i write very particular cultures and geographies to expand the universe. They affect things in only minor ways for the most part in atla. Also, Aang is trans. I love it too much for it to not be true (if youre wondering how he had kids he made deals with spirits)

Now for tlok. In my opinion, it's very necessary for the different conflicts to not have clear starts and ends. These should all be interweaving conflicts that everyone's caught in the middle of. Not only does this facilitate a lot more character interactions, but it also builds stress and feels realistic.

Mako and Bolin are former triad members and pro athletes, they should be rougher around the edges. Also, Mako would NEVER EVER become a cop after seeing the direct damage they cause marginalized communities. I think that perspective would be very important for korra as an avatar.

Season two plotlines should just be a civil war between north and south. Tbh, I'm not digging all of the subtle ways the north takes over the south, and I imagine the south isn't either. They separated from the north for a reason, and then during the war, the north didn't even help them. The tensions were rising and Aang never came up with a good long term solution when he was alive, and that affects Korra.

Season three's plotline can mostly stay the same except there is no harmonic convergence that introduces new airbenders. The airbenders are the group that they are. They're travelling the earth kingdoms doing peace talks since much of the earth kingdoms don't want to be under ba sing se. Particularly the Si Wong Desert. Aang was in active peace talks when died and was never able to come up with a long term solution.

Season four is also mostly the same except no mechs or spirit nukes.

All the while the equalists are raging on at home.

ANYWAY. thanks for the ask! I hope you see this after i posted it SOOOO late.

See the pattern? Korra must fill aang's shoes while also dealing with all of his unfinished business. Every character serves a unique perspective that helps inform korras decisions.

I dont think these ideas are perfect and the only way to write Korra, but I think they make sense. They help tell a story Im more interested in.

[cain-speaks]

Harassing Content/Fanwork Creators

hiya, serious post time.

so i've been noticing some serious harassment towards people who make content or create fanwork. i've been wanting to stay something for a while but i'm not really good at this stuff so i was holding back,, i have decided not to do that any longer.

the lack of empathy or awareness people seem to have when interacting with content creators is kinda appalling tbh?? like i've seen people comparing people's art (telling person A they should do smth more like person B as if there's a more correct way to do it), putting people's ocs in situations the artist has stated they're uncomfortable with, trying to rush artists, or just outright disregarding an artist's boundaries.

the grossest part of this to me is that it seems people grow more obsessed w something when an artist says "this will never happen/please don't do this". i'm not going to tag people bacause i don't want to annoy anybody but as an example: i've seen an a fanwork creator repeatedly state that their oc will not have children of any kind and they're not comfortable with her being put in positions where she's watching over children in any capacity, and rather than accepting this, people try to find ways around it, question it, or outright ignore it.

i don't care if you didn't mean to be rude or if you were genuinely asking. if someone says "DON'T DO THIS WITH MY CHARACTER", don't fucking do it. it's so disgustingly disrespectful among other things (that i can't put into words bc i will just rant for several paragraphs gbhdf).

you wanna draw kids? make your own oc and draw their kids. stop trying to push that on other people.

also about rushing artists: art is fucking hard. people have lives outside of content creation, and even if they didn't, you still have to handle mental health, burnout, etc. on top of it. don't ask an artist "hey when is x coming out?" especially if they're fairly active?? like wtf have some fucking empathy.

to artists, content creators, and fanwork creators: you do not have to put up with ANYONE'S bullshit. your wellbeing and happiness is important. lay out your boundaries and if people disregard them, block them. people have shit to say about it? block them. you are not evil for wanting to be respected, especially over simple stuff, and being blocked is not the end of the world. people will survive and move on, and if they don't, maybe it'll teach them a much needed lesson.

[cowardlychimera]

dream team au random fun facts and stuff under cut (because uhmmm scary!) yaaay :3

Sunny first!

genderfluid, and didn't decide on an orientation because he's too busy Facing Horrors for that

he's the shortest of the 4! refusing to take care of yourself for years can do that to you

he's japanese american wowww!

after the good ending, his dream world didn't disappear at all, just simply... started reconstructing itself, with everything except white space (and sometimes red space) becoming inaccessible to him, since the state of a dream world reflects its dreamer's state of mind

he no longer uses Omori as a vessel or anything anymore, letting him be his own person (but Omori still chooses to function as a guardian, protecting the dream world from intruders and helping keep things in order, just like BYC, Humphrey, and Abbi. he's just. a little more chill about it now. a little.), so instead Sunny appears more like his normal self in his and others' dream worlds, just taking on a monochrome palette like Omori. it's not easy letting go of everything all at once, after all

music is still difficult for him, but he's very good at learning other languages!! this is very important and helpful actually, since only one of the other 3 is fluent in english...

he's helpful to a fault. often ignores his own health to work on figuring out ways to help the other dreamers and figure out how dream worlds work instead

connected to last detail, Sunny keeps a notebook on everything he learns about dream worlds! haha almost like a dream diar-

eventually he does start school again, but instead he gets to do online school, since it's a bit difficult for him to build up the courage to explore the new city on his own...

he toootally doesn't subconsciously see Madotsuki as another Mari haha what're you talking abooouutt (this is bad for everyone.)

Madotsuki time!!

I normally see her as an adult, but for this au she's 17! mainly just so I could have her be adopted by Sunny's mom tbh (I'm aware adults can be adopted but it makes more sense this way in my head just trust me)

she's also pretty short, just barely taller than Sunny! (but she's actually around average height for women in japan so she's not really THAT short, the other 2 are just tall weirdos <3)

Madotsuki's gender is Madotsuki (she's happy with being referred to as both female and male, but doesn't care to figure out what, or even if, there's a specific label she identifies with. Schrödinger's gender) for orientation, maaaybe lesbian. she doesn't really care though

she's very shy, anxious, and quiet, only talking when she has to. she eventually opens up more and talks more, but it takes a while. but if Sunny can do it, so can she!

she actually looks up to Sunny a lot, despite being a bit older than him

her art style is more abstract

Madotsuki can be a bit of a perfectionist at times... just like a certain big sis (coughMaricough)

she's chubby (not sure if this is a good word to use since I've heard a large variety of what people consider chubby

not 100% canon to this au because I'm not sure I could handle it properly no matter how much research I do (I may or may not also be a bit of a perfectionist at times <3) but! she's both japanese and peruvian

connected to last detail, she's fluent in japanese and knows quite a bit of spanish. Sunny is the one who teaches her english!

now for actual Lore, she was born in japan, and her parents died when she was young, moving in with another family member who is. less than kind

the npcs Monoe and Monoko represent two people Madotsuki was close friends with as a kid (because why not), but after losing both of them, one in quite a tragic way, things really started to fall apart

the npc Poniko represents someone she looked up to at school and wanted to be more like: popular, pretty, perfect. she took advantage of Madotsuki's desire to be more like her.

the npc Masada represents her piano teacher! the only adult in her life she trusted at the time. he was the only person in her life who was worried about her.

she developed psychosis as a kid, which resulted in an incident at school involving a knife and a bully. she dropped out after that.

eventually she moved to the US with the family member who took her in, never leaving the apartment, and only leaving her room when necessary when she was sure she was the only one home

moving on, she can get VERY protective of Sunny. she's already lost so much, she can't lose him too. she's not letting go of the one who saved her.

connected to last thing, due to Basil's history with Sunny and some very unfortunate similarities with a certain someone (coughPonikocough), Madotsuki's VERY suspicious of Basil. it takes a very long while for her to warm up to him

on a lighter note, she can act quite silly and childish! she enjoys being mischievous with Sunny and can be very stubborn and playful

most important detail ever: she loves frogs. huge frog fan. based on my favorite page in the yume nikki manga <3

ough that was long. Urotsuki time!

she's an adult and the oldest of the 4, and actually enjoys it! she likes feeling needed for once

she's also the tallest! very tall! a giraffe!! around the same height as Kel and Hero, even! what a freak! (affectionate) this detail is actually based on how the stretch effect (exactly what the name implies. makes her quite long) is treated like the opposite of the child effect quite a lot. and the stretch effect's action is just her crying, which cooouuld imply this effect represents her fear or whatever of growing up. I like being mean to her :)

she's also genderfluid, like Sunny!! yay!! based on the 2 boy effects in yume 2kki. for orientation, pan, because projection!! and also it makes perfect sense to me. can't explain why

her personality tends to switch between excitable + silly and aloof + blunt. to most people it seems like she's a faker and an asshole, but both sides are genuine. she's both at the same time, just struggles to socialize in a way everyone wants, even exaggerating parts of her personality at times to make up for that. the other 3 don't seem to mind how she acts, though. they know she cares

she's very caring of course, even if it doesn't show at times. she enjoys helping and taking care of others! even if her reasons at times are unhealthy, it doesn't change the fact she just truly enjoys having people to care for. she's pretty protective of the other 3, and would do anything to keep them safe.

her art style is more realistic, but is very inspired by anime. nerd

she could count as conventionally attractive physically, even with her intimidating height and personality, since she's naturally curvy, with an hourglass shape. she actually hates this quite a bit at times, and other times couldn't care less. she's too busy Facing Horrors

she's japanese and also russian. I have no good reason for the russian part. I made a joke about it once and it just stuck. she was raised as 100% japanese anyway

she's fluent in both japanese and english! she was determined to learn as much english as possible so she could move from japan to the US as soon as she could. an attempt to escape a past that'll haunt her dreams forever

she has and needs glasses but usually refuses to wear them. based on glasses effect, I mostly just wanted to add this detail though because I think she's cute with glasses...

her dream world works similarly to Sunny's, with guardians protecting her dreams and keeping them in order. she just. has far more guardians than him. toootally a normal amount though hahaa (lie)

Lore time! there's no fucking way I'm adding every single thing in yume 2kki to this au, so I picked only some themes and npcs I liked, and filled in spaces with whatever I wanted! anyway, she was raised by neglectful yet strict parents who expected her to exceed expectations, especially in school. she did manage to get good grades in all her classes, but of course they weren't perfect. it wasn't enough for her parents, despite her attempts to do better

she also got into fights quite often with bullies after being pushed around one too many times, and broke rules quite often too, quickly becoming the most disliked student at school. she's not the best at knowing when to back down

I added the npc Shimako to Urotsuki's Lore, because I like her and find her very interesting :3. in this au, she was Urotsuki's best (and only) friend, but due to Urotsuki's unpredictable behavior, inability to express her emotions properly, and struggle to understand and read other people well, they slowly drifted apart. they eventually stopped talking after they parted ways after graduating, despite having each other's contact info. after many failed attempts to just dm or call each other, Urotsuki one day noticed Shimako stopped going online. she took too long. she'll always blame herself for this.

YAY FINALLY ALMOST DONE! so much typing... Sabitsuki's turn!

she's also an adult, but a bit younger than Urotsuki. they often argue about who's in charge (the answer is neither of them. Sunny is secretly pulling all the strings /j)

she's definitely taller than Madotsuki, but also definitely shorter than Urotsuki. a bit shorter than the average for men in japan

her gender is. well. complicated, you could say. she's afab and does identify as female, but she doesn't feel cis due to disconnected feeling to since she never really felt like she was even treated as human in the first place. agender could also fit her, but she doesn't care for labels anyway. for orientation, same thing, she doesn't care for labels, but she could count as mspec

she has albinism! wowie!! I actually researched a specific genetic disorder(?) that causes albinism and is connected to blood disorders and bruising issues, because it seems like a perfect fit, buuut I couldn't find enough useful info for me to be confident enough in portraying it properly, so while certain symptoms and stuff are canon in this au, I'm not sure if I can say she does in fact have it

anyway, she bleeds very easily (it's actually canon in .flow she gets nosebleeds often) and bruises very easily too, and has contacts to help with her sensitivity to light and hide her eye color. she has a limited supply due to refusing to keep up with medical stuff, but she doesn't leave her apartment much anyway

she can seem cold and standoffish to strangers, but she's actually pretty chill and sweet once she gets to know someone better. she definitely has a soft spot for Sunny and Madotsuki, and tends to spoil them a bit when she gets the chance. she's often aggressive and competitive with Urotsuki, but that's because Urotsuki is just extremely good at pissing her off, and even messes with her for fun sometimes. they do eventually get along more, but will always be at least a little snarky with each other sometimes

Sabitsuki actually does make herself seem more intimidating and tough on purpose, in an attempt to scare people away and make sure no one ever hurts her again. she's afraid of letting people get close to her and being vulnerable around others, but it doesn't take long for Sunny to wear her down. it's nice having someone who can easily read the real you but would never even think of judging you

she can also be VERY protective, especially with Sunny and Madotsuki, with how easily she can see a bit of herself in them. she's determined to make sure no one ever hurts them the same way others hurt her

her art style is much more realistic, but still noticeably a bit stylized

Sabitsuki also has a morbid fascination with human bodies, for a variety of reasons

she's pretty skinny, to an unhealthy degree even. she's naturally thin, but she tends to avoid and forget about eating. and when she does eat, it's not uncommon for her to accidentally eat way too much way too fast and just throw it up again...

Sabitsuki's 100% japanese, but in this au grew up in the US so I could keep her close to the other 3

fluent in japanese, and can understand and write in english but struggles to actually speak it

LORE TIME! .flow isn't as vague as yume nikki is, but it's still vague enough that I essentially made up my own story for this au anyway lol. her mother died during childbirth, and Sabitsuki fully believes her mother should've lived instead of her (based on. so many things in .flow. feel free to ask about what specifically if you're curious!), and her aunt took her in and raised her

her health was even worse as a kid, so she spent a lot of her childhood in a hospital. it wasn't all bad though, since this is where she met her first friend! the npc Oreko represents this friend. she often snuck into Sabitsuki's room to keep her company and play with her. they'd keep each other up to date on stuff in and outside of the hospital! though, she didn't live long. Sabitsuki refuses to let go of her memories of her

her aunt did her best to give her as normal of a childhood as possible, but slowly struggled more and more to afford anything, really. she eventually gave up and got into sex work for money, but it wasn't enough. her mental health quickly fell apart. Sabitsuki resents her for this but also can't blame her either

as her aunt's life fell apart, Sabitsuki did her best to stay afloat as a teen, taking on a few jobs here and there to try to help. then she met Smile at school

she quickly grew attached to him and started depending on him instead, even joining the gang he was part of. she managed to blend in well enough despite her appearances, willing to help with any task she was given to keep her spot in the only place she felt like she belonged: in dark alleys with the strays

she felt safe with Smile and his sister. they were like a messed up little family to her

but of course, nothing good lasts forever! soon enough, other members started taking advantage of her, eventually resulting in Sabitsuki murdering one of them. she went to Smile for help, but he refused. his sister was his priority, and he didn't want to put her in danger. Sabitsuki didn't take this well, but he forced her out anyway

she quickly went into hiding after that to avoid punishment for killing another member, managing to find a shitty yet cheap apartment in another city, the same city the other 3 end up in too

aough jesus christ I'm done typing no more

[zzoupz]

i really admire your art! esp how you've improved even just in the year or so ive been following you. ive been wondering how you got so good at drawing? my school has art classes but they basically just teach us how to paint landscapes and draw squares and things so my character fanart could really use improvement. i know practice practice practice but tbh i feel like if i'm not practicing the right things it'll just keep being crummy. any advice? :3

thank you thank you! 💖💖

I'm basically self taught! my school didnt teach useful stuff either lol

hmm for characters the most important thing is practice anatomy from reference, hell even from other professional artists. i find simplifying things into shapes also helps. also learn color theory! it could be hard but experimenting with colors is fun trust me

overall i think whats going to be useful is gonna be different from person to person, dont be afraid to try out whats for you. and remember to trust the process even when its not linear ‼️

[mysteriousdoll]

I admit I have been stalking your page for a put 30 minutes AND OMG YOUR WORK IS SO COOL I LOVE IT SO MUCH AND I LOVE ALL YOUR ART AND HEADCANONS OMG-

Anyway, I was reading the HCs you and somebody else came up with and I have one but I'm not 100% sure on it. Like my mind is debating it intensely.

In ishimondo which one can cook?

THIS IS A KIND OF LONG ONE SORRY-

My thought:

. Due to official art they can both cook?

. Or one is teaching the other to cook?

. Mondo seems like the guy who can't cook (just based on appearance tbh) but with his backstory he's had to fend for himself, so can he cook???

. And with Ishimaru, he seems like the person who knows how to cook, and maybe his father is out so often that he's self taught?

. But on the other hand he's spent all his time studying he hasnt taught himself those kind of skills.. sure he can make two minute noodles, or cook an egg or make some toast. But nothing fancy?

. Or maybe breakfast is the most important meal of the day to him?!?!?! Maybe it's in his routine to cook every morning?!?! Maybe he makes food for his father when he comes home from late shifts, or has bacon and egg on Sundays???

. Or he's terrible in the kitchen, and mondo taught him.

Can they both cook? Have you ever thought about this?! Sorry for the long ramble of options but I've thought about this for a week and have no idea.😭

Uhm yeah I'm going to put this on anon in case it's silly or something, but you probably know who I am based on the notes and notifications and stuff👍

Also idk if shadow banning works on tumblr like it does tiktok but if you want me to stop spam liking your posts I will, I just love your content 😭

One: screaming rn I feel so happy I’ve never had my posts stalked /pos (except for my Ben 10 acct which is bad bc I’m making an ishimondo Ben 10 au)

Two: No need to stop!! Idm!! Tbh the thing that makes me happiest is seeing people go wild in the tags, so I’m v honored.

Three: I agree! I think Mondo isn’t the beeest cook, but if it comes to Italian meals (thanks to my own hc’s and my Oowada mom oc), he’s not that bad! Although he has a bad habit of letting things overcook… he’s the type to burn popcorn and insist it’s better that way.

As for Taka, I think he’s actually quite the skilled cook—but only with more basic options. Taka’s very rigid, so if he is able to cook something more extravagant, he’ll follow it by the book, and maybe even ask Teruteru for his input. (Ignoring comments Teruteru makes and Gundham glaring Teruteru down)

The only issue with Taka cooking is… he forgets to eat a lot. (And thanks to his grandad, he sometimes chooses not to eat because he dare take one extra minute of free time) That, and his food is either bland, or so spicy no one but him can eat it. A hot while back I saw @mickules mention in a post that Taka would be a spice fiend, and I. Live for that.

Also also—regarding system Taka bc I’m always gonna mention system Taka /j, Akira (aka Ishida) is actually an extremely talented baker! They aren’t super big on sweet food ironically, but they can make really good baked goods even with limited ingredients… though they prefer crunchier foods)

Additionally; Mondo can’t fucking make ramen. He just takes someone else’s. Taka can also make insanely good omurice. Proof for Taka bc I can’t find the anthology comic with Mondo:

[atthebell]

bell I do have a crochet question for you. how do you get better at freehanding things? is it just experience? bc I've been crocheting for a few years now but I still sweat if I can't find a pattern for what I want to make 😭

so my initial answer is just fuck around and find out-- as in just start making stuff, sometimes don't even try for a specific shape, just do stuff and see what shapes you make and get a feel for how increasing and decreasing impact a work, how to incorporate larger stitches (i.e. switch from sc to dc to make one side of the round taller), all that kind of stuff. and maybe try and make something purely based off an image-- as in, no pattern, no fucking clue how to go about it, just go at it and see what you get. it won't always be pretty, but it'll teach you! and practice helps immensely, so you can even just work on things you do have patterns for/know how to make and that will teach you how shapes come together and how to sculpt something (bc that's what amigurumi is, really, just figuring out how to sculpt something with loop & hook-- imo, it's what makes crochet pretty different to other fiber arts, although you can do 3-D stuff with them as well) into what you want.

my other answer is i've been crocheting for thirteen years and i consider myself pretty damn good at it and i still whine and cry when i can't find a pattern for what i want 😭 i think getting really good at tracking stuff down and also sometimes just resigning yourself to having to buy a pattern is really the answer. also, tbh, you can look at how someone else made it and try and replicate that without a pattern-- if you sell stuff, i recommend you still credit the original designer, since you are basing it off their work, but looking at how someone else made something and trying to do the same thing is how a lot of artists build technique. again, don't rip them off entirely, but going "how tf did they make this?" and trying to do something similar can help you learn more about how pieces are put together.

also ravelry, pinterest (if you know how to use it properly and are willing to deal with the spam/clickbait fake pins... bane of my existence), various pattern databases, and, tbh, just rando people's blogs are your best friend. i have a few amigurumi artists where when i'm just absolutely lost, i go on their sites and search up what i'm trying to make to see if they've done it before, and sometimes they have! elisa's crochet has really cute stuff, as does ami amour, and you can find way more people through instagram (the one and only time i will recommend going on that site)

[o-sachi]

Hello again, Sachi! I was wondering if you could recommend some sports anime or mangas, thank you! i've finished your recommendations (⁠・⁠∀⁠・⁠)

-Feesh🐟

Oh wow. All of them? Darn, now I wanna know who u are :((

Anyway! I'll try to make a list with a good amount of reccs lol

Sports AniManga:

Run With the Wind - This show is so close to my heart lol. I've watched the entire thing 3 times already at this point.

Slam Dunk - Genuinely the best sports manga imo. Takehiko Inoue's art is AMAZING and all of the characters (even from rival schools) were so lovable.

Ace of Diamond - I feel like this one has hints of realism in it which makes it more enjoyable. The cast is wonderful and it teaches you a lot about baseball lol.

One Outs - I like how it delves into the psychological aspect of sports, specifically baseball. The MC CARRIES the entire thing. I love this.

Catenaccio - art style is a bit questionable,,,,, but it helped cure my cravings for Blue Lock whenever I'd have to wait for chaps (bit hard to find complete translations of this)

Ao Ashi - also cured my cravings for Blue Lock (sometimes I end up thinking I like this more than Bllk...)

Prince of Stride - Weird pick, I know. But it's different from the rest since it's about parkour ? Idk maybe a unique sport might interest you.

Burning Kabbadi - same as the above, unique sport so it might interest you

Martial Arts/Fighting (kind of like sports?):

Kengan Series - MY FAVORITE OF ALL TIME. I'm probably biased. But like the art is top tier, characters are all interesting, the fights are well-coordinated. Literally everything is to love about it.

Holy Land - I got into this when I was in my boxing phase lol so it was relatable when MC was still learning boxing too. Very realistic!

Hajime no Ippo - it's a classic, but it's long sooooo,,,,,,

Shamo - a bit of a darker series, but enjoyable nonetheless

OUT - All the arcs of this manga are wonderfully written, like none of them miss. It's a bit dark and serious though, but it has some comedy which keeps it interesting lol (gangs and delinquents and stuff)

Bouncer - same author as OUT. tbh only read this because I got too impatient with OUT releases, but Bouncer is really good too especially if you like the fighting genre

[ikiaarre]

Do you have lineart tips? I just discivered your account and i love how you lineart!

Oooh, thank you for the very kind words as well as the ask! Very sorry for the late reply. I've been pondering my lineart a lot lately so it's definitely a question I'd like to attempt to answer. I don't consider myself good enough to be teaching stuff if I'm honest haha but I'll certainly try!

The way I work with lineart (and the way it's pretty much always been) is to directly mold it out of the sketch itself. So I don't make a separate layer for lineart, I simply go over the sketch, erase, redraw and refine it. I find this technique preserves a lot of life and the original charm of the sketch!

Anyways, great lineart in my eyes boils down to the use of line weight. Basically, the overall principle I follow for weight in lines relates directly to a couple of elements: light and shadow, folding, overlap and shapes.

Light and shadow is probably the most familiar method to a lot of people, usually starting with the "triangle under chin" method to imply shadow. In lineart, it's useful to think about the deep shadows cast on the figure/object/whatever it is you're drawing.

Folding is another quality that gives lots of opportunities for dynamic line weight in your drawing! When you're drawing clothing or fabrics, try to look at points of folding and accentuate them.

Depending on your stylization, overlap can also be important to accentuate in lineart. Basically, what is at the forefront of the composition has thicker lines than what's at the back/behind, if that makes sense.

Shapes! I don't consciously think about shape language as much as the other elements tbh, but I find it really effective when you have a particular pose or silhouette you're working with. Putting more weight on a shape will make it pop out more!

All in all, I suggest thinking about the parts of your drawing where different shapes, folds, overlap and light and shadow happen. You can also apply these basics to other qualities when you feel comfortable, but to begin with, look at your drawing and which parts you'd like to highlight - is it the shape of the hair, the pose, the shadows? Thinking it out piece by piece really helps!

Hope that was at least somewhat useful! And, of course, have fun with your art and be free to experiment. You'll figure out your preferred way of working with time and practice, guaranteed!

[running-in-the-dark]

a short list of 'fun' things my mother has done, for the next time I forget what she's really like

the one time she was supposed to pick me up from a friend's house (less than 20 minutes away), my friend and I were a little late getting back to her place because our train was late. I would've been 13 or 14, and I couldn't call my mother because neither of us had money/credit on our phones. when we arrived at my friend's house, her parents told me that my mother had been there and waited a few minutes, but then said she had a toothache so she left. we were maybe 20 minutes late. it was a Friday but we had school every second Saturday, so it was a school night.

I was supposed to go to her friend's wedding with her when I was 11 or 12. she was supposed to pick me up at my dad's place where I lived, and I was alone, so I walked our dog before she was supposed to be there. I was in a hurry, so I forgot my keys, but I thought it was fine because she was supposed to be there any minute. she showed up three hours later. it was winter, there was snow. I think I eventually broke a small part of a window at the back of the house so I could get in because I got really worried about my dog - that was right before she showed up though, so we'd been outside in the snow for hours and it was already getting dark by that point.

her, my brother and I were on the way to a dentist appointment, I think I was maybe 13. she stopped somewhere to run an errand. my brother got out of the car and kept shaking the car really hard the entire time she was gone. he didn't stop when I asked him to and eventually I got upset. when she came back, I told her what he had done and that he wouldn't stop. she told me to be quiet and stop being difficult, I was upset and said that's not fair, she slapped me in the face. my lip was bleeding. we were driving through the village where my dad and I lived, but she refused to stop the car and let me get out. I refused to go to the appointment because my lip and shirt were bloody.

didn't take me to a doctor when I fell on my head and most likely had a concussion

didn't take me to a doctor when I twisted and probably sprained my ankle falling down some stairs and couldn't walk for over a week

once pretended she left me and my brother behind in a small town because we were walking too slowly (we were maybe 3-5 years old) and actually got in the car and drove off (she came back after a few minutes but it still terrified me)

yelled at me when I didn't immediately understand how to knit when she tried to teach me (I was about 6)

made me copy 4 pages of text into the about me section of my friendship/poetry book (that you let your friends write stuff in) because what I wrote wasn't good enough

explained to me that I didn't need to be scared of airplanes because of crashes because those are rare - no, I should be scared of them being kidnapped by terrorists instead (I was 4 or 5)

immediately after that: explained what prostitution is and that it's important so that men don't rape women and children (again, I was like FIVE. the news were on the radio and I didn't know what the word meant so I asked.)

one time my art teacher told her at a parents evening that she (my mother) was just jealous of me because I was young and so different from her and that's why she treated me that way and didn't like me. she thought that was hilarious and immediately told me about it when she came home. she just found it sooo funny and ridiculous. I'm still not sure if she made it up, but tbh both options (it really happened or she made it up) would be weird as hell.

[yardsards]

I hope you don’t think it’s weird for me to comment on a hc you made weeks ago but omg I had the same idea that Emira gets into the arts. But yours is brilliant that you have Raine be like a mentor figure. She needs an adult.

(context for the curious)

thank you! it's a headcanon i had a ton of fun thinking of and talking about!

i'm gonna ramble some more here:

i feel like emira really needs some hobbies/interests that aren't connected to anyone in her family. a bit because if we take her "being stuck with you forever" as more than just a mean joke, there seems to be manor desire there to really be seen as her own person rather than just half of a matched set. and a bit because i feel like she would benefit from a space away from her siblings and the caretaker persona that she sometimes has to step into.

like, pretty much every interest of hers that we've seen in canon was something she shared with edric. except for healing magic. which, while she did seem genuinely excited about multitracking into it, we don't see much of why she likes it other than when she's healing her siblings. so while healing can be a good interest for her in terms of it being her own thing, it's not something that would give her a real break from being in caretaker mode.

of course, there are near infinite interests/hobbies you could choose for her. but something artistic just feels right for her. part bc she seems to have a creative side (being on the illusions track and having what seemed to be a bit of an interest in fashion). part bc the arts are often used to express yourself and your individuality, and she needs that kind of thing in her life

i think she could dabble in stuff like painting or poetry too, but the connection with raine and bard magic is too neat for me to pass up. because i think that there is a lot of potential between raine and emira.

and yeah, part of it is just that she needs an adult in general, and raine fits the bill well enough as a kind and caring adult character that doesn't have super direct connections to any of the other blights, (and that we know enough about as a character to create interesting dynamics with lol)

like, as i rambled about in the tags of that post, i think emira would really benefit from having a trusted adult mentor in her life, someone who will care for and guide her instead of her needing to care for and guide them. especially someone other than her father. cuz like, yeah alador got better as a parent, but emira would probably need some time before she could trust him, and an adult that has never hurt her would be very beneficial in the meantime (as well as even after she her dad earns her trust again tbh, because the more sources of positive attention and guidance a kid can get, the better). and like, she seems like she desperately needs some attention and care from some adults in her life (the "i want a tshirt too!" scene, as well as the popular interpretation that her and edric's troublemaking was a cry for attention).

but also like, i think raine in particular would jive with her. raine's got a mischievous streak of their own and would get emira's rebellious tendencies. raine understands how it feels to have lived years under a cruel authority figure and to have rebelled right under that authority figure's nose. plus, we know they've got experience teaching younger people and seem to be really good at it and encouraging creativity